Himachal Govt Estimates Rs 900 Crore Damage From Devastating Floods, State on High Alert Till Sept

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday said that the flood situation in the state has led to the loss of Rs 900 crore  to the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH), Public Works Department (PWD), and the state's road infrastructure.

As rescue and search operations is still underway, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed concern over the lack of immediate assistance from the Union government, though assurances of future help have been given.

In a statement reflecting the emotional toll of the disaster, CM Sukhu said, "The rescue and search operation will continue as we have sentiments that people want to see the body of their lost ones, so we shall continue operations." He added that 33 people are still missing. 

Addressing the issue of flood-prone areas, the Chief Minister noted that the government had issued a directive last year prohibiting the construction of new houses near rivers and rivulets. Nevertheless, in areas such as Samej, where the village has a long-standing history of habitation, the floods are primarily attributed to global warming.

"I have already said that both central and state governments need to do a study on disasters and floods," Sukhu added. "Those students who have suffered due to floods will be provided accommodations for schools, or special buses will be routed for them to nearby schools so that their education does not suffer," he said. 

Meanwhile, after the catastrophic cloudburst that occurred near the Samej and Bagi bridges late on July 31, several people were reported missing. On Thursday the NDRF reported that 13 bodies had been recovered so far even as rescue operations in the disaster-affected area are underway. Baljinder Singh, 14th Battalion Commandant, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that the NDRF teams were sent well-prepared to Himachal Pradesh this year to ensure no delay in the rescue operations.