Despite $1,200 m WB aid, state reels under water crisis
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
Even after spending money to the tune of Rs 1,200 million dollars through a World Bank-aided project in 2006, people living in 36,659 rural habitations in Uttarakhand continue to be deprived of water. They receive less than 40 lpcd (litre per capita per day) of water for their everyday needs. People residing in around 694 rural habitations are facing acute scarcity of water. At times, they have to do without water for more than two days.

Six years ago, Peyjal Nigam was asked to cover habitations receiving water less than 40 lpcd under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). The World Bank agreed to finance the project in 2006.

Prior to implementation of the project, a survey was undertaken in 2003. Around 39,142 rural habitations in Uttarakhand were found to be receiving less than the mandatory 40 lpcd water. The World Bank sanctioned 120 million dollars for the project.

Far from the target, in the last eight years, only 2,483 habitations were covered. According to data provided by India Water, under the NRDWP programme, in the state's 13 districts, by 2013, the programme could reach barely 2,483 habitations.

In the rural areas of Bageshwar, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts, the situation continues to be dismal. In fact, the situation has worsened in the districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh, where several water schemes were struck by the mid-June disaster last year.

In the aftermath of the disaster, around 2,753 water schemes were affected, which aggravated the situation.

Far from working on achieving the targets under the NRDWP programme, the Jal Sansthan and Peyjal Nigam blame each other.

“Peyjal Nigam was entrusted with the job of covering rural areas which were receiving less water. We have nothing to do with it,” said DD Dimri, Chief General, Jal Sansthan.

The Peyjal Nigam authorities have passed the buck on to the government for failing to strengthen the Nigam that is in the throes of a crisis.

Blame game

Peyjal Nigam was entrusted with the job of covering rural areas which were receiving less water. We have nothing to do with it~

DD Dimri, Chief General, Jal Sansthan

The Peyjal Nigam authorities have passed the buck on to the government for failing to strengthen the Nigam that is in the throes of a crisis

‘Community participation in water conservation a must’
Tribune News Service

The workshop on water conservation in progress in Dehradun on Wednesday. a tribune photograph

Dehradun, June 4
Vijay Kumar Dhoundiyal, Director General, Uttarakhand State Council of Science and Technology, has stressed on community participation in water conservation initiatives in the state. Dhoundiyal said this while addressing the inaugural session of a two-day workshop entitled "Remote Sensing Applications in Water Resources Management" organised jointly the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre and the Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre at Doon University here today. He said a water conservation initiative should be community based to make it successful.

He added, "The community has a natural right over water which could not be denied to it. There are several examples of how the community in the hills have conserved water on its own since ages."

Dhaundiyal referred to Pani Panchayat, an effort by local villagers towards replenishing natural water resources in Uttarakhand hills and criticised the marketing of water in the country.

Dr YVN Krishnamurthy, Director, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, delivered a lecture on application of remote sensing in water resource management. He said remote sensing of natural resources could be used to evolve a system to monitor, assess and manage natural resources for the generation of a database for water resources studies.

Dr Sanjay Jain, a scientist with the National Institute of Hydrology, Dr Sushma Gairola, a scientist with the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre, and Pankaj Kumar, a scientist with the Himalayan Environment Studies and Conservation Organisation, were prominent speakers during the first day of the workshop.

Senior UCOST scientists Dr DP Uniyal and BP Purohit and Amit Pokhriyal were present at the workshop. Dr Prashant Singh coordinated the proceedings.

ABVP, college management lock horns
Tribune News service

Mussoorie, May 4
Fresh trouble is brewing over the decision of the college management committee to hold the function of Golden Jubilee celebrations of Municipal Post graduate College at Municipal Council premises instead of college auditorium. The function is scheduled for June 6 here.

Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarti Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, irked at the decision of the college management committee and has decided to protest against the proposed visit of Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Cabinet Ministers Dinesh Agarwal and Pritam Singh in the function.

Members of the ABVP gathered at the college campus and raised slogans against president of college management committee Manmohan Singh Mall. The agitating students also cornered Principal Sudhir Gairlola and questioned the decision of organising such an important function of the college not on the college campus but at the municipal council premises.

They also alleged that MC representatives had misled the Chief Minister and were trying to play politics to get into good books of the senior Congress leaders.

The protesting students also alleged that the students union was not taken into confidence while deciding the venue for the event. They also said that if the function was held at the MC premises on Friday, no student would attend the function and instead they would organise their own function on the college campus after the examinations.

