Memories of the three-month ordeal are still fresh and even a year on, the state has not still fully recovered.

Scientists and experts blame climate change for the unusually high rainfall for triggering one of the worst catastrophes the state has ever. The state received heavy precipitation from July to September.

A 430% rain excess, 2nd spell worsened woes

Active to vigorous monsoon conditions prevailed in the state from July 7 to 11, bringing widespread heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across the state, way past the average rainfall of 734.4 mm.

Such was the magnitude that the state received 223 mm of rainfall against its normal rainfall of 41.6 mm in four days — starting July 10 — alone. It amounted to a deviation of 436%, which is unprecedented as per records.

The second rain spell between August 11 to 14 aggravated the vagaries. The state received 107.2 mm rainfall against the normal of 41.7 mm in the period, a deviation of 157%.

“The state suffered massive destruction between August 22 and 26. As monsoon departed on October 6 with 20% extra rainfall, which resulted in extreme rainfall leading to cloudbursts, flash floods, floods, mudslides, landslides and land subsidence,” the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) report submitted to a government 10 months ago.

A long way back

A year after the state witnessed the most catastrophic disaster after the 1905 Kangra earthquake that killed 20,000 people, the state is still struggling to get back to normal.

A large number of villages in Mandi, Solan, Kullu, Kangra and Shimla were destroyed amid land subsidence, affecting 1,772 households housing 12,000 people. More than 295 families lost their houses and about 30,00 people were living in makeshift tents. The majority of them have now returned to their homes, but some were still living with their relatives or in rental accommodations.

Many still await relief

Many victims and displaced families still await relief while a few have only been partially compensated for their losses.

“Three houses were destroyed in Nelha, and the affected families so far only got partial relief. Mandi municipal corporation had a ₹36 crore loss during the monsoon last year. The nullahs in the town are still clogged, there are hardly any funds to clear the muck,” Mandi councillor Rajender Mohan said.

“The government had announced a ₹7 lakh compensation for those who lost their houses, but so far they have only received ₹3 lakh,” he added.

Parkash Chand Patial said last August was a nightmare for him and his family. He lost his home, belongings and crops. “I lost my house in the floods last year; I am building a new one on my own. It’s difficult as the memories of the flood still haunt my family,” Parkash Chand Patial, a resident of Mandi, said.

Addressing the issue, additional chief secretary (Revenue) Onkar Sharma said, “It is the commitment of the government to reach out to each affected family, grants were distributed to deputy commissioners, and those left will be compensated in accordance to norms.”

Rivers changed course, infra & water supply wrecked

Rivers changed their course in the aftermath of the devastating floods, particularly Beas which flows along the highway connecting Mandi to Manali. The damaged road stretch has been restored, but a portion of it has begun to sink again.

Torrential rain caused other rivers and rivulets to overflow and give way to flash floods, fatalities, infrastructure damage, landslides, livestock loss and ruined crops, and property.

As many as 18,024 km of road, 126 bridges, and 300 culverts were damaged leading to damages of ₹2,950 crore. The floods wrecked 11,863 water supply schemes while 2,856 irrigation schemes were affected.

Tracts of farmland washed away

Agriculture and horticulture crops to the tune of ₹530 crore were also destroyed according to the government’s estimates.

“The farmers, both agriculturist and horticulturist suffered huge losses during the floods. Most of the orchards were devastated. The farmers faced a double whammy. One was the damages due to monsoon secondly they suffered losses due to drought-like conditions this winter,” Sanjay Chauhan, co-convener of Himachal Kisan Sankyut Manch.

There was a lot of politicking over the flood relief package, with chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi after the disaster asking the Centre to declare the rain-triggered floods a national calamity.

The CM had sought a ₹12,000 crore relief package and a special session of the assembly was also convened in September last year to pass a resolution seeking it. Later, the Sukhu-led Congress government allocated ₹4,500 crore for the relief and rehabilitation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders claimed that the Centre released ₹1,762 crore for the victims, besides funds for the construction of 2,300 roads and 11,000 houses but the state government differs on the help offered.

Prep underway

After the floods, the government adopted slews of measures to mitigate the natural calamities. Considering the sharp increase in landslides, 5,400 in total last year, the state government tied up with different academic and research institutions in and outside the state to prepare a report on the landslides and assist the state government in adopting scientific mitigation measures.

Experts from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Himachal Pradesh University, Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, Central University, Dharamshala, Geological Survey of India, Chandigarh, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and Central Building Research Institute Roorkee conducted geological investigations at 10 vulnerable sites in each district and submitted a report to the state government with suggestions.

The state has also already activated its 356 response centre, while the state disaster management authority (SDMA) has conducted several drills. “We are already on the state of alert; the weather is being monitored hour to hour,” SDMA director DC Rana said.

The state government has directed the Central Water Commission and the Directorate of Energy to deploy manpower to monitor all the river basins and dams generating advisories. Chief secretary Prabodh Saxena has directed district administrations to identify the vulnerable areas prone to prolonged road blockages during the monsoon season. They have also been advised to keep a close watch on all vulnerable villages, roads and bridges affected during the last monsoon and take all preparatory measures for prophylactic evacuation.