Catastrophic flash floods triggered by relentless rains have wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, isolating the remote Bada Bangal village in Kangra district after the River Ravi washed away critical infrastructure, officials reported on Thursday. The deluge, which struck on Tuesday, obliterated a primary and high school, a panchayat ghar, an ayurvedic dispensary, and a civil supplies store containing 70 quintals of ration in lower Bada Bangal. Two vital bridges connecting the village, situated at 7,800 feet and accessible only by foot through the Thamsar and Kalihani passes, were also swept away, severing communication with the rest of the state.

Baijnath Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sankalp Gautam confirmed that no lives were lost, but the village faces severe challenges. “Houses along the Ravi’s banks were evacuated as a precaution,” Gautam told PTI, noting that 180 quintals of ration are en route, though blocked roads hinder delivery. Authorities are prepared to air-drop essentials and medicines if needed. A local resident reported that over 100 shepherds, along with their livestock, remain stranded in higher reaches, while several homes in the village are at risk due to ongoing heavy rainfall.

The broader impact of the rains is staggering. The Chandigarh-Manali national highway was blocked at Kanchi Mor near Pandoh after a road section collapsed, stranding vehicles on both sides. Late Wednesday, police rescued 130 people from Manali’s Tibetan Colony, where the River Beas inundated the area. In Kangra’s Indora, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) evacuated 425 students and teachers from Arni University’s flooded campus. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reported 536 roads closed across 11 of Himachal’s 12 districts, with communication disrupted in Chamba. Mandi saw 217 road closures, followed by 167 in Kullu, alongside 1,184 disrupted power transformers and 503 water supply schemes.

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Rainfall data underscored the crisis: Pandoh in Mandi recorded 108 mm since Wednesday evening, Bhareri 63.8 mm, Mandi 56.8 mm, Gohar 53 mm, Naina Devi 36.6 mm, and Manali 25 mm. Thunderstorms battered Shimla, Jubbarhatti, and Sundernagar. The SEOC noted that between June 20 and August 26, rain-related incidents claimed 158 lives, left 38 missing, and caused losses of Rs 2,623 crore, with 90 flash floods, 42 cloudbursts, and 85 major landslides reported. The meteorological office issued a yellow alert for heavy rains in isolated areas until Sunday, signaling continued risks.

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