Sudhir Gairola, principal of the college said due to the ongoing examinations, the management committee had decided to hold the function at the MC premises and he had nothing to say on the decision.

Student leaders threatened that they would boycott the visit of Chief Minister Harish Rawat and show him black flags if their demand of holding the function at the college auditorium was not met.

The college came into existence 50 years ago and is managed and funded by the Municipal Council of Mussoorie. Former student union president Dharpal Panwar,Sandeep, Mukesh Pal, Mohan, Avinash, Suraj Pundir Brijpal and others were present on the occasion.

Villagers returning to Darma stranded
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, June 4
Villagers returning to their high altitude villages in the Darma valley are stranded midway following damage to an embankment made to divert the Gori river waters at Sobla, near Tawaghat, to make a route to the valley. The Gori river had washed away the trek route to the Darma valley at Sobla. The river, which was to be diverted 500 metres from its present path to make a route to the Darma valley, has started flowing again on its old path, blocking the route to the valley villages.

"We met the Dharchula SDM today and requested him to sped up the work of diverting the river flow at Sobla so that we could go to our villages," said KS Phirmal, a resident of Philam village in the Darma valley.

According to villagers, due to a sudden disturbance in the Gori river flow at Sobla the residents of Dantu, Goo, and Sipu villages, who were migrating from lower valleys to their native villages in high altitude valleys, are stranded and are not in a position to cross the route. "We have to worship our clan deity Gabla on June 15. But if the river flow is not diverted by then, we will not be able to reach our homes for the puja," said Phirmal.

Pramod Kumar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Dharchula, said the CPWD was clearing the route and the work was expected to be complete in three days.? After the temporary embankment was damaged two days ago, I instructed the officials concerned to speed up the work as the time of the Kailash Mansarowar Yatra was also nearing," said the SDM.

It is the second hurdle that the migrating villagers have encountered on their journey back to the Darma valley. Earlier a bridge was constructed at Kanchoti last week to facilitate them.

World environment day
Care for earth, it’s urgent: Guv
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
Governor Aziz Qureshi, in a message to the people of the state on the eve of World Environment Day, said today the day was observed globally to enhance social awareness about the need to preserve and nurture environment. He said keeping in mind this year's theme, "Small Island Developing States (SIDS)", chosen by the UNEP for World Environment Day, a greater understanding of the importance of SIDS and of the urgency to protect islands in the face of growing risks and vulnerabilities was required. This was significant especially in the light of climate change, he added.

The Governor said the day was an opportunity for everyone to realise the responsibility to care for the earth and become an agent of change. He added each one of us should resolve to make sustainable use of our precious natural resources like water and forests.

He said these resources were linked to our livelihood and survival as well as our cultural and religious beliefs. "Our modern lifestyle is taking us away from our awareness of the need to conserve these resources," he said.

The Governor said it was a matter of pride that Uttarakhand through the Chipko movement gave the message of environment conservation to the entire world. He expressed concern at the fact that today the forests in this region were being lost to fires.

He said the Ganga and the Yamuna were the victims of pollution and this was a challenge to our civilisation, culture and development.

"Let us rise above our personal interests and resolve to protect nature, or the mankind will be in danger," he said.

Dhartawala residents demand drainage system
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
Residents of Dhartawala in the ward number 32 staged a protest at the District Magistrate’s office here today demanding a drainage system in their area before the monsoon season sets in. The protesters were led by Congress councillor Jagdish Dhiman. They have threatened to intensify the agitation if their demand is not fulfilled.

The residents said they had submitted several memorandums to administration officials but no action had been taken so far. They said waterlogging was a common sight in the area during the rains.

Dharmendra Kumar Teetu, Kiran Tiwar, Sumit Khanna, Pankaj Agarwal, Ajit Sharma, Nitin Nagpal, Sachin and Kulwant Kaur were prominent among the protesters.

Meanwhile, residents of the Race Course (South) Road staged a protest at the Peyjal Nigam office here yesterday in support of their demand for concrete steps for repairing a damaged retaining wall of the locality.

They threatened to intensify the agitation if the department did not take the necessary action immediately.

Rakhi Barthwal, councillor, Race Course (South), led the protest. The protesters lamented that the sewage water was entering their houses as the retaining wall of the drainage system was completely damaged. They also submitted a memorandum to the officials concerned in support of their demand.

Up in arms: The protesters have threatened to intensify the agitation if their demand is not fulfilled.

