Alternate routes for six highways being planned
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Viewed as a panacea to the state’s problems of blocked routes due to foul weather, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways has suggested developing alternate routes for six National Highways and will be presenting its report to the state government in September.

After facing the brunt of the 2013 rain deluge during which several roads and highways were washed away impeding connectivity in Uttarakhand, developing alternate routes that could withstand the nature’s onslaught was put forward as a viable solution by the Central Government last year.

To that end, MORTH has undertaken a survey through private consultants and is almost nearing the closing end of the report to be submitted to the Uttarakhand government in September.

“The survey is being carried out by private consultants for developing alternate routes for six highways, hired by MORTH. Once the report is submitted, we would know the way forward in terms of developing the alternate routes. It could involve bypassing a stretch that falls in an unstable zone by developing tunnels and changing the location and alignment of the bridge so that it does not face the wrath of the swelling rivers during the monsoon season. In other places where the zone is unstable due to tectonic fault lines, slope stabilisation could be carried, which takes decades to give the results,” said Amit Negi, Secretary, PWD.

In Uttarakhand the six highways in Garhwal and Kumaon continue to be the lifeline for the locals and the pilgrims who throng the state during the Char Dham Yatra and developing alternate routes provides a chance for making these routes all-weather.

As of now during heavy rains the Rishikesh- Kedarnath NH-109 highway faces a perennial problem of blockade at Gaurikund and other places. Then the NH-108 highway linking Rishikesh to Gangotri faces problems at Dharasu bend and Gangnani.

In Chamoli the Rishikesh-Badrinath (NH-58) faces problems at Lambagar and Pagalnala. The traffic on Rishikesh to Yamnotri national highway (NH-94) is usually held up at Maneri Dam site. Similar problems are encountered at Tanakpur-Pithoragarh (NH-125) National Highway and on Almora-Bageshwar (NH-87) National Highway.

Besides these recommendations would also have to go through the whole rigmarole of getting forest clearances and facing up to the geographical stability constraints that limit choices in the hilly areas due to unstable rocks.

Looking ahead After facing the brunt of the 2013 rain deluge during which several roads and highways were washed away impeding connectivity in Uttarakhand, developing alternate routes that could withstand the nature’s onslaught was put forward as a viable solution by the Central Government last year To that end, MORTH has undertaken a survey through private consultants and is almost nearing the closing end of the report to be submitted to the Uttarakhand government in September

Rains continue in Uttarakhand, rivers in spate
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Moderate to light rain continued in several parts of the state today. Most of Himalayan rivers and tributaries like Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and Mandakini are nearing the danger mark.

The Met Department has forecast heavy rain at isolated places, especially in Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Almora, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts.

Ukhimath and Jakholi today received 25 mm of rainfall and Rudraprayag 2.5 mm of rainfall.

Among the worst-affected districts is Uttarkashi, where Purola and Bhattwadi received 13 mm and 8 mm of rainfall, respectively. Chinyalisaur and Uttarkashi received 7 mm of rainfall each.

Kotdwar, Pauri, and Dhumakot received 32 mm, 24 mm and 17.05 mm of rainfall, respectively. In Almora Ranikhet recorded 9.04 mm of rainfall whereas Nainital received 85 mm of rainfall and Dhari recorded 42.05 mm of rainfall.

Incessant rains also triggered landslides and mudslides along the Char Dham route. Rishikesh-Badrinath NH-58 is blocked at Bainakuli and Lambagad. Reports of landslides were received from Chandrapuri and Kund, leading to blockage of Rishikesh-Kedarnath NH-109.

The vehicular movement is prohibited on Rishikesh-Gangotri NH-108 due to mudslides at Netala, Sonnagar, Laldhang, Helgugad, Gangnani and Thirang, and Rishikesh-Yamunotri NH-94 is blocked due to landslides at Vadiya.

Mudslides and landslides have also affected the vehicular movement in the higher reaches.

Tanakpur-Tawaghat road closed due to heavy rain

Pithoragarh, July 29
Major highways, including the Tanakpur-Tawaghat national highway and the Pithoragarh-Almora highway, remained closed to traffic for over 12 hours as heavy rain lashed the region today.

The incessant rain has been continuing for the past 48 hours. According to reports from Champawat district, the vehicular traffic remained suspended due to heavy debris dumped at Dhaun.

“Thousands of passengers were stranded at Dhaun after landslides washed away 20-ft portion of a road yesterday,” said Manoj Pandey, District Disaster Management Officer, hampawat.

He said the BRO unit removed debris from the road with the help of three JCB machines. Besides the national highway, Champawat and Pithgoragarh districts, Pithoragarh-Almora-Haldwani highway remained closed for over 10 hours due to heavy debris dumped at Panar and Makrau points.

