Himachal Pradesh in 2025 is facing unprecedented and exceptional nature’s wrath. Monsoon fury represented by floods, cloudbursts and landslides is playing havoc with human and material habitation in various parts of Himachal Pradesh. No region is unaffected with natures roar, though degree of human and material devastation in certain parts is colossal and beyond imagination. Primarily Seraj, Karsog,Nachan ,Mandi Town, Dharamshala have borne the major brunt of Monsoon fury, however, complete state is affected as far as landslides, closure of roads due to landslides ,abruption in water supply schemes and electricity supply is concerned. The total disaster loss suffered by state due to heavy rainfall and landslides during ongoing monsoon is about 1523 crore. PWD has suffered losses amounting to Rs 780 crore with Jalshakti, horticulture and agriculture departments suffering loss of Rs 499, 24.73 and 11.45 crores respectively. Devastation and consequent losses may escalate since monsoon fury is expected to escalate in August before it subsides in September. It can be safely concluded that whole state is withstanding the worst of unplanned, unscientific development, massive deforestation and lackaisidical political and bureaucratic will to stop unscientific exploitation of states natural wealth.
Post disaster management is mitigation of people’s sufferings through timely rescue, retrieval and financial help to rebuild house and hearth from scratch. Completely state needs attention for rebuilding infrastructure with special emphasis on worst affected areas. State government certainly have its priorities to address disaster-affected areas as per degree of devastation. The funds are released by Ministry of Home Affairs wherein it contributes 75 percent of funds to state disaster response fund for general category of states /UTs and 90 percent of funds for special category states/UTs and annual central contribution is released in two equal instalments. NDRF also provide funds based on recommendations of central teams after disaster assessment and based upon memorandum of state for immediate relief and rehabilitation. All funds are for the state to be utilised by state government as per its assessment of disaster devastation and whole state is treated as one entity in allotment of funds and there is no provision for area specific assistance.
Himachal Pradesh is suffering massive devastation in monsoons from last three years and state government is doing its best to provide relief from its own resources and from assistance received from Union government but never any politician raised demand for area specific assistance. As per “The Tribune” dated 29 July 2025, former Chief Minister and leader of opposition Sh Jai Ram Thakur met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought area specific relief package for disaster affected regions. Demand may fan feelings of discrimination and regionalism in other areas is neither justified nor prudent. Ex-Chief Minister of state is expected to speak for people of whole state, also keeping interests of his constituency in mind. Certainly, state will allocate resources for relief and rehabilitation based on degree and intensity of devastation. There need to be that much confidence among ruling and opposition politicians in the interest of federal structure. Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and his cabinet colleges have taken objection for area specific assistance. It is wrong to seek area specific relief and the entire state should be treated equally. There should not be any discrimination, selfishness, and leader of opposition and all politicians need to know this. Certainly, people of Seraj have suffered enormous damage but there are other disaster-affected areas, which too suffered badly like Mandi, Dharampur, Nachan, Banjar, and Dharamshala, Sirmour and so on. Thus, state government has made its position clear. It is opposed to area specific assistance. It also goes against the spirit of federalism.
Why is area specific assistance demand wrong and what are its implications? Himachal Pradesh due to historical reasons had emotional divide of upper and lower Himachal. When, regions, which formed part of Punjab, were merged in Himachal created a geographical and sociological distinction between two regions and an artificial divide came in with old region called as upper Himachal and new region as lower Himachal. With passage of time, state integrated into one entity emotionally and divide no longer exists. When state had already experienced seeds of regional divide which mercifully no longer exist, what was need to create one more divide by asking for area specific assistance which not only seems discriminatory to regions equally impacted but also recipe for fanning emotional divide. Leader of opposition raised it when his representative constituency is affected by devastation, which seems incorrect considering there was devastation in 2023 and 2024 also. It also goes against the spirit of federalism and integration. Taking a cue from leader of opposition, every influential public representative may go to centre asking for area specific assistance and may start asking for direct allocation of funds from centre over the head and shoulders of elected government.
State of Himachal and its people are going through worst nightmare of heavy monsoons and consequent floods, cloudbursts and landslides and need liberal assistance from union government for whole state and not to specific areas. Parliamentarians from state led by Sh J P Nadda have done well by seeking special relief package for the state for disaster-hit areas, which sends a message of vibrant and healthy democracy and federal structure. It would be statesmen like and prudent for Sh Jai Ram Thakur former Chief Minister and leader of opposition to revisit his stance, ask for disaster relief assistance for whole state and not area specific assistance, which fans seeds of emotional disintegration between regions, fans regionalist feelings that may affect social harmony in the long run. Hope my voice finds space and reaches him.
Rattan Chand Sharma retired from the Border Security Force as a Commandant. A regular contributor to publications like Outlook, Deccan Herald, India Sentinels, Force Magazine, Chanakya Forum, Saveratimes, Seema Sanghosh, he writes mainly about defence and security personnel issues.
