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Illegal mining in Chakki rivulet endangers villages
Hydro-power projects
Widening work left halfway |
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Bharmour valley to be promoted as tourist destination
Kasol — Home away from home for Israelis
vignettes
Himachal diary
Seminar on Katoch dynasty trail
Panch Bisham
'RTI Act not implemented in letter and in spirit'
Ambedkar bhawans planned in each Assembly segment
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Illegal mining in Chakki rivulet endangers villages Nurpur, November 3 Once farmers of Maira, Khanni, Kandwal, Mohtli, Baduee, Baranda and Lodhwan used to produce 5,000 quintals of foodgrains by using Chakki water for irrigation, but the illegal and scientific mining of Chakki bed has been turning their fields into a barren land. A visit to the affected villages reveals the sorry state of affairs of the authorities which has failed to curb the menace of illegal mining and quarrying. The villagers are living under the constant fear of repercussions of mining. According to Hoshiar Singh, general secretary of Kangra district, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, and pradhan of the Khanni gram panchayat, the farmers of this area were the worst sufferers as over 4,000 acres of their fertile land had become useless for cultivation. Residents of the area alleged that a large number of JCB machines from bordering state Punjab had been working day and night in the Chakki rivulet area for mining purpose. As many as 25 stone crushing units had been set up in the Punjab area bordering Himachal Pradesh. Suggesting the solutions to check the unscientific quarrying, he said the government should set up police check post in the Chakki River and fix permanent fencing on Punjab and Himachal Pradesh jurisdiction of the river bed after demarcating the same. The villagers point out that as many as 25 stone crushing units have been set up in the Punjab area bordering Himachal Pradesh and their JCB machines descend on Chakki rivulet passing through the state clandestinely for quarrying stone. Enquiries reveal that some villagers, who are the owners of the Chakki river area, have leased out the river bed to the owners of the stone crushing units set up in Punjab, but the state government authorities have made no arrangement to check the unscientific mining and quarrying of the river bed. The villager, who are up in arms against the mining in the area, lamented that water level in the region had went down and the ditches which had been dug up in the river bed pose threat to the movement of human beings and animals. “We have sent several complaints to the state government and the authorities concerned, but to no avail,” they rued. Intriguingly, illegal mining has been posing threat not only to the ecology and lives of villagers, but also the state exchequer is losing revenue to the tune of lakhs of rupees every year due to the evasion of royalty and other taxes. Inder Singh Bhardwaj, SDM, Nurpur, clarified that as and when the administration received any complaint, he acted immediately to check the illegal mining of the Chakki river bed. Meanwhile, environmentalists of the area underlined the need to establish coordination between the authorities of the state mining, police and local administration to curb the menace.
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Hydro-power projects Shimla, November 3 A section of environmentalists and organisations like the Himalayan Niti Abhiyan (HNA), an apex forum of people’s movements in the Himalayan region, has been voicing concern over the fallout of impounding of rivers and ruthless tunnelling of hills for quite some time. However, now the government also seems to be veering to their viewpoint. Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh drew attention to the issue during the recent conclave of the Himalayan Chief Ministers. “It is high time we give a serious thought up to what altitude hydroelectric projects be permitted. The glaciers are melting fast and construction of projects in high mountain ranges will only hasten the process. Further, with a large number of projects coming up in each river the impact on environment has to assessed for the entire basin” he observed. In Himachal if all planned projects on the Sutlej come up most of the 230 km stretch from Khab to Koldam, the river will virtually vanish as the water will be diverted through long tunnels for power generation. While the 1500-MW Nathpa Jhakri project has a 27.4-km-long head-race tunnel , a much longer 38-km tunnel has been planned for the 775-MW Luhri project. The shortest tunnel of 12 km is for the 412 MW Rampur project which is virtually the second stage of the Nathpa-Jhakri project. Similarly, all proposed projects will have 18 to 25-km long tunnels, ensuring that more than 150 km length of the river would disappear. The government has made release of 15 per cent discharge mandatory but with discharge declining to 20 per cent during the lean winter months 15 per cent means a trickle. Worse, the 350-odd small projects are being executed in a totally unplanned manner. The cascade of small projects will spell doom for the people who will lose the life-sustaining water sources. For instance, if all proposed projects are allowed, the Neogli Khad in Shimla will have eight projects and the Chanju Nullah in the ecologically fragile Chamba will have five projects. As per the policy of the Centre, the micro-hydel potential was to be exploited only for the benefit of local people and precisely for this reason it came out with a scheme to provide subsidy on such projects. However, the Himachal government allotted these projects to independent power producers (IPPs) as commercial ventures. Not only that, some IPPs were allowed to enhance the capacity of already allotted project from
5 MW or even less to 25 MW without evaluating their financial or technical capabilities. A project of this size will cost over Rs 200 crore and require expertise in tunnelling. Chairman of the HNA is not only opposed to cascading of small projects but also opposes storage dam projects which, he maintains, not only destroy the environment downstream but also raises ambient temperatures and produces huge quantities of methane. He quotes studies to indicate that the big reservoirs absorb heat and as a result the temperature is raised up to 3 degree Celsius. Further the impounded water traps methane, which contributes to global warming. The melting of glaciers, erratic and inadequate rain and snow and the ever-declining discharge in major rivers and their tributaries have put a big question mark over the future of hydroelectric projects. The state government had already awarded most of projects and only a few, cancelled for one reason or the other, are in the process of allotment. It will be interesting to see what steps it takes to combat climate change in the hydropower sector.
