Parking lots encroached for Divali sales
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Oct 30 — With Divali round the corner, markets here are all decked up and shops have displayed their wares in innovative eye-catching styles to entice customers. However, the town with its limited parkings lots leaves little scope for people to find place to park their vehicles,especially during festivals.

Shopkeepers have lapped up most of the space not only in corridors of many sectors but have come down to pavements and conveniently spilled on to parking areas as well. Usurping the space is all very well with them and has not raised any eyebrows till date nor will it now.They contend: "Everything is fair during festivals and officials are not looking out to upset our applecart in these happytimes.''

Despite removal of encroachments from corridors time and again by the authorities, shopkeepers continue to flout rules with impunity and emphatically state that permission has not been sought for the same for the past 10 years and there is absolutely no need to do so now.

"This is the only time we can make money and can't keep our minds preoccupied with such trivialities. Since good times must end, this season will also come to an end and we will push ourselves back to our shops,'' one shopkeeper in Sector 11 states.

Having pitched in tents in the Sector 7 market, Suresh, selling men's wear, says, "I have taken the permission of the market association of the sector and that is what matters as of now. If they give the nod, my job is done. Further, they might have sought the permission of the HUDA to have spread out all over the place.''

Selling crystal and glassware in the same sector, Pradeep Kapoor, asks,"If we don't display our items in the corridors and occupy pavements, where do we put our stuff ? During the festival season, we stock lots of fancy items and presenting them equally well is what bolsters our sales.'' About seeking permission from HUDA, he states," Whole markets have been encroached. I am with the rest—they don't have any permission and nor do I. It hardly makes a difference.''

One shopkeeper goes to the extent of saying that no direct permission has ever been sought by shopkeepers themselves."It is always the association that takes over during these times since the purpose of all businessmen is the same. As has been the convention, this year too, the association has already taken permission and the encroachment has been justified in the departmental records,'' he adds.

Though the President of the Association was not available for comment, the General Secretary, Mr C.V. Gupta, denies that the association has taken permission on behalf of any of the shopkeepers."All this is without any permission, formal or informal. The rents of the showrooms and booths are exorbitant and if the businessman does not make the most of the festival season, he will hardly be able to make both ends meet during the rest of the year.

Markets in sectors 9 and 11 have cramped parking space, causing inconvenience to customers. Driving through the market place in the evening is completely ruled out as vehicles are parked in serpentine queues.

Kargil visit steels resolve to join Army
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — " The sentiments and emotions expressed in cards and letters to soldiers by people of the country were enough to motivate even a layman to fight the enemy on the borders. That the people of country, contrary to popular belief, have great respect and love for the man in olive green was quite an eye opener and a great motivational factor for me to pursue a career in the Army."

These are the feelings of Under Officer Jatinder Singh, who was the only NCC cadet selected from Punjab and Chandigarh to be part of an eight-day motivational tour of more than 40 cadets from various states and UTs to Kargil, which was the axis for Operation Vijay a few months ago. The aim was to give a first hand account of the topography of the area and to acquaint them with warfare in a difficult and inhospitable terrain.

Talking to TNS after the trip, an excited Jatinder narrated his first-ever ride on an AN 32 plane from Chandigarh to Leh and then his onward journey to Kargil, Drass and Srinagar. It was in Kashmir that they saw thousands of cards and letters that have been carefully preserved and displayed in a vast open area for the people to see.

Proud of the fact that he was chosen after an interview and a medical examination, he said he took it as a mission and prepared for it so that he may not fail. " Since I could be of no help in the conflict, the least I could do was to pay my respects to those who made the supreme sacrifice,where the soldiers battled against all odds."

Jatinder said after a final briefing on October 6, they were on their way. The journey by plane took them to Leh. They were shown important tourist sites of this place, including a stupa dedicated to Lord Buddha and a museum of Ladakhi culture.

They were also shown a museum of all equipment which is necessary for warfare at high altitude. " I was surprised to now that a full kit for a soldier costs Rs 1 lakh. We also saw soldiers of the Ladakh Scouts being trained in shooting on state-of-the-art simulators." he added.

From here we were taken to an artillery base and shown 105 mm guns of the 15 Field regiment. They were used in the battle along with Russian-make BMPs. A ride in them was a thrilling experience.

