As many as 40 persons died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh since the onset of monsoon on June 27 till July 20 and the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 329 crore, according to the state emergency operation centre.

One person was washed away as a cloudburst incident took place in Raitua village in Anj Bhoj area under Paonta subdivision in Sirmaur district late Friday night.

Confirming the incident, Paonta Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Gunjeet Cheema said that immediately after getting the information of a cloudburst in Raitua village, a team of Puruwala police station with the help of local residents launched a search operation in the five km long area where the Raitua Nullah flows to join the Tons River.

After a night long rescue and search operation, the dead body of a 48-year-old person identified as Aman Singh, a resident of Danda Anj village, was recovered from the Tons river on Saturday morning.

The SDM said that as per the information, Singh along with his daughter rushed towards his cowshed situated near Raitua Nullaha after he heard a sound of gushing water in the Nullah.

The Nullah was flooding following a cloudburst up side the stream. The increasing flash flood washed away Singh but he succeeded in saving the life of his daughter by pushing her away from the flooded area.

After the daughter raised an alarm, the residents of Raitua village rushed to the spot and started a search for Singh. They also informed the Puruwala police and local administration about the incident.

After a night long search, Singh’s dead body was found this morning in the Tons river, the SDM added.

The local MeT office on Saturday warned of moderate flash floods risk in few areas in Sirmaur and Shimla districts in the next 24 hours and issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rains, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated areas in the state on July 23.

It also issued yellow warning of heavy rains at isolated areas in the state on July 21, 22, 24 and 25 and cautioned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to kutcha houses and huts due to strong winds and rain, disruption in traffic and waterlogging in the low-lying areas.

Meanwhile, intermittent rains lashed a few parts of the state in the past 24 hours and Nahan in Sirmaur district with 60.4 mm was wettest in the state followed by Bilaspur while Kasauli, Dalhousie and Slapper received rain ranging between 1 to 3 mm.

Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, former Union minister and five-term MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, recently dropped from the union cabinet, made a comeback on Friday in a top Lok Sabha committee tasked with finalising the house agenda and deciding on time to be allocated for each item on the table.

Thakur found a place in the 15-member Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee which Speaker Om Birla constituted on Friday.

The Speaker nominated Thakur alongside five other BJP heavyweights — party’s national vice president and Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda, seven-term MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, former Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal, four-term MP from Jharkhand’s Godda Nishikant Dubey and party’s senior member PP Chaudhary.

The BAC committee that includes the Speaker as ex-officio chairman also has MPs from two BJP allies in the NDA — TDP’s Lavu Devarayalu and JD (U)’s Dileshwar Kamat.
Opposition members on the panel are — Congress’s deputy leader in LS Gaurag Gogoi and chief whip K Suresh, TMC’s Sudip Bandopadhyay, DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, Samajwadi Party’s Lalji Verma and Shiv Sena UBT’s Arvind Sawant.

The first meeting of the BAC is expected on Monday ahead of the Union Budget presentation on July 23.

Lok Sabha sources said BAC of the 18th Lok Sabha would have a crucial role given the larger presence of the opposition as compared to the 16th and 17th Lok Sabhas when the opposition had fallen short of numbers to even claim the official leader of opposition post which has now gone to Congress’s Rahul Gandhi.
Opposition INDIA bloc has 233 MPs in the Lok Sabha this time as against ruling NDA’s 293.

“The opposition’s say in deciding the house agenda and time to be allocated for discussions on government and other business will be greater this time. Also unlike in the previous Lok Sabha when the BJP had a majority, the 18th Lok Sabha will see more time allocation for opposition MPs as their numbers have grown,” sources said.

The committee, on its own initiative, can also recommend to the government to bring forward particular subjects for discussion in the House and recommend allocation of time for such discussions.

The opposition is determined to demand discussions on paper leak, Agniveer and other people-related issues when the BAC meets for the first time next week.

