Himachal CM announces first ozone-based drinking water project in Dehra
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said that Himachal Pradesh's first ozone-based drinking water treatment project is being established in the Dehra area of Kangra district to supply clean drinking water to people. Addressing a gathering at Baddal Thor in Dehra assembly constituency, he said that the state government has allocated Rs 46 crore for the project and the programme would be implemented in other areas as well. Under this water treatment project, ozone gas is used to disinfect water and improve taste. Sukhu also said the state government had also initiated the process of providing benefits under the Mukhyamantri Ka Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana, for which surveys were currently being conducted in panchayats. The government is committed to ensuring that even the most marginalised member of society gets a rightful share in the state's resources, he said. The scheme is expected to be rolled out on October 2. Under this yojana, extremely poor families will
67 roads closed in Himachal Pradesh, 'yellow' warning issued for heavy rain
A total of 67 roads have been closed to vehicular traffic as light to moderate rains persist in various parts of Himachal Pradesh. The Shimla Meteorological Office issued a yellow warning on Friday for heavy rains in isolated areas of the state from August 31 to September 3. As of Friday evening, the closures included 27 roads in Mandi, 16 in Kullu, seven in Kangra, six in Sirmaur, four in Una, three each in Chamba and Shimla, and one in Lahaul and Spiti district. Additionally, 12 power transformers have been obstructed, according to the state emergency operations centre. In the past 24 hours, since Thursday evening, Nahan received 51 mm of rain followed by Berthin 34.8 mm, Dhaulakuan 34.5 mm, Dharamshala 30.3 mm, Naina Devi 28.2 mm and Guler 20.1 mm. Between August 1 and 28, the state has received 203.8 mm of rainfall, compared to the normal of 241.4 mm, resulting in a 14 per cent deficit. Since the onset of the monsoon on June 30, approximately 103 people have died in rain-relat
PM Modi to virtually engage with Kangra and Chamba athletes on National Sports Day
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A customer who cancelled an Amazon mattress order after it went undelivered and was assured a refund through the app never received the money. When he approached the Kangra consumer commission, Amazon did not appear to contest the case. The commission has now ordered Amazon to refund Rs 8,819 with 9% interest, plus Rs 10,000 in compensation and litigation costs.
New Delhi, August 11: Heavy rainfall has been ongoing in various parts of Himachal Pradesh since Monday night. Particularly in Kangra district, intense rain has caused rivers and streams to swell. The Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur districts on Tuesday, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall ... Read more Heavy Rain Alert in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu, and Ladakh: Landslide and Flash Flood Risks
32 grams of gold handed to Kapoor Jewellers in Kangra for making new bangles was neither returned nor converted into the promised ornaments for over two years. When the customer finally sought return of his gold, the jeweller's family denied the transaction ever took place. A Himachal Pradesh consumer commission has now ordered the gold's return along with Rs 25,000 in compensation and Rs 10,000 in litigation costs.
The images from Jammu and Kashmir this week were movingly worrisome. Mud-choked streets, damaged homes, uprooted trees and residents watching helplessly as torrents of water carrying rocks and debris tore through mountain settlements. In Kishtwars Chatroo area, a cloudburst sent flash floods crashing through the valley. Days later, more cloudbursts struck parts of the Kashmir Valley, damaging roads, farmland, orchards and public infrastructure while forcing few families to move to safer places. For many, these appeared to be yet another set of isolated mountain disasters. But viewed against the backdrop of the entire Himalayan region, they tell a different story. From the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal and the eastern Himalayas, cloudbursts and flash floods are becoming an increasingly common feature of the monsoon. The Himalayas have always experienced extreme weather. What appears to be changing is the frequency, intensity and unpredictability of these events. Scientists say the region is witnessing longer dry spells punctuated by short periods of exceptionally intense rainfall. Instead of rain falling steadily over several days, vast quantities of water are now being dumped within a few hours over a very small area. When that happens in steep mountain terrain, rivers turn into raging torrents within minutes. The warning signs have appeared across the length of the mountain chain during this years monsoon. In June, a cloudburst in the Gurez Valley of north Kashmir damaged bridges, roads and agricultural land. In early August, Kishtwar witnessed another destructive cloudburst that inundated markets and disrupted road links. Within days, flash floods struck parts of Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal, underlining how quickly weather systems can shift from one valley to another. Further east, Ladakhs Kargil district also experienced flash floods after intense rainfall, damaging roads, irrigation channels and fields. Though Ladakh is known as a cold desert, recent years have shown that even these traditionally dry regions are vulnerable to sudden cloudburst events. Himachal