Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 8 : Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party's President Rajiv Bindal on Tuesday called for urgent government action to relocate and rehabilitate people displaced by the devastating flash floods and landslides that hit parts of Mandi district in late June and early July.
Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Bindal emphasised the scale of destruction in the region and said the government must act with "sensitivity and urgency."
"The flood disaster has destroyed houses, fields, and livelihoods. We are trying our best to get support from across the state, but the government now needs to relocate and rehabilitate people whose homes and land have completely vanished," Bindal said.
The BJP leader, who recently returned from a visit to flood-ravaged areas in Mandi, painted a grim picture of the destruction.
"I have just returned from areas like Nachan, Dharampur, and Seraj where the devastation is unimaginable. Swarag Assembly Constituency is 100 percent affected. Nearly 1,000 houses have been either fully or partially damaged. Of the 48 missing persons, 20 bodies have been recovered so far, while 28 are still untraced," he said.
"In villages like Baksiyar, Jinzhali, and Lamba Thach and across the Nachan Assembly segment, entire settlements have been obliterated. In Thunag alone, 30-feet-high mounds of debris have piled up. Multi-storey houses have disappeared without a trace," he added.
Bindal said that farmlands, orchards, cattle, and roads have been washed away, and decomposing animals buried under mud are emitting foul smells in several locations.
"This is a heartbreaking tragedy. People have lost everything - their homes, their fields, their livestock. The BJP stands with every affected family, and the people of Himachal are stepping forward with help be it ration, blankets, or other essentials," he said.
He said BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, are on the ground and trekking on foot to reach affected villages.
"I walked with Jai Ram Thakur Ji for a day and a half. What we saw was catastrophic. As assessment reports come in, our commitment to stand with the people grows stronger," he said.
However, Bindal strongly criticized the state government's response to the crisis, especially the delay in rehabilitation planning and restoration of essential services. "Where homes and the very land they stood on have been swept away, the government must provide alternate land and build new homes. In areas where drinking water schemes have collapsed, clean water alternatives must be arranged immediately," he asserted.
He also called for increased deployment of heavy machinery to reopen blocked roads and restore connectivity to remote areas.
"Jai Ram Thakur Ji has already spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Defence helicopters and NDRF teams have been mobilized, but the state government must use available funds efficiently and urgently. They must show real sensitivity and not just stand for formality," Bindal added.