Landslide In Himachal Blocks Highway Connecting Shimla To Chandigarh

A landslide blocked the national highway connecting Shimla to Chandigarh in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district on Wednesday morning, leaving many vehicles stranded, officials said.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: 40-meter-long highway washed away after landslide at Chandigarh-Shimla NH-5 near Solan district's Parwanoo. pic.twitter.com/DF2tTW0QOf

— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2023

A 50-metre road stretch was completely caved in following the landslide at Chaki Mor near Koti between Dharampur and Parwanoo in Solan.

A single-lane road was restored for light vehicles after almost nine hours but later the road was closed as land started sliding due to rains.

The supply of essential goods to Shimla and Solan was also badly hit due to the blockade of the national highway.

A large number of vehicles including about 100 trucks laden with apples and pears and buses are stranded on both sides of the road.

Light vehicles coming from Chandigarh have been routed through Parwanoo-Kasauli-Jangushu Road Kumarhatti while other vehicles going from Solan would take Bhognagar-Banasarq.

Men and machinery have been deployed at the damaged stretch and restoration works are underway, officials said.

The Shimla Police has routed traffic going from Shimla to Chandigarh via Theog-Sainj-Giripul-Oachghat- Kumarhatti-Sarahan-Kala Amb-Panchkula road while the traffic coming from Chandigarh would be routed via Dherowal- Nalagarh- Parsehar- Kunihar- Totu- Shimla for light vehicles.

Meanwhile, a building and two vehicles were also damaged in a landslide that occurred in Dhalli in the suburbs of Shimla city on Wednesday.

The local weather department has issued an "orange" alert warning of heavy to very heavy rains in isolated places in low and mid hills on August 4 and 5 and "yellow" warning of heavy rains on August 3 and 6.

Rainfall activity in the state is likely to increase and isolated spells of heavy to very heavy downpours would be witnessed in the districts of Chamba, Kangra, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una, Solan and Sirmaur from August 3 to 7, the MeT said.

Rain-related incidents like flash floods, cloud bursts and landslides and road accidents have so far claimed 197 lives in Himachal Pradesh while 31 are missing since the onset of monsoon on June 24, till date, according to the state emergency operation centre.

About 300 roads are still closed for traffic in the state as landslides triggered by rains and flash floods have caused destruction in Himachal Pradesh.

The Public Works Department has suffered losses to the tune of over Rs 2,000 crore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Minister Announces Release Of Rs 400 Crore For Restoration Work in Himachal

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday announced the release of Rs 400 crore under the CRIF for the repair and restoration work in flood-hit Himachal Pradesh.

Terming the damage in the recent floods as colossal and unprecedented, Mr Gadkari assured all possible help for restoration works. 

Besides restoration of four-lane roads and national highways, expenditure on restoration of damaged link roads and bridges on 1-km stretches would be borne by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the Union minister said.

The restoration work would also be covered under the Setu Bandhan programme under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), according to the minister. Under the CRIF, the Union ministry allocates funds for the development and maintenance of state roads.

On Tuesday, Mr Gadkari visited flood and landslide ravaged sites in Kullu and Manali, and interacted with victims of the floods. A large number of affected people also submitted their representation to him. He also did an aerial survey of the damage.

He was accompanied by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and state Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh.

Addressing media persons, Mr Gadkari also said that technical aspects of the damage caused, including the course of rivers, and landslides, would be studied by teams of experts for finding immediate and long-term solutions to curb the recurrence of such a tragedy in future.

The chief minister has demanded Rs 220 crore for restoration of damaged roads and the immediate release of Rs 80 crore, Gadkari added.

"Due to piling up of muck in the river bed, the level of river rises and it changes its course. Adaptive measures will have to be taken for the channelisation of rivers by constructing strong concrete and stone walls by digging two to three metres deep," Gadkari said. It would help in flood control and control damage along the banks by swollen rivers. he added.

Landslides are a perpetual occurrence in Himachal Pradesh as the mountains are fragile, Gadkari said.

"To address the issue, a comprehensive study would be conducted and thereafter recommendations would be shared with the state government," he said.

Mr Gadkari said the under-construction Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway, on which expenditure of about Rs 8,000 crore has been incurred, would be restored and inaugurated within next three or four months.

He also announced that Rs 250 crore has been sanctioned for the Bijli Mahadev Ropeway and added that construction would be completed before this Independence Day.

Construction of Shahpur-Sihunta road at Rs 52 crore and Rangas-Bagchal-Mehre at road Rs 49 crore under CRIF has also been granted, Gadkari said.