Pradesh has continued to witness repeated incidents of flash floods and landslides. In districts such as Chamba, Kullu, Mandi, Kangra and Kinnaur, heavy rainfall has washed away roads, cut off villages and damaged infrastructure. Rescue teams have had to be deployed repeatedly to evacuate people and restore road connectivity. Uttarakhands experience over the past decade is perhaps the clearest warning of what extreme rainfall can do in fragile mountain terrain. From the Kedarnath tragedy in 2013 to the Chamoli disaster in 2021, and the cloudburst incidents reported in Uttarkashi and other upper Himalayan districts, the State has seen how quickly a localised weather event can turn into a major disaster. The problem is not confined to India. Nepal, which shares the Himalayan ecosystem, has also witnessed repeated flash floods triggered by cloudbursts during recent monsoons. Rivers rising in Nepal and the Indian Himalayas eventually flow into the plains, so what happens in the mountains can have serious consequences much farther downstream. The eastern Himalayas present a similar picture. Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim regularly face landslides and flash floods after intense rainfall. The swelling of Himalayan rivers also contributes to the recurring floods in Assam. While Assams floods are often treated as a separate issue, hydrologists point out that rainfall in the upstream Himalayan catchments has a major bearing on the volume and intensity of water reaching the Brahmaputra valley. Several factors are making the situation more dangerous. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture. When weather conditions trigger its release, it can come down as extremely heavy rain within a very short period. In the mountains, there is little flat land where this water can spread out or be absorbed gradually. It instead rushes down steep slopes, carrying rocks, trees and loose soil with it. Small streams can suddenly turn into torrents capable of sweeping away everything in their path. Human activity has added to the vulnerability of mountain areas. Highways have reached deeper into valleys, hydropower projects have expanded and hotels and residential settlements have come up close to rivers and streams. Hillsides are frequently cut to build roads, sometimes without adequate slope protection. Forest cover has also been lost in several areas. These activities do not cause cloudbursts. But they can make the consequences far worse when extreme rainfall occurs. The biggest problem is the lack of time available to people living in vulnerable areas. Unlike floods in the plains, which can take hours or even days to build up, mountain flash floods can develop within minutes. In some cases, residents get little or no warning before a wall of water, mud and debris reaches them. Meteorologists also caution against assuming that a below-normal monsoon automatically means a lower risk of disasters. Seasonal rainfall may remain normal or below normal, but a few very intense rainfall events can cause enormous damage. What matters increasingly is not only how much rain falls during the entire monsoon, but where and how quickly that rain falls. The floods, cloudbursts, disasters witnessed over the years point to a worrying pattern: the Leh cloudburst in 2010, the Kedarnath tragedy in 2013, the Chamoli disaster in 2021, the devastating floods in Himachal Pradesh in 2023 and repeated cloudburst incidents across Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir cannot be seen as isolated events. Taken together, they indicate a growing vulnerability across the Himalayan region. Governments have certainly improved their disaster response. Early warning systems are better than they were a decade ago, rescue agencies have greater capacity and communication networks have improved. But experts say emergency response alone will not be enough if the nature and frequency of mountain disasters continue to change. There is a need for greater investment in Doppler weather radars, more rain gauges, real-time monitoring of mountain streams and glacial lakes, and better systems to alert people in vulnerable areas. At the same time, land-use rules need to be enforced more strictly and infrastructure, material used for construction in the mountains has to be local, designed to withstand extreme weather. Development in the Himalayas cannot follow the same approach used in the plains. Every valley, riverbank and hillside cannot be treated as available land for construction. The fragile nature of the terrain has to be taken into account before roads, buildings, hydropower projects and other infrastructure are planned. The Himalayas have long been seen as a symbol of permanence and stability. But geologically, they are among the youngest and most fragile mountain systems in the world. Climate change is now making that vulnerability increasingly visible. The recent cloudbursts in Jammu and Kashmir should therefore not be seen merely as another episode of extreme monsoon weather. They are part of a much larger pattern stretching across the Himalayan arc, from Kashmir and Ladakh to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and from Nepal to the eastern Himalayas. The challenge is no longer only about how quickly governments can respond after a disaster. It is also about understanding how the mountain environment is changing and planning development accordingly. If extreme rainfall events continue to become more intense, cloudbursts and flash floods could become an increasingly familiar threat for communities living in the worlds highest mountain range. Surinder Singh Oberoi, National Editor Greater Kashmir.
