78 lives lost due to rains, flood in HP: Minister

Seventy-eight persons lost their lives in recent rains, floods and cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh while roads, bridges and irrigation schemes suffered extensive damage, Revenue Minister Kaul Singh informed the state assembly today.
Replying to a discussion on losses due to recent rains and floods in the state, Singh said that 535 National Highways, 987 main highways, 16,370 rural roads and 733 bridges were damaged and losses incurred were estimated at Rs 132.63 crore.
21 urban water supply, 3,131 rural water supply, 958 irrigation and 20 flood control schemes were also damaged and the loss was put at Rs 172.21 crore, he added.

He said horticulture and agriculture suffered losses amounting to Rs 68.89 crore and government had so far released Rs 92.38 crore for relief and restoration works.
The minister said that a tourist bus carrying 69 passengers drowned near Sarsari in Kullu district on July 23. 23 bodies have been retrieved while 24 persons are still missing.
The next of the kin of the deceased had been given Rs 4 lakh as relief while Rs 5,000 have been disbursed to each injured person, he added.