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Govt fails to launch free drug scheme
Need felt to adopt landslide hazard mitigation tech
Nadi Bachao Abhiyan fears migration from hilly areas
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Flood-hit Gothi villagers seek wall along Kali
Team to search bodies in Kedarnath heights
Seminar to discuss causes of mid-June natural disaster
CM’s chopper fails to land due to dense fog in Mussoorie
Jaunpuri dialect figures in linguistic survey
Dental institute refuses to refund security amount
Krishna palanquin procession remained subdued this year
Bhatt demands White Paper on relief work
UKD demands rejection of PMGSY tenders
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Govt fails to launch free drug scheme
Dehradun, September 3 Under the scheme, the poor could get free generic drugs at all government health facilities in the state. After the Central Government shelved its free drug service and free diagnostic service programme early this year, it asked the states, including Uttarakhand, to formulate its own policy and seek funds under the NRHM. Except for circulating the Centre's circular urging the state to prepare a policy articulation document on essential drugs and introduce a procurement system and supply chain management, the Uttarakhand Department of Health and Family Welfare has done a little in this direction. The scheme does not even figure among 48-odd announcements made by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna for improving medical and health facilities. Though the scheme could have helped easing burden on the poor and middle-class, the reasons being touted are overhauling of the system, including an online drugs supply system. “We have to spruce up our warehouses and set up an IT-enabled supply chain system which has to be coordinated with different departments. The scheme has been shelved at the moment,” said Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary, Health. Instead of viewing it as an opportunity that would help Uttarakhand set up a sound regulatory and quality assurance system, the Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare has baulked at the idea. “There is a chance to improve our system and adopt best practises from the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. But in the past two years, the focus has been more on bringing more and more facilities under the public-private partnership,” said a senior doctor.
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Need felt to adopt landslide hazard mitigation tech
Dehradun, September 3 Dr Kishore Kumar from the Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi, stressed the need to adopt national landslide hazard mitigation and bio-engineering technologies, including the use of a geo-synthetic cover for soil erosion control, at the concluding session. Dr Sanjay K Jain from the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, described the Glacial Lake Outburst Flow (GLOF) and the criteria for the identification of dangerous lakes. Dr Sanjay K Jain talked about the GLOF mapping and stressed the need for a Doppler weather radar
in the hill region of the state. Dr DP Kanoongo from the CBRI, Roorkee, spoke about landslides in Uttarakhand and recommended that focus should be on hourly monitoring of rainfall rather than daily basis information. Dr Sudhanshu from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Chandigarh, spoke about a study carried out by them in Uttarakhand and in other parts of the Himalayas. Dr Piyoush Rautela, Director, DMMC, Uttarakhand, and Dr P N Singh, Director General, Border Roads Organisation, expressed their views about the ground reality and the possible solutions, especially in dealing with tragedies like the Kedarnath disaster. |
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Nadi Bachao Abhiyan fears migration from hilly areas
Dehradun, September 3 Addressing a press conference here today, Suresh Bhai said with large-scale devastation in Uttarakhand in the recent disaster, the people residing in hills were left with no source of livelihood and had no other option than to migrate to plain areas. He said while the state government was talking of reconstruction and rehabilitation in Uttarakhand, there was no plan on its part to create livelihood opportunities for the disaster-affected people in the hills. Blaming hydroelectric projects for floods, Suresh Bhai said debris were being thrown into rivers resulting in repeated flooding during rains. Suresh Bhai suggested for the construction of strong embankments on river banks to check floods. He called for a policy on climate change in the state. Prof Virendra Painuily, Hem Gairola and Durga Kanswal were also present onthe occasion. |
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Flood-hit Gothi villagers seek wall along Kali
Pithoragarh, September 3 The villagers came here today to hand over their memorandum to Pithoragarh District Magistrate Neeraj Khairwal. They said that continuous erosion by the river had threatened the security of entire village. Already 25 houses had been washed away by the strong waves of the swollen Kali on June 17. “We have demanded that before giving ration and other material to the affected villagers, a protection wall must be erected along the river to provent damage to the remaining houses,” said Surmati Devi, a villager. The Gothi villagers said over 70 families of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes reside in the village. Over 25 houses have vanished, rendering these families homeless. “We are not in a position to construct new houses with the compensation given to us by the government as we have no land to construct new houses,” said Surmati. The villagers have also complained that they have not been enlisted in disaster-hit villages list prepared by the administrative officers despite maximum damage to land and property incurred by them. “We want to be given disaster-hit village status as without it, we will not be able to demand the protection wall, which is essential for averting further tragedies as the village is situated on the bank of the river and erosion takes place every year,” said the villagers. |
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Team to search bodies in Kedarnath heights
Dehradun, September 3 The team, headed by ASP Navneet Singh Bhullar, was expected to leave for Guptkashi on September 3, from where it would start climbing towards the higher reaches of Kedarnath valley, which might take a day or two to reach due to the damaged routes. Several high-altitude areas in Kedarnath valley remained inaccessible following the mid-June disaster. The team is expected to begin its second phase of search mission in the
areas 4,000 m above the sea level. "The team will make its base at Kedarnath and will search more bodies in the higher reaches of Kedarnath valley. The team will be stationed there till all areas are cleared," said Sanjay Gunjyal, DIG (Crime). DIG GS Martolia, who is already stationed at Guptkashi, will be monitoring the search operation. In the first phase of the search operation at Kedarnath, a joint team of the Uttarakhand Police and the National Disaster Response Force, headed by GS Martolia, had recovered 396 bodies and also cremated them. The team could not visit the high-altitude areas in the month of July and August due to bad weather. With a slight improvement in the weather, the search mission is starting once again.
