Weather Update: Following the ongoing spell of rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, at least 128 roads were closed in the state after landslides and flash floods struck the hill state due to the downpour, the Met office said on Friday.
Amid the rains, the regional Met office has also issued an 'orange' warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, at isolated places on Saturday and a 'yellow' warning for heavy rain till August 15.
Besides Himachal Pradesh, the IMD has issued an 'orange' alert in several other states, including Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and East Uttar Pradesh, predicting heavy rainfall in the states in the next five days.
The weather office also warned of a low to moderate flash flood risk in isolated parts of Mandi, Bilaspur, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, and Kullu districts till Saturday, as reported by news agency PTI.
Spells of heavy to very heavy rain are at isolated places in Una, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur districts on Saturday, it further stated.
The MeT department has cautioned of the possibility of damage to plantations, crops, vulnerable structures, and kutcha houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 60 roads are closed in Mandi, 37 in Kullu, 21 in Shimla, five in Kangra, four in Kinnaur, and one in Hamirpur district. It added that 44 power and 67 water supply schemes were disrupted.
Since Thursday evening, Jogindernagar in Mandi district recorded the highest rainfall at 160 mm, followed by Dharamshala (125.4 mm), Kataula (112.3 mm), Bharari (98.4 mm), Kandaghat (80 mm), Palampur (78.2 mm), Pandoh (76 mm), Baijnath (75 mm), Kufri (70.8 mm) and Shimla (60.5 mm), as reported by PTI.
Water Supply Affected In Shimla
According to PTI, water supply in Shimla was affected due to turbidity in the sources. Turbidity is cloudiness of a fluid caused by suspended solids, usually invisible to the naked eye. The state capital received a supply of 24.64 million litres per day (MLD) against a normal of 42-45 MLD on Friday.
Shimla receives water from six sources -- Gumma, Giri, Churot, Seog, Chairh and Koti Brandi.
More than 100 people have been killed in rain-related incidents and the state has suffered losses of about Rs 842 crores between June 27 and August 9, PTI reported, citing officials.
Flood Warnings In Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand
The IMD has also issued a warning for a flash flood in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. According to the weather office, a low to moderate flash flood threat is likely. over a few watersheds and neighbourhoods of
several Met Sub-divisions during the next 6 hours, including Bageshwar, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi districts.
In Himachal Pradesh, low to moderate flash flood risk is likely over a few watersheds and neighbourhoods of Himachal Pradesh, including the Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts. A similar warning has also been issued in several districts of Kerala.
Orange Alert In Other States
As several parts of India continue to witness rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange' alert in several states, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in these states in the next five to six days. The states are Rajasthan, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Bihar, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The Met office issued a 'yellow' warning to "be aware" after earlier putting the city in the 'orange' zone.
According to IMD, an orange alert means heavy rainfall, and the weather department urges people to stay indoors if possible and stock up on essentials.