Monsoon fury: HM Amit Shah offers help to 5 Chief Ministers

New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday spoke to Chief Ministers of five states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, in the wake of heavy rainfall, related disruptions and damage, and offered assistance.

Taking to X, HM Shah wrote, “In the wake of heavy rainfall in different parts of the nation, spoke with the chief ministers of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh.”

The Union Minister said the Central government was coordinating with state governments and providing relief and rescue support, along with disaster response reinforcements.

HM Shah said, “Adequate numbers of NDRF teams have been deployed in the states for the people in need, and more reinforcements can be sent as and when required. Assured them of all possible assistance from the central government.”

Heavy and incessant rains in these states over the past few days have resulted in multiple incidents of building collapse, landslides, as well as widespread road blockages at multiple locations.

Amid rains in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to X and thanked HM Shah for his offer of assistance to fight the rain fury.

He said HM Shah obtained detailed information about the situation of heavy rainfall in various disaster-prone sensitive areas of the state, including Shri Kedarnath Dham.

“Considering the severity of the situation, he assured that the Central Government’s emergency relief agencies, NDRF/ITBP, are being deployed promptly to ensure that the Char Dham Yatra is not disrupted and that devotees face no inconvenience in their travel,” said CM Dhami.

HM Shah also assured continuous monitoring and provision of all possible assistance in other sensitive districts of the state, said CM Dhami, thanking the Union Home Minister for his sensitive, proactive, and compassionate leadership.

Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, in particular, has been severely impacted due to cloudbursts and flash floods. Karsog and Dharampur -- two municipal areas in Mandi have suffered widespread damage due to the rain fury.

In Karsog, the old market got swept away last night due to flash floods, while a couple of vehicles were also seen floating in the gushing flow of water. The houses situated near riverbanks suffered serious damage, while many were left stranded due to a sudden rise in water levels. One person has been reported dead.

Continuous torrential rains have severely affected normal life across several districts of Jharkhand.

Urban areas such as Ranchi, Ramgarh, Latehar, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, and Giridih are facing the brunt due to waterlogging, with floodwaters entering homes in low-lying areas.

The relentless rainfall has led to multiple incidents of house collapses and people drowning in rivers, reservoirs, and waterfalls.

In Gujarat, heavy rains have battered several parts of the state since Thursday, officials said on Friday. As of now, more than 1,060 people have been relocated across four districts in Gujarat.

The downpour triggered flash floods and waterlogging, forcing evacuation and rescue operations across southern and central Gujarat.

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), 101 talukas recorded rainfall, with 30 witnessing downpours ranging from 1 to 7 inches.

Vapi in Valsad district received the highest rainfall at seven inches, followed by Pardi with 5.25 inches and Kaprada with 5 inches.

--IANS

rch/skp