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Monsoon Fury in Himachal Kills Over 10, Leaves Several Homeless, Causes Extensive Damages to Properties
Shimla-Himachal Pradesh witnessed an episode of furious monsoon on 12th and 13th July that caused the loss of as many as 12 lives and extensive damages to personal and public property. Hundreds of roads were blocked due to landslides or swept away by rivers/rivulets in spate following a heavy downpour. Some areas also faced blackouts as hundreds of transformers and power lines were destroyed.
Kangra district, however, was worst hit with a flash flood ramming parts of Dharamshala town including Mclodganj. Videos on social media showed how gushing waters swept away vehicles and buildings like pieces of paper. At calamity unleashed its fury at a time when the town was overcrowded with tourists. Several of them lost their vehicles completely. Post the flash flood, people were seen wailing over their losses and trying to collect whatever was left.
Till yesterday, Shahpur had recorded 264 mm of rain, Dharamsala 230 mm, and Palampur 210 mm.
Bhagasu Naag- a small waterfall that flows down as a narrow stream at a gentle pace-showed a vagary on July 12 and turned into a violent giant following heavy downpours in the upper catchment area of Dhauladhar ranges. The suspected cause is believed to be a cloudburst, however, no authority has confirmed it. The incident also highlighted encroachment and unplanned and illegal construction in the town area. The stream flowing down the Bhagasu waterfall is narrowing down due to encroachments. Over-construction, including illegal ones, have either covered the drainage spaces with concrete or shrunk them in size. This was one reason the flash flood took such a furious form and led to huge damages. Being a popular tourist hill station caused the commercialization of natural resources beyond their capacities in Dharamshala. Both local administration and people are equally indulged in this disaster.
Further, there were other areas where gushing water of rivulets swept through settlements, carrying away concrete bridges and inundating houses. In the area surrounding Gaggal airport, construction on encroached land also led to more damage. In nutshell, poor planning precedes the construction activity and paves the way for disasters, which could cause loss of both lives and property. Needless to say that corruption and callousness in administration made this possible.
Punjabi Singer, Manmeet Singh, was also killed after he was swept away by gushing waters of a Nullah near Kareri lake where he had gone trekking with his brother and friends on Monday. His body was recovered on Tuesday.
The biggest jolt to Kangra came from Boh Valley in Shahpur constituency of Kangra district where a landslide, triggered by a possible cloudburst, washed away about seven to ten houses completely and buried over a dozen of people, and washed away the main link road to the valley. While six persons were rescued safely, the bodies of five others had been recovered at the time of the filing of this report. More people are missing and teams of the National Disaster Response Force along with local police and villagers were carrying out the rescue work. The landslide hit the village at about 10:30 am on Monday, but the NDRF and other rescue support reached the spot by evening – a delay of several hours. Washed away or blocked roads were cited to be the reason. On the first night, villagers carried out rescue work themselves and managed to get at least four people out alive. Some villagers questioned as to why the rescue teams were not airlifted through a chopper if the roads were blocked.
Himachal Watcher continuously tried to contact the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Nipun Jindal, to obtain more facts but did not receive a response.
Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on June 13 carried out an aerial survey and also visited the site of the landslide and spoke to the affected families.
“Every possible assistance would be provided to the affected families and their proper rehabilitation would also be ensured. Rupees four lakh each would be provided to the families of the deceased and financial help would be given to the people whose houses have been damaged in this natural calamity for construction of houses,” Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister said that a team of NDRF was coordinating the district administration in rescue and relief works and all-out efforts were being made to trace the missing persons.
MP Kishan Kapoor also visited the spot and took stock of the situation.
ज़िला #कांगड़ा के शाहपुर में बारिश से हुए नुकसान का जायजा लेने मौके पर पहुंचे सांसद किशन कपूर,कहा-9 करोड़ के नुकसान का हुआ आकलन, प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi ने पूरी मदद करने का दिया आश्वासन।#himachalpradesh@PMOIndia @KishanKapoorBJP@CMOFFICEHP@PIBHindi @PBNS_India @DDNewsHindi pic.twitter.com/V8enf6YdOi
— DD News Himachal (@DDNewsShimla) July 13, 2021
Further, the NDRF and district administration had to rescue several persons stranded on an island in the Giri river in the Paonta Sahib sub-division of the Sirmaur district on Monday.
Regions of the Kullu district were also hit by landslides and blockages of roads at a time when the tourist influx was very high. Some areas also reported blackouts. The body of an MBBS student, who was on a trekking tour with her friends, was recovered from Hamta Pass. Astha Katoch, 23, had fallen into a Nullah. while trekking. The Adventure Tours Operators Association of Manali pointed out that the area is falling victim to mass trekking and a lot of agencies offering trekking tours were flouting rules by bringing more trekkers on tourism than permitted. It’s putting both the safety of trekkers and the environment at risk, the Association said.
Following the disasters in Kangra and Hamta Pass, the district administration of Kullu has prohibited adventure activities till September 15 and issued an alert for adverse weather during the next three days.
Advisories were also issued for tourists and locals to not venture to places vulnerable to natural disasters like floods and landslides and near water bodies.
Other affected districts were Shimla, Chamba, Mandi, and Lahaul-Spiti where roads were blocked and electricity supply was affected due to damages to transformers.
The HP Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert with a prediction of widespread rains from July 14th to 17th for the plains and middle hills.
