Govt forms Central teams to assess flood damages in Punjab, Himachal, J-K, Uttarakhand

With continuous floods and cloudbursts ravaging Northern India for the past one month, the Centre on Sunday constituted inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir to assess damage caused by heavy rainfall, floods, flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides.

These teams will visit the flood and landslide-affected districts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir early next week, official sources said.

An IMCT, and a multi-sectoral team have already visited the state of Himachal Pradesh.

The IMCTs will also make on-the-spot assessment of the situation and relief works carried out by the respective state governments.

The teams are to be led by a senior officer of the level of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and NDMA and will have senior officers from the ministries and departments of Expenditure, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Jal Shakti, Power, Road Transport & Highways and Rural Development.

The MHA is in touch with senior officers of these states and has extended all necessary logistic assistance by deployment of requisite number of teams of NDRF, Army and Air force helicopters, who are helping them in search & rescue and restoration of essential services, official sources further informed.