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Alert sounded as artificial lake on
Traffic restored up to Manali
Find solution to Parechu problem: CM
CPM: arrest officials for releasing dam water |
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Govt to help set up cement plant
Seminar on need to check female foeticide
Army readies 2 routes to bypass damaged NH-22
No hike in domestic power tariff: CM
Rs 100 cr Central aid for flood-hit areas
Road closed since four days
Order issued on carton transport subsidy policy
Remuneration for marking increased
Pensioners seek merger
of DA in basic pension
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Alert sounded as artificial lake on Ravi expands
Chamba, July 8 Confirming the formation of the lake in the Bharmour tribal subdivision, Mr J.R. Sharma, Naib Tehsildar of Holi sub-tehsil, said the road beyond Holi had been submerged and villages at Deol, Nayagran and Bazol had been cut off. The authorities of the hydel projects, meanwhile, are getting ready to cope with the situation. Preventive measures have been taken by the district authorities to meet any untoward situation. People living in the low-lying areas have also cautioned. Mr Nain Singh, General Manager of the 300 MW Chamera hydroelectric project stage-II, said power generation could not be resumed even as the water level was receding and the volume of silt had also reduced from 80,000 to 20,000 particle per million (PPM). The silt was being flushed out through sluice and radial gates. The generation would be restarted as soon as the silt came down to at least 5,000 PPM, he said. A report from the 510 MW Chamera hydroelectric project and the Baira Siul hydroelectric project said the projects were generating power as usual. According to official sources, the district administration has undertaken restoration work in a big way, pressing almost all departments into service to cope with the havoc caused to private and public property, including roads and bridges. Revenue officials have been directed to assess the losses caused due to the flash floods in the region and carry out rescue and relief operations. According to preliminary reports, the losses in the district have been put at more than Rs 20 crore. Efforts are on to clear debris on roads linking Chamba with other places like Hadsar, Nayagran, Satrundi and Langera. The roads had been blocked by landslides following heavy rain.
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Traffic restored up to Manali
Mandi, July 8 According to reports received here, snowfall has triggered a series of landslides that have breached the Manali-Keylong-Leh NH-21 at several places. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has opened the Rohtang pass, clearing the road till Stingri, near Koksar, today. The NH-22 will be restored till Tapri in Kinnaur district within 10 days, while the road will be thrown open for light traffic till Karcham by this month-end, said Mr K.B. Raju, Commander, BRO, who was monitoring the work at Tapri today. Mr Raju said that the 200-km-long Wangtu-Kaurik NH-22 had over 200 small and big breaches which would take over one and half months to be repaired. Meanwhile, the Lahaul-Spiti district remained cut off from the outside world for the fourth day as snowfall and landslides have snapped telecommunication and electric supply to the district. In the Sainj and Tirtthan valleys in Banjar subdivision in Kulu district, power, transport and telecommunication services remained suspended for the fourth day, revealed officials. The Beas, Parbati, Sainj and Tirthan rivers have receded further as the day remained clear, they added.
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Find solution to Parechu problem: CM
Shimla, July 8 Stating this here today Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state had suggested that the Chinese Government be persuaded to carry out blasting to completely remove the blockade so that whatever quantity was impounded in the residual water body after the June 26 breach could be drained out. He said it was essential as blockade had not given way completely and any increase in the water level could revive the flood threat. He said there was no need for any inquiry to ascertain how the blockade was formed or breached. It was a natural water body created by landslides and one should try to see more behind it. Referring to reports that some persons, including Mr P.K. Moukhopadhyaya, Director General , National Audit and Accounts Academy, and seven probationers, were missing in Lahaul- Spiti he said there were no floods or other damage in the district and as such there was no cause of alarm. It was a remote area and the group, which had gone for trekking, must be out of reach. He said the state had advised the Jammu and Kashmir Government not to send tourists or other persons from the Leh area to Himachal Pradesh as the roads were blocked. |
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CPM: arrest officials for releasing dam water
Shimla, July 8 It also demanded the immediate arrest of the top management of the Baspa project for opening the gates of the dam without warning and asserted that environmental clearance should not be granted for the 1000 MW Karcham Wangtu project without proper scrutiny. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Rakesh Singha, secretary of the party, said J.P. Industries, which owned the Baspa project, had been calling shots both during the previous BJP regime and the present Congress rule and flouting environmental norms with impunity. He said the police had registered a case against the project authorities on the complaint of the pradhan of Chansu village and the government should take action by putting them behind the bars. The company should be asked to make good the loss caused by the flash floods triggered by the sudden release of water from the Baspa reservoir in the downstream areas. The agreement for the project laid down that the company would be responsible for any loss caused during the construction of after completion of the project. He said the latest disaster had made it clear that the brunt of the hydroelectric projects was ultimately borne by the local people and as such grant of clearance without taking the state into confidence could lead to catastrophic consequences. It was time that the unilateral clearance given to the NHPC for the two projects should be withdrawn and the cases examined afresh to take the state’s concern into consideration. Mr Singha urged the Centre to declare the floods a national calamity. The total loss as per the information ranged from Rs 1,100 crore to Rs 1,200 crore. The fund-starved state did not have the resources to carry out the relief and rehabilitation operations and the Centre must provide adequate funds for the purpose. He lamented that the government had not fulfilled the assurance given by the Union Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil, that the peas crop from the flood-ravaged Kinnaur district would be airlifted to ensure that the farmers did not suffer because of the disruption of road links. He urged the government to involve all political parties, panchayat and local bodies in the in the relief work and ensure strict implementation of the catchment area treatment plan in respect various projects.
