Heavy rain and floods have wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh, disrupting roads, power, and water supply in many districts. Revenue, Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Monday the monsoon stayed “very active” in the past 24 hours, hitting Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Lahaul-Spiti the most.
"In the past 24 hours, the monsoon has been very active. This has especially impacted the Chamba district, parts of the Kangra district, some areas of Mandi, Shimla, and even the Lahaul-Spiti. There has been heavy damage at many places, and Chamba has suffered significant losses. Roads have been blocked as well," he said.
"As of this morning, 625 roads are blocked, including three national highways. More than 1,500 distribution transformers have been affected. Water supply schemes have suffered comparatively less damage, with around 162 affected", citing official data, Negi said.
The minister said Himachal had suffered significant loss of life and property due to the persistent rains this monsoon.
"The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for several areas until August 27. All district administrations have been instructed to remain alert and be prepared for any incident. Relief and rescue teams are ready. Where travel is disrupted, local administrations can order closure of schools and institutions," he said.
Negi said the state had faced repeated cloudbursts and flood incidents since the start of the monsoon, underlining the scale of destruction.
"We have been alert from day one. Wherever a disaster occurred, relief work was carried out immediately. Even during the ongoing Assembly session, discussions continued for four days, but there was never a situation where relief work was lacking," he added.
Negi said the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, had cleared what he called the “best relief package in the country this monsoon,” offering support beyond what was provided in the Central government’s relief manual.
"In 2023, we decided to increase compensation for fully damaged houses from Rs 1.5 lakh (of which the state bears Rs 30,000) to Rs 7 lakh. This year too, we have raised the amount. For partially damaged houses, the central provision was initially Rs 6,000, but we have increased it to Rs 1 lakh. If your household goods are destroyed, the previous relief amount was Rs 2,500; we have increased it to Rs 70,000," he explained.
"Earlier, crop insurance gave Rs 3,000 per bigha. Now, for land and crops washed away, we have increased it to Rs 10,000. For loss of livestock, earlier relief was Rs 3,000, which we raised to Rs 6,000 in 2023, without any limit on the number of animals. This year, it has been further increased to Rs 9,000. For damaged gaushalas (cow shelters), Rs 50,000 will be given. If a shop is damaged, Rs 1 lakh will be provided," Negi added.
Urging the public to stay safe, he appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel amid ongoing red alerts. "Due to heavy rain, landslides are continuously occurring, and roads are getting blocked. My appeal is that you should step out only if necessary. At this time, it is important to stay safe," he said.
Negi confirmed that the death toll had reached 303 and warned that the number was increasing every day.
"So far, about 155 people have died due to rain-related incidents, and 148 have died in road accidents," he said.
Also Read: As monsoon progresses, losses are increasing across state: Jairam
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