Experts review monsoon damage in different parts of Kangra

Sectoral experts of the union government from the National Disaster Management Authority conducted field visits across various parts of Kangra district to assess the ground-level damage caused by heavy rainfall and flash floods during the recent monsoon.

A detailed review meeting under the Post Disaster Needs Assessment was held at Dharamsala on Tuesday afternoon to evaluate the extent of damage and the progress of relief measures.

Presiding over the meeting, Additional District Magistrate Shilpi Bekta directed all departments to update and upload the revised data on the designated portal without delay to ensure the preparation of an accurate and comprehensive report for submission to the state and central governments. She stressed that this exercise was crucial for strengthening future disaster preparedness and response strategies.

The officials from various departments presented detailed reports on the losses incurred during the monsoon. The ADM informed that 773 persons were evacuated from affected areas, while 28 human lives and 544 livestock were lost. As many as 1,857 houses and cow shelters suffered partial or complete damage.

The Public Works Department estimated road damage at over Rs 350 crore and the Jal Shakti Department reported damages exceeding Rs 261 crore. The agriculture sector recorded crop losses across 863 hectares, amounting to more than Rs 3.16 crore.

The Horticulture, Education, and Health Departments reported losses of Rs 2.07 crore, Rs 7.16 crore and Rs 5.91 crore, respectively. The damage to National Highway-503 was pegged at around Rs 15 crore.