Congress party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on September 12 asked the Union Government to declare the massive natural calamity that has hit the hill State of Himachal Pradesh in the ongoing monsoon as a “national disaster”.
Relentless monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh have triggered incidents of cloud bursts, flash floods and landslides, in which nearly 400 people have lost their lives so far, and over 13,000 houses have been damaged, leaving thousands of families homeless. The State had suffered cumulative losses exceeding ₹12,000 crore, according to government estimates.
Ms. Gandhi, along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, visited the calamity-hit areas of Kullu district and interacted with disaster-affected people.
Speaking to journalists, she said that during such difficult times, the Central Government should not discriminate between States on party lines. “It becomes the duty of the Union Government to provide aid in such circumstances, given the gravity of the impact of the disaster,” Ms. Gandhi said.
She added the Centre should declare such a massive catastrophe as a “national disaster” and immediately come forward to help the affected people. The State Government, she added, was doing far beyond its limited resources to provide succour to the affected families. However, without the assistance of the Union Government, it was rather difficult to bring normalcy and renovation works, besides providing aid to the people, she pointed out.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meets families affected by rainfall-triggered flooding in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, on September 12, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI
She said that the people of Himachal Pradesh had set an example for the nation by uniting and coming to the forefront to help the affected families. She also lauded the efforts of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues, who had spent days on-site monitoring rescue and relief operations.
The Chief Minister said that during his recent visit to Delhi, he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the dinner hosted by the President of India for members of G-20 nations, and provided him details on the damage caused in Himachal Pradesh. “I again urged the Prime Minister to declare the calamity as a national disaster,” Mr. Sukhu said.
Mr. Sukhu said that the State Government had sent claims for damages of approximately ₹8,000 crore till August 10, 2023, and thereafter between August 10 to 14, 2023, when the second spell of heavy rains also caused enormous damages, taking the losses to about ₹12,000 crore.
He said the State Government had taken the decision to pay for rented accommodation for people staying in relief camps to lessen their suffering. “The Central Government should voluntarily extend financial support for the people of the State,” Mr. Sukhu said.
