An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) has assessed the extensive damage incurred in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district due to heavy rains, floods, and landslides during the recent monsoon season. The team reviewed relief and rehabilitation measures in the region, which has seen significant infrastructure and agricultural losses.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the delegation, headed by M Ramachandrudu, Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, convened a meeting with senior district officials. This meeting followed the team’s visit to the disaster-affected Boh Valley in Shahpur, a locality that bore the brunt of the monsoon’s fury.
During the briefing, Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa provided a comprehensive overview of the damage. The losses spanned critical sectors including roads, drinking water and irrigation schemes, power infrastructure, agriculture, horticulture, health, and education. The district also recorded fatalities among both human and livestock populations.
Mr. Bairwa detailed that 15 individuals lost their lives due to rain-related incidents within the district. Furthermore, 76 livestock perished. The impact on the road network was substantial, with approximately 854 kilometers of roads across the Nurpur, Dehra, and Palampur administrative circles affected. The estimated financial loss attributed to this road damage alone amounts to Rs 269.77 crore.
The region’s water infrastructure also sustained considerable damage. Out of 428 drinking water supply schemes, a significant number were rendered inoperable, with an estimated loss of Rs 64.06 crore. Efforts are underway to restore services, and currently, 330 schemes have been temporarily restored. Similarly, the irrigation sector faced setbacks, with 89 out of the district’s 417 irrigation schemes suffering damage. More than 25 percent of these affected irrigation schemes have since been brought back online.
The power infrastructure experienced notable disruptions, leading to losses estimated at Rs 204.57 lakh for the state electricity board. These damages primarily resulted from uprooted electricity poles and compromised high-tension (HT) and low-tension (LT) lines. The agricultural sector reported losses amounting to Rs 63.97 lakh, while horticulture faced damages of Rs 10.73 lakh. The health sector incurred losses of Rs 75 lakh, and the education sector recorded damages totalling Rs 2.57 crore.
The Deputy Commissioner also provided specific details regarding the rain disaster that occurred in Boh Valley on July 21. In Gharghoon village, 95 individuals from 22 families were directly affected and subsequently relocated to a temporary relief camp to ensure their safety and well-being.
Mr. Bairwa informed the Central team that the state government has been proactive in increasing relief assistance for disaster victims. Over the past three years, the state has augmented its own resources to raise the assistance from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per affected family.
In his address to the IMCT, Mr. Bairwa put forth a request for the revision of financial assistance norms applicable to natural disasters. He highlighted the need for updated guidelines that would enable states to receive greater financial support from the Centre for disaster management and relief efforts. In response, Mr. Ramachandrudu stated that the Central government is actively considering revisions to these norms and that the process is in an advanced stage. He assured the district administration that all concerns pertaining to Kangra would be escalated and addressed at the central level.
The Central team comprised officials from various departments, including Prakash Chand, Director of the Jal Shakti Department; Ramavatar Meena, Director of the Rural Development Department; and Dr. Shri Shashivardhan Reddy from the Remote Sensing Centre, ISRO, Hyderabad. Officers from several state government departments present in Kangra also attended the crucial meeting.
The Chenab Times News Desk