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| Monday, July 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Apple growers a worried lot Plantation outlay squeezed MC resolution
on house tax suspended Scribe gets
threats, writes to DGP Monsoon record may be broken
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Ravi waters getting polluted CHAMBA: Caution! If you are entering Chamba town nowadays it is alarming with the sewage and filth flowing into the Ravi. This has been a common practice of local residents and it is difficult to keep the river waters and environment neat and clean. This situation may cause unforeseen consequences leading to the spread of diseases. After a short spell of rain, drains and nullahs are filled with garbage which pollute the Ravi. Even drinking water sources at the lower level get contaminated. The Ravi waters are heavily polluted not only by the sewage and human waste but also be hydroelectric projects. The water of the main springs near Chamba town namely Tatwani and Julahkari, need to be tested as it is being used regularly. The Pollution Control Board is taking no notice of the stinking conditions in the town. To provide clean air and water is the responsibility of the Pollution Control Board and the civic body. There was a time when Chamba town was known for its architectural and aesthetic standards. Pipes used to carry fresh water and this water was used by the people for their daily needs without hesitation. The air was pure and fresh. But the environment in the town is different now. Sewage flows through the drains. These drains also carry the town’s garbage and the town has become a slum. Residents having civic sense were hoping for an improvement but things have gone from bad to worse. With a view to preserve and maintain the water quality along the Ravi and also to save the town and its water springs from contamination, there is urgent need to make sewers compulsory. According to an official spokesman, the sewer system for Chamba town, costing Rs 6.29 crore, was completed almost two years ago and offered to connect sewers on payment. The sewer system has been constructed for a projected population of 45,000 whereas at present the town’s population is about 25,000 persons. The Irrigation-cum-Public Health (IPH) Department has proposed to provide 1737 sewer links and so far 213 of them have been made against 471 sanctioned. Local residents are not coming forward and the delay in getting access to sewers is caused by the residents owing to reasons such as land disputes. In a congested town like Chamba if a house owner wants his building to get connected to the sewer system, in most cases the pipes must pass through the neighbour’s land. Hence he must get the latter’s consent. This has led to inordinate delay and has vitiated the atmosphere. To make the scheme fully operational it is advisable for house owners to apply for sewer connections and make the best use of sewers. |
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Apple growers a worried lot SHIMLA, July 23 — The disruption of road links by cloudbursts and heavy rain in upper Shimla and Kinnaur district is causing worry to the apple growers of midhill areas where picking of the fruit has just begun. More so because they are expecting a good deal from their orchards. Last year there was a “total” failure of crop. According to estimates of the Horticulture Department, the total apple production this season will be over 1.50 crore boxes as against 32 lakh boxes last year. Initially, the production was assessed at 2.42 crore boxes, but unusually high temperature in March and April caused heavy dropping of fruit. The early onset of monsoon and incessant rain has also led to premature dropping of the fruit. A series of cloudbursts in Rohru, Rampur and Bhabhanagar and widespread heavy rain in other areas over the past fortnight have caused extensive damage to the road network in the apple belt. The collapse of Sholding Bridge on the Hindustan-Tibet road has cut off most of Kinnaur district. The plucking of apple in the tribal areas starts in September. It will not be possible to construct a new bridge by that time. The growers are demanding the construction of a temporary bridge so that the tribals could transport apple and other produce to various markets. Numerous landslips have blocked most of the link roads in interior areas of Rohru and Chopal. The condition of some roads is so bad that the truck operators are reluctant to ply their vehicles. The government has made special arrangements to keep the roads open, but these have proved insufficient in the face of an unusual monsoon. Additional manpower and machinery has been deployed. Meanwhile, apple picking is gaining momentum each day. As many as 629 trucks have moved out of the State to various markets till July 22. In all 2.36 lakh boxes have been exported from Kotkhai, Rohru, Rajgarh, Ani and other lower hill areas. On an average about 150 trucks are rolling out daily. The increasing arrivals in the market have also started affecting the prices. For instance royal delicious, and other superior varieties, which fetched up to Rs 825 per box initially, are now being sold at between Rs 650 and Rs 700 per box. Similarly, the prices of tydeman have come down from Rs 600 to Rs 450 per box. The growers of the lower hills usually get good returns as their produce reaches the market early. The growers of midhills and high hills get less returns because prices come down considerably by the time their crop is ready. According to Mr Narinder Bragta, the Horticulture Minister, who has been personally supervising the arrangements for the marketing of the crop. Over 30,000 trucks are being arranged for the transportation of the produce. Besides, 239 collection centres are also being set up for procurement of apple under the market intervention scheme. In all about 60,000 tonners of fruit is likely to be procured. The State-owned Agro Packaging India Limited is supplying 45 lakh cartons. Of which 30 lakh have already been manufactured. Another 10 lakh will be supplied by private manufacturers. In addition about one crore wooden boxes are also being imported from neighbouring States. Mr Jag Mohan Chauhan, the Director of Horticulture, says about 80 collection centres have started functioning and 160 more would start by August 1. The trucks have been exempted from additional goods tax, Control rooms have been set up at Bhakheti (Theog), Parwanoo, Rampur and Narkanda to monitor the transportation of apples. Freight rates have been notified. |
