Normal life disrupted as monsoon rains continue in HP

Shimla, Aug 4: Spiti Valley in Lahaul-Spiti district and Pooh sub division in Kinnuar district of Himachal Pradesh remained cut off from the rest of the state and the vital bridge at Bathu in Kangra district was badly damaged as intermittent rains wreaked havoc in the state during the last 24 hrs.

A vital bridge linking Kangra district with Hamirpur and Una districts was damaged, forcing the authorities to close it following the traffic was being routed via Lanj and Baroh, official sources said here.

The Spiti and Pooh tribal areas of the state remained cut off from the state after the 30 metre span bridge at Ribba was partially washed away due to flash floods and official sources said a large number of people, including a few foreigners and vehicles were stranded in the area.

The Kinnuar district administration has rushed teams to construct the damaged portion of the bridge and to rescue the stranded people.

Flash floods at three places in Khogla area of Sangla Valley in the district caused flash floods in the rivulets but no loss of life was reported.

Deputy Commissioner Amandeep Garg and SP Arvind Sharda have rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, the district administration has started sending rations to the Ruppi area where 7,500 cattle and sheeps were stuck up in the high altitude pastures due to the breaking of a glacier following which the Ruppi khud was in spate and it was not possible to cross it.

The movement of heavy vehicles was stopped on the Okhali Bridge in Hamirpur district of the state, while another bridge near Jahoo was endangered as the rock on which it was erected, caved in. The local government authorities said there was no threat to the bridge but vehicular traffic on it was being restricted. A report from Chamba district said traffic on the Chamba-Bharmaour and Chamba-Tissa-Pangi roads had been disrupted due to landslides at several places in the district, while the higher reaches of the district received snowfall.

Several link roads in the districts had also been closed to landslides at many places, forcing people to remain stranded at a point for hour together.

The water level in the Ravi River was rising steadily after heavy rains in the district during the last few days and official sources said a general alert has been sounded, advising people living close to the river to mover to higher places.

Meanwhile, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla and Mandi districts of the state received moderate rainfall, while light rain was reported from other areas of the state during the last 24 hrs.

Palampur and Dharamshala, both in Kangra district, recorded 33.7 and 22.6 mm rains respectively followed by 24.4 mm at Shimla, 22.8 at Solang Nullah in Kullu upto 0830 hrs, the met office said.

Jogindernagar in Mandi district and the famous tourist resort of Mashobra, near here, received 21 mm and 20.4 mm of rains respectively, while Sujanpur Tira was lashed by 16.9 mm of rains.

The rains have caused a drop in the night temperatures in Shimla, which fell from 16.5 degrees to 14.5 degrees, while Sundernagar and Bhuntar recorded a low of 22 and 12.7 degrees.

The met office has predicted moderate to heavy rains at several places in the state during the next 24 hrs.

UNI