The state government has provided Rs 2.44 crore for the Bhapraal-Ladhiyani-Sumadi-Bharadi drinking water supply schemes so that all the villages falling in this area get sufficient drinking water in hot summers.

This was said by the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Forests and Fisheries, Rajesh Dharmani, while addressing a large gathering at Bhapraal village after hearing the grievances of villagers in a day- long "Meet the People" camp here on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today announced that steps shall be taken to curb illegal mining in the state. Strict action would be taken against those involved in illegal mining, he said.

The Chief Minister, who was on a visit to Una district, yesterday announced opening of a subtehsil at Jol in Chintpurni Assembly constituency. He was addressing a public meeting at Jabehar after laying a foundation stone of a bridge on Lander khad to be constructed at a cost of Rs 3 crore on Sohari-Chaksarai road of Una district yesterday.

This financial year has begun on a promising note for the authorities of the Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric project with generation surpassing the target for April.

There had been a sharp decline in production during 2012-13. The project owned and operated by the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) has generated 449 million units in April against a target of 410 million units. It was after a gap of more than a year that the project exceeded the monthly target thanks to favourable weather conditions which brought abundant snow in the mid-hills during winter leading to an early upsurge in the Sutlej.

Officials of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) have served a three-day notice to Parwanoo-based Pronto Industries for causing air pollution in the area.

Reacting to a news item published in these columns, where the plight of residents of nearby villagers, including Dhagger, Taksal and Dangiar, who had been facing the brunt of air pollution, the officials of the SPCB issued a notice to the unit. Confirming this, Deepak Aggarwal, executive engineer of the Board, said since the unit had been served notices time and again to ensure that smoke was not let-out in the early morning and evenings when people went for walks, a short-time notice had now been served to the unit directing them to furnish their reply following which the case for disconnection of their power connection would be recommended to the head office in Shimla.

The state government is taking special precautions to overcome the challenge of paucity of drinking water in commonly draught-affected Bilaspur district this summer and 25 new hand pumps would be set up in each subdivision this summer here in the district.

This was stated by Ram Lal Thakur, chairman, HP State Planning Development and 20-Point Implementation Committee, while talking to mediapersons at Suharghat, 42 km from here, on Tuesday.

The technology is used for laying “all-weather roads”

From October 4, 2002, when the first ‘plastic road’ was laid on Lenin Street, Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district, the technology of using waste plastic with stone for laying roads has come a long way. Developed by the Department of Chemistry of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, in 2001 and patented in 2002, the technology has been literally going places. It is now used in several other States, including Kerala, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh, to lay “all-weather” roads.

An earthquake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, struck the city on Wednesday afternoon.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for providing facilities of drinking water and roads in two gram panchayats of the Bilaspur Sadar constituency during this month. This was stated by Bilaspur Sadar MLA Bambar Thakur while talking to mediapersons at the Circuit House here today.

He said in Morsinghi gram panchayat, Rs 9 lakh was provided for drinking water to the Kasol Harijan basti, Rs 17 lakh for drinking water of the Balha-Kajin village areas, Rs 3 lakh for the Kasol-Maatyal link road and Rs 15 lakh for tarring of the Morsinghi-Kasol road.

The implementation of the Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project has increased the average income of families under the project area by a significant nine per cent.

Stating this while interacting with a delegation of the World Bank Mission, led by Norman Piccioni, here yesterday, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri said there had been a considerable improvement in the lifestyle of 25 per cent people belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. The delegation was here to take stock of developmental activities under the project in the state.

25 children among 58 hurt in Doda, Bhaderwah, Epicentre on J&K-HP border

An elderly shepherd was killed today and at least 58 persons, including 25 children, were injured after a moderate-intensity earthquake — with epicentre on the Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh border — jolted the region. The quake, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, struck J-K and other parts of north India, including the national capital and its satellite towns, at 12:27 pm