Shimla, July 8 (IANS) Water has started receding in Himachal Pradesh rivers, officials said Thursday, a day after an alert was sounded in Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts when most rivers and their tributaries were flowing above the danger mark.
‘The water level in the Beas river and its tributaries, including the Parvati and the Tirthan, came down sharply this (Thursday) morning as there was no fresh major rainfall in the region,’ Kullu Deputy Commissioner B.M. Nanta told IANS.
He said the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH) No. 21, which remained disrupted for some hours Wednesday due to landslides and overflowing of the Beas, was operational.
‘The water level in the Beas has reduced now but its current is still strong,’ Nanta said.
Incessant rains had also led to a sudden rise in water level in the Satluj river, causing massive landslides and hampering vehicular traffic in upper Shimla region.
The water level in the Satluj has also reduced, said Deputy Commissioner (Shimla) J.S. Rana.
NH 22 that was closed at various points in Kinnaur district due to uprooted trees and landslides has also been reopened.
‘Most major roads in Kinnaur have been reopened for traffic. Work to establish road connectivity near Khab is still on,’ an official said.
However, Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, is still cut off from the rest of the country.
The Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Keylong, has been closed for vehicular traffic due to massive landslides at several stretches.
According to the Met office, Shimla got 6.4 mm of rain, Dharamsala 11.6 mm, Bhuntar 36.5 mm, Sundernagar 48.2 mm, Una 34.4 mm and Kalpa 6.8 mm of rainfall since Wednesday.
The Met office predicts mild to moderate rainfall at isolated places in the state till Friday.
