Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood and landslide-hit districts of Mandi and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, landing in Kangra to evaluate the catastrophic impact of the monsoon season. Welcomed at Gaggal Airport by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, and state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal, the Prime Minister was briefed through a detailed presentation on the disaster’s toll.

The state has suffered losses of Rs 4,122 crore due to cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides from June 20 to September 8, with 370 fatalities, including 205 from rain-related incidents and 165 from road accidents, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

The monsoon has wreaked havoc, claiming 43 lives in landslides, 17 in cloudbursts, and nine in flash floods, with 41 people still missing. Infrastructure damage is extensive, with 619 roads, including four national highways, closed, alongside disruptions to 1,748 power transformers and 461 water supply schemes.

Additionally, 6,344 houses and 461 shops and factories have been fully or partially destroyed, with significant losses to agricultural and private lands. During a high-level meeting in Kangra, state officials and BJP leaders updated Modi on the ongoing relief efforts and the urgent need for rehabilitation measures to support affected communities.

Ahead of the visit, Chief Minister Sukhu called for a special relief package and urged relaxation in the Forest Conservation Act to provide land to those rendered homeless by the disaster. In a post on X, Sukhu emphasized the state’s profound losses, including lives, villages buried under debris, and crippled infrastructure. He pressed the Prime Minister to address the sustainability of development models in hill states and the adverse impacts of climate change on mountainous regions, advocating for scientific studies and long-term strategies to enhance resilience.

Modi’s visit underscores the central government’s commitment to supporting Himachal Pradesh’s recovery and rebuilding efforts.

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