Two wedding points sealed
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) sealed two wedding points, an under-construction school building and a telecommunication tower here today. The action was taken as part of a drive to check rampant illegal construction in the state capital. MDDA officials and a police team sealed two illegal wedding points on Raipur Road and at Nathuawala constructed without seeking prior approval of building maps.

The team proceeded towards Banjarawala, where the third floor of Max International School, being constructed illegally, was sealed. A tower of Reliance Communications was also sealed.

Banshidhar Tiwari, Secretary, MDDA, told The Tribune that the orders to seal the wedding points were given after it was found that they were constructed illegally.

“There are around 100 wedding points in the state capital out of which 45 have been constructed illegally. We have prepared a list and will go ahead and seal other illegal wedding points soon,” he added.

Asked why no action was taken when these illegal wedding points were being constructed, Tiwari said, "This is a big city and it becomes difficult to keep a watch on every construction. It was only after the areas where these illegal wedding points were constructed witnessed severe traffic problems that the issue came to light. We would be closing down all illegal wedding points before the year end.” The team included Sunil Prashar, Anand Ram, Devender, Sanjeev Aggarwal, and Sudhir Gupta.

All set for Cabinet meeting at Almora
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 4
All necessary arrangements have been completed for a Cabinet meeting to be held at Almora tomorrow. Meanwhile, with the model code of conduct in place for the coming panchayat polls, State Election Commissioner Subardhan has issued a statement directing the Cabinet not to take any decision just to woo a particular section of society.

Subardhan said the Cabinet could take decisions pertaining to the welfare of society only.

Earlier, the meeting was to be held at Vikas Bhavan. However, due to the poll code, it will now be held at Circuit House.

Almora District Magistrate ?Vinod Kumar Suman said all security arrangements were in place. Additional security places had been called from other districts. "Nearly 80 rooms had been booked for ministers and their supporting staff in and around Almora town?," said the District Magistrate.

Describing the Cabinet meeting at Almora as an historic event, local Congress MLA Manoj Tiwari said Chief Minister Harish Rawat always focused on the common man and keeping the interests of statehood fighters in mind, he decided to take Cabinet decisions at the local level. “We hope the meeting will be beneficial to Almora town and the Chief Minister will take decisions for the welfare of the town," he said.

Strict instructions

With the model code of conduct in place for the coming panchayat polls, State Election Commissioner Subardhan has issued a statement directing the Cabinet not to take any decision just to woo a particular section of society.

Glacial-fed rivers in spate worry villagers
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, June 4
The slow pace of construction of protection walls at 19 places along the banks of the Gori, Dhauli and Kali rivers in Dharchula and Munsiyari subdivisions of the district is worrying villagers and residents of towns in the disaster-hit areas. Due to the melting of glaciers in the upper reaches of the Himalayan basins, the water level in these glacial-fed rivers has started increasing. The residents fear that due to the increase in the water level in the Dhauli river the temporary wall made to divert its flow at Sobla might give way. The monsoon may even make the situation worse.

According to CPWD sources, the work to divert the river flow to its original path is being carried out. “We have instructed CPWD engineers to divert the river flow to its original path at 210-metre right from the present path before the arrival of the monsoon," said Pramod Kumar, SDM, Dharchula.

He added Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar during a recent tour of the Darma valley had instructed the officers concerned to link Sobla with Dar village by diverting the river waters.

According to sources in the Irrigation Department, a 7.3 km long protection wall was to be constructed at a cost of Rs 104 crore alongside the Dhauli, Gori and Kali rivers to save nearby villages from flooding during the monsoon. “We have planned to construct foundations of these walls before July on priority," said PK Dixit, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department.

Dharchula, Gothi, Mudkot, Kalika, Jauljibi, Baluakot and Jhoolaghat towns situated close to the riverbanks are facing the impending danger of flooding and being washed away during the monsoon. “Over 300 houses in these areas are still in the danger zone," said Lila Bangyal, a social worker in Jauljibi town.

Woman injured in domestic violence
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
A family scuffle turned violent when the husband allegedly cut his wife's arm veins in the Nehru Colony police station area here yesterday. On the complaint of their son Imran, the police have registered a case and arrested the victim's husband. Salman reportedly had an argument with his wife, Sahana Praveen, over a family issue last night. The situation took an ugly turn and Salman brought a knife from the kitchen and cut Sahana's arm veins, critically injuring her.

