Rainwater harvesting plant in school
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, April 3
After installing a dozen solar lights last month, DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, here, popularly known as ‘Green School’, has come up with another eco-friendly measure. This time rainwater harvesting through trenches and bore wells. Funded by the Central Ground Water Board, the harvesting plant has become operational.

The scheme has been carried out in a phased manner and two wells have been bored to drain the rainwater from the roof of the main building as well as the cricket ground of the school. The plant is expected to recharge 9,720 cubic metre of water per annum once the scheme is completed.

“The rainwater harvesting scheme had started in February 2002 and the first phase was completed only a couple of months back,” said Mr Ravinder Talwar, Principal of the school. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 9. 41 lakh.

Though the main features of the scheme is to recharge the ground water level and to purify the water for self-sufficiency, the sole objective of the school remains in educating the children about recycling of water. “This is another step to imbibe an eco-friendly attitude among the students and generate awareness among the common men that rainwater harvesting is not just effective but also feasible and very much within the budget of farmers,” said Dr Vikas Kohli, a senior teacher of the school and general secretary of Indian Council for Environmental Education.

Mr D.S. Saini, a senior Scientist with the Central Ground Water Board, who is also in charge for Chandigarh and Punjab, said the board was formulating special schemes to encourage the city schools to implement the rainwater harvesting schemes.

“Though we have been trying to generate awareness about the positive points of the scheme, we found that by giving first-hand information to the students we can reach out to a greater number and so the board is planning some special schemes for the schools,” said Mr Saini, adding that the plan is still in a formative stage and awaits the final approval from the Administration.

The board has already installed a number of wells, mainly in the Chandigarh Housing Board complex, Panjab University and the Leisure Valley and has found the outcome positive as the ground water level at the northern sectors has considerably gone up, according to Mr Saini.

The process of rainwater harvesting is not just expected to recharge the ground water level but also save the city from flash floods. The school is expected to install another three different types of bore wells to drain water from the rest of the school campus within this season.

Last date for TTTI courses
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
The Technical Teachers Training Institute (TTTI) Sector 26, has fixed June 13 as the last date for submitting applications for admission into its postgraduate courses. The course include M.Tech in engineering education and ME in manufacturing technology, construction technology and management, computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering and instrumentation and control.

These courses differ from regular ME courses in the sense that these are highly industry-oriented and practice-based. These focus on the development of professional capabilities through classroom teaching, self-learning and project-oriented activities relating to real life problem in industry and technical education.

SDM launches school website
Our Correspondent

Mr S.P. Arora, SDM, interacts with students after launching a school website in Mount Carmel School, Sector 47, Chandigarh, on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Chandigarh, April 3
The website of Mount Carmel School was launched by Mr. S P Arora, SDM (East) on the school campus in Sector 47 here today.

Lauding the effort of the school to keep pace with the advancement in the field of information technology, Mr Arora who was the chief guest on this occasion, said that both parents and students would be benefited by this move.

The main feature of the website is that the students who miss school due to sickness or other reasons will now be able to download their home assignments on daily basis.

Felicitated
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
The Principal of the Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 47, Mr H.K. Bhatia, has felicitated all students and teachers of the school for excellent performance in the middle standard examinations conducted by the UT Education Department.

According to him, the school recorded a pass percentage of 89.47, which is 25.25 per cent above the average result of the examination.

Middle standard exam results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
The results of the middle standard examination conducted by the DAV Education Board, New Delhi, were declared today. Three schools from the city namely DAV Model School, Sector 8, DAV Public School, Sector 15, and KB DAV Centenary Public School, Sector 7, are affiliated with the board.

Shruti Trehan of KB DAV School topped from amongst the local schools, securing 92.5 per cent marks, followed by Jincy Rajan and Ashima Aggarwal, both of DAV, Sector 8, with 90.83 per cent. The third position was secured by Isha Singla with 90.8 per cent marks.

Lecture on law profession
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
A lecture on “Threshold of entering the legal profession” was delivered to students and faculty of the Department of Laws, Panjab University, by a senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr R.S. Cheema, here today.

He said legal profession was very challenging and tough. It demanded minded perseverance and dedicated work. He said even some of the most distinguished judges had to struggle for years to make a niche in the profession.

Farewell function

A cultural programme was organised at the farewell function, the Dr Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management. Depending upon their personality, outgoing students were given witty and humourous titles by their juniors.

Vineet Tandon and Priya Negi were declared as Mr IHM and Miss IHM, respectively.

CNG issue: next hearing on April 23
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
Taking up a petition seeking directions to the UT Administration and other respondents for granting permits to auto-rickshaws with “CNG fuel mode only”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked counsel for the Union of India to seek instructions regarding the supply of the same to the city. The case will now be taken up for further hearing on April 23.

In their petition, the Hind Auto Rickshaw Workers Union and another petitioner had stated that the authorities were granting permission to diesel autos. These, they had added, was neither economical, nor environmental friendly, compared to the autos with CNG.

The union members had also sought directions to the respondents for quashing a public notice issued on October 16 last year imposing a ban on the plying of 15-year-old autos in Chandigarh with effect from January 1.

Claiming the notice to be violative of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution, counsel for the petitioners had added on their behalf that about 2000 auto-rickshaw operators in the city would be deprived of livelihood.

This, counsel had added, was also in violation of principles of natural justice.

Counsel had further added that the notice was also liable to be quashed as it had left out major pollution- causing vehicles including old buses, trucks and good carriers.

CA’s bail plea dismissed
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 3
A bail plea moved by N.K Garg, Chartered Accountant, who was arrested by the UT police in connection with the income tax return scam was today dismissed by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L Mohal.

Meanwhile, the CJM has directed the Investigating Officer concerned to provide the photostat copies of the files seized by the police during the raid. According to the police, Garg had opened 74 bank accounts in various banks on false grounds and was involved in the scam on the basis of the forged TDS certificates, and a fake ration card. He was allegedly withdrawing refund from a New Delhi-based firm on the basis of the forged TDS.

CULTURE

NEW RELEASE
Another college romance

BEGINNING this week, there is a possible trendsetter in Anandi Arts Creations Pvt Ltd’s ‘Yeh Dil’ which revolves around college romance. Tusshar Kapoor, Jeetendra’s ‘laadla’ is making yet another attempt as a romantic hero after giving flop murder mystery ‘Kuchh To Hai’. For an industry flooded with flops, one must hope that ‘Yeh Dil’ should be a smooth ride. This one opens today at Malhar, Ludhiana.

‘Yeh Dil’ has a beautiful catch line:”... for someone special”. This film is different from other love stories because love makes life worth living, love is full of challenges, love means being there for each other.

Anita of teleserial ‘Kabhi Soutan Kabhi Saheli’-fame, now with a Bollywood name Nataasha, once again stars with Tusshar Kapoor after ‘Kuchh To Hai’. It is the story of two individuals who come from contrasting backgrounds, yet discover that they share a lot of things between them. It is a straightforward tale of passion, but the look is different.

‘Yeh Dil’ is produced by Kiran and directed by Teejaa. Sameer has penned the lyrics. Composers Nadeem-Shravan have come up with some foot-tapping and lilting romantic songs. It comprises nine tracks rendered by Nadeem Saifi, Kavita, Subrahmanyam, Sonu Nigam, Abhijeet, Alka Yagnik, Tauseef Akhtar and Nirja Pandit. Akhilendra Mishra also stars in the film. DP