Himachal's Kangra suffers losses worth Rs 75 crore amid incessant rains

Incessant rains over the past four days have damaged public facilities worth around Rs 75 crore in Kangra, District Collector Nipun Jindal said on Monday.

Earlier in the day, the deputy commissioner apprised Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu of the current situation in the district during a video conference meeting.

Addressing reporters here after the meeting, Jindal said owing to torrential rains from July 6 to July 9, the district suffered losses of Rs 75 crore, of which the Public Works Department (PWD) incurred a loss of about Rs 31 crore. A total of 66 roads maintained by the PWD were damaged or blocked due to landslides or tree felling, out of which 63 roads have been restored. In addition, 14 more roads in the district got blocked on Monday, Jindal added. He said if the weather remains favourable, all these blocked roads would be restored in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The Jal Shakti department incurred losses of around Rs 40 crore as the heavy monsoon rains damaged pipelines, affecting water supply in 231 localities, the Kangra DC said. While water supply has been restored in 212 areas, the remaining will be rectified in the next 24 hours if the weather permits, he added.

The torrential rains damaged 212 transformers in Kangra, of which 169 have been repaired and the remaining will also be fixed within the next 24 hours. Overall, the electricity department has suffered a loss of about 19 lakh so far, the DC said.

Jindal said that the incessant rains completely damaged 4 kutcha houses, while 22 kutcha and 10 pucca houses were partially damaged. The DC added that the revenue officials have been directed to provide immediate relief to the affected individuals in case of loss of life and property due to the heavy rains. He advised the public to stay away from riverbanks and canals and not to venture out during heavy rains unless necessary.

He urged Kangras residents to immediately contact the toll-free number 1077 of the District Disaster Management Center in case of emergency, adding that disaster management centres are operational round the clock in all the sub-divisions, including the district headquarters.

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