Next day we reached Kargil and enroute stopped at Pather Sahib Gurdwara. It was an exhilarating experience travelling on the Leh highway, which is located 13, 479 feet above sea level.

On October 9, we were taken to the Kargil Brigade HQs and were explained the plan of retaking the hills by Col Ajit Nayar. We were also shown a peak captured in 1847, given back to the enemy in 1965 and finally recaptured in 1971 as it was being used to shell the highway. We also interacted with soldiers who told us about problems they faced at high altitude.

Next day we were taken to Drass and shown a battery of the famous Bofors howitzers, which played a major role in the battle.

" I was awed to see the imposing Tiger Hill, the capture of which turned the tide of the operation in our favour. So far I had only seen it in the newspapers and on TV and here I was standing beneath it. Seeing those cliffs, it was amazing how the soldiers with heavy kits, climbed the hill in the dead of the night, and still had the energy to fight and retake the hill.

Officers briefing us pointed out other famous features like Tolloling Hill. It was also pointed out that Drass was one of the coldest places on earth. It was also brought to our notice that 85 per cent of the casualties were from shelling while 15 per cent were from gunfire. As many as 122 guns were used to pound the enemy positions while 12 battalions battled to clear the entire sector from infiltrators, he added.

We were also shown the flag area of Harka bridge, or Post 43, where the bodies of our soldiers were received by our forces and that of the enemy given back to them.

We also saw the Zojila and were finally in Sonamarg where we were given two escort vehicles in view of militant activity in the area.

The last day was spent in Srinagar looking at the arms captured from the enemy besides exploring the Chashme Shahi and Shalimar Gardens, boating on the Dal Lake and shopping for souvenirs and enjoying the sights of the city.

Summing up, he said while he had always wanted to be in uniform, this trip had steeled his resolve further and whenever he is eligible he will join the Army. More such camps should be held for the youth, he opined.

Periphery without public transport
From Our Correspondent

MANAULI (SAS NAGAR), Oct 30 — Villages on Chandigarh's periphery can be described as poor cousins of the City Beautiful as far as public transport system is concerned.

Residents of Pappri, Chilla, Darali, Manauli and more than half a dozen other villages are without any public transport facility and have to use their own vehicles to reach the city. Residents of villages around SAS Nagar say that they have to walk all the distance in the absence of a regular bus service.

Mr Manjeet Singh, a resident of Chilla village, said the village was only five kilometers from the Industrial Area of SAS Nagar but no regular bus service linked this area to the adjoining villages.

Ms Surinder Kaur, Sarpanch of Manauli village, complained the bus service to the area was withdrawn almost a year ago. Before that, the CTU's bus 'route number 101' touched the villages in the area. At present, the bus made only one trip in a day which meant little for the villagers, she added.

The village panchayat has demanded that as the roads have now been metalled, the bus service to the village should be resumed. The Manauli panchayat has also demanded that more buses should be put on rural routes.

Students and teachers are the worst affected. A school teacher of Chilla said the present bus service should be rescheduled to suit the school timings. Even a rickshaw service was not available in some villages due to the poor condition of roads. A school teacher of Manauli said she had to hitchhike or hire an auto-rickshaw to reach the school. Still she often reached late.

Students of the nearby villages said their studies were suffering in the absence of a proper bus service. "We face problems during examinations as it becomes difficult to reach the examination centre in time. Many students have to walk upto three kilometres or more to reach their schools.

'Find if report on BCG is recent'
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30 — Reacting to the report of a 15-year study carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on the BCG vaccine, the only available vaccine known to fight tuberculosis, city doctors say the important thing to ascertain is whether this report is a recent one, since the vaccine has always been shrouded in controversy. The report says the vaccine "has offered no overall protection in adults and a low level of overall protection in children".

According to reports, almost 70 per cent of countries are using the vaccine to immunise children against TB. In India, this vaccine has long been discontinued under the National TB Control Programme but forms an essential part of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation even today. The report gains significance as 1,100 cases of TB have been registered from slums and colonies of the city since 1998, and the urban sector has registered around 750 cases in 1998.

