Popular hill stations are experiencing overtourism. According to recent tourism department data, Himachal Pradesh recorded an influx of over three crore visitors in a single year, leaving towns like Shimla and Manali heavily congested. Travellers looking for mountain escapes are increasingly dealing with traffic jams and full parking lots. If you want a quiet holiday, here are five underrated mountain towns that offer a silent environment.<h2>Barot Valley, Himachal Pradesh</h2>Located in the Mandi district, Barot Valley remains largely untouched by mass commercialisation. The valley is built around the Uhl River, making it an established hub for trout fishing. The surrounding Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary offers forest trails where visitors can spot Himalayan black bears and Monal birds. It provides the same deodar forests as Manali but without the vehicular traffic.<h2>Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh</h2>Situated beside the Tirthan River, this valley acts as the primary gateway to the UNESCO-recognised Great Himalayan National Park. The local administration strictly regulates commercial development to protect the local ecology. Instead of large concrete hotels, visitors stay in traditional wooden homestays, which typically charge around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 per night. It is an excellent spot for quiet riverside walks and birdwatching.<h2>Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh</h2>Located in the Kinnaur district at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Kalpa offers unobstructed views of the Kinner Kailash mountain range. While Shimla struggles with overcrowding, this remote town features quiet lanes lined with apple orchards and traditional Kinnauri architecture. It also receives early winter snow, making it a reliable destination for winter travellers.<h2>Munsiyari, Uttarakhand</h2>Munsiyari sits in the Pithoragarh district and is often referred to as the gateway to the Johar Valley. It provides a direct, close-up view of the five snow-capped Panchachuli peaks. The town acts as a base camp for the Milam and Ralam glacier treks. During the spring months, the surrounding forests are completely covered in red rhododendron flowers.<h2>Chopta, Uttarakhand</h2>Positioned at an altitude of 2,680 metres in the Rudraprayag district, Chopta is a small settlement surrounded by evergreen pine and oak forests. It is the starting point for the trek to Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the world. Because it is a protected area, permanent structural construction is banned, ensuring the meadows remain free from commercial clutter.&nbsp;Before travelling to these remote locations, visitors should carry sufficient cash, as ATMs are scarce. Because public transport is limited, hiring a private taxi or driving a personal vehicle is the most reliable way to reach these secluded towns.

As destinations like Shimla and Manali face overtourism, travellers are seeking quieter alternatives. Towns like Barot Valley, Tirthan Valley, Kalpa, Munsiyari, and Chopta offer Himalayan landscapes, authentic homestays, and crowd-free environments for a peaceful escape.

Popular hill stations are experiencing overtourism. According to recent tourism department data, Himachal Pradesh recorded an influx of over three crore visitors in a single year, leaving towns like Shimla and Manali heavily congested. Travellers looking for mountain escapes are increasingly dealing with traffic jams and full parking lots. If you want a quiet holiday, here are five underrated mountain towns that offer a silent environment. Barot Valley, Himachal Pradesh Located in the Mandi district, Barot Valley remains largely untouched by mass commercialisation. The valley is built around the Uhl River, making it an established hub for trout fishing. The surrounding Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary offers forest trails where visitors can spot Himalayan black bears and Monal birds. It provides the same deodar forests as Manali but without the vehicular traffic. Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh Situated beside the Tirthan River, this valley acts as the primary gateway to the UNESCO-recognised Great Himalayan National Park. The local administration strictly regulates commercial development to protect the local ecology. Instead of large concrete hotels, visitors stay in traditional wooden homestays, which typically charge around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 per night. It is an excellent spot for quiet riverside walks and birdwatching. Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh Located in the Kinnaur district at an altitude of 2,960 metres, Kalpa offers unobstructed views of the Kinner Kailash mountain range. While Shimla struggles with overcrowding, this remote town features quiet lanes lined with apple orchards and traditional Kinnauri architecture. It also receives early winter snow, making it a reliable destination for winter travellers. Munsiyari, Uttarakhand Munsiyari sits in the Pithoragarh district and is often referred to as the gateway to the Johar Valley. It provides a direct, close-up view of the five snow-capped Panchachuli peaks. The town acts as a base camp for the Milam and Ralam glacier treks. During the spring months, the surrounding forests are completely covered in red rhododendron flowers. Chopta, Uttarakhand Positioned at an altitude of 2,680 metres in the Rudraprayag district, Chopta is a small settlement surrounded by evergreen pine and oak forests. It is the starting point for the trek to Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the world. Because it is a protected area, permanent structural construction is banned, ensuring the meadows remain free from commercial clutter. Before travelling to these remote locations, visitors should carry sufficient cash, as ATMs are scarce. Because public transport is limited, hiring a private taxi or driving a personal vehicle is the most reliable way to reach these secluded towns.

As destinations like Shimla and Manali face overtourism, travellers are seeking quieter alternatives. Towns like Barot Valley, Tirthan Valley, Kalpa, Munsiyari, and Chopta offer Himalayan landscapes, authentic homestays, and crowd-free environments for a peaceful escape.

Tired of Shimla and Manali? Try these 5 underrated mountain towns

With Delhi sweltering at 44°C, nearby hill destinations offer a welcome escape with cool breezes, misty mornings, pine forests and temperatures below 25°C. These five getaways provide scenic walks, nature trails, cafés and pleasant weather without needing constant air conditioning.

With Delhi sweltering at 44°C, nearby hill destinations offer a welcome escape with cool breezes, misty mornings, pine forests and temperatures below 25°C. These five getaways provide scenic walks, nature trails, cafés and pleasant weather without needing constant air conditioning.

Beating the heat: 5 beautiful places near Delhi that remain under 25°C in summer

A disturbing video showing a violent altercation between a doctor and a patient inside a Shimla hospital has gone viral on social media platforms. The footage shows both individuals physically attacking each other, with onlookers intervening to stop the fight. In the video, the patient, who appears to be lying on a hospital bed, kicks the doctor. The doctor avoids the kicks and then hits the patient multiple times in the face. Reports suggest that the incident took place at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla. The patient, identified as Arjun Panwar, had initially visited the hospital for an endoscopy but began experiencing breathing difficulties. Afterward, he reportedly went to a different ward to lie down. It is alleged that an altercation began when the doctor reportedly misbehaved with the patient, escalating into a heated verbal exchange that eventually turned physical.&nbsp;The footage, which has now gone viral across social media, has sparked public outrage. The patient’s family and supporters have demanded strict action against the doctor involved. A police complaint has also been lodged in connection with the incident.<h2>Watch the viral video here</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On-duty doctor and patient exchange blows at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh; video goes viral <a href="https://t.co/ILeDQiBr8V">pic.twitter.com/ILeDQiBr8V</a>&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/2003077317913182705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As of now, the hospital administration has not provided an official statement regarding the altercation. Meanwhile, a crowd gathered outside IGMC following news of the incident, with local residents calling for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible. The viral video has led to a variety of reactions online. While some social media users have condemned the doctor’s actions, others have suggested that more context is needed before rushing to judgment. A user named VatsRohit argued that medical professionals shouldn’t be expected to tolerate abuse or physical aggression from patients. Another user, Gems of Himachal, provided additional background, explaining that the patient had been directed to lie in a different ward due to oxygen needs.&nbsp;&nbsp;When the doctor questioned the patient, the situation escalated, leading to the confrontation. The user emphasised that blame could lie on either party, depending on the full context of the situation.

WATCH | Violence erupts between doctor and patient in Shimla hospital after heated argument

A disturbing video showing a violent altercation between a doctor and a patient inside a Shimla hospital has gone viral on social media platforms. The footage shows both individuals physically attacking each other, with onlookers intervening to stop the fight. In the video, the patient, who appears to be lying on a hospital bed, kicks the doctor. The doctor avoids the kicks and then hits the patient multiple times in the face. Reports suggest that the incident took place at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla. The patient, identified as Arjun Panwar, had initially visited the hospital for an endoscopy but began experiencing breathing difficulties. Afterward, he reportedly went to a different ward to lie down. It is alleged that an altercation began when the doctor reportedly misbehaved with the patient, escalating into a heated verbal exchange that eventually turned physical. The footage, which has now gone viral across social media, has sparked public outrage. The patient’s family and supporters have demanded strict action against the doctor involved. A police complaint has also been lodged in connection with the incident. Watch the viral video here

A viral video shows a physical altercation between a doctor and a patient at Shimla’s IGMC. The incident, which escalated after a heated argument, has sparked mixed reactions from netizens

India’s diverse landscapes range from the Himalayas to a vast coastline, featuring snow‑clad hill stations, quiet beaches, riverine islands, and high‑altitude deserts. Here are ten trending hill stations and beaches in India.

India’s diverse landscapes range from the Himalayas to a vast coastline, featuring snow‑clad hill stations, quiet beaches, riverine islands, and high‑altitude deserts. Here are ten trending hill stations and beaches in India.

Year-Ender 2025: 10 most searched hills and beaches in India, from Shimla to Puri

As the cold wave grips Northern India, the picturesque capital of Himachal Pradesh has transformed into a winter wonderland. Our next report brings you the latest visuals, showing how snowfall has left tourists amazed. Watch in for more details!



Shimla Turns Into Winter Wonderland

As the cold wave grips Northern India, the picturesque capital of Himachal Pradesh has transformed into a winter wonderland. Our next report brings you the latest visuals, showing how snowfall has left tourists amazed. Watch in for more details!

Tensions ran high in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, on Wednesday as hundreds of protesters clashed with police over an alleged illegal mosque. Footage shows demonstrators, including women, chanting slogans against the mosque.

Shimla Protests: Clashes erupt over 'illegal' mosque construction

Himachal Pradesh' capital turned into winter wonderland as Shimla received seasons first snowfall. Dense fog gripped Capital Delhi. Fog condition and wet spells continue in parts of country & various northern states. IMD has predicted rainfall in Northern States. Chilly weather, thick blanket of fog envelops capital Delhi. Watch to know more!

India: Fog conditions & wet spells continue in North India | Shimla receives season's first snowfall

New York City witnessed a historic moment on January 16 as it finally saw significant&nbsp;snowfall after a staggering 700 days. The event marked the conclusion of an exceptional period characterised by the absence of substantial snow, with Central Park reporting a layer of snow that broke the previous record set in 1998.

<h2>Breaking the 400-day record</h2>

The snowless span began after Central Park recorded 1.6 inches of snow on February 13, 2022. The New York Times reported that the record-breaking 400-day streak without considerable snowfall was officially shattered.

