Chamba rain losses Rs 750 crore, Speaker seeks Central aid

Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday said that Chamba district had suffered around Rs 750 crore losses due to heavy rainfall, flashfloods and landslides during the ongoing monsoon season. Pathania, while addressing mediapersons in Chamba, said that no part of the district had remained unaffected by heavy rain and both government infrastructure and private property had suffered severe damage.

He said that the state government had brought Chamba under the special disaster relief framework announced earlier. Under this framework, the affected families would receive Rs 7 lakh for fully damaged houses, Rs 1.25 lakh for partially damaged houses, Rs 70,000 for belongings and Rs 50,000 for damage to land.

The Speaker recalled that the Himachal Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central Government to declare the calamity a national disaster. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also conducted an aerial survey of the rain-affected areas and announced a relief package of Rs 1,500 crore. “However, this amount has not yet been transferred to the state Finance Department. We urge the Central Government to release it at the earliest so that the restoration work can begin immediately,” he added.

Earlier, Pathania, while presiding over a meeting with district officials, directed them to frame special Standard Operating Procedures to ensure the safety and convenience of pilgrims of Shri Manimahesh Yatra. He also asked departments concerned to prepare a long-term action plan to tackle soil erosion along rivers, nullahs, hydropower reservoirs, National Highway-154A, link roads, villages and residential areas.

He reviewed the damage caused by heavy rain and said that as per the department estimates, the projects of the Public Works Department (PWD), Jal Shakti, electricity board, agriculture, horticulture and other departments had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 710 crore. Their reconstruction would require more than four times the assessed amount, he added.

The Speaker directed for imposing strict curbs on illegal dumping into rivers, streams and ecologically-fragile areas. He appreciated the measures taken by the district administration for relief and rehabilitation and ensuring the safety of pilgrims. MLA Neeraj Nayar stressed the need for beginning the soil conservation work and expediting the restoration of rural link roads.

Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal presented a detailed report on the damage and losses. He said that 957 houses in the district had been damaged, including 39 kutcha and 51 pucca houses that had been completely destroyed while 781 had suffered partial damage.

Meanwhile, the district administration has provided an immediate relief of Rs 18 lakh to the affected families and is continuing with rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts.