Buried homes, broken hope: Pandavsheela cries out in silence amid rain, landslides

The residents of Pandavsheela, a remote village in the Janjehli region of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, have been left to fend for themselves after relentless rains triggered landslides and widespread destruction beginning late on June 30.

- ANURAG SHARMA

Three days later, the village remains completely cut off from the rest of the state. Mobile networks are down, roads have collapsed, and no relief team has reached the area. The village, once known for its peace and natural beauty, now stands as a grim symbol of abandonment.

Locals describe scenes of devastation—six to seven homes have been entirely buried under debris. Several cowsheds have collapsed, resulting in the loss of livestock crucial to the villagers' livelihoods. In nearby Rushaad, two individuals remain missing, while the body of one deceased villager has been recovered.