Kullu : As many as 57 persons, including six patients, were airlifted from Lahaul and 58 from Kullu yesterday. Three sorties were carried out to rescue the stranded.

In-charge of the flight service in Kullu Ashok Kumar said the flights landed at the Satingri, Barring, Chokhang and Jispa helipads.

The Chief Medical Officer at the district hospital, Keylong, said five patients were airlifted from the hospital. They were taken to Kullu.

A woman, stated to be critical, was also airlifted from Lahaul to Kullu. With the stranded being rescued, locals heaved a sigh of relief yesterday.

he issue was highlighted in these columns. A number of people were stuck in snowbound Lahaul-Spiti. Following the report, the state government took steps to get them out of the tribal area.

Residents of Lahaul-Spiti said there should be a regular flight service. “In case of an emergency, we have no option. Air ambulance is the only hope as the Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul, on the Manali-Leh highway remains blocked due to heavy snowfall. The alternative route via the Rohtang tunnel is not open for locals.

Almost all roads restored: Shimla DC

• Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap on Thursday said all roads, except Dodra Kwar, had been restored in Shimla district.
• He said the Shimla-Rampur and Rohru-Kharapathar-Chopal roads had been opened, adding that the electricity supply too was restored in most rural areas.
• Kashyap said adequate machinery had been deployed on link roads. “There is no shortage of essential commodities in far-flung areas of the district,” he stated.

Source : The Tribune

Mandi will be the first e-district in the state and will go paperless soon. Deputy Commissioner Rugved Thakur along with his staff is working hard to achieve the target.

Thakur said, “Mandi district will be the first e-district in the state and we are about to achieve the target. Under the project, all kinds of certificates will be provided online. We aim to provide the service from April 1 this year. All offices across the district will be connected with a computer network to provide services related to common citizens online”.

The Deputy Commissioner said, “Around 90 per cent work has been done to make my office paperless. Efforts are on to achieve the 100 per cent target soon. The work is underway to make all government offices in Mandi district paperless. We are working hard and no other district is even close to compete with us”.

कुल्लू : गौरतलब है कि अंतर्राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर विख्यात हिमाचल प्रदेश के कुल्लू के दशहरे की झांकी गणतंत्र दिवस के अवसर पर 26 जनवरी को राजपथ पर दिखेगी. हिमाचल की शान माने जाने वाली यह झांकी जहाँ हिमाचल की संस्कृति की एक झलक प्रस्तुत करेगी वहीँ समूचे प्रदेश के लिए यह गर्व की बात होगी. राजपथ में इन दिनों गणतंत्र दिवस की परेड हेतु रिहर्सल करवाई जा रही है तथा कुल्लू दशहरे की झांकी की भी रिहर्सल करवाई गई. वाद्य यंत्रों की धुनों से थोड़ी देर के लिए पूरा माहौल देवमय हो उठा.

वाद्य यंत्रों से देवमय हुआ माहौल

जब रिहर्सल के दौरान कुल्लू दहशरे की झांकी राजपथ पर निकली तो वाद्य यंत्रों से माहौल देवमय हो गया. इसे हिमाचल की शान कहा जाता है तथा दशहरे की यह झांकी राजपथ भी अपनी शान दिखाने जा रही है. जब भी देवी देवताओं के लिए वाद्य यंत्रों की धुन बजाई जाती है तो माहौल देवमय हो उठता है यह देवभूमि की शान है.

Dharamshala: Data regarding entrance test for admissions to sainik schools has been hacked. Several residents of the Kangra region received phone calls yesterday, demanding money to help their wards clear the examination.

Balbir Kumar, a resident of Lunj area, submitted a complaint to the SP in this regard. Balbir, while talking to The Tribune, said he was surprised when he received a call this morning. “The caller gave me entire details of my child that he had filled the forms for entrance test for admission to Sainik School, Sujanpur in Hamirpur district. The caller said my child was short of 15 marks on the merit list. The caller demanded Rs 10,000 for getting the marks increased to ensure his admission. The caller then sent an SBI account number to me in which, he asked me to deposit Rs 10,000”, he said.

SP, Kangra, Vimukt Ranjan, said he had received the information. He said what can be implied from the calls is that data regarding details of candidates, who have appeared in entrance test for sainik school examinations, seems to have been hacked.

“Most of the people have been called from different numbers and given different bank accounts for depositing money. This looks like the work of typical gang of thugs involved in duping people through internet frauds. We have advised the people against believing claims to the callers. A team of the Kangra police is investing the case”, the SP said.

The fact that data has been hacked has created panic among the parents of children. Many of them are suspecting that the entire examination process might have been compromised.

Source : The Tribune

Palampur : It was the exemplary courage exhibited by Alaika Sharma (15), student of Anuradha Public Senior Secondary School in Maranda near Palampur in Kangra district, which has won her the national bravery award.

