50 roads closed in Himachal as rain lashes parts of state

Shimla: A total of 50 roads were closed in Himachal Pradesh and 63 power supply schemes were disrupted, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said on Wednesday.

Moderate rain lashed parts of the state and Jubbarhatti in the suburbs Shimla received 46 mm of rainfall since Tuesday evening, followed by Mandi (38.6 mm), Kasauli (35 mm), Ghaghas (30 mm), Sarahan (26 mm), Kandaghat (24.4 mm) and Dharamshala (11.4 mm), the India Meteorological Department here said.

As of Wednesday morning, 21 roads were closed in Shimla, 13 in Mandi, 10 in Kangra, five in Kullu and one in Sirmaur district, according to SEOC.

The local meteorological centre had issued a 'yellow' alert for thunderstorms and lightning in isolated areas of six districts of the state on Wednesday.

The rain deficit during the ongoing monsoon season from June 1 till September 17 stands at 18 per cent, with the state receiving 569.3 mm of rainfall against an average of 698.3 mm.

According to officials, 172 people have died in rain-related incidents since the onset of monsoon in the state on June 27 till Monday evening, while 30 are still missing. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,327 crore, they said.