In this image posted on March 20, 2026, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu speaks during the Budget session of the state Assembly, in Shimla. Photo: @CMOFFICEHP/X via PTI Photo

Shimla:

A man in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district was left in shock when he received an electricity bill of about Rs two billion.

Lalit Dhiman, a businessman in Beherwin Jattan village, received a bill amount of Rs 2,10,42,08,405 for December 2024.

Mr Dhiman had paid just Rs 2,500 a month earlier.

He then went to the electricity board office and complained about it.

The officials told him that he received a high electricity bill due to a technical glitch. His bill was later reportedly rectified and brought down to Rs 4,047.

Last year, a tailor in Gujarat’s Valsad received an electricity bill that exceeded his shop’s property value. Muslim Ansari, who ran the shop with his uncle, had received a bill amount of Rs 86 lakh.

After Mr Ansari flagged his massive bill, officials from the discom rushed to his shop and examined the meter. What they found was that two digits — 10 — had been mistakenly added to the meter reading and this led to the huge bill amount.

Former India all-rounder Rishi Dhawan has announced his retirement from domestic limited-over tournaments after the conclusion of the group stage matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Dhawan, who played three ODIs and a T20I for India in 2016, took the decision after Himachal Pradesh failed to advance to the knockout stages of the tournament. However, the 34-year-old will be available for selection for the remainder of the Ranji Trophy season, starting from January 23. “It’s with a heavy heart, even though I have no regrets, that I’d like to announce my retirement from Indian cricket (Limited over). It’s a sport that has defined my life for the past 20 years,” Dhawan wrote in a social media post.

“This game has given me immeasurable joy and countless memories that will always stay very close to my heart,” he added.

Dhawan, who had led Himachal to their only Hazare title in 2021-22, had a middling run this year, making 196 runs in seven matches at an average of 39.20 with a solitary fifty.

A brisk medium pacer, Dhawan took eight wickets from seven matches this season.

“I want to take a moment to show my gratitude towards the opportunities that were given to me by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.

“From humble beginnings to representing my nation on the grandest stages, it has been a privilege beyond measure. Cricket has been my passion, and my reason for waking up every morning,” he wrote.

Overall, Dhawan played 134 List A matches and scored 2906 runs, besides taking 186 wickets.

From 135 T20s, Dhawan amassed 1740 runs and 118 wickets.

“I would like to thank all of my coaches, mentors, teammates, and support staff for the valuable contributions you have made to shaping me into the person I am today,” he concluded his post.

In the IPL, Dhawan played for Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians between 2013 and 2024 with limited success. 

Shimla:

Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla is witnessing a rare and age-old religious tradition that is believed to bring together the deities of the Spail Valley, showcasing the region’s vibrant cultural heritage. The four-day event was marked by a unique ‘rope-sliding tradition’ on Saturday in which a ‘jedi’ (a man belonging to the Beda caste) slid through a rope for at least one kilometer from one hill to the other.

A video of the event shows the 65-year-old man, Surat Ram, performing the ritual by sitting on a wooden raft and then sliding down the rope through what is called the “valley of death”. Shortly before he reached the other side of the hill, a rope that was attached to the man from one end, fell from the hands of people holding it on the other side. However, they got a hold of it immediately.

The rope (known as ‘munji’ – a sacred rope) was made adhering to strict rituals of celibacy and silence. It was also soaked in oil for the sliding to be smooth. According to Surat Ram, it took two and a half months for him to prepare the rope. He was assisted by four other people, he told news agency IANS.

Thousands of people had gathered in Dalgaon, a remote village in the Rohru sub-division of Shimla, to witness the tradition. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also reportedly attended it.

The religious event ‘Bhunda Maha Yagya’ began on January 2 and will end on January 5. It is marked by processions of deities carried in intricately adorned palanquins to the sound of trumpets and drums. The ‘rope-sliding’ ritual was last performed in 1985 by Surat Ram, who was 21 years old at that time.

Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing heavy snowfall this month, turning the state into a winter wonderland but has also brought many miseries to locals and tourists. Many people recently have experienced the perils of driving on icy mountain roads as their vehicles skid out of control. One such video doing rounds shows a small truck rolling down a snowy road in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali and slipping into the Solang Valley.