Alaika had managed to save three lives after a car accident that has brought her this recognition. The vehicle had got stuck in  a tree after it skidded off the road. Her name figures on the list of 22 children from all over the country who will be honoured for showing bravery.

Alaika, despite being injured in a car accident, which had rolled down a hill, managed to climb up and seek help so that her grandfather Capt KK Awasthi (retd), mother Savita and the driver could be given immediate medical aid. Her bravery in walking up the hill in an injured condition and seeking help from passersby saved three lives.

The National Bravery Awards were started by the Indian Council for Child Welfare in 1957 to recognise children for outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire others to emulate their example. The ICCW has honoured 1,004 children with the award, including 703 boys and 301 girls. Each awardee receives a medal, a certificate and cash.

Mandi : Several mountainous roads in Himachal pradesh were closed for vehicles following a fresh bout of snowfall in the state while light rainfall was reported from some areas on tuesday.

kelyong was the coldest place in Himachal Pradesh with a minimum temperature of minus 10.2 degree Celsius.

Rainfall recorded

Palampur : 12.4 mm

Dharmshala : 13.6

Shimla and Manali : 2 mm

kufri,fagu and mashobra,kharapathar,narkanda roads were closed due to snowfall.

Sub zero temperture were recorded at Manali,Kufri,Dalhousie and shimla.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur congratulated Jagat Prakash Nadda on becoming the national president of the BJP in New Delhi yesterday. He wished him a successful tenure. He said that it was a proud moment that a leader from the state has attained the topmost post in the party organisation.

“It is a proud moment for the state as JP Nadda has become the national president of the BJP,” said state BJP president Dr Rajeev Bindal.

Shimla and adjoining areas witnessed snow on Tuesday. Following this, vehicular traffic was suspended to upper Himachal beyond Dhalli.

It started snowing in Dhalli, Kufri and Fagu around midnight and continued in the morning.

A truck skidded near Chharabra and blocked the road on Monday night and the police control room received a call that a pregnant woman who was on her way from Rohru to a Shimla hospital was stranded near Chharabra.

A police party reached the spot, removed the truck and took the woman to hospital in a police vehicle.

Around 15 people were rescued from the Dhalli- Kufri stretch on Monday night, police said.

Meanwhile, Manali received 9 cm of snow, followed by Kalpa 4 cm, Kufri 3 cm, Keylong 2 cm and Shimla 1 cm. The minimum temperature decreased by a few notches. Shimla recorded a low of 0 degree Celsius.

The local MeT department has predicted rain and snow at a few places in the middle and high hills on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has initiated the process of setting up advanced navigational aid for the Bhuntar airport, which, while assisting aircraft bound for the airport located at Bhuntar, will also provide a fillip to air navigation services in the region.

Called Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range (DVOR), it was approved for installation almost three years ago and the construction for the building and allied civil facilities is expected to commence shortly. At present, the airport only has a non-directional radio beacon for navigational purposes.

“A site in adjoining Mandi district on a hilltop at an altitude close to 8,000 feet has been selected for setting up the DVOR, which is at a distance of about 60 km from the Bhuntar airport,” an AAI official said.

Following a heavy hailstorm after snowfall, hundreds of commuters were forced to trek 12-15 km on a slippery road to reach Shimla as over 600 vehicles, including five dozen buses, were stuck between Dhanda and Hira Nagar, near the state capital. The skidding of vehicles on the icy stretch had created a massive traffic jam, running into a few kilometres.

The area was lashed by heavy hail and snow around 5 pm on Saturday, making it difficult for traffic to move on the road. Passengers had to leave their vehicles with their luggage and trudge on foot to reach Shimla. While the district administration and the police got down to the task of clearing the road, the stretch between Totu and Ghanahatti is under the National Highways Authority of India and adequate machinery was not in place to clear the road, said Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Amit Kashyap.

Over 600 vehicles were stranded on the stretch between Jutogh Cantonment and Hira Nagar and we had to deploy over 40 police personnel to rescue the stranded commuters, said Shimla SP Omapati Jamwal.

Mandi: Inspired by two youths of Manali, a resident of the Seraj valley in Mandi has come up with the igloo (snow house) stay concept near Bhatkidhar to attract tourists to the district.

It is for the first time that igloos, constructed in Seraj by Murari Kumar with the help of his friends, are helping in promoting the area for tourism. Although igloos are often associated with Eskimos, they were traditionally used by the people of Canada’s Central Arctic, Norway, and Greenland.

As the temperatures in Himachal Pradesh are below the freezing point, people from across the country will come here to enjoy warm bedding in igloos built with snow.

“I got the idea from two youths of Manali in Kullu district who have been promoting igloo tourism for the past few years,” Murari said.

