Rains batter Himachal: 2 dead in house collapse, 1,337 roads closed, schools shut in Shimla
Shimla (PTI): Two women were killed in house collapse incidents as torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, blocking 1,337 roads, including four national highways, officials said.
The local Met Office has issued an orange alert, warning of heavy rains in isolated areas of Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kinnaur districts on Wednesday and a yellow warning of heavy rains in Una and Bilaspur districts.
In Solan district's Samloh village, a woman died after she was buried in the debris of her house that collapsed following heavy rain late on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Hemlata. Her husband, Heem Ram, four children, including a son and three daughters, and her 85-year-old handicapped mother-in-law escaped with minor injuries.
In another incident, a man and a woman were rescued from the rubble after their house caved in following rains in Kullu's Dhalpur. The woman later succumbed to injuries, police said, adding that the details of the deceased were awaited.
In the state capital Shimla, all government and private educational institutes, including coaching centres and nursing institutes, have been ordered to remain shut on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, in an order issued on Tuesday evening, said Shimla has been experiencing continuous rainfall for the last few days. He said there was a high possibility of landslides at several locations across the district, according to the latest Geological Survey of India forecast.
"Teachers and administrative staff are exempted from attending educational institutions, and online classes will be conducted," the order said.
About nine villages in Manlai were cut off after floods in the Manalsu drain, which also obstructed the Manali-Leh route.
A landslide behind the Paddal Gurudwara area in Mandi town damaged two houses on Monday night. However, no casualties were reported as the residents evacuated on time.
The two affected families have been shifted to safer locations, while occupants of nearby houses facing similar risks have vacated their homes, officials said.
An under-construction house was damaged following a landslide in the Anni area of Kullu district. No casualty was reported as the house had already been declared unsafe during the 2023 monsoon disaster and was empty.
As many as 16 families have been asked to vacate their houses after cracks developed in Dadwal village in the Naina Devi area of Bilaspur district.
The document verification of shortlisted candidates for the post of constable in Himachal Pradesh Police has been postponed in view of the roads being blocked due to heavy rains. The verification drive that was supposed to be held from September 4 to 9 will now take place from September 24 to 29, a statement issued here said.
Of the 1,337 blocked roads, 282 are in Mandi, 255 in Shimla, 239 in Chamba, 205 in Kullu and 140 in Sirmaur district, among others. National Highway-3 (Mandi-Dharampur road), National Highway-305 (Aut-Sainj), National Highway-5 (Old Hindustan-Tibet road) and National Highway-707 (Hatkoti to Poanta) were also blocked, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.
The Shimla-Kalka National Highway 5, also known as the Hindustan-Tibet Road and Chandigarh-Manali Highway, were also obstructed by landslides, causing major inconvenience to commuters.
The situation is much severe in the interior regions where link roads have remained blocked, preventing apple producers from transporting their produce to the markets.
On Monday, trains plying on the Shimla-Kalka track were cancelled following landslips. Services will remain suspended till September 5, officials said.
Efforts are afoot to send about 5,000 Manimahesh pilgrims stuck in the Chamba district back home. Sixteen pilgrims have died since the yatra started on August 15, officials said.
Naina Devi has received 198.2 mm of rain since Monday evening, the highest in the state. Manali got 89 mm of rain, Rohru 80 mm of rain, Mandi 78.2 mm, Dharamshala 76.3 mm, Kukumseri 74.2 mm, Chamba 72 mm, Bhuntar 69.7 mm, Jot 61.2 mm, Nahan 59.7 mm, Baggi 58.5 mm, Keylong and Una (57 mm each), Nadaun 53 mm and Olinda 50 mm.
At least 340 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents, while 41 are missing since the monsoon began, SEOC data showed.
As many as 2,180 power transformers and 777 water supply schemes were disrupted across the state on Monday, SEOC said.
Since the onset of monsoon in Himachal on June 20, the state has witnessed 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 121 major landslide incidents. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 3,523 crore this monsoon so far, according to official data.
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Karnataka School Edu Dept prohibits children from being made to dance to obscene songs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.
It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.
"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.
"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.
The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.
Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.
