Rs 2.5 lakh each to 14 cops killed in calamity
Dehradun, July 5
The Uttarakhand Police will give Rs 2.5 lakh ex gratia each to the 14 policemen who lost their lives in the natural disaster in the state.

Centre sends 40 doctors to affected districts
Dehradun, July 5
The Uttarakhand Department of Health and Family Welfare has managed to provide medical care to the people of four districts with the help of doctors sent by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Govt has done little for Pithoragarh areas, says CPI (ML)
Dehradun, July 5
The CPI (ML) has accused the state government of doing little to start relief activities in the disaster-hit areas of Pithoragarh district.

Dehradun, July 5
While Uttarakhand reels under the Mandakini glacier-linked catastrophe, recommendations made by an Expert Committee on Glaciers formed seven years ago in Uttarakhand to augment the state’s preparedness to handle risks arising out of fast receding and melting of glaciers in the state are yet to see the light of the day. This amply reveals the insensitivity of the political leadership of the state towards disasters.

Among the recommendations of the committee was restricting anthropogenic activities and tourist movement in the areas identified as vulnerable. It also called for the preparation of a thorough database on glacier recession and climate in the state for effective monitoring of flash floods and water discharge.

As many as 917 Himalayan glaciers are present in the Uttarakhand Himalayas and the higher reaches of the state fall in the heavy snow zone, which is susceptible to snow-related disasters.

The Uttarakhand Department of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation in 2006 had formed an Expert Committee on Glaciers to look into the fresh stock of possible disasters associated with glaciers and related water discharge into the rivers of Uttarakhand.

After an in-depth study, the committee headed by BR Arora, the then Director of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIGH), had come out with a valuable set of recommendations that included both short term and long term measures so as to minimise risk to the population and the economy from the phenomenon of receding and melting of glaciers in reference to Uttarakhand.

The long-term recommendations included the preparation of a glacier and glacial lake inventory on a large-scale map and a nomenclature for identification and snow cover mapping and assessment along with the pattern of a maximum snow cover during the winter. It also called for strengthening of the monitoring system that comprised of the monitoring of climate and snow precipitation, glacial lakes, their formation and potential of hazards and monitoring of glacier recession, volumetric changes in mass volume and snowline fluctuations for better understanding of interactions of climate.

The committee also suggested integration of all information generated about Himalayan glaciers under the Geographical Information System (GIS) to eventually help in effective management and planning.

It had also strongly recommended that provisions of The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, could be invoked to impose a viable regulation for restricting tourist and pilgrim traffic to these glaciers.

Even nodal agencies were identified for the implementation of recommendations but the matter progressed at a snail’s pace. The recommendations were never implemented on ground in letter and in spirit.

Arora admitted that a lot still was required to be done to implement the recommendations. “We had approved an action plan. While some beginning was certainly made, it was miniscule. A lot still needs to be done,” he said. He, however, added that it required patience to collect at least 8 to 10 years of data for the effective monitoring of the glaciers.

The 23-member expert committee had members from the WIGH, the Geological Survey of India, the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, besides representatives of the state Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre.

Dehradun, July 5
The Uttarakhand Missing Persons Cell faces an uphill task of tracing persons, who went missing in the flash floods, by the July 15 deadline set by the state government after which they would be presumed dead.

So far, the government is claiming that about 3,000 persons are missing and the Missing Persons Cell is working overtime to tabulate the information being received from different states and tracking the last calls made by these persons.

Around 2,784 complaints were received by the police helpline, 1,454 by the ICDS and 1,120 complaints by the Missing Persons Cell, which together adds up to more than the 3,000 figure of the government.

According to the information received at the Missing Persons registration cell, 841 missing persons hail from Uttar Pradesh, 205 from Haryana, 539 from Maharashtra, 425 from Rajasthan, 147 from Delhi, 120 from Gujarat, 176 from Madhya Pradesh and 105 belong to Bihar.

However, officials at the Missing Persons Cell in Dehradun say there is a lot of duplication and as the matter is sensitive care is being taken to ensure authentication is done at all levels. “We will be able to get a clear picture on the missing persons in the coming days. The verification process of the lists of missing persons provided by the states is continuing. Some states are still verifying the numbers,” said Subash Kumar, Chief Secretary.

