Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, July 24
A central government team has arrived in Himachal Pradesh to investigate a sharp increase in cloudburst incidents during this year’s monsoon season, with the Mandi district emerging as the worst affected. Officials said 25 cloudbursts have been recorded across the state so far this monsoon, 15 of them in Mandi alone.
The team, dispatched by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, held a high-level meeting with senior state officials at the Secretariat in Shimla. Those present included the state’s Chief Secretary, the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue), and members of the State Disaster Management Authority.
The central delegation includes experts such as Colonel KP Singh and Dr S.K. Negi from CSIR Roorkee, retired geologist Arun Kumar from Manipur University, Sushmita from the IITM Research Centre in Pune, and Neelima, a civil engineer from IIT Indore.
“The rise in cloudbursts is a serious concern,” said DC Rana, Special Secretary and Director of the State Disaster Management Authority. “This is perhaps the first time such a comprehensive scientific study is being undertaken in the state.”
He said the central team would visit affected districts to gather field data before returning to Shimla on Thursday. Data from the Meteorological Centre, the disaster management authority, and other institutions will also be collected for analysis.
The move follows a request made by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a recent visit to Delhi, highlighting the urgent need for scientific investigation into the phenomenon.
In addition to human losses, the monsoon has inflicted widespread destruction. Himachal has recorded 137 deaths, including road accidents, and estimated financial losses of ₹1,200 crore since the start of the season. Officials said the first week of July brought particularly heavy rainfall, compounding the crisis.
