New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS): Ministry of Home Affairs has approved release of Rs 200 crore, as advance from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), to the government of Himachal Pradesh, to help them undertake relief measures for affected people due to Monsoon disaster, an official spokesperson of MHA said on Sunday.

“The Government of India is monitoring the situation in Himachal round the clock, and providing necessary logistics and financial help to the State government to deal with the situation efficiently. So far 20 NDRFHQ teams, nine columns of Indian Army, three teams of Indian Air Force helicopters are deployed in Himachal Pradesh for rescue and relief work,” official spokesperson further said.

It said that the Government of India without waiting for memorandum, has also deputed inter-ministerial central teams, to make an on-the-spot assessment of situation and relief work being carried out by Himachal Pradesh government, which visited affected areas from July 19 to 21.

On Saturday, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had visited Delhi and had said that his state had suffered a loss worth Rs 10,000 crore and it will take around one year to rebuild the state again.

Sukhu had said: “Himachal government is getting help from the entire country while Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh government lent it support of Rs 15 crore and Rs 11 crore respectively as relief.”

Sukhu had said that Himachal had faced natural disaster twice, first during July 7 to July 11 and again from August 13, which continued to August 16.