In HP, 54 cloudbursts, 47 landslides took 65 lives

Kullu: Sixty-five people were killed in 54 cloudburst events and 47 landslides in Himachal Pradesh during this year’s monsoon from June 27 to Oct 2, according to data made public by State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Wednesday.The state lost an estimated Rs 1,363 crore in damage caused by inclement weather, according to SDMA. The damage was this heavy despite state receiving rainfall which was 18% deficient. In July, the state recorded 180mm rain against the normal of 255mm. In Aug, the state received 243mm rain against a normal of 256mm. In September, at 734 mm, rain was 4% in excess.As per SDMA, maximum damage occurred on July 31 night when cloudbursts struck areas in Kullu, Mandi and Shimla, killing 55 people in the three districts.Of the 55 deceased, 33 were from Samej village in Shimla district.According to SDMA, satellite data revealed a flash flood occurred due to a cloudburst in the upper catchment of Samej khad at an elevation of around 5,434 metres and around 2km from Shrikhand Mahadev’s summit. A khad is a rivulet in Himachal.The cloudburst triggered a flash flood in Samej, and adjoining Kurpan and Ghanvi khads.As per SDMA, high-resolution images received from National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, revealed the water spread in Samej khad increased almost four times, from 35 metres to 118 metres after the flash flood. Water spread in Kurpan khad was sharper, rising from 38 meters to 218 metres.According to Himachal Pradesh chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, there is a need to conduct in-depth studies of cloudburst events. “The state suffers human and financial loss every year. There is an urgent need to have in-depth studies to understand cloudbursts, so that we can save precious lives and property,” said Saxena.

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