Monsoon Wrath In Himachal: 74 Casualties So Far, Damages Worth Rs 10,000 Crore Across The State

The death toll from the monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh has risen to 74, with another body recovered in Shimla on Thursday (17 August).

Additionally, two more fatalities were reported in Chamba.

Three major landslides in Shimla, including one at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill, resulted in the tragic loss of twenty-one lives.

Over the course of 55 days since the start of the monsoon season, Himachal Pradesh has experienced a total of 113 landslides.

These landslides have caused significant damage, amounting to Rs 2,491 crore for the Public Works Department (PWD) and Rs 1,000 crore for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), reports NDTV.

In the area of Summer Hill in Shimla, a section of the railway tracks has been washed away, leaving the tracks hanging in the air.

Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that rebuilding the infrastructure damaged by the recent landslides in the state is a "mountain-like challenge".

According to experts, the frequent landslides in the ecologically fragile Himalayas are a result of unscientific constructions, deforestation, and structures obstructing the natural flow of water near streams.

Since the beginning of the monsoon season on 24 June, at least 217 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh.

The impact of the heavy rainfall goes beyond personal loss. The livelihoods of thousands of people in the rain-battered state have been severely affected.

The estimated Rs 10,000 crore worth of damage across Himachal Pradesh does not fully capture the true extent of the disaster, which has had a devastating effect on both individuals and businesses.

The tourism industry and apple trade, which are crucial for the state's economy, have been severely impacted. Taxi drivers, who used to make Rs 2,000 per day, are now earning as little as Rs 200.

Hotels and guest houses, which typically have a 50-60 per cent occupancy rate, have seen it drop to just 5 per cent.