Shimla, Aug 1,
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu convened an emergency meeting of senior officers of the state government here today to review the situation caused by five cloud bursts and heavy rains in different parts of the state.
According to reports reaching the state headquarters, three cloud bursts struck the Kullu district and one each in Mandi and Shimla districts.
CM said that two bodies had been retrieved while more than 50 persons were still missing. He mentioned that five roads, one national highway, had also been blocked, and three bridges were damaged during the last 12 hours due to cloud bursts and heavy rains.
The Chief Minister stated that the most affected site was Samej area of Jhakri in Shimla district, where a residential area had also been impacted by the cloud burst and around 36 persons were missing, with one road also being blocked.
In Mandi district, the cloud burst occurred near Tikkan Thalukot village of Padhar tehsil, where about seven persons were reported missing and two bodies had been retrieved, while three houses were also damaged.
He noted that in Kullu district, the cloud burst hit village Jaon in Nirmand Tehsil, where seven persons were missing and nine houses were washed away, besides causing damage to two bridges.
The incidents of cloud bursts also took place in the upper reaches, resulting in a rise in the water level of the Pin Parvati river, where one bus was washed away. Another incident occurred at Malana Sub Tehsil Jari of Kullu district, causing damage to the Malana bridge and leaving nine persons stranded along the Beas river near Malana.
Efforts were underway to rescue these people, said the Chief Minister. Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu emphasized that saving valuable human lives was the top priority at the moment, and all government machinery would focus on this task.
He directed the district administrations to provide immediate relief to the affected families and construct bailey bridges so that people in the affected areas did not face any inconvenience.
He stated that the state government would also make available five transport drones to enable the police to carry out transportation activities in the affected areas.
Satellite phones were also being provided at the SDM level to strengthen the communication system. He said that 50 generators would be supplied to Police Stations and Police Posts to ensure power backup.
The state government would make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of life and properties of the people. The Chief Minister mentioned that the meteorological department had forecast heavy rains until Friday morning.
He urged people to adopt precautionary measures during these hours and avoid going near rivulets and rivers. He said that the State Disaster Response Force was being strengthened and equipped to tackle any natural calamity.
The Chief Minister stated that state emergency operation centres had also been set up at 13 places in the state for disaster monitoring, and these would be operational round-the-clock.
He expressed deep grief over the death of several innocent lives in this disaster and said that the state government was standing shoulder to shoulder with the bereaved and affected families in this hour of distress.
Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also spoke over the phone to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, National Congress President Malikarjun Kharge, and senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi to apprise them of the situation caused by the cloud bursts and heavy rains in the state.
As per sources PM Modi has been closely monitoring the situation in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh in the wake of heavy rains and a cloudburst. He has asked top officials to ensure all possible assistance is provided to the affected.
Meanwhile CM Sukhu has urged the Central Government to provide liberal assistance to tackle this alarming situation.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma, Secretary to Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Director General of Police Dr. Atul Verma, Special Secretary Revenue D.C. Rana, and Engineer in Chief PWD N.P. Singh also attended the meeting.
