Cloudbursts in Kinnaur damage houses, water supply schemes

Bhanu P Lohumi

Shimla, July 19

About 25 houses and several water channels were damaged due to heavy rainfall, hailstorms and cloudbursts in Leo, Nako, Maling, Kaa, Chango, Yangthang and Shalakhar areas of Pooh subdivision of Kinnaur district, creating a flood-like situation, late this evening. However, no loss of life was reported.

The water level in drains has increased and link roads are blocked. According to reports, 20 houses, four public toilets, eight cowsheds and four irrigation water channels were damaged in Shalkhar village.

Two houses were partially damaged in Chango village. Four water mills, two cowsheds, one pedestrian bridge, three houses and two cowsheds were damaged in Leo village. The property loss is estimated to be over Rs 1 crore. This was the fifth cloudburst in Himachal during the current monsoon season.

Cloudbursts had also occurred in Shalkhar and Chango villages in the Hargrang area last night, damaging houses, orchards, water supply schemes, a small bridge and a crematory. Several vehicles were buried in debris as muddy water entered villages.

A flood-like situation was created in the wake of the downpour in the two villages as river drains were in spate. Four houses and four orchards were partially damaged. The Khango Gompa footbridge was washed away in Chango and six small water canals (four IPH and two local) were badly damaged.

A patch of 700-metre road on the Shimla-Kaza national highway No. 5 was blocked at four places between Chango and Shalakhar. It was restored to traffic almost after 18 hours. However, the road was again blocked near Shalkhar and Gunalla. A house and gardens of locals were damaged as muddy water entered village settlements following cloudbursts at two places last night, said Zila Parishad member Shanta Kumar.

About 3 km to 4 km area has been damaged in the two villages. Teams of the police, local administration and General Reserve Engineer Force are on the spot to monitor the situation. Locals have made arrangements for the stay and food for about 40 people whose houses were either partially damaged or flooded by muddy water.

Meanwhile, vehicular movement to Kinnaur was stopped at Negulsari this morning after landslide indications by the early monitoring system.