Shimla, August 6 — Torrential rains continued to wreak havoc across Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, triggering landslides that disrupted transport, choked supply chains, and prompted widespread closures across the hill state.
A major landslide at Chakki Mod in Solan district blocked the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway (NH-5) for nearly four hours, leading to massive traffic snarls and delaying the delivery of essential items such as milk, bread, and vegetables to Solan and Shimla. The highway was partially reopened later, but only for one-way traffic, as restoration crews cleared debris amid continued sliding.
“Debris is still falling in several stretches between Parwanoo and Solan, which has made restoration slow. The road is also under expansion for four-laning, which complicates the situation further,” said a traffic police official stationed along NH-5.
Shimla, which has been lashed by intense rain since Tuesday night, witnessed severe traffic congestion. Schools in the state capital were shut as a precaution. In the city’s Tutu locality, a landslide crushed four parked vehicles, though no casualties were reported.
Elsewhere in the state, connectivity suffered in the industrial town of Baddi where a bridge connecting Dhela panchayat to the Dawni Industrial Area was washed away, cutting off access to key industrial zones.
Amid the worsening weather, the Kalka-Shimla heritage toy train service was suspended for the day. All six scheduled trains were cancelled after landslides blocked the tracks at multiple locations. Officials confirmed that restoration work was underway but would take time depending on weather conditions.
476 Pilgrims Rescued in Kinnaur
Meanwhile, in Kinnaur, flash floods swept away portions of the trekking trail on the Kinnaur-Kailash Yatra route in Tangling. Personnel from the 17th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), supported by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), rescued 476 stranded pilgrims and moved them to safer areas.
The Kinnaur administration had temporarily suspended the yatra on Tuesday due to continued heavy rainfall. Following a distress call on Wednesday morning, rescue teams were re-mobilised to launch large-scale evacuation efforts.
“The timely response of ITBP and NDRF saved hundreds of lives,” said a senior official from the Kinnaur administration.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said the state has suffered over ₹1,600 crore in losses due to monsoon-related damage since June 20. “The past two days of intense rainfall have further devastated infrastructure. The full assessment of damage to agriculture and horticulture is still pending. The total losses are expected to rise,” he said.
With many regions still reeling from consecutive natural disasters, the Himachal Pradesh Meteorological Department has forecast more rain in the coming days. Moderate to intense rainfall is expected in Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Bilaspur, and Mandi, while light to moderate showers are likely across Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Hamirpur, Una, Kinnaur, and Lahaul-Spiti.
Adding to the disruption, the Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) issued an advisory warning of water supply issues for the next few days due to high turbidity levels at water sources. “Water distribution will remain irregular until flood levels recede. Citizens are requested to use water judiciously,” SJPNL said in a statement.
As the monsoon continues to batter the hill state, authorities remain on high alert with further warnings of potential landslides, flash floods, and infrastructure damage in vulnerable districts.
