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Long wait for artificial lake
Unscientific road construction takes toll on environment
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Villagers succeed in removing encroachments
Proposed commercial complex project in a limbo
NHPC commissions 120-MW Sewa-II project
Infrastructure lacking in BBN area
Himachal diary
vignettes
Educationists favour ban on SCA elections
Undervalued sale deeds bleed state exchequer
Piar Chand murder case to be reprobed
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Long wait for artificial lake
Bilaspur, August 10 But like many other projects in the district, the lake project has not taken shape. The administration had sent a design for approval to the government several years ago and it is learnt that it was first approved but later the earlier proposal was shot down for necessary changes. Since then the matter hangs fire. Though the IPH Department, which is in charge of the project, has maintained tacit silence over the issue and has never come out with the administrative or technical difficulties and reasons responsible for the delay, it is said the catch is in the system to retain, regulate and control the release and filling of water in the lake even after the backwaters of Gobind Sagar begins to recede. The District Hotels and Restaurants Association and the Bilaspur Nagar Vikas Sabha have now started demanding that a check dam should be constructed under the famed Ali Khud bridge so that the artificial lake is created there that would be far more useful than the proposed artificial lake at Luhnu Nullah. The District Hotels and Restaurants Association has even presented a detailed memorandum on this issue to the Chief Minister and has stated that the lake would be much larger and more useful for the development of an year-round tourism industry, fishing, water sports, employment generation and even availability of water for drinking and irrigation purposes here, instead of the Luhnu Nullah lake that mostly remains dry except in rainy season.
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Unscientific road construction takes toll on environment
Shimla, August 10 The reckless cutting of hills and dumping of debris on the slopes has over the years have become a standard practice during road construction. While excavations on the hillside bring down trees and other vegetation and destabilises the strata, the disposal of huge debris on slopes wipes out all vegetation and the loose muck is washed down the nullah during rain, polluting water sources. The debris often chokes nullahs causing flashfloods down streams. It also causes aesthetic degradation of the picturesque hill landscape as under construction roads cause deep gashes which appear like bleeding wounds with debris spilling all over the slopes. The current monsoon has brought home the perils of unscientific methods deployed for the construction of roads as never before. The worst fear of apple growers came true as the Theog-Hatkoti road, which had been virtually reduced to a dust bowl during summer due to ongoing widening work, transformed into a stream of slush. The plight of commuters could be imagined as it took more than 10 hours to cover the three-hour journey. At places, more storm water was flowing on road than the adjoining nullah. The link roads to villages are also in bad shape. Truck operators from plains have been reluctant to come to upper Shimla region to transport apples because of the dismal condition of roads. The growers have no options but to pay higher rates of freight to send their produce to the market. The bypass being constructed at Kufri has also become a traffic bottleneck and long jams have become a regular feature. To make things worse, the authorities closed the Dhalli tunnel for laying water pipes at a time when harvesting of apple was at its peak. People would be spared this annual monsoon ordeal if the PWD adopts cut-and-fill method for the construction of roads like European countries. It not only minimises debris but also ensures its proper utilisation at the site as retaining structures are raised on the valley side to hold the debris generated from the cutting of hills. Apart from reducing excavations on hillside enough retaining structures will help make the roads much straighter. The construction of breast walls and drains on hillside helps stabilise the excavated strata, preventing landslips. The present method of vertically cutting the hills and wait for rain to wash away the bulk of debris has been mainly responsible for increasing landslips and the bad condition of roads. This system benefits none but contractors. This is the main reason for roads suffering excessive damage due to rain even as overall precipitation has been declining with each passing year. The problems of road users are compounded as contractors start excavation over long stretches for the widening of roads. It is time that limits are imposed on such reckless excavations and the work is carried out in small stretches with proper disposal of debris through retaining structures and breast walls on the hillside. The government has taken steps to identify dumping sites across the state, but it will be feasible only for big projects as huge costs in terms of transportation of debris will be involved.
