A view of Pauri town. A file photo l Pauri town gets meagre 2.5-3 MLD water supply against a requirement of 6MLD a day l 20 years on, ambitious Nanghat water project still not completed l Several crores have been spent on renovation of two existing water pipelines

Pauri Garhwal, November 11
The divisional headquarters of Pauri for outsiders may be a beautiful hill station, which, apart from rich cultural heritage also boasts of having leaders who have not only ruled this hill state but also made a mark in the national politics, but the fact is it has been reeling under a severe water crisis for the past few decades.

From present Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to his predecessor Major-Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri (retd), who was also Union Minister for Roads and National Highways, erstwhile Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna who was also Union Finance Minister, present MP Satpal Maharaj, to Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Harak Singh Rawat, all belong to Pauri district.

The gravity of the water crisis can be gauged by the fact that while the whole state was celebrating the 10th founder’s day of Uttarakhand, the very people of Pauri, who played a pivotal role in the statehood agitation, had to queue up consecutively for two days on November 9 and 10 at natural water sources or at a few water supply tankers.

And this happens several times every month. Despite several mega water schemes being sanctioned by respective governments for the area, department concerned even fail to provide a regular water supply, and even if it is provided it is merely for just half an hour.

The town of Pauri has a population of approximately 30,000 and water requirement touches 6MLD a day. But, contrary to the requirement, the supply is only a meagre 2.5-3 MLD, forcing people to rely on the natural water resources almost the whole year.

While the Ganga, which is known by the name from the Alaknanda-Mandakini confluence at Devprayag, just 30 km from Pauri city, it is quite ironic that an area so close to the Ganga is bereft of a regular potable water supply.

In several colonies potable water has been supplied every alternate day for the past few months.

Decades back, in view of the water problem and the future requirement of Pauri, an ambitious water project from Nanghat was started, but more than two decades have passed, yet even half of the project work has not been completed.

Jal Sansthan officials state that as soon as Nanghat project is completed the water woes of the Pauri region will be sorted out. However, they failed to give a deadline for the project completion.

Local legislator Yashpal Benam too agrees that water woes of Pauri have not been addressed to despite it has given two Chief Ministers to the state apart from several big politicians.

Benam, an independent legislator who defeated Narendra Singh Bhandari of the Congress and Tirath Singh Rawat of the BJP, states despite two heavyweights of two major parties in the fray, he won the election as people of Pauri are quite perturbed by water and other infrastructural problems. Both these parties have failed miserably to solve these problems despite a decade of the state formation.

People from all walks of life, irrespective of their party affiliations, have joined hands against the irregular water supply and apathy of the local administration.

An organisation has also been formed, namely the Nagrik Sangarsh Samiti, to protect the rights of the city people. It led a delegation of representatives of various sections to Dehradun and apprised Nishank of their woes. Its founder member Devanand Nautiyal said a massive agitation would be started in the coming days if no concrete steps was taken by the government.

Legendary folk singer Narender Singh Negi, who has taken this issues via his songs, laments since the state was formed, people of Pauri had been neglected as most of the offices had been shifted to Dehradun, which is creating an unrest among the people.

Despite several crores being allocated for the renovation and maintenance of the two existing water pipelines to the city a year back, no significant change is visible.

Dehradun, November 11
With winter setting in, the alarm bells have begun to ringing for the Power Department. The department has swung into action and took some tangible measures to rein in the probable power crisis, which haunts state each winter due to slackening of water flow, that affects the power generation.

Informing about the measures, Managing Director, Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), Jagmohan Lal said: “We have tied up with traders and made the arrangement to purchase 100 MW at Rs 4.37 per unit, including all line losses on our periphery for the period from November 15 to December 31, and this power will be returned from July 1 to September 30. The power will remain available to us round the clock in the given period”.

Lal also gave information about the power purchase done for January, saying that for the whole month, the UPCL had procured round the clock 150 MW. Besides, the corporation was also taking back 60 MW through return banking which it had given to Uttar Pradesh in September through traders.

