Heavy rain in Shimla triggered a landslide and uprooted trees near the official residence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday. Authorities quickly vacated a nearby house and shifted residents to safety.
The incident happened close to the CM’s government accommodation at Ramchandra Chowk and Benmore area. Officials said continuous rain over the past two to three days has caused widespread damage in the city, including landslides, road blockages, and property risks.
Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan said municipal teams acted promptly after reports of a landslide at Ramchandra Chowk in Banmore Ward, an area that had already seen a major slide a few days earlier.
“For the past two to three days, Shimla city has been suffering heavy damage due to continuous rainfall. At Banmore Ward's Ramchandra Chowk, we had a big landslide a few days ago. Today, the retaining wall built by ICC slid and fell on trees, causing two trees to topple. This happened near government accommodation. Thankfully, the houses there were vacant, and no casualty occurred,” Chauhan said.
He added that one house in the danger zone was identified and vacated as a precaution. Its residents were moved to safer locations.
“Right now, the house we are standing near is under threat. We have brought this to the notice of the local SDM. The area's councillor has been here since 8 am. We have taken the best possible measures. Due to the ongoing rains, we have restricted access to the affected area. Residents nearby have been advised to move to safer places so that they are not harmed if more trees fall,” he explained.
Chauhan also mentioned that one of the threatened houses belongs to a local doctor’s parents. While the immediate risk is low, they were temporarily shifted in the interest of safety.
The Mayor described the situation in Shimla as serious, with continuous landslides closing many roads and damaging property.
“Our councillors and officers are working 24x7 across the city. Where possible, we are restoring manually, and in other areas, machinery is being used. We pray to God to stop this rain, because nothing is bigger than nature. We appeal to people to stay indoors unless it is absolutely necessary to go out,” he said.
The Shimla Municipal Corporation and district authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, as more rain is expected in the coming days.
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