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Villagers succeed in removing encroachments
Nurpur, August 10 They called off their strike after four days following the written assurance by Forest Department officials. The villagers, claiming to be environmentalists, led by Shelly Sharma, staged a protest here in a rain shelter on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway near the divisional office of the Forest Department. They were demanding the removal of encroachments on the forestland in their area and undertake plantation in the evicted land. They were also demanding a written assurance by the department. After four-days-long protest, the department swung into action. According to DP Chandra, divisional forest officer, Nurpur, he has provided the list of 30 cases in which the department has recently removed encroachments and evicted 5.50 hectares of forestland to the agitators. “I have assured them that special drive against encroachments on forestland in the area will continue and the department will undertake plantation in the evicted land,” he said. It is pertinent to mention here that Shelly had been agitating since a long time against forestland grabbers in the rural areas and after the failure of the system to check the menace, she, along with other environmentalists, staged the protest.
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Proposed commercial complex project in a limbo
Mandi, August 10 The transport authority awarded the project to the IMUDA, but the HRTC, Urban Development Department, Town and Country Planning Department and Forest Department were caught on the wrong foot as the proposed changes and commercial complex in the bus stand were yet to be approved by the TCP. However, the Congress, the CPM and the RTI bureau, Mandi, have joined hands together challenging the construction work of the bus stand without an approval for the proposed commercial complex. They charged that the Transport Minister was aiming the project to make it a commercial area at the cost of parking facilities for vehicles that visit the bus stand. Citing information sought by the RTI bureau from the TCP about the bus stand, the bureau said the work had started without the approval from the TCP. It said the new addition to the approved plan of 2005 was only smacks of manipulations and mala fide intentions of the Transport Department to turn the bus stand into a commercial complex. On the other hand, the TCP said the site work on the bus stand could continue as it had been approved by the department in 2005-2006. However, so far the department has not received any new drawings for the commercial complex and the proposed changes in the original approved plan from the Transport Department and HIMUDA. Also, it has not received the NOC from the Forest Department for the diversion of the forestland. The TCP said the massive cutting of the site had no approval and needed to be rectified. It had allowed the site development work and protecting work at the site so that the neighbouring land and houses should not suffer damage due to the levelling of the site, said a TCP official. The Forest Department stated that the NOC had been received for the diversion of the land and was conveyed to the authorities concerned. Mandi citizens’ council president YD Vaidya stated that they appreciated the fact that the work on the bus stand had started after a decade-long controversy, adding that it should have proper facilities for everyone. HIMUDA said it had started the levelling and cutting work on the site, adding that the main work had not been started so far. HIMUDA chief executive officer SC Sud said the bus stand would provide loading facility for 18 buses and would park 30 to 40 buses. But he refused to comment on the commercial shopping complex. Thakur stated that the complex would be expanded to accommodate 60 buses. “It will have six floors, housing 420 shop-cum-offices, which will have banks and other commercial establishments,” he said, adding that they were getting approval for the extension from the TCP before the actual work started.
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NHPC commissions 120-MW Sewa-II project
Dalhousie, August 10 According to NHPC’s chairman and managing director SK
Garg: “With the commissioning of 120-MW Sewa-II project in Jammu and Kashmir, the installed capacity of the NHPC has gone up to 5,295 MW”. Garg said Sewa-II is the third project commissioned by the corporation in the current plan period in addition to the 510-MW Teesta-V project in Sikkim and 520-MW Omkareshwar project of Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (a joint venture of the NHPC and the Government of Madhya Pradesh) in MP. Situated between the villages of Gatti and Mashka in Basoli tehsil of Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Sewa-II project is a run-of-river scheme constructed on the Sewa river, a tributary of the Ravi. The project has been executed while facing several challenge, including many geological problems and also high water discharge in some areas of headrace tunnel. The major components of the Sewa-II project are a 53m high concrete gravity dam, a 3.3m diameter and 10.084-km long horseshoe shaped head race tunnel, a 9m diameter and 111m high restricted orifice type surge shaft, a 2.4m internal diameter circular steel lined pressure shaft, a surface power house with three units of Vertical Pelton turbines of 40 MW each and three tail race outlet channels of 28, 39 and 50m length each. The project will generate 534 million units energy annually in a 90 per cent dependable year. The beneficiary states of the project include J&K, Punjab, Haryana, UP, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan and Chandigarh. The project is a fine example of attaining a massive engineering feat made possible through sheer hard work and dedication of NHPC employees and the active support and cooperation of the people and the Government of J&K. The NHPC is highly active in J&K where it has already successfully commissioned 690-MW Salal, 480-MW Uri-I and 390-MW Dulhasti power stations. Four other projects of the corporation, including 330-MW Kishanganga, 240-MW Uri-II, 45-MW Nimoo-Bazgo and 44-MW Chutak projects, are under active construction. The NHPC is also in the process of forming a joint venture with the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation and the Power Transmission Corporation for executing 1,000-MW Pakal Dul and two other hydroelectric projects with aggregate installed capacity of about 2,100-MW in the Chenab river basin in J&K.