Stressing that construction of tunnels is an alternative to cutting of hills and a solution to landslides, the minister said that construction of 68 tunnels with an outlay of Rs 12,500 crore has been planned for the state. Eleven of these have been completed, 27 are under construction and 30 are upcoming, he said.

Due to the construction of tunnels on Kiratpur-Manali road, traffic flow is being managed, otherwise it would have taken a long time as the old road was badly damaged, he said. 

Mr Gadkari also said that construction of roads at a distance from the river banks was a good option but difficult topography and mountains make it difficult. He also advised people to avoid living close to the banks of the rivers.

Briefing Mr Gadkari on the flood-related damages, Chief Minister Sukhu said the state had not seen such a tragedy in the past 50 years.

Kullu and Manali districts have faced maximum damage in the recent floods. A large number of roads and bridges of NHAI and PWD have been damaged in it.

So far, the state has suffered a loss of Rs 5,692 crores, which includes losses of Rs 1,962 crore to the PWD, since the onset of monsoon on June 24 (till July 31), as per the state emergency operation centre. However, the chief minister has claimed that the loss is around Rs 8,000 crores.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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दिल्ली सेवा बिल : लोकसभा में NDA की राह आसान, राज्यसभा में देना होगा टेस्ट, समझें गुणा-गणित

संसद के मॉनसून सत्र में अब तक दो मुद्दे सबसे ज्यादा छाए रहे हैं. पहला मणिपुर हिंसा के मुद्दे पर दोनों सदनों में प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी (PM Narendra Modi) के बयान की मांग. दूसरा दिल्ली अध्यादेश की जगह लाया जाने वाला दिल्ली सेवा बिल. दिल्ली सेवा बिल (Delhi Services Bill) को लोकसभा में मंगलवार को पेश किया जाएगा. गृहमंत्री अमित शाह (Amit Shah) इस बिल को सदन के पटल पर रखेंगे. आइए जानते हैं इस बिल को पास कराने के लिए संसद के दोनों सदनों में क्या है सरकार की स्थिति:-

लोकसभा में इस बिल को पास कराने में मोदी सरकार को कोई परेशानी दिखाई नहीं दे रही है. क्योंकि सरकार के पास बहुमत है. लेकिन सरकार की भी परीक्षा राज्यसभा में होगी. सीएम केजरीवाल भी राज्यसभा में अपना पूरा ध्यान केंद्रित कर रहे हैं. लिहाजा आम आदमी पार्टी के नेता विपक्षी सांसदों की मदद से राज्यसभा में इसे रोकने की कोशिश में हैं.

राज्यसभा का नंबर गेम
कुल संख्या: 245
खाली सीटें: 07
मौजूदा संख्या बल: 238
बहुमत का आंकड़ा: 120

NDA के पास कितने नंबर?
बीजेपी: 92
साथी दल: 11
AIDMK 4
RPI 1
SDF 1
AGP 1
TMCM 1
NPP 1
MNF 1
UPPL 1
बीजेपी+साथी दल= 103
नॉमिनेटेड सांसद: 5
निर्दलीय: 1
सरकार के पक्ष में: 109
बिल के समर्थन में कुल सदस्य: 129

बिल के विरोध में
कांग्रेस  31
TMC 14
DMK 10
AAP 10
BRS 7
RJD 6
CPM 5
JDU 5
NCP 4
SP 3
शिवसेना 3
CPI 2
JMM 12
IUML 1
MDMK 1
KCM 1
RLD 1
निर्दलीय 2 
कुल: 108

राज्यसभा में गैर-हाजिर हो सकते हैं ये नेता
JDS 1
प्रफुल्ल पटेल (NCP)
जयंत चौधरी (RLD) का रुख़ अभी साफ नहीं
3 विपक्षी सांसद अस्वस्थ
मनमोहन सिंह, वशिष्ठ नारायण सिंह और शिबू सोरेन

अध्यादेश से अलग है दिल्ली सेवा बिल
दिल्ली सेवा बिल इस बारे में 19 मई को जारी किए अध्यादेश की हुबहू कॉपी नहीं है. इसमें तीन प्रमुख संशोधन किए गए हैं.
बिल से सेक्शन 3 A को हटा दिया गया है. इसमें दिल्ली विधानसभा को सेवाओं संबंधित कानून बनाने का अधिकार नहीं दिया गया था. इसकी जगह बिल में आर्टिकल 239 AA पर जोर है, जो केंद्र को नेशनल कैपिटल सिविल सर्विस अथॉरिटी (NCCSA) बनाने का अधिकार देता है. पहले अथॉरिटी को अपनी गतिविधियों की एनुअल रिपोर्ट दिल्ली विधानसभा और संसद दोनों को देनी की बात थी. अब इस प्रावधान को भी हटा दिया गया है.

