NEWS

Himachal seeks liberal central assistance for devastating monsoon damages

Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma today chaired a debriefing meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which was on three-day visit to the state to assess damages caused by severe cloud-bursts and flash floods during this monsoon season. The IMCT’s visit was part of a coordinated effort to evaluate the extensive impact on infrastructure, human lives and agricultural assets across the state

Onkar Chand Sharma said that the state government presented a comprehensive memorandum of damages and losses resulting from natural calamities, with the cumulative loss estimated at approximately Rs. 1,613.50 crore to the Central government. He detailed the challenges faced by the state and said that monsoon-induced landslides, cloud-bursts and flash floods severely impacted roads, irrigation schemes and residential areas.

He said that the state endured 46 landslides, 12 cloud-bursts and 39 flash floods across various regions, resulting in devastating losses. These incidents led to loss of 174 lives with an additional 144 fatalities indirectly linked to rainfall-related hazards. Approximately 206 individuals sustained injuries, 31 remain missing and livestock casualties reached 222. Furthermore, 1405 houses and animal shelters suffered partial or complete damage. An estimated Rs. 621.77 crore has been allocated by the state for immediate restoration efforts, primarily for damaged roads and bridges.

He said that the water supply infrastructure also suffered losses as 5505 water supply schemes, 1213 irrigation systems, 99 sewerage projects, 69 flood protection works and 57 hand pumps were damaged and the total loss amounted to Rs. 540.88 crore.

He said that the state government was committed to enhancing disaster preparedness and continues to coordinate with national disaster response forces and local communities to bolster resilience against future calamities. He highlighted the urgent need for additional resources as Himachal’s unique topography makes it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite best efforts in deploying early warning systems, Doppler radars and emergency personnel across disaster-prone areas central assistance was crucial to mitigate and restore the affected regions effectively. He also underscored the need to update relief manuals to reflect the specific geographic and topographic challenges of hilly states like Himachal and called for liberal and immediate relief to aid in rebuilding and providing timely support to affected communities.

Director-cum-Special Secretary, Disaster Management D.C Rana expressed gratitude to the IMCT for their on-site evaluation of the affected areas. He briefed the team on the extensive damages and sought central assistance to address the urgent needs of the state.

The IMCT assured the state of its support and said that it would give full consideration to request of State for liberal financial assistance. The team acknowledged the severity of the destruction and affirmed their commitment to sympathetically evaluate the state’s needs when making their recommendations.

Additional Chief Secretary Forest Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Principal Secretary Transport R.D Nazeem, Secretary PWD Dr. Abhishek Jain, Secretary RD Rajesh Sharma, Secretary Priyanka Basu Ingty, Joint Secretary Mihir Kumar and other senior officers of the state government were present in the meeting.

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