Cloudburst in Himachal's Kullu district washes away shelters, liquor store, and footbridge

An affected area after cloud-burst hit Tosh hills in Manikaran, in Kullu district, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (PTI Photo)

In Tosh Nallah in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, a cloudburst caused a flash flood that washed away three temporary shelters, including a liquor store, and a footbridge, officials said on Tuesday.

Early in the morning, a team was dispatched to the scene to examine the situation, according to Deputy Commissioner Kullu Torul S Raveesh. The event occurred in the Tosh region of Manikaran, and no fatalities have been recorded.

"Our appeal to the people is to stay away from rivers and rivulets and do not make temporary structures near nallahs," she said.

The deputy commissioner stated that construction activity is prohibited during the monsoon season and warned that strict action will be taken against those who violate this rule.

Additionally, the local meteorological office has issued an 'orange' alert for heavy to very heavy rain, along with thunderstorms and lightning, in seven districts of the state on Wednesday and Thursday. A 'yellow' alert has also been issued for heavy rain in isolated areas on August 2 and 3.

Monsoon activity is likely to intensify with widespread precipitation in the next four to five days, it said. Spells of heavy to very heavy rainfall are likely to occur at one or two places in the districts of Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur on Wednesday and Thursday, the weather office said.

It also cautioned of possibility of landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas of Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, and Kinnaur districts, and damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures and 'kutcha' houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

Meanwhile, light rainfall was witnessed in a few parts of the state.

According to Meteorological Centre, Shimla, Sarahan and Rohru recorded 12 mm of rainfall since Monday evening followed by Sangrah (10 mm), Jogindernagar (8 mm), Sainj (6.5 mm), Manali (6 mm), Rampur (5.8 mm), Dharamshala (5.4 mm) and Gohar (5 mm).

According to official data up to Monday night, since the start of the monsoon on June 27, rain-related accidents have claimed 62 lives in the last month. The state emergency operation centre reports that the state has lost Rs 425 crore during the current monsoon.