Page 5 - Himachal Pradesh

Himachal govt announces ₹2 crore each for constituencies hit hard by rains

For the repair of roads and other allied works, Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Saturday announced a sum of Rs 2 crore each for assembly constituencies hit hard by the monsoon rains. Singh made the announcement in a video, which was also uploaded to his Facebook page on Saturday. Additionally, the minister announced Rs 50 lakhs for all assembly constituencies in the state for the restoration of roads and other infrastructures. There are 68 assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh, and the Mandi district has been the most affected, where rain-induced disasters have taken a toll on infrastructure and human lives. So far, since the onset of monsoon on June 20 till July 11, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses of Rs 751 crore. During monsoon, the state witnessed 31 flash floods, 22 cloudbursts, and 17 landslides, along with heavy rains. And, 92 people have died, of which 56 died in rain-related incidents in the state. Meanwhile, in a statement issued h

Funds won't be a constraint for relief, rehabilitation efforts: Himachal CM

He said that the government has opened almost all the major roads of these areas and the work of opening the link roads of the disaster affected area were going on war footing

Himachal Pradesh: Cloudbursts, landslides claim 91 lives since June 20

15 people died in cloudburst incidents, 36 were killed in road accidents during the same period, with Solan (6 deaths), Kullu (7 deaths), and Chamba (6 deaths) reporting the highest numbers

Centre plans revision of eco-sensitive zone guidelines amid concerns

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has called for a review of the guidelines governing Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around protected areas, stressing the need for a more "flexible" and "site-specific" approach that balances conservation goals with local socio-economic "realities". ESZs are buffer areas created around protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks to protect wildlife and biodiversity from harmful human activities, such as mining, construction and polluting industries. Activities like farming, eco-tourism and the use of renewable energy are usually allowed with restrictions in these areas. Chairing a meeting of the SC-NBWL on June 26, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, "Strict protection must be ensured for core areas, especially those that are the origin points of tributaries and critical water resources. However, extending a blanket 10-kilometre ESZs to all protected areas, irrespective of local ecological and

Himachal Pradesh: 7 districts face flash flood risk, 225 roads closed

With heavy rain pummelling several parts of Himachal Pradesh, the local meteorological department on Tuesday warned of a risk of low to moderate flash floods in parts of seven districts in the next 24 hours. These districts are Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur. The meteorological department also issued a 'yellow' alert, warning of heavy rains at isolated places in the state till next Monday. A total of 225 roads, including 153 in the worst-hit Mandi district, are closed while 163 transformers and 174 water supply schemes are affected in the state, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). Himachal Pradesh has received 203.2 mm of rain against the normal of 152.6 mm from June 1 to July 8. Mandi district recorded 110 per cent excess rain, Shimla 89 per cent and Una 86 per cent during this period. The monsoon hit Himachal Pradesh on June 20. Parts of the state have been receiving moderate to heavy rain since Monday evening. Gohar has recorded

Himachal CM chairs disaster management meet; focus on training, SDRF

The review focused on intensifying disaster preparedness given the increasingly destructive monsoon patterns and repeated cloudburst incidents in the state

Himachal death toll rises to 80; 52 rain-related, 28 due to road accidents

Rain-related deaths included 14 due to cloudbursts, 8 in flash floods, 1 from landslides, and others from electrocution, drowning, and falls caused by weather events

HPCET counselling 2025: Schedule, registration, seat allotment & more

The Himachal Pradesh Common Entrance Test (HPCET) 2025 counselling schedule has been released by the Himachal Pradesh Technical University (HPTU) on the official website at himtu.ac.in

Himachal flood news: Flash floods wreak havoc in Mandi's Thunag, region covered in debris

Flash floods and torrential rains in Thunag, Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, have caused massive destruction,leaving hundreds homeless.