According to reports from the Lohaghat sub-division of Champawat district, over 24 roads were damaged due to heavy rain. “We have sounded an alert to the rescue teams as the Met department has forecasted heavy rain in the next 24 hours,” said Dependra Chaudhary, District Magistrate, Champawat.

According to information received from the District Disaster Management Office, Pithoragarh, the Kailash Mansarowar route from Kanchoti Bridge was still closed and pilgrims were being sent to Sirkh camp on foot via Pangla. — OC

Thousands attend Eid celebrations
Tight security arrangements were in place to check against any untoward incident
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Religious fervour and gaiety marked the festive occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr across the state on Tuesday. The festival marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan.

Tight security arrangements were in place to check against any untoward incident.

Attired in new clothes, members of the Muslim community visited mosques for the prayers and greeted each other and people from other communities.

In the state capital, Muslims thronged mosques at the designated time in the morning and bowed down before the Almighty wishing goodness for the entire humanity. A large number of people also thronged markets, especially near the mosques.

Dehradun policemen in civil dress were deployed across the city to keep a close vigil on mischievous elements. Major congregations were witnessed at at the Jama Masjid in Paltan Bazaar, Eidgah, Govindgarh, and Clement Town.

On account of huge rush, tight security arrangements were made at both places. “We had chalked out a special security plan for the festival. Foolproof security arrangements had been made,” said a senior police official.

In Mussoorie also, tight security arrangements were in place as tens of thousands of Muslims thronged mosques in the morning and offered prayers. They wished everyone “Eid mubarak”.

“People prayed for peace and progress in the country and in their personal lives,” said a member of the Muslim community.

After prayers, people feasted on delicacies like ‘sewainya’ (sweet vermicelli). Biryani and dry non-vegetarian dishes were also served on the occasion.

Meanwhile, in the wake of communal tension in districts neighbouring Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, additional security was deployed in the Muslim-dominated areas of Jwalapur, Ranipur and Bahadrabad.

In Jwalapur alone, two inspectors, three sub-inspectors, 34 constables, 10 women constables and 10 traffic constables were deployed besides the normal force.

As curfew is still imposed in Saharanpur, no state government bus from Uttarakhand plied on the Haridwar-Saharanpur route for the third consecutive day today.

Most of the buses of the Saharanpur route remained parked at Haridwar bus station while the route of other buses was changed.

Alok Benwal, Assistant Regional Manager, Uttarakhand Transport, said till normalcy was restored in Saharanpur, roadways buses would not ply on the Haridwar-Saharanpur route as frenzied mob had burnt roadways buses during the riot. 

Move to absorb computer operators resented
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
The computer operators and class four employees working in the Secretariat have expressed their displeasure over the Department of Secretariat and Administration’s move to absorb computer operators who were brought into the Secretariat from other departments.

In a letter issued a few days ago by the Department of Secretariat and Administration, the departments were asked to start the process of absorbing those computer operators as the staff of the Secretariat who were brought from other state departments in order to beat shortage of manpower. These computer operators have put in more than eight years of service.

However, the move has earned the displeasure of the Secretariat staff comprising class IV employees and computer operators.

The computer operators fear the move would dislodge them from the seniority list, as they are awaiting promotions. “ I am awaiting promotion now with this decision. My chances of getting a promotion would receive a setback,” said a computer operator working in the Secretariat.

While the fourth class employees are fearful that the move would put a stop to their being absorbed as computer operators. After the government had declared the fourth class cadre as dead last year, no new recruitments are taking place. Efforts are on to absorb the fourth class employees too as computer operators.

Virgiriwali Forestland case
DGP Sidhu denies role in tree felling
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
In his reaction in the Virgiriwali forestland tree felling controversy, Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sidhu today said he is not involved in the alleged illegal cutting of trees on land at Virgiriwali in Rajpur.

According to a statement issued by the DGP, he has requested the National Green Tribunal, where a case pertaining to illegal tree felling is on, through his legal counsel, that both cases registered in the matter should be heard together by the tribunal to bring out the truth.

The matter of green trees being axed on a plot of land bought by DGP BS Sidhu in reserve forest area on Old Mussoorie Road came to light last year, after which, Forest Ranger Dheeraj Pandey issued a challan.

The Director General of Police refuted the Forest Department’s claim and registered a separate complaint in the Rajpur police station against the Forest Ranger and contractors.

He has also demanded that he and Dheeraj Pandey be made to undergo polygraph/brain mapping test.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August 11 in National Green Tribunal.

Justice KM Joseph is new HC Chief Justice

Dehradun, July 29
Justice KM Joseph of Kerala High Court will be the new Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court, Nainital. He is likely to take oath on July 31 at Raj Bhawan. The Uttarakhand government received notification from the Central government regarding the appointment of Justice Joseph as the new Chief Justice of the high court on July 17.

