Seven Armymen among 8 dead after building collapses in Himachal Pradesh's Solan
Shimla: The death toll in the building collapse in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district climbed to eight on Monday, with rescuers pulling out the body of another Army jawan from the debris, officials said.
28 others were injured after the four-storey building, which housed a restaurant, collapsed on the Nahan-Kumarhatti Road on Sunday evening following heavy rains.
The bodies of seven Army personnel and a civilian have been extricated so far from the debris, officials said. Solan Sub Divisional Magistrate Rohit Rathore said at least seven persons are still feared trapped under the debris.
However, the actual number of those trapped inside would be clear only after the rescue operation ends, which is expected to be over by this evening.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who visited the spot on Monday morning, said initial investigation has found that the structure was not built up to specifications.
"A magisterial inquiry has already been ordered. Strict legal action will be taken against erring persons after getting the report," he said.
A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the owner of the building, he added.
"There are more such buildings in the state. Owners have constructed them without following building by-laws. Whatever is required to be done, will be done to check it," he said.
The chief minister said, "Rescue operation is still on. Necessary equipment was airlifted on Sunday evening itself through a helicopter from Shimla's Sunni to carry out the rescue work by the NDRF".
An injured soldier told reporters from the hospital that when the building collapsed, there were 35 Army personnel inside it, of whom 30 were Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs).
He said, Army personnel belonging to the 4 Assam Regiment of nearby Dagshai Cantonment went to the restaurant "to party as it was a Sunday but suddenly the building shook and collapsed in no minutes".
Another injured person Rakesh Kumar, said that about 50 persons, including several Army personnel, restaurant staff and other customers were in the building when it collapsed.
"We thought it was a quake and did not know how the building collapsed and we were trapped under the debris. I remained trapped for about 10-15 minutes after which some people rescued me," he added.
The Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police initially carried out the rescue operation.
Subsequently, two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams -- one each from Haryana's Panchkula and Shimla's Sunni -- reached the spot later in the night to carry out the rescue work, Director-cum-Special Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management, D C Rana told PTI.
A third NDRF team from Panchkula joined the rescue operation on Monday morning, he added.
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Human-wildlife conflict: Karnataka minister calls for sterilisation of select species
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre on Wednesday said that rising human-wildlife conflict has created a need to consider sterilising specific species, and that the issue should be publicly debated.
He clarified that no decision has been made so far and that discussions will be held with officials and stakeholders.
"There is an increase in the number of select wildlife. In my opinion, putting some curbs on their numbers is necessary due to increased conflicts, loss of lives, and urbanisation. So there is a proposal to conduct sterilisation surgery or vaccination on select wildlife," Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment said.
Speaking to reporters, he added that no list has been prepared yet and that he plans to hold discussions on the matter with senior officials.
Noting that a related issue is pending before the Supreme Court, the minister said there are plans to submit a proposal after due deliberation.
"We intend to protect wildlife while ensuring that human lives are not lost. No decision has been made yet; it is still under consideration. In areas with a high number of wildlife, we are thinking about controlling it for a year or two. Other states are considering similar measures. There is a need for public debate on this," he added.
Khandre also said the government is seriously considering the voluntary relocation of forest dwellers who wish to move out of the forest. He has asked officials to prepare a list of those willing to relocate.
"Once the list is ready, I will discuss the required funding with the chief minister (Siddaramaiah), who also serves as Finance Minister, and the government will make a decision. Relocating forest dwellers will expand wildlife habitats and integrate those living without basic facilities into mainstream society," he said.
Expressing grief over the death of a coffee grower in Kodagu district due to a wild elephant attack on Wednesday, the minister said the government and the department are making every effort to prevent human-elephant conflict and assured that the government stands with the bereaved family in this difficult time.
"The government had planned to build a sanctuary to address the problem of elephants. There are some difficulties in obtaining permission from the central government. Once this is resolved, action will be taken to establish the sanctuary," he added.
