Briefly Region

Apple growing areas of Shimla district were lashed by fresh hailstorm and thunders,which hit some parts of Jubbal-Kotkhai area.

Hailstorm hits apple crop

Apple growing areas of Shimla district were lashed by fresh hailstorm and thunders,which hit some parts of Jubbal-Kotkhai area,which remains unprotected till now by the anti-hail runs installed by the government on pilot basis. Reports said the Jubbal belt was particularly hit,but farmers in Kotkhai too complained of crop loss. On the other hand,Chander Thakur,an orchardist at Bharayun where an anti-hail gun has been installed,said it had been firing intermittently to quell the black clouds hovering over the area and there was no hailstorm there. Partap Singh,a former member of the Block Development Committee,said more than a dozen villages were hit by the hail. We are not sure if the anti-hail gun has saved the crop elsewhere,but my area has seen a huge loss, he said.

Women see success in herbs cultivation

Nearly 1,500 trained women of Gohar block in Mandi district have sent their first consignment of chirayita,a herbal crop,to leading industrial group Dabur India. The success comes after almost 10 years of effort put in by the Himalayan Research Group,an NGO working in the area to empower women through application of science and technology. The consignment of the herbal crop was flagged off by Dr G S Goraya,Chief Conservator (Non-Timber) Forest Produce and Research Management,at Sundernagar on Monday. Nearly 2,500 kg of chirayita was collected from farmers and women groups for its supply to Dabur in Ghaziabad (UP). The consignment was supplied under pre-decided rates of Rs 288 with a total value of Rs 7 lakh.

Villagers against house tax

Residents of more than 59 villages,which were merged with the Shimla Municipal Corporation a few years ago,submitted a memorandum to Governor Urmila Singh on Tuesday,asking her not to give her nod to the recently passed Bill proposing imposition of house tax. Chanderpal Mehta,president of the Shimla Upnagria Jan Kalyan Samanvay Samiti,Kasumpati,alleged that the MC had failed to provide facilities in the area despite charging tax for drinking water supply,sewerage,roads and other developments.

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