Himachal Rain Havoc: Mandi Landslide Claims 7 Lives, Roads and Schools Closed

Quick Summary

• Himachal Pradesh continues to face severe monsoon devastation as landslips adn flash floods claim lives and damage infrastructure.
• Mandi District: Four more bodies recovered from a landslip, raising the death toll to seven. Five of the deceased belonged to one family.
• Kullu District: Two people, including an NDRF jawan, are feared dead after two houses collapsed due to a landslip.
• Residents evacuated in kunduni village (Mandi) as a new landslip posed risks; reports of damaged trucks and homes persist across affected areas.
• Education Closure: All government/private schools and colleges ordered shut until September 7 due to safety concerns. Online classes will be conducted wherever feasible.
• Road travel severely impacted: 1,162 roads blocked statewide; NHs 3, 5, 21, among others closed due to damage.
• Train service on shimla-Kalka track canceled through september 5 owing to landslips.
• Heavy rainfall persists in regions with amounts ranging from ~40 mm (Malraon) up to 136 mm (Naina Devi).
• Orange warning issued for isolated heavy/very heavy rains by meteorological authorities; state records since monsoon onset include:

– 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts, 122 major landslips resulting in major disruptions.
– Over ₹3,525 crore in financial losses reported; total death toll stands at least at 341 with 41 individuals still missing.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The recurring calamities during this year’s monsoon underscore vulnerabilities in Himachal Pradesh’s disaster preparedness amidst intensifying climate-driven extremes. Incidents like fatalities caused by clustered human settlements highlight pressing demands for land-use revision aligned strategically ensuring safe zones prioritizing systematic defenses near populated ones Vital responsibly managing balancing local-slide constructions

Immediate priority Thus heavy resilience funding restoration