Subhash Mahajan
Chamba
A Central Inter-Ministerial team visited Chamba district to assess the extensive damage caused by heavy rainfall and landslides during the recent monsoon. The team toured multiple sub-divisions and disaster-affected areas, conducting a comprehensive review of the losses incurred across departments and infrastructure.
During a detailed afternoon meeting with district officials, Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal presented a consolidated damage report, estimating total losses at ₹434.32 crore. The breakdown includes:
| Department | Estimated Loss (₹ in lakh) |
| Public Works Department (PWD) | 24,461.50 |
| Jal Shakti Department | 12,586.58 |
| Agriculture & Horticulture | 2,086.10 |
| HPSEB (Electricity) | 654.03 |
| National Highways | 1,264.55 |
| Higher Education | 256.35 |
| Primary Education | 55.95 |
| Fisheries | 34.21 |
| Forest Department | 141.76 |
| Health Department | 87.00 |
| Chamba Municipal Council | 450.00 |
| Dalhousie Municipal Council | 340.00 |
Additionally, 8,608 homes and structures were damaged, accounting for ₹189.30 crore in losses.
Senior officials from departments including PWD, Jal Shakti, HPSEB, Health, Forest, Education, and Urban Development participated in the review. The central team assured that a detailed damage report would be submitted to the concerned ministries for expedited relief.
They also recommended sending proposals to increase MANREGA man-days to support affected communities and emphasized the need for stronger disaster prevention and mitigation strategies.
Key officials present included:
- Kamaldeep V. Patel (Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Expenditure)
- Deep Shekhar Singhal (Under Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development)
- DC Mukesh Repaswal
- SP Abhishek Yadav
- SDM Priyanshu Khati
- Assistant Commissioner Aparajita Chandel
- SE PWD Diwakar Singh Pathania
- Jal Shakti’s Rajesh Mongra
- HPSEB’s Rajiv Thakur
- CMO Dr. Vipin Thakur
- DFO Krityagya Kumar
- Forest Officer Rakesh Kumar
- Horticulture Deputy Director Pramod Shah
- Agriculture Officer Dr. Bhupendra
- District Panchayat Officer Tilak Raj
- Tourism Officer Rajiv Mishra
The visit marks a critical step toward mobilizing central support for rebuilding and recovery in Chamba.
