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Stripped Bare
Palampur, August 5 Sources reveal that over 10,000 trees have been axed in the past five years to make way for the execution of over 24 power projects and cement plants. Even reserve forests have not been spared although official figures do not reveal the real picture.
Despite the fact that there is a complete ban on the cutting of trees in the state, still in a number of areas forestlands have gone barren and not even a single tree is seen on various hilltops. A number of power projects and cement plants set up in the state in the past few years have played havoc with the forests and wildlife sanctuaries. It is on record that 20,000 trees were axed for the setting up cement plants in Solan and Bilaspur districts. These cement plants have been regularly extracting limestone from forests, which has further caused extensive damage to the green cover. It is evident from the fact that if one goes through the recent reports and records of the state forest department, illicit felling of trees has gone up the state. In past five years, over 100 cases of illicit felling and smuggling of timber were registered where timber worth crores was seized. In Kullu district, forest officials have registered cases under the HP Forest Act against few companies executing power projects who were found involved in the illicit felling of trees. Till date, the government failed to initiate any action against the erring power companies and cement plants allegedly due to the proximity of various political leaders with such companies. In many parts, local residents had come out on the road, lodging their protest against the setting up of cement plants and power projects, but the state government had remained a mute spectator. Instead of supporting the cause of local public, the government has been protecting the interests of corporates and forcing the farmers to sell their lands at throwaway prices to them. It may be mentioned that forests not only contribute in maintaining the ecological balance but also play a significant role in the economic development of the state. In Himachal Pradesh, forests provide physical sustenance to its fragile ecosystem and also act as a source of precious raw material for rural and industrial application. Though the government has been laying emphasis on the protection and conservation of forests, much needs to be done.
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Heritage status soars expectations
Shimla, August 5 The Railways has indeed maintained the track and the rolling stock quite well, which helped the toy train get the coveted status. The surge in international tourist traffic that the region is likely to witness in the next few years is bound to lead to a spurt in the economic activity en-route the track. Here in lies the danger of losing the heritage that has been
so well preserved all these years. The Railways has indicated that encroachments will be removed and the route will be beautified, but its control is confined to a narrow strip along the track. Development activity will have to be regulated to a much wider area to save the pristine glory of the hills from being marred by huge concrete structures, as has happened with the Shimla-Kalka national highway. The responsibility of regulating construction activity rests with the state government agencies, but unfortunately in the past these agencies have failed in performing their role. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) that did much spadework for documentation required for securing the heritage status for the track underlines the need for creating a buffer zone en-route. State convenor of INTACH B.S. Malhans maintains that the buffer zone should extend to 500 m and the people living along the track should be made the stakeholders in all development activities to be undertaken to exploit the tourism potential of the world heritage site. He emphasised that even trivial matters like garbage disposal and signage require focused attention to maintain the site. An effective waste collection system will have to be put in place to keep the track and buffer zone garbage free and signage be put up after carrying out the required research for a heritage facade. Painted stones at every tunnel entrances must be cleaned and the portals repaired wherever necessary. Taking a lesson from the mess created along national highways,
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The local people should be given space at railway stations for selling handicrafts, handlooms and other produce of the state so that they could also gain economically from the heritage project. All services to the tourists are provided through them that could include souvenir shops, eating joints, Internet cafes etc. Old heritage items pertaining to the toy train should be exhibited at various suitable places like Barogh, Kandaghat, Kanoh
and Shimla. Location specific tourism infrastructures like overnight facilities, rooms, restaurants and nature treks on certain thick forest areas along the rail line should be developed for the benefit of local people. The
possibility of connecting the Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Kalka further to Shimla
with a reclining rail car service should also be examined.
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Bamboo taken to cold deserts
Dharamsala, August 5 The director of IHBT P.S. Ahuja said they have successfully planted 2,000 saplings of Phyllostachys Pubescene, an edible variety of Bamboo, in Kukumseri area of Himachal Pradesh.
The said variety has been imported from China, where it has already been successfully planted in the cold deserts. The plantations have come up with 70 per cent success rate. Besides Himachal, scientists of IHBT have also taken Bamboo plantations to the cold deserts of Uttaranchal, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal Pardesh. Dr Ahuja said bamboo plantation in cold deserts would help in biomass creation, prevention of soil erosion and improving the economy of people of the area, who can use the plantations for procuring fodder for their animals. It can also be used for producing charcoal. The IHBT has developed a cost-effective technology for producing charcoal from bamboo, which can be used as fuel for heating purposes in winters by residents in the cold deserts. At present, Bamboo plantations are being carried out near the streams in cold deserts, as they require moist soil. The director IHBT claimed that Bamboo has been accepted well by farmers of the area. “This year, we have received demand of additional 1,000 samplings from the cold areas of Himachal,” he said. When asked about the impact of introduction of Bamboo in these areas, Dr Ahuja said nothing adverse has been noticed as yet. However, certain experts are of the view that bamboo plantation would increase moisture in the cold deserts. Their impact on other plant varieties found in the region should also be studied. Dr Ahuja, however, said no such adverse impact of bamboo plantation has been noticed. According to experts around the world, Bamboo products worth Rs 50,000 crore are sold annually. In India alone, Bamboo products worth Rs 2,043 crore are traded every year. The demand for is expected to grow by 15 to 20 per cent every year. Keeping that in consideration, the government plans to bring 60 lakh hectares under bamboo plantation in the country. The use of bamboo in paper industry also needs to be increased by promoting species that are ideally suited for paper production. At present, 19 lakh tonne of Bamboo is annually used by the paper industry. Notably, Bamboo is still not popular among farmers of lower regions as it fetches only Rs 5 to 10 per fully-grown stick, according to farmers. In Punjab, a single stick fetches anything between Rs 20 to 30. Lack of proper marketing is another major handicap for promotion of bamboo in lower areas of the state.
