CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday announced that Himachal Pradesh has been declared a disaster-affected state, following rain-related damages exceeding Rs 3,056 crore across all the districts.
He said a formal notification has been issued, citing the scale of destruction due to cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides, which have severely impacted roads, bridges, power lines, and water supply schemes.
Blaming the climate change for the disaster, he added that the Disaster Management Act has been invoked in response to the situation, and the entire state has been declared a disaster-affected area starting today.
Talking to the media, Sukhu said that he has requested all the MPs from the state to urge the central government for special package. He added that the BJP should not do politics on this. "Today the state is witnessing the consequences of climate change. We will ascertain the losses after the monsoons end," he added.
While speaking in the state assembly, Sukhu said that the state has been carrying out relief and rescue operations on a war footing. "So far 16 pilgrims have died in the Manimahesh Yatra and bodies of four of them are still stuck in Kugti village in Bharmour as it is not possible to take them out as incessant rains are still continuing. The Chamba district administration has arranged 20 porters to carry the corpse out but the rain is still continuing," Sukhu said.
He said, "Out of the 15,000 pilgrims stranded in Manimahesh, 10,000 have been safely evacuated and sent home through Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses without any charges."
"The government has deployed 40 NDRF and 40 SDRF personnel, along with local mountaineering teams from Manali, to assist in rescue operations and Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi is continuously camping in Bharmour and has even trekked on foot to the worst-hit areas, setting new records of ground-level work," he said.
He also advised people who are coming to the state not to venture near rivers and nallas.