6 new bills listed

Besides the Finance Bill, the government has listed six new bills for introduction in the upcoming Monsoon Session from July 22 to August 12. These are Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, which will replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act to enhance ease of doing business in aviation; Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill to bring greater clarity to the roles of different organisations working in the segment; Boilers Bill to replace a pre-Independence-era law; Coffee (Promotion and Development) Bill and the Rubber (Promotion and Development) Bill.

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar, along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, here on Friday chaired a review meeting on the power sector and urban missions.

Khattar, who holds the portfolios of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, told reporters that after the portfolio allocation, he reviewed projects of his departments to understand issues of various states and discuss what new projects could be brought in future.

“Chaired an important review meeting of the Power sector & Urban Missions/Schemes along with Hon’ble Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh Shri @SukhuSukhvinder at Himachal Bhawan.

“Govt. of India is committed to transform the Power & Urban infrastructure and ensure a bright & sustainable future for the people of Himachal Pradesh,” Khattar posted on X.

Speaking to the media, Sukhu said such meetings helped in discussions and paved the way for resolving issues.

Meanwhile, Khattar said discussions were also held on the ongoing projects, including power, smart city, and urban development projects.

Khattar, who is MP from Karnal, while referring to urban development projects, said various schemes, including Prime Minister SVANidhi scheme, were also discussed and feedback was taken about the utilisation of grants issued/allocated by the Centre.

The two-hour-long meeting was also attended by Himachal Pradesh’s Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh.

The Himachal Pradesh Police have arrested one of the masterminds of a Rs 2,500-crore cryptocurrency scam, which was unearthed in the state in 2022, from Kolkata, officials said on Thursday.

Milan Garg (35), a resident of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended on Wednesday night from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, while he was trying to flee to Bangkok in Thailand, they said.

Garg, who was allegedly involved in designing and marketing of a fake cryptocurrency, was later brought to Shimla, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Northern Range, Abhishek Dhullar, told PTI.

Garg, who earlier fled to Dubai after the scam came to light, had returned to India in June and was again leaving the country when he was detained at the Kolkata airport. The accused has been arrested and brought to Shimla, said Dhullar, who is heading an SIT probing the case.

The accused, the main associate of kingpin Subhash Sharma who is still at large, was involved in designing of the cryptocurrency, software development and marketing, Dhullar said, adding that he would also convince prospective investors.

The cryptocurrency scam, which has duped thousands of people, started in 2018 but came to light in 2022 as the perpetrators of the fraud had threatened the investors to keep their mouth shut or lose money.

The investors smelled something fishy when they did not get money in return, but the victims did not come out openly against the fraudsters. However, later hundreds of victims came forward and uncovered the modus operandi of scammers and so far over 300 complaints have been received.

Police have arrested 26 people in connection with the case and charge sheets have been filed against 70 people so far. Some of the main accused arrested included Hemraj, Sukhdev, both from Mandi, and Arun Guleria and Abhishekh from Una district of Himachal.

The scammers lured people by promising handsome returns in a short span of time and built a network of investors. People from different sections of society, including policemen and teachers, got involved in the scheme for quick returns.

The fraudsters approached people with an investment plan related to a locally made (in Mandi district) cryptocurrency known as ‘Korvio Coin’ or KRO coins. Three to four kinds of cryptocurrency were used and false websites in which the cryptocurrency prices were manipulated and inflated were created, police said.

Intermittent rains continued to lash parts of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday and the local Met office here issued a ‘yellow alert’, predicting heavy rains in isolated areas of the state for the next four days.

The meteorological department in Shimla has forecast a wet spell in Himachal Pradesh till July 23.
It also cautioned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to kutcha houses and huts due to strong winds and rain, disruption in traffic and waterlogging in the low-lying areas.

Olinda received 94.6 mm of rain since Tuesday evening followed by Naina Devi (44.8), Baijnath (32 mm) Dharamsala (14.4 mm), Nahan (10 mm), Mandi (8.6 mm) and Kandaghat (5.6 mm).

