Torrential rain over two months claims 278 lives in Himachal Pradesh

Central team visits hill State, interim memorandum submitted for about ₹2,000 crore monsoon losses

Since June 29, following the onset of the southwest monsoon, torrential rain in Himachal Pradesh, which triggered several incidents of cloud burst, flash floods and landslips, has claimed the 278 human lives and 587 heads of livestock so far. Losses due to destruction and damage of property, including roads, bridges, and vehicles in landslips and debris, are estimated at about ₹2,000 crore.

To assess the damage, an inter-Ministerial team from Central government visited the State from August 28 to 30. Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman on Tuesday said it was for the first time that a high level inter-Ministerial team from the Centre had visited the State in the mid-monsoon season itself on special request of the State government.

Also read | More than 1,550 people died in five years during monsoon in Himachal Pradesh

Members of the Central team, led by Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Joint Secretary (Disaster Management), Ministry of Home Affairs, met with the Chief Secretary. An interim memorandum of loss of ₹1,981.86 crore was submitted to the Central team.

“This includes the loss of ₹957.09 crore to the Public Works Department and ₹725.07 crore pertaining to the Jal Shakti Department. There has also been substantial damage to other departments and private property. A total of 278 people have lost their lives in various incidents of flash floods, cloud bursts, landslips and house collapses, etc. during this season in the State, while 522 people have been injured and nine people are still missing. One hundred and sixty nine houses were completely damaged, while 825 houses were partially damaged. Seventy-two shops and 887 gaushalas (cowsheds) were damaged and 587 livestock have also been reported killed,” Mr. Dhiman said.

He said that this was only an interim report and these figures were likely to rise as 20-25 days of monsoon rains are left, and damage assessment is still underway at many places. “The final damage report would be submitted by the end of the season. The suggestions of the Central team would also be included in this report,” Mr. Dhiman added.

Also read | Himachal Pradesh prone to natural disasters, says study