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Cloudbursts, Flash Floods Wreak Havoc In Himachal: 5 Dead, 16 Missing, 332 Rescued

SHIMLA: The incessant rainfall and a series of cloudbursts and flash floods have devastated parts of Himachal Pradesh over the past 19 hours, leaving five people dead, 16 missing and causing extensive damage to infrastructure and property. According to the Himachal Pradesh State Emergency Operation Centre (HP-SEOC), 332 individuals have been successfully rescued in coordinated operations across multiple districts. The worst-hit district is Mandi, where all five casualties and the highest number of missing persons - 16 - were reported. Eleven people remain stranded, and several more have been evacuated from flood-affected zones. A total of 278 individuals were rescued from Mandi, the HP-SEOC confirmed. A deadly cloudburst at Siyanj in Gohar (Mandi) washed away two houses and left nine persons missing. Rescue teams from the National and State Disaster Response Forces (NDRF and SDRF) remain on-site. In Old Bazar Karsog, one person died and four others went missing after another cloudburst, while six houses were damaged. A landslide in Gohar trapped six people--four have been rescued while operations continue to locate the remaining two. The significant damages reported in Himachal Pradesh also inform about damage to 24 houses and 12 cowsheds statewide. 30 cattle perished in multiple incidents, including 26 in Dharampur's Triyambla village alone. A hydroelectric project at Patikari (16 MW) in Mandi was heavily damaged due to flash flooding. One bridge was damaged in a flash flood near Manglore Bridge in Bali Chowki. National Highway-305 remains blocked at Tunnel Nos. 11 and 13, where commuters stranded inside the tunnels are being provided food and water by Revenue Field Agencies. Rescue efforts remain in full swing with deployments of two SDRF and two NDRF teams in Mandi district at Karsog, Gohar, and Thunag. Amid the chaos, multiple evacuations have been undertaken with 51 people being rescued from flood-hit areas in Hamirpur, followed by 29 girl students relocated from DIET Mandi, and over 100-150 persons evacuated from Pandoh Bazar after a sudden release of 2,00,000 cusecs of water from the Pandoh Dam caused water levels to rise dangerously. In Chamba, three people were trapped by rising water in Hatli (Sihunta) but have been rescued. In Kinnaur, a cloudburst in Rakchham led to debris accumulation on private land, though no loss of life was reported. HP-SEOC reiterated that coordinated efforts with NDRF, SDRF, police, and local administration are ongoing to mitigate the situation, search for the missing, and extend relief to the affected. "The situation is being closely monitored, and all departments are working in tandem to ensure the safety of the public. Relief camps have been set up, and compensation is being processed for the affected families," said an official from the HP State Emergency Operation Centre. Till July 1, the total impact has been the death of five people, followed by 16 missing and five injured. 332 people in total have been rescued. Further updates are expected as the rescue operations continue. Amid increasing concerns over the surge in cloudbursts and flashfloods, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, on Monday said the centre was working on implementing area-specific and more accurate weather forecasting systems to help mitigate disaster risk and improve preparedness. Singh was in Shimla to formally announce the appointment of Rajeev Bindal as the new President of the Himachal Pradesh BJP unit for a third term. Speaking to reporters, Singh acknowledged that while weather prediction systems have significantly improved over the years, cloudburst forecasting remains one of the biggest scientific challenges, particularly in hilly terrain such as Himachal Pradesh. "The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) office in Shimla is one of the oldest in the country, and we have a robust forecasting system in place," Singh said, adding, "But I must also say that while forecasting overall has improved remarkably, the ability to predict cloudbursts is still limited. It remains a complex phenomenon due to the highly localised and intense nature of these events." The Minister said that the government has taken several steps in recent years to strengthen local-level weather monitoring and prediction capabilities. "We are actively working to enhance the forecasting system further, and soon, we will have area-specific forecasts, tailored to particular regions and vulnerable zones," Singh announced. "In fact, we have already started village-wise forecasting for the benefit of farmers, which will gradually be expanded to other sectors, including disaster management," he said. He also disclosed that the number of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) across the hill state and other parts of the country would be increased substantially. "The installation of more automatic weather systems will significantly improve data collection and forecast accuracy. You will soon see a noticeable difference in the precision and timeliness of weather alerts," he added. The Minister's remarks come at a time when Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a sharp increase in extreme weather events, including cloudbursts, landslides, and flashfloods, many of which have led to loss of life and property in recent years. These events have triggered calls for better early warning systems and more localised weather alerts to assist local administration and residents in taking timely action. Singh's assurance of more granular weather forecasting also aligns with the Centre's broader push to mainstream science and technology into disaster risk reduction strategies.

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