Himachal rains: Death toll reaches 71, educational institutes shut today

Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing incessant rains, triggering several landslides which killed over 70 people in just three days and monetary loss of ₹7,500 crore in this year’s monsoon fury. Taking notes from the situation, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that redeveloping the infrastructure that got washed away in the rain will take at least a year, calling it a ‘mountain-like challenge.’ On Tuesday, a fresh landslide hit the state’s famous tourist spot Shimla, killing two people. The landslide hit Shimla’s Krishna Nagar and five to seven houses collapsed.

Amid this, all educational institutions in Shimla have been shut on Thursday as the roads are blocked due to frequent landslides.

The state government has urged the central government to declare a national calamity in Himachal Pradesh.

Rain fury in July breaks 50 years record

As Himachal is already received rainfall that is the season’s average until August, the weather agency has predicted heavy showers in the hill state. In this monsoon, the state has received 742mm of rainfall against the season’s average of 730mm. In July, the incessant rains broke all records for the month in the last 50 years leading to the most devastating natural calamity in the last 50 years.

Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, the rain fury killed over 10 people so far while the administration rescued 293 pilgrims stranded on the trek route to Madmaheshwar temple since Monday in Rudraprayag.

Lakshman Jhula was hit by a landslide on Monday burying six people at the Night Paradise Camp resort in the Lakshman Jhula area in debris.