Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said the state has incurred losses of around ₹8,000 crore due to the rain-triggered flash floods, as it has faced the harshest rain and flood disasters in the past 75 years.
Sukhu said there is a need for immediate financial relief from the Central government. “The central team has visited the state. We have demanded the pending 315 crore rupees of the 2022-23 disaster fund from the union government. The loss is estimated to be 8,000 crore rupees. We are trying to restore the roads, electricity and water supply in the region,” he told news agency ANI.
Accusing former CM Jairam Thakur of playing politics at the time of a disaster, Sukhu urged that all parties should get together to seek the disaster relief fund for the flood-hit state.
“It is not right to say that the disaster relief money has been given by the union government. I don’t want to answer Jai Ram Thakur. He is doing politics on it. But I would request him that we should go all together with all parties to get the first instalment of disaster relief to Himachal Pradesh,” the chief minister said.
However, Kullu deputy commissioner on Saturday said ₹5 crore of relief amount was provided to those affected by floods in the district.
“People who are affected by the heavy rainfall in the Kullu district are being provided with a relief amount by the government. People whose sources of income were affected along with their houses and shops are being procured the relief amount. Till now, 1,700 families have been affected by the floods. Most of the families were provided with ₹five crores of relief amount”, said Ashutosh Garg, DCP, Kullu.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert and predicted heavy rainfall in eight districts of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. Many areas of the state received hefty downpours in the last 24 hours, with Sirmaur district receiving 195 mm of rain.
“Many areas of Himachal Pradesh have received heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours, with Sirmaur district receiving 195 mm of rainfall. In the next 24 hours, the IMD has issued an Orange alert with heavy rainfall expected in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Bilaspur districts,” news agency PTI quoted IMD deputy director Bui Lal as saying.
According to the figures from the state disaster management authority, “The monsoon has claimed 154 lives since its onset on June 24 in Himachal Pradesh. Till now, 15 people are missing, and 187 people have been injured”
Additionally, 592 houses have been damaged, besides 5,265 houses have been partially damaged. 235 shops have been damaged in the state, while 1616 cow sheds have been damaged due to rain and floods.