He said keeping the maximum power deficit during January in consideration, the department was also trying to purchase 100 MW more from the traders.

For February, the department have already arranged for 200 MW round the clock power.

It is certainly expensive to procure power from the traders. As against the cost of Rs 2.40 per unit bought at the biddings, this kind of purchasing had cost the corporation Rs 4.37 per unit.

Lal said after the power purchase, the rest of the power demand would be met by using the frequency condition to the department’s advantage and, overdrawing from the northern grid. After all these efforts, he felt, the corporation would no longer require to do long load shedding in winters.

At present, the UPCL is churning out an average 12.7 MU, getting 10.5 MU as Central share and ending up with a shortfall of only 3 MU.

The department had already returned by September this year 160 MW which it took the last year winter from Reliance power from April 15-30. Another power share of 45 MW which it bought from Punjab in December, 2009, was also returned from June to August this year. Besides, 81 MW procured from West Bengal for the two months of November and December, 2009, was also returned from April 1-June 30 this year.

The department had a smooth sailing during monsoon season by registering a record production of 21.903 MU on October 6, maximum ever since the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) was established. Before that the nigam had also produced 21.492 MU shortly which was the second maximum. The nigam vied to get the credit but the UPCL preferred to thank the weather, the torrent rains, for enabling the UJVNL to churn record power.

Dehradun, November 11
Tired of the apathetic attitude of the governments in power, activists from Uttarakhand, Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and North-East states today formed a committee to chalk out a Himalayan policy that will address their issues.

It is expected to submit it’s draft by March next year by holding similar consultations in Shimla, Guwahati and Srinagar that will address all issues of the Himalayan states. “At the end of the exercise, a ‘janaadesh’ will be before us with more than 5,000 signatures that will compel governments to pay heed to our demands of respecting our resources and people,” said Suresh Bhai, at the end of deliberations held at the Christian Retreat Centre.

The move also comes in the wake of the Central government announced setting up panels to discuss a policy framework for the hill states.

While SP Singh, former Vice-Chancellor of HNB Garhwal University, who has been entrusted with the task of presiding over the committee that would draft the Himalayan policy, said the planners from Delhi did not want to visit the hills, they did not have any idea what the aspirations and desires of the hill people were yet they have been thrusting policies and plans on us. “Most of my energy is wasted in making them explain why our policies need a different outlook and that is why I think if we present a draft to the government it would serve the purpose,” he stressed.

Gumman Singh from Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) and patron of the Him Niti Abhiyan said the policy would bring all the Himalayan states together at the same time address their specific issues. “There have been moves by the governments to impose policies without assessing the ground realities, we hope to draw the attention and would force them to adopt the policy as it has wider appeal,” said Gumman Singh.

NK Gandotra of the Gandhi Sewa Centre (Jammu and Kashmir) said: “Villages were to function as holistic units, but what we have done is development concerned in certain areas completely ignoring the villages. Things have come to such a pass that massive migration is taking place and villages are slowly becoming people-less. Most of our people have lost their traditional skills, forests are being cut and our people are losing their rights over forest. The Himalayan Policy would address the issue of local resources for local people,” he said.

Presenting her view point Sushila Bhandari of the Mandakani Bachao Andolan said, “A Himalayan policy should have been formulated long ago, the migration which started long ago would have been stopped but the policy should be able to take into cognisance the rights of women who are in a majority in some districts,” she said.

Expressing dismay at the plight of people of the state, Dr BP Maithaini, who is also member of the Central Task Force that prepared the Indian Himalayan region report, said corrective steps needed to be taken to address the yawning gap between the hilly regions.

While Lakshman Negi of the Jan Karvayan Movement said the youth were restive and a policy addressing the aspirations of the youth was the need of the hour.

