Rain, snow claimed 23 lives in HP: Govt

Rainfall and snow claimed 23 lives in Himachal Pradesh since the beginning of this year and property worth Rs 229 crore damaged or destroyed, Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur told the state Assembly today.
Sharing the data during the question hour, the minister said that a maximum 15 deaths had been reported in Kinnaur district, followed by eight in Shimla.
He was responding to a query from BJP members Suresh Bharadwaj, Ravinder Singh, Mohinder Singh and Gobind Thakur.
The loss to private property was assessed at Rs 133 crore while apple orchards in Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi and Kullu districts are said to have suffered heavy losses.

"The government is assessing the loss to apple crops and has sought a report from the districts (on the same)," Thakur said.
The minister said that new apple plantations had suffered heavy losses and gave an assurance that the government would provide relief keeping in view the resources at its disposal.
He added that the government had already disbursed Rs 121.83 crore as immediate relief to the affected people.
When Mohinder Singh pointed out that banana and mango plantations in the lower hills, too, had suffered losses due to unfavourable weather, the minister said that directions had already been issued to district officials to undertake an assessment of those losses.