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8 feared dead in cloudburst
Alert sounded along Beas
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Ecotourism projects flout norms
4 luxury vehicles seized from Tibetan monastery
Terrorists trying to infiltrate into J&K: Lt-General
Now, school seeks anti-rabies shots for students
Political fever grips government college students
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8 feared dead in cloudburst
Manali, July 21 So far two bodies have been recovered while six persons are still missing in the flash flood. The two bodies have been identified as those of Raj Kumar (28) of Chamba district and Tikeshwer Kumar (40) of Rewalsar in Mandi district. The six missing persons are Gautam Mandal (23) of Jharkhand, Dole Ram (23) of Bali Chowki, Mandi, Jai Pal (33) of UP, Madan Kumar (23) of Chamba, Shiv Ram (32) of Sarkaghat, Mandi, and Krishna Jaiswal of UP. Twentyfour injured labourers were brought to Lady Willingdon Hospital, Manali, last night. While 21 labourers were discharged after giving them first aid, three are still undergoing treatment in the hospital. Relief and rescue operations were undertaken by the district administration, the Border Roads Organisation the ITBP and the Mountaineering Institute, Manali. Vijender Kumar, site in charge of Garg and Garg Company, said 130 labourers were staying at the makeshift camps. They were involved in the construction of the snow gallery on the Rohtang tunnel road. He said last night at around 10.30 pm, the workers of the snow gallery ended the day’s work and were resting in the makeshift camps. Past midnight, suddenly there was a thumping sound in the nullah and boulders and sand came down towards the snow gallery and the water changed its course towards the camp site. He said due to the flash flood, three transit mixer trucks, two tippers, a JCB, a concrete pump, two DG sets, 100 tonnes of steel, three official sheds, six labour sheds and 6,000 shuttering plates were stuck in the debris. He said 1,600 bags of cement, some equipment and vehicles were washed away and some were still stuck in the huge debris. The road between Fingri Nullah and the Rohtang tunnel and a bridge had been washed away. Hundreds of workers working in the 8.8-km-long Rohtang tunnel and vehicles between Dhundi and Solang had been stranded on both sides of the road. Local MLA Govind Singh Thakur, Kullu Deputy Commissioner BM Nanta, Kullu SP Abhishek Dhuller, Manali SDM Balbir Thakur and Chief Engineer, BRO (Project Rohtang Tunnel), PK Mahajan and commander of 38, BRTF, AK Dikshit were among those who visted the site and supervised the rescue and relief operations. Narrating the incident, a security guard at the site said, “It was dark and I heard a roaring sound in the nullah at around 12.30 am and rushed out when water and debris entered the gallery. There was panic all around as most workers had not slept”. “We helped one another come out of the debris,” said workers, who were shell shocked. The company and the BRO did not pay attention to the safety of the workers by erecting their sheds at the nullah which is prone to avalanches. No ambulance had kept by the company in standby, the workers rued. Meanwhile, the Kullu SP said the death toll could go up as the company had no proper list of the exact number of workers present at the site at the time of the flash flood. The victims were involved in the construction of a 120-metre-long snow gallery at the Rohtang tunnel site. So far, two bodies have been recovered |
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Alert sounded along Beas
Manali/Kullu, July 21 The district administration has asked raft operators, labourers working in various highway and hydropower projects and others staying along the banks to move to safer places and not to venture out along the shores for the next 24 hours. Though there was no rain in the valley today, the Beas was flowing one metre above its normal level from Manali to Bhuntar, where the Parbati river joins it, due to Fingri Nullah flash flood. Communities, storehouse owners and resort owners living near the riverside at Ram Sihila Bridge, Sarvari Bhuntar, Bahang, Bara Gram and Patlikuhal have been alerted not to venture out along the river. Meanwhile, the Executive Engineer of the Larji project, NR Atri, told The Tribune that they shut down the project as the silt content in the Beas went up to 5,000 particles per minute, which was more than 17 times than the permissible limit 300 ppm. “We suffered a loss of over seven lakh units of electricity due to the shutdown today. But the generation in all three units was resumed at 4.30 pm,” he added. |
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Move to turn 131-year-old palace on Shimla Mall into a resort
Shimla, July 21 The application for seeking permission under Section 118 for setting up a spa resort has been moved by London-based businessman Ranjay Trehan only a few days ago. He has also applied for seeking NOCs from the local municipal corporation and the Electricity and Irrigation departments. The name of the local partner, Arun Kumar Sood, a resident of Sterling Resort, Longwood, also figures in the request in the capacity of a Board of Director of Bantony Boulevard Ltd for obtaining the NOC. Trehan, who has played county cricket and football in London, has an MBA degree and is keen on setting up a spa at an estimated cost of about Rs 150 crore over an area of over 2,000 sq m. The name of a top politician, having major clout in the state, is also being linked to the high-profile project, which will pave the way for seeking approvals, which would have been rather impossible for anyone else to obtain. Trehan when contacted said he was busy and not in a position to talk about the project. What is intriguing is the fact that not only is Bantony a heritage structure, which