Cloud burst creates a scare in Himachal Pradesh(Re-issue with corrections)

A cloud burst near Rampur, which is about 130 kilometres from Shimla, sent a shiver down the spines of people living in the area.

Rampur, July 10 : A cloud burst near Rampur, which is about 130 kilometres from Shimla, sent a shiver down the spines of people living in the area.

An unpredictable natural phenomenon, the cloud burst can cause extensive damage to property and kill people.

People witnessed it at round 3.30 a.m. on July 6 (Friday) along the Negli Stream, a tributary of River Sutlej.

The cloud burst resulted in an overflowing of rivers and streams. Some huts, located on the banks of the river, were swept away by its waters.

Dharmender Sharma, a labourer from Bihar, said: "I am working as a labourer in Negli region of Shimla District. When I was sleeping in my tent, the rain and the floodwaters came. I am left with nothing."

Gita Chauhan, a resident of Rampur town, said: "My house is near the Sutlej River . With the coming of the rainy season, I become afraid. Cloud bursts caused massive property losses, both to those owned by the government and those privately owned.

Cloud bursts have claimed the lives of about 800 people in the last 15 years, and property worth millions has been damaged.

In Himachal, the districts of Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba, Mandi, Kangra, and Srimaur have been declared cloud burst prone, said Kaul Singh, the state's Irrigation and Public Health Minister.

ANI