Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to declare the destruction caused by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh a “national disaster”, just like the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013.
In a letter to Modi, Priyanka also sought financial assistance for providing relief to the victims and their families as well as for rebuilding the state. Flash floods and landslides triggered by the rains wreaked havoc in Kullu and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh on July 14 and 15.
Priyanka, who visited the affected areas earlier this week, said apart from being the land of gods, Himachal Pradesh is also a state of true, simple and hardworking people. “The women, farmers, employees, businesspersons and youth of Himachal are very hardworking and self-respecting. Today, the same people are facing an unprecedented crisis. Floods and landslides have caused massive destruction in the state,” the Congress general secretary said in her letter to the prime minister.
She said more than 16,000 animals and birds have died in the state, including 10,000 poultry birds and more than 6,000 cows, buffaloes and other domestic animals. More than 13,000 houses and buildings have been completely or partially damaged, she added.
“Large parts of the Shimla to Parwanoo National Highway and the Kullu-Manali-Leh highway have been completely damaged. Many roads in the state have been completely or partially damaged. The state has suffered a loss worth thousands of crores,” Priyanka said in her letter in Hindi. The Congress government in the hill state is making every possible effort at its level to deal with the devastation, she noted.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 24 till September 12, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 8,679 crore. As many as 165 landslides and 72 flash floods were reported during monsoon. Of the 111 deaths in landslides, 94 were reported from Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Solan districts, while 18 of the 19 deaths due to flash floods were also witnessed in these districts. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has pegged the losses at Rs 12,000 crore and urged Modi to declare the calamity a national disaster.