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Uttarakhand the challenge ahead
DMC officials sit idle in absence of staff
Nodal officers to deal with landslide, waterlogging cases
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Farmers to get max price of brinjal in Sept: Scientists
Book on legend of Nanda Devi Raj Jaat released
161-year-old Sonali Bridge at Roorkee in state of neglect
Horticulture varsity employees donate one day’s salary
Emergence of artificial lake led to flash floods
I-Day celebrations to be a low-key affair
SelaQui College signs MoU with National Law University
Protest march by RTI Consortium members
Punjab man held with five leopard skins
RLEK objects to PFA’s remark
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Uttarakhand the challenge ahead
Dehradun, August 6 In an interaction with The Tribune, VP Dimri advocates going for safer routes to avoid death and destruction in natural disasters like cloudburst- triggered landslides and earthquakes in Uttarakhand. “I have spent my childhood in Chamoli, Garhwal, and our elders knew of safer routes, which they put to use particularly when faced with calamities like a cloudburst. What we need to do today is to identify these safer alternative routes, rather than just going for the conventional approach roads,” he said. Citing an example, he said there had been repeated occurrences of landslides at Birahi that falls between Chamoli town and Pipalkoti in Chamoli district. Some of these landslides have been massive, leading to a heavy loss of life. I still remember during my school days our elders use to tell of us of alternative roads that bypass Birahi,'' Dimri said, adding that these routes can prove to be of much benefit in case of speedy evacuation. Strongly supporting installing an early warning system which includes all weather forecast, earth forecast and landslide forecast, Dimri said natural disaster in hills have a cascading effect. A cloudburst will result in flooding followed by landslides and thus an early warning system needs to be there in Uttarakhand hills. ''After 2004 Tsunami, an early warning system was put at place down south; we need similar initiative for Uttarakhand,” he pointed out. Suggesting setting up a centre of excellence in Uttarakhand, Dimri said such centre should have scientists dealing with all aspects of science linked to hills, whether it was geology, meteorology and environment science. This will help in better scientific studies of hills and help in coming up with effective remedial measures. Thus, an early warning system is very necessary for hill areas of Uttarakhand. He also favoured usage of alternative forms of energy like solar energy to meet energy requirements of Uttarakhand rather than sticking to just hydropower. He said the state kept good potential to go for generation of green energy. He said solar energy had no carbon dioxide emissions and kept little maintenance costs. Dimri, who also had a short stint as head of Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute, Gandhinagar, after his superannuation as head of NGRI, said Gujarat was exploiting solar energy to the fullest despite dust in its dry areas proving an hindrance in the conduct of solar energy mechanism. He said on the contrary Uttarakhand had no such dust problem and thus would incur low maintenance costs and help bringing electricity to isolated houses in hill villages. He also held that Uttarakhand kept immense geo thermal possibilities. Geo thermal energy is the earth's natural heat available inside the earth. This thermal energy contained in the rock and fluid that filled up fractures and pores in the earth's crust and can profitably be used for various purposes. In more similar words, geo thermal is boiling water inside the earth that is put to use in the form of energy. ''Green energy geo thermal has so far never been a source of power generation in the country and Uttarakhand's Tapoban success could lead to its replication in other parts of the country,'' he pointed out. He recalled NGRI geo thermal initiative at Tapoban in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand some years back showed encouraging results. He said he was for establishment of geo thermal plant in Tapoban area, already known for its hot springs. Referring to importance of geo thermal energy, he revealed that a country like Iceland had put its geo thermal energy to maximum usage. ''Eighty per cent of Iceland's energy comes from geo thermal,'' he said. On limiting the number of pilgrims in Char Dhams, Dimri said it depended from shrine to shrine. ''While in Kedarnath the number of pilgrims should certainly be curtailed, in Badrinath, a large number of pilgrims can be accommodated at a time,'' he said. Born in Dimmar village in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Dimri's late father Ghanshyam Chamoli was the first member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council from the Badri-Kedar region. Dimri was awarded Padamshree in 2010 in the discipline of science and engineering. He is the first Asian to get Lorenz Award in American Geophysical Union in the field of non-linear geophysics in December, 2007. Dimiri also received G P Chatterjee Award of Indian Science Congress Association, presented by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2007. He is Fellow, Third World Academy of Sciences, Italy. WHAT TO DO
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DMC officials sit idle in absence of staff
