Says Govt stands by the people in their hour of distress
Punjab Newsline, Shimla-
The ongoing relief and restoration efforts were going on war footing in the worst affected areas of the State and particularly in Thunag, Janjheli and other areas of the Mandi district hit by severe cloud bursts and landslides due to heavy rains.
Sh. Sukhu said that the Chief Secretary was also conducting daily review meetings to ensure effective inter-departmental coordination and prompt on-ground response. The Government was alive to the problems being faced by the people and was doing every effort to provide relief to the disaster victims.
The teams of both the State and National Disaster Response Force were stationed at the worst affected areas of Janjheli and at Thunag Subdivision. Besides, Engineer-in-Chief PWD, Director Operations State Electricity Board and Chief Engineer Jal Shakti were stationed at Thunag to oversee the restoration measures. Apart from this the teams of Homeguards, Police and volunteers were also involved in relief and restoration works. The Chief Minister has directed all departments to work in close coordination and take swift, time-bound action to restore road connectivity, drinking water supply and electricity, particularly in severely affected regions.
A total of 246 Kits of ration including Flour, Rice, pulses, Edible oil etc has been air dropped and distributed to the disaster affected at Thunag and Janjheli. 157 kits have been distributed in Thunag and 69 in Janjheli. Besides, 20 in Longni relief Camp in Dharampur.
Around 392 roads across the state have been blocked due to landslides and flooding. The State machinery has been mobilized with Engineer-in-Chief PWD on the spot. The PWD was carrying the restoration works on a war footing with 289 JCBs and Excavators, 15 Robots, 16 Dozers and 111 Tippers deployed to ensure early clearance. Of the total blocked roads, 196 were expected to reopen today, 79 by 4th July and the remaining 117 in the days that follow. The estimated damage to road infrastructure between 20 June and 3 July was estimated to approximately Rs. 182 crore.
He said that Mandi district has been hit the hardest, with 189 roads blocked and an estimated loss of Rs. 47 crore. A large fleet of machinery, including 84 JCBs and Excavators, one Robot, three Dozers and 36 Tippers has already been deployed in the district. Several major roads such as MDR 24 (Mandi-Gaggal-Chail Chowk-Janjheli), Sanarli–Shankar Dera Road, MDR 119 (Chattri- Magrugalla to Janjheli) and MDR 96 (Thalout-Panjain-Thachi-Shetadhar-Chiuni-Lambathach road) were under active restoration, with round-the-clock work underway to restore vital connectivity.
The Jal Shakti department was making all possible efforts to restore drinking water and irrigation infrastructure, which has suffered severe damage due to heavy rains and flash floods. Despite these adversities, field teams and engineers of the Jal Shakti Department are working tirelessly under adverse conditions. Senior officers were conducting site visits to oversee the progress. Due to road closures and poor network connectivity, field coordination remains a challenge. As an interim measure, the department has activated gravity-based small schemes after chlorination to ensure safe drinking water supply in affected villages. Water is also being provided through available hand pumps and natural sources wherever feasible.
The Chief Minister said that in response to the widespread disruption the state machinery has been mobilized at a rapid pace. The department has appealed to the public to use water judiciously during this crisis and has distributed field testing kits to Panchayats to help monitor water quality and ensure safety.
The 33 KV Gohar- Thunag line has been restored and the supply to the important installation at Thunag shall be restored by today evening. The efforts are on to restore 33 KV Gohar-Pandoh line and expected to be restored by today itself. It is also intimated that huge damage to the lines have been reported in and around Janjehli area. The HPSEBL is working on war-footing for the restoration of the supply and has already deputed five teams in the affected areas with the total strength of 60 people.
The HPSEBL infrastructure in Thunag and surrounding area suffered badly and loss of about Rs. 20 Crore have been reported by the field units. During this incidence the 33 KV lines i.e. Gohar-Thunag-Janjehli & Gohar-Pandoh line got damaged at many places along with 8 km 11 KV line from Thunag and surrounding area and power supply to 258 transformers got interrupted. It is also added here that the Director (Operations) of HPSEBL along with Chief Engineer Mandi Zone and all the senior concerned officers are camping at the affected area of Mandi.
The Chief Minister said that Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) has been activated by Department of Telecommunication DoT in Thunag area. Apart from this ISAT's have also been mobilized to the area for emergency communication.
He commended the dedication of frontline workers and officials who are working round-the-clock to restore essential services. He reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to restoring normalcy at the earliest and assured that relief and rehabilitation efforts are being monitored at the highest level on a continuous basis.