According to sources, preparations for the swearing in ceremony have already begun at the Raj Bhawan. The new Chief Justice will be sworn in by the Governor. Justice Joseph would be the ninth Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.

Justice VK Bisht has been holding the officiating charge of the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court after the retirement of Justice Barin Ghosh on June 4 this year. Presently, there are five Judges, including the officiating Chief Justice, in the Nainital High Court. — TNS

Rashtriya Jagriti Manch calls for world peace
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Carrying a message of world peace, Rashtriya Jagriti Manch organised a programme at Government Girls Inter College, Kashipur, in Udham Singh Nagar district today.

Addressing the gathering, Member of Legislative Assembly Harbhajan Singh Cheema said that there was a need for world peace. “To make the world a better place to live for the future generations we all must make efforts towards maintaining peace and harmony,” he added.

Earlier, Kamini Sharma, principal of the school, apprised the legislator about the staff shortage at the school and various other problems being faced by them.

Those who were present included Amarpal Singh Chhina, Rajeev Saxena, Bhagwati Prasad, Mohit Chauhan, Arjun Chauhan, Gaurav Sagar, Ajay Sharma, Chowdhary Sukhpal Singh and several others.

zila panchayat elections
Cong not to contest on party symbol: Upadhyay
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Uttarakhand Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay presided over a meeting at the Congress Bhawan today to discuss candidates being supported by the party for the forthcoming elections for the heads of zila panchayats in the state.

It was decided during the meeting that party would not fight the elections on the party symbol as it did in the recently concluded panchayat poll. Congress leaders will accompany the candidates during the filing of nomination slated to be held on on July 30.

Various probable candidate names for the zila panchayat head elections were discussed during the meeting.

Senior leaders chalked out a strategy to deal with dissension and try to pit only one candidate for each of the zila panchayat head post.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat and his Cabinet colleagues Harak Singh Rawat, Pritam Singh, Member of Parliament Mahendra Singh Mahera, newly elected MLA Hira Singh Bist, MLA Subodh Uniyal and other senior Congress leaders were present at the meeting.

Party discusses strategy

The president of Uttarakhand Congress Committee, Kishore Upadhyay, presided over a meeting at Congress Bhavan here today to discuss the party’s support to candidates in the forthcoming elections for the heads of zila panchayats in the state.

It was decided during the meeting that the party would not fight the elections on the party symbol, as it did in the recently held panchayat poll in the state, but the Congress leaders like Members of Legislative Assembly and ministers will be accompanying the candidates during the filing of nominations slated for on July 30. Various probable candidates for the zila panchayat head elections were discussed during the meeting on the basis of reports submitted by the party’s district observers and the reviews from the senior party functionaries from the districts.

Senior leaders also chalked out a strategy to deal with dissension and tried to pit only one candidate for each of zila panchayat head post.

UKD working committee meeting

Dehradun, July 29
To discuss the core issues of the party, the working committee meeting of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal is being organised at Haridwar on Wednesday.

In a release issued here, it was stated that the core issues pertaining to the deteriorating law and order and situation in the state, rise of mining mafia, government apathy towards the disaster victims and to make Gairsain the permanent capital of the state would be discussed during the meeting. — TNS

Anganwadi workers stage protest

Dehradun, July 29
Irked over the non-payment of salaries, the anganwadi workers staged a protest demonstration here today.

Leading the workers under the banner of Anganwadi Karyakarta Karamchari Union, general secretary Janki Chauhan said that the anganwadi workers have not been paid salaries for the last four months.

“The workers are being paid a monthly stipend of Rs 1500 per month. However, that too is not being paid on time to the workers, causing widespread resentment. In case the demands are not met, we would be launching a massive demonstration in the coming days,” she added.

“In case the pending salaries are not disbursed at the earliest, we would be closing down the anganwadi centres. The district programme officer would be responsible for our actions as despite reminders the salaries are not being released,” said the general secretary. — TNS

Pathetic highway condition
Pithoragarh, Champawat residents brace up for bandh
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, July 29
Activists of pro-people organisations and traders bodies in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts are garnering support of people living across the Tanakpur-Tawaghat National Highway, for the proposed bandh on August 2. The bandh is supposed to in protest against the pathetic condition of the highway connecting these districts. The supporters of the bandh argue that the condition of this 267-km-long highway constructed 64 years ago is prompting people to come forward in support of the bandh.

“We have contacted offices, traders’ organisations, schools, banks and other commercial institutions in connection with the bandh,” said Bhagwan Singh Rawat, convener of the bandh and coordinator of the Pithoragarh Lok Manch.

