Srinagar, Sep 01 (KNS): The Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced the constitution of Inter-Ministerial Central Teams for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab to assess the damage caused by heavy rainfall, flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides during the ongoing monsoon season.

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

Officials said the teams will make on-the-spot assessments of the situation and relief works being carried out by the State and UT administrations. The move follows a standing decision taken by Home Minister Amit Shah in August 2019, mandating the constitution of such teams immediately in the aftermath of severe disasters, without waiting for formal memoranda from the affected States.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

An MHA statement said the Centre has also released substantial funds this year to strengthen disaster response. During 2025-26, a total of Rs 10,498.80 crore has been transferred to 24 States under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

Rs 1,988.91 crore has been allocated from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to 12 States, Rs 3,274.90 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 20 States, and Rs 372.09 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to nine States.

The MHA said the Central Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the States affected by natural calamities in mitigating hardships faced by the people.”(KNS)