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Mohali MC to be prosecuted
Mohali, April 24 The prosecution proceedings will be initiated under Sections 43 and 44 of the Water ( Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Act , 1974, read with Section 47 of this Act. Sources said the council had been repeatedly asked by the board to make proper arrangements for the disposal of the waste water from the slaughterhouse but it failed to submit any action plan or install an effluent treatment plant to treat the waste water. Board officials felt that the civic body was “willfully violating various provisions of the Water Act and as such was a fit case for prosecution.” The matter was placed before the Board of Directors to accord permission for launching the prosecution proceedings. The waste water from the slaughterhouse is being discharged into a municipal sewer which leads to a seasonal nullah. It ultimately enters the Ghagar river through the Dhakansu choe. The council had claimed that the slaughterhouse, which had an output capacity of 400 kg per day, generated waste water of 400 litres per day. However, when a board officer visited the area, he assessed that the quantity of waste water generated was up to 5 kilolitres per day. The sources said the council authorities were again given three months, time to install an effluent treatment plant vide a letter dated August 11, 2005, and was also asked to obtain consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974, for running the slaughterhouse. But the civic body failed to act according to the directions of the board. It is learnt that a joint meeting was called by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the PPCB. It was also attended by the representatives of local bodies on September 25, 1998. An action plan was prepared for the slaughterhouse for the implementation of various provisions of the Water Act, 1974, and guidelines were suggested by the CPCB . Directions under Section 18 (1) (b) of the Water Act were issued on July 23, 2002, pertaining to slaughterhouses and meat processing industries. According to the directions, the slaughterhouses and meat processing industries are required to submit a time schedule for the installation of effluent treatment plants to the State Pollution Control Board concerned within one month from the date of issue of the directions. They are also required to install the requisite effluent plant as per the time schedule agreed by the board concerned, apart from submitting a quarterly report on the installation work to the board.
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Waste piles up as MC machinery conks out
Chandigarh, April 24 A visit to the site by the Tribune Correspondent revealed that the chain bulldozer, the machine that compresses the municipal waste, is lying non-functional for the past more than a fortnight. An employee of the MC said:"We had to borrow the only chain bulldozer of the administration. Now even that machine has conked off.'' He said:"We have been informed by the office that our machine has been set right. However, it is of no use till the time the fire is brought under total control. We have requested our department that we should have at least two chain bulldozers because absence of the machine creates a very uncomfortable position for us at the dumping yard." "Unavailability of the compressing machine during summers is a very dangerous situation. The leaves are dry and fires are a frequent happening during summer. The methane gas here acts as a fire catalyst. In case the garbage is compressed, it leads to lesser chances of fire," the official said. Another MC official
said:" After compressing the garbage, it is covered with mud using a
JCB. The garbage which consisted of dry leaves in this open area had not been covered from the mud from the past few days because there was no machinery to push the garbage in low lying area and compress the dry leaves.'' Chain bulldozer is the only machine which first pushes and arranges the garbage and then compresses. The corporation tried to get a bulldozer but it was not available. A senior official said that "we need at least one more chain bulldozer to help us in compressing the garbage". The fire was brought under control today much to the relief of the local residents. Residents, however, are a peeved lot because the "smell is unbearable, even in routine, particularly in the evenings". Mr Narender Chaudhary, general secretary of the
The only positive development on the subject of the dumping ground is the garbage treatment coming up fast near the dumping yard. Officials at the site expressed satisfaction with the pace of the work at the plant. The pellets can be used as a fuel in industry. The project is listed to be functional by April 2007 which will negate all chances of fire in future.
