Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said that the state government was preparing a comprehensive, long-term disaster…
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. [File Photo]
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said that the state government was preparing a comprehensive, long-term disaster preparedness plan, earmarking around Rs 800 crore for its implementation.
This is aimed at mitigating the impact of future disasters and enhancing the state’s resilience, he added.
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Emphasizing the need to fortify urban drainage systems, the Chief Minister said that proper water management was important to prevent hill destabilization.
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The state government is all set to develop a comprehensive plan to bolster drainage systems and integrate sound structural design principles for construction, he added.
While taking stock of the damages caused by the tragic incident of landslides, he instructed the district administration to accelerate relief and rescue operations.
While interacting with media, he said that the timely response of the district administration has reduced the damages significantly as persons living in these houses had already been evacuated due to the impending danger.
The Chief Minister said that on Monday alone, over 60 lives were lost due to heavy rains throughout the state in a single day, with the potential for that number to rise.
The impact was most severe in Shimla, while farmers in Fatehpur, Kangra, suffered crop losses without any casualties.
In response to the ongoing disaster, the Chief Minister expressed disappointment in the Leader of Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, for engaging in political maneuvers during this critical time.
He said that the state government was focusing firmly on relief and rescue operations and questioned the appropriateness of demanding a special session of the Vidhan Sabha at this juncture.
The Chief Minister assured that the state government was committed to holding a 10-day session and he was even reducing his own security cover to ensure that sufficient police personnel were available for disaster response efforts.
He asked the opposition to prioritize the pressing needs of the hour rather than engaging in political posturing.
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