“Every cluster of this road remained disturbed in the last six decades. This not only affected general transportation from Pithoragarh to Tanakpur or from Champawat to Tanakpur, but also affected defence mobility from plains to last posts situated in this part of the border with China,” said Rawat.

The organisers have claimed that besides traders’ organisations, village organisations, Bar bodies and tourists organisations have extended their support.

“Besides there being inconvenience every day to thousands of passengers plying on this road from Pithoragarh to Tanakpur, this road creates difficulties for those residing beyond Dharchula. They often fall victims to wrong alignment of this road, which contributes to landslides through the year,” said organisers of the proposed bandh.

According to president of the District Association of Traders Body in Champawat, it takes 20 minutes to traverse a 2-km distance from Motor station to Chatar village near the district headquarters of Champawat as one encounters more than 50 pits on the road between the two places. “Due to the bad condition of this road in the last six decades, the tourist inflow to beautiful locations of the district was hampered. The few tourists who came here after taking this road largely did not have the courage to come here again,” quipped Tribhuwan Giri, president of Champawat Zila Vyapar Sangh.

Himachal apples flood Dehradun markets
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
With the monsoons in full swing, apples from Himachal Pradesh have started reaching the markets of the state capital.

At present, the quality of apples is grade II and is being sold at a retail price of Rs 50-175 per kilogram.

Anil Kumar Chadda, a wholesaler at the Niranjanpur Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market, said the fruit had arrived late this year. “Usually apples arrive in the first week of July. This time, the arrival of the produce is late by almost two weeks. These are medium-quality apples and are being sold at a wholesale price of Rs 22-25 per kilogram. The best quality of apples would be arriving by the second week of August and would be costlier than the present lot,” he added.

U’khand reels under acute power shortage
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
The state is reeling under acute shortage of power cuts. According to officials, low power generation in the state-run hydro power projects undertaken by the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) is the main reason behind frequent power cuts.

According to UJVNL officials, power generation in the hydro power projects is badly affected due to silt in Himalayan rivers and its tributaries after experiencing heavy rain in higher areas of the state.

The power generation in 198 MW Kalagarh hydropower project is nil. The 40 MW Khatima hydropower project has generated only 18 MW of electricity. The 90 MW Maneri Bhalli- I and 304 MW Maneri Bhalli- II hydropower projects have generated 30 MW and 190 MW of electricity, respectively.

The power generation is badly affected due to silt in rivers on 240 MW Chibrro, 120 MW Khodri, 34 MW Dhakrani, 51 MW Dhalipur and 30 MW Kulhal hydro power projects.

Speaking to The Tribune, Madhusudan, an official spokesman of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited, said the department had been continuously procuring electricity in order to bridge gap between the demand and availability of electricity in the state.

He said inclement weather had adversely affected the distribution system and rectifying technical snags was the only solution for supplying disruption-free electricity to consumers.

Among worst-affected areas are the remote areas of the state as power cuts ranging from two to four hours was implemented in a day. UPCL implemented emergency power cut of nearly two to three hours in the rural areas of Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar districts.

Several areas, including Neshvilla road, Hathi-Bar-Kala, Inder Vihar, GMS Road, Old Dalanwala, EC Road, Rajpur Road, Subhash Road, Tilak Road, Chukhomohalla, Bengali Road, Karanpur, Patel Nagar, DL Road and Khurbura, suffered power cuts due to technical problem.

MC to step up anti-polythene drive
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, July 29
If the Haridwar MC’s claims are any indication, the pilgrim city will probably be polythene-free soon. The civic body is mulling over an mass awareness drive accompanied by levying of penalty on violators of the ban on polythene. The Haridwar Municipal Corporation intends to take these measures in view of the fact that tonnes of polythene are dumped in the city, including the Ganga ghats, on a daily basis.

Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharati has expressed her concern over pollution caused by polythene and sewage.

Mayor Manoj Garg told TNS that in the initial phase, a mass awareness drive would be carried out by the administration. Cooperation of educational institutes, social organisations, religious gurus, NSS volunteers and NGOs will be sought.

Municipal Corporation Mukhya Nagar Adhikar Vipra Trivedi said this time, traders will be taken into confidence. It has been witnessed in the past that anti-polythene drives could not be implemented effectively as the civic body did not get the expected support from traders, he said.

Garg added that initially, for a fortnight, mass awareness will be raised, urging people, traders, pilgrims and tourists to shun use of polythene bags and related material.

In the second phase, penalty will be levied on the offenders with seizure of whole stock of polythene to be undertaken by way of special impromptu checking by the corporation and administration squad.

Traders will also be involved to make sure they themselves shun use of this non-ecofriendly material.

“If the trader fraternity shuns sale and use of polythene material, half our work would be done. Mass awareness and strict penalties on violators will do the rest,” said the Mayor.

