Dehradun, August 2
The Tourism Department has chalked out plans to dispel fear among tourists regarding safe tourist destinations in the state. The department is going to utilise various means of publicity to send out the message that 90 per cent of the tourist spots and connecting roads are safe in the state. In this regard, higher officials are going to hold press conferences, attend travel fairs, hold road shows, approach social media and so on. Additional Secretary, Tourism, Sachin Kurve, will hold a press conference in Chandigarh. A press conference with the national media by Secretary, Tourism, along with officials of the department will also held.

Vivek Chauhan, Publicity Officer, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), said: “These press conferences are meant to tell people through the media that 90 per cent of the state is safe for travel. The department will apprise them about the alluring heavy discounts and further incentives in travelling to the various destinations of the state. Besides this, they will be informed about our raw and untapped tourist sites as well.”

Vivek said they would also hit various other states through road shows. Kolkatta will be the first one. “We will hold road shows in the states in those particular months, when people come to Uttarakhand in maximum numbers from there. In summer, tourists from Punjab and Haryana come in large numbers, but in August and September, it is the Bengali community which sets out for travelling in the state. So to repose their trust and interest in our state, we will hold a road show there by next month,” he said.

The department has already started giving advertisements in the local newspapers. Now some national newspapers and magazines are being targeted as well to spread information. Social media is also being roped in. “Social media is the best medium to reach the young segment which comes for trekking and rafting in the state. So we will also place our advertisements on Face Book, Twitter, travel blogs etc,” he said.

Help of tour operators/travel agents is also being sought in this task. Managing Director, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, Rajesh Kumar, said: “We are planning to take a group of prominent tour operators of North India to our travel destinations on our own expenses to corroborate the safety aspect of travelling in the state. They will be exposed to some other destinations which are yet untapped and less travelled.”

Participation of the state Tourism Department in national and international travel and tourism fairs will also be taken up as an opportunity to spread out the word about the tourism potential and the available sites for various purposes of tourism in the realm of religion, adventure and sight-seeing. With these steps, the officials hope they will be able to tackle the negative effects, the flash flood disaster had on the tourism in the state. 

Dehradun, August 2
Broad pavements in the heart of the city's Astley Hall and Gandhi Park area seem to be a thing of the past. Encroachments, illegal parking and petty footpath shops on the pavements are irking pedestrians.

According to the commuters, the traffic jam on the road going towards Parade ground from Astley Hall has become the order of the day due to illegal encroachments. ''Encroachments on the pathways by hawkers and tea stalls have totally usurped the pavement paths meant for pedestrians to walk, and also add to the traffic snarls,'' said a local Devendra Kumar.

''One can see that there is no free space for the people to walk on pavements and pedestrians are forced to walk on the roads by risking their security. It seems that the government builds pavements for encroachers,'' said another local.

It is noteworthy that need for sidewalks is most felt during the monsoon season as most of the roads get inundated and pavements are the only place left for the pedestrians. But the pedestrians could be seen walking on the roads due to occupied pavements even in the rainy season.

The civic authorities, according to the locals, have failed to curb the problem of illegal encroachments on pavements and are turning a blind eye to the menace.

When contacted, Additional Municipal Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Dehradun Amna Harshvardhan Mishra told The Tribune:''We have carried a drive against encroachers in the past but the main problem is that they resurface and starts their business again. We are soon going to start a drive against those encroaching on pavements and roads once the monsoon season concludes.''

He also indicated towards indirect local political interference on civic issues, which dilutes the constant efforts of the MC towards curbing problems of encroachments.

It is noteworthy that in the night hours these illegal shops on pavements attract anti-social elements that resulted in frequent brawls in the past and creates law and order problems as well. 

Dehradun, August 2
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today announced that the ritualistic prayers at the Kedarnath shrine would resume on September 11. He had consulted religious heads and saints to arrive at the decision. The prayers had abruptly come to a halt after the calamity on June 16 and 17.

