NEW DELHI: Following the rise in frequency and intensity of natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh, Union Home and Cooperation minister Amit Shah has ordered the setup of a multi-sectoral central team immediately to evaluate the situation and suggest mitigation measures.
In a top-level meeting presided over by the Home minister, it was observed that Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing an unusually large number of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, and heavy monsoon rains, causing huge loss of life, property, infrastructure, and environmental damage.
The newly established central team shall include members from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, and geologists. It will evaluate vulnerabilities and recommend structural and non-structural solutions for disaster resilience in the hill state.
Besides, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) has already been sent to Himachal Pradesh, prior to receiving a formal memo from the state. The team is going to undertake an on-ground survey between July 18 and 21, 2025, in flash flood- and landslide-hit areas under the prevailing southwest monsoon.
Illustrating the Centre’s dedication to disaster-affected states, the government has sanctioned Rs 2,006.40 crore towards recovery and reconstruction in Himachal Pradesh for losses in 2023. The first tranche of Rs 451.44 crore was disbursed on July 7.