Samkopt villagers suffer in absence of road link
Are forced to cover 16 km on foot to collect ration
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, September 1
Residents of Samkopt village in Munsiyari subdivision are being forced to cover 16 km on foot to reach Gini to collect ration and other essential commodities as the road to their village has been blocked for the past 70 days.

Pithoragarh disaster management officer RS Rana said 18 roads, 13 in Didihat and Munsiyari and five in Dharchula subdivision, were still blocked. " Although road connectivity in most of the areas of the region has been restored, continuous rains in some areas has delayed the repair work," said Rana.

Gram Pradhan of Samkot village Dharma Singh said: "Despite the administration's orders to carry out works under the PMGRY on a priority basis, the road to our village that was damaged in the recent calamity has not been repaired so far."

Villagers said their children were also facing difficulties in reaching schools. "Over 300 families of the village are suffering for the past 70 days. The department concerned has not even removed the debris accumulated on the road to their village," said Dharma Singh.

On the other hand, the Pithoragarh disaster management department said villagers could take the other route to reach the market. "The road to their village is not all- weather road. Continuous landslides and rains in this part of the region has delayed the work, said Rana.

Munsiyari block pramukh Parvati Bachami said she had been urging the administration to speed up repair work on the road for the past two months, officials were not paying any heed to her request. "We will urge district officials to visit the area once and if they failed to do so, we will launch an agitation," said Bachami.

 Prayers at Kedarnath shrine from Sept 11, but sans pilgrims
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 1
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today announced that prayers at the Kedarnath temple will start from September 11 but without pilgrims. He said no pilgrim would be allowed to go to Kedarnath on September 11 due to prevalent weather conditions.

Addressing mediapersons after a meeting with office-bearers of the Kedarnath temple committee, Bahuguna said prayers by a 24-member temple committee staff would commence at 7 am on September 11. He said these staff members would be replaced by a new team after every 10 days.

Bahuguna said no pilgrim would be allowed to go to Kedarnath between September 11 and 30 since the pathways to Kedarnath were broken and efforts were on to develop new routes. He said police pickets would be set up and no one would be allowed to proceed to Kedarnath.

On being asked about the possibilities of pilgrims visiting the shrine, Bahuguna said a decision in this regard would be taken at a meeting with the Kedarnath temple committee office-bearers on September 30.

“The routes to Kedarnath will be developed and the weather is also expected to be clear by then. Moreover, the prayers at the shrine will continue till the usual closure of the shrine near Divali,” he said.

The Chief Minister said besides the temple committee staff, the police, National Disaster Response Force personnel and a medical team would be deployed at Kedarnath.

He said no private choppers would be allowed to land at Kedarnath since permission from the Director-General, Civil Aviation, had not been granted. “ Only state government helicopters will be allowed to land at Kedarnath,” he said.

He said an intermediate and a degree college, besides a nursing college and an industrial training institute, had been sanctioned for Kedar valley. “ We will also be adopting 24 orphaned children and look after their educational needs,” he said.

There is another move to train 4,500 youths of the disaster-affected areas in skill development through a joint collaboration of the FICCI, the International Labour Organisation and the state government.

He said there were no dead bodies near the Kedarnath shrine or the buildings nearby.

“ The decision to demolish the broken structures will be taken by the Geological Survey of India and the Archaeological Survey of India,” he said. 

 Mountaineering institute training disaster-hit youths for Army jobs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 1
Apart from being a training institute, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, has started helping in the rehabilitation of the disaster-hit victims in the state.

Despite limited resources, the institute had played an important role in the relief and rescue operations. A total of 6,547 stranded persons, including 47 foreigners, were rescued by a team of the institute.

As a large number of local youths have lost livelihood opportunities due to the disaster, the institute has started training them for recruitment rallies of defence forces. Seven out of eight youths trained in the first batch have been selected in the Garhwal Rifles recruitment drive.

Besides this, seven disaster-affected youths were trained in mountain guide and have now got jobs in Ladakh with a pay package of Rs 15,000 per month.

It is also training 55 youths from Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Tehri district for Army recruitment rallies.

The institute is well versed in the topography of the Kedarnath region due to its day-to-day mountaineering activities. It has also suggested other safe routes to reach Kedarnath to avoid the traditional and now destroyed trek route between Gaurikund and Kedarnath..

 Minister for new disaster management strategies in state
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 1
In the aftermath of Kedarnath catastrophe, Union Minister of Water Resources Harish Rawat outlined the need of new disaster mitigation and management strategies for Uttarakhand, where state’s present disaster management mechanism stood a failure.