Since the onset of monsoon on June 27 till July 16, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 186 crores and 31 persons have died in rain related incidents, according to the state emergency operation centre.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support Himachal Pradesh in its initiative to become a green state. Sukhu called on the Prime Minister in New Delhi.

PM requested for RIDF loan for electric buses

Sukhu discussed the issue of free power royalty in projects under the SJVN and the NHPC with the Prime Minister and urged him for a favourable decision
He requested the Prime Minister to approve Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) loan under NABARD for the purchase of eco-friendly electric buses
The Chief Minister also discussed the potential of generating 1,000 MW of hybrid solar and wind energy in Spiti, which can be transmitted through a green corridor by utilising the solar, wind and hydropower potential of the Sutlej basin
He requested the Prime Minister that the Centre should bear 50 per cent of the land acquisition cost of the expansion of the Kangra airport project

Sukhu urged the Prime Minister to help the state get the rights and assets of the Shanan power project to Himachal, the lease period of which had expired.

He briefed Modi on various development initiatives taken in the state and requested him for substantial financial assistance to help the state to recover from massive losses suffered during the monsoon last year. The Prime Minister gave him a patient hearing and assured him of all possible assistance.

He highlighted the state’s goal of sustaining entirely on green energy in the near future and taking several green initiatives like switching over to electric buses. Besides, the Chief Minister sought support for a mega solar project in Spiti. He raised several power-related issues pending with the Central Government and sought Rs 4,300 crore arrears due to the state from the BBMB.

Sukhu informed the Prime Minister about the state’s efforts to boost tourism, with Kangra being developed as the tourism capital. He emphasised the importance of expansion of the Kangra airport and requested the Prime Minister that the Central Government should bear 50 per cent of the land acquisition cost and provide a special grant for the project.

He gave a suggestion for establishing a tourism SEZ to create jobs and spur economic development with Himachal being an ideal starting point. Sukhu also called on Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar and sought his intervention in restoring the rights of the Shanan power project to the state as its lease period had expired. He also requested Khattar to release the pending share due from the BBMB and support for a mega solar park in Spiti. Khattar assured him of looking into the issues.

In a major relief to the Himachal Pradesh Government, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to transfer free of cost to the state the proprietary rights over all assets meant for providing civic amenities to the civilian population in cantonments.

As all civil areas, after their excision from cantonments, will be handed over to the state and merged with local municipalities in accordance with the latest guidelines, the residents have heaved a sigh of relief. Once the exercise is completed, the civilian population will be able to enjoy the benefits of various state government schemes and also undertake need-based repair and modifications in their buildings without following a rigorous procedure. The state government, for its part, will be able to impose taxes in such areas, which will be governed by local municipal laws.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was supposed to lease out its properties to the state government while retaining the ownership rights. Civil areas are currently being excised out of Himachal’s six cantonment towns of Kasauli, Dagshai, Subathu, Baklog, Jutogh and Dalhousie, an exercise that is being conducted nationally. The process was completed at Khas Yol in Kangra district last year.

The MoD has issued related directions to the Cantonment Executive Officers (CEOs) to liaise with the state government and apprise it of the status of such areas. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Director General Defence Estate held on June 26.

Confirming the development, Kasauli Sub-Divisional Magistrate Narayan Chauhan said, “Once the CEO sends the revised report based on the new directions to the state government, we will conduct a field assessment and prepare the final report.”

The municipal jurisdiction over the leased and old grant properties (OGPs) in the “excised” area shall also be transferred to state municipalities. “Though this is a welcome move, a majority of the OGPs are located outside civil areas on the defence land in towns like Kasauli. The owners of such properties are keen to be part of the “excising”. This will, however, require change in modalities as in the present scenario, only civilian areas are being excised from cantonments,” observed Devinder Gupta, former vice-president of the Kasauli cantonment board.

