Dharamsala: As the state has been declared drought hit, the government has decided to give a surcharge tax waiver on agriculture as compensation to farmers.
However, according to the data collected by the Revenue Department, the loss due to drought in Kangra district had been Rs 199 crore, including loss of Rs 165 crore on account of crops and Rs 34 crore on horticulture.
Scientists are trying to protect a traditional rice variety that is on the verge of extinction in Himachal Pradesh. The red rice is more disease-resistant and hardier than strains cultivated commercially over most of India and can lend that through cross-breeding.
Resentment prevailed among polythene bag manufacturers and sellers against the state government for its decision to impose blanket ban on the use of polythene and disposable plastic crockery in the state from August 15. They demanded that the government should save 2.5 lakh people of the state depending on the trade from starvation.
An earthquake of 4.8 magnitude on Richter scale hit Kangra valley this evening. Sources available here told The Tribune that the epicentre of the quake was in the Bharmour area of Chamba district. The quake started at 4.37 pm and its aftershocks were still being felt on the Richter scale after about one hour, the sources at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology said.
Kangra: Scorching heat has left people in Kangra valley in trauma and most of the natural water sources have dried up which include the centuries old Gupt Ganga also.
The current unprecedented heat wave conditions had never been experienced by the people earlier. Jagdesh Chand (96) said he had never witnessed such scorching heat in the valley earlier.
Palampur: Kangra valley has been reeling under acute shortage of water these days. Main tourist spots like Palampur and Baijnath are the worst hit. Various schemes in many areas of the district have been
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal has urged the Centre to provide Rs 172.22 crore for funding the Water Supply Schemes (WSS) in drought prone areas of the State.
Dharamsala: Newly elected Kangra BJP MP Rajan Sushant today held a meeting with district officials for the first time. While talking to mediapersons, he said people were facing problems due to stringent forest and wildlife sanctuary laws.