“The prayers will resume at the Kedarnath shrine in the Amrit Yog muhrut on September 11. The auspicious date was arrived at after holding consultations with the Rawal of the temple, a representative of Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati and members of Badrinanth Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC). The prayers will continue till the closure of the temple portals is announced,” said Bahuguna.

The Chief Minister said the precincts of the temple had been cleared of sand and gravels. “Once the prayers resume, the temple area will be barricaded so that the remaining work of cremating bodies and pulling down buildings goes on unhindered. We have a duty towards the dead and their last rites will be performed with dignity, for which all the parties have agreed in principle,” he added.

Bahuguna said the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) presented a report on the conditions at Kedarnath at the meeting. “The inclement weather and the need to construct one bridge each over the Saraswati and the Rambara were also discussed. Another meeting will be held on August 26 to chalk out the final plan. We will have to make arrangements for two months for 100 persons and arrange pre-fabricated huts for their stay. Food supplies too will be maintained for at least two months,” he said.

On the other hand, Jagadguru Rawal Bhima Shankaracharya Linga Shivacharya of the Kedarnath temple said the prayers would resume after the area was cleared of bodies and purged and purified. “Rituals cannot remain suspended for long. These will now resume in the Amrit yog. The prayers will be held according to the established rituals,” he said.

While the prayers are to resume on September 11, the Uttarakhand government has set September 30 as the date for resuming the Char Dham Yatra. However, Kedarnath will not figure in the itinerary.

Asked when the yatra to Kedarnath would resume, the Chairman of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, Ganesh Godiyal, said, “The resumption of prayers and the Char Dham Yatra are two different things. As of now, we are concentrating on resuming prayers at the Kedarnath temple.” 

Dehradun, August 2
Muslims in large numbers thronged the mosques across the state on the occasion of Juma-tul-Vida today. They participated in the Friday prayers of the 'last Friday' of the holy fasting month of Ramzan known as Juma-tul-Vida.

Thousands of devotees gathered at the Jama Masjid in Paltan Bazaar to offer their prayers, which were led by Mualana Mohammad Ahmed Qasmi. Similar prayers were held in all the other mosques of the city. Prayers were held for the departed people and the survivors of the natural disaster.

Reports of prayers have also come in from Haridwar, Mussoorie, Roorkee and other towns and cities of the state.

HARIDWAR: Thousands observed namaaz at various mosques and Idgahs in Haridwar on the pious occasion of last Namaaz-e-Jumma known as Alvida Jumma of Mah-e-Ramzan.

The Muslim community from the rural areas also offered namaz.

The Municipal Corporation had carried out specific cleaning in all the mosques.

Security arrangements were also in place, considering the ongoing Kanwar pilgrimage in Haridwar.

Haridwar, August 2
The fear that the mid-June natural disaster in upper Garhwal regions and floods in lower areas of Haridwar and Roorkee may impact the Kanwar fair has come true.

There is a sharp decline in the number of Kanwariyas arriving in Haridwar to fetch Ganga water this time as compared to previous years.

While about 1.90 crore Kanwairyas had visited Haridwar on Shravan Shivratri last year, the number had not surpassed the 1-crore mark yet this time.

This is when only three days were left for the mega fair to conclude and Kanwariyas to offer Ganga jal on Shivlings in Lord Shiva temples on August 5.

Businessmen associated with the Kanwar fair say earlier over Rs 100 crore trade was normal during the period, but the volume of business and trade has sharply declined this time post-natural disaster.

A trader says the business this year is less than 50 per cent of that witnessed last year.

Many traders have suffered losses as the Kanwariyas have arrived in comparatively much less number.

Arun Ohri, a trader at Chandracharya Chowk, says the Kanwariyas are not staying in Haridwar this time. Most of them are leaving the city as soon as they fetch Ganga jal as the memory of heavy flooding of Haridwar and Rishikesh areas is still fresh in their minds.

As a result, the Kanwariyas are not shopping as usual, thus severely impacting the business of the local traders, he adds.

The much-hyped Kanwar market set up in the Pant Dweep area was discontinued today, as the Kanwariyas had been arriving in lesser number to buy Kanwars and other related items.