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Seminar to discuss causes of mid-June natural disaster
Pithoragarh, September 3 “We have focused on the youth as they are the one who will take these concerns to the masses in the coming days,” said Rajiv Lochan Shah, a spokesman for the seminar. The organisers of the proposed seminar said Srinagar had been selected as the venue as this town had faced several earthquakes, flash floods and other kinds of disasters in the past. “This hill town was hit by a severe earthquake in 1803 and flash floods in 1894 and 1970,” said Shah. According to a letter issued by Rajiv Lochan Shah, Shekhar Pathak, Samir Raturi and Aranya Ranjan, the seminar would discuss the prevailing ground situation in the disaster-hit areas based on a presentation about the damage caused, the information regarding which would be gathered by activists. “After this presentation, the actual discussion will be held to find out if the June 17 disaster was caused by privatisation of forest and water resources of the state, besides mining policies and unscientific ways of road construction,” said Shah. The seminar would also discuss large-scale migration from hill villages due to lack of facilities. Leading experts from across the country and social activists would take part in it. “We have made it clear that the seminar will not be a mere intellectual time pass but a serious initiative on which the future shape of activism will depend,” said Shah. |
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CM’s chopper fails to land due to dense fog in Mussoorie
Mussoorie, September 3 Bahuguna was scheduled to deliver a lecture to the 276 officer trainees at the Lal Bhadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in the morning. The incident left the host and the Congress workers who had gathered here to welcome him a dejected lot. The officials attributed the dense fog as the main reason for the incident and said the change in the weather led to the Chief Minster returning to Dehradun.
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Jaunpuri dialect figures in linguistic survey
Mussoorie, September 3 Speaking to The Tribune before leaving for Delhi, Surendar Pundir said it was a historic moment which he would cherish for ever. The work had given him tremendous satisfaction. Pundir, a proud resident of Mussoorie, said he had contributed one chapter on the Jaunpuri dialect spoken in the western hills to the volume on Uttarakhand, along with other eminent writers from the state. He said his earlier work on the dailect was done several decades ago when Uttarakhand was part of Uttar Pradesh. Pundir added that in order to understand and gather the intricate traits of the Jaunpuri dialect, he had to delve into its history and make a detailed observation during various fairs and religious functions organised here. Since the dialect had no written script, the job was tedious and time consuming. He was satisfied with his work, added Pundir. The research also includes grammar, local idioms and changes which the dialect has seen over the ages. All these details have been penned in a beautiful manner that anyone can enjoy to read. Speaking on the importance of such work, Surendar Pundir said India had reportedly lost about one-fifth of its languages during the first half and one-third in the second half of the last century. “At this rate, melodious dialects, such as Jaunpuri, will soon become a thing of the past. Hence it was imperative to document and preserve them,” said Pundir and stressed on the need to focus and preserve the dialect. He thanked the publishers of the book for providing him the opportunity to work for such an intriguing project and become part of the linguistic history of a vast country like India. He hoped that his work would encourage other take up further study of the dialect. The People’s Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) has been initiated by Ganesh Davy, Director of the Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, Vadodara, and is funded by the Jamshedji Tata Trust, Mumbai. Around 800 languages have been surveyed in the book scheduled to be launched in the presence of the Minister for Culture in Delhi. |
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Eight students of Unison visit NASA
Dehradun, September 3 The trip provided the students with practical and theoretical experience and an opportunity to learn from other cultures. During their visit, students were taken to Orlando, New York, and Boston. They were also taken on a helicopter ride at Boston. In the first half of their tour, they were taken to Universal Adventure Island at Orlando, followed by Disneyland. Later, they visited Kennedy Space
Centre. |
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Dental institute refuses to refund security amount
Dehradun, September 3 The aggrieved students have also submitted a written complaint to the CO (city) against the management of the institute. “We had deposited Rs 1 lakh as caution money with the hope that it would be refunded to us at the end of the course. It is our parents' hard-earned money and should be refunded as indicated in the prospectus after the completion of our course in 2012,” said Dr Renu Rawat, a former student. The students said when they approached the authorities asking them to refund the money, they were told that the amount would not be refunded to them as they had earned the seat in the institute through the management quota. “We also showed the prospectus to the management which clearly stated that the amount would be refunded no matter if one had procured admission through the management quota. We even urged chairman DS Pandey to give us in writing the reason for withholding our security deposit,”said Dr Swati Tomar, an aggrieved former student. The students had lodged a complaint against the chairman of the institute in January, after which he had given in writing that the security amount would be returned by July or August. “The chairman has returned the security amount to 11 of the total 26 students. But he has withheld the amount of the remaining students on the contention that the security fee cannot be refunded to students who were admitted through the management quota. However, there is no mention of this criterion in the prospectus,” said
