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Himachal Pradesh Faces Major Disruptions

In Himachal Pradesh, over 300 roads, including two national highways, were shut down due to recent cloudbursts and flash floods on Wednesday. Reports indicate that several bridges were also destroyed in the Shimla and Lahaul and Spiti districts.

In Shimla, a police post was swept away by floods in the Ganvi ravine, damaging a bus stand and nearby shops. Officials noted that two bridges were lost, isolating the Koot and Kyav panchayats.

The Lahaul and Spiti district experienced additional bridge collapses due to floods caused by cloudbursts in the Karpat, Changut, and Udgos Nala areas of the Mayad valley.

Cloudbursts were also reported in the Shrikhand hill of the Nirmand subdivision and Bathadh hill in the Banjar subdivision of Kullu district. The Kurpan ravine flooded, prompting the evacuation of the Bagipul market due to severe weather conditions.

Kullu's Deputy Commissioner, Torul S Ravish, stated that a team has been dispatched to assess the damage, which has not yet resulted in any reported fatalities. However, numerous cottages were damaged, and vehicles were swept away.

A cloudburst also impacted the Rampur area of Shimla.

Currently, 325 roads are closed across the state, with 179 in Mandi district and 71 in Kullu district, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.

The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas of Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts for Thursday, along with a yellow alert for heavy rain from Friday to Sunday.

Officials reported that the state has suffered losses amounting to Rs 2,031 crore since the monsoon began on June 20. This season has seen 126 fatalities due to rain-related incidents, with 36 individuals still missing. The state has recorded 63 flash floods, 31 cloudbursts, and 57 significant landslides.

Telangana experienced heavy rainfall across several districts on Wednesday, with at least three areas receiving over 20 centimeters of rain overnight. The IMD has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Vikarabad, Sangareddy, and Medak districts, while an orange alert is in effect for Kamareddy, Nizamabad, and Adilabad districts on Thursday.

In response to the severe weather, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced that all government and private schools within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation will operate for only half a day on Thursday.