Of the total 688 acres in Kasauli Cantonment, the notified civil area (NCA) comprises 43.5 acres. It includes Sadar Bazaar, Market Bazaar, Mashobra, Slaughter House, Ettawa and Nahari. Out of these pockets, certain vacant land of Sadar Bazaar and Slaughter House area were earlier proposed to be retained by the defence authorities. These areas would also be excised from the cantonment, as per the MoD’s fresh guidelines.

The state government will be able to collect over Rs 50 lakh as house tax. This will be its sole commercial gain after merging certain NCAs into nearby panchayats.

What will change

State to earn extra revenue from newly merged areas
Owners of buildings can easily carry out need-based modifications in their properties

Forty-four persons were stranded for four hours overnight near Kunzum Pass in Himachal’s Lahaul and Spiti district, police said on Monday.

The rescue operation was carried out by the district police from 2.30 am to 6 am, they said.

The passengers were on their way to Kaza from Koksar when the bus got stuck in the mud about 500 m behind Kunzum Pass, towards Batal, police said.

The police received information on Monday that a bus carrying 44 persons and a pickup truck were stuck near Kunzum Pass. A team was immediately rushed to the spot and began the rescue operation, they said.

The passengers of the bus included 23 men, 19 women, a driver and a guide, they said.

SP Lahaul and Spiti Mayank Chaudhary said that after the incident, keeping in mind the security, the district police decided that no tourist vehicle will be allowed from Koksar to Kaza and from Losar to Koksar after 4 pm.

Only local vehicles, emergency vehicles and tourists with bookings will be allowed to travel towards Losar, and from Losar to Koksar after 4 pm, Chaudhary said.

Meanwhile, parts of Himachal Pradesh continued to receive intermittent rain as the Met office issued a ‘yellow alert’ on Monday, predicting heavy rains in isolated areas of the state later in the week.

The meteorological department in Shimla has forecasted a wet spell in Himachal Pradesh till July 21.

Intermittent rains have lashed some parts of the state since Sunday evening, with the highest rain recorded in Sundernagar at 36.8 mm, followed by Mandi at 16.6 mm, Pandoh at 12 mm, Poanta Sahib at 8.2 mm, Karsog at 8.1 mm, Gohar at 7 mm, Baggi at 5.7 mm, Slapper at 4.5 mm, Solan at 4.4 mm and Kufri at 4 mm.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 27, so far, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 183 crores, and 29 persons have died in rain-related incidents, according to the state emergency operation centre.

Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was coldest at night, recording a low of 10.9 degrees Celsius, while Una was hottest during the day, recording a maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today laid the foundation stone of a new tourism complex at Auhar in Bilaspur district to be constructed at a cost of Rs 33.75 crore. This complex will feature modern facilities like a hotel block, a food court and a recreation zone and is expected to be completed in two years.

The Chief Minister said that the hotel block would have a reception-cum-waiting area, a restaurant with a seating capacity for 60 people, a conference room for 30 people, a ‘dham hall’ for 400 persons, a banquet hall for 300 persons and several other facilities. “The new complex will epitomise luxury and cater to tourists with its state-of-the-art facilities,” he added.

Sukhu said, “The second phase of the complex will be constructed on the opposite side of the road with both blocks interconnected. This phase will feature an amusement park for children, a food court and other essential amenities and the project will cost Rs 150 crore.” He added that the state government was committed to improving infrastructure and providing world-class facilities to tourists so that they did not face any inconvenience during their stay in the state.

He said that tourism was a crucial sector for strengthening the state’s economy. It offered significant employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth of the state. “The government is making all-out efforts to make Himachal Pradesh the top tourist destination,” he added.

Later, while talking to mediapersons, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to people for supporting the Congress in the byelections. He said that people had rejected the “Operation Lotus” and the politics of horse-trading by sending six former MLAs home, delivering a strong message against the BJP’s conspiracy. He asked Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and other BJP leaders to learn a lesson from the public mandate and play a constructive role as the Opposition.

