3,857 Covid-19 deaths, 977 fatalities in calamities; yet Himachal a 'champion'
Shimla: More than 3,850 Covid related deaths, another 977 persons losing their lives in natural calamities and disasters viz landslides and flash floods during the year 2021 are some of the unanticipated happenings in Himachal Pradesh, a state now a 'champion' in terms of vaccination drive.
Almost like 2020, a good part of the year was lost in managing the Covid's second wave, which has left the wound bleeding in some of the families losing one or more members together due to the Coronavirus.
The state has never seen such a horrifying loss of lives during any previous year though the natural hazards, disasters, flash floods, landslides, fires and also road accidents have always taken a heavy toll of lives in the hill state.
A terrifying landslide at Batseri on Sangla-Chitkul road in the Kinnaur district on July 25 (Sunday) killed nine persons and injured at least four others.
The videos of the heart-wrenching incident went viral on social media showing how a huge boulder rolled down the mountain destroyed an iron Bailey bridge, beside tourists and other vehicles parked along the road, within a few seconds.
A tourist vehicle carrying about 11 tourists from Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Chattisgarh, was hit by boulders, killing nine tourists.
The intensity with which boulders hit could be assessed from the fact that the iron bailey bridge on the Baspa river collapsed instantly.
Among those killed was a 27-year-old naval officer from Darri in Chhattisgarh's Korba district and his US-based friend; a 34-year-old woman ayurveda doctor from Jaipur; and three members of a family –a young chartered accountant, his sister, and their mother –from Sikar in Rajasthan.
In the second incident on August 11, 2021, a major landslide at Nigulsari in Kinnaur district buried a HRTC bus, two cars, one passenger vehicle and one truck under the debris. The death toll in the landslide incident rose to 28 as NDRF and rescue teams of the ITBP, fire brigade, police, home guards took at least five days to extricate the bodies.
A probe done by the experts of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), later concluded that steeply inclined slope and incessant rainfall were the geo-scientific causes behind the incidents.
Yet, the notable thing during the year was the state achieving a 100 percent vaccination record for both doses much ahead of many states for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi complimented the state and countless health workers who traveled to remotest and toughest valleys and peaks to vaccinate the eligible population.
The state is now set to roll out its special vaccination drive for more than 3.70 lakh children in the age group of 15 to 18 years from January 3.
On the political front, the BJP was at receiving end as it lost all four bypolls including Mandi parliamentary seat to the Congress' Pratibha Singh, wife of six-time former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. This gave the opposition Congress much needed boost to pin its hopes to maintain the trend in the 2022 Assembly polls and eventually make its way to the power.
Historically, Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing frequent change of power between the Congress and the BJP alternatively. A jubilant Congress has called the poll results a semi-final victory.
However right now it's Jai Ram Thakur, 56-year old first time Chief Minister, who is in full command.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mandi on December 27 to mark completion of BJP's four in the years has given a shot in Thakur's arm as Prime Minister showered praises on him and termed him energetic Chief Minister ending speculations about leadership change ahead of the Assembly polls as in case of Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Karnataka.
Prime Minister also launched new projects worth Rs 11,192 crore besides presiding over a ground breaking ceremony for investments worth Rs 28000 crore.
The death of 87-year-old Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was a huge political tragedy in the state during the year as also two other stalwarts –G S Bali, a former Congress minister and Kangra leader besides BJP's former horticulture minister Narendra Bragta.