Inaugurating a one-and-half-day consultation meet on “Lessons from the 2013 Uttarakhand Disaster” being organised by the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) in Dehradun here yesterday, Rawat said the state needs to come up with new disaster management strategies as the Kedarnath tragedy revealed that we had failed in all our previous disaster management concepts.

He said it was a failure on our part to ensure proper monitoring of glaciers in Kedarnath.

Rawat said there was a need to revisit our overall strategies so that we do not invite more dangers for a common man.

Stating that it was wrong to say that regions devoid of trees face more natural disasters, Rawat said the recent natural disaster in Uttarakhand had proved that places with dense forests could also face calamity.

Admitting that debris thrown into rivers were a major contributor to flash floods, the minister said there was no proper way to dispose of debris generated through widening of roads and construction of hydro power projects in the state.

“Last year, I visited Uttarkashi and found that large debris that were dumped into Asi Ganga was also a reason behind floods,” he pointed out.

Avdhash Kaushal, chairperson, RLEK, said while tourism and hydel power production was the backbone of Uttarakhand's economy, the state must ponder on steps that needs to be taken to resurrect them.

HNB Garhwal University former Vice-Chancellor Dr (Prof) AN Purohit, a Padmashri awardee, National Institute of Hydrology director Dr RD Singh, Geological Survey of India former director Dr PC Nawani and Prof Dhirendra Sharma were other prominent speakers on the occasion. 

 Greenpeace to find reasons of Kedar tragedy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 1
The Global Environment Organisation, Greenpeace will send a fact finding team in Uttarakhand to examine various aspects of Kedarnath tragedy.

Talking to this correspondent here today, Prashant Tandon of the Greenpeace India disclosed that Kedarnath tragedy has come as a shock for Greenpeace, which intends to send a fact-finding team to Uttarakhand after monsoon in October to go into details of the recent Kedarnath tragedy.

The team will have scientists, geologists, hydrologists, environmentalists, activists, scholars and all other stakeholders.

“After conducting a detailed fact finding mission, the team will submit its report by November,” Tandon said.

He said most important rivers of the country like Ganga and Yamuna originate from Uttarakhand and were the lifelines of agriculture in North due to its rich alluvial flood plains best suited for agriculture.

He said any adverse impact on these rives would thus affect the agriculture productivity.

Referring to the ongoing debate over hydropower projects in Uttarakhand, Prashant Tandon asserted that the people of Uttarakhand have the first right on power generated in the state.

“It will be gross injustice if the power generated in Uttarakhand through these projects is utilised first to light up a shopping mall in Gurgaon,” Tandon said.

He informed that the Greenpeace has been working on various issues linked to environment in India since 2001. 

Bahuguna to visit Shaheed Sthal in Mussoorie today
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, September 1
Statehood agitators, who had announced to oppose Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna’s visit at Shaheed Sthal tomorrow, the day when six persons were martyred in the police firing during their struggle for separate state of Uttarakhand 19 years ago, have retracted from their statement after an assurance from Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi.

Ganesh Joshi reached the site at Shaheed Sthal where the statehood agitators were sitting on a one-day dharna to oppose the delay in the identification process of those who had actively participated in the movement here.

Pradeep Bhandari, a leader of the agitators, said it had been 19 years to the police-firing incident and the governments, after giving false assurance at Shaheed Sthal on September 2 every year, forget to acknowledge their role in the movement for a separate state of Uttarakhand.

Bhandari said the politicians come every year and show their hollow concerns, but in vain. He added people like Harisingh Gunsola and Umed Singh who played an important role during the separate state movement were still waiting for their identification. The agitators also raised slogans in support of their demands at Shaheed Sthal, today.

Later, MLA Ganesh Joshi tried to pacify the angry agitators and said he had also suffered in the same way. Joshi requested the agitators to end the protest and said he would talk to the Chief Minister regarding their demands. Mussoorie SDM NS Dangi assured of speeding up the process in accordance with the laid norms.

Joshi ended the protest by offering juice to the protesters, thus clearing the road for the Chief Minister’s visit on September 2. The administration heaved a sigh of relief after the day-long dharna ended.

CM pays tributes to martyrs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 1
The state government was committed to the welfare of the dependants of the martyrs and statehood agitators. We will have to work towards the all round development of the state as desired by the martyrs said Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, on the anniversary of the Khatima and Mussoorie police firings.

He paid tributes to the martyrs who gave up their lives for the formation of the state. He said the agitators who gave up their lives could never be forgotten and the state was proud of them.

