Friday, May 21, 1999
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REGIONAL BRIEFS | Friday, May 21, 1999 |
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Lake park developed at Karnal THE Haryana Urban Development Authority has developed a park on a 60-acre plot in Sectors 8 and 9 at Karnal, which has become a picnic spot for residents of the area. A vast chunk of land has been developed into a garden and named the town park. The main entrance to the park is from Sector 9 and one side of the garden is along the Karnal-Delhi bypass. The garden comprises a lilly-pool, topiary creations near the entrance, lawns with winding concrete paths, flower beds laid along the paths punctuated with raised flowering mounds. According to the HUDA Executive Engineer, Mr Pankaj Kumar, an amount of Rs 1.8 crore had been earmarked for the park. A major attraction of a park is an artificial lake spread over four acres of land having a raised island, which has waterfalls. The island is in the form of a 8-metre-high artificial rock. Water springs out from the central part of the mound and five waterfalls emanate in different directions giving a scintillating view. A viewer's deck has been created on one side of the lake. The central mound is approachable through a steel bridge. For those having a yen for adventure, a boulder track leads to the central island. Plantation of flowering trees in three rows has been made along the boundary for visitors, five rain shelters and a large number of benches have been constructed. A playing area has been especially developed for children where swings and equipment have been installed. Mr Kumar said an open air theatre, cafeteria and a shopping complex would also be constructed in the park. A 2.5-acre site has been earmarked for a club. Making villagers hygiene-conscious The villagers of Paploha in Kalka tehsil having a population of 5,000, woke up to a pleasant surprise when they saw their village folk, brooms in hand, busy cleaning streets and drains. The work was part of a self-development basic course organised by the Art of Living Foundation (Vyakti Vikas Kendra) at the village. The organisation held a five-day camp in the village during which its residents learnt to get rid of disease and tension. Just 20 minutes spent on oneself every day on "sudarshan kriya" taught during the course could keep individuals hale and hearty with a lifetime of smile. Twenty-eight persons completed the course. During the course, the participants agreed to take responsibility for the development of their village. A village sabha was held where a number of steps in certain vital areas were debated and consensus reached. The villagers agreed to segregate the waste material into biodegradable and plastics (non-degradable) and dispose them of separately and suitably once a day and not throw it on the street. Village panchayats would buy wheel barrows and volunteers would move the waste to disposal pits. A committee of villagers would go door to door and invite each household to send their child to the village school. If a household did not send its child to school for a week continuously the panchayat would fine the family Rs 50. But if the family does not still send the child to school, the panchayat would send the child to school and Vyakti Vikas Kendra will share the expenses on a 50:50 basis with the panchayat. The villagers have further taken upon themselves to not allow any school boy to wander around during school hours. If caught, he would be escorted back to school and his parents informed. The villagers decided that every child should be engaged in some constructive sports and the panchayat would help organise sports competitions and wards would be made to imbibe sportsmanship. It was decided that school children would be encouraged to take part in quizzes and competitions from time to time for which the village school would be adopted by the NSS of the Y.P.S. Mohali. A health camp was held in the village in which children were impressed upon the need to cut nails, dental consultation was offered to 150 persons, 72 extractions and 25 fillings were performed. Eye surgeons examined 188 people, paediatricians 110 children while general physicians attended to 105 patients. Children were educated on oral hygiene, and bathing daily. The camp ended with community singing. Another camp will be held in the village from May 26 to 30. Vyakti Vikas Kendra has started sewa projects in slums and villages in and around Chandigarh on a regular basis. Best literary all-rounder Rajdip Singh Chowhan, a Class X student of Patiala, has distinguished himself with many firsts to his credit. He has not only won the first prize from the popular television programme, 'Surbhi', for his all-correct answer on India's cultural heritage but also found his first cartoon published in the Times of India's column for students. His first Punjabi poem was published in the first issue of "Bal Sansar", a weekly newspaper published by the Ajit group of newspapers. His English poem appeared in first issue in the Patiala Newsline of Indian Express. This newspaper has so far published 16 of his poems. Son of a Punjab Government officer, Rajdip has also been adjudged the best student of the Children Memorial Public School, Patiala. (Contributed by
Jai Prakash Mann, TNS and UK Bhanot.) |
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