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Infrastructure lacking in BBN area
Solan, August 10 The sorry state of affairs can be gauged from the fact that the condition of roads has remained unchanged with potholes being a common feature. “In my seven years of stay in the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh industrial area I have not seen much change in roads and other infrastructure whose condition has gone from bad to worse. While it takes months for even minor repair work, the condition of road worsens in each rainy season,” confided an HR manager of a battery unit in Baddi. Worst is the condition of bridges that have not been repaired even after being declared unsafe. Work on constructing a new bridge over the Chikni river which collapsed three years ago is yet to be begin and investors who have there units across the river have to take a detour of 45 minutes through Dhabota to reach their workplace. With no community hall to conduct workshops and other such activities, the industrial area lags behind in organising such events. Export-oriented units thus fail to have such crucial activities which would otherwise help boost their business. Though a bypass through Siswan route has been constructed, the delay in expanding the crucial NH-21-A Kalka-Swarghat highway often leads to traffic jams on the road where passenger car units have reached a high 25,000 per day. Crucial projects like a trade centre was sanctioned by the Union government almost three years ago and a sum of Rs 10.20 crore was supposed to be incurred on it, but a little had been done till now to initiate its construction. Similarly, the condition of link roads was appalling and prime areas like export promotion industrial park developed at Jharmajri suffers due potholed roads that present the area in poor light.
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Top models walk Hamirpur INIFD ramp
The annual function of International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD), Hamirpur, was a very special occasion this year as many popular names of the modelling industry not only joined the event but also walked on the ramp (see photo) wearing dresses designed by students of the institute. The models participating in the fashion show included Miss Himachal Purva, finalist of MTV show Jubli, TV actress Prinkey, Miss North India 2010 Pooja and, of course, top models Rohit Arora and Shweta. The main attraction was theme-based dresses specially designed for the occasion. For instance, there was a lemon and brown round for autumn theme, executive round on corporate theme, bridal wear for marriage theme, traditional suits for classical theme, dresses made of waste material for banjara theme and gowns for western party theme. It was a great moment of joy for students of the institute to see top models walking on the ramp displaying the costumes designed by them. Managing Director of the institute SP Sharma said that the institute had always been keen to provide exposure to its students by providing such opportunities to interact with the known faces of the fashion industry. It not only helps them in learning the finer nuances of fashion designing and modelling but also instils confidence among them. Afforestation drive on
Continuing its weekly afforestation drive during the monsoon, a local NGO planted 150 deodar saplings on the roadside hill near Stokes Place on Saturday. Srikant Baldi, Principal Secretary, Education, formally launched the programme by planting the first sapling. Students of DAV High School, New Tutu, joined volunteers of Ashadeep in the plantation drive. President of Ashadeep Sushil Tanwar said it was the second plantation programme in the series planned for the current rainy season. The involvement of school children will go a long way in keeping the city clean and green. Ashadeep had started the tree plantation drive on July 31 and it would continue for the whole of August with the planting of saplings on each Saturday.