Dehradun, November 11
Four alumni of IIT, Roorkee, will be awarded with an award for distinctive contributions in their respective fields at the 10th convocation to be held on November 13. This was stated by IIT-Roorkee Director SC Saxena at a press conference here today.

The Khosla National Award for 2010 will be given to Prof B Sunderrajan of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangaluru, and will be decorated with reward of Rs 51,000, a citation and a gold medal. The other two national awards, namely the VNMM and the Gopal Ranjan Research Award, will be given to Dr Radhakant Pant, Associate Professor of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangaluru, with a reward of Rs 50,000 with a citation and Rs 55,000 and citation to Prof Madhira Radha Madhav of JNT University of Hyderabad.

More than 1,350 students will be receiving their graduate, postgraduate and research degrees in various disciplines of science and technology.

Professor Saxena said there had been a substantial increase in number of students in the current academic year (2010-2011). Lamenting further, he said number of enrolled students had gone up to 6,175, as against last year’s 5,387.

Speaking about the projects, Professor Saxena said a total number of consultancy projects, which was 634 with an outlay of Rs 2,713.89 lakh in 2008-9, had gone up to a total of 775 with an outlay of Rs 2,982.31 lakh in 2009-10.

Similarly, there has been considerable increase in the new research projects as their number has increased to a total of 79 in the fiscal year 2010-11 from 64 in the previous fiscal year he added.

On asking about the deficiency at the faculty level, he replied that there was a shortage of faculty but it had not hampered as the ratio was compatible when matched with students. “The students of any IIT are the cream of cream and are very bright students and for which we equally require the same grid of staff without any compromise on quality and we ensure the same,” Prof Saxena added.

Replying over the students foreign exchange programmes, he said, “We have more of Indian students going abroad for research studies whereas it’s less form other side but he commented that he saw a bright future as India was growing in technology which would attract many foreign countries for their students as well experts to enhance their knowledge over here.

The recipient of prestigious ELCINA-EFY Electronics Man of the Years Award for 2009- 10 and one of the founding members of India’s leading technology and IT enterprise, “Hindustan Computers Ltd and the Chairman and CEO of HCL Infosystem Ltd, Ajay Choudhary, will be the chief guest”.

Dehradun, November 11
The IIT, Roorkee, Employees Union held a meeting at Roorkee yesterday to discuss implementing the Modified Assured Carrier Progression Scheme (MACPS) instead the Modified Recruitment and Career Progression Scheme (MRCPS). The meeting was headed by general secretary Mahavir Singh.

He mentioned that recently the IIT-R administration had issued a notification which mentioned implementing the MACPS for Group B, C and D employees which was not accepted by the union.

Rejecting the MACP scheme, he said, “The scheme is not acceptable to us because there is no designation given in the scheme. The union wants the implementation of the MRCPS from January 2006 for the IIT Group B, C and D”.

He said the MACPS should not be implemented in the IITs as the employees here were better qualified and experienced with a good calibre to even carry out high-end research activities while assisting faculty members.

The union members were upset with the notification and looking forward for a positive response from the government.

According to the government decision, it has been decided to put in place an MACPS for Group B, C and D employees. According to this, the financial upgradation already availed under the MRCPS will be taken into account while allowing upgradation under MACPS, financial upgradation as per MACPS will follow and no upgradation to a grade pay higher than what is provided for under the MACPS will be allowed.

One of the salient features also mentions that the IITs may consider amending their recruitment rules for various categories of posts to provide for vacancy-based promotions, but this one has been left untouched, he said.

Dehradun, November 11
All final matches of sub-junior, junior and senior of the 10th State-Level Boxing Championship were played on the Parade Ground here today.

In the 48kg final bout, Bahadur Singh Rana of Nainital won by beating Mohit Latwal of Pauri. Rahul Chuahan of Pauri beat Vikas Thakur of Udham Singh Nagar to annex the title of the 51kg bout.

