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Monday,
January 21, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Fisheries
to be promoted in Sutlej tailend Rain fails
to revive farmers’ spirits Flouting
rules to please contractors Damage by
soil erosion worries engineers Book
Virbhadra, says Lok Janshakti |
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Stone
crushers’ union up in arms ‘Vanaspati
van’ project makes headway DD
transmitter on blink Ram Lal
Thakur bereaved Stone
for telephone complex laid More
power by 2008: CM Project
to augment water supply Bharmour
gets sewerage Students
participate in nagar kirtan
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Fisheries to be promoted in Sutlej tailend Shimla, January 20 Stating this here yesterday, Mr Kishori Lal, Industry Minister, said it would help propagate trout fish not only at the project site, but also in the entire Kinnaur valley. He said based on the recommendations of experts of the environment management study, the Department of Fisheries had submitted a proposal to the NJPC for the development of recreational fisheries in the impoundment and the entire stretch of 16 km from Jhakri to Nathpa. He said proposed species identified for transplantation were lake trout (salvelinus namycush), brown trout (salmo trutta fario), rainbow trout (salmo gairdnerii gairdenerii) and snow trout (schizothoracid Sp.). He said the infrastructure, proposed to be developed by the Fisheries Department included remodelling and upgrading of the Sangla trout farm by creating additional rearing space, augmentation of the water supply, the construction of hatchery and construction of sedimentation tanks. “The project also envisages initiation of collaborative research studies between ICAR scientists and the state Department of Fisheries on breeding and rearing of snow trout”, the minister added. The environmental study had revealed that the construction of dam could be a barrier for the movement of short-range migratory fish of the Sutlej. The minister advised steps for the augmentation of the fish stock. He said a number of steps like the acclimatisation of the fish stock by transplanting new fish species amenable to thrive in the new environ, the augmentation of the stock by intensive stocking of self-propagating existing species dominant in the Sutlej, the transplantation of mature fish specimens from fish farms and species-wise stocking by transplanting selective species not breeding under natural conditions were being taken under the development of the project. The minister said the import of quick growing strains of brown and lake trout from European and Scandinavian countries was also proposed. Such a need had been often emphasised at the national and state levels in view of the genetic degradation of the present stock of brown trout, transplanted in state waters about a century back. |
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Rain fails to revive farmers’ spirits Kumarhatti, January 20 The situation turned from bad to worse for those farmers whose crop which was sown in October and November either could not sprout or dried out in initial stage for want of water. A survey of the villages that fall under Dharampur and Solan blocks shows that the rain has only brought some sort of the relief for the farmers who either could manage to sow the crop with the help of potable irrigation facilities or sown the late varieties of the crop. The numbers of such farmers were few as the major arable land could not be ploughed timely. At some places the farmers expressed concern over the viability of the late sowing of the crop. A majority of them were of the view that the crop should be sown in some parts of the field as according to tradition leaving a field barren doesn’t augur well for the coming crop. Though the sowing season has been over, after this rain they have decided to sow the crop on a small scale, maintains the president of a panchayat. Some farmers have decided to sow the crop just to get fodder for their cattle as the lack of rain has also reduced the possibilities of sufficient fodder. The shift in agriculture trends due to the unprecedented changes in the weather conditions can be gauged from the fact that this time the Agriculture Department had distributed more late variety seeds of rabi crop than timely sowing seeds. |
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Flouting
rules to please contractors Palampur The nexus between alleged corrupt officials and contractors has become a matter of concern. Tall claims made by the government to eradicate corruption from the public life have remained confined to files, and officials are draining the state exchequer. In one of the subdivisions of Palampur division, a number of contracts were awarded to contractors on very high rates without assigning any reason. Earlier too, this division was in the news for making huge purchases on high rates as compared to the prevailing market rates. The condition of most of the drinking and lift water supply schemes has gone from bad to worse in the past one year. Even the water supply schemes feeding adjoining areas of the town are in the bad shape. Aima, Ghuggar, Choki, Bindravan are the worst affected villages. In rural areas like Khera, Lahat, Kotlu, Thural and Alampur, the situation is no better. In many villages residents are receiving water once in a day, that too for about 30 minutes. It is surprising that residents living in 25 villages below Palampur town have been receiving contaminated and muddy drinking water directly tapped from the Kirpal Chand kuhal as there is no water treatment plant here. Effluents are thrown into this kuhal by residents of Bundla, Aima, Ghuggar and Choki villages. In many areas in the absence of sewerage facility people have opened their flush pipes into the kuhal and the IPH Department has been supplying same water to the residents of 30 villages. At times dead animals and carcasses are dumped into this kuhal. Despite the fact that the Executive Engineer of the IPH Department is well conversant with the situation, water is being supplied for human consumption. One wonders why despite repeated allegations of corruption and irregularities committed in the allotment of tenders and purchases of material, no action has been initiated against the guilty officials. The state government and other vigilance agencies have become a silent spectators to these misdeeds. It is learnt that the ruling party politicians have been making all efforts to shield corrupt officials and pleading their cases before the IPH Minister and the Chief Minister. The sewer system of the town is also in a bad shape. Despite repeated complaints, the department has laid black pipes of 4-inch diameter which is technically not advised by experts as after a few days they get choked. In many areas of the town small diameter pipes remain choked, emitting foul smell and causing