Shimla gets engg college
The state capital has got its first engineering college with the setting up of Bells Institute of Management and Technology. The institution has been promoted by the Shimla Education and Research Society, which has built an integrated campus at Mehli on the outskirts of the city. The institute, affiliated to Himachal Pradesh University, has also been granted approval by the All-India Council for Technical Education for starting various engineering and management courses from the current academic session. The courses include B.Tech in electronics & communications, computer science, mechanical and civil, MBA in marketing, finance, IT, IB, HRD, production and operations management, besides BBA, BCA and B.Com. Chairman of the institute Sandeep Gupta said that Shimla, despite being the state capital, did not have a full-fledged technical degree college till date. In fact, there was no such college in the entire Shimla district. As Himachal Pradesh University is offering only single B.Tech (Information Technology) course in the main campus, local students had to go to neighbouring districts and states for pursuing technical and professional courses. It urgently needed one and it was the sole reason for setting up the institute here. (Contributed by DP Gupta and Rakesh Lohumi)
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Apple varieties of Himachal
by Shriniwas Joshi Himachal is known as ‘the apple state’. The apple came here in 1870 when Captain Lee raised an orchard at Bandrol village in the Kullu valley. It was followed by Col Roreich, Captain Bannon and Johnson, who brought up orchards at Naggar, Raison and Manali, respectively. Alexander Coots, in 1887, nurtured ‘Hillock Head’, an apple orchard on the exotic varieties, at Mashobra in Shimla district. Samuel Nicholas Stokes, later Satyanand Stokes, a resident of Philadelphia (USA), raised a delicious variety of apples at Kotgarh in 1918. Maharishi Charak has mentioned it as sinchitphalaka in his treatise in the 2nd Century and in about 1100 AD. Dalhana describes ‘a ber as big as a fist and very sweet’ grown in the northern region of Kashmir, which suggests of an apple. Amir Khusrau speaks of apple in about 1300 AD, which was given attention to by the Mughals. Apple to India, therefore, is not a gift of the West as is generally believed. I also want to break another myth that apple was the fruit of Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden. It may or may not, because the Bible says, “(she took) the fruit of the tree which was in the midst of the garden”. Even the Adam’s apple in every man’s throat signifies the piece of forbidden fruit (not apple surely) stuck in Adam’s throat. The names of Himachali apples have a foreign touch. The first and the costliest are the delicious varieties - red, royal and richard. Red was earlier called Hawkeye but when Stark nurseries of the USA bought it from the farmer Jesse Hiatt of Iowa state, it was named red delicious. Baldwin with reddish skin grows in Kullu and is slightly sour. It is very popular in New England, New York. There is a monument to this apple in Massachusetts that reads: “This monument marks the site of the first Baldwin apple tree found growing wild near here. It fell in the gale of 1815. The apple, first known as the butters, woodpecker or pecker apple, was named after Col. Loammi Baldwin of Woburn.” Ben Davis in Kullu is known as Kali Devi and it is not known whether it has any relation with the original Ben Davis, which was popular during the 19th century in the USA. A similar variety known as Black Ben Davis was grown in Arkansas and Virginia and, I believe, our Kali Devi is that variety. Golden delicious is a variety that I like but does not fetch much price in the market - probably because its flesh is yellow and not red. Granny Smith or Granny Ramsey Smith green apple originated in Australia in 1868. These are green, crisp, juicy and tart apples. It is grown both in Shimla and Kullu. Jonathan is a medium-sized sweet apple with a touch of acid and has a tough but smooth skin. It is used as pollinator for the delicious varieties of apples. A popular 19th century apple, very widely grown in Europe at the time, and versatile for culinary and dessert uses is King of the Pippins, which is grown in Himachal too. McIntosh red is ready by late July or early August in Himachal. It is the superior eating apple and, in America, it finds place in children’s lunch boxes for it carries a reputation of being a healthy snack. It is native to Canada. Red gold apple is shiny red, medium in size, juicy and has light yellow flesh. Its drawback is that its size reduces as the age of the plant advances. Red June is the first to come in the market and so fetches a good price. Yellow Newton or Ras -Pippin is a late variety. It earned its name from the story of the apple, Newton’s head, and their chance encounter that yielded the theory of gravity. As the name suggests, it is very juicy but its popularity among the apple growers is waning. There are many more varieties but I have discusses the important ones of, as Thoreau described it, the noblest of fruits called apple. Tailpiece An apple a day keeps the doctor away but an onion a day keeps everybody away.
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Educationists favour ban on SCA elections
Kangra, August 10 Supporters of various associations like Students Federation of India (SFI) ABVP and the NSUI, clash with each other on one issue or the other, particularly during elections. Besides, outsiders, mainly old students, too chip in and make the matters worse. Educationists feel that the elections are a symbol of intolerance with students often seen tearing posters and banners of their opposite parties which result in clashes. On many occasions, the college management concerned was forced to call the police to maintain law and order. RK Ohri, principal of MCM DAV College, says even before the announcement of election dates, student leaders start their campaign which creates tension and spoils academic atmosphere of the college. He says the elections have no relevance in the present scenario when students need brilliance in academics. Ohri says on one hand education suffers and on the other, the college management has to bear the financial burden of at least Rs 50,000 for conducting these polls. He says this money can be spent on the welfare of the students. Prof KC Gupta, a senior professor of the MCM DAV College, says there are no such elections in medical and dental colleges of HP University and REC, Sunder Nagar, besides various colleges under agriculture and horticulture universities. Elections should be banned in degree colleges in order to preserve the academic atmosphere in these colleges, he adds. RD Sharma, a former deputy director, education, too favours a complete ban on SCA elections in degree colleges on the pattern of the professional colleges. He suggests that the government must pass legislation in this regard in the interest of the students. PR Agnihotri, a social activist, says it is best to keep students away from politics in order to strengthen brotherhood and affection among them. GS Bali, former Transport and Tourism Minister and sitting MLA from Nagrota Bagwan, says there is an ample scope of a debate on the issue of banning the SCA elections.