 Sonia instrumental in formulating Food Security Bill, says Sewa Dal
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, September 1
With ambitious Food Security Bill being touted as pivotal for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as far as the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are concerned, the Sewa Dal wing of the Congress today carried out a thanksgiving-cum-awareness rally in the district.

Titled “Aabhaar Rally”, activists of the Sewa Dal thanked Sonia Gandhi, adding that her presence was instrumental in formulating this social scheme that covers 67 per cent of the total population of the country.

Activists of the Sewa Dal also staged skits and distributed pamphlets, demonstrating benefits of the Food Security Bill and its impact in providing nutritious food to the poor and the needy.

Earlier, the activists offered obeisance at Brahamkund, Har-ki-Pauri and also prayed for the well-being of Sonia Gandhi.

Raj Kumar Soni, national general secretary of the Sewa Dal, flagged off the rally, which passed through Har-ki-Pauri, Devpura, Chandracharya Chowk Shankar Ashram Chowk, Pull Jatwada, Bahadrabad, Roorkee and finally concluded at Lakshar in the evening.

The district coordinator of the Sewa Dal, Rajesh Rastogi, termed the food security cover a concern of the Union Government towards the poor.

“The Bill provides 35 kg of food grains per family every month who fall in the Antodaya Ann Yojana, while for the priority group, its 5kg of food grains per person on the monthly basis, Rs 3 per kg for rice, Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 1 per kg for coarse grains is being provided under this food cover,” Rastogi said.

Later, Union Minister for Water Resources Harish Rawat while addressing the rally at Lakshar said the UPA-I and II tenure had always catered to the needs of the poor.

Rawat said be it MGNREGA, Right to Information, Right to Education, mid-day meal scheme for schoolchildren, Land Acquisition Bill and Food Security Bill, the focus of the government had always been common and poor man.

Legislators Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion and Furkan Ahmed also addressed the rally in their respective Assembly segments.

 BJP NGO Cell activists told to work sincerely
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, September 1
The two-day convention of the BJP NGO Cell concluded at the Jammu Yatri Bhawan at Bhoopatwala here today with party leaders advising activists to work sincerely and without greed.

Mahendra Pandey, BJP national president of the NGO and other cells, while addressing the concluding session, said the party activists in all cells need to work sincerely so that the BJP could evolve as a fruit-bearing tree. However, it would become rotten if the activists did not work honestly and in a disciplined manner, he added.

Ashish Gautam from the Divya Prem Sewa Mission said the NGO cell activists should take a leaf out of the functioning of the city-based social institutions like the Ram Krishan Mission, Shanti Kunj, ‘Patanjali Yogpeeth and the Vivekanand Centre.

Gautam said social service done without any personal benefit, greed and profit was the real service and only this kind of spirit could make the party’s NGO Cell look different from similar units of other political parties.

Mayor Manoj Garg said it was a matter of pride that they were in a party which relied on inputs from the cadre rather than the high command and “that is why it is called a party with a difference”.

“The BJP goes with thoughts and inputs from party leaders and grass-roots workers,” said Garg.

Basant Kumar, national coordinator of the Antodaya Yojana, said all delegates participating in the convention should ensure that they work in their respective areas and enrol more activists and expand the membership of the NGO cell and eventually the party.

Convention manager Sanjay Chaturvedi thanked the delegates, leaders and activists who participated in the convention.

 Rs 10 crore sanctioned for data centre
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 1
The Uttarakhand Data Centre project is coming up at the Information Technology Park in Dehradun for which Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned. The centre will house an IT campus and private companies.

Earlier the Department of Information Technology was planning to pay an annual rent of Rs 8 crore for using the facility located at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.

“To further strengthen 
e-governance in Uttarakhand, besides several departments, the public distribution system, Aadhar, various schemes run by the Social Welfare Department would go online. The State Data Centre will prove useful in this regard,” said Rani Nath Raman, Additional Secretary, Information Technology.

Both state and Central governments will provide funds for the project. The state government has already sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the project. Further, the state is also in the middle of connecting blocks through the statewide area network (SWAN) for which Rs 76.23 crore has been sanctioned.

Besides, four more MBPS will be set up at the state level to take their number to eight. Two more MBPS will set up at the district level to increase its number to four. The connectivity will improve with the increase in bandwidth, which will result in faster public services.

The government also plans to evaluate programmes under SWAN through the third party. In Uttarakhand, around 400 government institutions have been connected with SWAN. 

