Shimla: Heavy monsoon rain in the past few days has cost state dearly as the total loss has been calculated to around Rs 567.32 crore. The maximum loss of around Rs. 396 crore was suffered on account of damage to roads and bridges, followed by Irrigation and Public Health where it stands as Rs 99 crore, Rs 70 crore by electricity department and damage to community and government assets has been estimated as Rs 3.17 crore.
The loss suffered by Agriculture and Horticulture departments was pegged around Rs 4.29 crore and Rs. 15.86 respectively, a government official statement says.
The state PWD informed that as many as 166 roads were damaged which had been restored, and three bridges were washed away. Around 1426 rural water supply schemes, 580 irrigation schemes, 30 urban water supply schemes, 15 flood protection works and 16 sewerage schemes were affected and all were temporarily restored. Besides this, structures damaged includes 146 fully damaged Kuchha and Pucca houses, 547 cowsheds, 12 Water mills (Gharats), 20 shops and loss to private property was estimated as Rs. 8.19 crore.
The government has distributed a sum of Rs 106.40 crores to all districts and line departments to immediately take up relief measures.
State Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today conducted a review meeting to assess the damages caused due to incessant rains in the State in first half of August month and assured to provide adequate funds and restore village link roads and bridges.
The Chief Minister also directed to provide one time money for permanent solution of landslip on National highway 21 near Hanogi Mata en-route Kullu.
Additional Chief Secretary, PWD Narinder Chauhan briefed that all roads besides State and National highways blocked due to landslides were restored. He said that one bailey bridge each had been placed in all four zones of PWD to meet exigency.
Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes, Vice-Chairman, State Disaster Management Authority, Rajinder Rana, Chief Secretary V.C. Pharka, ACS, Revenue Tarun Shridhar, senior officers of IPH, PWD, HPSEBL, Director Metrological Manmohan Singh were also present on the occasion.