Himachal rains: Rescue ops on to trace 30 missing, landslides in Mandi

Search and rescue operations are underway with drones and sniffer dogs being used to trace 30 people who went missing after cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc in the Thunag, Gohar and Karsog subdivisions of Mandi district last week, officials said on Monday. About 250 personnel from the National and State Disaster Response Forces, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Home Guards, along with the administration and locals, are undertaking the search and rescue work. Besides, 20 teams are gathering information and distributing ration and medical kits in inaccessible areas, officials said. So far, 1,538 ration kits have been distributed to the affected people and immediate relief of Rs 12.44 lakh has been provided. An additional Rs 5 lakh each is being sent to the Thunag and Janjheli areas, they added. About 225 houses, seven shops, 243 cattle sheds, 31 vehicles, 14 bridges and several roads were damaged in the disaster. A total of 215 cattle have perished, while 494

Himachal rainfall: About 72 people lost their lives, says deputy CM

The state government has geared up a lot of machinery, and we are restoring roads, water supply and electricity on a large scale, said HP Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri

Himachal rainfall: Red alert in 3 districts, CM says 'we are ready'

The district administrations of Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur have been put on alert following a warning for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in these districts on Sunday. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said the state government was prepared to deal with the situation. "We are ready," he said. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), the estimated losses due to the rains so far stand at around Rs 566 crore, though the chief minister maintained the figure was close to Rs 700 crore as data was still being compiled. The local MeT office has issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Kangra, Sirmaur and Mandi districts on Sunday. An orange warning has been issued for heavy to very heavy rainfall in seven other districts, excluding the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti. Reports of damage to link roads and small bridges being washed away following a cloudburst in the Swad nallah

Dalai Lama turns 90, urges compassion and peace in birthday message

Calling himself "just a simple Buddhist monk", the Dalai Lama thanked well-wishers for global celebrations and reaffirmed his commitment to peace, compassion, and harmony

Search on for missing as toll rises to 75 in Himachal after monsoon havoc

Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan stated that the relief efforts have been hindered due to the "geography" of delivering aid to the flood-affected people

Himachal first to use Aadhaar face recognition for ration distribution

Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to introduce Aadhaar-based face authentication (FaceAuth) for the distribution of ration to eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS), officials said on Saturday. Until now, authentication was carried out using either OTP-based or biometric methods. However, frequent challenges such as SMS delivery failures and biometric mismatches at the UIDAI end were causing inconvenience to the beneficiaries, Gokul Butail, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister, said in a statement. With the launch of the FaceAuth mechanism, the process has now been streamlined and made more accessible, Butail noted, adding that, unlike traditional methods, this new facility uses a mobile camera via an app installed on the fair price shop (FPS) owner's smartphone, enabling direct facial authentication of beneficiaries. "In a significant technological advancement, the department of Digital Technologies and Governance (DDTG), Himachal

NH construction in Himachal on track; state govt failed to use funds: Nadda

The construction of three out of four National Highways is in an advanced stage in Himachal Pradesh and major works would be completed in the next two years, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said in Bilaspur on Saturday. About 2,593 km long, four National Highways are being constructed in the state at an estimated cost of about Rs 38,000 crore. Addressing reporters, Nadda also lashed out at the state government for not utilising the funds allocated by the Union government. "The construction of three NHs is in an advanced stage and major works would be completed in 2026 and 2027 while the project for which Detailed Project Report (DPR) is under preparation would be completed in 2028", he said. Barring the Shimla-Mator National Highway for which preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) is underway and completion is slated for 2028, the Parwanoo-Shimla, Kiratpur-Manali and Pathankot-Mandi National Highways would be completed in 2026 and 2027, he added. Nadda raised the issue of

Himachal Pradesh battles monsoon fury: 63 dead, ₹700 crore loss, rescue operations ongoing

Relentless rains have devastated Himachal Pradesh, leaving at least 63 people dead and dozens missing. With the worst-hit Mandi district bearing the brunt.

China gave Pak live inputs, Sebi bars Jane Street, PM Modi’s Caribbean visit, Himachal rains

Top Army general Rahul R Singh on Friday said 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware is Chinese, and that Pakistan received real-time inputs about India's important vectors from China

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Heavy rains batter Himachal; 43 dead, ₹400 crore worth of damage estimated

Search, rescue, and relief operations are underway, particularly in the worst-hit Mandi district, where several roads remain blocked and essential services disrupted