Sukhu said that development was hindered due to the election code of conduct and assured people that the Congress government would expedite decision making for the state’s benefit. He also listened to public grievances. Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani, former MLAs Babu Ram Gautam and Tilak Raj, Congress leaders Vivek Kumar and Pushpinder Verma and Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq were also present.

Congress candidates, including Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife, are in the lead in the two assembly constituencies of Dehra and Nalagarh, while the BJP candidate is ahead in Hamirpur.

Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur was leading by 9,265 votes against her nearest rival and BJP candidate Hoshiyar Singh in the Dehra assembly seat after the 10th round of counting.

Congress candidate Hardeep Singh Bawa was also leading by 6,870 votes after the sixth round against the BJP candidate K L Thakur in the Nalagarh assembly seat.

In the Hamirpur assembly seat, BJP’s Ashish Sharma, who was trailing in the first four rounds against Congress’ Pushpinder Verma, was now ahead by 1545 votes after the seventh round.

Thirteen candidates were in the fray from the three seats.

Faced with a severe financial crunch, the Himachal Pradesh Government on Friday decided to do away with subsidy on electricity bills for all income taxpayers in the state.

The decision taken by the Cabinet will affect taxpayers across the board, including the Chief Minister, ministers, legislators, bureaucrats, Class I and II employees, businessmen, etc.

However, people from the below poverty line (BPL) /Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) categories besides other weaker sections who do not pay income tax will continue to get the benefit.

Already in the red, the HP State Electricity Board (HPSEB) accumulated Rs 1,800 crore in losses in 2023-24. The board, which has over 12,000 employees, gets a grant of Rs 950 crore annually from the state government. The amount that the HPSEB will save by way of the Cabinet decision is yet to be worked out, point out officials.

The Cabinet further approved rationalisation of provisions for zero electricity bill for domestic consumers by restricting subsidy to ‘one family, one meter’ and linking the electricity connections with ration cards (Aadhaar seeded).

There are 26 lakh power consumers in the state, of whom 12 lakh are getting the zero electricity bill benefit by consuming less than 125 units. With many consumers having multiple meters, the government proposes to save around Rs 200 crore annually by rationalising the zero electricity bill for domestic consumers.

The state is grappling with a severe financial crisis with the total debt burden crossing Rs 85,000 crore. With the reduction in revenue deficit grant and GST allocation, the fiscal health of the state may worsen.

There has been an average decline of 12.72 per cent in the snow cover in the river basins of the Chenab, Ravi, Beas and the Sutlej in the Himalayas during 2023-24 as compared to a decline of 14.05 per cent during the last winter.

Most of the Himalayan glaciers are losing mass and a large shift is being observed in the snowfall patterns
Concrete steps like switching over to e-vehicles and renewable energy, which will help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, need to be taken so that the rise in temperatures can be checked, says DC Rana, Director Environment
State capital Shimla had received negligible snowfall in the past two winters

Though there has been a decline in the snow cover this winter, it was relatively less as compared to the winter of 2022-23. However, the Ravi basin has shown a marginal increase in the area under snow during 2023-24.

The findings are based on the satellite imagery studies undertaken by the State Centre on Climate Change under the aegis of the HP Council for Science Technology and Environment (HIMCOSTE). As per the studies to assess the winter precipitation in the form of snow, the maximum decline of 15.39 per cent this winter was witnessed in the Chenab basin, followed by 12.45 per cent in the Sutlej basin, 9.89 per cent in the Ravi basin and 7.65 per cent in the Beas basin.

What is worrisome is the highest decline in the snow cover in January; the dip was 67 per cent in the Sutlej basin, 64 per cent in the Ravi basin, 43 per cent in the Beas basin and 42 per cent in the Chenab basin, as compared to the previous year’s winter. The snow cover in February and March showed a positive trend in all basins.

About one third of the total geographical area of Himachal remains under a thick snow cover during the winter season and the major rivers like the Chenab, Beas, Parvati, Baspa, Spiti, Ravi, Sutlej and its perennial tributaries originating from the Himalayas depend upon the seasonal snow cover for their discharge dependability.

