Himachal Pradesh: Thunag in Mandi faces severe water crisis after cloudburst

Thunag in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district is facing a severe water crisis after recent cloudbursts and floods washed away machinery, water pipes, and transformers used to extract and supply clean water.

Jal Shakti Department Chief Engineer Anju Sharma visited the area to assess the damage. Speaking to ANI, she said, "All 81 panchayats in this constituency have been affected. Our people are tracing the sources... We collected all the staff as it is very difficult to reach from one place to another."

She added, "The pipes have been arranged, but it is difficult to reach... We have gone a lot back for permanent restoration. The big schemes have suffered a huge setback. Our transformers and machinery have been washed away and tracing it is a huge challenge for the department and trying to do it on war level. I want to appeal to the people to support the department and use the water from storage or hand pumps and drink only after boiling it."

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), continuous rainfall across Himachal Pradesh in the past 24 hours has seriously impacted public utilities. A total of 269 roads have been blocked, 285 electricity transformers disrupted, and 278 water supply schemes have stopped functioning.

In its daily situation report issued at 10 am on July 6, the SEOC stated that Mandi is the worst affected district, with 200 roads blocked due to heavy rains. The district also reported the highest number of damaged transformers (236) and disrupted water schemes (278) in the state.

Kullu district was the second most impacted in terms of road access, with 39 roads blocked in areas like Banjar and Nirmand due to landslides. Chamba reported 32 blocked roads and 17 damaged transformers in sub-divisions such as Salooni, Dalhousie, and Bharmour.

"The heavy monsoon showers have triggered landslides, waterlogging, and infrastructure damage, disrupting road connectivity and essential services across multiple districts," the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said. "Efforts are underway to restore services swiftly, and field teams are on alert in highly affected regions such as Mandi and Kullu."

The report added that districts like Shimla, Solan, and Lahaul and Spiti saw minimal or no disruption. However, SDMA warned that continued rainfall could worsen the situation.

Authorities have advised the public to avoid unnecessary travel, especially in areas prone to landslides. Restoration efforts are ongoing, with the Public Works, Electricity, and Jal Shakti departments actively working to repair damaged infrastructure.