Shimla: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday announced an immediate relief amount of Rs 7 crore to carry out restoration work in disaster-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district.
On the second day of his tour, the Chief Minister visited Thunag, Bagsiad, Deji, Bara and Syanj villages, and reviewed the damage caused by the recent cloudbursts. He assured all possible support from the state government to affected families.
The Chief Minister said the state Cabinet would soon discuss and announce a special relief package for those impacted by the disaster.
Fifteen people lost their lives, five sustained injuries, and 27 are still missing after 10 cloudbursts triggered flash floods and a landslide in Mandi district on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1.
The calamity caused large-scale destruction, affecting 1,184 houses, 710 cow sheds and 201 shops. As many as 780 livestock also perished in the disaster.
According to an official statement, Rs 2 crore was released earlier, and an additional Rs 2 crore each has now been allocated to the Public Works Department and the Jal Shakti Department. One crore rupee will be provided to the Block Development Office to expedite restoration work.
In Deji village alone, 11 people are still missing due to a cloudburst. Two deaths were reported from Bara and four from Syanj village, where five people are still unaccounted for.
The Chief Minister, who interacted with affected families at the Pakhrar Panchayat Ghar, directed revenue officers to immediately assess all types of losses. He instructed officials to declare as “completely damaged” any houses filled with silt or debris or those deemed unsafe to live in, so that maximum compensation can be provided. The Chief Minister also assured compensation for damaged household goods and perished livestock, and issued special instructions to assess losses suffered by horticulturists and apple growers.