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Himachal flashflood: One more body found in Kangra’s Boh valley
Four days after rain-triggered landslides and flashfloods hit Kangra district, the body of yet another person was found in the debris in Boh valley on Thursday, taking the death toll to nine even as another person remains missing in the area
Four days after rain-triggered landslides and flashfloods hit Kangra district, the body of yet another person was found in the debris in Boh valley on Thursday, taking the death toll to nine even as another person remains missing in the area.
The victim, Subhash Chand, 70, was a resident of Rulehar village. The body of his only son, Shiv Prasad, 30, had been dug out of the debris on July 13.
Kangra superintendent of police Vimukt Ranjan said rescue teams sent by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Himachal Pradesh Police, Public Works Department (PWD) and Revenue department were involved in the search operation.
While five people were successfully rescued, nine others were found dead over the last four days.
Rescue operations should have been carried out on war footing: Bali
Hitting out at the state government, senior Congress leader and former minister GS Bali alleged that the BJP regime had failed to carry out rescue operations in areas ravaged by landslide and heavy rainfall in Kangra.
“Rajol and Boh village were completely devastated in the landslide caused by the heavy downpour. Nine people have lost their lives. The NDRF team has reached the area, but the government has provided them with one machine to excavate the debris. Rescue operations should have been carried out on war footing,” said Bali addressing a press conference.
He urged the high court to take sou motto cognisance of encroachment on river banks and rivulets in the state, which was also responsible for the extent of devastation caused by the natural calamity.
Bali also said that the government’s decision to purchase 250 new buses had burdened the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation, which was already on the brink of bankruptcy.
He promised that should the Congress come to power in the state, the party will create 2.5 lakh jobs in Himachal. “Back door channels are being used to recruit people. No guidelines on reservation, qualification or economic distribution are being followed,” he said. He also asked the government of the criteria, on which vacancies were being filled.