SDRF jawan rescues Kanwariya from Ganga in Haridwar
A dramatic rescue at Haridwar's Kangra Ghat has gone viral after an SDRF jawan jumped into the Ganga to save a Kanwariya from Noida who was swept away by the river's strong current during a holy dip.
imd issues red alert for heavy rain in kangra, chamba and sirmaur districts
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Himachal schools closed today in 4 districts; IMD red alert prompts precautionary shutdown
Himachal Pradesh school holiday: Educational institutions across Kangra, Mandi, Chamba and Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh are closed today, July 21, 2026, following an IMD Red Alert for heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides. Examinations scheduled in the affected districts have been postponed, while teaching and non-teaching staff have been granted leave, subject to emergency duties. Several other districts remain open, although local authorities have been authorised to suspend classes if weather conditions deteriorate.
The Met office has issued a red warning for heavy rains in Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts for July 20 and 21
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IMD issues orange alert for heavy rain in Kangra, Una and Sirmaur districts
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Orange alert warns of heavy rain on July 2, 3 in parts of Himachal
The orange alert has been issued for Kangra and Mandi districts on July 2 and 3, and for Kullu, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts on July 3
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Becomes First to Spend Night in Bara Bhangal
Kangra, June 27: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhu made history by becoming the first chief minister to spend a night in Bara Bhangal, a remote village located over 2,800 meters above sea level. He arrived by helicopter on Saturday and engaged with the local community. Previously, other chief ministers had visited the area but none ... Read more Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Becomes First to Spend Night in Bara Bhangal
Himachal Chief Minister to Visit Remote Bada Bhangal Area for the First Time in 14 Years
Kangra, June 27: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhu will visit the Bada Bhangal region on Saturday. This marks the first visit by a Chief Minister to this area in 14 years. Bada Bhangal is one of the most remote and inaccessible regions in Himachal Pradesh, still lacking basic facilities. According to reports, CM Sukhu will ... Read more Himachal Chief Minister to Visit Remote Bada Bhangal Area for the First Time in 14 Years
Governor recalls Guru Nanak Dev Jis divine visit to sacred land of Kangra
Kangra, June 16: The Honble Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Kavinder Gupta today inaugurated the newly constructed Main Darbar Sahib at Shri Sarv Dharma Peeth Taposthan, Gurdwara Shri Nanak Jyot Sahib in Kangra and addressed a large gathering of devotees, saints, sevadars and distinguished guests on the occasion. Congratulating all devotees, sevadars and well-wishers associated with [] The post Governor recalls Guru Nanak Dev Jis divine visit to sacred land of Kangra appeared first on Northlines .
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Visits Temples in Kangra and Dharamshala
Dharamshala, June 6: On the second day of his visit to Himachal Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar participated in spiritual activities by visiting major religious sites in the Kangra Valley. Officials reported this on Saturday. According to an official statement, Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by family members, visited the Kangra Fort and the renowned ... Read more Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Visits Temples in Kangra and Dharamshala
Dharamshala Region Jolted By Multiple Earthquakes; No Damage Reported
Its epicentre was located about 40 kilometers from Dharamshala, and the brief tremor was felt across Kangra, Chamba and adjoining districts.
Moderate quake hits Himachal districts; tremors felt in neighbouring States
The depth of the earthquake, which struck about 40 k.m. from Dharamsala near the Kangra- Chamba border at 10:04 pm, was 5 km, the meteorological office said, adding that the epicentre was located near Dhar Godoi in Kangra.
Dalai Lama Departures for Knee Surgery in Delhi Amidst Supportive Followers
New Delhi, June 5: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama departed from Kangra Airport this morning, heading to Delhi for a knee surgery. This visit is primarily health-related, as he is scheduled for a procedure on his left knee under the care of specialized doctors in the capital. For a considerable time, the Dalai Lama has ... Read more Dalai Lama Departures for Knee Surgery in Delhi Amidst Supportive Followers