“The mapping of the seasonal snow cover in terms of its spatial distribution covers different river basins in Himachal Pradesh during the winter season from October to April. It is an important input for understanding the contribution of snow in different catchments to sustain the hydrology of the river basins,” said DC Rana, Director Environment.

The winter precipitation was mapped in all basins, including the Chandra, Bhaga, Miyar, Beas, Parvati, Jiwa, Pin, Spiti and the Baspa between October 2023 and April 2024. It was also seen that during the peak winter months of December to February, all basins showed a declining trend except the Sutlej basin, which showed a 2 per cent positive trend.

A landslide obstructed the route to Manimahesh Dal lake in Bharmour area of Chamba district on Thursday.

A 19-second video of the event that occurred between Goinallah and Donali, made by a traveller, turned up on social media.

Though Manimahesh Yatra starts from August 17 and stays on till September 15, devotees and tourists take the yatra outside these dates as well.

The administration has asked people not to take the route and has put up information boards on the stretch.

Eleven roads including four each in Shimla and Mandi and three in Kangra, are closed for vehicular traffic following rain last week, the state emergency operation centre said.

Light rain continue to take place across the state.

Kasauli, with 39 mm of rain, was the wettest, followed by Dharamsala 22.6 mm, Poanta Sahib 22 mm, Nahan 13.2 mm, Olinda 8.4 mm, Sarahan and Dalhousie 6 mm each, and Shimla 3.5 mm.

The Met office in Shimla has issued a ‘yellow’ warning predicting heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places on Friday and Saturday. It has predicted a wet spell till July 17.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti recorded a minimum night temperature of 11.7 degrees Celsius, while Una was hottest during the day recording a high of 38 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, the state Directorate of Tourism and Civil Aviation in a statement said majority of the roads in the state are open and accessible for the tourists and residents.

Key tourist destinations, including Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti are open for tourists, the statement read.

With the onset of the monsoon in the state, a noticeable decline in tourist arrivals has been observed in Kullu-Manali, marking a significant drop in the region’s bustling hospitality sector.

Hotels, usually abuzz with vacationers and adventurers during peak summer months, are now grappling with dwindling occupancy rates, which have plunged to nearly 30 per cent.

The allure of Kullu-Manali, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, adventurous activities and vibrant local culture, typically attracts tourists in big numbers in the summer. However, with the arrival of the monsoon, the dynamics shift dramatically. The weather becomes unpredictable, with intermittent showers and occasional landslides, posing challenges to travel and outdoor activities. These conditions deter many prospective visitors from visiting the region, leading to a sharp decline in their footfall.

Local hoteliers and tour operators, who eagerly anticipate the peak season each year, are now facing a stark reality. The once bustling streets and crowded markets of Kullu-Manali are now wearing a deserted look. Businesses that thrive on tourism, such as restaurants, souvenir shops, and adventure sports operators, are experiencing a slump in their income.

“We usually witness a surge in bookings from April to June. But in July, the number of bookings comes down noticeably,” said Hem Raj Sharma, a hotel owner in Manali. “The monsoon brings its own charm to the hills, but it also decreases the number of tourists,” he added.

“The decline in tourist influx has broader economic implications for the region. Kullu-Manali heavily relies on tourism as a primary source of revenue and livelihood for its residents. The seasonal nature of tourism here means that businesses must maximise earnings during the peak season to sustain themselves through the quieter months,” said Anup Thakur, president, Kullu-Manali Prayatan Vikas Mandal.

The authorities are also focusing on infrastructure development and safety measures to mitigate the impact of monsoon-related challenges. Road maintenance and disaster management strategies are being reinforced to ensure the safety of both residents and visitors.

A voter turnout of about 71 per cent was recorded in the bypolls in three Assembly constituencies of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, according to data shared by the state election department.

