Page 3 - Shimla

Geotropy Iceland to set up Rs 8 cr CA store for apple growers in Kinnaur

Iceland-based company Geotropy Iceland would set up a controlled atmosphere (CA) store at Tapri in Kinnaur district on a pilot basis using innovative geothermal technology, benefitting local apple growers, officials said on Saturday. A pact was inked between the state government and the company in this regard, in the presence of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, a statement issued here said. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Managing Director of Horticultural Produce Marketing & Processing Corporation (HPMC), Sudesh Kumar Mokhta, and Chairman of the Geotropy Iceland, Thomas Ottohansson. The CA store would have a storage capacity of 1,000 tonnes and would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 8 crore. The state government would provide all possible assistance to the company for realising this project, as geothermal energy was a renewable source that minimises greenhouse gas emissions, the chief minister said.. The adoption of ...

With AQI below 50, Shimla attracts tourists from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi

While the AQI stood above 300 in at least 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi on Tuesday, Manali recorded the lowest AQI (6), followed by Kullu (7) and Dharamshala (15) on Wednesday

Himachal cabinet nods Rs 4,500 cr relief for affected families in Shimla

The state cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to a Rs 4,500 crore special relief package for the rain and landslide-affected families. The package was announced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on September 30. This special package has been granted for the period June 24-September 30 when the state was ravaged by rain and landslides. The compensation for a completely damaged house has been increased from Rs 1.30 lakh to 7 lakh while compensation for partially damaged house has been increased from Rs 6,500 to Rs 1 lakh. The Cabinet in its meeting held here under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister also decided to provide two biswas of land in urban areas and three biswas of land in rural areas to people rendered homeless. Biswa is a unit of land measurement with 1 biswa equalling 1,350 square feet. Decision to promote "amateur" and community radios for alternate communication during emergency in all districts was also taken to provide effective information exchange between ..

Long weekend spurs hotel occupancy in Shimla to 70%, recovery begins

The long weekend from September 30 to October 2 recorded over 70 per cent occupancy in hotels here, marking the beginning of the revival of tourism in the state capital. "The situation is improving. The room occupancy went over 70 per cent this weekend. We are hopeful that the tourist rush will increase in the coming days with the Shimla flying festival a paragliding accuracy competition which is going to be held in Junga in the suburbs of Shimla from October 12 to 15," Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association President MK Seth told The PTI on Tuesday. He said the starting of flights between Shimla and Amritsar on November 1 would further boost tourist footfall. Seth said he wants to advertise Shimla as a "treasure" of tourism activities and has plans to set up facilities for water sports in Sunni and adventure sports in Kufri. The opening of roads and resumption of the train service on the UNESCO heritage Kalka-Shimla railway has opened the floodgates for booking ...

Tourism in Himachal's Shimla booms amid festive season and weekends

Bengali tourists, who typically visit Shimla during the Navratri festival have started arriving in the town

24 roads in 5 districts blocked due to rain-related incidents in Himachal

According to the data by the State Disaster Management Authority, "16 roads remain blocked in Lahaul-Spiti district, 4 in Shimla, 2 in Kullu and 1 each in Kangra and Kinnaur districts.

Himachal Transport Corporation suffers loss of over Rs 50 cr: Deputy CM

The Deputy Chief Minister was addressing the media in Shimla where he said that these losses also include the Rs 30 crore operational loss to the state

Himachal open for tourists, Dharamshala air services restored: Officials

Himachal Pradesh is now open for tourists with hoteliers in prominent travel destinations of the state offering lucrative discounts, officials said on Tuesday. Flight services of Alliance Air from Delhi to Shimla and further from Shimla to Dharamshala have been resumed, they added. Tourist resorts of Kasauli, Shimla, Chail, Narkanda, Kinnaur, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Palampur, Dalhousie and Khajjiar have been reopened and roads to these destinations are safe to travel, Amit Kashyap, Director of Tourism and Civil Aviation Department informed in a statement issued here. Kashyap said tourists can avail of discounts in the current season in most of the hotels in the hill state. The recent spell of heavy rains during monsoon caused disruptions in travel in some road stretches, however, with efforts of the state government to restore the same on a war footing, tourists can now travel to Chamba, Kangra, Shimla and other districts, he added. The monsoon fury in the hill state during July

