Upcoming Renuka Dam: A boon for wildlife
Shimla, December 16
Meant primarily to quench the thirst of the water-starved national capital, the Rs 2600 crore Renuka Dam Project will be a boon for wildlife with the creation of a sprawling water body spread over 1210 hectare in close vicinity of the existing holy lake. Apart from the local flora and fauna, the man-made reservoir will play host to a wide range of migratory birds from Central Asia and North-Western Himalayas

A view of the Renuka Lake in Sirmour district.

ASI to promote 40 historical temples for tourism
Mandi, December 16
From the legendary Mrikula Devi shrine in the landlocked Lahaul valley to the rare remnant of the Pahari architecture, Bhima Kali in Sarahan, there are over 40 historical temples in the state under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). These monuments are now being tapped by the ASI for the promotion of tourism under public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The Panchvakhtar temple in Mandi, which is an ASI monument.

Vignettes
Know the other Bose
The past four years’ blogspots show only eight entries against Ras Behari Bose. The modern generation knows only one Bose i.e. Subhash Chandra Bose as the founder of the Azad Hind Fauj (AHF), but has not heard about this another Bose.

Rising crime
Migrant labourers under scanner
Solan, December 16
With the increase in the involvement of migrant labour force from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Nepal etc. in day to day crimes in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial area, the police has an arduous task before it. The problem assumes alarming proportion as in many such cases the permanent addresses of labourers is unavailable, which acts as a major deterrence in their detection.

Tunnel to cut travel time between Chamba, Killar
Chamba, December 16
The government’s move of linking the Pangi valley with the rest of the state through a proposed 9-km long tunnel would further shorten the distance between Killar and Chamba by 29 km, which is 170 km at present. However, it was in October this year, when the 170-km long Chamba-Killar highway was declared fit for plying bus services over the 4413-m high Saach Pass, making it the highest road in the state motorable.

A view of the Pangi valley.

Shimla Diary
MC struggles to repair damaged roads
Shimla,December 16
The local municipal corporation is struggling to repair roads damaged by heavy rain during the monsoon before the season’s first snowfall. Short of manpower, machinery and funds, it has not been able to clear even landslips and fallen trees which had blocked the roads.

An uprooted tree blocks the road near Dingle Estate in Shimla. Tribune photo Amit Sharma

Security stepped up on inter-state barrier
Nurpur,December 16
After the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, the state police has intensified the checking of vehicles coming to the Kangra valley. The police is keeping a strict vigil on the inter-state border at Kandwal in the subdivision.