Dehradun, August 6 While paying heed to the MNA’s letters seeking appointment of officials and additional staff, the state government sanctioned the post of top rung officials but not the employees. The existing staff is already working under other officials. MNA Ashok Kumar said: “The sole officer himself cannot perform all the tasks unless given staff to work under his direction. At present, I need 10 sanitation inspectors, four tax superintendents and two Executive Engineers.” He said the training of sanitation inspectors was going on in the state but it was not clear how many of them would be sent to DMC. Besides, he said at least two tax superintendents were needed for tax-related works and two for land related matters. The matter of extensive survey of house tax was pending due to shortage of tax superintendents. However, the Mayor has given deadline of two months to complete the survey in order to proceed with the proposal, which does not seem likely to happen under the current situation. The MNA said there was severe shortage of engineers as well in the DMC as one Executive Engineer, Ravi Pandey, had to do all the running around, attending several meetings in various departments. The MNA was distressed that despite several letters, the state government did not send persons against these posts. |
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Nodal officers to deal with landslide, waterlogging cases
Dehradun, August 6 Additional District Magistrate, Finance and Revenue, Jharna Kamthan has been made nodal officer of the Revenue Department, Executive Engineer, PWD, as nodal officer of Dehradun, CM Pandey of Engineering Services as nodal officer of Nehru Colony to Mohkampur, ADM (administration) Pratap Shah and Executive Engineer MDDA, Natha Shah as nodal officers for Dalanwala, Mohini Road, Inder Road and Bhagat Singh Colony, City Magistrate Deepender Singh Negi and Executive Engineer, Irrigation, Sunil Kumar as nodal officers for the Dehradun-Hardiwar bypass, Turner Road, the ISBT and Morowala, SDM, Sadar, Ramji Sharan and Executive Engineer, PWD (Dehradun) BN Chandary as nodal officers for the area from Survey Chowk to Raipur and Garhi Cantt, Additional City Magistrate, Harigiri and Executive Engineer, Infrastructure, PS Panwar as nodal officers from Clock Tower to Prem Nagar, the Bindal river and Chakrata Road, Tehsildar Gurdip Singh Kala and district in charge MNREGA as nodal officers of Doiwala. These nodal officers will inspect their respective areas and take rapid action on the information regarding waterlogging and landslides. |
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Farmers to get max price of brinjal in Sept: Scientists
Dehradun, August 6 This forecast has been made by scientists of the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in a sub-project of World Bank-funded National Agriculture Innovationion Project (NAIP), ‘Establishing and networking of agricultural market intelligence centres in India’ under operation at the university. One of the objectives of this project is to make the price forecast of the selected agricultural commodities well in advance of sowing and during harvesting. A research team of the university had conducted a survey of the Haldwani regulated market, a major market for brinjal for Uttarakhand, and analysed the market price data that prevailed in this market for the past 23 years. The results of the econometric analysis showed that the wholesale prices of brinjal in the Haldwani market would be in the range of Rs 600-700 per quintal in the September, Rs 500-600 per quintal in October and between Rs 400 and Rs 500 per quintal in November. The scientists have advised farmers to take harvesting decision keeping in mind the price forecast. India ranks second with respect to the area and production of brinjal and contributes nearly 27 per cent of the world’s brinjal production. This crop is grown in over 6 lakh hectares in India. The yield rate per hectare in India is quite low and stands at 18 tonnes per hectare as compared to Japan and Italy, where it ranges around 25 tonnes per hectare. Major brinjal growing states in the country are West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which together account for about 94 per cent of India’s production. In Uttarakhand, brinjal is mainly grown in plains. It is grown in an area of 1,685 hectares in the state. Dehradun, Haridwar, US Nagar and Nainital are the four major districts producing brinjal and constitute about 60 per cent of the total production in the state during 2012. The peak arrival of round brinjal at the state market is October-November, even though it starts arriving in the market in August and lasts up to January. |
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Book on legend of Nanda Devi Raj Jaat released
The writer has taken Raj Jaat treatise in a wider perspective of local cultural valued enshrined in the region from the time cult of Shiva and Shakti dominance from pre Aryan, pre Brahmin era, thus taking advantages of describing Nanda Raj Jaat from the points of view of struggles of local women for their existence from time immemorial. “My observation of hill women is primarily based on their routine,'' says the author. The book details the legend of Nanda Devi Raj Jaat from the points of view of Shiva and Shakti cult. Goddess Nanda, as is one of the manifestations of Shakti, is daughter of hill king of personified Himalaya, based in the region of Garhwal. She visits her parents’ home in 12 years time after her marriage to Shiva and finds that against her vision of the parental home, she is not treated well, and while returning in a huff, puts a curse on the region. “In repentance, the people of the hill region are inviting their married girls or Dhiyanis every year and are offering them delicacies of the region prepared specially for the day to please the girls,” said the author. The book which helps discover the face of hill women, her arduous journey of life, in the legend of Shakti as daughter of hills, thus gives the hill women a cause for continuing their relentless struggle for life despite several taboos. The writer, who had taken part in Nanda Devi Raj Jaat Yatra in 2000, has described every camp on route with local legends' points of view. Local taboos, legends, described by the writer, have also been measured in the parametres of modern science and logic, making the book draw the attention of pilgrims towards hidden and inherent cultural identity of the hill society and its cultural traits woven around the legend of Nanda Devi. The book is able to describe all these aspects, right from Vedic cult of furious Rudra who destroyed all in the parental home of Nanda where she was downplayed, to a lovely village daughter who is seen off with tears and high-rise emotions through the yatra every 12 years. The writer has successfully incorporated a blend of all these aspects in 144 pages with eye-catching illustrations of the Jaat route making the book worth reading. |
