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Himachal Pradesh continues to reel under the aftermath of one of its deadliest monsoon seasons, with the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Saturday confirming a cumulative death toll of 430 since June 20.
Of these, 245 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, drowning and lightning, while 185 died in road accidents. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), as of Saturday evening, 373 roads remained blocked, including two national highways (NH-03 and NH-503A). Power infrastructure was also hit, with 43 distribution transformers disrupted. Water supply schemes faced major damage, with 145 schemes still non-functional across districts. District-wise data showed Mandi (128 roads), Kullu (109 roads), and Kangra (34 roads) among the worst affected by road blockages. Drinking water schemes were severely disrupted in Mandi (83 schemes), Shimla (27 schemes), and Hamirpur (9 schemes). "The situation is gradually improving as rainfall has reduced, but restoration of roads, power and drinking water schemes will take more time. Damage assessments are still underway, and the exact loss figures will be updated," the SDMA said in its statement. The monsoon fury has already caused damage estimated at over Rs 6,000 crore this year, while restoration works are ongoing. Meanwhile, taking lessons from the widespread destruction caused by heavy rains and landslides in the past three years, the Himachal Pradesh government is set to extend strict building construction norms to rural areas as well. The move, aimed at minimising the impact of climate change-induced disasters, will be taken up in the next Cabinet meeting, State Town and Country Planning and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani said on Saturday. Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Dharmani said the state could no longer afford to ignore construction practices in disaster-prone zones. "The government is planning to frame building construction norms under the Town and Country Planning Department for rural areas too. It is difficult to implement the same guidelines everywhere at once, but given the climate change challenges and rising frequency of disasters in the hill state, it is essential that we bring such rules for vulnerable areas," he said. The minister added that the Town and Country Planning Department, in coordination with the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, has already worked out draft guidelines. "These will be presented in detail in the next Cabinet meeting. After deliberations, further suggestions will also be incorporated, and the information will be shared with the public through their representatives," Dharmani noted. (ANI)
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