Back into sage age

Students dress up to stage a play at a Sanskrit promotion competition in Dehradun on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Jumbo fears
Haridwar, August 27
With the crops ripening, farmers and villagers residing near the banks of the Ganga river have now to face the onslaught of elephants with the jumbos intruding into the their land, eating and destroying the standing crop.

Shantikunj to open centre in England
Haridwar, August 27
Shantikunj, situated in Haridwar, is recognised nationally and internationally for its spiritual and other devotional activities. Now it is going to open a Chetna Kendra - working of Gayatri parivar and Gayatri Mantra - in England.

Pull of the cable car gets stronger
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 27
A non-existent public transport system, a near-absent railway network in the hills and an unreliable private transportation system has made conditions conducive for the entry of ropeways in Uttarakhand.

The oldest ropeway in Mussoorie called the cable car continues to be popular among tourists who often find themselves enamoured by the panoramic view of the hill town.

The environment-friendly ropeway technology is being viewed as an alternative to the oil-guzzling transportation. Though the charges may range from Rs 100 upwards, the pull of the cable cars is overpowering for the young and old alike.

Aware of it’s immense potential, the Uttarakhand Government has given the go-ahead to 12 ropeway projects that would be developed in the private- public sector.

Work is on in different phases in case of five projects.

“The environment-friendly technology may take the shape of public transportation in coming days as it holds much promise, especially in the hill terrain, and can deliver us from congestion and traffic jams as well as save time on travel time,” said Rajeev Bhartari, additional chief executive ACEO, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB).

The Mussoorie-Dehradun ropeway is expected to shorten travel time to less than 40 minutes. As of now, the road distance between Mussoorie and Dehradun is 35 km, a one-hour drive. The Uttarakhand Infrastructure Projects Company (UIPC) has been appointed consultant for developing ropeway projects between Purukal and Mussoorie, covering a distance of 10.93 km, to be built at a cost of Rs 800 crore and at Uttarkashi ( Janki Chatti - Yamunotri ropeway covering a distance of 3.83 km) to be built at a cost of Rs 30 crore. The Thuligad-Purnagiri Ropeway in Champawat is estimated to cost Rs17 crore.

While Uttarakhand Infrastructure Development Company Limited (U-DeC) has been appointed technical consultants to build ropeway projects at Rambada - Kedarnath ( 3.7 km route) at a cost of Rs 70 crore and the Rishikesh - Neelkanth route( covering a distance of 5800 m) at a cost of Rs 33 crore.

All ropeway projects were proposed in the year 2005- 2007 and UTDB expects to complete these projects within two-and-a-half years.

“In order to find developers for these projects, the UTDB recently announced request for qualification (RFQ). The developers selected will be responsible for design, construction, finance, development, operation and maintenance of the projects.

“The construction of the projects will be on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. Right now, ropeway projects are on at five routes; Auli- Joshimath; Nainital, Mussoorie and at Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar district,” said Bhartari.

Technical experts say the ropeways have only now begun to be seen as a viable means of public transportation.

In most places, they continue to be used as tourist attractions, mostly at religious places facilitating movement of deities who find it difficult trudging up the hill to pay obeisance to the deities.

The Naina Devi ropeway project was executed way back in 1990 by Ganpati Ropeways in collaboration with Damodar Ropeways and is claimed to be the first major ropeway project in India.

Usha Breco (UBL) operates five passenger ropeways in the country.

These are Maa Mansadevi Udan Khatola, Maa Chandidevi Udan Khatola in Hardwar (Uttarakhand), Maa Mahakalika Udan Khatola and Maa Ambaji Udan Khatola in Pawagadh and Gujarat, respectively, and Malampuzha Udan Khatola in Palghat, Kerala.

Two top European companies, including Doppelmayr and Leitner, control 90 per cent of the manufacturing business because they have their own technologies that promise unique lateral stability and safety.

“While going for a ropeway technology, several aspects are looked into. much depends on the geographical topography of the region and the safety levels included in his system. In some cases, bi-cable is a good option as it promises more safety but other factors have to be taken care. “For the Rishikesh-Neelkanth ropeway, the tariff may come around Rs 350 per passengers per hour and the speed may be approximately 5m/sec-8m/sec,” said Pankaj Prasad, CO, Uttarakhand Infrastructure Development Company Limited (U-DeC).

He said several variables had to be factored in while calculating the cost of a project. “The clients’ proposals are accepted only if minimum safety levels are met.

Again, the cost is calculated keeping in mind the topography of a place, carrier capacity, needs of client operators, span of the ropeway and the ropeway technology chosen,” he said.

Besides, the gravity ropeway technology is being used by farmers in Chakrata and Uttarkashi to transport their horticulture produce. It was in 2007 that the Himalayan Action Research Centre (HARC) unveiled a rural technology promotion project to lessen the burden of farmers.

A gravity ropeway has been installed in Dhari Kafnaul area of Naugaon block in Uttarkashi district for transportation of fruit and vegetables from high altitude to an area accessible through roads.

“The task was accomplished with financial support from the office of the principal scientific adviser, Government of India, through Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG), Uttarakhand, and technical support from scientists of the department of industrial and mechanical engineering, IIT, Roorkee. The total cost towards the installation and construction of the ropeway system is around Rs 7.28 lakh,” said Chaya Kunwar, senior programme coordinator, HARC.