Kumbh Nagri Vyapar Mandal city unit president Tej Prakash Sahu, along with other traders’ union office-bearers, has welcomed the MC’s initiative. Sahu, expressing support to this drive, stated that they will pass a resolution against use of polythene.

He sought additional time for traders in order to enable either utilisation or destruction of stored polythene stock.

Chandracharya Chowk-Bhagat Singh chowk trader Uday Ram Semwal said if the civic body takes such an initiative, the traders will cooperate with them as eventually, it will all help in making the city clean and green. Additional District Magistrate Jeevan Singh Nangiyal has also suggested total prohibition of polythene, be it of any micron thickness.

Nangiyal said in the veil of recycled micron polythene, traders give consumers products packaged in non-recyclable polythene.

He suggested that traders should give consumers products only in jute or paper bags. People should be encouraged to carry jute, paper or cloth bags with them while going out for shopping, he said.

Hartalika Teej celebrated
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, July 29
A beauty contest was organised by the Bharat Vikas Parishad on the occasion of Hartalika Teej here today where women walked on ramp in traditional attire.

The festival will also be celebrated tomorrow by various segment of society due to astrological date factor.

Pt Pawan Kumar Shastri said Teej was a fasting festival for women falling in Shukla Paksha in Bhado month of the Hindu calendar. Teej festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati on her reunion with Lord Shiva and is considered auspicious for marital bliss. Women observe fast for the well-being of their husbands. Vaishya Ladies Club organised a Teej function at BHEL, Saraswati Vidya Mandir. Women were seen applying mehndi as it is considered auspicious during Teej festivities.

Eid Milan celebrations
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Sampradayik Sadbhav Samiti held an Eid Milan celebrations at Chakrata Road here today for spreading a message of communal harmony among different religious communities on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Members of the samiti offered sweets and eatables to Muslim brethren, who were coming back from Eidgah after offering prayers in the morning. Organisers of the Eid Milan programme said different religious communities in the city had set an example of unity and support amidst communal tensions in the bordering Saharanpur district of western Uttar Pradesh.

Founder of the Sampradayik Sadbhav Samiti, Vinod Goyal, said, “Our organisation has been celebrating festivals of different religious communities to promote communal harmony in society.”

Garbage collection plan fails to take off in Mussoorie
Ajay Ramola
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, July 29
The solid waste management programme that was implemented in the hill town of Mussoorie on August 1 last year has failed to take off in Mussoorie.

Two NGOs, Shristi and Samdrishti, had been assigned the task of door-to-door garbage collection with an objective to improving public health and environment and increasing solid waste collection coverage from 50 per cent to 72 per cent, but out of this only NGO Shristi has been able to deploy its sanitary workers, that too partly, in Mussoorie so far.

The refusal of other agency Samdrishti to carry on with the door-to-door garbage collection work has meant that solid waste programme is being going on in only a few wards and the job in the rest of the wards is yet to take off much to the ire of the local residents here.

The residents rued the fact that that no sanitary worker was visiting their ward, forcing them to dump the garbage either in the dustbins installed by the MC on the side of the road or in the forest nearby.

The residents also alleged that the dustbins installed by the Municipal Council are posing a health hazard as they create unhygienic conditions and serve as open invitation to stray dogs and monkeys in search of easy food.

Dr RK Singh, MC health officer, informed that in the wake of one NGO refusing the work, the whole town has been handed over to NGO Shristi, which has been asked to collect garbage from every houselhold in the town.

However, the NGO Shristi is finding it difficult to manage the whole town due to the unavailability of sanitary workers and opposition from the permanent employees of health department who see it as an attack on their earnings as they use to collect a monthly amount from the households for picking garbage earlier.

When contacted the health officer, Municipal Council of Mussoorie, said that the door-to-door collection presently was being carried in nine wards and the plans were to spread it in all wards. He also said that the trenching ground under the solid waste management programme was under construction near Tehri bypass road and once constructed all the dustbins will be removed from the Mall Road.He said that the Shristi NGO has been directed to deploy more workers so that the garbage can be segregated and collected at source.

Dr.Singh also said that the segregation of solid waste at the ward and town level was being done with an emphasis on waste minimisation. The provision of solid waste collection, transportation equipment and the construction of sanitary landfills were being done in accordance with the Municipal Solid Waste Management and Handling Rules 2000.

Once the door-to-door mechanism is in place in the whole town, the residents would have to pay user charges according to the designated categories under which domestic houses and small business houses would have to pay according to their earning capacity that amounted to Rs 50–Rs 150.

Pregnant woman dies at Thatyur CHC; relatives create ruckus
Ajay Ramola
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, July 29
The angry family members of a woman who died at Government Community Centre (CHC) in Thatyur district Tehri while delivering a baby, tried to vandalise the hospital and created a ruckus accusing doctors of gross negligence yesterday night.

