Field Inspection in Bhatiyat; Review Meeting with Officials
Subhash Mahajan
Chamba
An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) arrived in Himachal Pradesh to assess the damage caused by flash floods, landslides, cloudbursts, and heavy rains during the 2026 monsoon. The team held a review meeting with district administration and departmental officials at Chuwari.
The meeting was chaired by M. Ramachandrudu, Joint Secretary (Disaster Management-II), Ministry of Home Affairs and Chairman of IMCT, while Additional Deputy Commissioner Amit Mehra conducted the proceedings. Through a detailed presentation, the district administration briefed the team on damages to roads, water supply, electricity, houses/buildings, agriculture, livestock, and education, along with relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken.
Later, the central team visited disaster-affected areas in Bhatiyat, including Kalighar and Tikar Gala, to conduct on-site inspections. They observed the extent of damage and reviewed the status of relief and restoration work. Team members interacted with local officials to gather information on losses and ongoing recovery efforts.
The IMCT comprised Prakash Chand, Director, Central Water Commission (Ministry of Jal Shakti); Dr. Subhash Chandra, Director, Wheat Development Directorate, Gurugram (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare); Ramavatar Meena, Director, Ministry of Rural Development; Shashwat Mohapatra, Executive Engineer, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways; Kanav Dua, Deputy Director, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance; and Dr. Shashivardhan Reddy, Scientist, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO.
The meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary (Revenue) Sunil Verma, SDM Bhatiyat Manish Soni, Tehsildar Jai Chand, Divisional Forest Officer Dr. Kuldeep Jamwal, Block Development Officer Anil Gurada, Executive Engineer Rakesh Thakur, Narendra Chaudhary, and other departmental officials.
