Heavy rains continue in Himachal, rivers in spate
Shimla, Sep 23 : The southwest monsoon remained aggressive on Sunday in Himachal Pradesh with most of the areas experiencing heavy to extremely heavy rains, causing landslides in some areas and blocking the highways. All the major rivers and their tributaries were in spate, officials said.
The water level in the Beas river also rose abnormally touching the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway 21 near the Hanogi temple in Mandi district.
While picturesque tourist town Manali recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 127 mm, it was 125 mm in Dharamsala, 124 mm in Una and 90 mm in Dalhousie.
State capital Shimla saw 47 mm rain.
Higher reaches of Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts saw snowfall.
The highway that connects Manali with Leh in Jammu and Kashmir has been closed for traffic owing to heavy snow, officials said.
"The traffic between Manali and Leh has been closed since Saturday," an official of the 38 Task Force of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) told IANS.
The Manali-Leh highway is crucial to the movement of the armed forces and their supplies and wares to forward areas in Ladakh.
An official of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation said it would take a week to restart bus services between Manali via Keylong and Leh.
Meanwhile, the 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass, the main tourist attraction and located 52 km from here, was closed.
An official of the local Met office said there are chances of heavy rainfall at some places in the state till Monday and thereafter the intensity of rains will start receding.
Incessant rains have also caused massive landslides on national highways in Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi and Kullu districts, hampering vehicular traffic.
The water level in the major rivers of the state - the Satluj, Beas and Yamuna - which enter the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana has also increased, a government official said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Don't rush back home, stay at safer places: J-K Police to border village residents
Srinagar/Jammu, May 11 (PTI): The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday asked border villages residents, who were evacuated to safer places in view of cross border shelling by Pakistan, not to rush back to homes as they are yet to sanitize and clear these areas of any unexplored shells.
More than two lakh residents of villages close to the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border were evacuated to safer places amid intense Pakistani artillery and mortar shelling from May 7 onwards owing to vulnerability of their habitations in both divisions of Kashmir and Jammu.
"Do not return to frontline villages. Lives are at risk as unexplored munitions remain (scattered) after Pakistani shelling," said an advisory issued by the police in Kashmir Valley.
Bomb disposal squads will be sent to the affected areas to sanitize and clear the villages of any unexplored shells, which can lead to loss of human lives, it said.
“As many as 41 lives were lost in explosions of leftover shells near the LoC in 2023 alone," the advisory read, highlighting the dangers of civilians rushing back to villages.
In Jammu region, the police vehicles fitted with a public address system were seen making rounds in the worst-hit Poonch district and asking people not to touch any suspicious object lying at their residential houses, compounds or open fields.
“People returning to their homes are advised to be cautious and immediately inform police or the nearest security camp about any suspicious object, which could be dangerous to human life,” the police said.
The Poonch district accounted for the highest 20 of the total 27 fatalities with over 50 others injured since Wednesday, shortly after India carried out Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and PoK to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead.
India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
However, hours later New Delhi accused Islamabad of breaching it.
In a late night media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with "seriousness and responsibility".
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Poonch, Shafket Hussain, also visited Mankote village of Mendhar sub-division and urged the general public to remain vigilant and immediately report the presence of any unexploded live shells or suspicious objects to the nearest police or security camp.
“Timely reporting can help prevent further loss of life and enable swift action by the Bomb Disposal Squad,” he said interacting with the local residents, who have returned to the border village.
The SSP assured the public of enhanced safety and security measures in the border area.
“Police remain committed to the safety and well-being of citizens and will continue its dedicated efforts to ensure peace and security in the region,” he said.
Hussain also visited the family of Balvinder Kour, who lost her life due to cross-border shelling in the village and expressed condolences with her family.
The SSP assured the bereaved family of all possible assistance from the police department and civil administration.
Reports from Rajouri and Akhnoor in Jammu districts also speak about police and other security agencies actively searching for unexploded shells besides asking people to remain cautious and not to come closer to suspicious objects for their own safety.