इसके अलावा विभिन्न अथॉरिटी, बोर्ड, आयोग और वैधानिक संस्थाओं के अध्यक्ष, सदस्य की नियुक्ति के बारे में प्रावधान में ढील दी गई है. इसके बारे में प्रस्तावों को उपराज्यपाल और मुख्यमंत्री को देने से पहले केंद्र सरकार को देने की बाध्यता नहीं होगी. एक नया प्रावधान भी जोड़ा गया है. दिल्ली सरकार द्वारा बोर्ड और आयोग की नियुक्तियां उपराज्यपाल NCCSA की सिफारिशों के आधार पर करेगा. बिल के पास होते ही अध्यादेश समाप्त हो जाएगा. देखना होगा कि विपक्ष एकजुट होकर राज्यसभा में दिल्ली सेवा बिल को पास होने से रोक पाता है या नहीं. 

ये भी पढ़ें:-

 अध्यादेश से अलग है दिल्ली सेवा बिल, लोकसभा में कल होगा पेश, जानें- पारित होने से क्या-क्या बदलेगा? 

 

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BJP Leader Seeks Dismissal Of Rahul Gandhi's Appeal In Supreme Court In Modi Surname Case

BJP leader and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi on Monday sought the dismissal of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's appeal in the Supreme Court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case, saying he has defamed all those bearing the Modi surname, particularly people belonging to the 'Modh Vanik' caste of Gujarat. Purnesh Modi had filed a criminal defamation case in 2019 against Gandhi over his "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" remark made during an election rally in Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.

In his written reply to Gandhi's appeal in the top court, Modi said, "It is a settled law that stay of conviction is granted in the rarest of rare cases for exceptional reasons. The Petitioner's (Rahul Gandhi) case manifestly does not fall in that category. Moreover, it is respectfully submitted that the order of conviction of the Petitioner by the Trial Court is unimpeachable on the evidence-on-record."

In his 21-page reply filed through advocate PS Sudheer, Modi said Gandhi, during his cross-examination, not merely failed to make any dent in the prosecution's case, but practically admitted the defamation of all persons bearing the Modi surname.

The BJP leader added Gandhi's attitude disentitles him to any relief in the form of stay of conviction as it "reveals arrogant entitlement, rank insensitivity to an offended community and contempt for the law".

He said in view of the "overwhelming" evidence adduced before the trial court on which the conviction is based, there is no ground to stay the conviction.

The top court is scheduled to hear on August 4, Gandhi's appeal challenging the Gujarat High Court's July 7 verdict that declined to put on hold his conviction.

Modi said Gandhi "maliciously and recklessly" used scurrilous words against a large and totally blameless class of persons, of both common surname and common caste, who have caused no harm to the Congress leader.

"The statement was made out of personal hatred towards an elected Prime Minister of the country, and the extent of hatred was so great that the Petitioner was impelled to cast grossly defamatory aspersions on persons who incidentally bore the same surname as the Prime Minister.

"The offence for which the Petitioner has been convicted by the trial court is accordingly actuated by patent malice aforethought, and the Petitioner deserves no sympathy on the question of the sentence imposed," he said.

Modi said Gandhi was the president of a national-level political party at the time of the offence and an MP.

"It behoves the Petitioner to set high standards of political discourse in the country, and even if he wishes to use slanderous language against the Prime Minister in his belief that such discourse is belief justified, there is no reason for him to brand as thieves an entire class of people just because they bear the same surname as the Prime Minister," he said.

The BJP leader said the offence of defamation punishable under section 500 IPC, in any event, is an offence of moral turpitude and the defamation in the instant case is heinous in the extreme.

He said Gandhi has refused to apologise for his "malicious defamation" of all persons with the Modi surname/Modi sub-caste in Gujarat on the ground that he was a Gandhi and not a Savarkar (Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar).

"The Petitioner presumably wanted to suggest that a Gandhi will never apologise even if he/ she has for no justifiable reason slandered an entire class of people," he said.

On June 21, the top court had sought responses from Modi and the state government on Gandhi's appeal.

In his appeal filed on July 15, Gandhi has said if the July 7 judgment is not stayed, it would lead to throttling of free speech, expression, thought, and statement.

The Congress leader was disqualified as a Member of Parliament on March 24 after a Gujarat court convicted him and sentenced him to a two-year imprisonment on charges of criminal defamation for comments he made about the Modi surname.

