Page 2 - Shimla

Rescue ops underway in flood-affected Samej village after Shimla cloudburst

According to Indian Army, the road to the incident site was blocked due to a land shift approximately 2.5 kilometres short of the incident site, after which troops moved on foot beyond the blockade

Updates: 9 children dead in wall collapse in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, several injured

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Himachal cloudburst: Army builds temporary bridges for restoration work

Teams of the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, Home Guard, and CISF have been deployed to carry out the restoration operation

Himachal cloudbursts: 5 dead, over 50 missing; IMD issues flash flood alert

Himachal Pradesh cloudbursts update: The India Meteorological Department has issued a 'red' alert for Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi, as more rainfall is expected on Friday

PM Modi monitors situation in Himachal in wake of heavy rains, cloudbursts

PM Modi asked top officials to ensure all possible assistance is provided to the affected

2 dead, 50 missing after cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh. Top updates

Himachal Pradesh rains: Over 50 missing after cloudburst in Rampur, Shimla district; rescue operation on as NDRF, SDRF teams reach on spot

Heavy rains lash several parts of Himachal, 115 roads closed for traffic

Heavy rains lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh, leading to the closure of 115 roads for vehicular traffic. The Shimla meteorological office Thursday issued an orange alert, warning of heavy to very heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places till Friday. As many as 115 roads including 107 in Mandi, four in Chamba, three in Solan and one in Kangra district are closed for vehicular traffic following rains and 212 transformers are disrupted in the state as per the state emergency operation centre. Meanwhile, cracks have developed at a stretch between Mandi to Pandoh of the Chandigarh-Manali four-lane road and it has started sinking, forcing officials to allow only one-way traffic since Wednesday, officials said. Locals say a retaining wall was constructed by spending lakhs of rupees but it has started sinking and has gone down by about two feet and questions are being raised on the quality of construction. The tarring work is going at the spot at wa

Delayed by 5 days, southwest monsoon hits several parts of Himachal Pradesh

The Southwest monsoon advanced and covered several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday after being delayed by five days, the meteorological office here said. According to the MeT department data, the monsoon was scheduled to arrive in the state by June 22. The earliest onset of monsoon arrival in the state was recorded in 2000 on June 9 and July 5 in 2010. The monsoon arrived in the state on June 24 in 2023, June 29 in 2022, June 13 in 2021, June 24 in 2020 and July 2 in 2019. Himachal Pradesh received 39.5mm against the normal 84.3 mm of rain, a deficit of 53 per cent from June 1 to June 26. So far, all the 12 districts in the state have received deficient rains. The MeT on Thursday issued a yellow warning of heavy rain, and thunderstorm with lightning for the next four days from June 28 to July 1 in 10 out of 12 districts of the state, barring the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti. "Isolated spells of heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning and gus

Four killed after Himachal roadways bus falls into gorge in Shimla's Jubbal

The mishap took place in Kenchi area of Jubbal when the bus which was enroute to Kuddu-Diltari in Rohru area of the Shimla district fell off the mountain road into the gorge below

7.4 mn tourists visit HP till May, hike by 3.5%; Solan surpasses Shimla

With over 74 lakh tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh till May this year, the tourist footfall has increased marginally by 3.5 per cent as compared to the corresponding period last year. A total of 74,64,184 tourists including 32,415 foreign tourists visited the state till May end as compared to 72,02,956 tourists including 23,174 foreign tourists in the same period last year, an increase of 3.5 per cent, said Tourism and Civil Aviation Director Manasi Sahay Thakur. "Efforts are afoot to improve inter and intra state connectivity through construction of heliports. Major focus is on infrastructure development like creating wayside amenities besides opening wellness centres, construction of ice skating rinks, promoting eco and adventure tourism with the funding of Asian development Bank (ADB)," she told the PTI. Private players are also engaged in advance to ensure sustainability of tourism projects and the results will be visible in the next three years, she added. Surprisingly, ...

SKM bandh call: Farmers, labourers block Shimla-Kinnaur road in HP

Demanding an adequate compensation for the land acquired for hydro power projects and employment for youths, farmers and labourers of 16 affected panchayats here on Friday blocked the Shimla-Kinnaur road for about two-and-a-half hours. Protestors took out a rally in Nirath Bazaar and later blocked the road, about 110 km from the state capital Shimla. Former CPI(M) MLA Rakesh Singha said that besides addressing the locals' issues, the protest was held to express solidarity with the farmers "facing injustice" at the national level. Now, farmers and labourers are going to organise protests and move forward to fight for their rights until their demands are fulfilled. The main objective was to protest against the project builder allegedly not fulfilling the demands, including adequate compensation and jobs to locals in projects in the area, the protestors said. Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road blocked by the protestors. People from 16 panchayats have reached h

Eying more tourists, CM Sukhu sanctions Rs 100 crore for Shimla infra

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday sanctioned Rs 100 crore for enhancing and strengthening the infrastructure of Shimla town with an aim to increase tourist footfall and facilitate the local people. "Rs 55 crore would be spent on underground power cables in Shimla which would ensure proper ducts facilities," the chief minister said in a press note issued here. He noted that the move will help provide uninterrupted power supply to the consumers even during heavy snowfall and adverse weather in the town. Sukhu said the Himachal Pradesh government would also spend Rs 45 crore for improvement and widening of Circular Road in the state capital. He said the decongestion of the road would go a long way in facilitating the local public and tourists and ensuring smooth flow of vehicular movement. He directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to remove all the bottlenecks on this road for the convenience of the commuters. "The present state government had .

