The Hindu : Other States / Himachal Pradesh News : Worst part on Sutlej over, says Patil

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Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

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Other States - Himachal Pradesh

Worst part on Sutlej over, says Patil

Kanwar Yogendra

Tourists being evacuated on priority basis; plans under way to repair roads and bridges on war-footing

SHIMLA: The Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, has expressed satisfaction on the timely information and necessary action taken by the Government before the flash floods occurred in Sutlej.

Addressing a Press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Patil said he had reviewed the situation along with a team of experts that would soon assess the financial losses incurred in the incident.

He declared that tourists from the region are being evacuated on priority and the roads and bridges would be repaired at the earliest. "Since floods in Sutlej are recurring, some alternatives are being worked on. The old Hindustan-Tibet road is being repaired on priority as a substitute option," he added.

The Union Minister claimed that satellite pictures of Parechu artificial dam have shown that the worst part is over and maximum water has seeped out of it.

Mr. Patil, who repeatedly termed the floods a natural tragedy, refused to comment on the lack of communication links with the neighbouring China where the artificial lake was formed. When asked why no steps were taken despite warning for the past one year and no monitoring cells were made in the Chinese territory, he said it was a matter of negotiation for the External Affairs Ministry and refused to comment any further.

A number of officials from the State and the Centre had visited China on this account in the last one year but unfortunately no measures were taken for a controlled leakage of water from the dam formed in Tibet. It is learnt that the Ministries of Home and Foreign Affairs had been cautioned by the Chinese on the possible leakage this time around, but no heed was paid by the government. It was, in fact, the Nathpa Jhakri Project authorities who saved their project from any loss and stopped the power generation on time, said sources.

The State Government is claiming a loss of Rs 800 crores for the devastation by Sutlej waters. Roads and bridges have given away at a number of places.

The Himachal Government, which had received the Chinese Ambassador just a couple of days before the flood, had reportedly cautioned the authorities here of a possible fast melting of glaciers and a breach in the Parechu lake. But no concrete steps were taken to save property except declaring the much-hyped "red alert".

There was definitely a communication gap somewhere that led to the disaster, said sources.

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Worst part on Sutlej over, says Patil