Set up multi-sectoral team for natural disasters, says Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: In view of the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters and the need to mitigate losses, Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday directed the formation of a multi-sectoral central team.Shah recently held a review meeting on the natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh, where massive loss of lives and livelihoods have been reported due to an increase in the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and torrential rainfall, causing widespread damage to infrastructure and environmental degradation in the state.The multi-sectoral central team would comprise experts from National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore.To provide immediate relief to affected people in Himachal Pradesh, the Union govt has already deputed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) for a first-hand assessment of the damages. IMCT is visiting the affected areas of the state from July 18-21. A high-level committee chaired by Shah has already approved an outlay of over Rs 2,006 crore to Himachal Pradesh for recovery and reconstruction in areas affected by disasters like floods, landslides and cloudbursts in 2023, releasing the first instalment of this package (Rs 451 crore) on July 7.Earlier on June 18, Centre released an instalment of Rs 198 crore for relief measures in Himachal Pradesh under State Disaster Response Fund.