Himachal suffered damages worth Rs. 8,100 crore in two months
The monsoon rains have caused widespread devastation in Himachal Pradesh, resulting in estimated damages of Rs. 8,100 crore. The Himachal Pradesh government has declared the entire state a "natural calamity affected area," and the Centre has announced Rs. 200 crore in aid for the state. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu earlier said that it will take at least a year for the state to rebuild and fully recover from the destruction.
346 dead since June 24
Two severe spells of rain since June 24 in Himachal have claimed the lives of 346 people, while 38 are still missing. Of the 346 deaths, 224 people died in rain-related incidents, while 117 were killed in road accidents. Notably, 78 people lost their lives as rain wreaked havoc last week. Additionally, 2,216 houses were destroyed or swept away, along with 300 shops and 4,702 cow shelters, while 9,819 residential structures suffered partial damage.
Which departments faced most losses
The Public Works Department (PWD) suffered the most losses at Rs. 2,712.19 crore, followed by the Jal Shakti Vibhag at Rs. 1,860.52 crore and the state electricity board at Rs. 1,707.35 crore. The rural development department faced losses of Rs. 369.53 crore, the agriculture department Rs. 335.73 crore, the horticulture department Rs. 173.3 crore, and the education department Rs. 118.9 crore. The urban development department, the health department, and the fisheries department also suffered heavy losses.
Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Rajasthan help Himachal
To help cope with the disaster, the Karnataka and Rajasthan governments have reportedly contributed Rs. 15 crore each to Himachal Pradesh as aid, while the Chhattisgarh government has pledged Rs. 11 crore to the hill state. Notably, all four states are currently ruled by the Congress. CM Sukhu said last Thursday that the state suffered an estimated loss of Rs. 10,000 crore and alleged that no help was being received from the Centre.
