72 roads closed in Himachal Pradesh, Met predicts heavy rain on September 2

Shimla, August 31

A total of 72 roads have been closed in Himachal Pradesh following rain, officials said on Saturday even as the local Met office here warned of heavy showers at isolated places on September 2.

Of the 72 roads, 35 are closed in Shimla, 15 in Mandi, 10 in Kangra, nine in Kullu and one each in Una, Sirmaur, and Lahaul and Spiti districts, according to the state emergency operation centre.

Ten power and 32 water supply schemes have also been disrupted in the state due to rain, it said.

According to the centre, 150 people have died in rain-related incidents since the onset of the monsoon on June 27 till Friday and the state has suffered losses amounting to Rs 1,265 crore due to the damage caused by the rainfall.

Intermittent rains continued to lash parts of the state since Friday evening and Sundernagar recorded 44.8 mm of rain followed by Shilaroo (43.1 mm), Jubbarhatti (20.4 mm), Manali (17 mm), Shimla (15.1 mm), Slapper (11.3 mm) and Dalhousie (11 mm).

The local meteorological office has issued a 'yellow' alert of heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in the state on September 2.

Himachal Pradesh's rainfall deficit so far in the past three months since June 1 till August 31 stands at 23 per cent with the state receiving 471.1 mm rainfall against an average of 613.8 mm.