Disastrous rains leave 12 thousand houses damaged: Government tightens building bye-laws
Shimla, Aug 24
In the aftermath of relentless rainfall wreaking havoc, the state of Himachal Pradesh faces a grim reality with 12000 houses damaged and over 2200 houses entirely destroyed, according to the Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department, Onkar Sharma. The severity of the situation has prompted the government to implement revised building bye-laws strictly, entrusting the Urban Development and Town and Country Planning (TCP) departments with the task of enforcing these regulations, he added.
The catastrophe has taken a heavy toll on lives and infrastructure. Tragically, 361 lives have been lost, with an additional 40 individuals reported missing due to the inclement weather. The direct financial loss incurred by the Himachal Pradesh government has already crossed a staggering 8300 crores, and experts anticipate this figure to rise.
Principal Secretary Sharma expressed his concern, stating that this level of devastation is unprecedented in his experience. The Public Works Department (PWD) and the Jal Shakti Department are among the hardest hit, facing losses of 3000 crores and 2000 crores respectively. The cumulative impact on the state exchequer stands at a colossal 8300 crores, he informed.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, the State Government has decided to immediately stop the operations of all stone crushers on both perennial and non-perennial rivulets of the Beas river basin and its tributaries till further orders. The decision has been taken taking into consideration the alarming transformation of the ecosystem during the current monsoons, wreaking havoc downstream in the Beas river basin and its tributaries in Kullu, Mandi Kangra and Hamirpur districts besides Chakki rivulet in district Kangra. The decision has been taken to ensure the safety of human settlements and infrastructure, to preserve the fragile ecology and environment of the State.
Perhaps now the state finds itself grappling with the aftermath of this calamity and focuses on not only addressing the immediate challenges but also on fortifying its building practices to prevent such extensive destruction in the future.
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