Shivalik Brigade plants 3,000 saplings
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, September 1
The Shivalik Brigade under the Golden Key Division of 127 Eco-Task Force planted over 3,000 saplings during a tree plantation drive held under the Operation Hariyali in and around Kempty yesterday. The drive was organized as a mark of respect and solidarity with the victims of the recent natural disaster in Uttarakhand and to commemorate 50 years of dedicated service by the Shivalik Brigade to the nation.

The objective of the event was to make a meaningful contribution to environment preservation and spread environment awareness among the people here.

Around 50 officers, JCOs and jawans along with their families participated in the event. Over 3,000 species of fruit bearing trees, forest produce and fodder variety of saplings were planted. This effort by the Army in contributing to environment preservation was appreciated and greeted with an overwhelming response by the local population.

 Dehradun diary
Controversy over Chief Secretary’s claim on Lakhwar Vyasi project

The announcement by Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar regarding getting forest clearance for the Lakhwar Vyasi hydro-electric project on the Yamuna soon by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry after meeting Union Environment and Forest Secretary Rajgopalan has created another controversy.

The Chief Secretary said all formalities for the forest clearance of the 300-megawatt project in Lakhwad had been completed. The project would get sanction from the Advisory Committee within two weeks. He also made it clear that the state had received the forest clearance for this, but since the work had been handed over to Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) after taking it back from the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC), clearance was being taken again. He added that the 120-MW hydel project had received clearance on August 12.

Interestingly, the Supreme Court, in its order on August 13, has banned all clearance to hydro-electric projects till further orders in the wake of the natural disaster in the state.

The Chief Secretary stated that after the court verdict on August 13, the Forest and Environment Ministry had sent the case to the Law Department for advice. Since the time of Uttar Pradesh, 33 per cent of the work has already been completed on this project. However, the South Asian Network on Dams, River and People has termed the statement by the Chief Secretary as misleading.

The network said the Chief Secretary's claim that the forest clearance for the Vyasi project was issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest on August 12 raises suspicion.

It stated that if it was issued on August 12 to bypass the imperative of the Supreme Court order, it should be investigated. The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) discussed the project in Augsut, 2012. FAC is a statutory body under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. In the August 2012, meeting, a proposal was put forward to transfer the clearance for 99.93 ha (out of total forest land of 868.08 ha for composite project) forest land required for the Vyasi Project to UJVNL from the Uttaranchal Irrigation Department.

While discussing this proposal, the FAC noted that the Vyasi project was earlier transferred to the NHPC without getting the forest clearance transferred in favour of the NHPC. In fact, FAC has recommended, “The state government shall examine the reasons for not obtaining prior approval of the Central Government under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for change of user agency from the Irrigation Department to the NHPC and fix responsibility.”

This meant as per the FAC recommendation, the state government was to examine the reasons, fix responsibility and get back to FAC. But the state government had not done it as the project had not come back to the agenda of FAC, which it should before any further decision could be taken about the Vyasi project.

The network said that the claim by the Chief Secretary on this count that " the 120-MW hydel project had received clearance on August 12, 2013" seems misleading. “Moreover, it is not clear from the statement who has issued this clearance. Even if the Ministry of Environment and Forest has issued this on August 12, 2013, which seems to be the claim of the Chief Secretary, the legal procedure under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, is that state government has to issue the forest clearance after the Ministry of Environment and Forest issues it. So if the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest issued it on August 12, 2013, the next step of state government was to issue the Forest Clearance which should not be done as the Supreme Court has barred the state government also, from issuing any clearances,” a statement from the network said.

It is also clear from the minutes of the August 2012 Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) and subsequent meetings that the Lakhwar project has not even come before the FAC, which it must before any next step is taken and FAC cannot consider any such proposal now with the Supreme Court order of August 13, 2013. The claim of the Chief Secretary that the FAC would clear it in two weeks thus suggested a violation of the Supreme Court order by FAC and is also speculative since the dates or agenda of the next FAC meeting have not even been declared.

The network said that the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, was clear that the earlier clearance given to a different agency was no longer a valid clearance and a fresh clearance could not be issued after the Supreme Court order of August 13, 2013.

“From all this, it is clear that this attempt by the Uttarakhand government to somehow show that it has the forest clearance, which it does not have, is an attempt to bypass the apex court order, is illegal and will surely be challenged in the court. However, this also shows that the Uttarakhand government has learnt no lessons from the disaster,” said Himanshu Thakkar, a spokesperson of the network.

The network, on Earth Day in 2013, had issued a statement endorsed by 58 organisations and individuals against the construction of the Lakhwar dam.

— SMA Kazmi