Former Himachal CM Jairam Thakur meets Amit Shah, discusses flood situation in state

Agencies engaged in relief and rescue operations are working hard to evacuate the stranded people and restore basic facilities and, whatever cooperation is required, will be made available, the home minister assured Thakur.

New Delhi: Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him about the flood situation in the state. Shah assured all help and said the Centre will fully cooperate in the reconstruction of Himachal Pradesh, Thakur informed in a statement.

Agencies engaged in relief and rescue operations are working hard to evacuate the stranded people and restore basic facilities and, whatever cooperation is required, will be made available, the home minister assured Thakur. The former chief minister claimed that the authorities have been able to save many lives with the help of central agencies.

Thakur, now the Leader of Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, said he will visit the flood-affected areas with JP Nadda, the BJP national president, on Friday and update Shah about the situation. He also informed that the Centre has released the first instalment of Rs 180 crore to deal with the disaster and thanked the Union government for providing the assistance.

He said he has also requested Shah that since the damage caused by the rain is huge, the help required is even greater. It will take money and time to get everything right, he said, adding that Shah has assured of all possible help to the hill state.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla took stock of acute water shortage in Shimla- State Governor, Shiv Pratap Shukla said the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has released the first instalment of Rs 180 crore to Himachal Pradesh as immediate relief. Shukla has also sent a detailed report on the damages to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the statement said. The governor enquired about the arrangements to supply water and its status from the officials concerned. He also issued directions to Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi to resume supply and provide relief to the people affected by the disaster in the district.

Israeli Deputy Chief of Mission joins rescue mission-Israeli Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) to India, Ohad Nakash Kaynar, along with officials himself, embarked on a rescue mission on Thursday to locate the missing Israeli citizens in the state. A total of 88 people have lost their lives in the state since June 24 as rain continues to lash Himachal Pradesh, an official statement issued by the state disaster management authority said on Wednesday. Taking to Twitter, Kaynar said, “Taking off to #HimachalPradesh to locate the incommunicado Israelis. On the way we saw collapsed roads and mud slides. Nature is sometimes overwhelming”.

“In this video you can see an example of the mudslides and rocks collapsing on the road. This is one of many such instances of natural destruction,” he added in a subsequent tweet.

60,000 stranded tourists evacuated-Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said that a total of 60,000 stranded tourists have been evacuated from the flood-affected areas.

“Until 9 am today, a total of 60,000 stranded tourists have been successfully evacuated from Himachal Pradesh. I am currently stationed in Kullu for the past three days, overseeing the ongoing rescue operations”, CM Sukhu shared in a tweet.

He further informed that approximately 10,000 tourists are stranded in Kasol and Tirthan Valley due to road damage.

“Approximately 10,000 tourists are stranded in Kasol and Tirthan Valley due to road damage. We are facilitating the transportation of these tourists by trans-shipment, utilising jeeps and HRTC buses, from the point where the road is damaged”, he said.