People in unsafe buildings must be relocated: Himachal CM Sukhu

Shimla, Sep 17 (PTI) People's safety remains the top priority of the Himachal Pradesh government and people still residing in unsafe buildings must be relocated to secure places to ensure their safety, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday.

"Safety of the people of the state remains the top priority for the state government and under the Special Relief Package, the state government is providing Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 as rent in urban and rural areas for those rendered homeless during the disaster," he said in a statement issued here.

The chief minister chaired a high-level meeting here to assess the damages caused by the torrential rains and review the situation across the state in the last 48 hours.

The state government was contemplating to relax the conditions of living in relief camps to accommodate more people, the CM said and directed all the deputy commissioners to stay vigilant and personally visit the affected areas on priority to oversee relief and rescue operations.

He said that so far in September, the state has witnessed 136 per cent excess rainfall. He added that 45 per cent additional downpour was recorded during the entire monsoon season so far.

During the last two days, five persons lost their lives, three in Nihari and two near Pandoh Mohal Suma in the Mandi district, while two persons were missing, the statement said.

He said that this monsoon season has claimed 417 lives, with 45 still missing and a loss of Rs 4,582 crore has been recorded due to the heavy rains, cloudbursts and landslides, as per the statement.

The officers of the PWD Department were told to restore road connectivity, particularly in apple-growing areas to ensure that produce of fruit growers reach markets in time and they do not have to face financial losses, it added.

He also asked the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation to deploy additional vehicles for transportation of apples from their collection centres.

Instructions were also given to reinstate electricity, water supply schemes and other essential supplies in the affected areas on priority, the statement added. PTI BPL MNK MNK