Heavy rain triggers landslides, flooding and ridge collapse across Himachal

Spread the news

Shimla, July 12

Heavy rainfall across Himachal Pradesh on Saturday triggered landslides, flooding and the collapse of a Bailey bridge, disrupting transport links and threatening homes in several districts as authorities urged residents to avoid rivers, streams and vulnerable locations.

In Shimla, a retaining wall beneath a road near Sanjauli College collapsed, sending debris towards residential houses below. Officials from the district administration visited the site to assess the situation. Another landslide in Mohal Rajhana buried two parked vehicles under rocks and debris.

Residents in the affected Sanjauli area claimed that excavation linked to a private construction project had weakened the slope, which gave way after continuous rainfall. They demanded an immediate halt to construction work and a geological inspection of the area, stating that several buildings remain at risk and access to some homes has been disrupted.

In Kinnaur district, the swollen Lippa stream flooded a single storey house near the Lippa bus stand while several nearby homes remained under threat. Floodwaters also caused soil erosion near the bus stand, damaging sections of the road.

A Bailey bridge near the Sangla bus stand collapsed into the Tongtongche stream after being declared unsafe a day earlier. The collapse disrupted connectivity to several panchayats in the region.

Rising water levels in Ganvi Khad in Rampur subdivision cut off access to villages including Jagori, Kyao and Kut. With movement becoming increasingly difficult, local residents built temporary crossing paths using logs and tree branches to restore basic connectivity.

Authorities also warned that water levels in the Parbati River could rise after water was diverted from the Pulga Dam at the Parbati II Power Station due to increasing reservoir levels. People have been advised to stay away from riverbanks and follow directions issued by the Disaster Management Department.

According to the Meteorological Department, moderate to very heavy rainfall continued across parts of the state. Nahan recorded the highest rainfall at 161.3 mm, followed by Solan with 80.2 mm and Shimla with 50.5 mm.

The weather office has issued a yellow alert for moderate to heavy rainfall in isolated parts of Himachal Pradesh until Tuesday as the state continues to face the impact of the ongoing monsoon.