NEW DELHI: As the monsoon season begins to unleash its fury, Himachal Pradesh has already suffered massive losses amounting to approximately ₹1,000 crore. In response, the Central Government will be dispatching a high-level team to the state to assess the scale of destruction caused by cloudbursts and subsequent flash floods.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday, raised alarm over the extent of the disaster. “Himachal Pradesh has been severely impacted even though the monsoon has just started. We estimate damages to be around ₹1,000 crore,” CM Sukhu informed the media after the meeting.
He added that Union Home Minister Shah has assured him of a visit to Himachal Pradesh in the near future and has instructed officials to send a central team to study the causes and consequences of the cloudburst incidents. “We also requested a special relief package, and the Home Minister said the request would be taken up for consideration after the central team’s visit and assessment,” Sukhu stated.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister briefed Shah on the widespread devastation caused by the monsoon-triggered disasters. Essential infrastructure such as roads, bridges, government buildings, irrigation channels, water pipelines, and electricity networks have been severely affected. The calamity has also resulted in the tragic loss of lives.
CM Sukhu urged the Central Government for urgent support to expedite relief operations and restore damaged infrastructure. He noted that Himachal Pradesh has been grappling with natural calamities on a regular basis since 2023, leading to cumulative losses of nearly ₹21,000 crore over the past three years.
“Despite using all available resources under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the scale of recurring disasters is overwhelming. With limited financial resources, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the state to carry out necessary restoration works,” he said.
Apart from his meeting with the Home Minister, CM Sukhu also met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. Discussions revolved around funding for national highway development and disaster-hit roads in the state.
“We requested the minister to allocate funds under the Central Road Fund (CRF), especially in light of the disaster. Minister Gadkari has assured us that all our issues will be considered sympathetically,” Sukhu informed.
The Chief Minister’s engagements in Delhi come at a time when the hill state is on edge, with meteorologists warning of continued heavy rainfall and potential landslides in the days ahead. The visit by the central team is expected to bring much-needed attention—and hopefully, financial aid—to support Himachal’s recovery efforts.