The National Weather Service confirmed an inch of snowfall at Central Park since midnight on January 16, with a total of 1.4 inches since the storm's onset on Monday (Jan 15).

This long-awaited snowfall brought relief to residents and added a picturesque layer to the iconic landscapes of the city.

While New York City experienced a prolonged absence of notable snow, other areas in the state, such as Buffalo, faced more severe snow conditions. The discrepancy highlights the diverse and evolving nature of weather patterns, influenced in part by the ongoing effects of climate change.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kashmir-water-bodies-drying-up-due-to-long-dry-spell-authorities-worried-680229">Also read |&nbsp;Kashmir water bodies drying up due to long dry spell, authorities worried</a>

Residents across various parts of the city, including Brooklyn, found themselves engaged in the task of clearing sidewalks following the snowfall over the long weekend.

The event also led to minor disruptions in public transport and prompted school closures in the northern suburbs, underscoring the practical implications of the city's return to snowy conditions.

Also watch |&nbsp;Climate change: 2023 smashes records for surface temperature and ocean heat

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/climate-change-2023-smashes-records-for-surface-temperature-and-ocean-heat-680049/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2>Unusual snow patterns extend globally</h2>

Beyond New York City, unusual snow patterns have been observed globally. In India, regions accustomed to heavy snowfall during the winter season, such as Kashmir, Ladakh, Manali, and Shimla, have experienced an unexpected lack of snow during "Chilla-i-Kalan" the traditional intense cold period.

Weather forecasts predict dry conditions until January 21, leaving residents and weather experts alike puzzled by the deviation from the usual snowy conditions during Christmas and New Year's Eve.

(With inputs from agencies)

New York City witnessed a historic moment on January 16 as it finally saw significant snowfall after a staggering 700 days. The event marked the conclusion of an exceptional period characterised by the absence of substantial snow, with Central Park reporting a layer of snow that broke the previous record set in 1998.

New York City witnessed a historic moment on January 16 as it finally saw significant snowfall after a staggering 700 days. The event marked the conclusion of an exceptional period characterised by the absence of substantial snow, with Central Park reporting a layer of snow that broke the previous record set in 1998. Breaking the 400-day record The snowless span began after Central Park recorded 1.6 inches of snow on February 13, 2022. The New York Times reported that the record-breaking 400-day streak without considerable snowfall was officially shattered. The National Weather Service confirmed an inch of snowfall at Central Park since midnight on January 16, with a total of 1.4 inches since the storm's onset on Monday (Jan 15). This long-awaited snowfall brought relief to residents and added a picturesque layer to the iconic landscapes of the city. While New York City experienced a prolonged absence of notable snow, other areas in the state, such as Buffalo, faced more severe snow conditions. The discrepancy highlights the diverse and evolving nature of weather patterns, influenced in part by the ongoing effects of climate change. Also read | Kashmir water bodies drying up due to long dry spell, authorities worried Residents across various parts of the city, including Brooklyn, found themselves engaged in the task of clearing sidewalks following the snowfall over the long weekend. The event also led to minor disruptions in public transport and prompted school closures in the northern suburbs, underscoring the practical implications of the city's return to snowy conditions. Also watch | Climate change: 2023 smashes records for surface temperature and ocean heat Unusual snow patterns extend globally Beyond New York City, unusual snow patterns have been observed globally. In India, regions accustomed to heavy snowfall during the winter season, such as Kashmir, Ladakh, Manali, and Shimla, have experienced an unexpected lack of snow during "Chilla-i-Kalan" the traditional intense cold period. Weather forecasts predict dry conditions until January 21, leaving residents and weather experts alike puzzled by the deviation from the usual snowy conditions during Christmas and New Year's Eve. (With inputs from agencies)

New York gets first major snowfall in 2 years, while Shimla, Kashmir, Manali experience dry spell

India: Shimla's 'White New ' year fails to draw tourists. Shimla's occupancy during New Year plunges to 50-60%. Watch the video to know more!

India: Shimla's New Year tourism occupancy plunges

The world is battling extreme climate conditions, and the flood fury in India's Himachal Pradesh has forced authorities to declare it a natural calamity.

India's Himachal Pradesh lashed with floods

A somewhat cold Namaste exchanged by two foreign ministers standing several feet apart, done in the beach state of Goa, brought back memories of three generations of one political family, across a troubled border.

Artful photographers use time-slice photography to show the passage of time in a single image. Time-slice photography captures motion, pace and atmosphere in a manner that shows a person, place or thing over minutes, time or even years. We cannot do that easily in news photography but a Tarot card-like reading of the image in Goa might help. Even better would be for us to recall some images and pages from the past to show how the times have changed and yet not.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/baps-swaminarayan-temple-vandalised-in-sydney-by-khalistan-supporters-reports-589067">BAPS Swaminarayan temple vandalised in Sydney by Khalistan supporters: Reports</a>

Pakistan's 34-year-old foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in Goa this week for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and depending on how you read it, &nbsp;you can interpret the Namaste returned by the young Bhutto scion to his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as a sign of diplomatic thaw, uneasy courtesy on a difficult encounter or persisting coldness between India and Pakistan.

Since its inception in 2001, the SCO has mostly talked about regional security and a fight against separatism and terrorism, often associated with religious extremism. But it is precisely these issues that have kept India and Pakistan apart for decades. After all, in the Indian political imagination, Pakistan itself seceded from undivided India in 1947 only to fan terrorism and separatism laced with religious extremism in the disputed Kashmir region.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-regional-bank-western-alliance-quashes-report-of-exploring-potential-sale-589038">US regional bank Western Alliance quashes report of exploring potential sale</a>

There have been ups and downs since then, mostly downs.&nbsp;

We need to push the cameras of our minds back to 1964 when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru died and Lal Bahadur Shastri took over. Bilawal's grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto visited Delhi then as Pakistan's 36-year-old foreign minister to attend Nehru's funeral. The older Bhutto's American biographer Stanley Wolpert says that then-young Bhutto mistook the diminutive Shastri for a weakling and decided to push his country's military ruler Ayub Khan to invade Kashmir in 1965. &nbsp;

Pakistan lost the war badly. Bhutto resigned and rose in protest against the army ruler (much like Imran Khan did as PM recently) after joining the general in negotiating a peace treaty with Shastri, who died tragically and mysteriously in Tashkent where the treaty was signed. Uzbekistan is now part of the SCO, and memories of Tashkent come creeping in.

Watch | China issues report on US CIA's cyberattacks on other countries

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Bhutto became prime minister after launching his socialist &nbsp;Pakistan People's Party (PPP) &nbsp;only to find India doing to East Pakistan in 1971 what he tried to do with Kashmir in 1965. The liberation of Bangladesh led to the Shimla Agreement between India and Pakistan in 1972. There is an enduring image of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Bhutto shaking hands in Shimla that seems like a blurred memory of elusive peace.

<img alt="1972 Shimla Agreement.jpg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8c/1972_Shimla_Agreement.jpg" />

Also in Shimla, we saw Benazir Bhutto, Zulfikar's daughter, still a teenager at 19, &nbsp;standing beside her father, and another one in which she is sitting beside Indira in a saree, a far cry from the Islamic rhetoric that Zulfikar Bhutto used to gain power in Pakistan.

<img alt="82-shimla" src="https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/cover/images/2021/8/12/82-shimla.jpg" />

The young Ms. Bhutto, Bilawal's mother, went on to become prime minister in PPP-led democratic governments as Pakistan shakily put army rule behind. Somewhere along the way, Zulfikar was hanged to death by the man he appointed as army chief, General Zia Ul Haq.

Why all this now? In time-slice terms, these images may show that Pakistan is a pale shadow of its former self as far as diplomatic and economic strengths go.&nbsp;

However, the young Bhutto, despite losing his grandfather to a military ruler's noose and his mother to a mysterious election rally assassination in 2007, retains the family spunk to show strength in times of severe adversity.

In 2016, he described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "butcher" related to deaths in Gujarat and Kashmir and recently in March, raked up the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council.

A Namaste in Goa cannot ease up relations between India and Pakistan any more than an elegantly worn saree did in Shimla in 1972. Pakistan's existential political weapons for mobilising mass support are Islam and Kashmir, and that does not appear to have changed despite Pakistan sinking deeply into an economic crisis.

We can always debate if demagogic politics is an escape from bad economics or &nbsp;if economic crises are caused by bad politics. Despite being liberals in their personal lives and amiable in their social behaviour, the Bhuttos have their political capital in the rhetoric that feeds Pakistan's masses. &nbsp;Unless that changes, little can be expected from the family that may still have the best interests of the average Pakistani in its hearts.

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A somewhat cold Namaste exchanged by two foreign ministers standing several feet apart, done in the beach state of Goa, brought back memories of three generations of one political family, across a troubled border.

