Shimla, Sept. 7 -- Revenue, tribal development, and horticulture minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jagat Singh Negi who returned to Shimla from Bharmour after completing relief and rescue work, said that 17 people have lost their lives during Manimahesh Yatra this year. The annual Manimahesh yatra is dedicated to Lord Shiva, is held at an altitude of 4,085 metres, which began on August 16 and was to conclude on August 31, was temporarily suspended on August 25 following rains and landslides. Dismissing claims of thousands of people's death during the Manimahesh Yatra, Negi, without naming anyone, said, "Only one party (referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party) is expert in lying and spreading rumors in the country. A similar lie was spread by the party regarding the Manimahesh Yatra. This created an atmosphere of fear among the people". Negi warned of penal action against YouTubers, channels and people who spread rumours, adding, "Most of the 17 people died due to lack of oxygen and cold". Negi on Saturday said that 99% of pilgrims stranded during the Manimahesh Yatra in Chamba district have been rescued after torrential rains and floods forced suspension of the pilgrimage. "Out of the pilgrims stranded in Bharmour, 99% have been evacuated. Only a few local residents have stayed back as they prefer to bring their goods by road," the minister said. According to Negi, about 15,000 people were on the route to Manimahesh, including some who trekked on foot. "Nearly 10,000 people have been rescued, some by helicopter and some via road transport, wherever road connectivity was available. In many places, people were brought to safety by buses from points where the roads were accessible," he said while adding that the state had deployed over 160 buses to drop pilgrims to Pathankot and parts of Kangra district. "Around 7,000 people were sent free of cost in buses so they could reach their home regions. Those airlifted from Chamba and shifted to other areas are in addition to this number," he said. With the airlifting of 64 individuals on Saturday as weather conditions improved, the district administration Chamba has completed the rescue operation of people stranded in Bharmour who were on Manimahesh Yatra in Chamba district. Two bodies, including that of a NDRF jawan Narinder (37), were retrieved from the debris of two houses that had collapsed in Kullu's Akhada Bazaar in two separate landslides. In two separate landslides, 9 people were buried in the debris in Kullu's Akhara Bazaar, 8 have been retrieved while search is on for the one who is still buried. Meanwhile, the bodies of three persons who lost their lives in the recent landslide accident in Inner Akhara Bazar area of District Kullu were sent to Srinagar on Saturday morning. Kullu deputy commissioner Torul S Raveesh said that a total of 9 people were buried under the debris in two separate landslide incidents in Inner Akhara Bazaar on September 3 and September 4. The bodies of Waqar Ahmad, Hussain Lone, Tahir Ahmed Sheikh, who were buried in the landslide on September 4, have been recovered. "Bodies of 8 people have been recovered in these two incidents, the search for one person is going on at a war footing. Proper arrangements are being made to hand over the bodies to their families," said Raveesh. Raveesh said bodies of Abdul Rashid, Sajjad Ahmad Wani, and Mehrajuddin Lone, all hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, were sent from Kullu to Chandigarh by road late Friday night, from where they were sent to Srinagar by air on Saturday. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 900 roads were closed in the state, including three national highways (NH), on Saturday morning. NH-3 from Mandi to Dharampur was blocked in Mandi and Kullu, NH-505 from Khab to Gramphu in Lahaul-Spiti was blocked and NH-305 from Aut-Sainj was blocked in Kullu due to landslides. As many as 1,497 power transformers and 388 water supply schemes have been disrupted across the state, the SEOC said. Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi said the Neugal-Sari stretch in Kinnaur had been shut due to rockfalls, but work continued through the night to clear the routes. "In some stretches, rockfall activity resumed, slowing down the process, but we expect restoration to be completed soon," he noted. Since the onset of monsoon in Himachal Pradesh on June 20, disasters in the state have claimed 366 lives, including 203 deaths, due to rain-related incidents and 163 in road accidents, according to the SEOC while 41 are missing. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 4,079 crore so far this season, according to official data. The met department recorded weak monsoon activity over the state in the past 24 hours. The met department has predicted light to moderate rain at many places accompanied by light thunderstorm/lightning and one or two intense spells likely at isolated places in Sirmaur, Shimla, Solan and Chamba. Light to moderate rain is predicted in Kullu and Mandi district. Owing to inclement weather CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's Hamirpur visit has been cancelled on Saturday, as his helicopter could not take off. Kangra Airport extends support to military helicopters Kangra Airport has been providing ATC watch and airport operations beyond duty hours to facilitate the landing and takeoff of military helicopters. These helicopters are playing a crucial role in transporting essential supplies, including rations and medicines, to remote and unconnected areas of Bada Bangal in Himachal Pradesh. The airport's efforts, in close coordination with the district administration, have ensured the timely delivery of critical aid to those in need. With some respite in rain, the district administration had intensified the work of restoration of link roads to facilitate the transportation of apples to market. On Saturday, Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) were seen on the field in their respective jurisdictions to restore the roads obstructed in various areas due to heavy rains in Shimla district. Deputy commissioner, Shimla, Anupam Kashyap said that on September 5 a total of 242 link roads were obstructed in the district. "A total of 90 link roads have been opened in the district till 5 pm on September 6. In such a situation, the work of restoration of 152 link roads is going on at a fast pace," he added. The DC said, "The apple crop in the district is harvested. The apple growers are getting very worried about transporting the apple crop to the markets. But despite the challenges posed by the inclement weather, the entire machinery of the administration is working intensely to open the link road". He said, "All the SDMs of the district were instructed to inspect the restoration of obstructed routes falling under their respective jurisdiction". Learning lessons from the disaster of 2023, the state government protected the Larji hydropower project this year from the challenges of heavy rains and floods. Under the directions of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and with the preparedness of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL), the 126-MW project continued to operate smoothly and the power house remained completely safe. In a statement, the state government said that keeping in view the future challenges the Board worked on a comprehensive safety plan and preventive measures were adopted well in time, the most important being the installation of flood gates. The project site and the main entry point remained secure even during the floods in the Beas river due to installation of gates, moreover, the water seeping into the powerhouse was drained out immediately....