Polling was peaceful in the Nalagarh Assembly constituency, which recorded the highest polling of 78.1 per cent, Hamirpur (67.1 per cent) and Dehra (65.2 per cent), election officials said.

Data is being compiled and the polling percentages could increase, they said.

The seats fell vacant after Independent legislators Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra), Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur) and K L Thakur (Nalagarh), who had voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27, resigned from the state assembly on March 22 and joined the party the next day.

Votes will be counted on July 13.

In a straight contest between traditional arch-rivals, the Congress and the BJP, the stakes are high for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu with his wife Kamlesh Thakur making her electoral debut from Dehra in Kangra district.

This constituency was carved out after delimitation in 2010 and the Congress has never won this seat.

The Chief Minister campaigned aggressively in Dehra, compared to two other seats, to ensure victory for Kamlesh Thakur, who is in the fray against BJP nominee Hoshiyar Singh, who won the seat as an Independent candidate in 2022 for the second consecutive time.

In 2012, Ravinder Singh Ravi of the BJP was elected from Dehra.

To woo the electorate, Sukhu said during the campaigning, “Dehra will technically get a CM (Chief Minister) if they elect his wife.”

The main opposition BJP, which has won all four seats in the just concluded parliamentary elections, has fielded K.L. Thakur from Nalagarh and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur, where they will be pitted against Congress’ Hardeep Bawa and Pushpendra Verma, respectively.

Both KL Thakur and Ashish Sharma won the seats as Independent candidates in 2022 before joining the BJP earlier this year.

The duo, along with Hoshiyar Singh, resigned from the Assembly in March and joined the BJP.

The bypolls were necessitated after the Speaker accepted their resignations on June 4. With four new legislators, the Congress has stabilised its government in the state.

At present, the Congress has 38 MLAs in the Assembly House of 65, while the BJP has 27.

Traffic movement on Circular Road in Shimla was partially disrupted after a landslide occurred near the site of an under-construction parking lot near Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.

The incident occurred on Monday night when a portion of the road sunk due to rainfall. However, no loss was reported in the incident.

Taking immediate action, the district administration restored traffic movement on the road on one side and covered the sinking section with tarpaulin to prevent any further impact from the rain.

As a precautionary measure, the power supply to an electric pole located at the site was cut off to prevent from damages.

Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap along with other senior officials of the district administration reached the spot upon receiving the information and took stock of the situation.

The DC said that the Superintending Engineer of the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department has been instructed to start relief work at the site early in the morning to ensure that people do not face any inconvenience.

He assured that traffic arrangements would remain smooth at the site.

Additionally, there is a water supply pipe at the incident site. Instructions have been given to officials of the Jal Shakti Department to ensure its safety.

The DC also appealed to the people to remain vigilant during the monsoon season and immediately report any such incidents to the administration.

Municipal Commissioner Bhupinder Attri at Shimla Municipal Corporation along with other officials also visited the spot. He said that restoration work is going on and the road will be complete within a week.

Rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh triggered landslides on Monday, prompting the authorities to close more than 70 roads, including a national highway.

The Shimla-Kinnaur Road (National Highway 5) was blocked near the Nathpa sliding point in Kinnaur district, officials said.

According to the state’s Emergency Operation Centre, 70 roads — 31 in Mandi, 26 in Shimla, four each in Sirmaur and Kinnaur, two each in Hamirpur and Kullu and one in Kangra districts — besides National Highway 5, are closed for traffic.

It added that 84 transformers and 51 water schemes were also affected.

Moderate showers lashed some parts of the state since Sunday evening, with Malroan recording the highest rainfall at 70 mm, followed by Shimla (44 mm), Kasauli (38.2 mm), Kufri (24.2mm), Nahan (23.1 mm), Sarahan (21 mm), Mashobra (17.5 mm), Palampur (15 mm), Bilaspur (12 mm) and Jubbarhatti (10.5 mm).

The regional Met office in Shimla has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places on July 11-12.

