Shimla, Aug. 12 -- The monsoon season has taken a tragic toll in Himachal Pradesh, with the death count rising to 229. This includes 119 fatalities from rain-related incidents like landslides, flash floods, and house collapses, along with 110 deaths resulting from road accidents since June 20.

The impact of heavy rains has severely crippled public infrastructure across the state, with 395 roads, 669 electricity distribution transformers (DTRs), and 529 water supply schemes disrupted over the past 24 hours, as reported by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

Notably, three national highways--NH-305 in Kullu district, NH-505 in Lahaul & Spiti, and NH-707 in Sirmaur--are blocked, primarily due to landslides and flash floods, wit...