Dharamshala:

A panchayat official caught on camera warning two shawl sellers from Kashmir against trading their wares in Himachal Pradesh was booked for “promoting disharmony” and “insulting religious sentiments”, officials said.

A showcause notice has also been issued to the panchayat samiti member seeking an explanation on her conduct in 15 days, they said.

The 2.46-minute video that surfaced on social media showed the woman telling the two Kashmiris not to come to the village and asking them to say “Jai Shri Ram” to prove they are “Hindustani.” The woman later apologised in another video. “I accept my mistake and apologise if I intentionally or unintentionally said something wrong,” she said in the second video.

The apology video was shared by the national convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association Nasir Khuehami who had claimed that the matter had been resolved after the apology.

A case under Section 299 (insulting religious beliefs) and 196 (1) (to promote disharmony) of the BNS has been registered against the woman, SP Kangra Shalini Agnihotri said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla:

Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Tuesday announced the government’s decision to remove gutkha and liquor advertisements from state buses. The decision was taken during the recent Board of Directors (BOD) meeting of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).

Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Deputy CM Agnihotri said HRTC plans to modernise its fleet by replacing nearly 1,000 old buses. This includes the addition of 327 electric buses, 250 small buses, and 100 mini-tempo buses. He also revealed that tenders for 24 Volvo buses had been rejected due to a single bidder, and fresh advertisements would be issued. Deputy CM Agnihotri reiterated the government’s commitment to reducing emissions and expanding the electric bus fleet.

Highlighting social concerns, Deputy CM Agnihotri said, “The decision to remove gutkha and liquor advertisements from buses is part of the government’s larger effort to curb drug addiction and promote a healthier society.” He added that the changes are aimed at prioritising public welfare, improving services, and strengthening the state’s transport infrastructure.

In a significant relief for farmers, the Deputy CM announced an exemption from luggage charges for transporting milk and vegetables. “This move is designed to support the rural economy and uplift the agricultural sector,” he said.

“HRTC is dedicated to public welfare,” Deputy CM Agnihotri stated. “We have introduced this exemption to help farmers bring their produce to markets, thereby strengthening the state’s economy,” he added.

Deputy CM Agnihotri also addressed the ongoing legal challenges faced by HRTC, revealing that the corporation is involved in over 3,000 court cases.

“HRTC has recorded a 14% revenue increase from April to October, reaching Rs66 crore. We are focusing on modernising and expanding our fleet, introducing new electric and diesel buses, and ensuring better services for the people of Himachal,” he said.

The Deputy CM highlighted the introduction of advanced technologies, including credit, debit, UPI, and National Mobility Card systems in HRTC buses. “Himachal Pradesh is the first state in India to implement such measures, benefitting the nearly five lakh passengers HRTC serves daily,” he added.

“HRTC cannot be run as a purely commercial entity,” Deputy CM Agnihotri remarked. “We operate on loss-making routes to serve remote areas and provide essential services. Additionally, we offer significant concessions, including 50% discounts for women and rebates across 28 categories. These efforts require substantial financial assistance from the government,” he explained.

On infrastructure development, Deputy CM Agnihotri announced plans to establish automatic vehicle testing centres in Hamirpur and Una. He also mentioned redesigning 148 surrendered routes and reassessing the ISBT Shimla allotment under the BOT model.

Responding to opposition criticism, Deputy CM Agnihotri dismissed claims about a “toilet tax” as baseless. “The BJP is spreading misinformation. If they want, they can sit in toilets all day to confirm no such tax exists. The sewerage tax, levied at 30% nationally, was introduced during BJP’s tenure. Our government has merely amended it to ensure fairness for large commercial establishments using government sewerage lines,” he said.

The Deputy CM also highlighted reforms in HRTC to ensure timely payment of pensions, salaries, and allowances to employees. “HRTC is not just a transport corporation; it’s a lifeline for the people of Himachal Pradesh,” he emphasised.

“With such progressive measures, the state government is setting an example of how public welfare and infrastructure development can go hand in hand,” he concluded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla/Manali:

A stretch of the National Highway-3 was closed for vehicular traffic following a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Himachal’s Kullu district, police said on Thursday.

No casualty has so far been reported in the incident that occurred late Wednesday, they said.

According to officials, the stretch between Dhundi and Palchan Bridge on NH-3, also known as Leh-Manali Road, was affected due to the cloudburst at Anjani Mahadev nullah in the Manali area.

Vehicles headed to Manali from Lahaul and Spiti via the north portal of the Atal Tunnel have been diverted towards Rohtang, the Lahaul and Spiti police said in an advisory on Thursday.

It also asked the commuters to travel only if necessary, drive cautiously, and stay aware of the possible danger en route.

A total of 15 roads, including 12 in Mandi, two in Kinnaur and one in Kangra district were closed for vehicular traffic while 62 transformers were disrupted in the state on Wednesday night, the state emergency operation centre said.

There have been reports of damage to a power project and a few houses but these are yet to be confirmed by officials who are assessing the damage.

The local Met office on Wednesday issued a ‘yellow’ alert of heavy rain at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh for the next four days till July 28. It cautioned about damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures and ‘kutcha’ houses in the state due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

A total of 49 people have died in rain-related incidents in the state, which has suffered losses of approximately Rs 389 crore, since the onset of monsoon on June 27, the emergency operation centre said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Rescuers remove mud and debris as they search for people feared trapped after a landslide near a temple on the outskirts of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh state, Monday, August 14, 2023. Heavy monsoon rains triggered floods and landslides in India’s Himalayan region, leaving more than a dozen people dead and many others trapped, officials said Monday.
| Photo Credit: AP

Torrential rains that have battered India’s Himalayas in recent years, killing hundreds of people and causing billions of dollars worth of damage, are becoming more intense due to a clash of weather systems triggered by global warming, scientists said.

At least 240 people have died this year in the mountainous region as landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rains buried homes and destroyed crops and infrastructure.

Seasonal monsoon showers are vital for India’s $3-trillion economy, bringing nearly 70% of the rain the country needs to water farms and refill reservoirs and aquifers.

But the monsoon’s convergence with a low-pressure weather system in the Himalayas in recent years has caused extremely heavy rains, something that scientists and officials have blamed on rising temperatures.

Also Read | Himachal Pradesh government declares incessant rain as State calamity

“Think of it as a collision of two forceful systems,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the India Meteorological Department’s regional centre in New Delhi.

“It causes significant rain, or even cloudbursts … we are noticing in the last few years, intense spells of rain lasting short durations,” he said, adding that this was due climate change driven by global increase in temperatures.

The number of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall days per decade in India’s Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and neighbouring Uttarakhand increased to 118 between 2011 and 2020 from 74 in the preceding decade, data from the weather office showed.

At least 166 people have died in HP and 74 in Uttarakhand this year since June in landslides, flash floods and other rain-related incidents, according to government data.

Rains battered the two states following the convergence of the monsoon system with Western Disturbances, a weather system that originates in the Mediterranean Sea and moves east, bringing moisture-laden winds that cause winter rain and snow in the Himalayas.

Western Disturbances usually pass north of India’s northern border between the summer and monsoon months of June and October, but, as temperatures rise, some of them move slightly south, said V.P. Dimri, director of the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism.

“Because of sea surface temperature warming, the Western Disturbances have more energy … similarly, general warming of the earth is also leading to change in wind motions,” he added.

Monsoon rainfall patterns across India have seen a climatic shift in the recent decades, said Roxy Mathew Koll, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

“The most significant change is that instead of having moderate rains spread out through the monsoon season, we have long dry periods intermittent with short spells of heavy rains,” Koll said.