Page 6 - Himachal Pradesh

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

Latest LIVE: Kerala on alert after 2 suspected Nipah cases spark concern in 3 districts

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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

Mandi cloudburst: Death toll rises to 13, search underway for 29 missing

With the recovery of two more bodies, the death toll in the cloudburst and flash flood-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi has mounted to 13 while search is underway for 29 others missing, officials said on Thursday. Ten cloudbursts, three flash floods and a landslide were witnessed in different parts of Mandi district on Tuesday. Officials said two bodies were recovered this morning. While seven bodies were recovered from Gohar, five were from Thunag and one in Karsog subdivisions of Mandi district. Over 150 houses, 104 cattle sheds, 31 vehicles, 14 bridges and several roads were damaged in the calamities. A total of 162 cattle perished in the calamities, while 370 people, including 316 in Mandi, were rescued and five relief camps have been set up, the state emergency operation centre (SEOC), said. The Manali-Keylong road was blocked following floods in a drain near Solang Nallah and the traffic has been diverted through Rohtang Pass. Men and machinery has been deployed

10 dead, 34 missing as cloudburst, flash floods hit Himachal's Mandi

Relief operations are in full swing, with emergency shelters established and essential supplies such as tents, blankets, and food being distributed

Watch: Monsoon havoc in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, one dead

Cloudburst and flash floods triggered by heavy rains battered Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, leaving one person dead and around 12 missing, officials said on Tuesday.

Himachal minister Anirudh Singh booked for alleged assault of NHAI official

The complaint, filed by Achal Jindal, who serves as Manager (Technical) at NHAI, claims the minister not only assaulted him but also subjected him to verbal abuse at the inspection site

Delhi gets rain and relief from heat; Himachal reels under monsoon fury

While rain brought relief in Delhi, heavy monsoon downpours caused roadblocks, power outages, and water disruptions across Himachal; IMD warns of flooding risk ahead

Centre okays ₹3,667 cr plan for road, infra development in Himachal Pradesh

The Union government has approved the annual plan of Rs 3,667 crore for the construction and up-gradation of roads, bridges and related infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh for the financial year 2024'25, said Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Monday. The plan includes construction of bridges, road widening, installation of crash barriers and other works on national highways across various districts of the state, he said in a statement issued here. The minister said that he recently met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and discussed important issues related to the state, appraising him that presently the state has around 1,200 kilometres of roads under the national highway network and requested to enhance central assistance for their maintenance and improvement of road and other related works. He said that while the state had submitted an annual plan of Rs 2,600 crore for the financial year 2023'24, but received only Rs 269 crore, which was ...

Monsoon fury in Himachal: Building collapses, landslides block roads

As monsoon remained active in Himachal Pradesh, news of rain-induced damages, building collapse, landslides and road blockades poured in on Monday. A five-storey building collapsed in Bhattakufer in the suburbs of Shimla on Monday morning, while several cows from a shed washed away in the cloudburst in Rampur. The building at Mathu Colony on the road to Chamiyana Super Speciality Hospital caved in, albeit without casualties as the district administration, sensing grave risk, had already evacuated the inmates. However, two adjoining buildings were also endangered. "We vacated the building on Sunday night as the land was sliding after Saturday's rain. The building collapsed around 8.15 am on Monday morning," said its owner Ranjana Verma, adding that a four-lane road construction had endangered the structure but no measures were taken to ensure its safety. According to Chamiyana gram panchayat Up Pradhan Yashpal Verma, cracks had developed in the building last year but officials of th

3 dead in Shimla in road accident amid heavy rainfall across Himachal

Three people died in a road accident near Jalog, Shimla, amid continuous heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh on Monday.According to the Shimla Disaster Management Authority, the vehicle met with an accident about four kilometres ahead of Jalog in Sub Tehsil Jalog. Patwari of the Ogli Gram Panchayat and police personnel rushed to the spot of the accident.Further information regarding the accident is awaited.Meanwhile, Shimla Disaster Management Authority reported a cloudburst last night in village Sikaseri in Sarpara Gram Panchayat, Rampur in which a room, kitchen, a warehouse, a cow shed along with a cow and two calves owned by Rajender Kumar, and a cow along with shed owned by Vinod Kumar and Gopal Singh each were washed away.No loss of human life reported.According to the Disaster Management Authority, 34 Distribution Transformers (DTRs) are down, hampering the electricity supply in Shimla. The DTRs will be restored by Monday evening. Also, the water supply has been affected due to the .

Red alert issued in Mandi; Beas river flooded after heavy rainfall

The India Meteorological Department has warned of light to moderate rainfall at many places in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kangra

Himachal govt to set up the emergency response centre in all panchayats

The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday gave its consent for setting up Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in all panchayats of the state, according to an official statement. In a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the cabinet gave its consent for Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in each of the 3,645 panchayats of the state to ensure effective response in the event of natural disasters to save human lives and properties. To encourage self-employment and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources, it also approved the provision of interest subsidies for the establishment of solar power projects, the statement issued here said. Under this initiative, a five per cent interest subsidy will be provided for solar projects ranging from 100 KW to 1 MW in tribal areas, while a 4 per cent subsidy will be extended for projects with capacities between 250 KW and 2 MW in non-tribal regions. The cabinet also approved the signing of a