At least nine houses were evacuated in Himachal Pradesh’s Ropdu village on Sunday after a massive landslide rocked the area, news agency PTI reported.
After intermittent rains for the last three days in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, a landslide occurred in Kotli sub-district today. The report indicates that the barn was completely damaged. Large boulders, along with debris, remain perched dangerously on the hillside, posing a constant and serious threat to the village below.
After the incident took place, officials and a former head of the village (Pradhan) rushed to the spot and ordered the evacuation of the nine threatened houses. At the place above the village, work is currently underway to cut the hill, residents noted.
A thunderstorm warning has been issued
On Sunday, the local meteorological office issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph at isolated places in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts for Monday and Thursday.
The agency has also forecast a rainy season across the state for the next five days. Even though the weather was dry on Sunday, the sun greeted people in the region.
In addition, light rain or snow is expected at isolated places across the state from March 24 to March 28 and at a few places on March 23. The development comes at a time when a fresh Western Disturbance is expected to hit northwest India from March 26, the MeT station noted.
Temperature forecast
The minimum temperatures have risen slightly and are likely to increase in the next two to three days. Meanwhile, maximum temperatures are expected to gradually climb by two to five degrees over the next four to five days.
Kukumseri recorded the lowest temperature at minus 3.1°C, while day temperatures saw a noticeable rise, with Una recording the highest maximum at 30.2°C.
Second landslide in two days in Kullu
In a separate incident, a second landslide in two days hit the Inner Akhara Bazaar area of Kullu district on Friday, triggering panic among residents. Families living under the unstable slope spent a sleepless night as rocks and debris kept falling, The Tribune reported.
The district administration has advised several families to temporarily shift to Akhara Bazaar Gurudwara and Sanatan Dharam Sabha sarai. The report indicates that while some of the families have moved to safer places recommended by the government, others have taken shelter with relatives and neighbors. People living in the area demanded a long-term solution and a mitigation plan instead of measures to stop the landslide problem in the area.
Residents say the memory of last year’s deadly landslide at Inner Akhara bazaar, which killed 10 people, is still vivid. They claim that although the administration promised a long-term solution after the two landslides in 2025, no concrete preventive steps have been implemented. They also warned that the continued fall of boulders from the slope could lead to another major disaster.