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Widening work left halfway Dharamsala, November 3 Initially, sandbags were kept on the edges as indicators for commuters regarding the trenches. However, after the Indian government cancelled the business visa of most of the Chinese company officials working in India, they had to leave the work halfway on September 30. The government had cancelled the visa on the plea that they had come on a business visa and could not replace Indian workers at sites. Before leaving, the Chinese officials even removed the sandbags kept along the road and dumped them in their Una office, exposing commuters to the danger of falling into the trenches. The danger is grave, especially during the night hours, as there is hardly any light along the road. Executive engineer of the PWD, who was supervising the construction work, said the matter was being taken up with the authorities. “We are also in touch with officials of the Chinese company. It is hopeful that the government would allow them back within a fortnight. But in case, the Chinese officials fail to return to complete the work, it might be handed over to the PWD,” he said. Sources said as per the contract, the Chinese company was to complete the work within 30 months. “However, already months have passed and the work is still in its initiation stage,” they said. Meanwhile, Longjian has blamed the government for initial delay. It alleges that government departments like the IPH and power had not shifted their infrastructure like water pipes and electricity poles in time to enable them to start the work. Later, when the work started, the government cancelled the visa of its officials. Besides, the company would have to remove a large number of encroachments for widening the road in Una city, it said. As per the layout of the road, there are several bus stops along the road. However, till date, the government has not started the process of acquiring land for the construction of bus stops. It seems that the work would get delayed and might end in arbitration between the company and the government that would mean further problems for the commuters.
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Bharmour valley to be promoted as tourist destination Bharmour, November 3 For this purpose, the government is contemplating to take the services of a private tourism enterprise, which would visit this tribal valley and conduct a comprehensive survey to exploit the vast tourism potential available in the valley. The company would further submit its report to the government for final approval and implementation. The entire tribal valley having magnificent prospect with salubrious climate is full with rich tourism potential, which needs to be exploited. The high-altitude Jalsu Pass is having a wide scope of adventure tourism, besides religious tourism en route to famous Manimahesh and Bharmour holy places.
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Kasol — Home away from home for Israelis Shimla, November 3 Kasol is fast emerging as a favourite haunt for the war-torn Israeli youth who derive succour not just in its pristine environment and the roaring Parbati river but also in the world famous charas known by exotic names like malana crème and other narcotics substances easily available here. Driving through the place, the "Beid Chabad" stands out in the village, confirming the presence of a huge Israeli population. Compared to the village population of barely 400, the Israelis visitors outnumber the locals on most occasions, barring the winter. That explains the reason for a German bakery, selling exotic cinnamon rolls and croissants and the grocery shops stacked with foreign candies and cigarette filters, much in demand. On Friday and Saturday evenings there is a special prayer and community meal for all Isrealis at the Beid Chabad, who make it a point to join their brethren. "The Beid Chabad has been running here for the past five years as the number of Israelis here has been on the increase and we try to help them in every possible way," says Yakut, the Rabi or the prophet running the place. Rachel, a 50-year-old clinical researcher from Israel, visited Kasol as her friends back home had strongly recommended the place which she finds out of this world. "It is sad that the Israeli youth are resorting to drugs but then the situation back home is so tumultuous that we really cannot blame them," she says when asked about the addiction among Israeli youth. She admitted that it was becoming a cause of concern as parents want to somehow keep their children off such narcotic substances. A 20-year-old Israeli girl, Leo, who just completed her two-year mandatory stint in the Army feels that the youth need to keep away from distractions like drugs and alcohol. "There is no denying that with so much of unrest back home there is pressure but then we must remain focused and do what is best in the interest of our country," she says. Having visited Mcleodganj, she is keen to learn about Buddhism and also about Lord Krishna as she feels one must learn the best from all religions. Most Israeli youth prefer to come to India as it is very affordable and they can easily manage within the money that they earn while serving in the Army. It is mandatory for Israeli boys to serve for three years in the Army while girls have to serve for two years after they turn 18 so that the country can keep on its fight for survival. Surprising it may sound but Kasol has two motorcycle workshops as the Israelis zip around in Enfield motorbikes, which they get along when they come or hire them locally. Tourism activity in Kasol has greatly picked up during the past five years with the season from April to October. "During the peak season in April-May, the number of Israelis here is almost 3000 to 4000, generating a lot of income for everyone by way of tourism-related activities." says Ashok, a shopkeeper. Besides Dharamsala and McLeodganj, Kasol too is a must-see on the itinerary of Israelis in
Himachal.
