Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, August 30
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of disaster-hit regions in Chamba district, including Bharmour and Manimahesh, as well as flood-affected areas of Kangra’s Fatehpur and Indora, where water was released from the Pong dam.
Sukhu departed from Pathankot Air Force Station but poor weather prevented his helicopter from landing in Bharmour. Speaking to reporters in Chamba, he said precautionary measures taken by the state government had reduced loss of life compared with 2023, but the scale of destruction this year was far greater. Roads, power, water supply and communication services have been more severely damaged, he said, and rehabilitation of affected families remains a major challenge.
He pledged a special relief package for every displaced family and stressed that the government was committed to restoring normalcy. Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi had set out on foot towards Bharmour to assess the situation, Sukhu noted, underscoring that ministers were working at the ground level.
Heavy machinery, including JCBs and Poklen excavators, has been deployed to restore road connectivity, though bad weather has hampered progress. Helicopters have been stationed to airlift stranded people when conditions allow.
Sukhu criticised the Bharatiya Janata party for “spreading rumours” instead of assisting victims, and accused its leaders of politicising the suspension of the Manimahesh pilgrimage. “Himachal Pradesh is Devbhoomi – a sacred land – and faith in pilgrimages is strong. But making politics out of natural calamities is unfortunate,” he said.
The chief minister also highlighted the need to study the increasing incidents of cloudbursts in the state, urging the union government to set up an expert committee. Global warming and climate change, he warned, were driving widespread devastation and demanded urgent solutions.
At a review meeting with district officials in Chamba, Sukhu directed faster relief operations, including food, water, shelter and emergency services for those stranded. He ordered damaged roads – particularly the Chamba–Bharmour NH-154A – to be reopened on priority, and instructed temporary restoration of power and water supply schemes.
The chief minister later visited Kalsui, where about 5,000 pilgrims were evacuated to Nurpur and Pathankot on Friday. Additional buses, including those operated by the state transport corporation, were pressed into service to help devotees return to Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar and Doda districts.
Earlier in the day, Sukhu reviewed relief and rehabilitation efforts in Kangra with deputy commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, after excess water from Pong dam caused flooding in several villages.