The high court had dismissed his petition for a stay on conviction, observing that "purity in politics" is the need of the hour.

A stay on Gandhi's conviction could have paved the way for his reinstatement as a Lok Sabha MP but he failed to get any relief from either the sessions court or the Gujarat High Court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Difficult To Engage With Present Maharashtra Government": Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday said if his party, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), which form the Maha Vikas Aghadi, decide they can usher in change in Maharashtra.

He also said it was difficult to engage with the present state government.

He was speaking at a book launch function where he shared the stage with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat.

Mr Pawar recalled how previous governments helped preservation of ancient art and culture, literature and history.

"But it is difficult for us to engage with the present state government, But some solution will come out. If we three (MVA components) decide, there can be change," he asserted.

It was for the first time since July 2, when the NCP split due to the rebellion by Ajit Pawar, that all three MVA allies have shared a stage.

During the event, Mr Pawar, said Yeshwantrao Chavan Pratishthan, which he heads, will give Rs 50 lakh to Rajawade Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, the group that published the books.

On July 2, Ajit Pawar and eight NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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मिजोरम सरकार ने म्यांमार के नागरिकों का बायोमैट्रिक ब्यौरा जुटाने की प्रक्रिया शुरू की

मिजोरम की सरकार ने केंद्रीय गृह मंत्रालय के निर्देश के बाद म्यांमार के नागरिकों का बायोमैट्रिक विवरण एकत्र करने की प्रक्रिया शुरू कर दी है. एक अधिकारी ने रविवार को यह जानकारी दी. म्यांमार में सेना के तख्तापलट करने के बाद फरवरी 2021 से म्यांमार के लगभग 30 हजार से ज्यादा नागरिक मिजोरम में शरण ले चुके हैं.

राज्य के गृह विभाग के विशेष कर्तव्य अधिकारी-संयुक्त सचिव डेविड एच ललथांगलियाना ने ‘पीटीआई-भाषा' से कहा कि बीते सप्ताह सभी 11 जिलों में म्यांमार के नागरिकों का बायोमैट्रिक विवरण दर्ज करने के लिए पायलट परियोजना शुरू की गई थी.

अप्रैल में गृह मंत्रालय ने मिजोरम और मणिपुर को अवैध प्रवासियों का बायोमैट्रिक विवरण दर्ज करने का निर्देश दिया था.

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Singapore Envoy Congratulates ISRO For Launch Of PSLV-C56

Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong on Friday congratulated Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for launching the PSLV-C56.

He noted that the rocket has placed seven satellites developed by Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), ST Engineering, Singapore's universities and private industry into orbit. 

Taking to Twitter, Singapore High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong stated, "Congratulations to @isro for launching the PSLV-C56 successfully this morning. The rocket also placed seven satellites developed by DSTA, ST Engineering, our universities and private industry into orbit. To bold new frontiers in the India-Singapore space partnership! - HC Wong." 

Simon Wong's statement comes after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday launched PSLV-C56 carrying seven satellites, including the primary satellite DS-SAR and six co-passenger satellites, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch vehicle lifted off from Sriharikota at 6.30 am on Sunday.

Congratulations to @isro for launching the PSLV-C56 successfully this morning. The ? also placed seven ?? satellites developed by DSTA, ST Engineering, our universities and private industry into orbit. To bold new frontiers in the ???? space partnership! - HC Wong

?: ISRO pic.twitter.com/Hv4cQ1ehQJ

— Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) July 30, 2023

"PSLV-C56/ DS-SAR Mission: The mission is successfully accomplished. PSLV-C56 vehicle launched all seven satellites precisely into their intended orbits. Thanks to @NSIL_India and Singapore, for the contract," tweeted ISRO.

This PSLV flight marks the 58th overall and the 17th using the Core Alone configuration. The upper stage of the rocket was placed in lower orbit after injecting all the satellites to assure its shorter orbital life. The PSLV-C56, according to ISRO was launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.

PSLV-C56 / DS-SAR is the Dedicated Commercial Mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for ST Engineering, Singapore. DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation satellite is the primary satellite for the mission. In addition to this, there were 6 co-passenger customer satellites also belonging to Singapore.

All satellites would be injected into a 535 km circular with 5 orbital inclination, the ISRO stated in a release earlier. DS-SAR satellite has been developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the Singapore Government) and ST Engineering. Once deployed and operational, it will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Singapore government.

ST Engineering will use it for multi-modal and higher responsiveness imagery and geospatial services for their commercial customers. DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). ISRO said that it will allow the DS-SAR to provide for all-weather day and night coverage, and is capable of imaging at 1m resolution at full polarimetry. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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