Shimla (PTI): Search operations have been intensified to trace 10 people missing since the flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Himachal's Kangra and Kullu districts, officials said on Thursday.

Two persons died while about 20 were feared swept away due to heavy rains on Wednesday evening but some of the missing people have since been rescued.

In Manuni Khad in Kangra district, around 15-20 workers stationed at a labour colony near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric project site were feared swept away following a surge in water level in Manuni Khad of Khaniyara. Two people died due to the flash flood at the site.

Three people at Rehla Bihal in Kullu district who were washed away in the deluge while trying to take away valuables from their homes are still missing.

Two teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and a team of home guards have been deployed at the spot and the National Disaster response Force (NDRF) has also been called for rescue efforts, Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa after visiting the site.

At the hydroelectric project site, six people are feared swept away by the floods while one person was seen fleeing to a nearby hill to save himself. His whereabouts are also not yet known, the DC said.

The rest have been rescued safely, he said, adding that search and rescue is the first priority.

Some of the missing people hail from Nurpur and Chamba areas of Himachal Pradesh and others from Uttar Pradesh. A dedicated team has been sent to find the man who went into the hills during the floods.

BJP national president J P Nadda expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the workers who were swept away due to sudden increase in water flow in Manuni Khad.

“In this hour of crisis, every BJP worker is dedicated to providing all possible help to the citizens of Devbhoomi. I pray to God to give peace to the departed souls and provide strength to the bereaved families”, he said in a statement issued here.

Dharamshala BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma who reached the spot on Thursday said the project site was one kilometer from his village. He said he received a call on Wednesday that the water level has surged and 15-20 people had been swept away.

Sharma said that building sheds for labourers near the drain, and not shifting them when the weather was unsafe areas was negligence and an investigation should be initiated.

The MLA also demanded adequate compensation to the family of the deceased.

According to officials, the project work had been suspended due to the rain, and the workers were resting in temporary shelters near the site when floodwaters from Manuni Khad and nearby drains diverted towards the labour colony, sweeping several of them them away.

In Kullu district, a search is underway to find three people who were swept away while trying to take away their valuables from their homes in Rehla Bihal area of Sainj.

Three cloudbursts incidents were reported from Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj and Shilagarh in Gadsa area of Kullu district.

Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar in the district, and search operations were underway.

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LONDON/MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has acquired the sword of Raghuji Bhosale, founder of the Nagpur Bhosale dynasty and a distinguished commander in the Maratha army under Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, after winning it in an auction in London.

Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar formally took possession of the weapon on Monday. It is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on 18 August, where it will be received with ceremonial honours, as reported by The Indian Express.

News of the sword’s availability surfaced on 28 April this year. Minister Shelar consulted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after which the government began preparations to participate in the auction.

A group of Marathi-speaking residents in London gathered to witness the handover. Hemant Dalvi, Deputy Director of the Archaeology Department, accompanied the minister during the formalities.

The sword is an 18th-century Maratha Firangi. It has a straight, single-edged European blade with a gold-inlaid Mulheri hilt and near the hilt is the European manufacturer’s name, while the spine bears a gold-inlaid Devanagari inscription reading “Shreemant Raghoji Bhosale Senasahib Subha Firang,” confirming its connection to Raghuji Bhosale. The hilt’s gold koftgari work and the green cloth-wrapped rounded pommel add to its rarity as Maratha weapons of the period typically lacked elaborate ornamentation or inscriptions.

Raghuji Bhosale I, ruled from Nagpur between 1695 and 1755. He expanded Maratha influence into Bengal, Odisha, Chanda, Chhattisgarh, Sambalpur and parts of southern India. His military campaigns, included victories over the Nawabs of Bengal, Cuddapah and Kurnool. The Nagpur kingdom was also known for its rich deposits of iron and copper, used for weapons and trade.

While few historians believe that the sword left India in the early 19th century, as part of the war booty taken by the British East India Company after their victory over the Bhosales at the Battle of Sitabuldi in 1817, others say it was taken later as a diplomatic gift.

The sword will be escorted from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to PL Deshpande Kala Academy in Dadar by a ceremonial bike rally upon its arrival in Mumbai next week. A cultural programme titled Gad Garjana will be held the same day in the presence of state dignitaries.

Minister Shelar described the acquisition as an important moment for Maharashtra’s heritage and extended his thanks to the Chief Minister, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar for their support in securing the artefact.