SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Committee of the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPIM) here today called for declaring Himachal Calamity as National Disaster and demanded the revision of NDRF norms to ensure a one-time relief grant or a comprehensive relief package of Rs 10,000 crore to address the actual losses incurred by the state.
In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister of India through Himachal Pradesh’s governor Shiv Pratap Mishra, CPIM leaders highlighted the destruction caused by the catastrophic disaster that has struck the state since July 7 that killed over 337 people.
Delegation was Led by former Theog MLA Rakesh Singha, along with Dr. Kuldeep Tanwar, Sanjay Chauhan, Vijender Mehra, Jagat Ram, Falma Chauhan, and Sunil Vashi.
They appealed to the Governor to take the matter to the Prime Minister of India in an urgent manner, as this calamity ranks as the worst natural disaster the nation has faced since gaining independence.
Rakesh Singha, a Member of the CPIM State Secretariat, presented a grim assessment of the situation. The disaster has claimed the lives of 337 individuals, with many more still missing and presumed dead.
The wreckage left in its wake includes the complete destruction of around 2,000 homes, while another 11,000 have suffered significant damage.
The toll extends to livestock, as cattle, buffaloes, and sheep have been lost in great numbers.
The disaster's reach encompasses agricultural and horticultural lands, crops, government infrastructure, hydropower projects, power transmission lines, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, water systems, roads, and bridges.
The financial toll on the state government is estimated at a staggering Rs 10,000 crore, a figure that is believed to vastly underestimate the true extent of the devastation, Singha said.
Countless farmers have borne the brunt of the disaster's fury, with their homes and agricultural lands swept away by cloud bursts, floods, and soil erosion.
These circumstances have rendered them not only homeless but without means of livelihood. A staggering nine lakh farmer families now face damage ranging from 5% to complete loss of their agricultural land and livelihood sources, Singha said.
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Singha said the urgent need for both the Central and State Governments is to intervene and provide substantial aid.
The risk of farmer suicides looms large as the disaster's economic fallout deepens.
Singha drew attention to a precedent set in the year 2000, when the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly introduced an amendment to the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act 1954, acknowledging forest encroachment by 167,000 farmers who owned no more than 5 bighas of land and 10 bighas in total.
These farmers had built homes and cultivated fruit trees. Singha pressed for relief to be extended to these affected farmers under similar lines.
He further stressed that the people of Himachal Pradesh had made substantial sacrifices for the nation by its soldiers serving in the Indian Army, including contributing forest wealth—a vital revenue source—along with lives lost on the Indian border.
In the face of these adversities, Singha expressed disappointment with the financial assistance provided so far, which amounts to a mere Rs 200 crore as advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and Rs 180 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