Meanwhile, Imran saw her mother lying on the floor in an unconscious state. He with the help of his friends admitted her mother to the Doon Hospital. Imran blamed his father for the incident who is unemployed.

Thief arrested

The Raipur police have arrested a thief, who have stolen valuables from parked four-wheelers, after breaking their windowpanes. The police have recovered an autorickshaw, which he allegedly stole from Dalanwala on Tuesday.

On a tip-off, the police raided a junk dealer's shop near a limestone furnace on Raipur Road and arrested Aqil Ahmed, a resident of Sanjay Colony.

According to the Raipur police, Aqil has admitted to stealing the autorickshaw and other thefts committed in the last couple of months. Aqil has a criminal history and was earlier jailed in a theft case. The police have recovered valuables from his possession.

Maneri Bhalli-II project to restart generation
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
The Maneri Bhalli-II hydropower project, which was shut for the construction of protection walls on the riverbank, will restart generation from June 10. The project produces 300 MW of power.

Power Department officials said electricity was being purchased from outside sources to reduce the gap between demand and availability of power in the state.

The demand for electricity is 34.47 million units (MU) against the availability of 33.66 MU in the state. Even as the state-run hydropower projects are generating 15 MU per day, the department is facing a shortage of nearly 2 to 3 MU per day.

The department is forced to implement two hours of emergency cuts on non-continuous industries.

GP Patel, Managing Director, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, said renovation, modernisation and upgrading of turbines was a regular feature to ensure an optimum power generation through state-run hydropower projects.

He said turbines were generating electricity at its optimum level as glacial rivers had melted. Patel said the hydropower project would restart power generation from June 10 onwards.

Dishes, cuisines, showcased at workshop
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
A one-day food workshop was organised at the Madhuban Academy of Hospitality Management (MAHAR) here today in which different cuisines prepared by the academy's students were showcased. Hemand Kochar, director of the academy, said 22 students of the last batch of the institute, who had just come back after completing their one-year training in the country's best five-star hotels, participated in the workshop.

According to the management of the institute, the main aim behind organising the workshop was to hone the skills of the students under the guidance of the MAHAR faculty. The experts also took note of the students' understanding about various kinds of dishes and cuisines during the workshop.

Satish Thapa, a teacher at the institute, coordinated the workshop. Other faculty members were also present on the occasion.

Rebate for students at Mahant hospital
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital has announced free medical consultation for students of all Dehradun schools. Further, any student who is hospitalised will get a 50 per cent discount.

The students will have to bring their identity cards and a letter from their respective principal about the health check-up.

Dr Vinay Rai, Medical Superintendent, Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, said all government and non-government school students could avail of the discount on health check-up provided they carried the identity cards and a letter from their principal.

If in a group, even the facility of transport to and fro the hospital would be provided by the SGRR Education Mission, Shri Darbar Sahib.

The Chief Education Officer, Dehradun, has informed the principals of all government and non-government schools about the initiative.

Protest over rise in veggie prices
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
BJP activists held a protest on the district headquarters campus here today against the rise in the prices of vegetables, fruits and other essential commodities. They demanded that the district administration should take effective steps to keep the prices of vegetables and other essential commodities in check.

The protesters under the leadership of Abhimanyu Kumar, state co-media in charge of the BJP, gathered at the district headquarters and shouted anti-administration slogans. They submitted a memorandum to district administration officials in support of their demand. They said the prices of fruits, and vegetables were rising rapidly in the city as wholesalers were selling these to retailers and street-vendors at much higher prices.

The BJP activists urged the district administration to keep a watch on wholesalers to keep a tab on the prices of vegetables, and fruits. They threatened to start an agitation if the district administration failed to take the necessary steps.

Digambar Negi, Harish Narang, Sachin Gupta, Tripti Jatav, Seema Dora, Praveen Sharma, and Mahesh Gupta took part in the protest.

Gaming zone employee decamps with Rs 2.5 lakh
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
An employee of a gaming zone allegedly decamped with Rs 2.5 lakh here today. His employer had given him the money for depositing in a bank located on Rajpur Road. Manoj Bhutani, owner of the gaming zone, has got a complaint registered in Dalanwala police station against his employee, Aman, for running away with Rs 2.5 lakh.

Bhutani said he was alarmed when Aman did not return in time. The bank informed him that no deposit was made in his account. He then tried to inquire about Aman's whereabouts who was not traceable. He then informed the police about the incident and filed a complaint.

