Hans News Service Shimla

Followingrelentless rains in parts of Himachal Pradesh, all government and private educational institutions and Anganwadis remained shut in Sirmaur and Solan districts on Friday, officials said. The MeT department in Shimla has forecast heavy rainfall in many parts of the state, cautioning against possible landslides, flash floods, uprooting of trees and road blockades.

According to separate orders issued by the deputy commissioners of Sirmaur and Solan, Priyanka Verma and Manmohan Sharma, respectively, continuous rainfall is leading to obstruction of rural roads, increased risk of landslides and general disruption of normal life, particularly in the rural and hilly areas. Such inclement weather conditions are likely to endanger the life and safety of students commuting to and from schools across the district, the orders said.

An order to shut educational institutions in the Paonta subdivision of Sirmaur district was issued late on Thursday. On Friday morning, the SDMs of Nahan, Sangrah, Pacchad and Rajgarh subdivisions in the district issued similar orders to keep schools and colleges shut. All teaching and non-teaching staff, however, were ordered to remain present at their respective institutes, officials said. In Solan district, two persons sustained injuries after stones fell from a hillside onto a moving vehicle in the Arki area. The injured have been admitted to a hospital in Kunihar for treatment, officials said. The Innova Crysta carrying five people was travelling on the Gambharpul-Sarli road when stones fell on it suddenly.

The owner of the car, Maher Chand, was among the injured. Similar incidents were reported from several locations along the Kalka-Shimla National Highway, leading to the closure of one lane. According to officials, rockfalls occurred between Waknaghat and Kandaghat, and between Dharampur and Chakki Mod on the highway. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has restricted traffic to a single lane as a precautionary measure, the officials said.