Heavy rain likely in Himachal

Shimla, Aug 11 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh is set to receive heavy rainfall this weekend, the Met office said on Friday. Motorists have been asked to check road conditions before travelling to the interiors as there may be landslides.

"The entire state is likely to experience heavy spells of rainfall till August 13," a meteorological department official told IANS. He said the southwestern monsoon would remain active.

The tourist towns of Shimla, Kufri, Kasauli, Chamba, Dharamsala, Palampur and Manali may get heavy rain, he added.

Incessant rainfall in the region in the past had triggered massive landslides that blocked many roads, including the national highways leading to picturesque tourist resorts Manali and Shimla.

A government official said the Satluj, Beas and Yamuna rivers and their tributaries have been in spate in Kinnaur, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur and Sirmaur districts.

"We have been advising people, especially the tourists, not to go near the banks of rivers and check road conditions before travelling to the interiors of the state," the official said here.