The footage shows the truck starting to slip on the icy road while it was snowing heavily in the town. The driver immediately jumped out of the moving truck, narrowly avoiding a tragic fall. He initially tried to stop the vehicle, but even he could be seen slipping on the road. Within a couple of seconds, the truck fell into the Valley.

A similar incident took place earlier this month where a Mahindra Thar skidded off a snow-covered road near near Atal Tunnel, which connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti Valley. The driver managed to jump out of the moving car.

A fresh spell of heavy snowfall in Manali this week left at least 1,000 vehicles stuck for hours between Solang and Atal Tunnel. The Kullu police launched a rescue operation and rescued around 5,000 tourists. Visuals showed officials assisting travellers in navigating their vehicles amid heavy snowfall.

“Due to fresh snowfall, about 1,000 tourists and other vehicles were stuck in Solang Nala. There were about 5,000 tourists in these vehicles. The vehicles and tourists have been rescued by Kullu Police and taken to safe places. The rescue operation is still going on,” the police said in a post on X.

Over 200 roads, including three national highways, have been closed in Himachal Pradesh. Out of these, 123 are in Shimla, 36 in Lahaul and Spiti, and 25 in Kullu. Additionally, over 170 transformers were disrupted, affecting power supply across the state.

Kullu:

Police rescued around 5,000 tourists stranded at Solang Nala, a ski resort in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu on Friday, amid heavy snowfall in the state.

Kullu police said that a rescue operation was launched on December 27 after about 1,000 vehicles got stranded in Solang Nala.

आज दिनांक 27.12.2024 को हुई ताज़ा बर्फबारी के कारण सोलंग नाला में करीब 1000 पर्यटक व अन्य वाहन फंस गये थे । इन वाहनो मे करीब 5000 पर्यटक थे। वाहन तथा पर्यटको को कुल्लू पुलिस द्वारा रेस्क्यू करके सुरक्षित स्थानों पर पहुंचाया गया है। बचाव अभियान अभी भी जारी है। pic.twitter.com/s8Z7y7l74U

— Kullu Police (@PoliceKullu) December 27, 2024

“Due to fresh snowfall today on 27.12.2024, about 1000 tourists and other vehicles were stuck in Solang Nala. There were about 5000 tourists in these vehicles. The vehicles and tourists have been rescued by Kullu Police and taken to safe places. The rescue operation is still going on,” Kullu police said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, heavy snowfall and cold waves will continue to grip Himachal Pradesh, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday.

The IMD issued an orange alert for snowfall and cold waves in the state for December 27 and 28.

Himachal Pradesh has witnessed heavy rainfall and snowfall across six districts, including Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla, and Kinnaur.

From December 29 onwards, a renewed cold wave is expected to impact the plains, including Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Una districts. These areas, along with Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba, are likely to remain under severe cold conditions until January 1.

Dense fog is also expected in isolated locations on January 1, which could further reduce visibility and worsen travel conditions.

Shimla city recorded a temperature of around 5°C on Friday, with a slight rise expected on December 28. However, after December 29, a significant drop in minimum temperatures is likely.

The IMD has advised residents and travellers to remain cautious and take necessary precautions, especially in snow-affected regions, where road blockages and disruptions are expected.

With heavy snowfall and severe cold conditions intensifying, the state is bracing for a challenging weather phase in the coming days.

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

New Delhi:

A severe cold wave has gripped several parts of North India with Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand witnessing heavy snowfall, leading to the disruption in travel. At least 226, including three national highways, have been closed in Himachal Pradesh, while in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, intense snowfall has halted traffic along a 30-kilometer stretch of the Tyuni-Chakrata-Mussoorie National Highway.

Uttarakhand’s Dharanadhar-Koti Kanasar road is heavily covered in snow, leaving two tourists from Delhi stranded, reported news agency IANS. Heavy snowfall has also made Jammu and Kashmir a winter wonderland but has also brought many miseries to locals and tourists. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Srinagar is witnessing a minimum temperature of -7 degrees Celsius.

