SHIMLA 10th February 2012 : A high-level Central team under the chairmanship of Horticulture Commissioner would visit hill areas of Himachal Pradesh to study the effective implementation of Anti Hail Gun system in the State, said Shri Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister after having detailed discussions with Secretary-level Officers in Agriculture, Earth Science and Home Ministries at New Delhi today.
He said that detailed programme of Central team would be finalized in consultations with State Government officials keeping in view the weather conditions and other factors in considerations. He said that central team would study the impact of the system and its implementation in other Himalayan States of the country so as to expand its operations. He also requested the Central Government to sanction Rs 400 crore for the State for implementing Anti Hail Gun System throughout the State and bring the plain areas of Kangra, Una and Hamirpur under the system so that the cash crops grown in these areas were also protected from natural calamities.
Horticulture Minister also requested National Disaster Management Authority to supply latest snow cutters and other equipments and machinery to the State to bring normalcy in snow affected areas in time bound manner and said that at present the State had old fashioned machinery, which has not been effective during massive snowfall in the region. He also pleaded for opening a Weather Station for exclusive research on snowfall, snow avalanches, cloud burst etc. so as to predict the snow weather conditions for higher hills residents. He asked for small size fire tenders and other disaster management machinery, which could be effective in the narrow lanes of hilly areas and pleaded for liberal financial assistance for the State under various centrally sponsored schemes.