The deceased has been identified as Asha Devi, wife of Ravinder, resident of Chanad Gaon in Thatyur block of Jaunpur development region in district Tehri.

According to the deceased’s husband Ravinder, his pregnant wife was brought to the CHC, Thatyur, by her mother for further treatment at night but in the morning she was told by the doctors that the pregnant woman had died while delivering the baby, who is out of danger.

On hearing about the incident, the family members of the deceased reached the government hospital and accused the doctors of gross negligence and created a ruckus the whole day.

The revenue police officials rushed to the spot to pacify the family members who refused to conduct the postmortem on the body of the deceased woman.

Sitting in front of the emergency door, Ravinder, the husband of the deceased, said: “My wife was admitted to the gynaecology department. Everything was fine. Doctors had assured that both mother and baby were fine and the delivery will be normal at night but early morning today, while my mother was waiting outside, a worker informed her that her daughter-in-law had died and the baby was out of danger,” added Ravinder.

The residents around the town also gathered around the hospital and demanded action against the negligent doctors here.

One of the residents of Thatyur alleged that a similar case had occurred on July 23 when a pregnant woman from Kyari village had to be transferred at the community hospital in Mussoorie but both mother and child died due to the delay in reaching the hospital in Mussoorie from CHC, Thatyur.

The residents also alleged that since the hospital had been transferred under PPP mode, the health conditions had deteriorated considerably and demanded to take back the hospital under government fold rather than giving it to the doctors who lacked sensitivity towards the poor villagers under PPP mode.

The nayab tehsildar, Dhanaulti, Manjit Singh Gill, who rushed to the spot and pacified the family members, said that an investigation will be done after postmortem and punitive action will be taken against the erring doctors if found guilty.

The CMO, Tehri, SP Agarwal, when contacted said that he was on his way to the hospital to assess the situation and could comment only after assimilating facts from all sides.

Despite a repeat of such incidents, the state government had not been able to implement Clinical Establishment Act in the state yet.

The Act was scheduled to be implemented two years back but the state government after issuing notification had done nothing and was under the pressure of the private medical practitioners to brush the issue under the carpet.

The Tribune has learnt through sources that the Central Government in a strong letter sent to the state had asked it to implement the Clinical Establishment Act in the state or else the health grant under various schemes amounting to several crores will be stopped. The state government in its response has sought time until October to formulate the guidelines for the Act, said sources.

Matra Sadan seers vow to end quarrying in Ganga
Tribune News Service

Haridwar July 29
Seers of the Matra Sadan Ashram have reiterated their commitment to free the Ganga river bed from quarrying. Swami Shivanand, founder of Jagjeetpur village-based Matra Sadan Ashram, around 5 km from the city, today said the District Magistrate, D Senthyl Pendiyan, during his visit to the ashram two days ago, had given an assurance on the issue of stopping quarrying on the Ganga river bed.

He added that on district magistrate’s assertion, ashram seer Brahamchari Atma Bodhanand, who was on a 14-day agitation against illegal quarrying on the Ganga river bed, decided to give up his protest.

“In just two weeks of agitation more than 15 stone crushers, dozens of trucks, trolleys and mini vehicles involved in illegal quarrying on the Ganga river bed have been seized by the administration.

The district magistrate has given us assurance of nailing the culprits and taking punitive action against those involved in illegal quarrying on the Ganga in Haridwar,” said Swami Shivanand.

The seer also alleged that quarrying had become a multi-crore business in the district. Many politicians, businessmen and criminals had a nexus with the quarrying mafia, added the seer.

Brahamchari Atmabodhanand and Brahamchari Dayanand also reiterated their commitment to fight against quarrying on the Ganga river bed. Matra Sadan Ashram has been involved in various social agitations, particularly the save Ganga agitation.

Apart from Swami Shivanand, late Swami Nigmanand, Brahamchari Dayanand ,Swami Poornanand and Brahamchari Atmabodhanand had carried on hunger strike in the past to press for their demand to end quarrying in Ganga.

Diarrhoea cases on rise in city
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
With the monsoons in full swing, there has been a surge in cases of diarrhoea in the state capital. Over the past few weeks more than 50 cases were reported of people suffering from diarrhoea after consuming contaminated water.

Dr Mahabir Singh said several cases of diarrhoea were reported in the Doon Hospital alone. “ These cases suddenly increase in the rainy season. People have a tendency of drinking water from unsafe places. They are repeatedly told to use chlorine tablets for purification of water,” he said.

Meanwhile, the rise in these cases is also attributed to the poor maintenance of drainage and water system in the state.