Solan—In a shocking incident on Monday, an 18-year-old youth, Pravesh, survived a vicious leopard attack in Sarli village of Arki subdivision. The teenager reportedly fought the leopard for nearly 12 minutes before breaking its jaw, killing the animal on the spot.
Quick Thinking Saved His Life
Pravesh told the media that he was walking from the fields to a nearby shop in the morning to fetch milk when the leopard, hidden in the crops, lunged at him. Noticing the leopard’s tail, he attempted to run but fell after a short distance. During the attack, he covered his neck with his hands to protect himself from fatal bites.
The teenager continued to struggle with the leopard, repeatedly attempting to put distance between himself and the predator. In a desperate move, he grabbed the leopard by its mouth, twisted its jaw, and broke it, killing the animal instantly. Pravesh sustained multiple injuries, including deep claw marks, and is currently receiving treatment at Arki Hospital. Police and forest department teams have launched an investigation into the incident.
Serious Allegations of HP Forest Department’s Negligence
One of Pravesh’s relatives accused the forest department of negligence, noting that similar attacks had occurred in the area previously.
Earlier, a leopard had attempted to attack a scooter rider, who managed to escape. The family said they had informed the forest department on March 6 about potential danger, but no concrete action was taken. Villagers waited for three hours for a forest team to arrive, but none came. When the Block Officer eventually visited, he reportedly told villagers to ensure their own safety. Requests for cages to capture the leopard were also denied, with officials asking for written complaints instead.
SHIMLA | 7 August 2025 –The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall across Himachal Pradesh over the next two weeks, with isolated heavy to very heavy showers likely over the low hills, plains, and adjoining mid-hill regions. While the ongoing monsoon remains vital for agriculture, it also brings an elevated risk of localized flooding and landslides.
Week of August 8–14
Maximum temperatures will range from 22°C to 34°C, depending on elevation—22°C to 28°C in high hills, 26°C to 30°C in mid-hills, and up to 34°C in lower regions. Minimum temperatures are expected to remain near normal, between 12°C and 24°C. Cooler conditions may persist in districts like Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti.
Week of August 15–21
Similar rainfall patterns are expected to continue, with scattered heavy rain episodes. Temperature trends will remain stable, though slightly below-normal maximum temperatures are likely in parts of Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Kangra, and Kullu districts.
Outlook for Late August
Rainfall is expected to remain broadly normal, with region-specific variations. Districts such as Kinnaur, Shimla, and Sirmaur may see below-normal precipitation, while Una, Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Solan are likely to receive above-average rainfall. Both maximum and minimum temperatures are forecast to stay close to seasonal norms.
Officials at the Meteorological Centre in Shimla have urged residents and local authorities to remain alert for sudden heavy downpours, which could disrupt road connectivity and trigger landslides—especially along vulnerable hillside routes. Past monsoon episodes have blocked key highways, including routes between Mandi and Kullu and near Banjar, underscoring the ongoing challenges in the region.
This advisory comes as Himachal Pradesh continues to face the dual pressures of sustaining its agriculture-dependent economy while managing the life and infrastructure risks posed by an active monsoon. Continued vigilance and preparedness remain crucial.
SHIMLA | 7 August 2025 –Himachal Pradesh continues to deal with the impacts of the 2025 monsoon season, reporting extensive property damage, loss of lives, and widespread disruptions across the state. According to the official reports from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), the Department of Revenue, and the India Meteorological Department, from June 20 to August 6, 2025, heavy monsoon rains caused significant damage across multiple districts:
- Casualties: 199 deaths due to landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, lightning, electrocution, and accidents; 304 injuries reported.
- Property Loss: Extensive damage to houses (both pucca and kaccha), shops, factories, labor sheds, animal shelters, and substantial crop losses in agriculture and horticulture.
- Public Infrastructure: Over ₹1,900 crore in damages to roads (including PWD), power supply, health, education, fisheries, rural and urban development, and animal husbandry.
Most affected districts include Mandi, Kangra, and Hamirpur, with severe crop and infrastructure losses.
Additionally, 91 deaths occurred due to monsoon-related road accidents.
Public Utilities and Infrastructure Disruptions
The SEOC report dated August 7, 2025, highlights ongoing disruptions:
- Roads Blocked: About 493 major roads and 3 national highways (NH-305, NH-21, NH-05) remain blocked by landslides and floods.
- Power Supply: Disruption of 1,120 distribution transformers (DTRs).
- Water Supply: 245 water schemes affected, threatening access to potable water for communities.
Key blockages include NH-21 between Mandi and Kullu and NH-305 near Banjar and Jhed.
Weather Forecast and Warnings
The India Meteorological Department’s forecast valid from August 7, 2025, includes:
- Isolated heavy rainfall expected throughout the week.
- Thunderstorms and lightning predicted in isolated areas.
- Minimum temperatures near normal or slightly below.
- Maximum temperatures showing a moderate increase.
The public is urged to remain vigilant due to the risks of further landslides and flash floods.
Himachal Pradesh remains vulnerable as the monsoon season continues, with thousands affected by damage, displacement, and disruption of essential services. Authorities are continuing with rescue and recovery operations and are urging residents to stay alert to the ongoing adverse weather. This situation highlights the pressing need for enhanced infrastructure and disaster management strategies to mitigate monsoon-related risks.
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Himachal Teen Survives 12-Minute Leopard Attack, Kills Predator in Self-Defense
Weather Forecast for Himachal Pradesh For the Next Two Weeks
Monsoon 2025: Himachal Pradesh Suffers 199 Casualties, Over ₹1,905.50 Cr in Damages
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