Telecom Services Being Restored on War Footing in Rain-Hit Districts: 65% Damaged Sites Functional in Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti.
Shimla:
In the wake of the torrential rains that lashed the State on 25th and 26th August, causing widespread disruption, the Himachal Pradesh Government has prioritized the restoration of telecommunication services across severely affected districts. As per official sources, nearly 65% of the damaged telecom sites have been restored and made functional in Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti districts, which were the worst-hit.
The torrential rains caused massive damage to critical telecommunication infrastructure, leading to a breakdown in communication systems in remote and high-altitude regions. The disruption not only affected daily life but also hampered emergency services and disaster response mechanisms.
Chamba District Worst Hit
According to the network outage report, Chamba bore the brunt of the disaster with 1155 out of 1761 telecom sites (approximately 66%) being rendered non-functional by 27th August 2025. Major service providers including Airtel, Reliance Jio, BSNL, and Vodafone Idea suffered heavy infrastructure losses. However, due to relentless efforts by the State Government and telecom providers, the situation has improved significantly.
As of 2nd September 2025, only 374 sites remain non-functional, indicating a 45% improvement in telecom network functionality in Chamba.
Principal Advisor (Information Technology and Innovation) to the Chief Minister, Gokul Butail, confirmed the progress and added that in the Bharmour region, BSNL services have been partially restored using microwave connectivity at five out of ten sites. The remaining BSNL sites are expected to be operational soon, with OFC (Optical Fiber Cable) restoration likely to take a week. Airtel’s 2G services have already been reinstated in the region, while Reliance Jio connectivity is expected to resume by 6th September.
Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti Show Steady Recovery
In Kullu district, significant strides have been made in restoring services. Out of 877 Airtel sites, 84.9% are now operational. Similarly, 65% of Reliance Jio’s 1173 sites have resumed services. However, BSNL continues to face challenges, with only 20% of its 391 sites functional.
In the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, telecom services are nearing complete restoration. Out of 63 Airtel sites, 96.8% have been restored, while 84.1% of Reliance Jio’s 170 sites are now functional.
Government Leading the Effort
The State Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has directed all agencies to work round-the-clock to ensure speedy restoration. Power supply restoration has also been prioritized as it is crucial to running telecom equipment.
“The situation was grim, but through coordinated efforts between government agencies and telecom providers, we have managed to restore a significant portion of the network. We are committed to restoring full connectivity at the earliest,” said Gokul Butail.
Looking Ahead
While significant progress has been made, challenges persist in some of the more remote and inaccessible areas due to continuing adverse weather conditions and terrain-based limitations. The government has assured that all remaining damaged sites will be addressed in the coming days, and full restoration is expected to be completed within a week, depending on weather conditions and accessibility.
The restoration of telecom services is expected to ease communication for residents and improve the effectiveness of relief and rehabilitation efforts in the affected regions.
