About 350 stranded Manimahesh pilgrims were airlifted from Bharmaur to Chamba in Himachal Pradesh by IAF helicopters on Friday, officials said.
Hundreds of pilgrims are still stuck in different parts of Chamba district, especially in Bharmaur constituency, which remains cut off by roads after heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods late in August.
Chamba Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal said two IAF helicopters had been deployed and all the stranded pilgrims would be evacuated on Friday.
Since the start of the Manimahesh Yatra on August 15, 17 pilgrims have lost their lives. Officials fear the actual toll could be higher, though reports are still unverified.
The Manimahesh Lake, a sacred site for devotees, lies at 13,000 feet at the base of the Kailash peak.
Himachal Pradesh continues to battle widespread damage from floods and landslides. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu carried out an aerial survey of affected areas in Kullu and Manali and directed officers to speed up road restoration work.
In Bilaspur, 14 families from Banali village in Naina Devi constituency were moved to safer places after cracks appeared in their houses due to a landslide on Wednesday. Two houses were endangered initially, but later cracks developed in several others. In all, 14 houses have been declared unsafe.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 1,217 roads are currently closed across Himachal. This includes 281 in Mandi, 261 in Shimla, 231 in Kullu and 187 in Chamba. Major highways, including NH-3 (Mandi-Dharampur), NH-5 (Old Hindustan-Tibet road), NH-305 (Aut-Sainj) and NH-505 (Khab to Gramphu), are also blocked.
Trains on the Shimla-Kalka route have been cancelled till Friday after landslips damaged the track.
Light to moderate rains were reported in parts of the state. Baggi in Mandi received 61.3 mm of rain, followed by Karsog with 24.2 mm, Dhaulakuan 18 mm, Buntar 16 mm, Jot 14.2 mm, and Manali, Rampur and Gohar 13 mm each. The Met office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in isolated areas on Monday and Tuesday.
Since the monsoon began on June 20, Himachal has witnessed 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 132 major landslides. At least 355 people have died in rain-related incidents and accidents, while 49 remain missing.
The SEOC said rains have disrupted 1,868 power transformers and 669 water supply schemes. Official data estimates total losses so far this monsoon at ₹3,787 crore.
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