Himachal Pradesh has suffered cumulative losses and damages worth about Rd 1600 crores since July 1 this year during the monsoon and due to untimely snowfall in tribal areas, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Tuesday.
Presiding over the meeting of inter-ministerial central team at Mandi which is on the state visit to access the damages the state has suffered due to untimely snowfall and heavy rains, Thakur said that Public Works department suffered major losses due to damages to roads and bridges etc.
He said the total losses on this account have been accessed about Rs. 930 crores, adding that 405 incidents of landslides and 34 cloudbursts have been reported in the state. "The Irrigation and Public Health department suffered losses worth Rs. 430 crores while Rs. 130.37 crores to agriculture crops and infrastructures," Thakur said.
The chief minister said 343 persons lost their lives due to flash floods, landslides, cloud bursts and road accidents, pointing out that the state government has provided ex-gratia worth Rs. 13.72 crore for the loss of human life.
"It was ensured that damaged roads and infrastructures were restored immediately in order to avoid inconvenience to the general public as well as tourists visiting the state," Thakur said.
He said 4033 persons were rescued by different means from Chamba, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts between September 3 to October 1.
The chief minister urged the inter-ministerial central team to recommend for maximum support from the Government of India keeping in view the gravity of losses and damages suffered by the state which were worst in the last 10 years.
Special Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management Authority D.C. Rana detailed about the losses to the state during monsoon.
Irrigation and Public Health Minister Mahender Singh, MPP and Power Minister Anil Sharma, Transport and Forest Minister Govind Thakur, MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, MLAs Vinod Kumar and Rakesh Jamwal, Joint Secretary (PM), Ministry of Home Affairs Vivek Bhardwaj, amongst others attended the meeting.