Centre Constitutes Teams to Assess Flood Damage in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand

The government has set up inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) to assess the damage caused by heavy rains, floods, flash floods, cloudbursts, and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

According to official sources, these teams will begin visiting flood- and landslide-affected districts in the four regions early next week. One IMCT and a multi-sectoral team have already visited Himachal Pradesh earlier this season.

The IMCTs will carry out on-the-spot assessments of the situation as well as the relief measures undertaken by the respective state governments.

Each team will be led by a senior Joint Secretary-level officer from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) or the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). They will also include senior officers from the Ministries and Departments of Expenditure, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Jal Shakti, Power, Road Transport & Highways, and Rural Development.

Officials further said that the MHA remains in close touch with senior authorities in the affected states. The Centre has also deployed adequate teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with Army and Air Force helicopters, to provide logistical support for search-and-rescue operations and the restoration of essential services.