A somewhat cold Namaste exchanged by two foreign ministers standing several feet apart, done in the beach state of Goa, brought back memories of three generations of one political family, across a troubled border. Artful photographers use time-slice photography to show the passage of time in a single image. Time-slice photography captures motion, pace and atmosphere in a manner that shows a person, place or thing over minutes, time or even years. We cannot do that easily in news photography but a Tarot card-like reading of the image in Goa might help. Even better would be for us to recall some images and pages from the past to show how the times have changed and yet not. Also Read | BAPS Swaminarayan temple vandalised in Sydney by Khalistan supporters: Reports Pakistan's 34-year-old foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in Goa this week for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and depending on how you read it, you can interpret the Namaste returned by the young Bhutto scion to his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as a sign of diplomatic thaw, uneasy courtesy on a difficult encounter or persisting coldness between India and Pakistan. Since its inception in 2001, the SCO has mostly talked about regional security and a fight against separatism and terrorism, often associated with religious extremism. But it is precisely these issues that have kept India and Pakistan apart for decades. After all, in the Indian political imagination, Pakistan itself seceded from undivided India in 1947 only to fan terrorism and separatism laced with religious extremism in the disputed Kashmir region. Also Read | US regional bank Western Alliance quashes report of exploring potential sale There have been ups and downs since then, mostly downs. We need to push the cameras of our minds back to 1964 when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru died and Lal Bahadur Shastri took over. Bilawal's grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto visited Delhi then as Pakistan's 36-year-old foreign minister to attend Nehru's funeral. The older Bhutto's American biographer Stanley Wolpert says that then-young Bhutto mistook the diminutive Shastri for a weakling and decided to push his country's military ruler Ayub Khan to invade Kashmir in 1965. Pakistan lost the war badly. Bhutto resigned and rose in protest against the army ruler (much like Imran Khan did as PM recently) after joining the general in negotiating a peace treaty with Shastri, who died tragically and mysteriously in Tashkent where the treaty was signed. Uzbekistan is now part of the SCO, and memories of Tashkent come creeping in. Watch | China issues report on US CIA's cyberattacks on other countries × Bhutto became prime minister after launching his socialist Pakistan People's Party (PPP) only to find India doing to East Pakistan in 1971 what he tried to do with Kashmir in 1965. The liberation of Bangladesh led to the Shimla Agreement between India and Pakistan in 1972. There is an enduring image of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Bhutto shaking hands in Shimla that seems like a blurred memory of elusive peace. Also in Shimla, we saw Benazir Bhutto, Zulfikar's daughter, still a teenager at 19, standing beside her father, and another one in which she is sitting beside Indira in a saree, a far cry from the Islamic rhetoric that Zulfikar Bhutto used to gain power in Pakistan. The young Ms. Bhutto, Bilawal's mother, went on to become prime minister in PPP-led democratic governments as Pakistan shakily put army rule behind. Somewhere along the way, Zulfikar was hanged to death by the man he appointed as army chief, General Zia Ul Haq. Why all this now? In time-slice terms, these images may show that Pakistan is a pale shadow of its former self as far as diplomatic and economic strengths go. However, the young Bhutto, despite losing his grandfather to a military ruler's noose and his mother to a mysterious election rally assassination in 2007, retains the family spunk to show strength in times of severe adversity. In 2016, he described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "butcher" related to deaths in Gujarat and Kashmir and recently in March, raked up the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council. A Namaste in Goa cannot ease up relations between India and Pakistan any more than an elegantly worn saree did in Shimla in 1972. Pakistan's existential political weapons for mobilising mass support are Islam and Kashmir, and that does not appear to have changed despite Pakistan sinking deeply into an economic crisis. We can always debate if demagogic politics is an escape from bad economics or if economic crises are caused by bad politics. Despite being liberals in their personal lives and amiable in their social behaviour, the Bhuttos have their political capital in the rhetoric that feeds Pakistan's masses. Unless that changes, little can be expected from the family that may still have the best interests of the average Pakistani in its hearts. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Delhi, Shimla, Goa: Tale of 3 Bhuttos in India shows Pak's decline but not family's political spunk

Vote tallying for the Himachal Pradesh election of 2022 has begun. On December 8, the results for the state's 68 assembly districts will be announced. In the election that is so important for the current chief minister, Jai Ram Thakur, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress square off.

Vote tallying for the Himachal Pradesh election of 2022 has begun. On December 8, the results for the state's 68 assembly districts will be announced. In the election that is so important for the current chief minister, Jai Ram Thakur, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress square off. The party having a majority of 35 seats will be proclaimed the winner after the election. The BJP had won 44 seats in the 2017 assembly elections, the Congress 21, one seat went to the CPI-M, and two seats went to independent candidates. Mandi Assembly Elections Live Counting 2022: Anil Sharma (BJP), Shyam Lal (AAP), Chet Ram (BSP), Champa Thakur (INC), Praveen Kumar (IND), Laxmender Singh (IND), Rajeev Kumar (IND), Major Khem Singh Thakur (IND), and Sanjay Kumar were among the nine candidates that ran for this seat in the 2022 elections (Rashtriya Devbhumi Party). This seat saw a 74% voter turnout in the 2022 elections, which is -3.44% lower than in the 2017 elections. No. 33 constituency In Himachal Pradesh's Upper Himachal area and Mandi district lies the Assembly/Vidhan Sabha seat of Mandi (Mandav Nagar, Choti Kashi). The Mandi Lok Sabha/Parliamentary constituency includes Mandi. In the Mandi district, BJP is in the lead with 9 seats, while Congress is at 1. Kulu Manali Assembly Elections Live Counting 2022: At 8 am, the counting of ballots for the constituency seats in Lahaul and Spiti, Manali, Kullu, Banjar, and Anni began. Early indications show that Congress is ahead by a very little margin. While the BJP is ahead in Lahaul and Spiti and Banjar, the Congress is in the lead in the assembly districts of Kullu, Manali, and Anni. Congressman Sunder Singh Thakur is in charge from Kullu. The BJP's Govind Singh Thakur is in charge from Manali. In the results of the Lahaul and Spiti Assembly elections, Congress' Ravi Thakur is in the lead. In the Anni Assembly Elections, Lokender Kumar of the BJP is in the lead. Independent candidate Hiteshwar Singh is in the lead according to the Banjar Assembly election results. Shimla Assembly Elections Live Counting 2022: With 6869 votes, Congress candidate Harish Janartha is in the lead. Sanjay Sood of the BJP has only received 5346 votes. As the counting proceeds, Vikramaditya Singh, a candidate for the Congress from Shimla (Rural) and the son of the late Virbhadra Singh, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, is in the lead with a total of 7,233 votes. Kangara Assembly Elections Live Counting 2022: In the politically vital Kangra constituency, the Congress has gained the lead with 10 seats, followed by the BJP with 4, and the independents with 1. While the BJP is in the lead in Nurpur, Jaswan-Pragpur, Kangra, and Sullah, the Congress is ahead in Indora, Fatehpur, Jawali, Jawalamukhi, Jaisinghpur, Nagrota, Shahpur, Dharamshala, Palampur, and Baijnath. Counting of votes for the 68-member assembly began at 8 am where the ruling BJP is hoping to retain power. SN Constituency Leading Candidate Leading Party Status 1 Anni LOKENDER KUMAR Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 2 Arki Sanjay Indian National Congress Result Declared 3 Baijnath Kishori Lal Indian National Congress Result Declared 4 Balh INDER SINGH Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 5 Banjar SURENDER SHOURIE Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 6 Bharmour Dr. Janak Raj Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 7 Bhattiyat KULDEEP SINGH PATHANIA Indian National Congress Result Declared 8 Bhoranj SURESH KUMAR Indian National Congress Result Declared 9 Chamba Neeraj Nayar Indian National Congress Result Declared 10 Chintpurni SUDARSHAN SINGH BABLOO Indian National Congress Result Declared 11 Churah Hans Raj Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 12 Dalhousie DHAVINDER SINGH Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 13 Darang Puran Chand Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 14 Dehra HOSHYAR SINGH Independent Result Declared 15 Dharamshala SUDHIR SHARMA Indian National Congress Result Declared 16 Doon RAM KUMAR Indian National Congress Result Declared 17 Fatehpur BHAWANI SINGH PATHANIA Indian National Congress Result Declared 18 Gagret Chaitanya Sharma Indian National Congress Result Declared 19 Hamirpur ASHISH SHARMA Independent Result Declared 20 Haroli MUKESH AGNIHOTRI Indian National Congress Result Declared 21 Indora MALENDER RAJAN Indian National Congress Result Declared 22 Jaisinghpur Yadvinder Goma Indian National Congress Result Declared 23 Jaswan-Pragpur BIKRAM SINGH Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 24 Jawalamukhi SANJAY RATTAN Indian National Congress Result Declared 25 Jawali CHANDER KUMAR Indian National Congress Result Declared 26 Jogindernagar Prakash Prem Kumar Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 27 Jubbal-Kotkhai ROHIT THAKUR Indian National Congress Result Declared 28 Karsog DEEP RAJ Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 29 Kasauli VINOD SULTANPURI Indian National Congress Result Declared 30 Kasumpti Anirudh Singh Indian National Congress Result Declared 31 Kinnaur Jagat Singh Negi Indian National Congress Result Declared 32 Kullu SUNDER SINGH THAKUR Indian National Congress Result Declared 33 Kutlehar Davinder Kumar Indian National Congress Result Declared 34 Lahaul & Spiti RAVI THAKUR Indian National Congress Result Declared 35 Manali Bhuvneshwar Gaur Indian National Congress Result Declared 36 Mandi ANIL SHARMA Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 37 Nachan VINOD KUMAR Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 38 Nagrota R.S. BALI Indian National Congress Result Declared 39 Nahan Ajay Solanki Indian National Congress Result Declared 40 Nalagarh K. L. THAKUR Independent Result Declared 41 Nurpur RANBIR SINGH Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 42 Pachhad Reena Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 43 Palampur Ashish Butail Indian National Congress Result Declared 44 Paonta Sahib Sukh Ram Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 45 Rampur NAND LAL Indian National Congress Result Declared 46 Rohru Mohan Lal Brakta Indian National Congress Result Declared 47 Sarkaghat DALIP THAKUR Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 48 Shahpur KEWAL SINGH Indian National Congress Result Declared 49 Shillai Harshwardhan Chauhan Indian National Congress Result Declared 50 Shimla HARISH JANARTHA Indian National Congress Result Declared 51 Shimla Rural Vikramaditya Singh Indian National Congress Result Declared 52 Solan DHANI RAM SHANDIL Indian National Congress Result Declared 53 Sujanpur RAJINDER SINGH Indian National Congress Result Declared 54 Sundernagar Rakesh Kumar Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 55 Theog KULDEEP SINGH RATHORE Indian National Congress Result Declared 56 Una Satpal Singh Satti Bharatiya Janata Party Result Declared 57 Barsar INDER DUTT LAKHANPAL Indian National Congress Result in Progress 58 Bilaspur TRILOK JAMWAL Bharatiya Janata Party Result in Progress 59 Chopal Sh. Balbir Singh Verma Bharatiya Janata Party Result in Progress 60 Dharampur CHANDER SHEKHAR Indian National Congress Result in Progress 61 Ghumarwin RAJESH DHARMANI Indian National Congress Result in Progress 62 Jhanduta JEET RAM KATWAL Bharatiya Janata Party Result in Progress 63 Kangra Pawan Kumar Kajal Bharatiya Janata Party Result in Progress 64 Nadaun SUKHVINDER SINGH Indian National Congress Result in Progress 65 Seraj JAI RAM THAKUR Bharatiya Janata Party Result in Progress 66 Sri Naina Deviji RANDHIR SHARMA Bharatiya Janata Party Result in Progress 67 Sri Renukaji Vinay Kumar Indian National Congress Result in Progress 68 Sullah VIPIN SINGH PARMAR Bharatiya Janata Party Result in Progress

Himachal Pradesh Election Result 2022 Live Counting: Who is winning in Kulu, Manali, Kangara, Shimla & Mandi?

Electricity production in the country's biggest underground hydroelectric project on Sutlej's tributary Bhaba Khad river was suspended on Sunday due to rise in silt in the river.

