The Union Minister of Agriculture has accorded administrative approval for the implementation of a Pilot Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBICS) for rabi 2012-13 season.

An earthquake rocked the Kangra valley at 5:51 pm today. It measured 3.6 on the Richter scale and lasted five seconds. Its epicentre was in the Kangra mountains.

Higher parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessed unseasonal snowfall on Tuesday while several other parts of the State received heavy rain as the monsoon remained active in the region.

Lahaul and Spiti districts received snowfall during the month of September after 21 years, while Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft), the sprawling Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra, Sarchu, Kunzam, Baralacha and Chansel passes also got snowfall.

The state government, through an announcement, has said that sheep breeders in Himachal Pradesh will be provided highly subsidised solar lights to make life easier for them.

The chief minister, P K Dhumal, said each solar light after being fully charged will work for nine hours. For each such solar light, the state government will pay Rs 2,550 while a sheep breeder will have to pay only Rs 150. Sheep farming is still practised by many farmers in Himachal, particularly in the mid and high mountains of the state.

Dharamsala: A case of encroachment on forest land by M/s Subhash Hydro Systems and Marketing Ltd (Ikku II), a micro hydel project company in Kangra district, has come to the fore.

SHIMLA: Unusually hot and dry conditions this summer have turned the green hills of Himachal Pradesh into a tinderbox - literally.

Dharamsala: After the ban on mining in their state, mining cartels of Punjab are now eyeing the mines of border districts of Himachal, including Una and Kangra.

“With a 200-km fault line running through the heart of Himachal, the hill state needs to be better prepared to face a 1905 Kangra-like earthquake, which can spell total disaster,” says M Shashidhar

For making immense progress with the State's anti-tobacco campaign, the World Health Organisation has awarded Himachal Pradesh the WHO South East Asia Regional Office Award 2012. Disclosing this, an official spokesman said the State has achieved the target of making all district headquarters in the State smoke-free.

The State is taking effective steps through mass awareness programmes and law enforcement agencies and has constituted district level coordination and monitoring committees for its successful implementation.

Fires have wreaked havoc on the vulnerable pine forests in Mandi and other districts of hill State Himachal Pradesh, resulting in loss of invaluable forest wealth, besides widespread environmental