Rain causes loss of over Rs 900 cr in HP

Reeling under heavy monsoon rains Himachal Pradesh has suffered an estimated loss of over 900 crore this season. The state government has now asked the Centre to release Rs 734 crore to help in the relief and rescue measures.

“Farmers have been worst hit by the ongoing heavy downpours, besides extensive damage to roads, bridges, public and private property. Atleast 146 people have been killed besides 2,780 livestock as well,” state’s PWD Minister Gulab Singh has written to the Centre.

“The rains have played havoc with agriculture crops in 91,238 hectares and fruit crops in over 2,226 hectares causing huge losses.The worst affected district is Shimla, followed by Kangra and Hamirpur,” Singh said.

The rains have also triggered landslides, uprooted trees, snapped power cables at many places across the hill state. Eleven people have been killed in rain-related accidents in the hill state in the last 24 hours police said on Sunday. Raising the total number of killed in the entire season 157.

More rain continued to fall as thick fog enveloped much of the state on Sunday reducing the visibility to a mimimum.Many of the roads, the only life line of the hill folk, have been blocked bringing life to a standstill in the state including Shimla.

The loss to public property in Shimla alone in the past few days is estimated at Rs 5 crore.

“Four people were killed on Saturday when a truck loaded with apples rolled into a 300-metre deep gorge and then sank into Tons river,” a police official said.

Three other people were washed away by the Ravi river in the Chamba valley. While two other people were killed in a road accident in Mandi valley, which is 160 km from here.

A house collapse crushed two children near Mashobra some 20-km from here, police said.

The Sutlej river is flowing at close to a dangerous level and the state government has issued warning for people to move to the higher regions in four districts of the state.

The Bilaspur-Manali national highway, which leads to the popular resort town of Manali, remained blocked on Saturday and has so far been opened only for light vehicles as labourers continued to clear the falling mud and boulders.

Many of the villages across the state are without power due to snapping of power cables at many places.