Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday announced that a central government team will soon visit the state to assess the damage caused by recent cloudbursts and flash floods. The announcement came after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital.
Speaking to the media, CM Sukhu said, “A discussion was held with the Home Minister regarding the disaster that struck Himachal Pradesh. He acknowledged the gravity of the situation and said a central team would visit the state to study the cloudbursts and the resulting destruction. He also expressed his intention to personally visit the affected areas.”
The Chief Minister informed Shah that the state had already suffered damages estimated at ₹1,000 crore, despite the monsoon just beginning. He also urged the Centre to consider a special relief package to support the state’s recovery efforts.
During the meeting, Sukhu highlighted the extensive damage caused to critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water supply systems, irrigation networks, and power infrastructure. He emphasized that many lives had been lost and that the frequency of natural disasters in the state had increased since 2023.
“The state has incurred cumulative losses of approximately ₹21,000 crore in the past three years due to repeated natural disasters,” Sukhu stated, underlining the urgent need for central assistance.
While the state government is providing relief through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the Chief Minister said limited resources are making it increasingly difficult to manage restoration and reconstruction efforts.
In addition, CM Sukhu also met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to discuss National Highway projects in the state. He requested additional support through the Central Road Fund (CRF) in light of the recent disaster. “The minister assured that the issues raised would be considered,” Sukhu added.