Himachal Pradesh Flash Floods: Mandi District Struggles with the Aftermath of the Cloudburst

Relentless rainfall and flash floods have wreaked havoc in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, worsening the situation in several villages. A sudden cloudburst late Sunday night in Chohar Valley, located about 50 kilometers from Mandi, triggered massive flooding in the Arang stream. The deluge swept through Sanwad village around 3 a.m., causing extensive damage. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud, explosion-like sound before the flood hit, leaving residents in a state of panic. Local shopkeeper Jitendra Kumar Thakur said four of his shops were completely destroyed, with goods worth over two and a half lakh rupees washed away within just four hours.

The powerful flash flood destroyed 10 footbridges, three shops, two houses, and two cattle sheds, while two cars and a bicycle were swept away by the raging waters of the Arang stream. A government school building was also damaged when floodwaters entered and broke its boundary wall. Despite more than five days passing since the disaster, normalcy has yet to return to the affected region. Villagers continue to struggle without proper access to food, medicine, or safe passage, as the roads to the village remain blocked. Several houses are still on the verge of collapse, increasing fears among the locals.

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Residents expressed their despair over the grim situation. Villager Maniram lamented that with his home gone, he had nowhere else to go and urgently needed food assistance. Another resident, Reshmi Devi, said her seven-member family, including four children, had lost everything to the floods. With no house, no source of income, and no relief supplies, survival has become extremely difficult. She expressed fear and uncertainty about the future as diseases are spreading due to poor conditions, and medicines are unavailable. The people of Mandi are holding on with resilience, hoping that relief operations will restore normalcy soon.