The monsoon has begun on a grim note in Himachal Pradesh, claiming 11 lives and leaving 12 others injured since it entered the state on June 30. The State Emergency Operation Centre said the casualties have been reported from several districts as heavy rain continues to batter the hill state, disrupting road connectivity and power supply.
According to the official data, Kangra has reported three deaths, while Shimla and Lahaul and Spiti have recorded two deaths each. One death each has been reported from Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur and Chamba districts. Among the injured, four persons are from Lahaul and Spiti, two from Shimla and one each from Kullu, Mandi, Hamirpur, Una, Chamba and Sirmaur.
The ongoing rainfall has also affected essential infrastructure across the state. As many as 49 roads remain blocked, with Kullu accounting for the highest number at 30, followed by Sirmaur (eight), Chamba (seven) and two each in Una and Lahaul and Spiti. Power supply has also been hit, with 42 distribution transformers remaining disrupted. Sirmaur has reported the highest damage with 27 transformers affected, followed by Chamba (eight), Kullu and Mandi (three each), and Lahaul and Spiti (one).
The Meteorological Centre has forecast continued wet weather across Himachal till July 8 and issued orange and yellow alerts for several districts. An orange alert has been sounded for Kangra and Mandi on July 3, warning of very heavy to heavy rainfall at isolated places. Yellow alerts have been issued for Shimla, Kullu, Una and Sirmaur, where heavy to moderate rainfall is expected.
While minimum temperatures are likely to remain near normal, the weather office has predicted a rise of 3°C to 5°C in maximum temperatures during the next few days.
