Flash Floods Devastate Balhghati in Mandi District Amidst Continuous Heavy Rainfall

Sundarnagar, August 13: The continuous heavy rainfall in Mandi district over the past few days has resulted in flooding and waterlogging in Balhghati. The majority of the valley is now completely submerged. Similarly, heavy rainfall’s impact is also visible in Jhuni Ghati and other areas of the district. Balhghati’s Sukehti and Kansa Khadd, Jhuni Ghati’s Jhuni Khadd, Sarka Ghat, and other streams and rivers in the Dharampur region are overflowing. The situation in Balhghati appears to be more destructive, with water so abundant that distinguishing roads from streams has become nearly impossible.

Traffic on roads has been halted. Heavy water has entered people’s homes, shops, fields, and commercial centers, causing extensive damage worth an estimated crore of rupees so far. Around 50 villages in Balhghati, ranging from Kanaid to Bainha, have been affected by this flooding. Even parts of the Nerchowk market have been submerged. Additionally, tourists who came to Himachal for a visit are now stranded due to road closures, with their vehicles stuck on closed routes.

Local residents attribute the flooding in the area to the insufficient drainage system constructed by NHAI during the Kiratpur-Manali Four-Lane Project. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway is entirely closed due to which communication is severely disrupted. Alternative routes are also intermittently blocked. Tourists visiting the region have claimed that travel agents in Delhi are misleading them about the situation, stating that Himachal Pradesh is functioning normally. If the truth were disclosed beforehand, tourists would have been more cautious about coming here.

District Magistrate Smriti Negi stated that clouds bursting open have been reported in various places in the Balh sub-division. This has led to damages exceeding one crore in the region. The administration has shifted affected individuals to safe locations. She also informed that due to landslides near the BBMB canal along the Dhunautu-Baggi road, heavy vehicles’ movement has been halted. She appealed to people to avoid unnecessary travel.