Chief Secretary V.C.Pharka held a state level disaster management meeting to take stock of heavy rains, hail storm and snowfall in higher riches during last two days in the state. He said that unprecedented wide spread heavy rains alongwith hail storm had been occurred in all districts of the state. He directed PWD, IPH and electricity departments to restore the affected roads, water supply schemes and electricity on priority.Pharka directed the agriculture and horticulture departments to seek reports of losses at the earliest from all the districts and direct their field staff to personally monitor the same. He said that two persons have died and eight other injured due to lightening at village Khadaan in Rampur Sub Division of Shimla District yesterday. He said that Rs. 10000 had been given to the deceased, while Rs. 4000 each to the injured. He said that one critically injured person was referred to IGMC Shimla and Rs. 10000 had been given his family member.Chief Secretary said that one person died due to fall in Sundernagar sub division of Mandi district. He said that one person and 15 cattles died due to lightening in village Dharjot in Baijnath Sub Division of Kangra District, besides 18 kachha houses and five cow sheds had also been fully damaged. He said that 15 kachha houses were partially damaged due to storm in Banjar Sub Division of Kullu District. He said that as per primary reports, loss of Rs. 1.84 lacs was estimated under horticulture in Banjar area.
He said that roofs of two schools of GPS Thati-Dhar in Kullu and GHS Sari in Banjar area were damaged due to high wind and estimated loss of Rs. 4 lakh was reported. Besides 15 kachha houses were fully damaged in Banjar.He said that two kachha houses were fully damaged in Chamba and one pucca house at Jogindernagar in Mandi district.Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue and Disaster Manager) Sh. Tarun Sridhar said that funds have already been provided to the Deputy Commissioners and other line departments under disaster management and asked to utilize the same and seek more funds, if required.Director Meteorological Department Dr. Manmohan Sharma said that 12.3 mm actual rainfall has been experienced in the state as against normal rainfall of 2.6 mm yesterday which is 381 percent departure from normal.He said that 63.4 mm precipitation has been recorded in Kalpa of Kinnaur District, which has broken the record of year 2002. Principal Secretary (IPH) Smt. Anuradha Thakur, Divisional Commissioner Shimla Dr. R.N.Batta, Special Secretary(Revenue and Disaster Management) Sh. D.D.Sharma, Director (Agriculture) Sh. Ramesh Chand and senior officers of the PWD, IPH, MC Shimla and Horticulture were present amongst others.