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vignettes
I give credit to Marian Fowler, the awarded Canadian biographer, for her amazing book 'Below the Peacock Fan' which was generously used by me to chisel out the word-sketches of Viceroys Lytton and Curzon and the First Ladies - Emily, Charlotte, Edith, and Mary - and their stay in and feelings about Shimla and the present state of Himachal Pradesh. The last of the series is a word-sketch again on the hard-working but arrogant; straightforward but imperialistic Viceroy Lord Curzon, my favourite because no other Viceroy, I believe, had the qualities he had to attend to the difficult task of governing this vast country, though I give fewer marks to him on one count that he disliked Shimla. He gave stately Gorton Castle (now AG Office), whom he himself unhesitatingly described as the finest public building at a hill station in India and appealing Walker Hospital (now burnt), near Sanjauli, a golf course at Naldehra to Shimla but hated the town. His utterance "there is no one who has served in India who regrets one day or one hour that was given to it" and dying lips whispering 'Victoria Memorial' (of Kolkata) showed, on the other hand, his love for the country. When Sir Walter Lawrence was leaving Shimla for England for good, Curzon congratulated him, saying that "I congratulate you heartily on one thing - on leaving Simla so soon. How I hate the place!" Sir Walter Roper Lawrence was a member of the Indian Civil Service from 1879 to 1896. After his retirement he returned to India as private secretary from 1898-1903 to Curzon. Curzon initially was not in favour of migration of the government from Kolkata to Shimla because he used to miss that city and the long evening drives, mentally solving the imperial problems and compassionately surveying the conditions of millions of his subjects. In Shimla the winding streets would snatch that privilege from Curzon and how he detested the same hat-raising officials walking on the roads whom he had met during the office-hours. Dennis Kincaid in 'British social life in India' writes about Curzon in Shimla after touring various parts of India "Curzon could return to Simla as though to an office after a holiday and shut himself up with interminable files...He sat almost all day and half the night, the handsome aloof face bent above the files... The festivities of Simla meant nothing to him." I regard him as a futurist. It was in 1905 that he had said:" A hill station that requires in the summer to provide a habitation for 4,000 Europeans and 39,000 natives on the slender edges of a number of hills, was certainly not intended by nature for any such purpose, necessarily suggests very difficult problems of housing, sanitation, water supply and lighting. These problems are in my judgment only in their initial stages, and they will need the application of very wide views and the introduction of corresponding changes, before they are satisfactorily solved." And that is a reality today. Curzon did not like the gaunt and graceless protuberance against the skyline of the then Town Hall (present Gaiety Theatre; renovated version removes that defect) of Shimla and expected that the earthquake of 1905 would cooperate with him and he would get a legitimate excuse of levelling it but he had exclaimed 'the earthquake failed lamentably at the critical moment.'
