Shimla, Jan. 28 -- Concerns over climate change dominated the 76th Republic Day that was celebrated amid fresh snowfall on Shimla's Ridge on Monday.

Expressing concern over the delayed winter, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, said, "After a 4-month-long dry spell, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed snowfall. It seems that this winter cycle has been delayed by almost one month. Earlier, snowfall used to occur around December 23, 24 or 25, but this time it happened a month later. Somewhere, the impact of climate change is visible."

"In the last three years, natural disasters have occurred continuously. In 2023-24, disasters struck Kullu-Manali and several other parts of the state. In 2024, a disaster occurred in Samij area of Rampur, an...