It also cautioned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to kutcha houses and huts due to strong winds and rain, disruption in traffic and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur campaigned for BJP candidate Hoshiyar Singh in the Dehra constituency of Kangra district today. However, many of his supporters in the constituency maintained distance from Hoshiyar Singh, with whom they had bitter relations.

Anurag said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was looking for a new political pasture in Dehra as the people of his own constituency Nadaun had rejected him. The Chief Minister could not get a lead for the Congress in Nadaun in the recent Lok Sabha elections, he added.

The former Union Minister said that the Chief Minister and his wife were now calling Dehra as their native place. However, ironically, the roads to the Chief Minister’s paternal village and his wife’s native village were still kutcha, he added. “In the 18-month tenure of the Congress government, neither the Chief Minister nor his wife had spared a thought to get the roads to their paternal villages metalled,” he alleged.

Anurag said that the only achievement of the Congress government was that it had closed around 900 institutions opened in the state by the previous BJP government. Besides, this government had burdened the state with additional loans of about Rs 25,000 crore, he added. “The Congress government has taken Rs 25,000 crore additional loans and pushed Himachal into a debt trap. The government has been cribbing about the rising debt burden but has liberally allotted Cabinet ranks to friends,” he alleged.

He said that the Centre had sanctioned development projects for Dehra, including the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) campus. He alleged that the work on the campus of the CUHP at Jadrangal in Dharamsala was getting delayed as the state government was not depositing money for the transfer of forestland in the name of the CUHP.

Asked about the absence of former minister Ramesh Dhawala from the campaign for the Dehra byelection, Anurag said that Hoshiyar Singh met him today and differences between the two leaders would be ironed out.

About the Enforcement Directorate raids on stone crushers in Hamirpur, he said that investigating agencies were doing their job and he would not comment on it.

On Saturday, a case under Section 75 of the BNS and Section 8 of the POCSO Act was registered at the Kullu Woman police station against a schoolteacher following complaint from the project coordinator of Child Welfare Committee, Kullu.

According to the police, the complainant alleged that several girl students of Government Middle School in the Kullu district were sexually harassed by their schoolteacher. The case is under investigation.

The police are looking into all aspects of the case and efforts are on to arrest the accused teacher,” said a police officer.

Heavy rain lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Kangra’s Dharamshala and Palampur where rainfall levels exceeded the 200-mm mark.

According to the emergency operation centre, 150 roads, including 111 in Mandi, 13 in Sirmaur, nine in Shimla, eight each in Chamba and Kullu, and one in Kangra district, are closed for traffic following torrential rains.

The centre also said that 334 transformers are disrupted and 55 water supply schemes have been affected in the state.

Kangra’s Dharamsala recorded the highest rainfall of 214.6 mm, followed by Palampur 212.4 mm, Jogindernagar 169 mm, Kangra city 157.6 mm, Baijnath 142 mm, Jot 95.2 mm, Nagrota Suriyan 90.2 mm, Sujanpur Tira 72 mm, Dhaulakuan 70 mm, Ghamroor 68.2 mm, Nadaun 63 mm and Berthin 58.8 mm.

The Shimla meteorological office has issued a “yellow” alert, warning for thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places till July 12.

Other tourist destinations of Dalhousie received 31 mm of rain, Manali received 30 mm, Kasauli 24 mm, Narkanda 19 mm and Shimla 17.2 mm.

According to the parameters, 2.5-15.5 mm of rain is considered light rainfall, 15.6 mm-64.4 mm as moderate, 64.5-115.5 mm as heavy, 115.6-204.4 mm as very heavy and over 204.5 mm as extremely heavy.

The minimum temperatures witnessed an appreciable fall and Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti recorded the lowest night temperature at 6.9 degrees Celsius on Friday night.

On Thursday night, Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti recorded a minimum temperature of 11.6 degrees Celsius.

So far, the state has received 72.1 mm of rain against the normal of 35 mm, an excess of 106 per cent in the month of July.