He said, “The Seraj valley is famous for its panoramic view. Shikari Devi and the Janjehli area here are famous as tourist places. Bhatkidhar, too, is part of Seraj, which is less popular among tourists”.

About Bhatkidhar, Murari said: “Bhatkidhar and its nearby places are also blessed with abundant natural beauty. It also receives considerable snowfall during the winter. Igloos can prove to be a major boost for tourism activities here”.

He urged Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to develop the place as a tourist place. He said, “Promoting Seraj as a tourist place will generate self-employment opportunities for the local youths, as it is suitable for snow activities and paragliding”.

Ram Singh, a local resident, appreciated Murari’s initiative. “The state government should help promote this place as a tourist destination,” he added.

Shimla : The Himachal BJP today got a new president after eight years with the unanimous election of veteran leader and former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr Rajeev Bindal. Outgoing president Satpal Singh Satti held the post for eight years.

Bindal was declared as BJP president by national secretary of the party Sunil Devdhar, who was also the election co-observer. Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who was the central observer for the election, handed over the certificate to Bindal.

Rakesh Jamwal (Sundernagar MLA) from Mandi, Sukhram Chowdhary (Poanta Sahib MLA) from Shimla (Reserved), Rita Dhiman (Indora MLA) from Kangra and Rajinder Garg (Ghumarvein MLA) from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat were also elected unanimously as national council members.

About 300 members, including all elected presidents of 73 mandals and 17 organisational districts, along with party MLAs and MPs and presidents of various morchas and members from the state in the national executive and other bodies constituted the general house that endorsed Bindal’s unanimous election.

The enthusiasm of the BJP workers, who swarmed the lawns of Peterhoff — the venue of the meeting, was to be seen to be believed as they celebrated the occasion by performing “Nati” folk dance and distributing ‘ladoos’.

All senior party leaders except former Chief Ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, who could not come due to personal reasons, attended the meeting. Both Shanta Kumar and Dhumal sent messages congratulating Bindal, which were read out at the meeting.

Besides Nishank, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, his Cabinet colleagues, Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur, party affairs in-charge Mangal Pandey and outgoing president Satpal Satti were present. Bindal expressed gratitude to the central and state party leadership and workers for reposing faith in him. He said, “4S – Seva (serving the poor), Samarpan (commitment towards party), Samanvaya (coordination between different wings) and Samrastha (brotherhood) are the guiding principles for me. The party has always been supreme for me and I will make all possible efforts to serve it with full dedication and carry everyone along”.

He lauded the contribution of Satti and said that he was the backbone of the party and took initiatives such as booth management, Panna Pramukh and “Tridev” and the party won the LS polls and two byelections under his leadership with massive margin.

The CM said Bindal is an Ayurvedic doctor who could feel the pulse and cure the maladies without side-effects. He extended full support to Bindal. He added that Bindal had been given a responsibility that suited his basic nature. Pokhriyal said that Bindal had vast experience of working in the organisation and the capacity to carry everyone along.

Mumbai : With the Himachal Pradesh authorities cracking down on the cultivation of marijuana plants in the Kullu valley, smugglers from the state are passing off charas from Nepal as ‘Malana Cream’ to foreign tourists visiting Mumbai and Goa.

“Foreigners who visit Goa, Rajasthan and other parts of India bring in synthetic drugs like cocaine, Ecstasy, etc. and trade them for ganja and charas,” says an ANC officer.

He added foreigners usually consume ganja and charas in India and pay a high price for charas sourced from Malana in the Kullu valley. Charas from Malana fetches around Rs 1 lakh per kg in Kullu. The price goes up 10 times when it reaches rave venues in Goa, says the official.

The narcotics sourced from Nepal are much cheaper, according to the ANC official. But in recent times, authorities in Himachal have destroyed the cannabis crop at high altitudes and arrested those growing the crop, thus stemming supplies to Mumbai, Pune and Goa, where there is big demand from the expatriate population, according to sources.

Drug peddlers are routing ganja and charas from neighbouring Nepal.

According to ANC officials, several drug smugglers who have been arrested in Mumbai and Pune have confessed to smuggling contraband from the neighbouring country. “Last year, at least seven persons were arrested for selling ganja in Mumbai,” says a police official.

Mandi : Igloo tourism is getting popular in Kullu district. For tourists staying inside a snow house is a new and unique experience adding to fun and joy.

Two youths Vikas Kumar and Tashi Dorje of Manali are promoting igloo tourism near the Hamta Pass at Sainthen village for the past three years, attracting tourists. The concept of igloo tourism (stay inside a snow house) was conceived by these youths in 2017.

Vikas told The Tribune that the winter time, when temperatures plummet drastically, is congenial for giving shape to an igloo. As temperature increases, the structure melts rapidly.

