One feared drowned, heavy rains lash HP

A man is feared to have drowned in Bilaspur district's Govind Sagar Lake and 13 houses were damaged as several places in Himachal Pradesh today were lashed by heavy rains.
Fifteen cowsheds were also damaged by the rains in Hamirpur, Mandi, Sirmaur, Chamba, Bilaspur and Dolan districts, an Disaster Management department official said.
The local MeT office has warned of heavy rains in lower and mid hills over next the 24 hours and has predicted rains and thundershowers in lower and mid-hills.
Rains or snow in higher hills over next six days up to August 27 has also been forecast by the Met.

Two 'kachha' houses and a cowshed were damaged in Hamirpur, two houses and five cowsheds in Mandi, one concrete and two kachha housesin Sirmaur and five houses and nine cowsheds in Solan, Director Disaster Management and Special Secretary to Government D D Sharma said.
One person, reportedly, drowned in the Govind Sagar Lake as water level rose due to rains in catchments areas, he said.

"The rains has caused a loss of over Rs 560 crore which includes loss of Rs 420 crore to the Public Works Department, Rs 142 crore to Irrigation and Public Health Department and Rs 5-crore to Agriculture and Horticulture," Sharma said.

Nahan recorded 65 mm rains, Renuka and Pandoh 47 mm and 43 mm rains, Nainadevi 42 mm, Kotkhai 25 mm, Paonta Sahib 21 mm, Bangana 18 mm,Sujanpur Tira 17 mm, Amb and Kumarsein 16 mm, Ghumarwin 15 mm, Shimla 13 mm and Hamirpur 12 mm.
The mercury rose by three degrees to stay at 32.8 degree Celsius at Una, followed by Bhuntar 31, Sundernanar 30.4, Dharamsala 29. 6, Solan 26.4, Nahan 25.9, Manali 23, 21.5 and Kalpa 20.8.
There was no significant change in night temperatures and Keylong was coldest with a low of 13.1 degrees Celsius, followed by Kalpa 13.8, Manali 14.2, Shimla 16.2, Dharamsala 17.4, Nahan 18.3, Bhuntar 19, Solan 20, Sundernagar 21 and Una 23.8.