TMS Ep507: Brics expansion, disaster-prone Shimla, market direction & more

How will the Brics expansion affect India? Is Shimla the next Joshimath? What factors will guide markets this week? What is Brics? All answers here

IMD issues red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in HP for next 2 days

During the past 24 hours, Shimla recorded 190 mm of rain, and during one hour, it recorded 60 mm of rain in the morning, an official said

'Red' rain alert in HP, schools to be closed in Shimla, Mandi for 2 days

Rains lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday and the meteorological office here issued a red alert predicting "heavy to very heavy" rainfall with isolated spells of "extremely heavy" rains in eight of its 12 districts during the night. In view of the warning, Deputy Commissioners Aditya Negi of Shimla and Arindam Chaudhary of Mandi ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in their jurisdictions on Wednesday and Thursday. Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussian Sadiq said all educational institutions will remain closed on Wednesday. The red alert was issued in the evening for parts of Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Una districts as rains on Tuesday triggered some landslides in Mandi and hamirpur districts and uprooted trees in other areas. No casualties were reported in this fresh bout of rains, so far. Earlier this month, about 80 people died in rain-related incidents, including major landslides in Shimla. The Met also issued an orange al

Water saturation in soil, construction caused Shimla buildings to collapse

Falling in seismic zone IV and highly vulnerable to landslides, Shimla saw over 100 buildings suffering damage or collapsing during recent incessant rains, with experts attributing it to water saturation in soil, construction on drains, seepage and overburdening of hills. Himachal Pradesh received 752.1 mm of rainfall since the onset of Monsoon on June 24 till date against average rainfall of 730 mm during the whole Monsoon season from June to September, according to the Met department. About 46 persons have died in rain-related incidents in Shimla district in the ongoing Monsoon season and the losses in the district have touched Rs 1286 crore, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Aditya Negi said. Over 115 houses and buildings have been damaged. Keeping the safety of people in mind, over 100 endangered buildings including about 50 in Shimla have been vacated, Superintendent of Police, Shimla, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI on Tuesday. Overburdening of hills with construction coupled with ..

17 bodies recovered from debris of Shiv Mandir in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla

Chief Secretary of the government of Himachal Pradesh Prabodh Saxena, while speaking to ANI said that two bodies of a family are still to be recovered

Shimla's ex-deputy mayor sits on strike, urges rethink on development model

Former deputy mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation Tikendar Panwar on Sunday sat on a 24-hour hunger strike on Ridge Ground here, and urged introspection on Himachal Pradesh' development model in view of the recent rain-related devastation in the state. Panwar demanded an inquiry commission on the matter to be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court to assess the flood related damages and design a new policy framework to counter it. He said the National Highway Authority of India and companies responsible for the construction of four-lane highways in the state should be prosecuted. The death toll in rain-related incidents in the state has climbed to 78. Of the 78 deaths since August 13, 24 were from the three landslides in Shimla alone -- 17 at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill, five in Fagli, and two in Krishna Nagar. The ex-deputy mayor said that the current disaster should be declared a national calamity. He also called for immediate mapping of the state's vulnerabilities

Himachal Pradesh to declare heavy rains as state calamity: CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to declare the massive damage caused by heavy rains as a state calamity, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday. He said a notification in this regard would be issued Friday. The state is also waiting a response from the Centre to declare the disaster in Himachal Pradesh as a national calamity. Heavy rains have lashed the hill state since Sunday, triggering landslides in several districts, including Shimla. Talking to PTI, the chief minister said rescue operations are going on in full swing and the state government is making efforts to help the affected families especially those whose houses have been damaged in the flash floods and landslides with its own resources. "Central teams have inspected the affected areas for loss assessment and we need timely help from the Centre," Sukhu said, adding the state has suffered an estimated loss of Rs 10,000 crore. With the recovery of one more body from the rubble of a Shiv temple i

NDRF continues search and rescue in Shimla's landslide-hit Summer Hill

Earlier, NDRF on Thursday said that a total of 13 bodies, among 21 people who went missing after a massive landslide, have been recovered

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13 bodies recovered, NDRF rescue operations enter 4th day in Shimla

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit regions of Indora and Fatehpur in the Kangra district

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Himachal Pradesh: At least 60 killed amid rain fury; rescue ops underway

Both Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand, which too has witnessed dozens of deaths this monsoon season, are set to receive more rain, according to the weather forecast