Spike in cloudbursts linked to enhanced evaporation from reservoirs, says Himachal CM

Shimla, July 10 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Friday said that increasing cloudbursts in the state have been linked to climate change and enhanced evaporation from reservoirs created by large dams. 

He said that owing to spike in natural calamities, the government has decided to develop disaster resilience infrastructure with an estimated outlay of Rs 3,500 crore that would help strengthen the capacity to withstand disasters and minimise losses.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the workshop “Towards Resilience Infrastructure Planning in the Western Himalaya”, here, the Chief Minister said Himachal Pradesh, being a mountainous state with difficult geographical conditions, has become increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters.

Recalling the devastating disaster of 2023, he said nearly 75,000 tourists were stranded across the state. The government, with coordinated efforts, ensured the safe evacuation of the stranded tourists and restored essential services on a war footing. He also appreciated the efforts of Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and legislator Sanjay Awasthi, who personally led the rescue operation to evacuate around 300 stranded tourists from the high-altitude lake, Chandratal.

The Chief Minister said the 2023 disaster damaged around 23,000 houses completely and claimed 51 lives. Standing firmly with the affected families, the government introduced historic changes in the relief policy by increasing compensation for fully damaged houses from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.

He said that the lessons learnt from the 2023 disaster enabled the government to respond much more effectively during the 2025 disaster, resulting in comparatively lower losses despite the severity of the situation.

“While Himachal Pradesh is currently facing the challenge of climate change”, he said other states “are also likely to experience similar impacts in the coming years”. He emphasised that addressing such challenges would require bold policy decisions and necessary changes in development practices.

The government, he said, was fully prepared to take such decisions in the larger public interest to mitigate the losses.

Chief Secretary K.K. Pant said climate change has emerged as a major challenge.

The disasters of 2023 and 2025 had caused extensive damage to infrastructure and resulted in the loss of precious lives.

He said the government’s objective is not merely to reconstruct damaged infrastructure but to build resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding future climate challenges.

The Chief Secretary also emphasised the importance of institutional capacity building for effective disaster management.

Former Member of NITI Aayog Dr V.K. Paul said that while Himachal Pradesh has always faced unique developmental challenges due to its terrain, the impacts of global warming have further intensified these challenges. He called for a multi-dimensional policy approach involving all stakeholders, stating that disaster resilience cannot be achieved by any single department or institution alone.

Referring to the 2023 disaster as a wake-up call, he said timely and decisive action is essential to develop resilient infrastructure and minimise future loss of life and property.

--IANS

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