Himachal Pradesh BJP President Dr. Rajeev Bindal alleged that the state government has failed to provide basic amenitites such as roads, drinking water, and rehabilitation to the affected areas.
Himachal Pradesh BJP President Dr. Rajeev Bindal accused the Congress government in the state of failing to effectively respond to the recent natural disaster in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
He alleged that the government has failed to provide basic ameniites such as roads, drinking water, and rehabilitation to the affected areas.
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Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, Bindal said due to heavy rainfall, over 1,000 houses have been damaged, of which 300 to 500 are completely destroyed, and the rest are partially damaged. More than 200 pieces of agricultural and horticultural land have been destroyed, buried under massive boulders and debris.
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Pointing out that Jal Shakti Department projects are non-functional and drinking water is unavailable, he said, “Even after eight days, the state government has made no alternative arrangements for water supply.”
Most roads in Pandoh and Mandi remain blocked while no visible efforts have been made to reopen them, raising serious concerns about the government’s seriousness.
He demanded that permanent arrangements be made for people currently staying in relief camps, as temporary shelters are not enough.
“Eight days have passed, but the government is inactive,” alleged Bindal, adding that the government should have acted swiftly within the first few days, but nothing substantial is visible on the ground. “We urge the chief minister to deploy maximum machinery and personnel for relief work. The government must take this seriously,” he added.
He stated that BJP leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, and MLAs Vinod Kumar and Deepraj Kapoor, have been working in the affected areas from day one. “Had Jai Ram Thakur not reached Mandi on the day one, the scale of the disaster might have been overlooked,” he said.
Responding to the chief minister’s allegation that BJP is politicizing the disaster, Bindal said, “If helping people is politics, we will keep doing it. Distributing ration kits, utensils, and blankets, and expressing solidarity with victims is humanitarian work, not politics.”
Bindal recalled how former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal personally visited affected areas in 2001 and airlifted crops from Lahaul-Spiti.
He also praised Jai Ram Thakur’s leadership during the COVID-19 crisis.
Bindal demanded land for families who lost homes and orchards.
“Even victims from 2023 and 2024 haven’t been resettled. This is the government’s failure,” he said, adding that the government should give it serious thought.
Sharing major instances of damage, Bindal claimed that a 16-MW hydropower project in Pandoh has been completely washed out, with not even a single turbine recovered.
“Roads have collapsed, and the Baglamukhi Ropeway built during the BJP regime remains the only link for movement in some areas. Over 15 bridges have been destroyed,” he asserted.
He also mentioned that an electric transformer was found 500 meters away from its original location, and the body of a deceased person from Nachan was recovered in Maharana Pratap Dam at Dehra. The entire tomato crop has been destroyed, and in Lambataaj village, all 25 houses were completely wiped out, said Bindal.
“Several five-story buildings have collapsed. It appears as though over 10,000 truckloads of debris and rock have come crashing down across the Mandi district,” he said.
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