cannot be pulled down, but it also falls in the core area, where the thrust of the government has been on decongestion. Even though the project has only been conceived so far, there is already talk of restoring the old structure since it cannot be pulled down and erection of additional structures on the open land behind the land and also construction of a road from the north end. Coming up of a five-star resort right on the Mall will only worsen the congestion. Contrary to the stand by successive governments of decongesting the core area, the BJP regime recently changed the land use in this part of the town from residential to mixed use, thereby allowing commercial ventures, which would only contribute further to the haphazard growth and burden. Bantony, which housed the office of the Director-General of Police for several years, is in a complete state of dilapidation and neglect. Considering its strategic location bang on the Mall and the vast expanse of land around it, the prime property has been in news lately with reports of a five-star hotel proposed at the site. Though the government is yet to take a final decision on the proposal, sanctioning the project will only prove contrary to its own stand of decongesting Shimla and conserving the British legacy and heritage. Bantony under threat
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Ecotourism projects flout norms
Shimla, July 21 While none of the projects is being managed in line with the policy, the maximum violations have been detected in case of the Shoghi, Kangra forest rest house and the Ala Inspection Hut (Dalhousie) sites. Brick masonry and tinned-roof huts, iron railings and other non-permissible structures have been raised in many projects. The Shoghi project was found to be spread over more than three hectares of thick forest as against the permissible one hectare. The activities like spa and beer bar and modern five-star amenities have made a mockery of the very concept of ecotourism. In the Kangra rest house site, cement concrete structures have been camouflaged with mud coating, which do not blend with the surroundings, to give a look of the katcha structure. Similarly, at Ala the promoter has converted the inspection hut into a kitchen and restaurant and is using the entire surrounding forests for putting up tents and other structures. The promoter is virtually running two units under one project in violation of the terms and conditions. There was a condition that forest officers touring the area would be allowed to stay in the inspection hut, but it has become a prohibited place for them. In the Barog site, the promoter is allegedly indulging in what can be best described as “flexi-violations” by confining the main project within one hectare and putting up tents and other structures outside the limits to accommodate more visitors whenever required. The ecotourism projects have to be community-based and must benefit the local people but in the case of the site near Kasauli the locals are not even allowed to enter the project area. Intriguingly, the government while ordering inspections after the scam was highlighted in these columns had asserted that revised agreements would be signed to remove the shortcomings in the earlier ones. However, more than two months have passed, but the agreements have not been revised. Additional Chief Secretary, Forests and Environment, Sudipto Roy said the projects were being confined to one hectare after physical inspections and the promoters had been asked to dismantle non-permissible structures. The promoter of the Shoghi site had pleaded that iron railings were required as a safety measure but the plea had been turned down by him. He said physical inspections had been completed but some other details to ascertain the involvement of the local community were being collected after which further action would be decided. Govt to take action
Additional Chief Secretary, Forests and Environment, Sudipto Roy said the projects were being confined to one hectare after physical inspections and the promoters had been asked to dismantle non-permissible structures. He said physical inspections had been completed but some other details to ascertain the involvement of the local community were being collected after which further action would be decided |
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Finally, ECHS polyclinic inaugurated
Dharamsala, July 21 Earlier, the GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lt-Gen Shankar Rajan Ghosh, had arrived at Dharamsala to inaugurate the polyclinic on July 13. However, the programme was cancelled at the last moment allegedly at the behest of Congress leader from Shahpur Kewal Singh Pathania, much to the chagrin of ex-servicemen and Army personnel. Sources said after the cancellation, the Army insisted that only a person higher in protocol than Lt-Gen Shankar Rajan Ghosh should inaugurate the polyclinic. However, the inauguration was surrounded by political controversy today also. Congress leader from Shahpur Kewal Singh Pathania came along with the minister from Delhi. Local BJP minister Sarween Chaudhary also arrived at the spot along with her supporters. During the inauguration, Sarveen said the polyclinic could be opened only because the state government had provided space and building for it free of cost. She alleged that Pathania wanted to get the clinic opened in his own building at Rait. “However, we offered the building free of cost for running the polyclinic as it was going to benefit a considerable number of ex-servicemen from the area,” she said. Pathania, however, said he had offered his building free of cost for one year for opening the polyclinic in the Rait area. Interestingly, none of the Congress leaders from the district went to the airport to welcome the Union Minister. They maintained that they had not been invited to the function, nor had they been informed about the arrival of the Union Minister. They said the matter would be taken up with the party high command. Union Minister Raju, while talking to mediapersons at Shahpur, said 11 new polyclinics were being opened for the benefit of ex-servicemen in Himachal. With this, the number of polyclinics in Himachal would go up to 19 as eight clinics were already operational in the state. He said there were 300 ECHS polyclinics in the country and an additional 199 had been sanctioned. These polyclinics would cater to 21 lakh ex-servicemen and four lakh war widows, he said. The minister, however, refused to comment on the controversy surrounding the inauguration of the clinic. |
