Rains: Bilaspur faces Rs 117cr loss

Incessant rainfall has caused an estimated loss of around Rs 117 crore in Bilaspur district to date, said Rahul Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Bilaspur, at Bachat Bhawan on Friday. He added that the worst-hit department is the Public Works Department (PWD), which has suffered damages amounting to approximately Rs 85 crore. The Jal Shakti Department has reported losses of Rs 24 crore, while the Education Department has incurred damages of Rs 2.12 crore. He said that the urban local bodies, including municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats, have faced losses of Rs 2.68 crore. Meanwhile, the Electricity Board and the Animal Husbandry Department have reported losses of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, respectively.

The DC stated that the rains have severely disrupted daily life in the district, with five PWD roads closed to traffic and over five drinking water supply schemes badly affected. The Electricity Board has also reported damage due to fallen poles, he added.

The Deputy Commissioner instructed officials from the PWD, Jal Shakti Department and the Electricity Board to work on the ground to swiftly restore damaged roads and water supply schemes. He stated that departmental teams were working on a war footing to address the situation.

He urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the heavy downpour and to stay away from rivers and streams to prevent any unfortunate incidents. He requested the public to follow the guidelines issued by the district administration and to contact the District Disaster Management Authority in case of any emergency.