"With about two per cent of the country's population suffering from TB, it is not advisable to say the vaccine should be discontinued. Studies have proven that though this vaccine is not helping in lowering instances of pulmonary TB cases, as regards disseminative or meningitis TB, BCG has helped in bringing down the number of cases," says Prof A.K. Janmeja, Head of Chest and TB Department, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. He adds that even if the vaccine is providing a low level of immunisation in children, it cannot be called redundant because the saving of lives of even a small percentage of child population in a vast country like ours is a matter of importance.

According to Dr R.K. Chopra, Chest Clinic, Polyclinic, Sector 22, the vaccine is widely recommended at birth, especially in endemic areas. "There is a need to find out whether this is a recent study or not, and in case the vaccine is 'worthless' in this recent report, the health community will like to know why have the authorities been silent for such a long time," he says. He adds that the report is no cause for concern.

Dr Joginder Singh, Director Health Services, UT, says the report cannot be totally defied since the vaccine does not guarantee overall protection in adults who procure tuberculosis. "Since there is no alternative, BCG has given us some respite. I believe that more studies need to be conducted before reaching any conclusion," he states.

Most of these experts add that tuberculosis is a poverty, congestion and illiteracy disease and there is need to include the vaccine in the national immunisation programme.

Dr D. Behera, Joint Medical Superintendent, PGI, says there is always a doubt about the efficiency of BCG, with some countries having stopped its use. "As the vaccine is not causing harm to the human body, more discussions need to take place before we can call it a hoax," he states.

According to World Health Organisation estimates, India carries about 25 per cent of the world's burden of tuberculosis.

Fire fighting arrangements poor
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, Oct 30 — Fire fighting arrangements in the district are hardly adequate to ensure safety of men and material, particularly during Divali festival, when many accidents caused due to fire are reported.

The fire station here in Sector 5, run by HUDA, is the only functional fire station in the district.Unfortunately, it is ill-equipped and under-staffed to meet any contingency.

Excluding routine fire incidents in the district, there were 10 incidents of fire in the district on Divali night in 1996, and it became impossible for the fire station to take prompt and effective action due to lack of equipment and manpower in the station.

The standing fire advisory council of the Union Home Ministry has laid down in its guidelines that an area with a population of over 50,000 should have at least one unit to cope with any eventuality. The unit should consist of one station officer, four firemen, one leading fireman or crew in charge, one motor vehicle engine, one driver and 25 per cent leave reserves.

The district has only one functional unit as against the required four. Similarly,HUDA advised the district fire station in a letter dated June 25 to have one Commanding Officer, four trailer pump parties, four leading firemen, 24 firemen, four drivers, four messengers and a motor cycle.

The post of the Station Fire Officer has been lying vacant since the fire station came into being.There are only nine firemen against the requirement of 24.The fire station is short of motor vehicles.There is only one driver for the two vehicles and he too is on deputation from the Bahadurgarh municipality.

The fire station works in three shifts and each shift needs at least 13-14 workers. At present, it has only five men to a shift. There is also no provision for reserve manpower.

The City Magistrate, Mr M.S.Yadav, said any contingency is dealt with the help of Chandigarh, Parwanoo and adjoining fire stations.

Contaminated water for villages
From Our Correspondent

MANAULI (SAS Nagar), Oct 30 — More than six villages in this area are being supplied contaminated water because of delay in the execution of a Rs 43 lakh rural water supply project. The Punjab Rural Water Supply Department has not been able to find a suitable site for a tubewell.

The residents of Manauli, Chilla, Chao Majra, Pappri and other adjoining villages have been demanding immediate implementation of the project. Sewer outlets from Chandigarh and SAS Nagar create additional problems for them. Experts say a rise in the incidence of skin diseases in this area can be attributed to these sewer outlets.

According to sources, the project, to be funded by the Central Government, is not taking off because of a high level of bacteria in the samples of sub-soil water taken from Manauli and other places. Earlier tests at other sites did not allow the department to proceed with the project, sources say.

The villagers accuse the authorities of not taking the issue seriously. Sub-soil water in more than a dozen villages has been found unfit for human consumption. If the water samples do not match the conditions, the authorities should take serious note of the situation, say local residents.

Meanwhile, Mr S.R. Aggarwal, Executive Engineer, (RWS), SAS Nagar, has said a new site in Manauli village has been selected and samples of water from the site bed have been sent for testing to a laboratory in Patiala.

The tubewell for the project will go 900 feet deep and work will start once the samples pass the laboratory tests, he adds.