Heavy rains lashed Shimla and surrounding areas on Friday with a landslide burying vehicles and the MeT department issuing an 'orange warning' indicating "very heavy rain", thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in the state over the weekend.
Earlier on Friday, debris from drains littered the roads at several places in Shimla and three vehicles parked near a drain in the Malyana area were buried in a landslide. No casualties were reported, officials said.
The MeT also issued a 'yellow warning' of heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places on July 1 and 2 and predicted a wet spell in the state till July 4. Delayed by five days, the southwest monsoon had hit several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday.
The orange warning was issued for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan districts on Saturday and Sunday.
In another incident, four roads -- two in Kangra and one each in Kinnaur and Kullu districts -- have been blocked for vehicular traffic following rains as per the state emergency operation centre.
Rain lashed state capital Shimla and surrounding areas . Jubbarhatti in the suburbs recorded 36 mm of rain on Thursday evening while Shimla recorded 84 mm of rain.
Gohar received 42 mm of rain, Mashobra 38 mm, Slapper 34.6 mm, Kufri and Shilaroo 24.2 mm, Sarahan and Berthin 22 mm each, Ghagas 18.8 mm, Karsog 18.2 mm, Kahu 16 mm and Pandoh 12 mm as per the data released by the MeT.
The MeT has cautioned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to kutcha houses and huts due to strong winds and rain, disruption in traffic and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that reports of damage have also come in from Nerva near Chopal in Shimla district. "I request the people of the state to stay away from Rivers and drains as the level of water rises following cloudbursts which could prove fatal and people should take precautions.
He said the state government was prepared to deal with any eventuality arising from monsoon. "All the field staff have been told to stay active and I am also taking stock of the situation", he added.
Meanwhile, the state Public Works minister Vikramaditya Singh, who met the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday, requested him to release Rs 150 Crore already announced by him for repairing PWD roads connecting the National Highways given the ensuing monsoon season.
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