Shimla: Union minister for National Highways Nitin Gadkari flew to Kullu-Manali with Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to jointly assess losses in the aftermath of recent flash floods and rains. He announced to sanction Rs 400 cr help for restoration of roads and bridges for restoring connectivity in the state facing natural calamities.
Both the leaders, also joined by leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur, visited the flood ravaged areas including Bada Bhuiyan, Deodhar, Shirad, Klath, and Aloo ground Manali. They also interacted with the officials and affected families, which have suffered massive losses and faced miseries of the flood fury in river Beas.
Minister for Public Works Department Vikramaditya Singh also accompanied the hief minister.
“The losses caused by the disaster due to torrential rains and floods are much more than I expected. The state has been plunged into major problems. Massive damage has been caused to the four-lane projects, NHs and other state roads. Several bridges have got washed away. Many bridges, parked vehicles—small and heavy, beside buildings have also been swept away”, he admitted.
Talking to media persons Gadkari said the central government will extend all possible help to the state and affected families. The people have suffered immensely and the situation was even worse than they would have imagined otherwise.
“There has been unprecedented damage to the roads, bridges and private property due to flash floods, landslides and cloudbursts triggered by heavy rains”, he said
The minister said Rs 400 crore will be released by the Union government under Central Road & Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), so that repair and restoration works can be undertaken on war footing. The NHAI will also bear the cost of repairing the link roads up to one kilometer along the National Highways in apple belts, he added.
“Once I reach Delhi, I will release Rs 80 cr immediately for starting the restoration works”, he assured.
The huge portions of National Highways and other roads have been swept by the furious flow of the river and a technical team has been constituted to study probable causes and take measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The technical team comprising experts from IIT Mandi and Roorkee will visit the flood hit areas in three to four days to assess and take stock of the situation.
He said that due to the accumulation of muck in the river bed, the river changed its course. Adaptive measures will be taken to construct a concrete wall or channelize river beds wherever required. He also sought cooperation of the state government in this direction.
He said that the union ministry will bear whatever money is to be incurred on the repair and restoration of roads under NHAI.
The minister stated that falling stones and boulders from the mountains was rather common in hilly regions, always posing threat to the commuters and to address the issue a comprehensive study would be conducted and thereafter recommendations would be shared with the state government.
Highlighting the importance of the tunnels in the hills, even under such conditions of calamities, Gadkari said that 68 tunnels were being constructed in Himachal Pradesh to cost Rs 12,500 crore.
The repair work of Kiratpur-Manali four-lane will also be completed in the coming two to three months and will be inaugurated soon.
A sum of Rs 250 crore has been sanctioned for Bijli Mahadev ropeway, the construction of which will commence soon. He said that approval has been given to Shahpur-Sihunta road to be built with an outlay of Rs 52 crores under CRIF and Rangas-Mehre via Bagchal road would also be constructed incurring an expenditure Rs 49 crores.
Earlier chief minister briefed Gadkari that it was for the first time in the history of Himachal that a disaster of such high magnitude struck the state. As the resources of the state were limited, the union government must extend help to Himachal generously at the earliest to aid relief and restoration efforts.
The torrential rains from July 7 to 11 this year caused extensive damage to roads and bridges at numerous places in the state, besides public and individual property.
“The Union minister Nitin Gadkari quickly accepted my invitation to visit Himachal Pradesh, for which I am grateful to him”, said Sukhu.