FLOODS IN HIMACHAL

Torrential rain has wreaked havoc on an unprecedented scale in Himachal Pradesh. It could be witnessed that several vital structures like bridges, roads, buildings etc. getting washed away.

Anything that tilts towards the extreme end can cause adverse effects on the normal living conditions and we are well aware of such instances that might have happened numerous times in our lives.  One such similar incident arose in Himachal Pradesh, which is making the lives of a lot of people, a living hell. Devastating floods in the rivers like Ravi, Chenab, Beas, Sutlej and other overflowing tributaries due to widespread extreme rains wreaked havoc in the state. The damages caused by this calamity are completely unexpected and unprecedented, also in terms of magnitude.

Multi-storeyed buildings, especially the ones on the banks of the river, collapsed in the blink of an eye leaving the people of the state, including the government in utter shock.

Devastating floods in the rivers like Beas, Satluj, Ravi, Chenab (Chandra Bhaga) and other overflowing tributaries viz Uhl, Parvati, Tirthan and Sainj Sainj due to widespread rains have left thousands of people stranded. Massive landslides on the National Highway viz ParwanooShimla, Kiratpur-Manali and PathankotMandi and also on strategic Shimla-Reckong Peo have brought life to a standstill as shooting boulders and stones endangered the lives of the people.

Two major hydro-power projects - Nathpa Jhakri (1500 MW) and Rampur (412 MW) on Satluj River were shut down because of very high silt as flood water also entered Larji (126) MW) project. This could, eventually, hit power availability in the northern region, besides the weather that hit Himachal Pradesh. The opening of the flood gates at Pandoh Dam resulted in massive floods in Beas River where the river water washed away the historic Panchvaktra Bridge at Mandi town. The Panchvaktra temple, an ancient shrine, located on the river bank also got submerged in the river. It is said that he Beas river flooding has broken a record of 75-years old.