Meanwhile, Aman's uncle informed the police that he met him in the morning and he had money with him at that time. The police have now alerted all police stations and check posts so that Aman is nabbed.

Drunken youth enters LBS academy, arrested
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, June 4
In a gross security breach last night, a youth under the influence of liquor entered the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration mess that is used by trainee IAS officers and employees by breaking a windowpane. The police have apprehended the trespasser and registered a case against him.

The youth has been identified as Ankush, a resident of Shakarpur in Delhi. He had come to visit his relative who works in the academy near Happy Valley in Mussoorie where trainee IAS officers are trained to run the country.

According to the police, Ankush broke a windowpane and entered the mess with an intention to commit a theft. The security guards of the academy were informed who nabbed the youth. The police rushed to the academy and arrested him. A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 457, 380, 511, and 427 of the IPC.

Air India beat Dena Bank by 58 runs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
Continuing with their good form in the tournament, Air India defeated Dena Bank by 58 runs in a match in the ongoing 32nd All India Uttarakhand Gold Cup Cricket Tournament at the Rangers College ground here today.

Air India lost the toss and was put into bat first. They displayed a splendid batting show and made a whopping 321 runs in 40 overs. Hiten Dalal played a brilliant knock of 167 runs in just 104 balls while Pradeep Malik scored 72 runs in 60 balls. The cameos played by Deepak Joon and R Parida also helped Air India in setting up a mammoth target. For Dena Bank, Subodh Bhati took 3 wickets.

In reply, Dena Bank got off to an average start with both opening batsmen getting out after playing short innings. Puneet Bisht scored the highest 64 runs in 39 balls, followed by a blistering innings of 41 runs in mere 23 runs by Ankit. For Air India, Abhishek Bhatt and Karan Kaila took 3 wickets each.

In the second match of the day, MCA Mumbai defeated BSNL by 7 wickets. BSNL won the toss and elected to bat first. They made 238 runs in 40 overs. Niranjan Behera played a majestic knock of 129 runs in 100 balls. Sanjay Banal scored 43 runs and Kamlesh Makwana 29 runs but the last five batsmen of the team got out on zero and the score got restricted to 238 runs. Iqbal Alam bowled a brilliant spell and took 4 wickets for MCA Mumbai.

Meanwhile, MCA Mumbai easily chased the target with Hiken Shah scoring a brilliant 104 runs in 66 balls while Sarfaraz Khan and Nikhil Patil hitting half centuries. The team achieved the target with 4 overs still remaining. For Dena Bank, Kamlesh Makwana took 2 wickets in the match.

Doon Football Club win 1-0
Tribune News Service

Players vie for the ball in a match in the Dehradun District Football League played at Pavilion Ground in Dehradun on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, June 4
Doon Challenger Football Club registered a 1-0 win over Gurdwara Football Club in a match during the District Football League here today. Saurabh scored the lone goal for Doon Challenger in the 15th minute of the match.

In the second match, Nagar Nigam Football Club was given walkover when the Garhwal Boys team did not come to play the match.

Workshop for football referees

The Sarvagun Society and the Dehradun District Football Referee Association jointly organised a workshop for newly appointed referees of the district at the society's educational centre 'Sancharan' at Malsi here yesterday.

FIFA-accredited referee Pratap Singh Patwal interacted with the newly-appointed referees and taught various technical points to them through the use of multimedia presentations.

The participants also discussed practical problems which they faced during a football match and the experts answered their questions.

Satish Kulashri, chairman of the Dehradun District Football Referee Association, and Rahul Rawat, secretary of the Sarvagun Society, were present on the occasion. Rawat advised the participants to keep serving society by doing their job to the best of their abilities.

CITU protests sheer lack of facilities at ESI dispensaries
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 4
The Dehradun chapter of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) has lodged a protest against lack of facilities at ESI dispensaries and hospitals in the district. In a press note issued here, Centre of Indian Trade Union Dehradun secretary Lekhraj said there was no doctor at the Patel Nagar-based Employees’ State Insurance dispensary.

“Basic equipment, including the blood pressure machine and thermometer, are also not available,” he added.

The cashless service to labourers registered under the Employees’ State Insurance scheme by the Himalayan Hospital, Jolly Grant, has also been stopped, as their previous bills are yet to be cleared by the government.

He demanded that the government should take immediate steps to improve the condition at these hospitals. Employees and their families are bearing the brunt of the sheer lack of facilities in these medical institutions.