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Shimla lecturer invited to UNEP seminar
Shimla, August 5 Sharma is presently teaching economics at Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya in Shimla. The conference is being organised by the International Society for Ecological Economics and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at its headquarters in Nairobi from August 7 to 11. The conference will highlight the vision, methods and policy adjustments needed for ecological economics principle, as there is a need to build capacity in such areas in developing countries in the face of increasing global change and interdependence. The Nicholas Georgescu Roegen award for an outstanding young scientist will be granted at the conference. The organisers had invited the papers in March from world over under the main theme, “applying ecological economics for social and environmental sustainability”. Sharma will be participating in the conference from India along with another IIT Mumbai professor. In his work, Sharma has analysed the dynamics of land use and forest degradation with the help of a non-linear bio-economic model. In addition to several policy recommendations, simulations have also been carried out for optimum land use and forest growth in the next 20 years. Earlier in 2006, he worked in the Norwegian university of life sciences, Aas, on model designs with the general algebraic modeling systems.
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Dog pond project hangs fire
Shimla, August 5 The Stray Dog Birth Control Society has prepared a project to set up a dog pond, but a problem is being faced in identifying the site, as residents are not keen to have it in their locality. Fearing public opposition, the councillors of the areas where land has been identified for the project are reluctant to have it located in their ward. The government has already approved Rs 30 lakh for the dog pond and the society too has prepared a detailed project so that it can be implemented at the earliest. Even though the society has so far sterilised more than 80 per cent of the 3,500 dogs in the town, the problem still persists as the animals continue to roam around in the streets in big numbers. The residents have been demanding that steps be taken to check stray dog menace as several incidents of dog bite, especially among schoolchildren are reported every now and then. To begin with, the society will set up one dog pond and depending on the results further steps will be taken to provide similar shelters. The society will run the dog pond with the help of the forest department, which will provide land and will also get it constructed. Even though the forest department will be involved but it is mainly the society that will run the dog pond. The idea was mooted after there was no relief from stray dogs despite sterilising them. Municipal corporation officials said they had succeeded in controlling the population of stray dogs, but they still continue to be a menace, thus setting up of dog ponds would be a permanent solution. The dogs would be fed and kept confined in one place so that the public is not harassed. Till date, the society has sterilised 2,754 of the 3,500 dogs in the town. The society plans to undertake 100 per cent sterilisation by 2009. A sum of Rs 750 is being spent on sterilising each dog, out of which Rs 445 is being borne by the Central Animal Welfare Board while the remaining amount is being provided by the state government.
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Two ex-CMs in the same boat
Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 5 Even as argument is being given that they are the strongest candidates who can win the Kangra and Mandi seats but more than their well wishers it is their archrivals within their parties who want them to rough it out. Shanta Kumar, who lost out in the race for chief minister to Dhumal, has already expressed his desire not to contest from Kangra Lok Sabha seat. The position of Virbhadra Singh is the same, as he could be asked to contest from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, presently being represented by his wife, Pratibha Singh. No doubt he can make the going tough for the BJP in the election but then he is also not keen to face the electorate. ‘Traffic problem needs attention’ Having had a successful stint as DGP, director CBI Ashwani Kumar has many achievements to his credit, but better traffic management is one area where he would have loved to do more. “One area which needs to be improved drastically is better traffic management, especially in the state capital,” he remarked when asked about projects that he would like to see being implemented. He said the chaotic traffic in Shimla was a major shortcoming and the worse was that it had been left only to the police to sort it out. “Unfortunately, the police feels very alone in combating this problem as it is expected that improving traffic is the sole responsibility of the police,” he opined. He felt this was an issue in which contribution and respect for the traffic rules by one and all was much needed. “Through better traffic management and contribution from every citizen this huge number of 940 should be brought down,” he added.
Jan Sanjivini Van Abhiyan Hill state has taken to planting medicinal and herbal plants in a big way with 12.5 lakh saplings being planted at the launch of the Jan Sanjivini Van Abhiyan- 2008. With special interest being taken by forest minister Jagat Prakash Nadda in ensuring the success of the campaign, it is well thought and would also help in supplementing the income of the people, especially in villages. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether the momentum can be maintained and it actually becomes a mass movement. Nadda along with other functionaries has held talks with Swami Ramdev, too, to explore the possibility of meeting the huge medicinal plants and herbs demand of the pharmaceuticals of Pitanjali Yog Peeth.
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Wanted a VIP for inauguration
Holi (Chamba), August 5 The newly constructed 30-bedded CHC at Holi, which would cater to a population of approximately 14,500 people is waiting for a VIP to dedicate this building to the tribal residents of this difficult and mountainous terrain. At the moment, only two doctors, including a dental surgeon along with a skeleton staff, are available at an existing hospital for the medical needs of the poor patients of this area. On inquiry, additional district magistrate of Bharmour N.K. Lath said the CHC building was constructed with an outlay of nearly Rs 1 crore, and accessories and equipment worth Rs 50 lakh had been installed for the checkup of various ailments. The center would be commissioned and dedicated to the tribal people of this region shortly, Lath added.
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