Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 24 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday acknowledged the efforts of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to restore connectivity in disaster-hit Himachal Pradesh but expressed disappointment over the condition of Link Roads and highways in the state.
Ranaut said that she has written a letter to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu and PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh over the condition of roads. She highlighted that even debris from recent landslides and flash floods has not been cleared in several areas.
“The situation is very disappointing in Himachal Pradesh. NHAI work is ongoing on a war footing. They have brought in connectivity overnight, but link roads and highways are in really bad shape. Even the debris has not been removed from there,” the BJP MP said.
“I have written to the CM and PWD Minister Vikramaditya. This is shameful. We should bring people out of this crisis by forming a team,” she said.
Meanwhile, the devastating monsoon in Himachal Pradesh has claimed 451 lives since June 20, with 262 fatalities attributed to rain-related disasters such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, electrocution and lightning, while 189 people died in road accidents, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
The SDMA report shows that 497 people have been injured during the season, while 47 remain missing. The disaster has also taken a toll on livestock, with over 2,511 animals dead and 26,955 poultry birds lost.
The hill state has witnessed widespread damage to property and infrastructure. A total of 1,804 houses have been fully destroyed, and 29,466 homes have been partially damaged. Additionally, 665 shops/factories, 1,046 cow sheds, and 2,344 labour huts were impacted.
Public infrastructure losses are pegged at a staggering Rs 4,86,116 lakh (Rs 4,861 crore), with maximum damages reported in the Public Works Department (Rs 300,015 lakh), followed by irrigation and water supply schemes, power infrastructure, education, health, and agriculture. (ANI)
The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.
