Days after rain-induced floods and landslides caused severe damage to the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the situation continues to remain grim. Parts of Himachal Pradesh including Manali and Mandi witnessed rain on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Badrinath National Highway in Uttarakhand was again closed due to a rainfall-triggered landslide in the Chamoli district. Both Himachal and Uttarakhand are the states worst hit by incessant rainfall leading to flashfloods and landslides.


The Chief Ministers and other leaders of the ruling dispensation have been touring the states to take stock of the situation. On the other hand, the India Meteorology Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in both hill states in the coming five days. The weather body has also issued a yellow alert for Himachal Pradesh and an orange alert for Uttarakhand.


Himachal Pradesh Floods


A fresh spell of rain hit already destructed cities of Mandi and Manali in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday. Amid the restoration work, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has sought Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre as interim aid and said the relief manual will be changed to enhance compensation to flood victims in the state, reported PTI. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the past week triggered landslides and flash floods, blocked roads and damaged infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh. 






"I spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and requested him for an interim relief of Rs 2,000 crore," Sukhu said on Friday. The state has suffered losses of Rs 4,000 crore and the figure is likely to go up as estimates continue to pour in, he said, as per PTI. Sukhu, who had announced that a compensation of Rs 1 lakh will be given to every affected family, said changes will be made in the relief manual to enhance the compensation. 


Having rescued about 67,000 of the 75,000 tourists, including 250 stranded in snow-bound Chandratal in Lahaul and Spiti, the focus is now on the restoration of infrastructure, the chief minister said. Some tourists are still there in Kasol and Tirthan Valley. They are all safe and have been provided with food and other essential items, he said.






In the past 15 days, the state government has released Rs 1,100 crore, including Rs 610 crore to the Public Works Department, Rs 218 crore to the Jal Shakti Department and Rs 180 crore to the State Disaster Relief Fund, he said, quoted PTI.


Meanwhile, IMD has predicted heavy rainfall in the state and sounded a yellow alert till July 18.


Uttarakhand Floods


In Uttarakhand, three people, including a seven-year-old child, died in flood-related incidents caused by incessant rains in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district, reported PTI citing officials. State Disaster Management Department (SDMD) Additional Secretary Savin Bansal said due to heavy rains across the state for the last few days, a waterlogging situation has arisen in many areas, especially in Haridwar, the agency reported.


He informed that the State Disaster Management Authority has prepared a flood map after analysing the area through 'Microwave Satellite Data'. "The flood map has been made available to the Haridwar district administration, which would help them in planning and implementing relief and rescue operations on time," he said. 


Bansal said that analysis of satellite images has revealed that 511 villages in the district have been affected by waterlogging and the district administration has been instructed to carry out relief work in these villages on a priority basis. The State Emergency Operation Center said people in the affected villages of Laksar, Bhagwanpur, Haridwar and Roorkee were being shifted to safer places and food packets, drinking water and relief kits were being distributed to them. Apart from this, assistance is also being given to the affected families, it said. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Police and Army have been deployed at sensitive places in the flood-affected areas of Haridwar. 


The Rishikesh-Kedarnath National Highway and Badrinath National Highway are blocked for traffic due to landslides near Khakra and Naogaon, efforts are on to clear the routes. IMD has issued an orange alert for the state till July 18 and predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall.






Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday inspected the flood-affected areas in Haridwar and directed the officials to provide immediate assistance to the affected. Many roads in the state have been closed due to landslides.


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