Himachal on Red Alert: Torrential Rains Shut Schools in Kangra and Flash Floods Severely Damage Mountain Roads

Early Monday morning the Shimla weather office sounded the alarm – a red warning for ‘very heavy to extremely heavy’ rain in a handful of districts across Himachal Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) says we could see more than 115 mm of rain in a day, with some places potentially topping 200 mm.

Because of that, the Kangra district magistrate, Hem Raj Bairwa, ordered every school, college, vocational institute and even Anganwadi centres to stay shut on July 20 and 21. The order also covered the Central University of Himachal Pradesh and the Sanskrit University at Balyahar. Any exams slated for those dates have been pushed back, and teachers are told to stay home unless they’re needed for emergency duties.

It isn’t just classrooms that are feeling the pinch. A sudden flash flood roared down the Tubar Nallah near Rani Kanda on the Sangla‑Chitkul road in Kinnaur district. The torrent smashed a bridge and blocked the only road that links the Tibet border area with Uttarakhand. That stretch is a lifeline for the Army and ITBP forward posts, so its loss is being taken very seriously.

Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant has already instructed all deputy commissioners to run their district emergency operation centres round‑the‑clock, identify landslide‑prone spots and keep quick‑response teams, SDRF, NDRF, fire services and ambulances on standby.

Authorities are urging residents to steer clear of rivers, streams and low‑lying slopes, avoid unnecessary travel and not attempt to cross flooded bridges. If anyone finds themselves in trouble, they’re asked to dial the state helpline 1070 or the district line 1077.

While the rains may finally ease later in the week, the state’s emergency machinery will stay on high alert, ready to react to any further cloudbursts, landslides or flash floods that might come our way.