Munish Sood
Mandi
High-level delegation inspects disaster-hit areas in Dharampur; scheduled to visit Thunag, Janjehli, and Karsog
A seven-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) arrived in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on Friday to assess the damage caused by recent heavy rains, landslides, and related natural disasters during the ongoing monsoon season. The team began its field visit in the Dharampur subdivision, one of the worst-affected regions in the district.
The delegation conducted on-site inspections at several locations including Syathi village, the damaged road near Dharampur College, the collapsed drinking water supply scheme at Kandapatan, and the severely affected 33 kV power plant. Officials examined the extent of infrastructure damage and interacted with local authorities overseeing relief and rehabilitation operations.
Deputy Commissioner Apurav Devgan briefed the central team on the nature and scale of the destruction caused by the monsoon fury. He also outlined the relief measures implemented by the district administration so far and flagged the need for further assistance to restore essential services.
Local MLA Chandrashekhar met with the team at Dhwali Kisan Bhawan and apprised them of the situation on the ground. He emphasized the urgency of rebuilding critical infrastructure and supporting affected communities.
Members of the Inter-Ministerial Team
The Central team includes senior officials from key ministries and departments:
• G. Parthasarathi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (Centre-State & Public, Judicial)
• Kandarp V. Patel, Deputy Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance
• Waseem Ashraf, Director, Central Water Commission (Shimla), Ministry of Jal Shakti
• Karan Sareen, Deputy Director, Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power
• A.K. Kushwaha, Chief Engineer, Regional Office Shimla, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
• Deep Shekhar Singhal, Under Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development
• Dr. Vikrant Singh, Joint Director, Directorate of Wheat Development, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Further Assessment Planned
The IMCT is scheduled to visit additional disaster-affected areas in Thunag, Janjehli, and Karsog on Saturday, July 20, to continue its comprehensive assessment of monsoon-related damage across the region.
Present during the inspection were Additional District Magistrate Dr. Madan Kumar, SDM Dharampur Joginder Patial, SDM Sarkaghat Swati Dogra, and officials from various line departments.
The team’s findings will play a crucial role in determining the extent of central assistance to be extended to Himachal Pradesh under the disaster relief framework.
