Shimla: The Union Government has constituted a Central team to take stock of the damage caused by natural calamities in the state.

The Revenue and Disaster Management Authority spokesperson informed that Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs Sunil Kumar Barnwal would lead the Central team. The team is likely to visit the state in the first week of September.

Earlier, the state government had requested the central government to send an inter-ministerial central team on 23rd August 2022.

Timely assessment of the damages caused by natural calamities will enable the state to get additional central assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund and adequate relief assistance could be provided to the disaster-affected people in the state, a Revenue and Disaster Management Authority spokesperson stated.

In the past few days, many incidents of heavy rains, landslides and cloudbursts have occurred in the state during the current Monsoon, in which 258 people lost their precious lives and 10 people are still missing. Due to the calamity, 270 cattle were killed and 1658 residential houses, shops, gaushalas and gharats etc were damaged. National highways, rural roads, drinking water schemes and power projects have also suffered heavy damage during this period. A loss of Rs. 1367.33 crores has been assessed so far in the state during this Monsoon season and the process of assessment is going on continuously.