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17-year-old killed in accident
Chandigarh, April 24 Ojaswi Wadhwa was the only son of his parents. The boy belonged to Rohtak in Haryana and had come to the city to take coaching for an engineering exam at a Sector 36-based institute. He was staying with his relatives in Phase X, Mohali. His father, Mr Om Prakash Wadhwa, is a lecturer at Government College, Gohana, and his mother is working with a Rohtak-based branch of the State Bank of India. According to eyewitnesses, the accident took place around 6.30 am. The victim was coming from Mohali on the road separating Sectors 49 and 50 when his scooter collided with a Santro car coming from Colony Number 5. He sustained multiple injuries and became unconscious. His shoulder was dislodged. He was bleeding profusely. He was rushed to the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The police said the doctors at the GMCH later referred
A case of causing death due to rash and negligent driving has been registered against Deepak Bhardwaj of Sector 49, the car driver. He was arrested and bailed out later. In another accident, a scooterist was seriously injured after being hit by a CTU bus in Sector 38-west. Sources in the Sector 39 police station said an unidentified scooterist (PB-11-Q0771) was seriously injured after being hit by a CTU bus (CH-01-G-5990) here. The police said the victim fell unconscious and was shifted to the PGI, where the doctors said he was unfit to give statement. The police has booked bus driver Jagir Singh on the charge of causing injuries due to rash and negligent driving.
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Less snow in Himalayas to cut water outflow
Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 24 While the NRSA estimates an outflow of 2.8 million acre feet (MAF) of water from the snow during the summer, the Roorkee institute has estimated that 2.72 MAF of water will be available. The only saving grace is the unusual weather that has resulted in snowfall in the past two weeks. This could be of use in the latter part of the summer, sources indicated. During the winters of 2004-05 nature had been kind. The NRSA had then estimated that nearly 3.4 million acre feet of water would be available from snow. The actual outflow was 2.8 MAF. This depends on proper melting of snow, that is in turn is dependent on the right weather conditions during the summer months. This year the estimate of snow is lower than that of previous season. The estimates have a margin of error at 10 per cent of the original prediction, said official sources. Officials at the Bhakra Beas Management Board say there is no need to panic. The dams have enough stored water. The outflow from the dams shall be sufficient, they say. The images of the vast catchment areas spreading across hundreds of square miles in India and Tibet reveal the snow, sources in the irrigation sector said. A communication from the NRSA and the institute at Roorkee has been sent to the authorities here after studying the satellite images of the Himalayas. Meanwhile, snow in the upper reaches has meant that there has been slower melting and the inflow in the dams have been close to what is the inflow during a “dry year” - the worst classification. As on today the inflows in the three dams - the Bhakra, the Pong and the Ranjit Sagar - were at 10,474, 1829 and 4098 cusecs, respectively. Last year these were 19,265, 4488 and 11755, respectively. So far the inflows are of a dry year but can improve as the intensity of summer goes up The rivers of the north-western region and hundreds of small tributaries originate from separate points in the Himalayas. On these rivers depends cropping pattern and drinking water availability in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. Also the waters help in running power- generating turbines. Starting from the winters of 1998-1999, the cycle of snow and the rains during the monsoon has not been perfect. Either it has rained less than expected or the snows have been insufficient. If the snow melt has been good, the rains have failed.
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Passing thru
What brings you to the city?
I am here with my husband on a trip to North India. On an exciting note, we had a bicycle ride from Leh to Manali which gave us a feel of nature and helped us explore the Himalayas closely. It took us seven days to complete the adventurous journey. How did you manage the trip? We were accompanied by our guide, who belongs to Leh. Besides, two helpers carried our tents, sleeping bags and other equipment in a separate
car. We stayed in tents during the night. The route was terrible but safe. What is your professional background ? I am a qualified business analyst working for a renowned packaging firm in Denmark. We make cartons and packing of all sizes. My job is administrative in nature. What business prospects you see for India? Chandigarh is emerging as the hub of the IT sector which will lead to a spurt in IT-related activities like hotel industry, tourism etc. I feel that Indian economy is becoming increasingly global and there will be great opportunities. — G.S. Paul
