**Devastating Monsoon Impact in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand**
The monsoon season has wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh, resulting in a tragic loss of 85 lives over the past 20 days due to incessant rainfall, landslides, and flash floods. Currently, 34 individuals are reported missing, and at least 129 others have sustained injuries. The Mandi district has been particularly hard-hit, with 404 homes completely destroyed, 397 of which are located in Mandi. Additionally, 751 houses have incurred partial damage, with 719 situated in the same district. The commercial sector has also suffered, with 233 shops and factories damaged, 203 of them in Mandi.
According to the Public Works Department (PWD), the recent floods and cloudbursts have caused significant damage to infrastructure, including the destruction of 10 bridges, each measuring between 10 to 15 meters, across the Kullu, Mandi, and Chamba districts. Plans for reconstruction of these bridges are underway.
The regional meteorological department in Shimla has issued an orange alert for Hamirpur, Mandi, and Solan, predicting light to moderate rainfall in many areas, with isolated regions experiencing intense downpours on Thursday. Other districts, including Shimla, Chamba, Sirmaur, Kangra, Kullu, Bilaspur, Kinnaur, Una, and Lahaul-Spiti, are also expected to see light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.
In Uttarakhand, the situation is similarly dire, with rainfall leading to landslides and lightning strikes across several districts, disrupting daily life. Since June 1, 22 fatalities and 11 injuries have been reported due to rain-related incidents, alongside damage to 144 homes and the displacement of numerous families. The weather forecasting agency has issued alerts for heavy rain and lightning for July 10-11 in Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Nainital, and Bageshwar. Over 130 roads, including major highways, remain blocked, isolating remote villages.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas across several northern and central states, including East Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and West Uttar Pradesh. Other regions such as Chhattisgarh, Coastal Karnataka, East Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Maharashtra, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha, and West Madhya Pradesh are also likely to experience significant rainfall in the coming days. Active monsoon conditions are expected to persist across central India for the next four to five days, potentially affecting multiple states.
An orange alert has also been issued for Delhi and surrounding areas as heavy rainfall continues to impact parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). On Wednesday evening, several areas in the capital experienced significant rainfall, further complicating the situation.
**FAQ**
**What measures are being taken to address the damage caused by the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand?**
Authorities are working on reconstruction plans for damaged infrastructure, including bridges and homes, while also providing assistance to displaced families and monitoring weather conditions closely to ensure public safety.