Shimla-Chandigarh Highway Reopens After Rainfall Subsides; 1200 HP Roads Remain Blocked

As the rainfall subsided on Tuesday, the focus of the Himachal Pradesh government shifted to rescuing and evacuating stranded individuals, including tourists, in Manali, Lahaul and Spiti, and Shimla. Meanwhile, flooding persisted in various areas of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Tragically, four individuals lost their lives and seven others sustained injuries when loose boulders fell on vehicles along the Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district. The annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir and Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand partially resumed after being suspended for several days due to the inclement weather.

Although the hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh experienced a respite from incessant rains on Tuesday, sporadic showers were reported in other parts of the state. The heavy rainfall led to rivers and streams flowing at full capacity, while numerous roads, including the Manali-Chandigarh national highway, remained impassable. Relief camps were set up in Kullu and Manali to accommodate those evacuated from flooded areas. Traffic gradually returned to normalcy on the Shimla-Chandigarh highway and Delhi-Ludhiana highway, which had been blocked due to the breach in the embankment of Ghaggar river.

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The Indian Air Force conducted rescue operations, airlifting approximately 300 stranded individuals, mostly tourists, from relief camps in Chandertal at an altitude of 14,100 feet in Lahaul-Spiti. The Himachal Pradesh government, with the assistance of the Indian Army and National Disaster Relief Force, has been engaged in rescuing people from rain-affected regions. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conducted an aerial survey of the heavily impacted districts of Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, and Mandi. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued warnings of moderate to heavy rainfall in various districts of Himachal Pradesh over the next few days.

Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are also expected to receive more rainfall as the monsoon clouds move eastwards. Several areas in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand continue to be inundated, with the Army and National Disaster Relief Force personnel deployed for rescue operations. The situation remains critical in Urban Estate, Patiala, where the water level continued to rise. In Jalandhar district, Punjab, a youth on a motorcycle was swept away by the strong current of the Sutlej river when he attempted to cross a breached embankment.

The Amarnath Yatra partially resumed from the Jammu base camp after being suspended for three days due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway for repairs. In Uttarakhand, four pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh lost their lives and seven others were injured in a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall near the Gangnani bridge on the Gangotri National Highway. The incident resulted in the blocking of the Indo-Tibet border road and the disconnection of several border villages. Additionally, around 800 roads in Uttarakhand remained blocked due to landslides.