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Dust storm: The dust storm that hit the city yesterday caused quite a panic among the homebound air passengers who were stranded at the Delhi Airport for more than an hour. But more than the wait, their anxiety was due to half-baked news they received on the public announcing system. “Your flight is delayed due to bad weather condition,” was the statement but no one bothered to explain what caused the bad weather. This not being the rainy or foggy season, which is the main disrupting reasons for a flight, their bewilderment could be easily understood. So when the Air India flight finally touched the Chandigarh ground, it became clear to all, what the root cause was! Let’s say news travel as fast as dust storm, only its direction and intensity changes.Men’s fashion: Lacey pinks, saucy reds, blazing yellows and furious oranges are colours of the day. Vibrance is pouring down heavily on the city wardrobes. And guess what, these wardrobes don’t belong to the city divas. They are rather tucked away in the bachelor’s dens. Yes! men in the city are merrily masquerading their staid corporate gentlemanly image with a chic, colourful one. Grays and blues are not a rage anymore. Pastel shades of brighter colours are fast replacing them. And lots of innovation is being played with in men’s prints too—geometrical patterns, embroidery, hand painted paisleys, polkas and what not! And when everything’s getting a sassy makeover, why should fabrics stay behind? Linen, georgettes, silk denim and crispy cottons have replaced the oh-so-boring terry-cots.Old & alone: While walking in a park, a senior professional person inquired about a suitable old-age home for him to live peacefully in. He narrated his tale of woe. He is all alone, living in a rented accommodation. His wife is no more and his only son went abroad a year ago and the father has not received even a telephone call from him. Something needs to be done for the old and lonely in this beautiful city of ours.Feisty & fierce: In the city to receive an award, feisty and fierce, human rights activist, Teesta Setalvad when asked why she is still fighting the cases involved with the Gurajat riots despite the odds, believes trial by fire is the only way to get a response from a failing system of criminal justice. “After Gujarat I asked myself, can the system at all give justice and we can get the answer only by testing the system.” Despite the lackadaisical attitude, the approach of the system of letting bygones be bygones, she asks one simple question that probably sums up her whole tussle: “Can there be lasting peace without a sense of justice for justice cannot come from revenge?”City Liquorful: Liquor vends are on the rise in our city and many frills and fancies have been added to them It is a virtual flood of malls, bars and vends and the city is in the grip of liquor fever. Should we now call it City Liquorful instead of City Beautiful!Contributors: Pradeep Tewari, Gayatri Rajwade, Parbina Rashid, Anandita Gupta, Sunil Minocha and Tarundeep Aggarwal
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Riot-hit given rehabilitation grant
Mohali, April 24 He said that two persons were admitted to hospital and arrangements would be made to hand over the cheques to them at the hospital itself. He said that other affected residents of the town would be given cheques tomorrow at Shivalik Public School in Phase VI. The SDM said some riot-affected persons who lived in Chandigarh will be given the cheques there. When asked that in certain cases why more than one cheque was being given to members of the same family, he said the grant was being given on the basis of names cleared by the Ropar Deputy Commissioner. He said the district administration had carried out a verification drive on the basis of which red cards were prepared. The grant was not being given to red card holders. The MLA said that if complaints were received that some persons were trying to play a fraud in the name of riot-affected, serious action would be taken in this regard after probing the matter. He said that the Kharar SDM had also handed over cheques to 80 persons in that town today.
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Bulk power to housing societies in offing
Panchkula, April 24 The decision was taken by Mr R.N. Prashar, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary (Power), while reviewing the operational activities of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, (UHBVN), today. He stressed that farmers should install LT capacitor on their own and the government was intending to make suitable arrangements in tariff to encourage use of LT capacitor. He also disclosed that installation of capacitor would be made mandatory for the consumers being fed with 20 KW or above load. Mr Prashar said, in a press statement, that on-the-spot domestic and non-domestic connection scheme would be intensified to regularise “kundi” connections. He claimed that instructions had been issued to ensure permanent disconnection of consumers who failed to pay two consecutive electricity bills. The Utilities would also seal all electricity meters within two months to curb power pilferage. To minimise power pilferage, consumer of 20KW and above had been asked to shift their electricity meters near the main gate and install a junction box before the release of electricity. He also directed Superintendent Engineers to ensure that losses on urban and mixed-urban feeders be brought down to a maximum of 20 per cent.
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No streetlight, rue residents
Mohali, April 24
Other than this, accidents take place almost every day. Last week, one daily wager died on this road following an accident, he said. The association has sent many written requests to the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) as well as the Chandigarh Administration but nothing seems to have moved the authorities into action.
