Illegal mining threatens historic temple
Palampur, February 3
The ancient Shiva Temple at Baijnath, built in 1204 along the banks of the Binwa, is facing threat because of reckless quarrying and mining.

Groundwater a solution to water scarcity in hills: Expert
Shimla, February 3
Water scarcity is emerging as a major problem in the hills due to fast depleting surface water sources. With snow becoming increasingly scarce and glaciers receding at an alarming rate, discharge in various natural sources is declining and many of them dry up completely during peak summers when the demand for water is high.

Ritesh Arya with lamayuru deposits in Ladakh, once a glacier, in the background. A Tribune photograph

A Prime Minister’s buildings in Kaithu
Lt Col Nawab Sir Malik Khizar Hayat KHAN (1900-1975) came from a family that had been prominent among the landed aristocracy of Punjab since the 15th century. He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 1937, and immediately joined as PW minister in the Cabinet of Sir Sikander Hayat Khan, who had successfully led the Punjab Unionist Party in the elections.

The Lauriston building in Kaithu where Khizar Hayat Khan, the then Prime Minister of Punjab, lived.

Bus shelters needed on Sanjauli-Dhalli road
Traffic congestion on the narrow Sanjauli-Dhalli road has eased with the opening of the double-lane bypass. However, the failure of the public works department to construct rain shelters at the two ends of  the 4-km long bypass is causing much inconvenience to the commuters who have to wait for buses in the open.

Commuters sit on parapets in the absence of bus shelters on the Sanjauli-Dhalli road. Tribune photo: Amit Sharma

JOY RIDE: A baby girl sees the world from her father’s shoulders. A Tribune photograph

Bharmour to have playground
Bharmour, February 3
The Speaker, Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Tulsi Ram has directed the authorities to put a thick layer of top soil on the Bharmour heliport so that green grass could be grown there with a view to developing a sports playground and promoting sports activities among the youths in the tribal valley.

Cement factory continues to disrupt life
Bilaspur, February 3
Village leaders and members of the Kohinoor Social Development and Cultural Society of Lada Ghat- Sodha led by their president Dharam Paul Thakur met Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vinay Singh recently. They presented him a memorandum detailing difficulties of thousands of villagers who have been directly or indirectly affected by the cement factory that is being set up by the JP Industries at Bagha Balag on the borders of Bilaspur and Solan districts near here.

Shimla at dusk. Tribune photo: Amit Sharma

Withdraw bus fare hike: BSP
Bilaspur, February 3
The state unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has demanded immediate withdrawal of the 25 per cent increase in bus fares and has warned that if this is not done immediately, it will start a statewide agitation and the state government will be responsible for it. Addressing mediapersons here, state unit general secretary and former MLA Krishan Kumar Kaushal said that the state government had hiked bus fares by 25 per cent when the Centre had increased oil prices by only 2 per cent.