Along with the 1500 MW project, operations in the 412 MW Rampur Project in Shimla district were also shut down after silt level increased in the river owing to heavy rainfall.&nbsp;

The amount of silt in Sutlej has crossed 8000 parts per million (ppm) in the Nathpa Jhakri dam in Kinnaur district.

"Till the time the silt content in the Sutlej river at Nathpa Jhakri dam doesn`t go below 5000 ppm, electricity production will remain suspended," Sanjeev Sood, Project Head, Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric power plant said.

"The silt content in the Sutlej river system which constitutes of its tributaries has gone up by a huge margin. The situation is especially grave in the Bhaba Khad river. The machines for electricity production will remain shut from 9.30 am on Sunday. At the moment, the tunnel gates in the dam are being closed," he added.&nbsp;

Electricity production in the country's biggest underground hydroelectric project on Sutlej's tributary Bhaba Khad river was suspended on Sunday due to rise in silt in the river.

Electricity production in the country's biggest underground hydroelectric project on Sutlej's tributary Bhaba Khad river was suspended on Sunday due to rise in silt in the river. Along with the 1500 MW project, operations in the 412 MW Rampur Project in Shimla district were also shut down after silt level increased in the river owing to heavy rainfall. The amount of silt in Sutlej has crossed 8000 parts per million (ppm) in the Nathpa Jhakri dam in Kinnaur district. "Till the time the silt content in the Sutlej river at Nathpa Jhakri dam doesn`t go below 5000 ppm, electricity production will remain suspended," Sanjeev Sood, Project Head, Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric power plant said. "The silt content in the Sutlej river system which constitutes of its tributaries has gone up by a huge margin. The situation is especially grave in the Bhaba Khad river. The machines for electricity production will remain shut from 9.30 am on Sunday. At the moment, the tunnel gates in the dam are being closed," he added.

Himachal Pradesh: Hydroelectric projects shut down due to rise in silt levels in Sutlej

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/congress-has-no-problem-if-it-did-not-get-pms-post-ghulam-nabi-azad-219122/amp">Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad </a>on Friday appeared to have made a U-turn saying his party must be given a chance if a stable government is needed at the Centre, in remarks that came a day after he had said that Congress was only keen on defeating NDA and the prime minister`s post was not its primary concern.

"No, it is not true that Congress will not claim the Prime Minister`s post. We are the biggest and oldest political party. If the government is to run for five years, the biggest political party should be given a chance. But what I have been saying is that while we are in the midst of elections we should not fight among ourselves. It (PM`s post) should be decided by consensus," Azad told ANI here.

On Thursday, Azad had asserted that his party was only interested in defeating NDA and getting the Prime Minister`s post was not its primary concerns.

"We have already made our stand clear. If a consensus is made in the favour of Congress, then the party will take the lead but our aim has always been that NDA government should not come."

"We will go with the unanimous decision. We are not going to make an issue that we (Congress) will not let anyone else become the Prime Minister if it is not offered to us (Congress)," Azad told reporters on Thursday.

On Friday, Azad said his party was going to become the largest party post-elections aiming for 273-plus seats on their own.

"Congress is going to have the maximum number of members in Parliament. We are looking to secure 273-plus seats this time, which is easily achievable for us. We have done it in the past, we will do it again," he said.

He also expressed hope that the Congress government under Rahul Gandhi would give the country a stable government for the next five years.

"Rahul Gandhi is competent enough to become the Prime Minister of the country. Manmohan Singhji, Atalji`s government lasted for the full term because they had the largest number of MPs, so if you want a stable government this time Congress is the only choice," he said.

Azad`s statements came after parties in the NDA alliance, especially BJP, urged the mahagathbandhan to declare its prime ministerial candidate. NDA claimed there was a lack of unanimity between the opposition in the Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday appeared to have made a U-turn saying his party must be given a chance if a stable government is needed at the Centre, in remarks that came a day after he had said that Congress was only keen on defeating NDA and the prime minister`s post was not its primary concern.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday appeared to have made a U-turn saying his party must be given a chance if a stable government is needed at the Centre, in remarks that came a day after he had said that Congress was only keen on defeating NDA and the prime minister`s post was not its primary concern. "No, it is not true that Congress will not claim the Prime Minister`s post. We are the biggest and oldest political party. If the government is to run for five years, the biggest political party should be given a chance. But what I have been saying is that while we are in the midst of elections we should not fight among ourselves. It (PM`s post) should be decided by consensus," Azad told ANI here. On Thursday, Azad had asserted that his party was only interested in defeating NDA and getting the Prime Minister`s post was not its primary concerns. "We have already made our stand clear. If a consensus is made in the favour of Congress, then the party will take the lead but our aim has always been that NDA government should not come." "We will go with the unanimous decision. We are not going to make an issue that we (Congress) will not let anyone else become the Prime Minister if it is not offered to us (Congress)," Azad told reporters on Thursday. On Friday, Azad said his party was going to become the largest party post-elections aiming for 273-plus seats on their own. "Congress is going to have the maximum number of members in Parliament. We are looking to secure 273-plus seats this time, which is easily achievable for us. We have done it in the past, we will do it again," he said. He also expressed hope that the Congress government under Rahul Gandhi would give the country a stable government for the next five years. "Rahul Gandhi is competent enough to become the Prime Minister of the country. Manmohan Singhji, Atalji`s government lasted for the full term because they had the largest number of MPs, so if you want a stable government this time Congress is the only choice," he said. Azad`s statements came after parties in the NDA alliance, especially BJP, urged the mahagathbandhan to declare its prime ministerial candidate. NDA claimed there was a lack of unanimity between the opposition in the Lok Sabha elections.

Ghulam Nabi Azad takes U-turn after stating PM post was not Congress party's primary concern

Shimla turns white with fresh snowfall

Days after Uttar Pradesh government changed Allahabad's name to Pryagraj, the ruling BJP government in Himachal Pradesh is now reportedly considering a proposal to rename Shimla as Shymala, a move that can stir another controversy in the country.

According to a report by PTI, some right-wing Hindu groups have launched a campaign demanding the name to be changed to Shyamla to which the state health minister has reportedly responded saying, "If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered."

"Many cities in different parts of the country used to have historic names but they were changed. So, there would not be any harm in reverting to those names. If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered," state health minister Vipin Singh Parmar was quoted as saying by PTI.

Notably, social media has been abuzz with discussions on the topic for the last few days.

The debate has left people divided with some favouring the name change and others opposing it saying that Shimla is a historical city and if one changes its name then it will lose its character.&nbsp;

Senior&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh Congress leader Harbhajan Singh Bhajji while opposing the proposal&nbsp;said, "What's wrong with the name Shimla? Will the renaming ensure development? The state government should focus on ensuring that the state progresses instead of indulging in such frivolous antics," PTI reported.

According to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary Aman Puri, the popular holiday retreat was originally called Shyamala but as the Britishers found it tough to pronounce, they renamed it Simla which later became Shimla.

Also known as the queen of hills, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India in 1864. It remained that way till India got independence in 1947.

British officer Captain Charles Pratt Kennedy played a pivotal role in transforming Shimla as he built the first house here in 1822 aptly calling it-- Kennedy House.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Days after Uttar Pradesh government changed Allahabad's name to Pryagraj, the ruling BJP government in Himachal Pradesh is now reportedly considering a proposal to rename Shimla as Shymala, a move that can stir another controversy in the country.

Days after Uttar Pradesh government changed Allahabad's name to Pryagraj, the ruling BJP government in Himachal Pradesh is now reportedly considering a proposal to rename Shimla as Shymala, a move that can stir another controversy in the country. According to a report by PTI, some right-wing Hindu groups have launched a campaign demanding the name to be changed to Shyamla to which the state health minister has reportedly responded saying, "If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered." "Many cities in different parts of the country used to have historic names but they were changed. So, there would not be any harm in reverting to those names. If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered," state health minister Vipin Singh Parmar was quoted as saying by PTI. Notably, social media has been abuzz with discussions on the topic for the last few days. The debate has left people divided with some favouring the name change and others opposing it saying that Shimla is a historical city and if one changes its name then it will lose its character. Senior Himachal Pradesh Congress leader Harbhajan Singh Bhajji while opposing the proposal said, "What's wrong with the name Shimla? Will the renaming ensure development? The state government should focus on ensuring that the state progresses instead of indulging in such frivolous antics," PTI reported. According to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary Aman Puri, the popular holiday retreat was originally called Shyamala but as the Britishers found it tough to pronounce, they renamed it Simla which later became Shimla. Also known as the queen of hills, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India in 1864. It remained that way till India got independence in 1947. British officer Captain Charles Pratt Kennedy played a pivotal role in transforming Shimla as he built the first house here in 1822 aptly calling it-- Kennedy House. (With inputs from PTI)

BJP government considering proposal to rename Shimla: Report

Two persons were killed and six others injured when a bus fell into a 50-metre deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district, police said Monday.

The accident occurred in Mancholi area when the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus was on its way to Khadar village from Chaupal on Sunday, they said.

The bus fell into the gorge as the retaining wall constructed besides the road collapsed.

The deceased have been identified as Priyanka (28) and Vidya Dutt (52) of Khaddar village, they said, adding that Priyanka’s husband Sudesh (38) and their two daughters Sanvi (3) and Yuaana (2) are among those who sustained injuries.

All the six injured have been referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) at Shimla.

Two persons were killed and six others injured when a bus fell into a 50-metre deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district, police said Monday. The accident occurred in Mancholi area when the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus was on its way to Khadar village from Chaupal on Sunday, they said.

Two persons were killed and six others injured when a bus fell into a 50-metre deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district, police said Monday. The accident occurred in Mancholi area when the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus was on its way to Khadar village from Chaupal on Sunday, they said. The bus fell into the gorge as the retaining wall constructed besides the road collapsed. The deceased have been identified as Priyanka (28) and Vidya Dutt (52) of Khaddar village, they said, adding that Priyanka’s husband Sudesh (38) and their two daughters Sanvi (3) and Yuaana (2) are among those who sustained injuries. All the six injured have been referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) at Shimla.

Himachal Pradesh: Two killed as bus falls into gorge in Shimla

Five people died and many were injured in separate incidents as heavy rains lashed Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said.

Four people, including a girl, died in Kullu, while a man died in Kangra district as heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in many parts of the state Monday.

Schools have been directed to remain closed in Kangra, Kullu and Hamirpur districts on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, they said.

As the water level in rivers and streams increased following the incessant rain, a man was swept away by the swelling Nahad Khad (rivulet) in Kangra, the district administration said.

