Rain disrupts normal life in Himachal Pradesh

Image Courtesy: ANI

Rains have been lashing various states in Himachal Pradesh causing Beas river to overflow.

Tourist town Manali recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 127 mm.

In a video released by ANI, a bus was washed away into the flooded Beas river in Manali. 

#WATCH: Vacant bus gets washed away into the flooded Beas river in Manali. #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/GMV2nqR2jX — ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2018

In Kullu, trucks were washed away from the road into the Beas river. Normal life was reported to be disrupted following heavy rainfall in the Kullu region.

Kullu: Truck gets washed away from the road into flooded Beas River. #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/2riwZsydtH — ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2018

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus Khan informed that evacuation of people is underway. He also warned people to not go to high reach areas and near rivers.

He said, "we are trying to evacuate & rehabilitate people. I request people not to go to high reach areas and near rivers."

The water level in the Beas river rose abnormally touching the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway 21 near the Hanogi temple in Mandi district.

Dharamsala received 125 mm rainfall, Una received 124 mm and Dalhousie received 90 mm. 

Higher reaches of Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts saw snowfall.

The highway that connects Manali with Leh in Jammu and Kashmir has been closed for traffic owing to heavy snow, officials said.

The Manali-Leh highway is crucial to the movement of the armed forces and their supplies and wares to forward areas in Ladakh.

An official of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation said it would take a week to restart bus services between Manali via Keylong and Leh.

Meanwhile, the 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass, the main tourist attraction and located 52 km from here, was closed.

An official of the local Met office said there are chances of heavy rainfall at some places in the state till Monday and thereafter the intensity of rains will start receding.

Incessant rains have also caused massive landslides on national highways in Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi and Kullu districts, hampering vehicular traffic.

The water level in the major rivers of the state - the Satluj, Beas and Yamuna - which enter the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana has also increased, a government official said.

(With Agency Inputs)