Taj Murslin, a Kanwar maker, says he was making Kanwars for the past six months in expectation of doing a rocking business.

He has taken a loan for making a large number of Kanwars. But he has instead suffered losses as the sales have not up to the expectation due to a less number of Kanwariyas arriving in the city.

Some traders say young Kanwariyas are trying to make their own Kanwars to look different.

“Hence we also need to adapt to this trend and offer Kanwariyas more innovative and colorful Kanwars along with accessories,” said Murslin.

Many traders at the temporary Kanwar bazaar say the business has been lackluster and the Municipal Corporation should have reduced the charges for the stalls.

Dehradun, August 2
A team of professional counsellors belonging to Admizzionz Campuz (a division of Right Track Admizzionz Campuz Pvt Ltd, New Delhi) is providing counselling sessions on career admission guidance for colleges in India to children and parents at the city’s renowned Summer Valley School.

The session, which has been going on since last Monday, will conclude on August 3.

The advisers are conducting individual sessions with the students by guiding them complete college admission process till they gain admission into one or more colleges that match their performance, potential and preference.

''We believe that this programme is a significant step towards helping our students at Summer Valley to stand in the crowd and own their future,'' said DE, Ashok Wasu, Director, Administrator, Summer Valley School.

The counsellors are also assisting the students in the steps required to be completed by the students to secure admissions in courses or colleges by keeping track of important dates for entrance examinations or application process, guidance to fill application forms and submission of forms.

Dehradun, August 2
Nirmala Inter College, Mussoorie, held its investiture ceremony for year 2013 yesterday.

There were a number of programmes like a prayer dance and a Jaunsari dance, which added colour to the ceremony. Kanwaljit Singh, a senior advocate, was the chief guest of the function.

The chief guest along with Bro KJ Antony, principal of the school, presented badges to members of the students’ council. After the investiture ceremony the school organised an inter-house debate competition on the topic — “Whether the Uttarakhand disaster was a natural calamity or manmade?”

All four houses of the college participated well.

The chief guest praised the students for their discipline. He emphasised on the need to do well in every field.

Bro Dominic, manager of the school, wished the students good luck for the future.

He told the students that a leader commands respect by being a role model. The principal proposed a vote of thanks to the community of brothers, teachers, students and the parents. 

Mussoorie, August 2
The 9th Manorite Inter-School Table Tennis Tournament began at St George's College here today. More than 10 schools are participating in the tourney.

In the opening fixture, Manisha Chaudhary (Wynberg Allen) defeated Akanksha Agarwal (Welham girls) 11-9, 13-11, 11-13, 118.

Sanjana (Mussoorie Girls' Inter-College) defeated Aanchal Bajaj (Oak Grove) 11-5, 9-11, 11-13, 11-6 and Anushna Gugalia (Welhams) beat Sonali (Oak Grove) 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9.

In the boys' singles (U 17), Shri Hari (SGC) defeated Ritwik (St Mary's, Meerut), Aditya Tandon (Wynberg Allen) defeated Shubham Choudhury (Jasswant Modern School) and Aakarshan Ghelot (SGC) beat Sagar (Wynberg Allen).

In the U-14 boys' category, Harin (SGC) beat Chaitanya Rastogi (Kasiga School), Aman Rawat (Jasswant Modern) defeated Khanin (SGC) and Shubhajit Paul (Jaswant Modern) defeated Dhruv (Wynberg Allen).

In the U 20 boys' category, Yashowardhan (SGC) defeated Shubham Kaintura(Hampton Court), Nikhil (St Mary's) beat Karma (Woodstock) and Shakhat (Woodstock) beat Arab (Kasiga School).

The other matches were in progress when the report was last filed.

Dehradun, August 2
Tushar Pandey of Summer Valley School won the Dehradun District Table Tennis Championship-2013 in the cadet boys' category after defeating Amogh Rautela of Summer Valley in the finals played at the Summer Valley School on Friday in Dehradun. —TNS