Due to incessant rainfall in the region, many tourists have been stranded in Manali….reports Asian Lite News
Incessant rain, which has led to flash floods and landslides, has caused significant damage in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali.
Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that the flash floods have damaged the national highway and disrupted water and electricity supply.
“The Manali Vidhansabha constituency has suffered significant damage due to flash floods. Houses, land, and gardens have been destroyed, and the national highway is damaged due to flash floods. The link road adjacent to the bridge is also badly damaged. There is no net connectivity, electricity and water. We have made arrangements to provide food to the stranded tourists,” Negi said.
Due to incessant rainfall in the region, many tourists have been stranded in Manali.
Internet services and electricity supply have been disrupted due to the flood in the area.
Neha, a tourist from, Ludhiana, Punjab said, “We want to go home. We were scheduled to return on Sunday but we are stuck due to flood.”
Another tourist, Sanjeev Arora, said they have been trying to go back for the past two days.
“We are here in Manali since 5th July. The main track is damaged. We have been trying to go back for the past two days. The internet services and electricity supply is disrupted,” he added.
Meanwhile, Himachal Chief Minister’s Office informed that 2000 people stranded in the Kasol area have been evacuated so far.
“So far 2000 people stranded in the Kasol area of Kullu district have been evacuated. On the way at one point named Dunkhara, there is a heavy landslide and one poclain and two machines have been deployed round the clock to clear the Kasol-Bhuntar road. A team of the district administration has reached Kasol. More than 2200 vehicles have passed through Kullu from Manali so far and food is being distributed to them at Ramshilla Chowk. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is closely monitoring the situation”, the CMO statement said.
Speaking on the relief and rescue operations being conducted in the state amidst heavy rainfall, acting DGP of Himachal Pradesh Satwant Atwal Trivedi said that evacuation procedure is underway with 1000 vehicles already having left from Kullu – Manali and are enroute to Chandigarh.
The Nurpur police on Wednesday informed that water will be released from Pandoh Dam (Mandi) from 6 pm today to 3 pm tomorrow due to incessant rains in the district.
“People are urged not to go near low-lying areas like rivers, drains and dam areas for the next few days”, the Nurpur Police said.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Manali Bhuvneshwar Gaur hit out at the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) over the poor construction of the highways which were washed away during the flash floods.
Red alert for Uttarakhand
Amid the heavy rains in Uttarakhand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for July 11 and 12.
Earlier today, four persons died and 10 people were injured due to falling debris on Gangotri National Highway near Gangnani in Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said that the state administration is on full alert mode in view of the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) heavy rainfall alert in the region.
Rain fury in Punjab
Swinging into action to take stock of the relief and rescue measures going on at the grassroots, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday conducted a tour of rain-affected areas and interacted with people evacuated from low-lying areas in the aftermath of downpour.
The Chief Minister said the situation was alarming but the government was making efforts to minimise the loss of lives. Mann said teams of the NDRF have been roped in for rescue work but the Indian Army has not been yet pressed in officially for this work.
The Chief Minister said he had a word with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday during which he apprised him about the entire situation. “As of now Central assistance is not required for relief and rescue work as the situation is under control.”
However, Mann said “if need arises, then help will be sought from the Union government to tackle the situation”.
The Chief Minister also said that a special ‘girdwari’ will be conducted to ascertain the loss of crops, houses and others. Detailed instructions will be issued to the Deputy Commissioners to immediately carry out ‘girdwari’ in the areas lashed by rains to ascertain the damage.
Mann assured the people that the government was committed to safeguarding their interests against nature’s fury.
The Chief Minister said an elaborate flood protection mechanism has been put in place to safeguard the life and property of people.
He said that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs) are expediting the relief work in their respective districts so as to provide succor to the masses. Mann said an alert has already been issued in low-lying areas and help is being provided to the needy people.
Meanwhile, flood control rooms have been set up in all districts of the state and numbers have been made public.
Mann said the officials have been directed to ensure immediate action on any sort of distress call by people in case of emergency.