Rains cause Rs 5,000-cr damage in U'khand

With at least 100 people killed, 900 roads and 1,571 buildings damaged, 15 hectares of agriculture land destroyed and 550 schools declared unsafe, the torrential rains that have lashed Uttarakhand since July are being seen as the worst in several decades.

According to a government estimate, the damage caused is over Rs5,000 crore. The government has already released Rs45 crore for the relief work.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has sought a package of Rs5,000 crore from the Centre. A letter has also been sent to the Prime Minister.

A fresh meeting would be held tomorrow to assess the latest damage caused by the heavy rains that have already hit tourism badly. Most of the religious shrines — the backbone of Garhwal’s economy — are cut off due to landslides, with over 10,000 pilgrims stranded at different places.

 

The rains have paralysed life both in Garhwal and Kumaon regions, with most of the rivers still flowing above the danger level resulting in inundated low-lying areas. People are being evacuated to safer areas in Udham Singh Nagar after the Sookhi river breached its embankments. Both Ganga and Yamuna are also flowing above the danger mark in the state. According to the Met department, rainfall this season is 19 times more than the average rainfall in the state.

However, there is a silver lining. The power scenario has improved with the state generating approximately 19 million units.