Contaminated water coming from supply line and unhygienic condition of localities filled with garbage piles and choked drains are the main reasons for the rise in the number of cases.

Health officials said that as most water pipelines are laid along with sewer pipes or drains, these could get infested with harmful bacteria. As such chlorine tablets should be used for purifying water. “ Beside drinking clean water, people should also avoid eating fruits or salads from street vendors and carry out your own water bottle instead of drinking from public water booths, as often they are found contaminated,” Dr Singh.

Hepatitis B virus a silent killer
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Studies undertaken by medical experts point towards an intermediate level of endemicity of Hepatitis B virus in Uttarakhand and hold risk factors like blood transfusion, intra familial transmission and visit to unregistered doctors as some of the reasons for the prevalence of the disease.

“The endemicity level could be in the range of 1 per cent to 3 per cent in Uttarakhand and it poses a serious health problem. If Hepatitis B is not treated properly it could lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer,” said Dr KC Pant, senior physician, Doon Hospital.

It is known as a silent killer as it damages the liver gradually and slowly. “In Hepatitis B cases, there are chances of liver damage. The patients need proper treatment. While in other cases, they carry the virus, but they do not carry the disease,” said Dr Pant.

He said that in Uttarakhand due to absence of health facilities a large number of patients visit unregistered practioners and the disease never gets detected. Hepatitis can be prevented by taking certain precautions. It is a disease, which spreads from blood-to-blood contact. Unprotected sexual contact is another cause for its infection. Also, a pregnant woman could transmit the virus to her baby.

However, the doctors claimed that there is vaccine available against Hepatitis. Dr NS Bisht of Doon Hospital said the disease is even more dangerous than HIV. There is a need of spreading proper awareness about the disease. A person can undergo a blood test to ascertain whether he is Hepatitis B positive or negative.

He said that there is a large section of people who are infected with Hepatitis virus but majority of them do not know about it. They come to know about it only through blood tests.

DMC proposal to stop repeated digging of roads
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
If things go as planned, then digging up roads for laying cables would soon be a thing of the past. The Dehradun Municipal Corporation has come to the rescue of the roads with a proposal that would completely put a fullstop on the digging of the mettle roads in the state capital.

The Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Harak Singh Rawat has proposed the use of unmettled part between the roads and footpaths/drains for laying the cables. “We are planning to put plastic pipes in the area that comes between the footpaths or drains and the roads. This way the company need not dig up the roads and rather place their wires or cables in these plastic pipes. It would save a lot of cost and also prevent the chaos resulting from the dug up roads,” he added.

“The project would be on private-public partnership basis. I have asked the assistant engineers from the DMC to prepare a detailed project report (DPR). Once the report is submitted we would start planning for the project,” he added.

The proposal was raised during the meeting chaired by the MNA at DMC. The MNA also instructed the Assistant Engineers Rachna Payal and A.P. Sundriyal to prepare the DPRs for the proposed Gaura Devi Park at Defence Colony, Water Park at Niranjanpur, mini stadium at Ajabpur Kalan and parking lot at Dilaram Bazaar. The constructions would be carried out by the DMC.

To prevent the encroachment of the vacant land belonging to the DMC, the MNA proposed the construction of shops and commercial complexes. The Additional Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Harshvardhan Mishra has been detailed to prepare the report of the land available and estimated cost of construction.

“We are also planning to auction the shops that have already been constructed by the DMC and ready to be operated. A report would be prepared for the same and submitted to the government for further action. The auction of the constructed shops would certainly help in the generation of revenue for DMC that is already under financial crisis,” said the MNA.

MLA concerned over waterlogging
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi instructed officials to expedite in development works in different wards of Dehradun. He told officials to take effective steps to overcome problem of waterlogging in the wards.

Joshi along with Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Harak Singh visited Rajendra Nagar, ONGC chowk, West Canal road, Jakhan, Doon Vihar and adjoining areas here today.

He instructed officials to take effective steps to overcome the problem of waterlogging in Jakhan and adjoining areas.

He said that the problem of waterlogging should be overcome at the earliest.

Joshi said that stern action would be taken against those officials who fail to address grievances of residents in the given timeframe.

He said that cleaning of garbage from canal and drains should be done on priority in order to avoid problem of waterlogging in different wards of Dehradun.

Nandini Sharma, Daya Jyoti, Sunil Kumar, US Rawat, MS Negi, RS Devdi, Anil Dabral, Poonam Nautiyal, Nisha Sharma, Bhawna Bisht and Rakesh were present.

Official apathy reflects in poor upkeep of MDDA parking
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
The lackadaisical attitude of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority is costing residents dear as they are being forced to park their vehicles in the poorly maintained MDDA parking lot near Clock Tower.

