Jai Ram visits Bharmour, seeks stronger relief for disaster victims

Leader of Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday visited disaster-affected areas of Bharmour in Chamba district to meet families devastated by last month’s heavy rains, floods and landslides.

Thakur also inspected Harsar, the base camp of the Manimahesh Yatra, which has suffered extensive damage. He pointed out that the road at the pilgrimage starting point has been completely washed away, while nearly 6 km ahead at Dancho, a major landslide has made movement nearly impossible.

He noted that many houses have been damaged, agricultural land swept away and livestock lost, leaving families in acute distress. “This is a massive tragedy. People have lost their homes, land and livelihoods. Rehabilitation of the displaced and rebuilding of infrastructure is a very big challenge,” Thakur said.

The ex-CM also expressed grief that even pilgrims visiting for the sacred Manimahesh Yatra lost their lives in the disaster. While most casualties were from outside the region, he called every loss of life “deeply saddening”.

Highlighting the disruption of communication links and blocked roads in remote interiors, Thakur demanded urgent restoration of essential services, including roads and water supply schemes.

“As the principal opposition party, we will strongly raise this issue before the state government to ensure maximum possible compensation for affected families. We will also urge the Centre to provide enhanced relief so that rehabilitation is carried out effectively,” he said. Thakur was accompanied by Bharmour MLA Dr Janak Raj during his visit.

Between August 23 and 26, Chamba district witnessed relentless heavy rainfall, with Bharmour emerging as the worst hit. The calamity snapped road and communication networks and forced authorities to suspend the Manimahesh Yatra midway.