NCR units shifting base to U’khand
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 27
Poor security, power, water and requisite infrastructure and other amenities, including absence of attractive industrial incentives, have forced a good number of National Capital Region (NCR) industrial units to expand base in Himachal and Uttarakhand in the past two years.

These findings are revealed in a random survey conducted under the aegis of ASSOCHAM on “Shifting of Industrial Units from the NCR to neighbouring states”. The survey also highlights that Uttar Pradesh is yet to be preferred by industries for their operations.

Industrial units now want to shift away from the NCR in the past two years have chosen to cash in on facilities provided by the smaller states, Himachal and Uttarakhand.

The survey, based on comment by over 500 small and medium-sized industrial units, says a whooping 75 per cent felt that they were eager to grab tax holiday schemes ranging from 7 to 10 years and much lower local levies extended to them by Himachal and Uttarakhand. It is because of this reason that a majority of industrial units in 2007 and 2008 chose to widen their base in these states instead of gradually expanding capacities in and around the NCR. DS Rawat, ASSOCHAM secretary general, said the NCR could no longer be termed a suitable place for either establishing industry or for capacity expansion as its infrastructure was already under severe pressure.

“Moreover, power, water and security crisis go on increasing. Even law and order has not been that good as it used to be till about 2005-06.

“And since Himachal and Uttarakhand provide good facilities, a majority of industrial units in the NCR have gone there,” said Rawat. “Theose to have shifted for larger capacity expansion and re-started operations comprise auto components, engineering, plastics, pharma, IT and telecommunication companies.

Other industries include biscuit and bread manufacturers, confectionaries, detergents and most prominently real estate and construction. ASSOCHAM estimates that in Noida alone over 2,000 SSI units have shut office in view of high cost of power and lack of tax benefits.

Even companies adding on to their capacities earlier have either opted for Uttarkhand or else given up the expansion drive.

Companies like Lancer Foods, Priyagold, Haldiram and a number of paper and cardboard industries have already moved out from the Noida.

About 47 per cent respondents opined that the situation was worse in Ghaziabad and Faridabad which have a large number of engineering, automobile and industrial units.

Compared to Noida and Gurgaon, these two regions face connectivity and infrastructure constraints in attracting investors. In case of Gurgaon, over 70 buildings are lying vacant in Udyog Vihar and various other industria locations.

The owners of these buildings are searching for customers or tenants.

The IT and BPO industries in Gurgaon are looking for the low-cost zones in view of the meltdown. The industrial and business mmunity in the region is suffering from erratic power supply, water shortage and the rising crime graph.

One of the common problems major corporate players, CEOs and heads witness is that the NCR is gradually becoming a crime hub.

According to Rawat, Uttarakhand, Himachal and even Rajasthan are capitalising on this opportunity to attract a large number of NCR-based investors with easy availability of land, few administrative procedures and tax incentives and reduced duties.

The worst hit are small units but it seems the authorities are not eager to solve their problems and the main focus remains on larger investors.

The power situation in the NCR remains grim.

Despite new power stations and huge sums spent on transmission and distribution lines every year, the industrial units in the NCR receive power for only four to five hours daily.

In caomparison, in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, a nine-hour daily supply is ensured to the industry.

Jumbo fears
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 27
With the crops ripening, farmers and villagers residing near the banks of the Ganga river have now to face the onslaught of elephants with the jumbos intruding into the their land, eating and destroying the standing crop.

The intrusion has just begun. It will go on till the sugarcane and paddy crops are finally cut. The ripening crops have alarmed local residents too. Its no more safe to move around, specially early morning and late evening hours with elephants ravaging the fields.

At Missirpur, Katarpur, Jagjeetpur, Ajeetpur and Jaipota, fresh incidents of elephant intrusion are being reported. Forest officials and wildlife experts point out that the incidents have increased with the lowering of water level in the Ganga. With comparatively less rainfall this monsoon season, the level of water has dipped, making it easier for the elephants to swim across to the reach sugarcane fields.

The forest department is also concerned at the jumbo intrusion in villages and has started warning villagers on elephant movement and the threat of tuskers turning wild.

Forest SDO KS Rawat says the people must not venture out alone as in the coming days, the movement of elephants will increase. The plan is to give special training to the villagers to stop the intrusion.

Elephants can be seen at the Haridwar-Bijnore NH-74, specially at the bridge situated over the east Ganga Canal adjoining the Anjani Forest beat.

At present, three identified bull elephants are utilising this track and are often seen on the bridge, causing traffic jam too.

“This is one of the prime corridors for elephant movement from Khara forest in the Chilla range to Anjani forest.

The elephants use this track during the monsoon and winter season and raid the staqnding crops,” explained forest scientist Dr Ritesh Joshi.

Experts advise that people should not make a noise of any kind as it makes the jumbos uncomfortable and they can face an attack by them.

Fearing danger to their lives and damage to their crops, villagers demanded electric fencing so that the elephants can be stopped from marauding their fields and homes.

Shantikunj to open centre in England
Tribune News Service