Tilak Raj, a resident of Luskwara village in Jawali tehsil, was swept away when he was crossing the rivulet Monday morning. His body was recovered in Wuhl Khad with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, the officials said.

The four people who lost their lives in Kullu include Rupa (18), Sultana (15) of Bajaoura, Mohit of Banjar, and Sarang (16) of Manikaran, Superintendent of Police (Kullu) Shalini Agnihotri said.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HWkfo_d5tAc" width="560"></iframe>

Newly wedded couple Dalip Singh (21) and his wife Rupa (18) sustained critical injuries in a landslide between Pinni and Tikker in the district, Agnihotri said, adding that the wife was declared brought dead at a regional hospital, whereas Dalip was undergoing treatment.

Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur visited several affected areas of Kullu and met the family members of the deceased to express his grief.

Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, he said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs.

Indian Air Force personnel rescued two people stranded at Hurla village near Kullu's Bajaoura by airlifting them using a helicopter, the minister said.

Thakur also honoured Indian Air Force Squadron Leader Vipul Goel and his team for rescuing 19 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner Yunus has sounded a "high alert" in Kullu district where initial loss of property in recent rains has been estimated at over Rs 20 crores.

All adventurous sports activities, including paragliding, have been banned in Kullu, district Tourism Development Officer BS Negi said.

Meanwhile, Kangra and Kullu deputy commissioners Sandeep Kumar and Yunus, respectively, have ordered the closure of all government and private educational institutions for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, officials said.

Hamirpur DC Richa Verma has declared that all government and private schools and anganwaris of the district would remain closed Tuesday. However, colleges in the district would remain open.

Meanwhile, four members of a family, Mukesh, his wife Shikha, their son and daughter sustained injuries in Chamba district, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

The Ravi river is flowing at a dangerous level, and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas since Sunday, she added.

People residing in low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar has alerted officials and people residing in low-lying areas that water would be released from the Pandoh reservoir as per a message from his counterpart in Mandi.

The water level in the Pong Dam is running above the danger mark which has led to the Bhakra Beas Management Board's&nbsp;decision to open the floodgate of the dam, an official said.

Issuing a flood warning, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said excess 49,000 cusecs water from the Beas Dam would be released on Tuesday at 3 pm. The water level of the dam already has reached 1,385.56 feet, he added.

The Himachal cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, reviewed the losses and rehabilitation and rescue operations being undertaken in the state.

A number of roads in various districts have been blocked due to landslides, and water and electricity supplies have been adversely affected in several areas, the officials added.

Most parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessed moderate to heavy rains on Monday too, Shimla MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said.

The weatherman further said that light to moderate rainfall would occur at scattered places over the mid and the low hills and at isolated places over the higher reaches of the state on September 25, and thereafter, the weather would almost be dry.&nbsp;

Five people died and many were injured in separate incidents as heavy rains lashed Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said.

Five people died and many were injured in separate incidents as heavy rains lashed Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said. Four people, including a girl, died in Kullu, while a man died in Kangra district as heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in many parts of the state Monday. Schools have been directed to remain closed in Kangra, Kullu and Hamirpur districts on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, they said. As the water level in rivers and streams increased following the incessant rain, a man was swept away by the swelling Nahad Khad (rivulet) in Kangra, the district administration said. Tilak Raj, a resident of Luskwara village in Jawali tehsil, was swept away when he was crossing the rivulet Monday morning. His body was recovered in Wuhl Khad with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, the officials said. The four people who lost their lives in Kullu include Rupa (18), Sultana (15) of Bajaoura, Mohit of Banjar, and Sarang (16) of Manikaran, Superintendent of Police (Kullu) Shalini Agnihotri said. Newly wedded couple Dalip Singh (21) and his wife Rupa (18) sustained critical injuries in a landslide between Pinni and Tikker in the district, Agnihotri said, adding that the wife was declared brought dead at a regional hospital, whereas Dalip was undergoing treatment. Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur visited several affected areas of Kullu and met the family members of the deceased to express his grief. Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, he said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs. Indian Air Force personnel rescued two people stranded at Hurla village near Kullu's Bajaoura by airlifting them using a helicopter, the minister said. Thakur also honoured Indian Air Force Squadron Leader Vipul Goel and his team for rescuing 19 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district on Sunday. Deputy Commissioner Yunus has sounded a "high alert" in Kullu district where initial loss of property in recent rains has been estimated at over Rs 20 crores. All adventurous sports activities, including paragliding, have been banned in Kullu, district Tourism Development Officer BS Negi said. Meanwhile, Kangra and Kullu deputy commissioners Sandeep Kumar and Yunus, respectively, have ordered the closure of all government and private educational institutions for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, officials said. Hamirpur DC Richa Verma has declared that all government and private schools and anganwaris of the district would remain closed Tuesday. However, colleges in the district would remain open. Meanwhile, four members of a family, Mukesh, his wife Shikha, their son and daughter sustained injuries in Chamba district, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said. The Ravi river is flowing at a dangerous level, and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas since Sunday, she added. People residing in low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar has alerted officials and people residing in low-lying areas that water would be released from the Pandoh reservoir as per a message from his counterpart in Mandi. The water level in the Pong Dam is running above the danger mark which has led to the Bhakra Beas Management Board's decision to open the floodgate of the dam, an official said. Issuing a flood warning, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said excess 49,000 cusecs water from the Beas Dam would be released on Tuesday at 3 pm. The water level of the dam already has reached 1,385.56 feet, he added. The Himachal cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, reviewed the losses and rehabilitation and rescue operations being undertaken in the state. A number of roads in various districts have been blocked due to landslides, and water and electricity supplies have been adversely affected in several areas, the officials added. Most parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessed moderate to heavy rains on Monday too, Shimla MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said. The weatherman further said that light to moderate rainfall would occur at scattered places over the mid and the low hills and at isolated places over the higher reaches of the state on September 25, and thereafter, the weather would almost be dry.

Watch: Rains batter Himachal Pradesh, schools to remain closed in 3 districts

Ten people, including four women, died and three others were injured after a vehicle veered off a road in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district Saturday, a police official said.

The accident happened at Snail, three kilometres from Kuddu on Tiyuni Road.

The three injured, including a child, have been admitted to Rohru hospital, Shimla Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal said.

A police team led by Jubbal Station House Officer and Swara police post-in-charge is at the accident site, he added. 
 
More details awaited.

Ten people, including four women, died and three others were injured after a vehicle veered off a road in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district Saturday, a police official said.

Ten people, including four women, died and three others were injured after a vehicle veered off a road in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district Saturday, a police official said. The accident happened at Snail, three kilometres from Kuddu on Tiyuni Road. The three injured, including a child, have been admitted to Rohru hospital, Shimla Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal said. A police team led by Jubbal Station House Officer and Swara police post-in-charge is at the accident site, he added. More details awaited.

Himachal Pradesh: 10 killed, 3 injured after jeep fell into gorge in Shimla

With the hill city staring at its worst water crisis, the World Environment Day would be a low-key affair.&nbsp;

Despite the situation easing a bit, people are still getting water after three to four days for their home-based needs.

Not many programmes have been scheduled even though Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur would attend a function at Sundernagar in Mandi district.

Thakur would launch a tree plantation programme, inaugurate an exhibition on World Environment Day and also launch the Pollution Abating Plants Abhiyan (PAPA) at Sundernagar, officials said.

Education minister Suresh Bharadwaj would participate in a function at the Ridge here in which students and NGOs would take part.

The reckless felling of trees, unplanned and illegal constructions have reduced the queen of hills to a concrete jungle and drying up of water sources have plunged Shimla into severe water crisis.

Despite the situation easing a bit, people are still getting water after three to four days for their home-based needs

With the hill city staring at its worst water crisis, the World Environment Day would be a low-key affair. Despite the situation easing a bit, people are still getting water after three to four days for their home-based needs. Not many programmes have been scheduled even though Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur would attend a function at Sundernagar in Mandi district. Thakur would launch a tree plantation programme, inaugurate an exhibition on World Environment Day and also launch the Pollution Abating Plants Abhiyan (PAPA) at Sundernagar, officials said. Education minister Suresh Bharadwaj would participate in a function at the Ridge here in which students and NGOs would take part. The reckless felling of trees, unplanned and illegal constructions have reduced the queen of hills to a concrete jungle and drying up of water sources have plunged Shimla into severe water crisis.

World Environment Day to be low key in water scarcity hit Shimla

The <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/shimla-continues-to-face-severe-water-shortage-for-14th-day-residents-protest-141783">water crisis in Shimla</a> improved a little after a fortnight as&nbsp;authorities increased water supply for the second day in the city on Sunday.

However, the authorities have maintained&nbsp;rationing system of water by continuing with the limited distribution.

Authorities have put in place a rationing system under which the hill city has been divided into three zones and each zone receives water alternatively - after two days.

On Saturday, the volume of water supply was increased by 7 million litres per day to 28 MLD. The supply was further increased to 37 MLD on Sunday&nbsp;after the Shimla Municipal Corporation plugged leakages and snapped illegal connections, officials said.

SMC sources said the schedule for supplying water to the three zones would be modified if more water was available. Shimla normally requires 40-45 MLD of water during summers.

The officials have blamed the rising temperature, reduced snowfall and rainfall in higher temperature to be the cause of the water crisis in the city.

The higher education department has ordered government schools to remain shut for a week in view of water shortage while dismissing the monsoon break ahead this year.

Army and police personnel too have been working with SMC to find ways to improve water supply in the state capital.

The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has demanded the dissolution of the BJP-controlled municipal corporation.

In a memorandum to Governor Acharya Devvrat, I N Mehta, chairman of legal and human rights department of HPCC, said SMC failed to ensure uninterrupted water supply and it should be dismissed by invoking Section 404 of Municipal Corporation Act.

A day before a woman had died in Shimla after she was allegedly hit by a water tanker while collecting water.

The capital city of Himachal Pradesh is undergoing severe water crises in several parts for over ten days.

The residents of the city have been protesting against the water shortage.

