Shimla Diary
Monitor seismic activity
A highly earthquake-prone hill state like Himachal Pradesh must have a separate authority comprising technical experts to closely monitor the seismic activity and give scientific advice to the government, says Dr Arun Bapat, a noted seismologist who was in the state in connection with the state Children’s Science Congress. He said at present the disaster management machinery comes into action only after the worst had happened. Similarly, experts like him were also called in after the quake and they only conducted post mortem and gave advice, which did not help save lives.

HIllside view
Folklore as a key to mindset…

Waxing eloquent on culture has become both fashionable and profitable. The social and political climbers use it to whip up public sentiment; the foolish ones mouth a lot of vague stuff about the glory and richness of the culture, tradition, heritage concerned etc. Basically, we have reduced the public reference to culture to pathetic populist levels.                                       Dr Meenakshi Faith Paul

Yearnings of a woman
The Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, released Kokh Se Kabr Tak, a collection of poems written by a Mandi-based poetess, Rupeshawari Sharma, at Mandi on Sunday. The poems voice the writer’s concern for women in the present age, depicting their yearnings.

Log in for spouse
Those who are seeking a prospective bride or groom for their wards now can log in to the matrimonial website, exclusively devoted to the alliance-seekers from Himachal, including the Himachali NRIs. It was formally launched by the Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, Mr Subhasish Panda, on Thursday.

Nehru’s statue faces neglect
The quantum of respect commanded by the country’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in the district town of Solan is manifested in the deplorable condition of his lone statue erected on the Mall Road.  Erected on October 26, 1965 by Lt Governor Bhagwan Sahay in the Children’s Park, it had been ignoraned for the past several years.

Problem in paradise
Lack of safety norms and technical expertise have turned the Solang valley from a paraglider’s dream destination to a nightmarish experience,
says Kuldeep Chauhan
The Solang valley, a heaven for paragliders, is no longer safe. The death of a paraglider last week and four other fatal accidents over the years have exposed chinks in the aero sports in the state.

FOR THE LOVE OF THRILLS: Paragliding at the Solang valley is a major attraction for tourists

Plans for writers
The Himachal Kala Sanskriti and Language Akademi (HKSLA) has decided to purchase in bulk 40 books written by the writers from Himachal this year. The state government has given a grant of Rs 21 lakh this year for different schemes.