Himachal Pradesh Hit Hard by Monsoon: 263 Dead, ₹2,173 Crore in Losses
SHIMLA, Himachal Pradesh, India – August 18, 2025:Crazy monsoon rains caused landslides and floods that killed at least 263 people in Himachal Pradesh. It’s a total crisis. The rains were really bad in July and August of 2024, causing tons of damage. The government thinks it’ll cost around ₹2,173 crore to fix everything. People’s lives are messed up, and it shows how easily climate change can mess with the region. We seriously need to rethink how we build stuff here.
How Bad Is It?
The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) says at least 263 people died. That number is from August 15, 2024, and includes people killed by landslides, collapsed buildings, and rivers. Over 300 people got hurt, and some are still missing.
Money-wise, it’s awful. The HPSDMA first said losses were ₹2,173 crore, but that’s gone up. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu thinks it could be over ₹10,000 crore when everything’s counted.
Where Did It Happen?
Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, and Solan got it the worst. Landslides cut off roads, like the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH-3), which is super important for tourists and stores. It was closed for days because of all the junk on the road.
In Shimla, the capital, a temple and some houses fell apart on August 14, 2024, because of a big landslide. Many people were buried. They found at least 14 bodies and kept looking for more.
Who’s Helping?
The government said it’s a state calamity to get everyone working together. The army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are searching for and rescuing people.
Rescue teams are clearing roads, getting people out, and giving help. They saved over 2,500 people and moved over 1,000 to camps.
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What About the Economy?
Tourism and farming, the state’s two main things, are wrecked. With roads closed and people scared to visit, tourism is almost dead. That’s costing the economy a lot.
Apple and vegetable farmers are also in trouble. Orchards are gone, and they can’t get their stuff to market because the roads are destroyed.
Why Did This Happen?
Climate scientists say the monsoon was so bad because of crazy weather from climate change. It rained way too much in a short time.
Experts also say that building roads and buildings without thinking about the environment made things worse. It made the hills unstable and likely to have landslides.
What’s the Government Doing?
Himachal Pradesh asked the Central government for a lot of help. They approved about ₹2,006.40 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The money will go to help people right away, rebuild stuff, and try to fix things for the long run. The Chief Minister wants more money to build things stronger.
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What’s Next?
It’ll take a while for Himachal Pradesh to get back on its feet. Right now, it’s about getting things running and helping people. But they also need to build in a way that can handle climate change.
The government will think about how they build things, especially in sensitive areas. This disaster shows that they need to balance the economy with taking care of nature.
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