Cloudburst triggers devastating floods in Himachal Pradesh; Army rescues stranded people

A cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh caused severe flooding, washing away bridges and roads and cutting off several villages. The army conducted rescue operations to save trapped individuals. Over 240 lives lost this monsoon season due to rain-related disasters.

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh once again witnessed the fury of nature when a sudden cloudburst on Wednesday evening led to a massive flood. This incident not only became a threat to life and property but also caused severe damage to the infrastructure of the entire state. This disaster once again proved how insignificant man's power is in front of nature.

As a result of this natural disaster, two small bridges in the Shimla and Lahaul-Spiti region have been completely washed away. Not only this, but more than 300 roads have had to be closed across the state, including two major national highways.

Many residential buildings, as well as the electricity board office in Shimla city, have also suffered heavy damage, causing major disruption in the daily life of the people.

The situation was even more horrific in the Gavi Ravine area, where the fierce velocity of the flood completely swept away a police post. Apart from this, a bus stand and many shops located around it also fell prey to this natural disaster.

According to a statement issued by the authorities, three villages, namely Gavi, Kiao, and Koot, have been completely cut off from the outside world. However, there is no news of any loss of life so far, which is a matter of relief.

Video footage made during the incident shows how the water of mountain rivers was sweeping away houses, shops, and other properties.

One video has revealed a horrific picture of the sudden flood in Bhathad village of Himachal, while another video can be seen of the river overflowing in the Spiti region, which was posing a serious threat to human settlement.

This disaster did not only cause damage limited to floods, but incidents of landslides have also been reported at many places, which has made the situation more complicated.

District Collector of Kullu District Torul S. Ravish said that cloudbursts occurred at two different places in his district, resulting in a sudden dangerous rise in the water level of the rivers. In this emergency situation, the administration had to immediately evacuate people from the affected areas to safer places.

The disaster took an even more horrific turn in the Kinnaur district, where four people were trapped and one person was injured in the flash floods. In this hour of crisis, the Indian Army played a vital role in the rescue operations.

According to an Army statement, upon receiving a request for emergency assistance from the Superintendent of Police, Kinnaur, the Army immediately sent its Haulage Relief and Rescue Team (HADR) to the spot.

Despite challenging conditions like darkness, strong currents, and unstable terrain, the Army team successfully rescued all four people stranded on the other side of the river.

This is not the first time that heavy rains, floods, and landslides have wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh during the monsoon this year.

According to the data of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), more than 240 people have tragically died in various rain-related incidents since June 20. Of these, the highest number of deaths have been recorded in Mandi district, while Kangra district is in second place.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had expressed deep concern over the increasing ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh. The court had clearly warned that if the current situation does not improve, then the whole of Himachal Pradesh may "vanish into thin air" in the future.

The court had said in its remark that the situation in the state is getting worse day by day, and the effect of climate change can be clearly seen here.

The court said in its statement, "We want to make the state government and the central government understand that earning revenue is not everything. Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of the environment and ecosystem.

If the current situation continues like this, the day is not far when Himachal Pradesh will disappear from the map of our country. God forbid that this ever happens."