- The state has been hit by 113 landslides in the 55 days since the monsoon began.
- Twenty-one people died in three major landslides in Shimla, including the one at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill.
- IAF rescues over 780 people in HP, search operations continue
- Himachal Pradesh CM, while presiding over a high-level meeting, directed the concerned departments to take appropriate steps to increase the number of Automatic Weather Stations.
- Experts say that frequent landslides are caused by unscientific constructions in the ecologically fragile Himalayas.
- The estimated ₹ 10,000 crores of damage across Himachal Pradesh does not reflect the true cost of the disaster, which has had a devastating impact on individuals and businesses alike.
- Tourism and the apple trade, which is the driving force behind the state’s economy, are the worst affected.
The death count from the monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh climbed to 74 on Thursday, as rescue workers pulled out another body from the rubble of a Shiva temple in Shimla while two more were killed in Chamba. Twenty-one people died in three major landslides in Shimla, including the one at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill.
The state has been hit by 113 landslides in the 55 days since the monsoon began, causing losses of ₹ 2,491 crore to the Public Works Department (PWD) and ₹ 1,000 crore to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
In Shimla’s Summer Hill, a section of the railway tracks has been swept away, leaving the tracks hanging in the air.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that rebuilding the infrastructure damaged by the recent landslides is a “mountain-like challenge”.
Experts say that frequent landslides are caused by unscientific constructions in the ecologically fragile Himalayas, depleting forest cover, and structures near streams that block the flow of water.
At least 217 people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh since the onset of the monsoon on June 24.
The devastating rainfall in Himachal has not just destroyed infrastructure but also uprooted entire families. A family of seven, spanning three generations, was wiped out in the Shimla temple landslide. The Shiv temple collapsed while seven members of the family, including three children, were inside, according to officials.
On top of tales of personal loss, the livelihoods of thousands have also been hit hard in the rain-battered state. The estimated ₹ 10,000 crores of damage across Himachal Pradesh does not reflect the true cost of the disaster, which has had a devastating impact on individuals and businesses alike.
Tourism and the apple trade, which are the driving force behind the state’s economy, are the worst affected.
(With inputs from agencies)
