Himachal flood scare: Flash floods devastate Bada Bhangal, all government buildings swept away; 2000 vehicles stranded
The floods wiped out critical structures, including the panchayat ghar, government primary and high school buildings, civil supplies store, Ayurvedic dispensary, and two bridges—one wooden and another over the Ravi River. Stocks of food and medicines stored in these facilities were also lost.
PTC News Desk: Flash floods in the Ravi River have wreaked havoc in Bada Bhangal, a remote tribal village in the Dhauladhar range of Kangra district, destroying all government buildings and crippling essential infrastructure. Located at an altitude of 7,800 feet, the village can only be reached on foot via difficult high-altitude passes, both of which—Thamsar Pass (4,700 m) and Kalihani Pass (4,800 m)—are now impassable.
The floods wiped out critical structures, including the panchayat ghar, government primary and high school buildings, civil supplies store, Ayurvedic dispensary, and two bridges—one wooden and another over the Ravi River. Stocks of food and medicines stored in these facilities were also lost.
Mansa Ram cautioned that several homes are in danger of collapsing due to severe riverbank erosion, which has stripped away land along a 5-km stretch. The main access route to the village has also suffered major damage, leaving the area completely cut off.
Bada Bhangal remains one of the last strongholds of Himalayan pastoralism, a centuries-old way of life that is now increasingly threatened by climate change, infrastructural neglect, and extreme weather conditions.