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Plantation outlay squeezed MANDI, July 23 — Despite the directive of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to take up afforestation on a war footing in Himachal while laying the foundation stone of Kol Dam at Kangoo in this district last month, the state government has slapped a drastic cut in the plantation budget this year. In 1998-99, a sum of Rs 23.46 crore had been allocated for plantation in 31300 hectares of degraded forest land. A sum of Rs 25.07 crore was spent on plantation in 1999-2000 and 30500 hectares of land brought under the green cover. Ironically this year, which is considered one of the best monsoon seasons in the past 50 years, the allocation for the tree plantation has been squeezed to a mere Rs 13 crore correspondingly reducing the area to be brought under plantation to a bare 15000 hectares. This has dashed the hopes of the Forest Department to launch a vigorous plantation campaign. The shortage of funds will hit nursaries worth crores of rupees raised during the year for plantation. Forest officials are intrigued over the “cut” in plantation because there is a quantum jump in the Plan outlay for the state. It is not out of place to mention here that the Forest Department has virtually no work round the year due to the blanket ban on felling. Over 90 per cent of the plantation budget comprises the labour component and employment is generated to the rural poor in far-flung areas. These people will also be hit by the meagre allocation this year. Forest officials apprehend that the cut in the plantation budget would send a wrong signal to international projects now under progress in the state and foreign funds may not come easily in the state which itself is not keen on plantation programmes. The cut in the plantation budget may further weaken the case of the Himachal Pradesh Government for green felling. Its plea for silviculture would apparently look hollow. It is also alleged that the funds provided by the international projects are not used for the real purpose and these are deviated for the use of the department. For instance, if a project provides vehicles, the department withholds the sanction of vehicles to its officials as a result of which the work suffers. |
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MC resolution
on house tax suspended BILASPUR, July 23 — The Himachal Government in its order dated June 7 has suspended the resolution number 538 of April 29, 2000, in which the local municipal council had resolved not to realise house tax in Bilaspur town at the rate of 10 per cent. It is learnt that Dr A.J.V. Prashad, Director, Urban Development, has passed an office order in exercise of the powers vested in him under Section 263 of the HP Municipal Act 1994, suspending the execution of the resolution. He has directed that the earlier government order regarding the imposition of house tax in Bilaspur town be complied with in 15 days. The office order states that the “passing of such a resolution is against the instructions of the state government, is not in conformity with the law and is likely to cause financial loss to the municipal council.” |
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Scribe gets
threats, writes to DGP SHIMLA, July 23 — Mr T.R. Mahajan, Director-General of Police, has directed the Shimla district police Chief, Mr A.N. Sharma, to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Mr Ajay Srivastav, bureau chief of “Divya Himachal”, a Hindi Daily, in view of the threatening telephone calls received by him allegedly from an influential politician and his brother. In a written complaint to the DGP, Mr Srivastav has referred to two specific calls threatening to eliminate him in case he continued to write reports on an “illegal katha factory” in Sirmaur district. The first call was received at his office on July 20. The caller identifying himself as Sadanand Chauhan asked him to desist from writing such stories or be ready to face the consequences. The second call was received on July 22 on his mobile phone in the presence of state BJP chief Jaikrishan Sharma at Deepkamal, headquarters of the party. The caller, who identified himself as Sukhdarshan Chauhan, threatened to shoot him dead if he wrote any more such stories. The copies of the complaint have been sent to the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and the Secretary,
Home. |
Monsoon record may be broken SHIMLA, July 23 — With 428.5 mm of rainfall recorded here during the monsoon till yesterday, weather observers are hopeful of the rain breaking the previous record of the decade. Dr
S.P. Bhardwaj, Additional Director of the Fruit Research Station at
Mashobra, near here, which also has a weather observatory, said Shimla had a record rainfall of 483.2 mm five years ago in 1995. He said that during the past 24 hours a rainfall of 70.6 mm was recorded which was the highest during the current season. During the last six days a rainfall of 295.6 mm was recorded. The least rainfall was recorded in 1991 when it was just 145.2 mm. He said that the last year’s rainfall was 440.3 mm during the whole season. |
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