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Himachal diary
The presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal saved the day at the Chief Ministers’ conclave as the other three Chief Ministers invited for the event could not make it. As the conclave focused on glaciers and climate change, only Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir were invited. The parallel conclave organised by the Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, an apex forum of non-government organisations pursuing environmental issues in the Himalayan region, also hogged headlines. Activists from several people’s action committees came out with their own “Shimla declaration” to drive home their viewpoint and also took out a procession. Nevertheless, the official conclave raised hopes for the Himalayan states as Union Minister of State Jairam Ramesh announced that the Centre has proposed to grant green bonus to the 12 Himalayan states for preserving the forest cover. The state had been demanding compensation for the forest revenue it lost due to moratorium on felling of trees for the past more than 15 years. The hue and cry over the climate change and melting of Himalayan glaciers seems to have moved the government, which has not taken the demand seriously in the past. The subject of the conclave was serious, but there were lighter moments, too. Jairam Ramesh, while advising the states to follow the policy document “Governance for Sustainable Himalayan Ecosystem (G-SHE)”, prepared by GB Pant Institute, stated that the SHE in the abbreviation had a special significance as in the hills only women work and men idle away their time. It provoked an equally interesting remark from Chief Minister PK Dhumal who without referring to Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi quipped, “In Delhi, too, only she works”. Jairam recalled the 2003 Congress conclave and the recent BJP conclave held at the same venue of Peterhof, but with different outcomes. While it paved way for the return of the Congress to power at the Centre, it triggered a factional in the BJP following the sacking of Jaswant Singh over the book on Jinnah. (See picture)
Kaul’s dilemma
There is a popular saying that success had many fathers, but defeat is an orphan. However, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh thinks otherwise. After campaigning in the Rohru Assembly constituency for the ensuing bypoll for five days, he announced that in case the party lost the electoral battle then he would be responsible and all credit for win would go to Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh. The guiding principle for success in politics is to find scapegoats for defeats and take credit for victories, obviously, there was a background to the assertions of Kaul Singh. After the denial of ticket to Pratibha Singh, the onus was put for the victory of party candidate Manjit Singh on Virbhadra Singh. The utterances of senior leaders and reports in the media generated an impression that Virbhadra Singh will be held responsible for the defeat and credit for the victory will go to the party. A visibly uncomfortable made it clear during a press conference that he could not be held responsible for the defeat. The main responsibility of winning the elections was of the state leadership, particularly the PCC chief, Kaul Singh, and the CLP leader, Vidya Stokes. Timely intervention of the high command has contained the damage and now both Kaul and Stokes are saying that the credit for the victory will go to Virbhadra Singh and he is also putting his heart and soul into the campaign.
‘An unseasonal ordeal’
With the supply pipeline bringing water from Giri undergoing major repairs, the residents of the state capital are undergoing an “un-seasonal ordeal.” Water shortage is common during the summer, but not during the winter when the demand goes down significantly. The newly laid pipeline has been leaking profusely and the Irrigation and Public Department had no option but to completely stop the supply from Giri to facilitate repairs. The work was started on
October 28 and it will continue up to November 4. The Giri scheme supplies 8 to 10 million litre per day (mld) and as such only about 26 to 27 mld will
be available during the period as against the requirement of 36 mld. The municipal corporation has decided to supply water on alternate days to ensure equitable distribution of the available water. However, those located at tail end of the supply are suffering as taps have virtually gone dry.
(Contributed by Rakesh Lohumi)
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Seminar on Katoch dynasty trail Hamirpur, November 3 Through this seminar, the scholars, on the initiative of Thakur Jagdev Chand Memorial Shod Sansthan Neri, had tried to debate various new findings about prominent Katoch ruler Sansar Chand, one of the most prominent and powerful erstwhile ruler of this region during the old times and the Katoch dynasty. This seminar was organised by the Neri Research Centre at Sujanpur Tihra (the erstwhile capital of this state) from October 31 to November 2, in which Chief Minister PK Dhumal and former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar were special guests. Mongolian ambassador in India V Ekhbold was also invited to throw light on the origin of the Katoch dynasty linking it with the ancient ruler of Mongolia. Contradicting the popular belief that the Katoch dynasty had its lineage from Mahabharata warrior Ghatotkach, the new findings by researchers suggest “the Katoch dynasty dates back to 8,000 years and its 300 rulers ruled in the pre-Mahabharata period and the present scion of this clan, Aditya Dev Katoch, is the 488th member of the clan in the lineage”. The researchers claimed “this dynasty is not only the oldest ruling clan of India but also the oldest dynasty of the world and its founder, Adipursha, had come from Mongolia about 11,000 years back”. V. Ekhbold presided at the inaugural session of the seminar and spoke on the links of the Katoch dynasty with the ancient ruling dynasty of Mangolia and tried to testify this contention further by adding that “Mongolia was identified with dinosaurs and could be one of the regions where evolution of the mankind had taken place.” He narrated similarities between Indian and Mongolian culture and traditions and was of the view that relations between India and Mongolia were 2,500 years old and it was said that a Mongolian dynasty had settled in Sujanpur about 2,500 years ago”.
