On Saturday, in the Nauhradhar region of Sirmaur district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, a massive landslide hit Chaukar village when an area of almost two hundred metres of a hillside collapsed. Luckily, five individuals who were on the ground when the event occurred were not harmed. But now 5 houses have been abandoned in the danger zone, and the area around it is badly destroyed by the current monsoon rains.
Images of the scene revealed the landslide clearing trees and vegetation, and rocks and boulders falling down the hillside. It was possible to hear the local residents raising alarms and alerting others about the incident. One person can be heard on a video of the location saying, “A landslide has taken place in Chaukar; a big disaster has just been missed by a whisker.”
In the meantime, the Himachal Pradesh government is increasing relief and rehabilitation efforts. State Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has announced a request to the Centre to grant one bigha of forest land to every family that has suffered due to the recent downpours. He also said that exams in the state were cancelled because of poor weather and poor roads.
In a bid to enhance long-term disaster preparedness, the state has formulated a 3,000-crore project to request World Bank funds to manage disasters and rehabilitate displaced families. The extent of the devastation this monsoon has caused has been vast, and since June 20, the total losses are estimated at more than 3,690 crore. Of this, the Public Works Department claimed damages of 2,252 crore, whereas the Jal Shakti Department had losses of 1,147 crore.
As part of the push to speed up reconstruction, the deputy commissioners have been given powers to grant approval on new works under MGNREGA without gram sabha approval. Later on, post-facto clearances by the local governing bodies will be secured to provide immediate relief efforts.
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