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4 luxury vehicles seized from Tibetan monastery
Shimla, July 21 The latest haul of four luxury vehicles seized by the police follows reports that these vehicles had been brought into the country from Bhutan allegedly evading heavy import duty. Since the duty had not been paid on them, the vehicles had been plying with Bhutanese numbers in Kangra, Mandi and Kullu where some Tibetan monasteries were located. The four vehicles include a Land Rover and a Land Cruiser, interestingly both bearing the same number - BHT- 27. Other vehicles were a Japanese Isuzu Trooper bearing number - BG-2-0179 and a Mitsubishi van bearing number - BP-1-0055. On June 10, the police had seized a Toyota Land Cruiser, plying in Kangra, Mandi and Kullu areas. These vehicles had been plying illegally as neither they had been registered or insured in India nor they were being run with Bhutanese number plates on it. Even at that time it had come to the notice of the police that around six such vehicles with Bhutanese numbers were being used by various Tibetan monasteries. SR Mardi, ADGP, Law and Order, said the issue of illegal plying of luxury vehicles in the state had been brought to his notice as well. “We will take cognisance of such vehicles with Bhutanese number plates and registration certificate being in use in the state without valid documents,” he said. The central intelligence agencies had alerted the state police about the use of such vehicles by Tibetans. illegal plying
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Terrorists trying to infiltrate into J&K: Lt-General
Dharamsala, July 21 The General said the Army had stepped up vigil along the border. “In the recent past, the Army, in coordination with the BSF, thwarted efforts by terrorists to infiltrate into the Jammu region. The terrorists were trying to enter the Jammu region through rivulets where there is no barbed wire,” he said. Asked if there was any let-up in the activities of terrorists coming from Pakistan, especially after the killing of Osama bin Laden by US troops, General Chaudhary said there was no let-up in the terrorist activities along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Regarding threats to dams, including Ranjit Sagar Dam that falls in the territorial jurisdiction of the Rising Star Corps, General Chaudhary said, “We are aware of the intelligence inputs and a strict vigil is being maintained.” |
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Now, school seeks anti-rabies shots for students
Solan, July 21 The staff of the school have written to the Arki BMO to conduct vaccination of their 300 students as they fear that they could have contracted rabies from the children of the affected family. Since a few children had fallen ill and were not able to attend school since the past few days, the staff had become panicky and they had been pressing for vaccination of the students. Dr NK Gupta, medical superintendent, who visited the school along with a team of doctors, however, informed the staff that there was no need to panic as they were closely monitoring the situation. He added that the panchayat too had been made aware about the disease and they had been directed to take immediate medical help in case any symptoms appeared in people. He added that even staff of adjoining schools had been made aware about the disease as only one case had been detected so far and there was no need for such a large-scale vaccination as none was in close contact with the diseased. |
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Political fever grips government college students
Dharamsala, July 21 The presence of the police has also been increased on the campus keeping the forthcoming elections in mind. The police has succeeded in stopping outsiders from entering the college to some extent, but still clashes keep taking place among students inside the college. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Umapati Jamwal says, “We recovered hockey sticks and wickets from a student’s car entering the college. Inquiry is on in the matter. We have witnessed clashes in the past few days, but they all were on individual levels and nothing big had happened on political ground or regarding student elections”. However, some of the students said most of the fights in the college in the past few days were related to student politics.A student party alleged that the car belonged to a student of a rival party and they smelt a foul play behind this. |
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CPM holds protest rallies against corruption
Shimla, July 21 CPM activists, led by their leaders, including Rakesh Singha and Tikender Singh Tanwar, held a dharna outside the DC’s office and later organised a street corner meeting. “The only achievement of the two-year rule of the Congress-led UPA regime has been scams like 2G Spectrum and Commonwealth involving squandering of crores of public money,” said Singha. He also flayed the BJP for granting approval for the opening of private universities in the state. |
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