Dharamshala, Aug. 12 -- : As heavy rainfall continues in parts of Himachal Pradesh, the India meteorological department's (IMD) Shimla office has sounded an orange alert of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts on August 12. Moreover, a yellow alert of heavy rainfall in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba and Kullu districts. On Monday rainfall lashed different parts of Himachal including Shimla. Landslides were also reported at various locations. According to MeT department officials, light to moderate rainfall is very likely at most places till August 15, and at many places on August 16 and 17. Heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places till August 14, while one or two spells of heavy rain at isolated places from August 11 to 17. For August 13, an orange alert of heavy rainfall has been sounded in Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Sirmaur districts, while a yellow alert has been issued for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Shimla and Solan districts. It will be followed by an orange alert on August 14 in Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur districts. As heavy rainfall continues to batter parts of Himachal, as many as 316 roads, including a national highway, remain blocked in the state on Monday - with 181 of them in Mandi district alone. In Kullu district, where 84 roads remain blocked, a stretch of National Highway (NH-305) is blocked at Jhed (Khanag) due to a landslide. While 23 roads were blocked in Kangra, 11 roads remained blocked in Sirmaur district. Since the onset of the monsoon in Himachal on June 20, as many as 229 people have lost their lives so far. This includes 119 deaths due to rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, and drowning, while 110 people have died in road accidents. htc...