A security personnel carries the belongings of a villager from the site of a landslide after heavy rains at Jadon village in Solan district of India's Himachal Pradesh state. (File image: PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday, chaired a meeting to assess the flood situation in Himachal Pradesh. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, as well as BJP chief J.P. Nadda, were present at the meeting held at the Prime Minister's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg in the national capital.

During the approximately hour-long meeting, Modi assessed the situation and emphasised the importance of ensuring proper rehabilitation for those affected by floods and landslides. According to sources, he stated, "Prime Minister held a detailed discussion on the situation on the ground and clearly asked to ensure relief measures must reach affected people. Prime Minister also asked BJP leadership to deploy party workers to assist the affected people."

Meanwhile, BJP chief Nadda is scheduled to visit Himachal Pradesh on Sunday to evaluate the extensive damage caused by recent floods and landslides, which have resulted in at least 78 fatalities.

Nadda's itinerary includes meeting with the families of some of the deceased, a visit to an ancient Shiva temple destroyed by heavy rains and landslides in Shimla, and discussions with local authorities in Shimla and Bilaspur regarding relief and rehabilitation efforts. The party also noted that at least 16 people died in the temple collapse.

Additionally, Nadda will visit villages in Sirmaur district, where five individuals lost their lives due to a cloudburst.

The death toll from rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh over the past week rose to 78 on Saturday, with the recovery of one more body from the debris of a collapsed Shiv Temple in Shimla.

The local MeT office has issued a yellow warning for heavy to very heavy rains on August 20 and 21, with heavy rains expected on August 22 and 23. It has also cautioned of a moderate to high risk of flash floods in Shimla, Sirmaur, and Chamba districts.

The MeT office warned, "Heavy rains can result in landslides, flash floods, and an increase in water level in rivers and drains, besides causing damage to standing crops, fruit plants, and young seedlings."

The state government has declared the extensive damage caused by heavy rains as a state calamity.