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Govt to help set up cement plant
Chamba, July 8 In an official communique issued here today, the Himachal Government has also agreed to provide all the necessary assistance to Jai Prakash Associates to obtain clearances required for the setting up of a cement plant at Baga-Bhalag within the stipulated period. The mining lease of limestone over an area of 332.22 hectares had been granted by the state government, the communique said. The communique revealed that the state government had given top priority for rapid and balanced industrialisation of the state by encouraging pollution free and environment friendly industries with the main thrust on creating employment opportunities and economic development on sustainable basis. To achieve this objective, in this year’s Budget some assurances were made and the implementation process had been started. The chief objective of industrialisation is to attract industrial investment on a massive scale so that employment avenues both in the private and the public sectors could be generated and economy of the state strengthened, the communique said. Although the state is providing abundant power, yet to improve the system further and to provide better services to the entrepreneurs, Rs 30 crore was being spent on it. The funds for the purpose would be provided either from the state Budget or under the industrially sponsored schemes such as Integrated Infrastructure Development Centre (IIDC), Growth Centre and ASIDE scheme. A sum of Rs 246.43 lakh was being given to the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) for providing power to Growth Centre (Phase-III), Raja Ka Bag in Kangra district. Similarly, Rs 32 lakh would be spent on the IIDC and Rs 81.80 lakh on upgradation and electrical infrastructure at Nalagarh.
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Seminar on need to check female foeticide
Dharamsala, July 8 The need to stop female foeticide was highlighted by medical specialists and experts at the workshop on the Prenatal and Preconception Diagnostic Techniques Regulation and Prevention and Misuse Act, 1994, here today. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr K. L. Gupta, said sex determination tests followed by unethical termination of pregnancies was the only cause of declining sex ratio. The participants took pledge to allow their daughters to perform their last rites and subsequent rituals as this step would help in removing discrimination against girls. Earlier, Dr S.N. Sharma outlined the procedure for the registration of pre-natal diagnostic facilities. Dr Kshama Maitrya, Project Director, Tapovan Trust, in her presentation, said enforcement could not yield to any positive result if mothers do not testify to the crimes. Dr Sushma Sood, a senior gynecologist, elaborated on the provisions of the Acts dealing with female foeticide and sex determination.
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Army readies 2 routes to bypass damaged NH-22
Chandigarh, July 8 "We are re-activating an old alignment of the Hindustan-Tibet Road which will link Shimla directly with Karchham, by-passing damaged portions of the road between Rampur Bushar and Karchham," a senior officer at Headquarters Western Command said. "Only the last 4-5 km of this road are left to be prepared," he added. The distance from Shimla to Karchham via this route will be about 140 km. The other route being pressed into service is from Manali to Kaza in Lahaul Spiti and thereafter to Sumdo and Pooh in Kinnaur. The preparation of this 230-km route is in the last stages and is expected to be open for light traffic in a day or two, sources said. Officers at the Command Headquarters said it would take about 25 days just to get the damaged NH-22 back in shape to enable vehicles to more bridging equipment for reconstructing damaged or washed away ones. Constructing bridges would take another 3-4 months. While the Army has its own reserves of ration and fuel to cater to any eventuality for several weeks, the civilian population in these areas will be feeling the pinch. Some supplies are being airlifted by helicopters to civilians by the Himachal Pradesh Government To keep Army establishments in the area supplied with necessary items, the Air Force has deployed two Mi-17 choppers. Sorties recommenced today after remaining suspended for a few days because of bad weather and heavy rains. |
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No hike in domestic power tariff: CM
Shimla, July 8 The decision to subsidise the two categories of consumers was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet held under the chairmanship of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, here today. Briefing reporters about the decision of the Chief Minister said that the commission had raised the tariff for various categories of domestic consumers from 14.6 per cent to 121 per cent and for agriculture supply by 210 per cent without any request from the government. In keeping with its promise the Government had decided that the rates of domestic and agricultural consumers would continue at the existing level. This shall entail a burden of Rs 100 crore per annum on the state exchequer. The government decided to bear this and pay the amount as subsidy to the board. He said there would be no increase in tariff for Antodaya , BPL and IRDP families and these families would also be not required to pay any consumer services charges. The tariff for