Nadda urges focus on relief in Himachal, not politics

BJP president J P Nadda emphasised today that the recent disaster in Himachal Pradesh should not be used as a political tool but rather as a moment of unified effort towards relief and restoration. This sentiment was expressed amidst mounting devastation from recent heavy rains.
“The Centre is taking concrete measures to ensure all necessary support to Himachal,” said Nadda after his visit to rain-impacted zones including Poanta in Sirmaur and central Shimla.
Central assistance has been swift, with the Union Home Ministry recently releasing Rs 200 crore to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The BJP chief expressed his grief, noting his “concern over the loss of human lives and properties in the state.”
Responding to Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s call to recognize the situation as a national disaster, Nadda assured that the financial assistance will be consistent regardless of the official title of the calamity. He added that previously Rs 360 crore was allocated from the central SDRF share, and an additional Rs 189 crore from a withheld Rs 315 crore was recently released.
The remainder of the funds awaits the state’s provision of required details to the Centre.
Highlighting the immediate response, Nadda mentioned that 20 National Disaster Response Force teams and three Indian Air Force helicopters are on-site, with the latter having already rescued over a thousand individuals.
Emphasising the need for long-term planning to prevent future disasters, Nadda stated that expert consultations would be pivotal.
During his visit, he met with families directly impacted by the floods, reassuring that “Central help would continue to pour in and all the displaced people would be rehabilitated.”
His tour also included a visit to the Shiva temple in Summer Hill, damaged by a landslide, and other affected regions.
In light of the severe impacts of the rain, the Himachal Pradesh government recently declared the region a “Natural Calamity Affected Area.” The Chief Minister estimates the damages to be around Rs 10,000 crore.
To date, rain-induced incidents since August 13 have led to 78 fatalities in the state, with 24 from landslides in Shimla alone.
Since monsoon onset on June 24, the state emergency operation centre reports a total of 224 deaths, 38 missing individuals, and damage to over 12,000 homes. Furthermore, approximately 560 roads remain blocked due to the rains.

Centre releases Rs 200 cr for rain-hit Himachal Pradesh

In response to the devastating monsoon impacts in Himachal Pradesh, the Centre approved an advance of Rs 200 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund to aid relief efforts. Previously, Rs 360.80 crore was sanctioned in July, followed by an additional Rs 189.27 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund on August 7.
The Centre continues to closely monitor the situation, providing both logistic and financial support to ensure efficient disaster response. In addition to the financial assistance, 20 National Disaster Response Force teams, nine Indian Army columns, and three Indian Air Force helicopters are deployed for rescue and relief operations.
Pre-empting state requests, the central government sent inter-ministerial teams to assess the situation between July 19 and 21.
Since the monsoon onset, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed the tragic loss of 330 lives due to various rain-induced calamities. All districts experienced rain, floods, landslides, or cloudbursts, with 25 landslides and one cloudburst reported just last week.