Pallavi Sharma
DHARAMSHALA:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) chaired a high-level review meeting in Shimla to assess the damage caused by intense rainfall over the past 48 hours.
Expressing deep concern over the loss of life and property, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure swift evacuation of residents from vulnerable areas and to prioritise restoration of essential services.
At least five persons have lost their lives in the last two days due to rain-related incidents, including three from Nihari in Mandi district and two from the Pandoh area. Two others remain missing as search and rescue operations continue.
Sukhu emphasised the urgent need for coordinated action to protect lives and minimise further damage as the state continues to battle the fallout of one of its most severe monsoons in recent history.
Himachal experiences 136% excess rain
CM Sukhu revealed that the state has witnessed 136% more rainfall in September alone compared to the average, while the total rainfall during the current monsoon season has been 45% above normal. He said the intense weather events, including heavy rainfall, cloudbursts and landslides, have resulted in 417 deaths while 45 people are missing. Structural damage is valued at Rs 4,582 crore.
The destruction includes 15,022 damaged structures, of which 1,502 homes were completely destroyed, 6,467 houses partially damaged and 6,316 cowsheds affected. Additionally, 594 shops have been damaged or rendered unusable. The Chief Minister noted that these figures highlight the scale of devastation and the urgent need for a comprehensive and well-funded recovery plan.
Officials told to restore roads, services on priority
In the meeting, the Chief Minister instructed all Deputy Commissioners to remain on high alert and personally inspect affected areas to oversee relief and rehabilitation efforts. He asked the Public Works Department to prioritise the restoration of roads in apple-producing regions to prevent post-harvest losses to farmers who rely on timely access to markets.
Power and water supply systems in the affected districts are also to be restored urgently. The CM further directed the Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) to deploy additional vehicles from collection centres to ensure apple transport is not hindered.
Reiterating that public safety remains the state government’s top priority, CM Sukhu said that under the special relief package, monthly rental assistance is being provided to displaced families — Rs 10,000 in urban areas and Rs 5,000 in rural regions. He added that the government is reviewing guidelines to expand the benefit to more affected families, especially those rendered homeless.
The CM also stressed the need to relocate residents from structurally unsafe buildings to secure shelters without delay. “Every life matters. We are committed to ensuring that those impacted by this disaster receive not only aid, but dignity and safety,” he said.
The review meeting was attended by Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Kewal Singh Pathania, MLA Hardeep Singh Bawa and CM’s Principal Adviser (IT & Innovation) Gokul Butail, along with Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena and other senior officials. Deputy Commissioners, SPs and district-level officers participated virtually.
