Saturday, March 29, 2025
Cloudbursts Hit Five Locations in Himachal, Bridges Destroyed, Villages Evacuated; Heavy Rain Alert Issued
Shimla/Kullu/Rampur, August 14, 2025 – Amid a “Orange Alert” for heavy rainfall, Himachal Pradesh witnessed five separate cloudburst incidents on Wednesday, causing widespread damage across multiple districts. The disasters struck Bhimdwari and Nanti near Shrikhand in Rampur, Pooh in Kinnaur, Mayad in Lahaul, and the Tirthan Valley in Kullu.
In Ganvi, two sheds were washed away, while floods triggered by cloudbursts in Bhimdwari and Nanti swept away six water structures and damaged a bridge. A police outpost in the flood zone was inundated. In the Tirthan Valley’s Banjar region, the Tilla and Dogda bridges sustained major damage, while rising waters in Kurpan Khad forced the evacuation of Bagipul market. In Kullu’s Tirthan Valley, five vehicles and four huts were swept away, though no one was inside the huts at the time.
In Lahaul’s Mayad Valley, Karpat village was evacuated, relocating 22 families to safer areas. In Kinnaur’s Pooh region, floods swept away machinery belonging to a road construction company working on the ITBP camp route, and five workers were trapped before being rescued.
Heavy rainfall across the state also triggered landslides, blocking 323 roads, including two national highways, and knocking out 70 power transformers and 130 drinking water supply schemes. Several areas remain without electricity or potable water.
Late Wednesday evening, simultaneous cloudbursts in Shrikhand and Nanti caused severe flooding in Kurpan and Ganvi streams, damaging nearby homes and Greenko company’s intake facility. No casualties have been reported from these areas so far.
In Banjar’s Bathadhar region, a cloudburst in Majheli village sent floodwaters surging through Fulchan Khad, destroying two bridges. In Mayad Valley, the villages of Karpat, Chingut, and Udgose suffered agricultural land losses. The administration has provided an interim relief of ₹10,000 to each affected family.
Elsewhere, Kangra district saw light rain since morning. Poor weather and low visibility forced the cancellation of an Indigo flight from Delhi to Kangra airport. Rain damaged three kutcha houses in Kangra, 16 other houses, 21 cowsheds, and two kitchens. In Chamba district, overnight heavy rains damaged 18 school rooms, retaining walls, kitchens, a cowshed, and a kutcha house. Hamirpur reported damage to two pucca houses, seven kutcha houses, two huts, and four cowsheds.
Weather Warning:
The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall in Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts on Thursday, with yellow alerts for other districts. Light rainfall is expected in Sirmaur, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kangra, and Chamba on August 15, with showers likely to continue across the state until August 19.
Monsoon Toll:
This year’s monsoon damage in Himachal has reached ₹2,031 crore. From June 20 to August 12, 241 people have lost their lives, 326 have been injured, and 36 remain missing. Road accidents during the same period have claimed 115 lives. A total of 2,507 houses and shops, along with 2,043 cowsheds, have been damaged or destroyed due to cloudbursts, landslides, and floods.
