Relief and rescue operations are in full swing in the flood-affected Samej village near Rampur in Shimla district, as Himachal Pradesh grapples with the aftermath of catastrophic cloudbursts that have ravaged various parts of the state.
The recent cloudburst has caused widespread destruction across the hill station, with Samej village being one of the hardest-hit areas. The disaster’s impact continues to be felt, as the Lahaul Spiti Police reported a flash flood near Zinzing Bar on National Highway 3, leading to road blockages and traffic halts at Sarcha and Sarch.
In a positive development, the Kullu-Manali Highway, which was washed away on August 1, has partially reopened for one-way traffic. Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Ravish said that while the National Highway suffered extensive damage, it has been restored for single-lane use. The Nirmand area reportedly faced the most significant losses, with 20 bridges washed away in Bagipul and nearby regions.
The human toll of this disaster is becoming increasingly apparent. Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh said, “A cloudburst occurred 2-3 days back over the Shrikhand mountain top. Due to this, areas in Rampur and Kullu have faced massive destruction.
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also visited the area. He took stock of the situation and briefed the officials. We have started setting up Bailey bridges at various locations. Police personnel are being deployed at various places. The administration is coordinating with everyone. NDRF, SDRF, State Police, and Home Guard jawans are carrying out rescue operations together.”
The state government has announced an immediate relief of Rs 50,000 for affected families, with promises of further compensation in the future.
Earlier, the Indian Army launched extensive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations to aid the affected communities in Himachal Pradesh’s Samej village.
According to the Indian Army, the road to the incident site was blocked due to a land shift approximately 2.5 kilometres short of the incident site, after which troops moved on foot beyond the blockade.
The Army’s Engineer Task Force (ETF) repaired the road and made it operational on Friday itself.
The equipment was temporarily stuck at the blockade site but reached the incident site later after the road was repaired.
On Friday, the Army also completed the construction of the improvised footbridge, thus facilitating the move of rescue teams towards the far bank of the river and the rescue of civilians stranded on the far bank.
(Inputs from ANI)