Renu. |
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Krishna palanquin procession remained subdued this year
Mussoorie, September 3 To pay homage to the disaster victims, the Sanatan Dharm Mandir Sabha stayed away from pomp and show. Religious tableaux and bands were missing during the procession. The procession started its 4-km journey at 2 pm and culminated at Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Library Bazaar. Local MLA Ganesh Joshi, MC president Manmohan Singh Mall, former MC president OP Uniyal, former Mussoorie MLA Jot Singh Gunsola and other public representatives also joined the procession. Kirtan mandali followed the doli, singing and dancing in praise of Krishna. Students from Sanskrit Vidyalaya also joined the procession. 'Aarti' was held at Picture Palace, where the president of the Nagar Palika, along with other devotees, offered prayers. Teri Randall, a foreigner, who is studying Hindi language here, said the Indian culture and festivals are full of colours and this was a new experience for her to see so many students dressed in colourful attires. She said learning Hindi was also a different experience as it was a precise language but difficult for westerners. According to local resident Anil Godiyal, the Krishna procession began in 1870 during the British rule. The present Radha Krishan Mandir was a small tin shed then. According to elders, Shiva and Krishna Temple were situated near Nag Mandir at Hathipaon. Britishers had banned worship at this temple. One day when the Britishers had gone for the Good Friday celebrations, Hindu devotees discreetly established Krishna idol at Radha Krishan Mandir. They brought it in a wooden doli in a procession. Since then it has become an annual feature. |
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Bhatt demands White Paper on relief work
Mussoorie, September 3 Bhatt told mediapersons that he had come here from Kedarnath and found that the conditions were still pathetic there as relief had not reached the affected people. He alleged that the government had failed to keep an account of several thousand crores of rupees donated by the people, resulting in widespread corruption. He, therefore, demanded that the government should come out with a White Paper on the issue so that the people could be made aware of how the relief money was being distributed. Bhatt said after the passage of the Food Security Bill the ration reaching the people had become dearer. It was only an election gimmick of the Congress. |
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Bahuguna gives Rs 30 lakh aid to missing SDM’s family
Dehradun, September 3 The Chief Minister met Aroras’s father Krishnakant, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter-in-law at the Secretariat, here today. While presenting a cheque to the family, the CM assured them every kind of support. He said the process of absorbing Arora’s wife in a government job would begin soon. Bahuguna said the government had been providing food, shelter, medical facilities and other basic amenities to disaster victims. He said the government had been making all possible efforts to help rebuild the lives of those affected by the calamity. The Chief Minister said the state had lost several NDRF, Air Force, Army and police personnel during the rescue and relief operation. SDM Ajay Arora was also posted at the Kedarnath area to supervise and execute rescue and relief work, but unfortunately his foot slipped and he was swept away by the strong currents of Mandakini river. The state government had been unable to trace him even after making lot of efforts. The CM expressed hope that the monetary relief provided by the government would help Arora’s family overcome the present adverse circumstances and resume a normal life. Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh and former minister Tilak Raj Behad were also present on the occasion. |
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CPI (ML) blames govt policy for mid-June natural disaster
Dehradun, September 3 Addressing a workshop entitled “Disaster – Lessons and Challenges” in Srinagar Garhwal today, Raja Bahuguna said reconstruction could be effective only if it had the consent of the people and addressed their concerns. Bahuguna said the political leadership in Uttarakhand had continuously ignored the environmental concerns of scientists and social activists and the destruction in the present rain disaster was a fallout of the “faulty disaster management policies of the state government.” Dr SP Sati of the Geology Department of HNB Garhwal Central University said the accumulation of debris generated by the construction of roads and hydropower projects was the major reason behind the floods. He opposed rampant construction of hydro-power projects in the state. CPI (ML) Garhwal Committee member Atul Sati said hydro-power projects had contributed to the recent floods in Uttarakhand and sought legal action against hydro-power companies. Prof RC Dimri said the disaster mechanism in the state had completely failed. He suggested that universities must play an important role towards strengthening disaster preparedness in the state. CPI (ML) Garhwal secretary Indresh Maikhuri coordinated the workshop. |
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UKD demands rejection of PMGSY tenders
Dehradun, September 3 UKD’s working president AP Juyal while addressing a press conference said tenders linked to the PMGSY must be rejected as they had been allotted at the behest of a minister from the ruling party. He said transparency was essential in the tendering process. Juyal said state’s dream was yet to be realised. He said the issue of unemployment and poverty were still a major challenge for people living in hills. He also accused the Congress and the BJP of failing to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state. UKD media in charge Manmohan Lakhera was also present during the occasion.
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Dehradun, September 3
India has reportedly lost about one-fifth of its languages during the first half and one-third in the second half of the last century. At this rate, melodious dialects like Jaunpuri will soon become a thing of the past. Hence, it is imperative to document and preserve
these.