these poor families had been reduced from Rs 1.55 per unit announced by the commission to Rs 0.70 per unit, thereby providing a subsidy of 85 paise per unit. Similarly, for other small domestic consumers having consumption up to 45 units per month, there would be no increase in the existing tariff. The government would subsidise this category to the tune of Rs 1.05 per unit to bring down the tariff announced by commission from Rs 1.75 per unit to Rs 0.70 per month. An amount of Rs 55 crore would be provided as subsidy for the small consumers. It had also been decided to keep the tariff level for slabs 46 to 150 units per month, 150 to 300 units per month and above 300 units per month at the existing level of Rs 1.05 per unit, Rs 1.50 per unit and Rs 2.25 per unit, respectively. The subsidy burden would be Rs 22.47 crore, Rs 6.625 crore and Rs 2.65 crore, respectively. In addition, the Cabinet had also decided that the small consumers in the category of 0-45 units per month would be subsidised to Rs 9 per month in consumer service charge also. Further the tariff for the agricultural supply shall remain at 50 paise per unit and the state government would provide subsidy to Rs 1.05 per unit to the agriculture consumers. |
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Rs 100 cr Central aid for flood-hit areas
Shimla, July 8 While the state government releasing Rs 50 crore, the Centre provided Rs 37.50 crore and with state contributing its 25 per cent of Rs 12.50 crore to match the Central funds the total amount swelled to Rs 100 crore. The total loss due to floods caused by breaching of the Parechu lake and the subsequent heavy rain has been put at Rs 800 crore. The state Cabinet reviewed the situation in the affected areas and concluded that it would not be possible to restore the roads in the Kinnaur district over the next few weeks and as such it would not be possible to transport the peas crop, which was already being harvested, to the market. It was decided that the affected farmers should be paid a compensation at the rate Rs 27,500 per hectare. As many as 1,750 hectares covered by the peas crop and the total production this season was likely to be 15,000 tonne. The decision will benefit over 12,000 families and the burden on the state exchequer will be Rs 5 crore. The farmers will be free to sell their produce in the market as fresh or dry peas to have additional income. Meanwhile, five choppers deployed for relief operations carried out about 20 sorties to drop ration and other essential items at Peo, Leo, Pooh and Sangla. Besides they also airlifted 118 persons from the affected area. Cooking gas was being sent on mules. The Rohtang Pass, which was closed following an unseasonal snow two days ago, was reopened today. Life was limping back to normal in the flood-affected areas with water receding. Most of the roads in Kulu and Shimla districts, which were blocked due to landslides and flooding, had been cleared. Barring 120 mw Bhabha project and 60 mw Giri project, all other projects of the state electricity board remained shut down. The Baira Siul project of the NHPC was also closed today. The silt level in the Sutlej came down to 10,000 ppm raising hope that generation resuming in the 1500 mw Nathpa Jhakri project. |
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Road closed since four days
Parwanoo, July 8 Children studying in Senior Secondary School here are on unscheduled holidays due to their inability to reach school. Equal sufferers are office-goers and those employed in Parwanoo industries. Tomato growers of the area are unable to transport their produce to markets due to closed roads. Tomato-laden vehicles are stuck mid-way. Had the PWD metalled this 24-km road on time, the situation could have been avoided, said Mr Upender Sharma, Pradhan, Banasar panchayat. He said Rs 1.79 crore had been received by the PWD for repair of the road but till date not a penny had been spent. Mr R.S. Chaudhary and Mr S.N. Sharma, Executive Engineer and SDO of the PWD, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. However, according to an official at the local PWD office, a JCB machine has been deployed to clear the road.
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Order issued on carton transport subsidy policy
Shimla, July 8 The subsidy on state owned Agro India Packaging Limited (AIPIL) manufactured telescopic cartons for apple will be Rs 6 per carton up to a maximum limit of Rs 7200 for small farmers having a holding of 10 bighas or less under fruit cultivation in their names. The sale price of telescopic cartons manufactured by the AIPIL will be Rs 28.50 per carton. The HPMC, HIMFED and HPAIC will be the agencies for supplying these cartons. |
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Remuneration for marking increased
Dharamsala, July 8 Board Chairman B.R. Rahi said teachers working in the Secondary Department who checked papers for the board would benefit from this increase. He added that the remuneration for Class IV employees, lab assistants and watchmen on duty at the centres for paper-checking had also been increased. He said attempts would also be made to give better facilities to the staff involved in marking of the answersheets. |
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Pensioners seek merger
of DA in basic pension
Nurpur, July 8 |
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45-quintal wheat seized
Barotiwala, July 8
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