Kangana visits flood hit village in Himachal, says people not getting govt help

Shimla, Aug 6 (IANS) BJP Member of Parliament from Mandi Kangana Ranaut has said flood-affected people in Samej village are not getting any help from the state.

Earlier, on Tuesday, she visited Himachal Pradesh’s worst cloudburst-hit Samej village in Rampur tehsil of Shimla wherein over 30 people, including eight schoolchildren, have been missing since August 1 

Slamming the state government for not extending help to victims, actress-turned-politician Kangana, with wet eyes, said people have lost everything. “In the vastness of the loss, I feel immense pain and grief.”

Hugging victims and sharing sympathises, she said it was shameful that flood-affected people were not getting any help from the state government.

“Wherever I am going in flood-affected areas, helpless people are complaining about the cruel and unconcerned treatment of the state government towards them. It is tragic and inhuman,” she wrote on X.

Multiple cloudbursts on early August 1 with the epicentre in the Shrikhand Mahadev region flooded three streams originating from the peak. The Samej rivulet, a seasonal tributary that merged into the Satluj river just seven km downstream from the disaster spot, resulted in the most significant disaster, washing away significant Samej village.

Simultaneously the flash flood in Malana rivulet led to the breaking of the Malana dam and the Khurpan rivulet caused severe flooding in Bagipul.

 Kangana Ranaut was on a day-long visit to the village to have first-hand information about the calamity and inspect the ongoing relief operations.

Rescuers of the Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in coordination with a state rescue team and the civil administration face an uphill task, sifting through the debris of boulders and muck, as hope wanes but still flickers among relatives for the 30 missing individuals.

Sharing photos on Instagram, Kangana wrote: “People have lost everything…In the vastness of that loss, I feel immense pain and grief… ur hope is Narendra Modi.”

“Humans are so vulnerable before nature…Oh mother earth be kind to us.”

Kangana also shared a post that reads, “Malana locals come together to construct a temporary bridge post the floods. This is called Community living.”

The Army on Saturday constructed a temporary footbridge across the Samej Khad to speed up flood relief operations and restoration works.

The disaster killed 17 members of an extended family who were stuck in their house when the flood hit. Only a few of them were able to survive.

Families, who have lost loved ones, have been waiting desperately to hear about the safe evacuation of their missing members, including eight schoolchildren.

The Army and the civil administration have delivered food supplies and basic needs to the affected residents as part of its emergency response.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on August 2 visited the cloudburst site in Samej village and reviewed the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Expressing grief over the incident, the Chief Minister consoled and comforted affected families and announced an immediate relief package.

“Each affected family will receive Rs 50,000 as immediate assistance and Rs 5,000 per month for three months for hiring rented accommodation,” he has said.

Additionally, the government would provide free essential items like ration, cooking gas, blankets and stoves.

“The government would extend comprehensive support to all affected families,” Sukhu added.

The Chief Minister assured that financial assistance for rebuilding their houses would be announced shortly.

He directed the district administration to make alternative arrangements to ensure that displaced families do not face any further miseries and difficulties.

Torrential rains, cloudbursts and flashfloods have become a regular feature in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh in recent years.

Last year’s southwest monsoon claimed over 400 lives across Himachal Pradesh with a cumulative loss of over Rs 10,000 crore following torrential rains that triggered landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts, leaving thousands of families homeless.

--IANS

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