In Kullu, a private bus filled with tourists slipped towards a ditch on the Bhuntar-Manikaran road, but a major accident was averted by stopping on the roadside. All the tourists remained safe in this incident due to frost and bad road. Local people and police immediately helped. A demand has been made from the administration to increase road safety.
Vehicle registration fraud has come to light in Bilaspur RLA branch. During investigation by Delhi Crime Branch, two Toyota Fortuner vehicles were found registered in fake names and addresses. One employee Subhash has been arrested, while another employee Gaurav is absconding. This case highlights serious irregularities in vehicle registration in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh government is preparing for major changes before the budget session. Along with cabinet expansion, there will also be appointments in boards and corporations. Chief Minister Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Agnihotri met Congress leaders in Delhi. There is a possibility of becoming new ministers from Kangra and Kullu, among which the prominent names are Sanjay Ratna, Ashish Butail and Sundar Thakur. The government wants to bring new enthusiasm for the remaining two years of its tenure while maintaining regional and ethnic balance.
New Year's Halda festival was celebrated with great pomp amid heavy snowfall in Ranglo Valley of Lahaul-Spiti. Villagers in traditional attire invoked the deities and offered a sheep figure made of butter to King Ghepan. During this time, four types of Halda were taken out and Ghumati festival was also celebrated, in which special food was served to King Jidag and Balraja. This festival was celebrated with enthusiasm in many villages including Jungling, Sissu.
Havildar Maqsood Deen was awarded the Sena Medal on the eve of Republic Day. Maqsood, a resident of Sadwan in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, received this honor for showing indomitable courage in 'Operation Sindoor' in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. He is posted in the Army's Artillery Regiment and was recruited in 2011. Intellectuals and local representatives of Noorpur area have congratulated him.
The government has started work on the project of setting up Snow Chandigarh City. Under this, the work of land record transfer and mapping is going on in Haripur Sandoli and Malpur Panchayats on the Himachal-Haryana border. HIMUDA and Revenue Department officials are engaged in this process. There is a plan to settle about 20 thousand houses and one lakh population in this city, which will be developed on the banks of Sarsa river, in which only government land will be used.
The first snowfall of the season at the major tourist places of Himachal exposed the administrative preparations. Despite warnings from the weather department, tourists in Shimla and Manali faced hours-long traffic jams, power cuts and chaos. The administration failed to handle 20 thousand vehicles. Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh warned tourists to respect the culture of Devbhoomi.
Life has been affected due to heavy snowfall and storm in Himachal Pradesh. There was two feet snowfall in Atal Tunnel Rohtang, due to which the connectivity of Lahaul Spiti with Manali was cut off. 525 roads are closed across the state and 1015 transformers have been damaged. There was hailstorm in Shimla. The Meteorological Department has issued a warning of more heavy snowfall on January 28, and has also issued an avalanche alert.
A shocking incident has come to light in Rohru, Shimla. A person consumed chitta with a friend. When the friend did not wake up the next morning, assuming him to be dead, the accused put the body in his own car. Then the car was taken away from the house and pushed into a deep ditch, so that it looked like a road accident. Police have registered the case and started investigation.
Vikas Rana and Piyush died tragically after being trapped in a snow storm in Bharmour, Himachal Pradesh. Vikas had asked for help in his last call, but could not send the location due to his fingers numb from the cold. The bodies of both were recovered after an intensive search operation of four days. The incident is a deep shock to their families, who were already facing financial challenges.
Two youngsters, Vikas 19 and Piyush 13, got caught in a snow storm while making a video in Himachal's Bharmour. Vikas tried to go for help, leaving Piyush with the pitbull, but fell into a ditch and died. Piyush also died of cold. The pitbull guarded the body of its owner.
In Kullu, STF took major action against drugs and recovered 18.80 grams of Chitta and Rs 1.02 lakh in cash from a hotel in Bhuntar. Police have arrested two accused, Vikas Deep Singh and Poonam, from Amritsar and Kullu. Police have registered a case under the Narcotics Act and are investigating the drug network and supply chain.
Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur greeted the people on Republic Day. He requested everyone's contribution in the development of the state and talked about recovery from the disaster. Thakur warned about the menace of drugs affecting Devbhoomi. He appealed to the public to remain alert and actively participate in the anti-drug campaign.
There was a five kilometer long traffic jam in Manali on Monday morning, due to which tourists coming from outside states were stranded for hours. There was a huge crowd from Patlikuhal to Manali due to the arrival of more than 40 luxury buses and tourists returning home. However, the eagerness to see the snow outweighed the pain of the traffic jam for the tourists. An appeal has been made to the Manali administration to improve the traffic system as snowfall has boosted tourism.
The 77th Republic Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Ridge Ground in Shimla. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla took the salute of the parade by hoisting the national flag. Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh were also present. During this, tableaux and cultural programs of various departments were organized. The Governor greeted the countrymen, while the CM highlighted the country's progress after the implementation of the Constitution.
Western disturbance will be active in Himachal Pradesh from the night of 26th January, due to which there is a possibility of heavy snowfall and rain till 28th January. The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert of heavy snowfall in Chamba, Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur and Kullu for January 27. Due to snowfall, 832 roads are closed and 1942 transformers have been damaged. People have been advised to check the weather before travelling.
Due to heavy snowfall in Manali, traffic has been disrupted for three days, leaving tourists stranded and hotels lying vacant. Even on Sunday, there was a 7 kilometer long traffic jam from Manali to Cloth. The administration, Hotel Association and Adventure Tour Operator Association are together trying to smooth the traffic. Officials hope that the situation will become normal by this evening, so that tourists will be able to come to Manali and tourism will resume.
People involved in horticulture and tourism are happy with the ongoing snowfall in Himachal, while common people are troubled by the cold. The Meteorological Department has warned of dense fog and cold wave in Kangra, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. Due to heavy snowfall, 505 roads, 1638 transformers and 98 drinking water schemes are closed, affecting life. The administration has appealed to avoid unnecessary travel.
After the recent snowfall in Shimla, accidents have increased due to increased slippage on the roads. In the last 24 hours, 23 people were injured after slipping and falling on ice, out of which 6 suffered serious injuries and even fractures. Doctors have advised people to be cautious, wear sturdy shoes and avoid sloping roads. The administration has been demanded to intensify measures to reduce slippage.
Heavy snowfall in Manali led to a 16 km long traffic jam from Patlikuhal to Manali, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded. The administration carried out relief work throughout the night and provided food and water to the stranded tourists. SDM Manali himself stayed on the spot and monitored the relief work and advised the tourists to stay safe. The work of removing snow from the roads is going on, so that tourists can reach their destination soon.