Shimla, July 11: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhu Sukhu stated on Friday that the rising incidents of cloudbursts in the state can be attributed to climate change and increased evaporation from large reservoirs created by major dams.
He announced that in response to the growing natural disasters, the government has decided to develop disaster-resistant infrastructure with an estimated expenditure of ₹3,500 crores. This initiative aims to strengthen the capacity to face disasters and minimize damages.
Speaking at the closing session of a workshop on disaster-resistant infrastructure planning in the Western Himalayas, the Chief Minister noted that due to its mountainous terrain and challenging geographical conditions, Himachal Pradesh has become more vulnerable to natural disasters.
Recalling the devastating disaster of 2023, he mentioned that around 75,000 tourists were stranded across the state. The government ensured the safe evacuation of these tourists through coordinated efforts and restored essential services at a war footing. He praised Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and MLA Sanjay Awasthi for leading the rescue operation that evacuated nearly 300 stranded tourists from Chandratal Lake.
The Chief Minister reported that the 2023 disaster resulted in the complete destruction of approximately 23,000 homes and claimed 51 lives. Standing firmly with the affected families, the government made historic changes to its relief policy, increasing compensation for completely damaged homes from ₹1.30 lakh to ₹8 lakh.
He emphasized that the lessons learned from the 2023 disaster enabled the government to respond more effectively during the 2025 disaster, resulting in relatively lower damage despite the severity of the situation.
Sukhu highlighted that Himachal Pradesh is currently facing the challenges posed by climate change. He warned that other states may experience similar impacts in the coming years. He stressed the need for bold policy decisions and necessary changes in development practices to address such challenges.
The government is fully prepared to make decisions aimed at minimizing losses in the broader public interest, he added.
Chief Secretary K.K. Pant remarked that climate change has emerged as a significant challenge. The disasters of 2023 and 2025 caused extensive damage to infrastructure and resulted in the loss of many precious lives.
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