Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, July 21
Twenty days after devastating monsoon rains struck Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, thousands of residents in the Seraj Assembly constituency are still living in temporary conditions, with no access to clean water or roads. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, who toured the affected areas, accused the state government of failing to provide timely relief and said over ₹1,000 crore worth of damage has occurred in Seraj alone. He alleged that instead of providing aid, authorities are relocating institutions under the guise of disaster response.
“Even after nearly three weeks, villages remain without electricity. Roads are blocked, water schemes are non-functional, and the apple harvest is now under threat,” Thakur told reporters in Shimla. “This is not the time for politics. The government must act urgently.”
According to former CM Thakur, over 500 houses have been completely destroyed while 700 others are partially damaged. Nearly 1,000 livestock have perished and entire villages, including Sharan, have been wiped out. Around 100 pedestrian bridges and 18 motorable ones have collapsed. Of the 260 water schemes in the area, 240 remain disrupted.
He said more than 30,000 people across 42 panchayats have been impacted. In Thunag town, 200 shops were reportedly washed away. Thakur demanded the government set up community centres for the displaced and criticised the delay in notifying a special relief package. He also urged the state to seek assistance from the central government. “A central team visited before the monsoon ended and acknowledged the scale of the devastation,” he said.
