IMD issues red alert for heavy rains for 3 districts of Himachal Pradesh

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on wednesday has issued a Red Alert for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi as heavy rainfall continues to affect Himachal Pradesh.

While Mandi and Kullu saw a brief respite with clear skies on Wednesday, authorities remain on high alert due to rising water levels and landslide-prone roads.

Road connectivity between Mandi and Kullu remains affected as both the main highway and alternate routes are blocked at several points due to landslides. Restoration work is underway, and authorities are prioritising efforts to reopen the routes.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi for the next two days. A Yellow Alert for heavy rainfall is in place on August 28 in Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi, and on August 29 in Shimla and Mandi.

Additionally, an Orange Alert has been issued for August 30-31 in Mandi, Shimla, and Solan. Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, and Shimla will also experience an Orange Alert on August 31.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly and former CM Jairam Thakur, said that the Chamba region has been cut off from the rest of the country for the past four days.

"The whole state has been affected by the disaster... Chamba district has been cut off from the rest of the country for the past 4 days. There is no network there, the roads have been damaged, and many houses have been washed away. Damage is also occurring in Kangra and Una districts," said former CM Jairam Thakur.

"The current government should make efforts to save people's lives... Himachal has been ruined since CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's government was formed. Due to the disaster, Himachal Pradesh has been set back by many years," added Thakur.

Furthermore, he also launched a scathing attack on CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his government, alleging they have "completely failed" to manage the ongoing disaster in the state and are instead indulging in political blame games.

Speaking to ANI, Thakur dismissed the Chief Minister's allegations against the opposition, saying, "The entire government is in disaster mode, not disaster management. Thousands of livestock have perished, homes have collapsed, and connectivity has been lost in several districts. Yet, instead of focusing on relief and restoration, the CM and his ministers are busy making irresponsible political statements."

Thakur accused the government of neglecting urgent relief work in severely affected areas such as Chamba, Kullu-Manali, Kangra, and parts of Mandi district, where heavy rains, floods, and landslides have caused massive destruction.