Efforts on to shift stuck Manimahesh pilgrims to safety: Negi

The issue of large-scale damage caused by incessant rain and landslides echoed in the Vidhan Sabha today with Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi assuring that all efforts are being made to restore road connectivity across the state and get pilgrims on the Manimahesh Yatra in Chamb to safe locations.

The issue was raised in the Assembly today jointly by Chamba MLA Neeraj Nayyar, Churah MLA Hans Raj and Dalhousie MLA DS Thakur under Rule 62.

The MLAs said with road connectivity getting snapped due to rain over the past three days, massive damage had been caused to roads, bridges, houses and cattle sheds. They said with mobile phone services getting affected severely, the extent of actual damage was still not known.

BJP legislators Hans Raj and Thakur, despite raising the issue of rain damages in Chamba, left the House along with the entire Opposition as Revenue Minister rose to reply to the issue.

Negi condemned the Opposition’s behaviour accusing them of being non-serious and keen to only make headlines.

Negi said every possible effort was being made to ensure safety of pilgrims who had got stranded at various locations during the Manimahesh Yatra in Chamba. “It is today morning only that we airlifted some pilgrims facing medical issues from Gauri Kund as the weather was clear,” said Negi. He assured that if needed, chopper and heli-taxi services would be engaged to evacuate any stranded pilgrims.

He denied claims made by Hans Raj that 10,000 people were stranded along the Manimahesh Yatra route. “As per information collected from Chamba district administration in the morning today, 1,000 people are stranded in Luna, 600 at Chaurasi temple, 500 at Chancho, 150 at Hudsar and Dal Lake, 100 people at Kupti and 100 at Gauri Kund,” he said. He said more than 1,000 vehicles were stranded between Chamba and Bharmour due to road being damaged at various locations.

The Revenue Minister revealed that the districts of Chamba, Kullu and Kangra had suffered the maximum damage in the past three days. He said Chamba received 99.6 mm of rain on August 26, which was 107 per cent above normal. In the past week, Chamba district received 202.3 mm rain which is 300 per cent above normal.

Negi said a total of 61 roads were closed in Chamba, 31 in Bharmour, 42 in Tissa, 37 in Bhattiyat and 88 in Dalhousie. “Machinery and manpower has been pushed into action so that road connectivity can be restored at the earliest. All the SDM’s have been provided with satellite phones so that there is regular communication and relief is sent to all affected areas,” he assured.

The minister assured that people would be provided relief as per the revised manual for all kind of losses to houses, cow sheds, house belongings, crops and orchards, which is the highest anywhere in the country.