Due to the massive damage that has been caused by the incessant rain in the hilly state, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to announce it as a state calamity, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced it on Friday through a notification. The Congress state government is also waiting for a response from the Centre to declare the disaster in Himachal Pradesh as a national calamity. UPDATES
Heavy rains have lashed the hill state since Sunday, triggering landslides in several districts, including Shimla and killing atleast 75.
Talking about the resuce operations, the chief minister said that the state government is making efforts to help the affected families especially those whose houses have been damaged in the flash floods and landslides with its own resources. "Central teams have inspected the affected areas for loss assessment and we need timely help from the Centre," Sukhu said, adding the state has suffered an estimated loss of Rs 10,000 crore.
Sukhu has earlier said the state will take a year to rebuild the infrastructure damaged by the heavy rains this monsoon.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 24, 217 persons have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh and 11,301 houses have been partially or completely damaged, according to the state emergency operation centre. A total of 506 roads are still closed in the state and 408 transformers and 149 water supply schemes have been disrupted. Over the last three days, 2,074 people have been evacuated in flooded areas of Kangra district.
