M A I N   N E W S

Decks cleared for first Chief of Defence Staff

New Delhi, March 4
Decks were today cleared for naming the country’s first-ever Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), with the government filling up all key posts for the new integrated defence staff.

With the Army and Navy having named their seniormost officers for the key posts, the Air Force today announced that Air Marshal G C S Rajawar has taken over as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Staff. Simultaneously the setting up of the Defence Intelligence Agency also becomes operational today. Lieut-Gen Kamal Davar took over as its first Director -General. PTI

Avalanches claim 3 lives
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 4
At least three persons, including a six-month-old child, were killed in different parts of the tribal district of Kinnaur today due to avalanches and landslides.

Two persons were trapped under an avalanche at Namgia, of which one was rescued while the body of the other was yet to be traced.

Kinnaur district has witnessed widespread damage due to the recent heavy snowfall which has cut the road link of the area with Shimla.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Omkar Sharma, said over the telephone that the threat of the artificial lake caused due to the blockage of the Sutlej by a glacier was reduced this afternoon as the pondage fell to about 60 ft. About 100-ft pondage had occurred due to the blockage threatening the low-laying towns.

He said five houses were badly damaged due to landslides at Barooah village.

One person was buried under a glacier in the Skiba area, while the child was buried under an avalanche at Nippa village.

Mr Sharma said the road was badly damaged due to heavy snow and landslides and it might take more than six days to restore the link. A labourer of the Border Roads Organisation was badly injured due to a landslide at Samdoh.

He said the road has been washed away at more than 40 places following the snowfall on March 1.

UNI adds: The water level in the Sutlej which was blocked due to a receding glacier, bringing with it trees, huge boulders and debris,

has started receding at Tinku nullah, where a 1-km long artificial lake had been formed.

As the water level fell today in a natural way in the river, the demand of rocket launchers from the Army for blasting the glacier was given up. However, a general alert in the district continues for 24 hours as the water level of the river is still 70 feet above normal.

Policemen were patrolling along the swollen river, keeping a watch on the rise and fall of its water level.

It is believed that the Sutlej river will not cause any outburst following the breaching of the glacier on its own. However, the Deputy Commissioner has advised people residing in downstream areas near the river to remain on alert as a precautionary measure.

The Hindustan-Tibet road and all link roads in Kinnaur district remained blocked for the third day today. Personnel of the Border Roads Organisation and the Public Works Department were working on a war footing to restore vehicular traffic on the roads. However, power supply has been restored up to Rekong Peo, the district headquaters.