Himachal disaster loss crosses Rs 3,000 crore; over 320 dead, says education minister Rohit Thakur

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 1 (ANI): The Education Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Rohit Thakur on Monday said the state continues to reel under the impact of the ongoing disaster triggered by relentless monsoon rains, with damages exceeding Rs 3,000 crore and more than 320 lives lost so far.
Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Thakur said that the loss is increasing each day due to rain and floods. "The disaster situation in Himachal Pradesh is still ongoing. The loss so far has crossed Rs 3,000 crore. Government property has suffered extensive damage. More than 320 people have died," he said.
He said that in the first phase of the disaster, districts including Mandi, Shimla, Kangra, Muna, and Chamba were severely affected.
"The heavy rainfall last week has now impacted most of the remaining districts as well. Districts like Shimla and Solan have been hit hard. The monsoon spell is still not over, and the IMD has issued alerts. The government and all concerned departments are on alert," Thakur added.
The minister said the state had already ordered the closure of educational institutions as a precaution. "Local administrations have also been authorised to take the decision to close schools at the district level in exceptional cases. Teachers have been advised to conduct online classes wherever possible," he said.
Almost the entire state, Thakur noted, has been affected by the disaster. "An alert has also been issued for tomorrow. Around 500 teacher postings have been impacted. Once the Assembly session concludes, we will get the complete damage report. The Education Department is assessing the situation," he told ANI.
Thakur said the department has so far released Rs 16 crore for restoring damaged infrastructure. "We are making efforts to restore what has been damaged. This is a highly challenging task," he added.
Continuous heavy rain over the past week has thrown life out of gear in Himachal Pradesh, with the state witnessing one of the heaviest August rainfalls in more than a century.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this August saw 69% more rainfall than normal across the state, making it the 8th highest August rainfall in the last 124 years, and the highest since 1948. (ANI)