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India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Hopeful of special relief package for Himachal, CM Sukhu ahead of meeting with Amit Shah
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 15 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh is looking forward to receiving a major relief package from the Central Government in the wake of widespread destruction caused by torrential rains and flash floods, with the Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital on Tuesday. Confirming the scheduled meeting, Principal Media Advisor to the Chief Minister, Naresh Chauhan, told ANI in Shimla that apart from the Union Home Minister, he is expected to meet the vice chairman of Niti Aayog and also the Road and Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari. 'After the expected meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Himachal Pradesh is hopeful of receiving a major relief package. The situation post-disaster, particularly the series of cloudbursts in the Siraj region of Mandi district, where 8 to 10 incidents occurred in a single day, has caused severe damage. People have lost their lives, livelihoods, and homes,' he said. 'Entire villages have been washed away. Farmlands have vanished. Roads have been destroyed. The situation remained grim for almost a week. The Chief Minister personally visited the affected areas twice and stayed among the people for three days. The PWD Minister and Deputy CM were also sent to help restore the road, water schemes and electricity supply. But this is just emergency relief. The real damage is far greater and requires long-term planning and substantial resources.' Chauhan said. On the state government's efforts, Chauhan said that the CM has assured support to the affected villages. 'The CM assured the affected people in the villages of continued support. As per the revised Disaster Relief Manual amended by the state in 2023, 7 lakh will be given per damaged house. However, challenges like a lack of land for rebuilding homes are grave. Special permissions must be granted for forest land use, and a special package is urgently needed.' He said. Chauhan further noted that the CM had met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday and sought a relaxation in the state's borrowing limits. 'He requested an enhancement in the borrowing limit (FRBM) so that more help can be extended to the people. The focus remains on a special package, particularly for the Siraj region of Mandi district,' he said. The damage across the state is already estimated at over 1,000 crore, with monsoon expected to last another month. 'The loss figure will rise,' Chauhan warned. The Chief Minister is also expected to meet Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari later today. 'The widening of national highways like Mandi-Pathankot, Parwanoo-Shimla, and others has led to property loss. The CM will raise concerns about compensation for people whose homes are at risk or were lost due to construction-related activities,' Chauhan said. During the PWD Minister's visit, road cutting activities were halted temporarily. We are demanding a scientific review and appropriate compensation through NHAI for the affected people,' he added. Highlighting the CM's proactive approach, Chauhan said: 'The CM will meet several other Union ministers and also the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog during his Delhi visit. His goal is to ensure timely help and support for the people of Himachal during this crisis. Our entire administration, from Deputy Commissioners and SDMs to police and Home Guards, is on high alert throughout the monsoon. We are closely monitoring all weather warnings from IMD.' Chauhan also flagged the urgent need for scientific research into cloudburst patterns. 'The recent cloudbursts are a major concern. The CM believes there must be research into the causes and impacts. Every department is on alert, and the administration has even cancelled leaves of key personnel to ensure preparedness,' he said. 'This is a major crisis for our people. The CM is committed to ensuring that every affected person receives timely help. Special permissions, packages, and relaxed borrowing limits are essential to deal with this calamity,' he said. The Chief Minister is expected to stay in the national capital till Tuesday evening to meet key Union ministers across portfolios. (ANI)
India Gazette
30-06-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Shimla building collapse due to Highway widening work, inquiry ordered
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 30 (ANI): Incessant rainfall over the past 24 hours has caused widespread damage across Himachal Pradesh, including in its capital, Shimla. In the Bhatakufar area near Shimla, a five-storey residential building collapsed early Monday morning, triggering panic among local residents. As a precautionary measure, authorities have vacated five of the surrounding buildings deemed vulnerable to similar structural failure. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. According to Shimla Rural Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Manjeet Sharma, the collapsed building belonged to a woman named Ranjana and had already been vacated the previous night due to visible signs of structural distress. 'At around 8:00 AM, a five-storey building belonging to Smt. Ranjana collapsed. The building had been evacuated last night itself. There are three to four more buildings adjacent to it which are vulnerable. We've vacated all of them. Thankfully, there has been no loss of life,' SDM Sharma told reporters. Sharma further said that the possible cause could be linked to ongoing four-lane construction (highway widening) work in the area being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). 'It appears the ground has loosened due to the highway construction work, especially due to heavy machinery being used for stone excavation. However, this is a technical issue, and we will only be able to confirm the exact reason after a detailed inquiry,' he said. 'Some stabilisation efforts were made by the company earlier, but they seemingly did not work. A civil engineering team will assess the structural safety of the remaining buildings. Those that are unsafe will remain vacated until further notice,' Sharma added. The SDM also confirmed that under the Disaster Relief Manual, immediate assistance is being provided to affected residents. Ten families have been shifted to safer locations. 'As of now, we have shifted ten families, including both owners and tenants, from the five vacated buildings. Relief measures are underway. If the inquiry finds the company or NHAI responsible, compensation will be arranged accordingly,' Sharma said. Meanwhile, residents have strongly blamed the highway widening project for the structural instability that led to the collapse. They allege that the contractor engaged by NHAI carried out excessive stone cutting and excavation, which weakened the land beneath residential buildings. L. R. Kondal, a resident, shared a firsthand account of the situation and his concerns: 'You can see it live, sliding has already started right outside my building. The most shocking part is that the NHAI contractor dug up the area to extract stone, and this has completely destabilised everything,' he said, speaking to ANI on site. 'They kept working day and night. When the first slide happened, we approached them and asked them to stop, but they did nothing. Their facial expressions made it clear they weren't going to act. Now that the building has collapsed, everyone is panicking. My building has developed cracks too,' he added. Kondal described the chaotic night the residents endured and said, 'We stayed awake all night in the rain, standing outside in the same clothes. We managed to rescue the elderly and children. All our belongings are still inside. We had already warned the family living in the collapsed building to vacate and remove their possessions, which they did.' 'There are still three to four houses that could collapse anytime. We've all been rendered homeless and are now sheltering wherever we can.' He said. Residents are demanding accountability from the executing company and NHAI. The administration, including the local MLA and Cabinet Minister, Anirudh Singh, visited the site. Authorities have promised a fair inquiry and have begun a structural assessment of nearby buildings. Relief and rehabilitation efforts are ongoing. (ANI)