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161-year-old Sonali Bridge at Roorkee in state of neglect
Haridwar, August 6 However, despite its poor condition, the authorities concerned are yet to close the bridge to traffic. There are many such dilapidated old bridges at Roorkee, where traffic flow is going on unhindered. Ganga canal officials said the bridge was built on the Sonali river during the British era 161 years ago. “Here the Ganga canal water passes above the level of the Sonali river and if this bridge caves in, it may cause a flood-like situation in the nearby areas," they said. Sonali Bridge holds a tremendous significance for the local people, as this falls on the Roorkee-Dhanauri road on the east Ganga canal and connects a number of villages with Roorkee city. Hundreds of vehicles pass over this bridge daily. Commuters are a worried lot as the bridge can cave in anytime. Though the operating nodal agency, Northern Division Ganga Canal (NDGC), had prohibited the plying of four-wheelers on the bridge, even heavy vehicles could be seen plying on it. NDGC officials said they had sent various reminders to the district police in this regard, but it had not taken any action and seemed to have been waiting for any eventuality to happen. NDGC officials said during Urs at Piran Kaliyar and the Kanwar mela, special directives were issued to ensure that pilgrims and Kanwariyas did not use the fragile bridge. NDGC official Shiv Raj Singh said on many occasions when NDGC employees tried to stop vehicles from plying, they were allegedly manhandled by drivers, particularly of commercial vehicles. He said they could not do so in the absence of police protection. Local residents said they had also brought the issue to the notice of the local MLA and the officials concerned various time, but to no avail. However, SDM Veer Singh Budhiyal assured the residents of looking into the matter and said the damaged portion of the bridge would soon be repaired. |
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Horticulture varsity employees donate one day’s salary
Dehradun, August 6 The Governor asked Prasad how the scientists at the university were helping the disaster affected farmers in the hill areas. The VC said saplings of fruit tress had been provided to farmers free of cost and seeds of vegetables would be given to them this month. The Governor also took a report of the progress of the university from the Vice- Chancellor.
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Emergence of artificial lake led to flash floods
Pithoragarh, August 6 This artificial lake was formed some hours before the flash floods in a 2 km area between Nangling and Chal villages at a height of 4,500 metre ahead of the Darma valley due to dumping of heavy debris into the Dhualiganga from a nearby nullah following heavy rains. This was stated by a team of the Himalayan Paryavaran and Vikas Sansthan, Almora, which had studied glaciers in the Darma valley. Scientists Jagdish Chandra Pandey and Kavindra Upreti were part of the team. The scientists said, “The Darma valley has more than 70 glaciers at its head, which also consists of more than six lakes. Mapang Lake spread over 1.2 lakh sq mt area is the biggest lake. As this lake situated at a height of 4,500 metre by a glacier having the same name is made of raw soil, it is in constant danger of bursting in case of a cloudburst or heavy rains,” they said. Sources said the sansthan had sent teams of scientists to various glaciers of the region to study their nature. “Scientists have observed that if Mapang Lake bursts it will cause heavy losses to the people living near the Dhauliganga and the Kali,” said Kirit Kumar, a senior scientist at the Himalayan Prayavaran Sansthan, Almora. He said, besides Mapang, Arsi and Parvati glaciers a river originating from the Lapa glacier near Tidang village may also cause devastation due to flash floods. |
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I-Day celebrations to be a low-key affair
Dehradun, August 6 A flag-hoisting ceremony will be done by all department heads and office heads at 8.30 am. All District Magistrates will hoist the flag in their respective offices at 9.30 am. The Chief Secretary will hoist the National Flag at the Secretariat at 8.30 am. A state-level programme will be held at the Parade Ground. The Chief Minister will take the salute at the parade to be carried out by contingents of the Army, the police, paramilitary forces, PRD, Home Guards, NCC and Scouts & Guides. He will also address the public. However, no cultural programme will be organised in the state. Among those present at meeting were Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma, DGP Satyavrat Bansal, Principal Secretary Ranveer Singh, Secretaries Vinod Fonia, Umakant Panwar, Ajay Pradhyot, RC Pathak and Hemlata Dhaundiyal, Additional Secretary Amit Negi, Dehradun District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram, SSP Kewal Khurana and other officials. |
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SelaQui College signs MoU with National Law University
