Tibetan settlements in Kullu damaged due to rains since July: Report

Dharamshala/Shimla, Sep 4 (PTI) Three Tibetan settlements in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district have suffered massive damage due to torrential rains since July, according to a report by the home department of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

Besides, about half a dozen settlements, including Manali Dekyiling, Dobhi Palrabling, and Kullu Yulokoe, have also been partially damaged by heavy downpour in the Kullu Palrabling settlement office's jurisdiction in recent months, added the report released on Wednesday.

The Fozal drain and Beas river near the Dobhi Palrabling settlement overflowed, causing mudslides and debris to inundate around 45 Tibetan households on August 26, it said.

Dobhi Palrabling is a Tibetan settlement situated on the banks of the Beas and the Fozal drain, about 25 km from both Kullu and Manali.

However, construction of a new retaining wall and renovation of the existing retaining walls by the CTA helped in ensuring the safety of residents, the report said.

Following a red alert on August 26 and 27, the settlement office contacted the District Disaster Management Authority, which directed that people be relocated to safer locations.

On August 27, torrential rains in Manali caused sand, stones and trees to fall on several households in the Manali Dekyiling settlement. However, no casualties were reported, the report said.

In the Kullu Yulokoe Tibetan settlement, the river overflowed into houses on the banks, causing damage to the existing retaining wall but no serious harm to people, it added.

The Home Department, CTA, has allocated Rs 4 lakh in emergency relief funds to the Kullu Tibetan Settlement Office to address the immediate needs of the affected public and carry out relief measures, the statement said. PTI COR BPL APL APL MIN MIN