 
&nbsp;(With inputs from PTI)

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Authorities have put in place a rationing system under which the hill city has been divided into three zones and each zone receives water alternatively - after two days

The water crisis in Shimla improved a little after a fortnight as authorities increased water supply for the second day in the city on Sunday. However, the authorities have maintained rationing system of water by continuing with the limited distribution. Authorities have put in place a rationing system under which the hill city has been divided into three zones and each zone receives water alternatively - after two days. On Saturday, the volume of water supply was increased by 7 million litres per day to 28 MLD. The supply was further increased to 37 MLD on Sunday after the Shimla Municipal Corporation plugged leakages and snapped illegal connections, officials said. SMC sources said the schedule for supplying water to the three zones would be modified if more water was available. Shimla normally requires 40-45 MLD of water during summers. The officials have blamed the rising temperature, reduced snowfall and rainfall in higher temperature to be the cause of the water crisis in the city. The higher education department has ordered government schools to remain shut for a week in view of water shortage while dismissing the monsoon break ahead this year. Army and police personnel too have been working with SMC to find ways to improve water supply in the state capital. The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has demanded the dissolution of the BJP-controlled municipal corporation. In a memorandum to Governor Acharya Devvrat, I N Mehta, chairman of legal and human rights department of HPCC, said SMC failed to ensure uninterrupted water supply and it should be dismissed by invoking Section 404 of Municipal Corporation Act. A day before a woman had died in Shimla after she was allegedly hit by a water tanker while collecting water. The capital city of Himachal Pradesh is undergoing severe water crises in several parts for over ten days. The residents of the city have been protesting against the water shortage. (With inputs from PTI)

Shimla water crisis: Authorities increase supply but rationing continues

A woman died in Shimla after she was allegedly hit by a water tanker while collecting water.

The woman was declared brought dead by the hospital authorities.

The capital city of Himachal Pradesh is undergoing severe water crises in several parts for over ten days.

The residents of the city have been protesting against the water shortage.

They raised slogans against the government and Shimla Municipal Corporation and also blocked the road leading to the state secretariat.

The people of the area claim that they have not received supply water for the past eight days.&nbsp;

Resorting to bottled water for cooking and drinking, many of them were also utilising&nbsp;the little water which they had collected from the rain.

A resident has also asked the government to promote dry toilets in the city to save millions of litres of water.

The&nbsp;government, on the other hand, has blamed the situation of water crises in the city on the rising temperature and the consequent drying up of water resources.

A statement released by the government also said that the civic body had received a limited amount of water which was being distributed to different locations as per timetable.

The statement said that the government was supplying the water through water tankers at different locations.

Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur also visited New Delhi to brief the Prime Minister's Office on the water crises in the state.

After the intervention&nbsp;of the High Court, the Municipal Corporation has also disconnected the water supply of various hotels in the city.

The Court has asked the government to provide water on a rotational basis.

It has also directed the Municipal Corporation to ensure equitable distribution of water.

The next hearing in the case is on June 11.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a>: A woman died after being allegedly hit by a water tanker at Shimla's Mall Road. She was declared brought dead by Indira Gandhi Medical College administration. <a href="https://t.co/VWKcI0BErW">pic.twitter.com/VWKcI0BErW</a>
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Resorting to bottled water for cooking and drinking, many of them were also utilising the little water which they had collected from the rain

A woman died in Shimla after she was allegedly hit by a water tanker while collecting water. The woman was declared brought dead by the hospital authorities. The capital city of Himachal Pradesh is undergoing severe water crises in several parts for over ten days. The residents of the city have been protesting against the water shortage. They raised slogans against the government and Shimla Municipal Corporation and also blocked the road leading to the state secretariat. The people of the area claim that they have not received supply water for the past eight days. Resorting to bottled water for cooking and drinking, many of them were also utilising the little water which they had collected from the rain. A resident has also asked the government to promote dry toilets in the city to save millions of litres of water. The government, on the other hand, has blamed the situation of water crises in the city on the rising temperature and the consequent drying up of water resources. A statement released by the government also said that the civic body had received a limited amount of water which was being distributed to different locations as per timetable. The statement said that the government was supplying the water through water tankers at different locations. Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur also visited New Delhi to brief the Prime Minister's Office on the water crises in the state. After the intervention of the High Court, the Municipal Corporation has also disconnected the water supply of various hotels in the city. The Court has asked the government to provide water on a rotational basis. It has also directed the Municipal Corporation to ensure equitable distribution of water. The next hearing in the case is on June 11. #HimachalPradesh: A woman died after being allegedly hit by a water tanker at Shimla's Mall Road. She was declared brought dead by Indira Gandhi Medical College administration. pic.twitter.com/VWKcI0BErW — ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2018 ×

Amid water crisis in Shimla, woman dies after being hit by tanker

Following an acute drinking water shortage, the&nbsp;Municipal Corporation&nbsp;here is distributing water under police protection.

Over 70 police personnel have been deployed to specially deal with the situation in the water-deprived hill-station.

Meanwhile, a mineral water wholesale trader,&nbsp;Jasvir Singh&nbsp;told ANI that the demand for bottled water has increased by 50 to 60 per cent due to water scarcity in&nbsp;Shimla.

"Usually I supply 400 packs of water bottles but now the demand has increased to 700 plus for retailers," he said.

The tourism industry in&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh's&nbsp;Shimla&nbsp;has also been massively hit as tourists are cancelling their visits to the hill-station.

The local hoteliers and others related to the tourism industry are worried as social media is flooded with news about the water crisis, preventing the inflow of tourists into the state.

Yesterday,&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh&nbsp;High Court directed the&nbsp;Shimla&nbsp;Municipal Corporation&nbsp;not to distribute water through tankers.

The court has also directed the state government and the&nbsp;Shimla&nbsp;Municipal Corporation to not allow any water supply for building construction and car washing.

The court has taken a suo moto cognizance in the matter due to extreme water scarcity in the town and has given order taking the&nbsp;Public Interest Litigation&nbsp;(PIL) which is pending with the high court for past two years.

The&nbsp;Shimla&nbsp;administration has also postponed a major tourist attraction, International&nbsp;Shimla&nbsp;Summer Festival, scheduled from June 1 to 5 due to the scarcity of water in the town.

Over 70 police personnel have been deployed to specially deal with the situation in the water-deprived hill-station

Following an acute drinking water shortage, the Municipal Corporation here is distributing water under police protection. Over 70 police personnel have been deployed to specially deal with the situation in the water-deprived hill-station. Meanwhile, a mineral water wholesale trader, Jasvir Singh told ANI that the demand for bottled water has increased by 50 to 60 per cent due to water scarcity in Shimla. "Usually I supply 400 packs of water bottles but now the demand has increased to 700 plus for retailers," he said. The tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla has also been massively hit as tourists are cancelling their visits to the hill-station. The local hoteliers and others related to the tourism industry are worried as social media is flooded with news about the water crisis, preventing the inflow of tourists into the state. Yesterday, Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the Shimla Municipal Corporation not to distribute water through tankers. The court has also directed the state government and the Shimla Municipal Corporation to not allow any water supply for building construction and car washing. The court has taken a suo moto cognizance in the matter due to extreme water scarcity in the town and has given order taking the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which is pending with the high court for past two years. The Shimla administration has also postponed a major tourist attraction, International Shimla Summer Festival, scheduled from June 1 to 5 due to the scarcity of water in the town.

Shimla administration in water rationing mode

Over 40 houses were gutted in a fire that broke out at Kaishani village of Shimla district in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

The fire spread fast and engulfed a large number of heavily timbered old houses with traditional wood carving. Villagers ran out of their homes in panic as the blaze swept.

The villagers fought the flames and stopped the fire from spreading to a cluster of about 150 houses. However, around 35 to 40 houses were completely gutted by the time the fire engines from Rohroo and Kotkhai arrived at the spot.

The locals helped in dousing the fire by the time fire tenders reached the spot. SDM Ghanshyam Sharma said fire tenders were also rushed from Kotkhai and the fire was contained by daybreak.

No casualty has been reported so far, according to sources.

The blaze, suspected to have started in a wooden house, gradually engulfed adjoining houses, majority of which were also made of wood, reports said.

Babu Ram Sharma, the sub-divisional magistrate of Rohroo said, "50 families rendered homeless by the fire have been provided immediate relief of Rs. 10,000, temporary shelter, clothes and ration."

Amit Kashyap, the Deputy Commissioner of Shimla, who reached the spot, said relief camps have been set up and a community kitchen has been started for victims and all possible assistance was being given.

This is the second incident of fire within two days in Himachal Pradesh.Yesterday, a two-storied building caught fire at Chaupal village in Shimla.&nbsp;

The villagers said the fire was caused due to a short circuit and spread fast leaving no time to salvage the belongings which were reduced to ashes

Over 40 houses were gutted in a fire that broke out at Kaishani village of Shimla district in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. The fire spread fast and engulfed a large number of heavily timbered old houses with traditional wood carving. Villagers ran out of their homes in panic as the blaze swept. The villagers fought the flames and stopped the fire from spreading to a cluster of about 150 houses. However, around 35 to 40 houses were completely gutted by the time the fire engines from Rohroo and Kotkhai arrived at the spot. The locals helped in dousing the fire by the time fire tenders reached the spot. SDM Ghanshyam Sharma said fire tenders were also rushed from Kotkhai and the fire was contained by daybreak. No casualty has been reported so far, according to sources. The blaze, suspected to have started in a wooden house, gradually engulfed adjoining houses, majority of which were also made of wood, reports said. Babu Ram Sharma, the sub-divisional magistrate of Rohroo said, "50 families rendered homeless by the fire have been provided immediate relief of Rs. 10,000, temporary shelter, clothes and ration." Amit Kashyap, the Deputy Commissioner of Shimla, who reached the spot, said relief camps have been set up and a community kitchen has been started for victims and all possible assistance was being given. This is the second incident of fire within two days in Himachal Pradesh.Yesterday, a two-storied building caught fire at Chaupal village in Shimla.

Shimla: Over 40 houses gutted in village fire, leaves families homeless

Shimla Police have booked Bollywood actor Jeetendra after he was accused by his cousin of sexually assaulting her 47 years ago, police said.

The woman, in a complaint to the Director General of Police, in February had alleged that the incident took place in Shimla in January,1971, when she was 18 and the actor was 28.

Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal said an FIR had been filed against the star and investigations into the case was underway.

Police officials are likely to summon the complainant in the case as they have only received her complaint on e-mail and are yet to record her version, sources said.

Later, the actor, whose actual name is Ravi Kapoor, may be summoned to record his version in the case, they said.

The woman said that Jeetendra, who is her aunt&#39;s son, had &quot;arranged&quot; for her to join him from New Delhi to Shimla on the sets of a film he was shooting for.

She alleged in the complaint that after reaching Shimla at night, the inebriated actor went to her room, joined two twin beds and sexually assaulted her.

The actor denied that any such incident had taken place.