inconvenience to people. Septic tanks built a few years ago have developed major cracks and are on the verge of collapse. The sewage treatment plant installed by the IPH Department hardly functions. Effluents from the treatment plant are thrown into Bhiral khud, which is tributary of river Beas. In the lower areas of Palampur, people use this water for drinking. Even in some part of Thural subdivision, the IPH Department has itself tapped water of this khud for drinking. Meanwhile, a private NGO, in its report revealed that muddy and contaminated water being supplied by the Irrigation and Public Health Department had become a major health hazard in Palampur and its lower areas. The report revealed that at least in 30 villages of Palampur subdivision, the situation was “grim” as every third member of a family was suffering from some water-borne disease. The report also revealed that amoebiasis had become a common disease here. This has also been confirmed by the local Chemists and Druggists Association. It is a sad state of affairs that the state government has been spending crores of rupees on drinking water supply schemes, but the common man is yet to benefit from these schemes. |
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Damage by soil erosion worries engineers Shimla, January 20 Mr M.S. Mastana, chairman of the society, said for speedy and effective implementation of the soil conservation schemes, the government must create at least one soil conservation circle in each parliamentary constituency, division in each district and one subdivision in each assembly constituency in a phased manner. He demanded that inter-disciplinary staff transfers between soil conservation and agricultural extension wings be completely banned and soil conservation be included in the minimum need programme. The association also urged the government to introduce degree courses in agricultural engineering discipline either at the regional engineering college, Hamirpur, or the agricultural university, Palampur. |
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Book Virbhadra,
says Lok Janshakti Shimla, January 20 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Surinder Singh Chauhan, vice president of the Shimla district unit of the party, and Mr R.L. Suri, member of the state executive of the party, said the Big Landed Estate Abolition Act, 1953, the State Land Ceiling Act and the State Land Reforms and Tenancy Act had not been implemented in letter and spirit due to the political clout of the former rulers. Mr Virbhadra Singh and other rulers had used illegal methods like creation tenancy in the name of children, retaining forest land, pastures and “banjar kadeem” land in violation of the Big Landed Estate Abolition Act to defraud the government in connivance with officials. |
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Stone crushers’ union up in arms Nurpur, January 20 The local Stone Crushers Association has alleged that the official has created “panic” by collecting hefty amounts from the truckers without issuing any official receipt to them. The association, which is up in arms against the harsh attitude of the official, has reportedly complained to the Transport Minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor, in this connection. Mr Kapoor yesterday admitted that he had received several complaints against that official. He said he had called a meeting of the association on January 30 in which the official would also participate so that the problem of the association could be sorted out. |
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‘Vanaspati van’ project makes headway Chamba, January 20 According to Mr Mohan Lal, Minister of State for Ayurveda, the Masrund, Mani, Jhalara and Sagnahar zones had been identified for being developed as a “vanaspati van” . The Ayurveda Minister said with the initiative taken by the Ayurveda Department in close coordination with the Forest Department and herbal experts, various training programmes and workshops had been organised to impart training about the cultivation and utility of medicinal herbs. The minister said the government was serious about the systematic and scientific exploitation of the natural resources including herbal wealth. The minister informed that of the 3,000 flowering plant species, more than 500 were found to have medicinal properties, but unfortunately prior to this, the extraction and trade in herbs was in the hands of those who were unaware of their importance. |
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DD transmitter
on blink Chamba, January 20 Residents of these areas regret the failure of TV tower is a recurring problem and despite the several complaints to the authorities concerned, it takes days to rectify the problem. They say that only rich families could afford to install own private dish antennae. They allege that they remain deprived of national scenario and other developments taking place nationwide. They demanded that permanent arrangements should be made to keep this TV relay tower in working condition to avoid any snag. |
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Ram Lal Thakur
bereaved Shimla, January
20 She was 70. She is survived by her husband and four married daughters. She was cremated here this evening. Mr Prem Kumar
Dhumal, Chief Minister, has expressed grief over her demise and has conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved family. Mrs Vidya Stokes, Pradesh Congress Committee chief, and several other Congress leaders have condoled her death. |
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Stone for telephone complex laid Mandi, January
20 Speaking on the occasion, he said better results could be achieved if the Department of Telecommunications, the PWD and the Forest Department worked in close coordination. He said BSNL had set a target of providing 90,000 new connections in the state during the current financial year. Mr Pradeep Kumar, General Manager,
BSNL, Mandi, said there were 50,966 working connections in Mandi at present, of which 34,188 were in rural areas. He said the waiting list of urban areas would be cleared by the year-end. |
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More power by 2008: CM Bilaspur, January 20 He said Himachal Pradesh would generate 10,000 MW of additional power by 2008 for which a comprehensive plan had been made. |
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Project
to augment water supply Shimla, January 20 A spokesman of the government said here yesterday that under the programme 50 per cent of the amount would be made available to the state as grant. The scheme envisages to provide 2.11 million litres of water to meet the requirement of 26,726 persons. The central assistance will help the state government to complete the project expeditiously. |
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Bharmour
gets sewerage Chamba, January 20 According to an official spokesman, the scheme was put into operation a few months ago and has started making progress. The spokesman said since the township was a major attraction for tourists and pilgrims throughout the year, a sewerage scheme had become indispensable. |
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Himachal
BJP to hold rally Bilaspur, January 20 |
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Students
participate in nagar kirtan Paonta Sahib, January 20 A demand was made to the Central Government to declare holiday in various government departments on Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary. |
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