The cell is also facing a peculiar problem of complaints by the kin of the missing persons who say their relatives went missing after they were rescued by helicopters. “There have been around 100 to 200 complaints of persons going missing after rescued by helicopters as proper records were not maintained of these people who were sent by buses,” said an official.

While urgency has been shown in tracing pilgrims belonging to different states, there is also a need to trace local persons who went missing in the floods. The situation is bleak in Rudraprayag district that bore the brunt of heavy rains. “We have asked the District Magistrates to give us the lists of missing persons from their districts. It should not be difficult as they have the records of local persons but the problem is of identifying workers who had come from different states and Nepal,” said the Chief Secretary.

The Uttarakhand government has recently started the operation connect where on Face Book page (wwwfacebiik.com/missingcell ukhand) the aggrieved persons can check the missing and found persons slot and upload pictures of their lost kin.

Dehradun, July 5
The relief operations in cut-off villages in Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh districts were hampered due to an inclement weather today.

Due to the bad weather packets carrying ration could not be dropped in Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts.

“However, 240 packets carrying ration were dropped at Bhatwari and Maneri villages, which are facing a food shortage.

In Chamoli district, 35 packets carrying ration were also airdropped for the Govindghat and Gauda Padav areas,” said Subash Kumar, Chief Secretary.

He said around 40 local persons were evacuated today through choppers and dropped at Joshimath. “A total of 37 persons were evacuated from Badrinath and three from Pandukeshwar,” said Subash.

Further, Principal Secretary, Home, Om Prakash said the 200-member team had finally reached Kedarnath.

“A total of 131 bodies have been cremated in the state but cremations could not be carried out in Kedarnath today due to the inclement weather,” said Om Prakash.

Secretary, Disaster Management, Bhaskaranand Joshi said ration was being stacked at temporary and state government godowns.

Meanwhile, the Met Department has issued an alert that rains may lash Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Almora, Nainital Champawat and Bageshwar.

The Chief Secretary, who visited Chamoli today to oversee relief distribution, said in the disaster-hit villages of Tharali, Narayanbagar, Gwaldam and Kewar falling in Chamoli district the roads would be opened for light vehicle movement in 15 days.

He said the 20-km stretch from Joshimath to Badrinath was blocked. “As of now Badrinath is not approachable while Kedarnath continues to be out of bounds,” said Subash. The 3-km stretch from Naulapani to Rudraprayag also continues to be blocked.

Dehradun, July 5
Members of the Nagar Vikas Karamchari Mahasangh (NVKM), locked offices of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) in protest against the suspension of four employees. Mukhya Nagar Adhikari (MNA) Ashok Kumar had suspended draftsman Chander Mohan Ahuja, assistant draftsman Dinesh Khanna and clerks Rajender Uniyal and Rajender Singh yesterday. While Khanna was suspended for remaining absent from office, the other three were suspended for a fake leave application and forging signature on it. Four suspended officials also sat on the dharna. The MNA came to the office for sometime but left without talking to the agitating employees.

Khanna refuted the allegation that he had been absent from duty for a long time and said he was coming to the office regularly. He said he sat in his office room hence the MNA did not see him. He protested his suspension without seeking any explanation from him.

Ahuja admitted that he had not written the leave request and said as he was unwell he made other employee to write the letter on his behalf. However, he denied that his signature was forged.

The two others, Rajender Uniyal and Rajender Singh, who the MNA said had admitted in writing that they had faked the letter, also denied doing anything wrong.

Councillor of Ward No.-4 Anand Singh Kathait said the MNA should have given an opportunity to the four employees before suspending them. The president of the NVKM said they would not let any official work take place till the suspended employees were reinstated.

Haridwar, July 5
Soon, students studying in government primary and junior schools will get money for uniforms in this session.

Sarv Siksha Abhiyan officials say that by the end of this month, the school management committees will be given funds for students to purchase new uniforms.