The woman, in a complaint to the Director General of Police, in February had alleged that the incident took place in Shimla in January,1971, when she was 18 and the actor was 28.

Shimla Police have booked Bollywood actor Jeetendra after he was accused by his cousin of sexually assaulting her 47 years ago, police said. The woman, in a complaint to the Director General of Police, in February had alleged that the incident took place in Shimla in January,1971, when she was 18 and the actor was 28. Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal said an FIR had been filed against the star and investigations into the case was underway. Police officials are likely to summon the complainant in the case as they have only received her complaint on e-mail and are yet to record her version, sources said. Later, the actor, whose actual name is Ravi Kapoor, may be summoned to record his version in the case, they said. The woman said that Jeetendra, who is her aunt's son, had "arranged" for her to join him from New Delhi to Shimla on the sets of a film he was shooting for. She alleged in the complaint that after reaching Shimla at night, the inebriated actor went to her room, joined two twin beds and sexually assaulted her. The actor denied that any such incident had taken place.

Actor Jeetendra booked in 47 year old sexual assault case

Video has emerged of a Congress MLA slapping a woman constable, who slapped the politican back.&nbsp;

Watch video below:&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Shimla: Congress MLA Asha Kumari assaults woman constable, gets slapped back. She was being allegedly denied entry by Police in Rahul Gandhi&#39;s review meeting (amateur video) <a href="https://t.co/puvMRnHKss">pic.twitter.com/puvMRnHKss</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946647996619374592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The incident took place in Shimla.&nbsp;

Police were reportedly not allowing the MLA, identified as Asha Kumari, into a meeting being chaired by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

Gandhi is in Shimla to review the Congress&#39;s poll performance in the recently-held Himachal elections.&nbsp;

The Congress lost the elections, with the BJP winning 44 seats in the 68-member house. The Congress won 21.&nbsp;

 
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The incident took place in Shimla. The MLA was identified as Asha Kumari

Video has emerged of a Congress MLA slapping a woman constable, who slapped the politican back. Watch video below: #WATCH Shimla: Congress MLA Asha Kumari assaults woman constable, gets slapped back. She was being allegedly denied entry by Police in Rahul Gandhi's review meeting (amateur video) pic.twitter.com/puvMRnHKss — ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2017 × The incident took place in Shimla. Police were reportedly not allowing the MLA, identified as Asha Kumari, into a meeting being chaired by Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi is in Shimla to review the Congress's poll performance in the recently-held Himachal elections. The Congress lost the elections, with the BJP winning 44 seats in the 68-member house. The Congress won 21.

Watch: Congress MLA slaps woman constable, who slaps back

As mid-December approaches, winter is at its peak and most of the places in north India are witnessing sub-zero temperatures.

During past 24 hours, Keylong in Lahul-Spiti recorded minimum temperature of -4.9 degree Celsius, Kalpa was at -1.0 degrees Celsius and Dalhousie at -0.2 degree Celsius, the weather department in Shimla said on Wednesday.

The Queen of Hills and popular tourist destination Shimla recorded a temperature of 3.4 degree Celsius, the MeT department said.

Delhi and a few areas in north India witnessed light rains on Tuesday, which led to sharp drop in temperatures.

In Punjab, Amritsar had a cold day at 15.8 degrees Celsius, down six notches against normal limit, while the low temperature settled at 10.8 degrees Celsius, up six notches.

The maximum temperature in Ludhiana was 16.4 degrees Celsius, down five notches and the minimum temperature was 12.4 degrees Celsius.

Patiala, too, had a cold day at 16.7 degrees Celsius. The minimum was recorded at 13.5 degrees Celsius.

Hisar and Karnal in Haryana recorded below normal maximum temperature at 18.4 and 18 degrees Celsius respectively while the respective minimums at these places settled at 12.9 and 12.9 degrees Celsius, which were above normal.

According to the MeT forecast, moderate to dense fog was likely to occur at isolated places during next three days in Haryana and Punjab.

During past 24 hours, Keylong in Lahul-Spiti recorded minimum temperature of -4.9 degree Celsius, Kalpa was at -1.0 degrees Celsius and Dalhousie at -0.2 degree Celsius, the weather department in Shimla said on Wednesday.

As mid-December approaches, winter is at its peak and most of the places in north India are witnessing sub-zero temperatures. During past 24 hours, Keylong in Lahul-Spiti recorded minimum temperature of -4.9 degree Celsius, Kalpa was at -1.0 degrees Celsius and Dalhousie at -0.2 degree Celsius, the weather department in Shimla said on Wednesday. The Queen of Hills and popular tourist destination Shimla recorded a temperature of 3.4 degree Celsius, the MeT department said. Delhi and a few areas in north India witnessed light rains on Tuesday, which led to sharp drop in temperatures. In Punjab, Amritsar had a cold day at 15.8 degrees Celsius, down six notches against normal limit, while the low temperature settled at 10.8 degrees Celsius, up six notches. The maximum temperature in Ludhiana was 16.4 degrees Celsius, down five notches and the minimum temperature was 12.4 degrees Celsius. Patiala, too, had a cold day at 16.7 degrees Celsius. The minimum was recorded at 13.5 degrees Celsius. Hisar and Karnal in Haryana recorded below normal maximum temperature at 18.4 and 18 degrees Celsius respectively while the respective minimums at these places settled at 12.9 and 12.9 degrees Celsius, which were above normal. According to the MeT forecast, moderate to dense fog was likely to occur at isolated places during next three days in Haryana and Punjab.

Winter intensifies, most places in north India witness sub-zero temperatures

Panic loomed over the Himachal Raj Bhawan on Saturday evening after a leopard was spotted roaming the lawns of the compound.&nbsp;

The leopard was spotted three to four times.&nbsp;

A guard managed to take some pictures of the big cat.&nbsp;

Wildlife staff were informed by Raj Bhavan officials, who cordoned off the area and shut the main gate&nbsp;to stop the leopard from venturing any further.

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Himachal Pradesh: Leopard seen wandering inside Raj Bhavan campus in Shimla <a href="https://t.co/rM1VGCbVJA">pic.twitter.com/rM1VGCbVJA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939483560704016384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Shashikant Sharma, adviser to Governor Acharya Dev Vrat, said&nbsp;&quot;a solar electric fence is being put up to keep the leopard away from&nbsp; Raj Bhawan,&quot; ANI reported

(With inputs from ANI)

The leopard was spotted three to four times in the compound

Panic loomed over the Himachal Raj Bhawan on Saturday evening after a leopard was spotted roaming the lawns of the compound. The leopard was spotted three to four times. A guard managed to take some pictures of the big cat. Wildlife staff were informed by Raj Bhavan officials, who cordoned off the area and shut the main gate to stop the leopard from venturing any further. Himachal Pradesh: Leopard seen wandering inside Raj Bhavan campus in Shimla pic.twitter.com/rM1VGCbVJA — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × Shashikant Sharma, adviser to Governor Acharya Dev Vrat, said "a solar electric fence is being put up to keep the leopard away from Raj Bhawan," ANI reported (With inputs from ANI)

Panic at Shimla Raj Bhavan after leopard is spotted

Polling started on a dull note for 68 Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh today with 13.72 per cent voters exercising their franchise in the first two hours.

The polling started across the state at 8 am and at several places in Chamba and tribal areas five to ten per cent polling was recorded.

Shimla district recorded 18 per cent polling, Hamirpur 17 per cent, Chamba 12 per cent, Kangra 14 per cent, Mandi 16 per cent, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur 15 to 20 per cent and Solan and Sirmaur 18 to 20 per cent.

Reports of fault in VVPAT machines were received in Sirmaur district while polling started late by 15-20 minutes in some polling booths.

Kusumpti constituency in Shimla recorded 22 per cent polling, Shimla(rural) 20 per cent, Theog 19 per cent, Rampur 18 per cent and Shimla (Urban) and Rohroo 16 per cent, Election Department.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh exercised his franchise at Rampur while former chief minister P K Dhumal cast his vote at Samirpur along with family members.

A total of 50,25,941 voters are eligible to cast their vote.

As many as 7,525 polling booths have been set up in the state and 37,605 polling personnel have been deputed for poll duty.

Besides 17,850 personnel of police and Home Guards and 65 companies of central paramilitary force have been deployed.

Chief Minister Singh, 10 ministers, eight Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those contesting the polls.

The ruling Congress led by the chief minister and the BJP led with former chief minister Dhumal are contesting all 68 seats while the BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3.

There is a straight contest only in one constituency (Jhanduta) while the maximum number of 12 candidates is in fray in Dharamsala.

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Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh exercised his franchise at Rampur while former chief minister P K Dhumal cast his vote at Samirpur along with family members

Polling started on a dull note for 68 Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh today with 13.72 per cent voters exercising their franchise in the first two hours. The polling started across the state at 8 am and at several places in Chamba and tribal areas five to ten per cent polling was recorded. Shimla district recorded 18 per cent polling, Hamirpur 17 per cent, Chamba 12 per cent, Kangra 14 per cent, Mandi 16 per cent, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur 15 to 20 per cent and Solan and Sirmaur 18 to 20 per cent. Reports of fault in VVPAT machines were received in Sirmaur district while polling started late by 15-20 minutes in some polling booths. Kusumpti constituency in Shimla recorded 22 per cent polling, Shimla(rural) 20 per cent, Theog 19 per cent, Rampur 18 per cent and Shimla (Urban) and Rohroo 16 per cent, Election Department. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh exercised his franchise at Rampur while former chief minister P K Dhumal cast his vote at Samirpur along with family members. A total of 50,25,941 voters are eligible to cast their vote. As many as 7,525 polling booths have been set up in the state and 37,605 polling personnel have been deputed for poll duty. Besides 17,850 personnel of police and Home Guards and 65 companies of central paramilitary force have been deployed. Chief Minister Singh, 10 ministers, eight Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those contesting the polls. The ruling Congress led by the chief minister and the BJP led with former chief minister Dhumal are contesting all 68 seats while the BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3. There is a straight contest only in one constituency (Jhanduta) while the maximum number of 12 candidates is in fray in Dharamsala.

Himachal Pradesh: 13.72% polling recorded in first two hours

Like the British before me I escaped Delhi&#39;s heat by heading&nbsp;to&nbsp;Shimla. Unlike them, I didn&#39;t come to&nbsp;this breezy Himalayan outpost to rule the Indian subcontinent, just&nbsp;to walk around&nbsp;and take clean breaths. A colleague who grew up there gave me the list of mandatory sights and eats,&nbsp;all indeed excellent.&nbsp;

But one day from nowhere I heard the fun&nbsp;funky sound of roller skating music, and sure enough I looked up and beheld a true marvel,&nbsp;the very last thing I expected to find in a surprisingly gentrifying Himalayan hill station: A&nbsp;roller skating rink.

