Incessant heavy rains cause havoc in Hamirpur district

Hamirpur, Aug 13 – Normal life has been paralysed badly following incessant heavy rains for the last forty-eight hours till Sunday morniing in all parts of the Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh, an official spokesperson said.

People have been forced to remain indoors to keep them safe from the wrath of the heavy rainfall, official sources said.

It has been raining heavily since Saturday night as a result of which River Beas and its tributaries flowing through the district are in spate. Worst affected are the areas where the khads of Maan and Kunah are located.

The district administration has warned the people not to venture out as an orange alert has been sounded by the Department of weather for the coming 48 hours. The administration has also told the people not to go near the River Beas and khads to keep them safe from their wrath.

Meanwhile, widespread damage has been caused to crops, fertile land and official and private buildings in all parts of the district due to heavy rains and landslides.

The spokesperson said the district had lost eleven people and twenty-four heads of cattle since the dawn of the current monsoon session. The district has suffered a total loss of about 301 crore rupees which was one of the biggest suffered by the district since it was formed in 1972.

The department of public works has suffered a huge loss of Rs 109 crores, followed by Jal Shakti vibhag that has suffered a loss of Rs 95 crores. The PRI institutions and rural department have also suffered a loss of Rs 57 crores. The total loss of nine crore rupees has been estimated in respect of agriculture and horticulture crops.

A report from interiors of the district say that power supply, water supply and road communication there has come to a near standstill. The labour of all departments was busy maintaining their services despite today being Sunday and a holiday.

At some places. the roads have been closed and in such a situation, the roads have been blocked due to landslides at many places. Beas river and other rivers and drains are in spate. Drain water has entered the houses of many people in Sujanpur.

Landslide occurred near the bridge on Beas River at Sujanpur in Hamirpur district. The Sujanpur Kangra road has been closed due to the fall of Lhasa here. Due to landslides, vehicles are not able to move from there towards Sujanpur tira. Vehicles coming from Kangra via Sujanpur Hamirpur are stuck towards Alampur and Bairghata, while vehicles going from Sujanpur to Kangra are stuck at Sujanpur.