“Inside an igloo, there is arrangement for bedding, where tourists can stay at night. To maintain warmth inside, we provide the tourists hot water bottles and warm bedding system. Use of electric heaters or a bonfire inside the igloo for warming is prohibited. However, to decorate the igloo at nights with lights, we provide power supply through power generator”, Vikas said.

“We charge a sum of Rs 5,000 per person for night stay in an igloo, while a couple will have to shell out Rs 10,000. They will be provided breakfast, lunch and dinner along with other snow activity”, said Vikas.

Rajneesh Dube, a tourist hailing from Delhi and fascinated by the novel concept, said staying inside the snow house was a wonderful experience. “It is a new concept for tourists like us because a majority of tourists have no experience or idea about an igloo”, he said.

Like Rajneesh, several couples are visiting Manali to enjoy igloo tourism, where snow is in plenty for the recreation of tourists.

With igloo business getting popular, the youths are planning to promote it on a bigger scale in coming years. This year they made five igloos in the vicinity of Hamta Pass in Sainthen village.

Shimla : Tattapani, the famous tourist resort which has suffered due to drying up of hot sulphur water springs after construction of Kol Dam, is all set to regain its glory on the occasion of Makar Sankranti tomorrow by setting a record of cooking over 1,100 kg “khichdi” in a single vessel to be served to the devotees arriving to take a holy dip.

Serving ‘khichdi’ is a 92-year-old tradition started by the late Durga Devi. It is now being carried forward by the Durga Devi Bihari Lal Virochan Charitable Trust.

This year, the Tourism Department has actively associated itself with the programme and a huge vessel in which khichdi will be prepared has been procured from Jagadhri in Haryana.

All necessary arrangements for one-day Tattapani Tourism Festival have been made and the state government is making all efforts to promote tourism, said Director, Tourism and Civil Avition, Yunus Khan.

He said the ‘khichdi’ to be prepared on this occasion would be the main attraction of the festival. The objective of the festival is to promote the unexplored places. The town is now expected to be on the world tourism map as a tourist destination near Shimla.

He further said besides preparation of ‘khichdi’, the other attractions of the festival would be a cultural programmes, Sutlej aarti and water sports activities. Tattapani has immense tourism potential with provision for activities like adventure and water sports apart from religious tourism.

The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports, Manali, is conducting water sports at Tattapani. Shortly, water sports will become a regular feature at Tattapani, said Col Neeraj Rana, Director, ABVIMAS. The activities connected with jet ski, enterprise class sail boat, kayak, speed boats, rafts, etc will be demonstrated at Tattapani on January 14.

An electric bus service would be started for the tourists from Shimla to Tattapani. Covering a distance of about 50 km from Shimla, the bus will travel via Mashobra and Naldehra, Yunus Khan added.

With the construction of Kol Dam on the Sutlej river, the area has taken shape of reservoir which has now emerged an attraction for tourists.The Deputy Commissioner further added that starting of water asports ctivities at Tattapani, will help in generating direct and indirect employment opportunities to the locals.

Shimla : Foreign and domestic tourists continued to throng the state capital on Sunday. Behind the huge footfall is the snow forecast for Monday, which has upped occupancy in hotels at Shimla, Kufri, Narkanda, Theog and Fagu. Most visitors are looking forward to celebrating Lohri in the hills.

Not only tourists, but farmers too are elated as Kalpa in Kinnaur received over 13 cm of snow and Manali 2 cm.

The Shimla-Narkanda-Rampur-Kinnaur national highway was thrown open for tourists today, said Shimla Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap. With the Shimla-Theog and Theog-Chopal roads being restored, residents were able to get essential commodities.

“The PWD should deploy machinery at key locations so that the roads are restored soon after the snowfall,” the DC said. Water shortage is another problem plaguing the city. The SMC pumped over 43 MLD of water in the city today. “The supply will improve as the weather conditions are not that bad now,” said SJPNL managers.

“Most water pipes and roads in the shady and northern face of the city, which were frozen, have been restored,” said Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Rai. On the huge tourist influx, Sanjay Sood, president, Shimla Hotel and Restaurant Association, said the occupancy in hotels was over 80 per cent. “The rush will continue as more snow is predicted for tomorrow and January 16,”, he added. Former Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan slammed the district administration and the SMC for not restoring the public transport, power, water in the city even after three days.

Shimla : A medium intensity earthquake measuring 3.4 magnitude on the Richter scale hit Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district on Sunday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The earthquake hit Kangra district at 11.55 a.m., the weather department said.

“The epicentre of the earthquake was recorded at latitude of 32.3 degrees north and longitude of 76.2 degrees east and depth of 5 kilometres in Kangra district.” There was no report of loss of life or damage to property.

Earlier on Sunday, an earthquake of magnitude of 5.3 hit the Ladakh region at 10.54 a.m. The epicentre of the quake was Ladakh, bordering Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district at a depth of 10 kilometres. — IANS