Dehradun, August 6 Prof R Venkata Rao, Vice-Chancellor, NLU, and Om Pathak, Chairman, SelaQui College of law, signed the MoU here today. SelaQui College of Law would now start offering Phd programme in association with the NLU to aspiring students. Dharam Buddhi, Director, SelaQui College of Law, said, “The salient feature of the MoU is an exchange programme between the faculties and the students. The students of SelaQui College of Law will benefit from the rich experience of the faculty of the NLU, Bangalore.” He said the curriculum was conceived and prepared under the guidance of Prof Madhava Menon, who had designed and introduced the widely acclaimed five-year BBA-LLB programme. “BBA-LLB is an integrated course of law where students get an opportunity to simultaneously study law and management subject,” he added. Dr VL Mony, Associate Dean, SelaQui College of Law, discussed the importance of research in a law school and how the research culture could contribute to the betterment of the legal profession. |
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Protest march by RTI Consortium members
Dehradun August 6 President of the consortium VP Maithani said: “Ruling of the Central Information Commission (CIC) that political parties are public authorities and, therefore, liable to be covered under RTI Act has raised a storm in the political circles. Most political parties have opposed the CIC verdict on a flawed argument that RTI was not meant to cover political parties. It is clear that political parties are scared of revealing the sources of donations received by them and the mode of their payment.” He added instead of challenging the verdict of courts, politicians had preferred to amend the law of the land to safeguard themselves against public exposure. He said the law-makers were also planning to grant immunity to political parties against any order by court or tribunal in this regard. In a way, they were making all efforts to prevail over law. Vice-president Pooja Bahukhandi said: “The political parties are also opposing the Supreme Court ruling seeking to debar convicted criminals from contesting Assembly and parliamentary elections. Instead of heeding the reasonable ruling of the Supreme Court or filing a review petition there, our law makers have preferred to use their exclusive privilege to amend the Representation of People's Act to allow the pronounced criminals to contest even while being in jails and be elected to the Houses of Parliament and legislative assemblies.'' She said the people of the country recall in utter disgust the solemn pledge made by both Houses of Parliament two years ago to institute a powerful Lokpal to investigate and expose corruption at high paces. In spite of the advice of the SC, the Centre was not willing to free CBI from its clutches to pursue corruption cases unhindered. Member of People For Animal Gauri Maulkhi said: “The proposed amendments to the RTI and Representation of People’s Act mark the height of duplicity of our law-makers who want to protect their vested interests and retain their stranglehold on power at all costs. If the Centre had no intention to come clean on these issues, then its projection through welfare programmes was merely an eyewash.”
The proposed amendments to the RTI Act and the Representation of People’s Act mark the height of duplicity of our law-makers who want to protect their vested interests and retain their stranglehold on power at all costs. |
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Punjab man held with five leopard skins
Pithoragarh August 6 “A forest team on a tip-off arrested the culprit, Gopi, a resident of the railway line area at Ropar in Punjab, and booked him under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act,” said Almia. He added the smuggler, who claimed to have purchased the skins from local persons for Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, had relations with the Kanjar group, which frequently traversed the Himalayan region in search of animal skins. On interrogation the smuggler told the forest team that he had connection with other people involved in the illegal trade at Kotdwar, Nepal and other parts of the Himalayan region. “The culprit, who was living at Rin Bichula village, near the district headquarters masquerading as a blacksmith, had over the years made contacts with local youths and persuaded them to kill wild animals,” the Forest Ranger said. |
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RLEK objects to PFA’s remark
Dehradun, August 6 “It is very clear under the Indian Constitution, Parliament is the supreme law making body. It has enacted a legislation titled the Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The President accorded sanction to this enactment on December 29, 2006. The idea of enacting this legislation is to empower Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations to give them the right to occupation of forest land for dwelling,” Avdhash Kaushal, chairperson, RLEK, pointed out and condemned PFA for making irresponsible statements. Kaushal also reminded of sacrifices made by Van Gujjars in the freedom struggle. “More than 122 Gujjars were killed, 26 imprisoned and 22 of them were wounded when their leader Kulwa Gujjar based at Mohand in Dehradun stood against the Britishers. Kulwa, too, attained martyrdom and his head was hung in an iron cage over the door of the Dehradun jail,” Avdhash Kaushal said. He also held that RLEK shall shortly approach Justice Swatantra Kumar, Chairman of National Green Tribunal, to warn him against so-called ignorant wildlife activists and urge him to order them to desist from spreading misinformation about the Act and misusing the name of National Green Tribunal.
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Haridwar, August 6
Dehradun, August 6
I have spent my childhood in Chamoli, Garhwal, and our elders knew of safer routes, which they put to use particularly when faced with calamities like a cloudburst. What we need to do today is to identify these safer alternative routes, rather than just going for the conventional approach roads.
Pithoragarh, August 6