Himachal Pradesh monsoon havoc: 173 dead, highways shut, dam collapses; IMD warns of more rain

NEW DELHI: Relentless rain across Himachal Pradesh has left 383 roads blocked, 747 distribution transformers (DTRs) out of action and 249 water-supply schemes down, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.The slide-scarred districts of Chamba, Kullu, Mandi and Una are worst hit, with local officials warning that many interior routes remain unreachable for repair crews.

Rising death tollSince the monsoon began, 173 people have died in the state, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

National highways buried in debrisKey mountain arteries—including NH-305, NH-505, NH-21 and NH-03—are blocked by landslides.

In the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, NH-505 is shut near Chhatru, while NH-305 in Kullu is closed at Jhed (Khanag), cutting off entire valleys for a second straight day.Cofferdam breach sparks fresh alarmIn Kullu’s Parvati Valley, a temporary cofferdam at the Malana-I hydro-electric project collapsed on Friday after debris-choked drainage pipes gave way. A wall of water swept heavy machinery downstream.The same project was battered by a flash flood last year.Dams on high alertElsewhere, dam operators are watching water levels hour-by-hour.Bajoli Holi and Baira dams on the Ravi basin, and Sainj and Largi barrages on the Beas, have halted power generation due to high silt loads.

Malana-II remains shut with its gates open after Friday’s surge.

Officials said all reservoirs were within “permissible limits” as of 17:00 local time on Saturday.Una district delugeMore than 222 mm of rain pounded Una district overnight, flooding roads, homes and markets.

Schools have been closed and residents urged to stay away from swollen rivers.Relief operations grind onEngineers have restored some irrigation and sewerage schemes, but full normality may be days away, the SDMA warned, citing further rain in the forecast.State and district teams continue to clear debris, reopen roads and move stranded villagers to safer ground—yet every fresh cloudburst risks setting the recovery clock back to zero.