Watch: PM Modi conducts aerial survey in flood-hit Himachal; to visit Punjab next

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey of the flood and landslide-hit Mandi and Kullu districts from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh to take stock of the devastation caused by heavy monsoon rains.Earlier PM Modi had voted in the vice-presidential election between NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan and INDIA bloc’s B Sudershan Reddy.The prime minister arrived in Kangra around 1.30 pm, where he met officials and chaired a high-level review meeting. He will also interact with flood-affected residents and personnel from the NDRF, SDRF and Aapda Mitra Teams.The review meeting included the state Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukku, union minister JP Nadda and other dignitaries approved by the PMO.The prime minister also announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for next of kin of those dead in Himachal Pradesh rain disaster, Rs 50,000 for injured.Earlier, PM Modi tweeted, “Leaving for Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to review the situation in the wake of floods and landslides. The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with those affected in this tragic hour.”Following his Himachal review, PM Modi is scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Punjab around 3 pm, before reaching Gurdaspur at 4.15 pm to chair another review meeting and meet affected families.Punjab is reeling under severe floods, with the death toll rising to 51, according to the state’s Department of Information and Public Relations. Swollen rivers and inundated districts have displaced thousands, prompting large-scale relief operations. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh has reported 370 fatalities during the ongoing monsoon season. Among these, 205 deaths are linked to rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drownings, lightning, and electrocution, while 165 deaths occurred in road accidents, as per the State Disaster Management Authority.