Anurag Thakur urges Himachal govt to increase initial relief amount given to people amid devastating monsoon

"There has been a heavy loss in two constituencies in the district of Mandi. People have become homeless while having homes already, many people have to move out and can't go back for months because their houses are unsafe now. Through the BJP we have tried our best to provide relief to the needy, whether it is food, ration, clothes, or even medical needs. I appeal to the state government to increase the relief amount," the BJP MP told ANI here.

Claiming that a shopkeeper who have faced losses get only a meagre amount, he urged the state government to increase the immediate relief provided, adding, "The initial amount given is very less. A shopkeeper gets just Rs 2,500, when Rs 1,000 has already been spent by them to remove the mud from their place. I request the state government to increase that amount."

He also said that the issue will be raised in the upcoming monsoon session of the Parliament too, set to commence on August 21.

The ongoing monsoon season has claimed 109 human lives across the state of Himachal between June 20 and July 16, 2025, with 64 deaths directly linked to rain-related incidents, and 45 fatalities were reported in road accidents, according to the cumulative report released by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

The data compiled by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) reveal that the 64 monsoon-related deaths occurred owing to various causes, including landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, electrocution, snake bites, and falls from steep terrain. Mandi and Kangra districts reported the highest number of such fatalities, with 16 deaths each, followed by Hamirpur (8), Kullu (4), Chamba (3), and others.

Apart from the tragic loss of human lives, the SDMA report outlines extensive damage to public and private property. A total monetary loss of over Rs 883 crore has been estimated. Infrastructure damage includes over 43000 roads, power lines, water schemes, and public buildings being affected.

Livestock loss has also been severe, with 1,228 cattle and 21,500 poultry birds perishing during this period.

The Himachal government has been running round-the-clock monitoring and response through SEOC and district-level control rooms. Relief measures, including ex-gratia payments, are being processed for the affected families, the SDMA confirmed.

Earlier, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that a central team would soon visit the state to assess the cloudburst and the damage caused by the flash floods.

CM Sukhu also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday and apprised him that the state had suffered damages amounting to around Rs 1000 crore, even as the monsoon had just begun. (ANI)