With Himachal Pradesh suffering a cumulative loss over ₹12,000 crores following heavy rains that triggered several landslides, flash floods and cloud bursts during the ongoing monsoon season, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare natural disaster in the State as a ‘national disaster’.
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Mr. Sukhu, who attended a dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu during the G-20 Summit in New Delhi, on September 9 met the Prime Minister and discussed various issues related to the State.
Sharing the gravity of the damage caused by the natural disaster, Mr. Sukhu appealed to the Prime Minister to declare it a ‘national disaster’. He said that over 400 people had lost their lives due to the calamity so far and over 13000 houses were damaged, leaving thousands of families homeless. He added that as a result of the disaster, the State had suffered cumulative losses exceeding ₹12,000 crore.
Mr. Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh required substantial assistance from the Union government to rebuild and chart a path toward recovery. He further urged the Prime Minister to release a special relief package to Himachal Pradesh, drawing a parallel to the support provided during the Bhuj and Kedarnath tragedies.