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Panch Bisham Kangra, November 3 The temple, situated on a hill between Old Kangra and Nandrul, is visited by a large number of people all through the year, particularly during the festival. It is said the temple is as old as the Mahabharta period and the idol of the goddess in the form of a pindi had emerged naturally. Long serpentine queues were seen at the temple. Bengalis visit this shrine during the festival every year in large numbers. Free langar was organised at many places near the shrine. Tulsi is worshiped by women during Panch Bishem in the Kangra valley. The festival also provides sisters a chance to apply tilak on the forehead of their brothers who for any reason could not do so on the occasion of Bhayia Dooj. Jaynati Mata is the “kul devi” of most members of the Gorkha community and traditionally, Army jawans and officers of the Gorkha Regiment used to seek blessings from the goddess here before proceeding for wars. The festival, which continues from Kartik Ekadashi to Pooranmashi, is celebrated as the marriage of Tulsi and Saligram and to remember Bishmapetamaha of Mahabharta. Bishmapetamaha had been lying on a bed of arrows during these five days. However, despite having high tourism potential, the shrine has been facing neglect. It seems that the state government is least interested in the development of the pilgrimage and exploiting its tourism potential. The temple shrine could be connected with a rope way with the Old Kangra Fort thus could prove as a major attraction for both national and foreign tourists visiting the
Kangra valley, said Tilak Raj Soni, a local resident who frequently visits
the shrine. The government has even failed to get a stretch of road, not more than 300 m, blacktopped and develop a parking lot at the site, in the absence of which visitors are forced to park their vehicles along the Old Kangra Nandrul road, resulting in traffic blockades. The broken stairs of the shrine, which were constructed by pilgrims, also tell the tale of government apathy.
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'RTI Act not implemented in letter and in spirit' Mandi, November 3 A study has found that only 27 per cent of the applicants get the information they seek. Not only this, another independent study says that most state information commissions are headed by retired bureaucrats and not by noted and reputed public figures as the RTI Act stipulates. In his study, RTI campaigner Arvind Kejrival found that only 27 per cent of the applicants get the information they sought from officials even after four years the RTI Act was implemented in the country. Even if rulings were in their favour, 61 per cent said these were not complied with. He finds Information Commissioner (IC) from Kerala P Faziluddin as best in the country in terms of public satisfaction. "Karnataka has the best Information Commission. The two ICs from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra paint a dismal picture." The study finds Assam and Chattisgarh, despite violence prevailing in these states, as most transparent, passing 98 per cent pro-disclosure rulings. Kejriwal, a Raman Magsasay Awardee, who runs his Public Cause Research Trust, found that all best performing commissioners were retired babus. Meanwhile, Dr Mamta Maukta, acting chairperson, Department of Public Administration, HPU, Shimla, has stated in a research paper on the RTI Act implementation that the Act is yet to be implemented in letter and spirit in the country. ICs have yet to bring about transparency. She said even most ICs are dominated by retired officials and tend to perpetuate the babudom. "Governments have yet to appoint persons of public importance or intellectuals as ICs or CICs as the RTI Act stipulates," she added. President, RTI Bureau, Mandi, Lawan Thakur, who has championed the RTI Act information in the state, said the old mind-set needs to be changed, as officials hide information from applicants. The fact that only 27 per cent applicants get the information they seek shows that state governments are not serious about the Act. Even during the first appeal with ICs, rulings are not implemented and CICs tend to defend the babudom, he observed. He said applicants have to go to Shimla, spending over a thousand rupees, and that acts as a major hurdle for them. "The CIC and IC should have mobile courts so that grievances of the applicants can be heard locally," he added.
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Ambedkar bhawans planned in each Assembly segment Dalhousie, November 3 The minister said Rs 50.32 lakh was being spent on the construction of houses under the 'Harijan basti sudhar yojna' in the district. The minister said Rs 17 lakh had been earmarked to link nine identified bastis of the Scheduled Castes by road.
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Dharamsala, November 3
Shimla, November 3
The presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal saved the day at the Chief Ministers’ conclave as the other three Chief Ministers invited for the event could not make it.
As the conclave focused on glaciers and climate change, only Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir were invited.