A heap of garbage and stray animals welcome vehicles owners at the ill-kept parking lot. On an average, around 400-500 vehicles are parked at the complex and the number doubles during the tourist season. Despite heavy numbers, the authority is least bothered in maintaining the complex which is serving as the lifeline to the local Paltan Bazaar.

Besides the failure of the authorities to maintain sanitation in the complex, there is no security for the vehicles. Girish Kumar, a daily commuter said, “The MDDA has made a free parking, but they should have provided some guards. Many a time, vehicles parked at the complex are found to be damaged. Since there is no other parking near to the Clock Tower chowk, we have no option, but to park the vehicles here.”

MDDA Secretary Banshidhar Tiwari said, “Since it is a free parking, there is no provision for a security guard. The DMC has been entrusted with the task of maintaining hygiene in the parking lot. We cannot keep a check on who dumps the garbage. However, we would be carrying out the repair works in the parking lot soon.”

Body found in Forest Dept headquarters
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
The body of a 32-year-old was found inside the under-construction building of the Forest Department campus at the Dilaram Bazaar on Tuesday afternoon. The body, bearing several injury marks, was found on the pavement of the ground floor.

According to Anil Joshi, in charge, Dalanwala police station, “The deceased has been identified as Tarun Kumar, resident of DL Road, who was working as a driver with the Forest Department on contract basis. He was jobless for the last 15 days after his services were terminated.” He added, “His friends have told us that he was reeling under some mental stress for the last many days, maybe owing to unemployment.”

Meanwhile, the police are still in a dilemma over the cause of his death. His mobile phone was found on the fifth floor of the under-construction building while his body was found on the ground floor. “The cause of the death is still not clear, but the minute injury marks on his body apparently do not indicate a fall from the fifth floor from where his mobile was found,” a police source stated.

‘Need to bridge gap between govt, pvt schools’

Dehradun, July 29
Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi said there was a need to bridge the gap between amenities and educational standards of government and private schools. It was possible with collective efforts by the government, private agencies and NGOs, he said.

He was addressing a gathering at the Raj Bhawan to boost the morale of meritorious students on Sunday. Chief Minister Harish Rawat congratulated the students. He advised them to continue with their efforts to achieve their set goals. Rawat said the government was making efforts to improve the quality of education. He said scholarship schemes would be launched for meritorious students in the name of Sridev Suman.

State Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani congratulated the students for their performance.

Education Secretary Dr MC Joshi and other officials were present. — TNS

DMC working committee meeting today

Dehradun, July 29
The working member committee meeting of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation would be held on July 30.

The issues pertaining to tax collection would be discussed. It may be mentioned here that from past several days a lot of people are trying their level best to get their issues included in the working member committee.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Neenu Sehgal said that following the meeting of the working members, a board meeting would be held in the first week of August. — TNS

Uttarakhand Congress executive by Sept-end
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
The new working executive of the Congress will be constituted before September end. This was stated by Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhyaya.

Addressing a press conference in Dehradun today, Upadhyaya said he would tour the entire state after August 15 and interact with party workers in various districts before finalising his state executive. “It will be only after the conclusion of my tour that I will be announcing my state Congress executive office bearers. But it will certainly be before September end,” Upadhayaya pointed out.

Referring to recent byelections, Upadhayaya said the landslide victory of the Congress in the bypolls in the state had boosted the morale of the party workers. “The credit of our victory goes to our grassroot party workers, who have worked with utmost dedication and sincerity to ensure the Congress’ big victory in all the three Assembly seats,” said Upadhyaya.

He said now it was the collective duty of Congress workers to ensure party’s victory in 2017 Assembly elections, adding that, “Party workers must now take the Congress to a resounding victory in 2017 Assembly elections.”

Responding to queries, the state Congress president said he would ensure that at least one general secretary comes to the state Congress headquarters every day to hear problems of the general public.

Upadhyaya also denied that illegal quarrying was continuing in the state. “No there is no such proof that rampant illegal quarrying is going on in the state,” he added.

Congress leaders Surendra Arya and Rajendra Shah were also present during the conference.

Protesting polytechnic teachers launch indefinite fast
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 29
Protesting contractual polytechnic teachers launched an indefinite fast at Parade Ground here today. They had been staging a demonstration in support of their demands for the past four days.

President of the Uttarakhand Polytechnic Contractual Teachers Society Sarvesh Chowdhary, while addressing a gathering, said the state government was busy celebrating its victory in the recent byelections in the state.

“The state government is not concerned about the welfare of the teachers who have been on a strike for the past four days. The lackadaisical attitude of the government has forced us to take to the streets. If our demands are not met, we will intensify our agitation,” he added.

Prominent among the agitators were Khagender Awasthi, Narender Pathak, Ashish Semwal, Mahesh Pal, Puran Singh Swati and Kavita Bhandari.