Himachal seeks central assistance for floods on lines of Kedarnath tragedy

To tide over the destruction caused by flash floods in the state this monsoon, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has sought central assistance on the lines of the assistance provided by the Centre to neighbouring Uttarakhand during the Kedarnath flood disaster in June 2013.

During a meeting with an eight-member central team, led by financial adviser Ravneesh Kumar from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Sukhu appealed for immediate assistance from the Centre.

He said the state had suffered an estimated loss of ₹8,000 crore and the central government had released only ₹180 crore as flood relief.

Drawing attention to the assistance provided in proportion to the scale of the catastrophe, Sukhu said: “The guidelines for financial aid from the Union government offer meagre relief. A revised financial assistance pattern should be adopted, taking into consideration the unique geographical challenges and the higher construction costs faced by hill states.”

Extensive damage to infrastructure

The torrential rains have inflicted extensive damage upon power and water supply schemes, road projects, and bridges in the state. The recovery and restoration of this infrastructure is expected to be time consuming. “In such dire circumstances, the Centre must step forward to help Himachal Pradesh,” he said.

The state government has already sought interim relief from the Centre. He said a comprehensive and revised memorandum will be submitted once the monsoon concludes, providing an accurate assessment of the total damage.

State revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, finance secretary Akshay Sood, special secretary, revenue, DC Rana, principal private secretary to the CM Vivek Bhatia also attended the meeting.

Seeking a differentiated pattern for financial assistance for hill states in the aftermath of natural disasters, Sukhu said: “The present standardised approach to financial aid fails to address unique hurdles effectively.”

Tailored financial aid for hills

Uttarakhand’s experience during the Kedarnath disaster served as a precedent, highlighting the role that tailored financial assistance can play in supporting states grappling with the aftermath of such calamities

Given the magnitude of destruction, he said funds provided by the Centre must be substantial and directed towards both immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation.