By:Shikha Patial

Shimla: Acute water scarcity, highest ever mercury level and high food prices had almost made brought up drought like conditions in Shimla. Till three days ago Shimla experienced highest from normal temperature that ranged between 27 to 31 deg Celsius. Devastating fire in the many forests reduced them to ashes giving a toll to the efforts of increasing forest cover in the state.

Though Himachal is working exhaustively to increase the forest cover in the state thereby contributing to the nation as a whole in controlling global warming, still it starves for financial support from the centre to compensate its expenditure in running such projects. This exaggerates the miseries of state in this tough time.

Nature has been harsh on the state since the beginning of the year itself when heavy snow fall in several regions broke all the past records and now the summer also seems in a mood to do the same. Though the recent rains gave some respite from the heat but mercury seems set all over again to look up.

The government must take up the matter of maintaining good forest cover very sensibly. For this Himachal needs to call upon center for some financial assistance because the state stands under heavily debt due to salary hike of the government employees.