Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 25 : Heavy rainfall and floods have caused widespread devastation across Himachal Pradesh, severely impacting roads, electricity, and water supply in several districts. Revenue, Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Monday said the monsoon remained "very active" over the last 24 hours, particularly affecting districts such as Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Lahaul-Spiti.
"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," Negi 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, he added.
Negi confirmed that the state has suffered significant loss of life and property due to the ongoing 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.
Highlighting the scale of damage since the onset of the monsoon, Negi said the state has experienced repeated cloudbursts and flood-related incidents.
"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.
The minister said the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has approved what he termed as the "best relief package in the country during monsoon," going beyond provisions outlined 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.
Confirming the casualties, bringing the total death toll to 303, Negi said the toll is rising each day.
"So far, about 155 people have died due to rain-related incidents, and 148 have died in road accidents," he said.