New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed deep anguish over the widespread natural disasters affecting the country, saying these calamities have “saddened every Indian.” He made the remarks during the 125th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat.
Highlighting the devastation caused during the current monsoon season, PM Modi said floods and landslides have left homes destroyed, fields submerged, bridges washed away, and families torn apart. “These incidents have brought grief to every Indian. The pain of the families who lost their loved ones is shared by all of us,” he said.
The Prime Minister praised the tireless efforts of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), armed forces, and other agencies in carrying out rescue and relief operations. He noted that technology, including thermal cameras, live detectors, drones, and sniffer dogs, was extensively used to accelerate relief work, while helicopters were deployed to deliver aid and airlift the injured. “Local people, social workers, doctors, and the administration also made every possible effort in this hour of crisis. I heartily thank every citizen who prioritized humanity in these difficult times,” he added.
Union Minister JP Nadda listened to the address in Mumbai, while in Delhi, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj joined Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar to tune in.
Since the onset of monsoon, several states including Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have suffered heavy losses due to torrential rains, floods, and landslides.
On August 26, a massive landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, claimed over 30 lives and left at least 20 injured. Triggered by heavy rainfall, the landslide occurred near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkuwari, midway along the 12-kilometre trek to the shrine.
In Himachal Pradesh, continuous downpours have blocked 534 roads and disrupted over 1,100 electricity transformers as of August 28. The state has reported 310 deaths so far due to landslides, flash floods, and house collapses.
