NEW DELHI: About 350 stranded Manimahesh pilgrims were evacuated on Friday from Bharmaur to Chamba in Himachal Pradesh by IAF helicopters, officials said. Hundreds more remain stranded across Chamba district, particularly in Bharmaur constituency, which has been cut off due to landslides and flash floods caused by heavy rains in the last week of August.Deputy commissioner of Chamba, Mukesh Repaswal, said two IAF helicopters have been deployed, and all stranded pilgrims are expected to be evacuated on Friday. Since the start of the Manimahesh Yatra on August 15, 17 pilgrims have died, while hundreds remain stranded across Chamba district, particularly in the Bharmaur area. Unverified reports suggest the death toll could be higher. Manimahesh Lake is located at an altitude of 13,000 feet at the foot of Mount Kailash. Himachal Pradesh continues to battle floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in several areas.Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Kullu and Manali, instructing officers on the restoration and reopening of blocked roads. In Bilaspur, about 14 families were relocated to safer areas in Banali village of Naina Devi assembly constituency after their homes developed cracks following a landslide on Wednesday. Initially, two families -- those of Dilwar Singh and Surendra Singh -- were moved due to immediate risk.Subsequent heavy rains caused cracks in other houses, leading authorities to declare 14 homes unsafe for habitation.A total of 1,217 roads remain closed across Himachal Pradesh, with 281 in Mandi, 261 in Shimla, 231 in Kullu, and 187 in Chamba, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said. Major highways affected include NH-3 (Mandi-Dharampur), NH-5 (Old Hindustan-Tibet), NH-305 (Aut-Sainj), and NH-505 (Khab-Gramphu).Train services on the Shimla-Kalka route have been cancelled until Friday due to landslides on the track. Light to moderate rains continued in parts of the state, with Baggi in Mandi receiving 61.3 mm since Thursday evening, followed by Karsog 24.2 mm, Dhaulakuan 18 mm, Buntar 16 mm, Jot 14.2 mm, Gohar, Rampur and Manali 13 mm each, Naina Devi 12.8 mm, and Jogindernagar 10 mm.The local meteorological department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rains in isolated parts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday and Tuesday. Since the monsoon began on June 20, the state has recorded 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts, and 132 major landslides. At least 355 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents, while 49 remain missing. Rains have also damaged 1,868 power transformers and 669 water supply schemes, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said on Thursday evening. Official data estimates the state has suffered losses of Rs 3,787 crore during this monsoon.(With inputs from agency)
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