CHANDIGARH: Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh has led to an estimated Rs 20 crore loss of public and private property in the last two days and an overall loss of Rs 574 crore in last one and half month.
Several roads in the state are shut due to landslides triggered by rain. More than 300 vehicles, carrying tourists and locals, are stuck since Sunday between Keylong and the Rohtang Pass because of landslides.
Some places in Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts also received the first snowfall of the season. Chamba-Pangi road as blocked due to snow.
“Snowfall does not take place in these areas in August,” said a MeT official.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the government has released Rs 15 crore to different departments for undertaking restoration works.
Rs 100 crore relief for Punjab
In neighbouring Punjab, around 100 villages were affected due to floods. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh announced Rs 100 crore for emergency relief and rehabilitation measures in the flood-hit regions of the state.
The state government declared the current flood situation as a natural calamity.
The Army, IAF and NDRF carried out rescue operations in flood-hit parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday.