Himachal Pradesh: Chango village affected by cloud burst, flash floods; Shimla-Kaza Highway blocked (VIDEO)

Shimla/Reckong-Peo: Flash floods and cloudburst caused heavy damage to the houses and apple orchards in Shalakhar and Chango areas adjoining the Tibet border of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on Monday evening.

Zilla Parishad member Shanta Kumar said that due to heavy rains last evening, incidents of cloudsburst occurred at two or three places. Due to which a lot of damage has been done to the houses and pre-harvest apple crops to number of the farmers.

He demanded that the government conduct surveys and assessment of losses and immediately provide assistance to the people. Flash floods & muck submerged dozen of vehicles. Shimla- Kaza main road was also blocked at four places around Chango and Shalakhar. Unprecedented monsoon rains and cloud burst caused flash floods in the desert land, the river drains came in spate with muddy water.

The Khango Gompa foot bridge has also been washed away with Chango villages. At many places, due to the rains boulders and shooting stones are coming down from hills towards the settlement. The debris has entered several homes damaging them and forcing people to move to safer places. State disaster Management authority spokesperson also informed that an incident of cloud burst occurred at Village Chango Sub Tehsil Hangrang, District Kinnaur in which one small bridge, one shamshan ghat and apple orchard of three growers are also damaged. There was no report of any loss of human life.

Final estimate of loss would be done after getting the field report. According to the information, there was heavy destruction in village Shalkhar due to which four IPH Kuhul and two local Kuhul got damaged. Some vehicles are stuck due to flood in the village bus stand.

Several homes were damaged there to. The damage caused to the gardens by this flood is being estimated. It is noteworthy that there is no rain in these areas adjacent to the Tibet border. Due to which light rain also becomes a disaster in this sloping area. Due to intensifying rain last evening, there was a flood like situation in the sloping desert land. These climatic and weather changes is mainly attributed to the changing environment and massive devastation caused by the coming up on indiscriminate hydroproject in the area, he added. (UNI)