Himachal Pradesh grapples with ₹10,000 crore loss as monsoon havoc continues

The rain-ravaged state of Himachal Pradesh, currently besieged by unrelenting rainfall that has triggered cloudbursts, landslides, and road closures, has incurred an estimated loss of approximately ₹10,000 crores.

Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, stated that the process of rebuilding the state's infrastructure would likely take a year, according to a report by HT.

The relentless downpour spanning from August 13 to 15 has resulted in an unprecedented monetary setback of around ₹7,500 crore for this year's monsoon season, further exacerbating the region's challenges.

The period between August 13 and 15 witnessed a surge in destruction that surpassed the damage witnessed in July. Significantly, a total of 1,762 houses have been completely destroyed, while 8,952 houses have incurred partial damage.

The death toll in rain-devastated Himachal Pradesh has reached 74, as another body was recovered from the debris of a Shiva temple, and two additional casualties were reported in the Chamba district, officials announced on Thursday.

Out of these fatalities, 21 occurred in three major landslides in Shimla, specifically at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill, and in Fagli and Krishnanagar. There are concerns that eight individuals might still be trapped beneath the temple debris.

At the Summer Hill landslide site, workers retrieved the body of P L Sharma, the head of the Mathematics department at Himachal Pradesh University, on Wednesday, as stated by Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi to PTI.

Chamba district reported two rain-related deaths, one due to a fall from height and the other from drowning, bringing the total death count over the past four days to 74, according to the state's emergency operation center.

The state experienced heavy rains for three consecutive days, beginning on Sunday. Rainfall reduced after Tuesday, and on Thursday, there were sporadic light showers in some areas.

Since the monsoon's onset on June 24, a total of 217 individuals have lost their lives due to rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh.

Efforts are ongoing at the landslide sites in Shimla, with 14 bodies recovered from Summer Hill, five from Fagli, and two from Krishnanagar, shared SP Gandhi.