HP rains: Schools shut in Kullu, orange alert for Kangra, Mandi & Sirmaur

All schools, colleges and other educational institutions have been closed in Kullu subdivision of Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rain on Tuesday, Aug 11.

A notification was issued by Kullu Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jaibanti Thakur in the morning, after the weather department warned of heavy to very heavy rain that could potentially cause landslides, road blockades and flash floods.

The Shimla Meteorological Office has also issued an "orange alert" for heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in the Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts.

Torrential rain in the state has led to the closure of 259 roads, disruption of 54 water supply schemes, and affected 161 transformers, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

Around 120 roads were closed in Mandi, 42 in Chamba, 40 in Kullu, 30 in Shimla, 15 in Sirmaur, five in Kangra, four in Una, two in Lahaul and Spiti, and one in Kinnaur district.

The Mandi to Manali stretch of the Kirathpur-Manali National Highway was closed for vehicular traffic following a landslide near Jhalogi tunnel in Mandi district. The road would be reopened once the rain stops and the situation normalises, officials said.

Moderate to heavy rain lashed parts of the state from 4 pm on Monday. Bhattiyat received 95.2 mm of rain, followed by Dharamshala with 74.1 mm, Bajaura 67.5 mm, Palampur 66.4 mm, Jot 51 mm, Jogindernagar 50 mm, Pandoh 43.8 mm, Kangra 40.2 mm, Sujanpur Tira 38.2 mm, Sarahan 37.7 mm, Bhuntar 37.4 mm and Nagrota Suriyan 37.2 mm.

Since the monsoon began on June 30, 68 people have died in rain-related incidents, including 14 in landslides and one in flash floods, officials said. The state has suffered losses amounting to Rs 886 crore, they said, adding that the weather department has predicted a wet spell in the state till August 17.