SHIMLA, JUL 12 :  Indian Meteorological Department on Friday issued moderate rain orange alert in five districts of Himachal Pradesh.
However, remaining districts may remain mainly dry, humid and sunny and scattered rain and thundershowers are predicted in the next 24 hs.
Issuing Moderate rain alert on Friday, IMD said medium intensity rain would occur at Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Mid and foothills areas would receive monsoon showers at many places and few places in the high reaches. Heavy rain thunderstorms with lightning also occur at isolated places today and tomorrow.
Monsoon activity is likely to be confined to mid hills in next 24 hrs at many places. However, the rest of the state is likely to have rain at isolated to few places. On July 14 and 15 monsoon is likely to remain active in isolated to few places and may be mainly dry in the high reaches. According to IMD the Monsoon is likely to pick up in the state after July 17 onward.
Mainly dry weather in most places of Solan and Shimla district benefited the farmers to work in the field and counter the outbreak of fungal diseases in the Tomato, Shimla Mirch and Apple crops.
Abode of Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama Dharamsala had 13 mm rain, Palampur six mm, tourist resort Dalhousie and Shimla three mm. Yellow alert was issued at isolated places of Heavy rain which may cause flooding of road, water logging in the low line areas. The fog and overcast sky may reduce the visibility amid heavy rain.
This capital town was mainly dry today. The district administration has denied the report of a landslide at Manimahesh in Chamba district; the road has been closed since last year. The Manimahesh yatra normally takes place after the rainy season is over.
According to disaster management authority only ten roads including four of Shimla or Rampur division, three ache of Mandi and Kangra district of Dharmapuri , Indora, Jaisinghpur and Nagrota Bagwan are affected by the rain in the last 24 hrs.
Power supply is still affected in 49 distribution Transformer Region including 35 DTR of Sarkaghat and Jogindernagar subdivision and 15 DTR of Chamba and Tissa. Water supply was normal in the state.
Shimla town witnessed heavy landslides near Gurudwara ISBT Shimla still causing constraint to movement of vehicles. Chief Minister Sukhinder Singh Sukhu also visited the spot last night around 10.30 pm. Illegal dumping of muck at several places in the state causes disruption on the road causing the road full of muds and debris. Most cross drainage also leads to flowing of water on the roads turning the road at many places into a pool of water.
The administration in the state never bothered to inspect the work done by the contractors as crores of rupees were being spent to open such drainage on the major roads before the monsoon season broke out. The poor solid waste garbage collections and dumping of the urban waste in the cross drainage in Shimla town causing havoc during the rainy season many resident laments.(UNI)