Anubhav Kunwar of Pitthoragarh also punched down Suraj Pandey of Sport College, Dehradun, to claim the 54kg bout title. Bageshwar’s Mahesh Singh Danu defeated Raman Thapa of Nainital to win the 57kg fight.

In 60kg final, Prithiraj of Sports College, Dehradun, beat Niraj Chand of Pauri and Satish Kumar of Pauri got the better of Praveen Panwar of Dehradun. In another final of the 60kg match, Kulveer Singh of Sports College, Dehradun, surpassed Amit Kumar of Nainital. In the 75kg final, Amit Kumar of Pauri beat Lalit Mohan Joshi of Udham Singh Nagar.

In the junior’s 46kg final, Nainital’s Devender Singh was defeated by Nitin Negi of Sports College, Dehradun. In the sub-junior’s 40kg final, Surender Singh Devali beat Rohit Kumar of Udham Singh Nagar.

Dehradun, November 11
Foreign coaches are overwhelmed with the discipline and respect given to them by budding footballers in India.

“The kids here are more disciplined than what we have back home, which I think is the major difference. They want to learn more and more and they ask questions after questions to have a better understanding of the game. We are overwhelmed with the discipline and respect shown towards us by the children,” said former Everton Academy player Mathew Elder, who, along with Manchester United coach Nicolas Jones, is imparting training to the budding players of Unison World School under the fourth International Football Coaching Camp.

The school is holding the camp with the Premier India Football Academy (PIFA), Mumbai, on its campus. Talking to The Tribune, Mathew said India had some world-class coaches and the players here only needed exposure.

“There is not much difference in the Indian and the foreign coaches, only the technique is different. We learn from each other like the ideas and the techniques,” said the former player of Everton Academy, which had players of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman in it.

The two coaches feel the budding players in India are a lot more intelligent and just need exposure. “The players have calibre here, but there is no good infrastructure,” said Anjali Shah, Director of the PIFA.

“There is need to make the game more exciting, the players, who used to be bored after about an hour of practice, are today practising from morning to evening. You should know what to do with the equipment you have got. There are different drills and techniques that we use to enhance players’ performance and make the practice more interesting,” Shah added.

Principal of the school Veena Singh said this was the result of this training programme that our football team clinched the Progressive Principal Association Football Championship last year and remained runners-up this year. The school team was also the winner in the Dehradun Council Football Tournament.

Dehradun, November 11
Impressed with the infrastructure and the interest in football of the authorities of Unison World School, the Premier India Football Academy (PIFA), Mumbai, is planning to open its North India centre here.

“There is very good infrastructure in the school for the football and the school Principal, Veena Singh’s interest in the game has made us think of opening a northern centre here. We are planning to have our centre in the school,” said Anjali Shah, Director of the PIFA.

Since its inception in 2007, the school has been organising these camps with the PIFA. The academy has at present eight centres in Mumbai and 1,200 students are getting trained in it. The academy also holds camps in countries like Spain, Scotland and the UK, Shah told The Tribune.

“Students from other school can also play from the academy once it comes up. We want to start it initially for girls only and later on boys will also be trained here,” said the Principal.

Dehradun, November 11
Himalyan Club beat Vansh Cricket Academy by four wickets in the Chaudhary Charan Singh Memorial Twenty20 Cricket Tournament held at the Matawala Bagh here today.

Vasnsh won the toss and opted to bat first. It set a target of 118 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs. Anshul (56) shone for the batting side with his brilliant half century. Rest of the batsmen failed even to score respectable numbers.

Sheetal of Himalayan claimed four wickets while Shekher and Bintu took a wicket each.

Batting second, Himalayan achieved the target in 19 overs losing six wickets. Shekher (33) and Keshav (22) were the principal scorers for the winning side.

Anshul who topscored for Vansh Academy also played well with the ball. He took two wickets. Harshit also got two wickets. Raju and Shaizad pocketed a wicket each to help Vansh win.

In anther match played today, Fitness Solution won by 28 runs over PTCE.