This is being done to promote education under the ambitious Sarv Siksha Abhiyan in government schools. The district project scheme officer of Sarv Siksha Abhiyan, Dr Puspha Rani Verma, said last time the money was allocated late and students could not avail themselves of the benefit. This time, the government has released Rs 4.45 crore under the project. It will be soon distributed as soon as school management committees submitted their demands. The number of students to be covered under this special scheme in the district are 1,11,274 studying in primary and junior schools.

Block education officers have been asked to ensure that all schools send their demand for money allocation student wise. Verma added that since the government initiated the mid-day meal scheme, right to free education, distribution of cheques for hill region girl students, free bicycles for plain region students and now free uniforms under the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan, the number of students going to school in the district had gone up substantially.

Dehradun, July 5
The District Magistrate, BVRC Purushottam, visited the rain-hit areas of Jamunwala village in Sahaspur yesterday. He inspected the damaged Hanuman temple situated on the banks of the Noon river and the adjoining areas, which were affected by land erosion.

The DM assured people of the area that the construction work of the bridge which was not completed because of an objection by the Army would now be completed.

The villagers apprised him that the high velocity of river was causing land erosion and as a result was damaging their crops. They said the army had made small barriers due to which river water was entering into their fields. They blamed the Army for diverting the flow of water towards the village through JCB machine because of which the safety embankment and the Hanuman temple flowed away with water. The army was not allowing them to make canal due to which their land was turning barren.

The DM assured the villagers that the district administration was having talks with the army on these issues in many rounds. He said the army had been persuaded about the construction of the bridge which would soon be completed.

The DM directed officials of the irrigation department to install wire fencing and channeling of the river urgently.

Dehradun, July 5
Concerned about the disaster-affected people of the state, Governor Aziz Qureshi yesterday called coordinators and principals of all prominent schools of Dehradun to Raj Bhavan and motivated them to voluntarily reach out to help these people.

He said it was necessary to kindle a new hope in the hearts of the people who lost their dear ones and property. These people should be made to feel that they had the support of society.

The principals gave a commitment to provide all possible help and put forth proposals in this regard. Among the proposals were financial assistance, relief items for daily use and reconstruction of destroyed school buildings and roads. The Governor said help should be planned on the basis of priorities. He said financial assistance should come in the first phase and other help (after assessing the damage) could come in the second phase.

The Governor said there was also need to think about the domesticated animals in the disaster-affected areas. Their food and shelter also had to be arranged.

He said rehabilitation of the affected people had begun on a war footing, besides the relief operations.

The Governor said the schools could play an important role in helping these people start life all over again with courage.

All present assured the Governor that once the schools reopened, all teachers, students and parents would involve themselves in the assistance work.

The principals and the coordinators of 35 prominent schools were present on the occasion.

Dehradun, July 5
Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, along with Congress legislator from Kedarnath Shaila Rani Rawat, visited the disaster-affected villages in Kedarnath valley yesterday.

Talking to villagers of Gauri Goa, the Chief Secretary gave them an assurance that there would be no shortage of foodgrains as the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the PWD had been directed to rebuild mule tracks in the areas by July 15.

He said rations had already reached and disbursed among the affected villagers.

Shaila Rani Rawat asked the affected villagers to give their suggestions for their rehabilitation which would be done on a priority basis. She assured the villagers of all possible help in the days to come.

The Chief secretary also met the people at Guptkashi, Chillaur and Kalimath.

Later, he addressed a meeting of officials at Guptkashi and directed that relief efforts should be done on a war footing.

Garhwal Commissioner Suwardhan, IGP Ram Singh Meena, DIG GS Martoliya and Rudraprayag District Magistrate Dilip Jawalkar were present at the meeting.

Dehradun, July 5
The chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Kushal Singh, has directed the Uttarakahnd government to trace the missing children and rehabilitate locals who have been affected by flash floods.

“During my meeting with the Chief Secretary and other government officials, stress was laid on tracing the missing children and providing care and protection to the affected children,” Kushal Singh told reporters .

She said the central team from New Delhi had come to express solidarity with the people of the disaster-affected state.

Joint Secretary, Women and Child Development (WCD), Vivek Joshi, stressed on amalgamating the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPC) under the WCD for its smooth implementation.

“Based on the proposals presented by the WCD, we will release funds on priority for implementing schemes for the welfare of children in the rain-ravaged state,” said Joshi.— TNS