- Cloudburst in Lahaul-Spiti washed away Munchi Nala bridge.
- Connectivity disrupted, infrastructure damaged, crops destroyed.
- Villagers demand urgent restoration amid Himachal monsoon havoc.
A cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district has caused extensive damage in the Munchi Nala and Chapor Nala areas, washing away a bridge and disrupting connectivity in the region.
The bridge over Munchi Nala and Chapor Nala near Tino, Kothi, was completely washed away by the strong flow of water, cutting off the route across the stream. The powerful water flow also damaged irrigation channels, water pipelines, a drinking water tank and the road.
As the Munchi nala changed course towards agricultural fields, large areas of farmland and standing crops were destroyed. The washing away of the bridge and access route has also left cows and other livestock belonging to villagers stranded across the nala, making their safe evacuation a major challenge.
Farmers have been particularly affected, as several large agricultural fields are located across the nala. With access cut off, they are now unable to reach their fields and retrieve their crops.
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Demand for Restoration of Drinking Water Supply
Villagers have urged the administration to immediately inspect the Munchi Nala and Chapor Nala areas and assess the extent of the damage. They have demanded the restoration of the bridge, road, irrigation facilities and drinking water supply on a priority basis.
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The damage comes amid heavy monsoon rainfall across Himachal Pradesh. More than 200 roads were closed in the state following torrential rains, while the Shimla Meteorological Office has predicted a wet spell till August 17.
Over 200 roads were closed in Himachal Pradesh following torrential rains, and the Shimla Meteorological Office has predicted a wet spell in the state till August 17.
The MeT has also issued an ''orange alert'' for heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in the Sirmaur district on Friday.
Since the monsoon began on June 30, 70 people have died in rain-related incidents, including 14 in landslides and one in flash floods, officials said.
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The state has suffered losses amounting to Rs 910 crore, they said, adding that the weather department has predicted a wet spell in the state till August 17.