Severe cold wave warning in Himachal Pradesh

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert for severe cold conditions in Himachal Pradesh, adding that a thick blanket of fog is likely to persist over the state. According to the weather department, some parts of the state may also witness rain and snow over the weekend.

“Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir on December 26,” the IMD said.

Out of the 226 roads closed in Himachal Pradesh, 123 are in Shimla, 36 in Lahaul and Spiti, and 25 in Kullu. Additionally, 173 transformers were disrupted, affecting power supply across the state, reported PTI.

Smog grips Delhi

A thick blanket of smog gripped Delhi on Thursday morning as the air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category. The visibility in the national capital also plunged, causing disruptions in flight operations. At least 83 flight departures have been delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) since 12 am.

The Delhi airport also issued an advisory for passengers amid the poor air quality.

“Low Visibility Procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information,” it said in a post on X.

The national capital is also witnessing a cold wave with a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning. The IMD has forecast light rainfall in the capital on Friday and Saturday and has issued a ‘yellow’ alert predicting dense fog on Sunday.

Shimla:

The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday urged the Centre to make some arrangement for hilly states in lieu of the revenue loss due to GST implementation and sought compensation on the pattern of the Kyoto protocol.

The Kyoto protocol, a global agreement signed in the Japanese city in 1997 with an aim to reduce carbon emissions, seeks to reward developing nations for adopting climate-friendly measures while prompting developed nations to cut greenhouse gas emission to a targeted level every year.

The state’s Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani invoked the ‘Kyoto protocol’ and raised the issue of compensation, an official statement issued here said.

Speaking at the 55th meeting of the GST Council held under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Mr Dharmani took up the issue of GST compensation and urged introducing some arrangements so that hilly states like Himachal could be compensated for loss of revenue due to GST implementation.

Mr Dharmani who led the state’s delegation in the meeting also took up the issue of Rs 200 crore demand notices issued by CGST authorities to toll lessees of Himachal Pradesh.

He emphasised that the Central GST department’s notices need to be annulled in view of the law position and requested to further clarify the issue, according to the statement.

Mr Dharmani also advocated for exempting individual health and term insurance policies especially for women, children and senior citizens from GST levy.

He also pitched for exempting GST on research and development expenses by public as well as private entrepreneurs for initial ten to fifteen years.

He advocated for establishing satellite towns in the state by introducing new provisions under Forest Conservation Act, and said the only way to establish such towns is by diverting forest land.

The minister also stressed on the need to provide funds for sewerage treatment facilities in rural areas and urged the Union finance minister to increase customs duty from 50 to 100 per cent on import of apples so as to protect the interest of apple growers.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla:

In a first in many decades, the Himachal Pradesh capital and its nearby tourist resorts on Sunday evening experienced the season’s first snowfall in early December, with the hospitality industry eyeing a surge of tourists.

“Shimla and its nearby areas have experienced light snowfall and this was the season’s first snowfall in Shimla town,” an official of the Meteorological Department here told IANS.

Places near Shimla like Kufri and Narkanda have also been experiencing snowfall, turning the tourist destinations more picturesque.

As news of the snowfall spreads, tourists may flock to Shimla, known for the imperial grandeur of its buildings that were once institutions of power when the town served as the summer capital of British India.

“It’s for the first time that we witnessed the snowfall in early December. As far as my memory goes, this is the season’s first snowfall in over two decades,” said Ganesh Sud, a local resident who has been settled in Shimla since the early 1990s.

“For the first time I am witnessing snowfall in early December,” his college-going daughter Radhika added.

The snowy landscape in Shimla would stay for a few hours only as the minimum temperature was high, an official of the Met Office said. Reports said some of the areas in the apple belt Jubbal and Kharapathar also experienced snow.

“High-altitude areas of Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kullu, Kinnaur and Shimla districts have been experiencing snow,” the official said.

The majestic Dhauladhar ranges in the Kangra valley got snow cover. Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district also experienced snow. Lower areas of the state like Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Mandi towns received rain, bringing down the temperature considerably. The Met Office has forecast that scattered rain or snow is likely in the state till Monday. After the opening of the skies, the minimum temperature across the state could plummet by three to four notches, a weatherman said.

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

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.)