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Undervalued sale deeds bleed state exchequer
Palampur, August 10 However, the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh had notified the rates of land for all big cities, towns and villages. Due to that no sale deeds below the rates notified by the government can be registered by any revenue officer. While in the absence of such a notification in the state, revenue officers in connivance with property dealers were executing sales deeds at lower rates. Sources said here that at present the rate of land in the urban areas of the state was over Rs 10 lakh to 20 lakh per kanal, however, the sale deeds for such lands were being registered at the rate of Rs 2 to 3 lakh per kanal causing a huge loss of stamp duty to the state government. Recently, the police had arrested two property dealers, who disclosed these facts during the interrogation. The prices of lands over the past few years had touched a new high not only in Kangra district, but also in other parts of the state as well. The stamp duty rates, which were earlier 10 per cent, had now been reduced to 8 per cent by the state government. Though, the revenue authorities were conversant with the situation, no efforts were made to initiate action against culprits. Despite the loss to the state exchequer, none bothered to issue notifications to revenue officials in this regard. However, enquiries made by The Tribune revealed that this racket was flourishing in Kangra, Solan, Mandi, Una and Sirmor districts with connivance of the local revenue authorities, who were registering the sale deeds daily without looking into the factual position. It is also learnt that no enquiry was conducted by the revenue authorities before the registration of the sale deeds.
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Piar Chand murder case to be reprobed
Palampur, August 10 Piar Chand was murdered during Holi Mela of Paror, 10 km from here, in March 2010. Piar Chand’s body was found on the Pathankot-Manali National Highway. Earlier, the police said it was a road mishap. Later after public pressure, a murder case was registered and four persons were arrested. It may be recalled that the police had already filed a chargesheet in the case in the Sessions Court against the accused. But, the information available with the Kangra SSP had revealed that innocent persons were framed in the case by the police and the real culprits were beyond the reach. The Bhawarna police, which handled the case, deviated from the proper investigation. Reinvestigation has become necessary in the interest of justice, thereafter the police will file supplementary chargesheet in the Sessions Court, the SSP stated in his order. Earlier, the Palampur police had arrested four persons in the case, including Sanjay. Later, it was revealed that Sanjay had no involvement in the murder and was falsely implicated by the police. Residents of the area met Phulhjhule and complained against the police officers who conducted investigation. They alleged that the Palampur DSP failed to conduct impartial investigation in the case. Later, Sanjiv Gandhi, additional SP, Kangra, was asked by the SSP to look into the facts of the case. In his firsthand report, Gandhi categorically stated that the police had conducted the investigation in a casual manner and half-heartedly. He said there were a number of issues which needed deep investigation that were not touched by the police. Now, newly posted Palampur DSP would again investigate the case. Police officers who had investigated the case earlier had been directed by the SSP to keep themselves away from the reinvestigation.
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Bilaspur, August 10
Himachal is known as ‘the apple state’. The apple came here in 1870 when Captain Lee raised an orchard at Bandrol village in the Kullu valley. It was followed by Col Roreich, Captain Bannon and Johnson, who brought up orchards at Naggar, Raison and Manali, respectively. Alexander Coots, in 1887, nurtured ‘Hillock Head’, an apple orchard on the exotic varieties, at Mashobra in Shimla district. Samuel Nicholas Stokes, later Satyanand Stokes, a resident of Philadelphia (USA), raised a delicious variety of apples at Kotgarh in 1918. Maharishi Charak has mentioned it as sinchitphalaka in his treatise in the 2nd Century and in about 1100 AD. Dalhana describes ‘a ber as big as a fist and very sweet’ grown in the northern region of Kashmir, which suggests of an apple.