SC sets aside NGT's order on Shimla Development Plan; BJP hails verdict

As the Supreme Court set aside the NGT curbs on Thursday, Bhardwaj said the people of Shimla were desperately counting on the apex court to rule in favour of sustainable development of the city

Shimla records 50-60% occupancy on New Year's Eve, 'lowest in 40 years'

Prediction of weekend snow and the chief minister's directions not to be harsh with drunk revelers on New Year failed to woo tourists to Shimla which recorded 50-60 per cent occupancy, "the lowest in the last 40 years". Last year, Shimla had recorded more than 80 per cent occupancy on New Year. The hotel and allied industries were pinning hopes on 'white New Year' but chances of snowfall appear very bleak. While, the Mall Road and The Ridge in the heart of the city are abuzz with tourists as winter carnival turned the place into a fair with lights and cultural bonanza being organised but tourist footfall has not converted in room occupancy in hotels, said Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association president M K Seth. The occupancy is about 50-60 per cent which is the lowest in the last 40 years and even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourist rush on New Year was more than this time, he told the PTI. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had directed to ..

150k tourists likely to be in Shimla for New Year's Eve; 200 cops deployed

Shimla is preparing for a tourist surge and traffic snarls on New Year's Eve and Shimla Police is taking measures to maintain traffic order and public safety

Nearly 100,000 tourists expected in Shimla for New Year, says Police

The Shimla SP further informed that the department is monitoring the traffic with CCTV and drone

Hotel demand surge in HP; record 28,210 vehicle cross Atal Tunnel in a day

The craze to visit Atal Tunnel propelled hotel occupancy in key hill resorts of Shimla, Manali to 90 per cent, as a record 28,210 vehicles crossed the Atal Tunnel on a single day on Sunday (December 24). After snowfall at Atal tunnel on Saturday, tourists made beeline to the tunnel and a record number of 28,210 vehicles crossed Atal Tunnel on Sunday, according to Lahaul and Spiti police on Monday. The hoteliers are upbeat as the local MeT office has predicted rain in mid hills and rain and snow in higher hills on December 30 and 31. The occupancy is around 90 per cent and the Manali Carnival from January 1 to 6, which would showcase local culture and cuisines, would boost tourist arrival in the year-end, said President of Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations (FOHHRA) Gajender Thakur. "We welcome the tourists, who have come to the State in lakhs," said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, adding that Himachal has stood up again after the disaster to welcome th

Himachal CM dedicates newly-constructed Sanjauli-Dhalli tunnel to people

The newly-constructed Sanjauli-Dhalli tunnel, built at a cost of Rs 47.36 crore, was inaugurated by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here on Monday. Taking a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sukhu said the construction work of the 154.22-metre tunnel was going on at a snail's pace under the previous government in the hill state and the Congress government expedited it and the structure was completed within a year. The state government has directed all departments to ensure a time-bound completion of every project, Sukhu was quoted as saying in a statement issued here. The existing Dhalli tunnel, which was constructed in 1852, served as a single-lane passage and had surpassed its design life, causing persistent traffic congestion. With the inauguration of the new tunnel, these issues would be addressed. Tourism, a key industry in Himachal Pradesh, stands to benefit significantly from the improved connectivity. The tunnel, strategically positioned on th

Tata Power adds to EV charging infrastructure on Chandigarh-Shimla route

Tata Power on Tuesday said it has ramped up Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure on the Chandigarh-Shimla route to facilitate eco-friendly travel. The route connects two major cities -- Chandigarh and Shimla -- serving as a crucial link for travellers and businesses alike. "Tata Power, one of India's largest and leading EV charging solutions providers announced the activation of its EV charging infrastructure along the Chandigarh- Shimla highway, covering a total distance of 111 kms and addressing the demand for reliable charging options on this popular route," a company statement said. The strategically positioned charging stations at Hotel Falcon Crest on the Chandigarh-Shimla Highway around Kandaghat and The Oberoi Cecil, Chaura Maidan Road near Shimla, enhance the feasibility of EV travel on the route, as per the statement. The first charging point is 83 km from Chandigarh to Hotel Falcon Crest, and the other is 26 km from Hotel Falcon Crest to The Oberoi Cecil. Consu

Himachal govt plans to increase grip on Shimla, Kullu construction projects

The Himachal Pradesh State Cabinet in its meeting on Saturday gave its nod to bring more areas of Shimla, Chopal and Kullu under the planning area to check the haphazard construction in these areas.