Loss due to natural disasters across Himachal over Rs 2,007 crore

Natural disasters triggered by heavy rains have caused immense damage across the state, causing a heavy loss of Rs 2,007 crore since the onset of monsoon season this year.

As per the records of Revenue Department, Public Works Department remains the worst hit with its total loss amounting to Rs 1,071 crore. Similarly, the Jal Shakti Department has suffered a loss of Rs 682.99 crore, while the power sector has suffered a loss of Rs 139.46 crores. Total losses suffered by the horticulture and agriculture sector, two of the main contributors of the state’s economy, are Rs 27.43 crore and Rs 11.45 crore, respectively.

Till now, as many as 119 persons have lost their lives due to landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods, etc. The state has also witnessed a total 59 flashfloods, 54 landslides and 30 cloudburst incidents during this monsoon season.

Meanwhile, heavy rain is set to continue across the state till August 17 as the state’s Meteorological Department has issued orange and yellow weather warnings for the next few days. The department has issued an orange alert from August 12 to 14 and a yellow weather warning for August 15 and 17. As a result, light to moderate rain is likely to continue across the state till August 17 with a few spells of very heavy to heavy rain at isolated places. However, minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to remain normal across the state in the next few days.

Also, light to moderate rain continued to occur across the state during the past 24 hours. Bilaspur received 50.2 mm of rain, which was the highest in the state while Sarahan in Shimla district recorded 30 mm of rain. Dehra Gopipur in Kangra district got 16 mm rain, Dharamsala (14.8 mm), Palampur (9.6 mm), Mandi (7.4 mm), Shimla (4.2 mm) and Sundernagar 3.7 mm).