I&rsquo;ve been on ice skates since maybe five&nbsp;and roller blades since&nbsp;six, like every single Canadian.&nbsp;But I had never roller skated before in my life. Do people&nbsp;still actually roller&nbsp;skate?&nbsp;

It didn&#39;t immediately seem so. I laced up my skates and was instantly&nbsp;better than 95 per cent&nbsp;of the room. A man&nbsp;asked me for tips, and I gave him some. Indians around me were&nbsp;smiling,&nbsp;laughing,&nbsp;and tumbling&nbsp;to the floor in piles. I&nbsp;skated&nbsp;forwards, backwards,&nbsp;and even did&nbsp;a pretty&nbsp;inelegant spin. Every time I had the thought &ldquo;I am surprisingly capable&rdquo;, I nearly fell&nbsp;on my ass&nbsp;too. I was not actually very good.&nbsp;

But the rink had some true experts that blew my mind. I write this piece for them.

It wasn&rsquo;t that their strides were just&nbsp;long and elegant. That&#39;s just&nbsp;simple locomotion. Merely skating forward is to be approaching competence, like managing to hit a tennis ball over the net but without using spin.&nbsp;For these sharks, these ringers, the point wasn&#39;t just to move from point A to B, but to do so&nbsp;as flamboyantly as possible.

The sidelines have as many observers as the rink has skaters. They watch, concentrated at one end. Skaters at the far end can skate like&nbsp;schlubs,&nbsp;but the&nbsp;slick A1&nbsp;moves are saved for&nbsp;the crowd.&nbsp;Putting on a show while feigning nonchalance is the true purpose of roller skating.&nbsp;Why&nbsp;skate&nbsp;forward if not to show off?&nbsp;After all, it&#39;s a closed rink--you&#39;re not actually going anywhere.

I suspect&nbsp;theatrics is in rollerskating culture everywhere (insofar as anyone does it anywhere), but the need for drama is certainly not diminished in the land of Bollywood. Spectators here need spectacle&nbsp;and the hot dogs were up to the task.&nbsp;

A few skaters were positively burning rubber, their wheels somehow digging into the floor like skate blades&nbsp;carving ice. But here it wasn&rsquo;t to stop or arrest motion, it was the opposite&mdash;to dance. Both legs would flail in and out, arms were incorporated into the choreography.

There was a macho quality to all this flair and flamboyant grace, like Russian ballet. Inside a roller skating rink, the manliest thing a man&nbsp;can do is twirl like an angel.

But most of the people were just constantly falling. The ones not yet on the floor were ticking time bombs.&nbsp;Every part of their rigid nervous bodies screamed&nbsp;that they were about to drop. But the experts, they were other-worldly. Not simply very good, but majestic.

From nowhere&nbsp;one&nbsp;gifted freak&nbsp;did the full-on splits on&nbsp;skates. (His legs were in front and behind him, not the east-west splits.) And not&nbsp;just&nbsp;for a second or two, he maintained this posture&nbsp;along the&nbsp;length of the rink. And when he got to the corner, he just turned and&nbsp;went up the other side too. Crazy! He circled the entire rink&nbsp;in splits, one&nbsp;inch between floor and testicles. Doing&nbsp;the splits under ideal conditions is impossible.&nbsp;Doing it on wheels&nbsp;with enough speed to complete a full lap, all while surrounded by a minefield of amateur skaters, was&nbsp;worth the 80 rupee&nbsp;($1.60 Cdn) admission.

My grade nine English teacher used to&nbsp;tell&nbsp;our&nbsp;class hilarious stories about his&nbsp;days as a roller skater. There was a catalogue of moves he could pull off, as tricky and glorious as the names were funny. Somehow I still remember &ldquo;shoot the duck&rdquo;. I don&#39;t think there is&nbsp;any&nbsp;name for what I witnessed next in Shimla.&nbsp;

Here, elegant gymnastics&nbsp;gave way to&nbsp;pure daredevilry.

When I saw a guy sit on the floor, I didn&rsquo;t understand his excited spoken Hindi&nbsp;and&nbsp;didn&#39;t need to. Men engaging in reckless fun is a universal language, and what was about to happen was written all over his face. I couldn&rsquo;t believe it, but I knew what was coming. Next,&nbsp;skaters scattered away like birds in a&nbsp;jungle on the approach of&nbsp;giant beasts of prey.&nbsp;Another guy&nbsp;sat closely behind the first kid seated&nbsp;on the ground, then another and another, until there was a human centipede of seven. At the rink&#39;s corner was the maniac obviously about to attempt to jump over them all.

I got&nbsp;my camera ready.

Watch below to see if he made it, or if he failed and they all died:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K4gEIMLcm7U" width="560"></iframe>

One day in Delhi while looking only for&nbsp;an apartment to rent&nbsp;I instead found a snake charmer, but this, this was truly unexpected. Every skater contributed to my joy, gifted and inept alike.&nbsp;I thank them all.

In Shimla I trekked a gruelling half hour or so to see&nbsp;the ancient Jakhoo Temple with its oversized Hanuman statue from 2010. I visited the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies,&nbsp;the 19th century imitation Scottish mansion with Malaysian teak trimmings, where&nbsp;Gandhi and Nehru and others once met&nbsp;to discuss Indian independence&nbsp;and&nbsp;today kids with IQs of 1 lakh read books. I mean it, both were wonderful in their way and I take them with me.

But for my money, I encountered something contemporarily&nbsp;and&nbsp;quintessentially&nbsp;Indian--a blend of mind-blowing&nbsp;talent alongside the innocent, unselfconscious and infectious joy of even the worst skater--in a roller skating&nbsp;rink in Shimla.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Forget the sites associated with Gandhi, Nehru or even Hanuman. On my little Shimla journey I tasted some real India magic on roller skates

Like the British before me I escaped Delhi's heat by heading to Shimla. Unlike them, I didn't come to this breezy Himalayan outpost to rule the Indian subcontinent, just to walk around and take clean breaths. A colleague who grew up there gave me the list of mandatory sights and eats, all indeed excellent. But one day from nowhere I heard the fun funky sound of roller skating music, and sure enough I looked up and beheld a true marvel, the very last thing I expected to find in a surprisingly gentrifying Himalayan hill station: A roller skating rink. I’ve been on ice skates since maybe five and roller blades since six, like every single Canadian. But I had never roller skated before in my life. Do people still actually roller skate? It didn't immediately seem so. I laced up my skates and was instantly better than 95 per cent of the room. A man asked me for tips, and I gave him some. Indians around me were smiling, laughing, and tumbling to the floor in piles. I skated forwards, backwards, and even did a pretty inelegant spin. Every time I had the thought “I am surprisingly capable”, I nearly fell on my ass too. I was not actually very good. But the rink had some true experts that blew my mind. I write this piece for them. It wasn’t that their strides were just long and elegant. That's just simple locomotion. Merely skating forward is to be approaching competence, like managing to hit a tennis ball over the net but without using spin. For these sharks, these ringers, the point wasn't just to move from point A to B, but to do so as flamboyantly as possible. The sidelines have as many observers as the rink has skaters. They watch, concentrated at one end. Skaters at the far end can skate like schlubs, but the slick A1 moves are saved for the crowd. Putting on a show while feigning nonchalance is the true purpose of roller skating. Why skate forward if not to show off? After all, it's a closed rink--you're not actually going anywhere. I suspect theatrics is in rollerskating culture everywhere (insofar as anyone does it anywhere), but the need for drama is certainly not diminished in the land of Bollywood. Spectators here need spectacle and the hot dogs were up to the task. A few skaters were positively burning rubber, their wheels somehow digging into the floor like skate blades carving ice. But here it wasn’t to stop or arrest motion, it was the opposite—to dance. Both legs would flail in and out, arms were incorporated into the choreography. There was a macho quality to all this flair and flamboyant grace, like Russian ballet. Inside a roller skating rink, the manliest thing a man can do is twirl like an angel. But most of the people were just constantly falling. The ones not yet on the floor were ticking time bombs. Every part of their rigid nervous bodies screamed that they were about to drop. But the experts, they were other-worldly. Not simply very good, but majestic. From nowhere one gifted freak did the full-on splits on skates. (His legs were in front and behind him, not the east-west splits.) And not just for a second or two, he maintained this posture along the length of the rink. And when he got to the corner, he just turned and went up the other side too. Crazy! He circled the entire rink in splits, one inch between floor and testicles. Doing the splits under ideal conditions is impossible. Doing it on wheels with enough speed to complete a full lap, all while surrounded by a minefield of amateur skaters, was worth the 80 rupee ($1.60 Cdn) admission. My grade nine English teacher used to tell our class hilarious stories about his days as a roller skater. There was a catalogue of moves he could pull off, as tricky and glorious as the names were funny. Somehow I still remember “shoot the duck”. I don't think there is any name for what I witnessed next in Shimla. Here, elegant gymnastics gave way to pure daredevilry. When I saw a guy sit on the floor, I didn’t understand his excited spoken Hindi and didn't need to. Men engaging in reckless fun is a universal language, and what was about to happen was written all over his face. I couldn’t believe it, but I knew what was coming. Next, skaters scattered away like birds in a jungle on the approach of giant beasts of prey. Another guy sat closely behind the first kid seated on the ground, then another and another, until there was a human centipede of seven. At the rink's corner was the maniac obviously about to attempt to jump over them all. I got my camera ready. Watch below to see if he made it, or if he failed and they all died: One day in Delhi while looking only for an apartment to rent I instead found a snake charmer, but this, this was truly unexpected. Every skater contributed to my joy, gifted and inept alike. I thank them all. In Shimla I trekked a gruelling half hour or so to see the ancient Jakhoo Temple with its oversized Hanuman statue from 2010. I visited the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, the 19th century imitation Scottish mansion with Malaysian teak trimmings, where Gandhi and Nehru and others once met to discuss Indian independence and today kids with IQs of 1 lakh read books. I mean it, both were wonderful in their way and I take them with me. But for my money, I encountered something contemporarily and quintessentially Indian--a blend of mind-blowing talent alongside the innocent, unselfconscious and infectious joy of even the worst skater--in a roller skating rink in Shimla. (WION)

Roller skating in the Himalayas

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