After widespread rains, life limps back to normal in HP

As many as 253 out of 484 roads, damaged due to torrential showers in Himachal Pradesh in the past one week, were thrown open to vehicular traffic today as life started limping back to normal in rain-hit districts.
The restoration work in rain-ravaged areas was in full swing and all the remaining roads would be restored to traffic by tomorrow evening, a PWD spokesman said.
A total of 253 out of 484 roads were opened to vehicluar traffic in a single day today, he said.
Recent heavy rains caused massive damage to roads, bridges, private and public property and agricultural land in the hill state and the Revenue department was assessing the loss, an official spokesman said.

Widespread showers in Mandi, Kangra, Solan, Sirmaur, Hamirpur and Shimla had reduced the monsoon rain deficit from 39 per cent to 28 per cent, the weather office said.
The state had so far received 427 mm of rains against the normal rainfall of 592.9 mm during the period, it said.

Barring tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kalpa, where the shortfall was 86 and 77 per cent respectively, the monsoon rain deficit had come down significantly.
Una, Mandi, Shimla and Hamirpur received 15, 11, seven and four per cent excess rains, the weather bureau said.
However, there was a shortfall of 11 per cent in Solan and 13 per cent in Kullu and Bilaspur, said Director (Local MeT Office) Manmohan Singh.

Sirmaur and Kangra had 23 and 20 per cent deficient rains respectively from June 1 to August 17, 2014, he said.
After a week-long heavy rains, showers eluded the hill state today with some pocket receiving only traces of rain.