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The death toll in rain-hit Himachal Pradesh has risen to 74, with another body found in the debris of a Shiva temple stated officials on August 17. Among these deaths, 21 occurred due to major landslides in Shimla, including the Shiva temple in Summer Hill, Fagli, and Krishnanagar. There are concerns about eight individuals still potentially buried under the temple wreckage.
In Shimla’s Summer Hill landslide, the body of P. L. Sharma, the head of the Mathematics department at Himachal Pradesh University, was recovered on August 16 said Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi as reported by PTI. Two more rain-related deaths were reported in Chamba district where a person fell from a height and another drowned, bringing the four-day death count to 74, as reported by the state emergency operation centre.
Over the past three days, heavy rains have given way to lighter showers in some places. Since the monsoon began on June 24, 217 people have lost their lives due to rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh.
Efforts continue at landslide sites in Shimla. Rescue operations have been conducted by the Indian Army, Air Force, and other personnel, evacuating 309 people from flood-affected areas in Kangra district’s Fatehpur and Pong Dam in Indora. In total, 2,074 individuals have been rescued over the past three days.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited flood-affected regions, reassuring residents of the government’s full support. The monsoon season’s losses have reached around 7,500 crore, according to the Principal Secretary (Revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma.
Also read: Himachal Rains: Schools, colleges ‘open’ in state; Shimla educational institutes closed today
In light of the damage, schools in Shimla city remained closed on Thursday. Around 875 roads remain blocked, with 1,135 transformers and 285 water supply schemes disrupted.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed that rebuilding the infrastructure, severely impacted by heavy rains, might take a year reported PTI. He estimated losses from both recent heavy rain episodes to be about ₹10,000 crore. The government aims to accelerate the restoration process, aiming to fully rebuild the infrastructure within a year.
The Public Works Department Minister, Vikramaditya Singh, shared that the central government approved ₹2,643 crore for upgrading 254 rural roads this fiscal year through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
To facilitate relief efforts, the state government eased conditions for spending the MLA local area development fund. MLAs can now allocate ₹2.10 crore per year for projects like constructing retaining walls and channelising nullahs.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Updated: 18 Aug 2023, 06:54 AM IST
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