H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Proposal to rationalise grant of trees to right holders
Shimla, June 16
The Forest Department has at last drawn up a proposal to rationalise the grant of trees under the timber distribution (TD) rules to right holders. The grant of trees has been taking a heavy toll on the hill state’s precious forest resources.

Measures to curb forest fires 
Chamba, June 16
With the rise in temperature, a few stray instances of forest fires at Bhadiyan, Bannu, Sandhi, Mani, Kandu, Kihar and Salooni forests and parts of Bhattiyat area in Chamba district have been noticed in the past few days. Consequently, the forest fires are playing havoc with the undergrowth and fauna.

Pangi, Chamba linked by year-end
Chamba, June 16
The Chamba-Killar highway is situated at an altitude of 4,390 metres. The construction work near the Saach Pass is going on a war footing. The Saach is one of the few high altitude passes in Himachal Pradesh.

Worker dies in mishap
Baddi, June 16
A factory worker was killed when a crane hook hit his head at Makhnumajra near here late last evening. Deceased Balkar Singh, hailed from Kapurthala was an operator in Torrent. Crane wheels were slipped while lifting a heavy machine.

Proposal to rationalise grant of trees to right holders
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 16
The Forest Department has at last drawn up a proposal to rationalise the grant of trees under the timber distribution (TD) rules to right holders. The grant of trees has been taking a heavy toll on the hill state’s precious forest resources.

Besides charging a nominal amount for the trees, which are virtually supplied free of cost to the right holders at present, the maximum permissible quantity and the periodicity of granting timber under the TD rules are also proposed to be fixed. The right holders are proposed to be charged Rs 60 to Rs 2,900 per tree depending on the species and the class. In the case of deodar, the most valuable species, the proposed rate for Class III(most inferior) is Rs 300, Class II-A (Rs 500), Class II-B(Rs 800), Class I-A(Rs 1,200), Class I-B( Rs 1,600), Class I-C( Rs 1,800), Class I-D(Rs 2,300) and Class I-E (Rs 2,900).

Similarly, the proposed rates for the Kail range from Rs 165 for Class III to Rs 1,600 for Class I-E, for Fir and Spruce from Rs 100 (Class III) to Rs 850 (Class I-E), for Chil (Pine) from Rs 60 (Class III) to Rs 450 (Class I-E) and broad-leaved species Rs 75 (Class III) to Rs 475 (Class I-E). Bamboo is to be charged at the rate of Rs 10 per one hundred culms. The right holders will not be permitted to mortgage or sell their rights through the sale of land in future.

The quantity of standing volume of trees to be given for various purposes is also proposed to be fixed. In high hills ( above 2,000 m) for construction of a new house, including cowshed, it is be proposed to be 10 to 12 cubic metres and above that the right holders will be charged the market rate. Further, the percentage of deodar should not exceed 20. For the repair of house and cowsheds, the quantity maximum quantity will range from 2 to 3 cubic metres. In the lower areas (below 2,000 m), a maximum of 6 cubic metres is proposed for new house and 2 cubic metres for repairs.

The right holders belonging to identified poor families are to be charged at 50 per cent of the proposed rates. Persons making use of premises for commercial activities will have to procure trees at market rates.

There is also a proposal for granting converted timber instead of trees on a pilot basis in locations where adequate infrastructure of both the Forest Department and the Forest Corporation is available. Further, trees will be granted for construction of new houses once in 25 years and for repairs once in 10 years in high hills and once in five years in lower hills.

Measures to curb forest fires 
Our Correspondent

Chamba, June 16
With the rise in temperature, a few stray instances of forest fires at Bhadiyan, Bannu, Sandhi, Mani, Kandu, Kihar and Salooni forests and parts of Bhattiyat area in Chamba district have been noticed in the past few days. Consequently, the forest fires are playing havoc with the undergrowth and fauna. especially in this breeding season. And if the dry spell continues, more fatal cases of forest fires are likely to happen.

The forest fires not only destroy the ground flora but also cause irreparable damage to the wildlife. Apart from this, the damage caused to the forest is immense. In summer the sub-tropical forests are more prone to fires whereas in winter the temperate forests also get affected by forest fires. Although the incidence of forest fires has decreased after 2004, this can mainly be assigned to the favourable weather conditions prevailing during the summer months in the past two years, which were not severe.

Despite the fact that the Forest Department is making efforts to control forest fires what is required is a sustained effort in this direction. Every individual in the vicinity of the forest is responsible for controlling the forest fires, as they are timber-right holders.

The gram panchayats should extend wholehearted cooperation and assistance to the people responsible for controlling the forest fires and also coordinate with the Forest Department in this effort.

According to Mr, Avtar Singh, Conservator of Forests, Chamba, an emergency meeting of forest officials was held this week and the Forest Department swung into action. He said that forest officials had been asked to educate the people living on the fringe of forests about the real values of forests. The faster means of communication like walkie-talkie sets had been provided in the forest divisions for supplying immediate information about the fires to the fire-fighting agencies with a view to sounding alert for curbing the fires.

Pangi, Chamba linked by year-end
Our Correspondent

Chamba, June 16
The Chamba-Killar highway is situated at an altitude of 4,390 metres. The construction work near the Saach Pass is going on a war footing. The Saach is one of the few high altitude passes in Himachal Pradesh.

The opening of the Chamba-Killar highway for plying of vehicular traffic will create a new chapter of history in the district. It will be a lifeline for the people of Pangi.

According to Mr Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Higher Education), who represents this area in the state Assembly, the state government had plan to dedicate the highway to the people this year. With the commissioning of the highway the Pangi tribal valley would be connected with the district headquarters town of Chamba.

Thus, it will be the shortest route not only to the residents of Pangi but also to the tourists and trekkers who had been aspiring to visit the Pangi valley. Earlier, the people of the valley had to take a route of about 700 km via Pathankot, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Manali, Rohtang Pass, Keylong and Udaipur to reach Killar.

The opening of the Chamba-Killar highway will be a boon to the people of this tough and mountainous terrain. The highway will pave the way for the promotion of tourism industry.

The state government has also planned to connect Leh, one of the famous world-class tourist centres in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Himachal Pradesh through Padhar (Gulabgarh), the village of Pangi valley, as it will be the shortest route to Leh than via Jammu and Kashmir.

Worker dies in mishap
Our Correspondent

Baddi, June 16
A factory worker was killed when a crane hook hit his head at Makhnumajra near here late last evening. Deceased Balkar Singh, hailed from Kapurthala was an operator in Torrent. Crane wheels were slipped while lifting a heavy machine.

As a result, crane driver could not control the vehicle and it turned turtle. The crane hook hit the deceased standing at some distance. Balkar Singh was rushed to subdivisional hospital, Nalagarh, but died on the way. A case under Section 304-A of the IPC has been registered against crane driver Jagtar Singh.