54 roads closed in Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA: A total of 54 roads were closed in Himachal Pradesh and 47 power supply schemes were disrupted, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said on Tuesday. The local meteorological centre has issued a 'yellow' alert for thunderstorms and lightning in isolated areas of six districts of the state on Wednesday.

The weather in the state remained largely dry since Monday evening barring some isolated places, such as Baijnath and Dalhousie, which received 4 mm and 1 mm of rainfall, respectively, the weather data showed.

As of Tuesday morning, 28 roads were closed in Shimla, 12 in Mandi, seven in Kangra, six in Kullu and one in Sirmaur district, according to SEOC.

The rain deficit during the ongoing monsoon season from June 1 till September 17 stands at 19 per cent, with the state receiving 565.9.2 mm rainfall against an average of 695 mm.

According to officials, 172 people have died in rain-related incidents since the onset of monsoon in the state on June 27 till Monday evening, while 30 are still missing. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,327 crore.