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Injured vultures find new home near Pinjore
Nandpur (Pinjore), April 24 Covered under Schedule I of the Wildlife Preservation Act, the majestic birds were rescued by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) from different places in Gujarat. The scavengers were airlifted from Ahmedabad to New Delhi and later were brought to Pinjore. After vaccinating each bird separately against any type of decease, the scavengers were released in a newly made Quarantine Bird Aviary in forest area in Nandpur village. The Quarantine Bird Aviary is located about 3 km from the breeding and conservation centre. A visit by The Tribune team revealed that the centre has made two enclosures for new arrivals. The enclosures, with one side open towards the forest, have been covered with jute bags to restrain them from human movement. The centre has also been feeding them with fresh goad meat daily. Magnetic rings have been put in their legs for identification. A pilot project in Asia, the centre is jointly run by the BNHS and the Haryana Forest Department for the conservation and breeding of vultures. While talking to The Tribune, Dr Vibhu Prakash, Principal Project Director of the VCBC, claimed that the injured bird have been procured from Gujarat. He said that the birds have been quarantined for 45 days and would be mixed with other vultures in the centre located in Joghpur village after they were detected negative from any type of disease. Dr Vibhu Prasad also maintained that after sex determination tests, the birds of same species would be released in pairs. He also admitted that two eggs were laid by the vultures in past but the pairs did not hatch them, being first parents. The centre houses 115 vultures of species like White-Backed, Long-Billed, Slender Billed and Himalayan Griffon. These scavengers have been collected from different states like Assam, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh in the past over three years.
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Poor response to auction of school sites
Chandigarh, April 24 The remaining two sites were withdrawn from the auction which witnessed a very poor response, reliable sources said that only five bidders had turned up at the Shivalik View, the venue for auction.
— TNS
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Octogenarian Flying Officer honoured
Chandigarh, April 24 A talk on ear diseases and hearing problems was also delivered by Dr Harbir Singh Hundal, senior consultant surgeon at a local hospital. The president of the branch, Air Marshal R.S. Bedi (retd), apprised members on the new policy matters concerning ex-servicemen. He also informed the gathering that the government had agreed to open a joint pension account in case of pensioners and their spouse to obviate difficulties experienced by widows.
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Air Marshal visits repair depot
Chandigarh, April 24 The Air Marshal also went around various departments and sections of the depot and discussed modernisation of existing infrastructure by inculcating new technologies to improve production, a statement issued here said. He expressed satisfaction on the indigenous production of spares and appreciated the efforts put in by depot personnel to achieve targets.
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Health scheme laid on deathbed
The lacklustre functioning of the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) has been brought out in this column quite regularly. Yet the ECHS authorities and the Army Medical Corps' higher echelon have taken little, if any, notice of it. The result is that this excellent health scheme has been laid on a deathbed. Who all are
responsible to bring the scheme to its present pass?
To begin with, it would be right to say that the scheme was launched in April 2003, in a half-baked state, without planning the requisite infrastructure for it. The sole aim at that time was to lure more and more ex-servicemen (ESM) to become its members. To get rid of the ESM, the Command Hospital Chandimandir, put up a notice at the reception counter for the ESM that they should become members of the ECHS to reduce rush in the Command Hospital. But once they became members of the scheme, the Command Hospital disowned them by totally ignoring the fact that service hospitals were also among the empanelled hospitals for the ECHS members for the diseases which could be treated by them. The first major difficulty that the ECHS patients faced was the shortage of medicines. What one could see was that though all medicines were available at the service hospitals, most of these were not supplied to the polyclinics. One of the weaknesses of this scheme is to have enlarged the spectrum of dependant members. So much so that on an average a young retiree has five to six dependants. After becoming members, the ESM and their dependants made a beeline to the empanelled hospital for even minor diseases. The result was that at any one time the ECHS owed a couple of crores to each empanelled hospital. Some of the doctors in the empanelled hospitals tell you in confidence that the rates fixed for treatment of various diseases at these hospitals are on the high side.
How to rejuvenate
ECHS?
Three years is a long period to know what is wrong and where in the smooth functioning of the ECHS. The motto of this scheme should be "patient satisfaction". The main weakness of this scheme is that too many agencies are involved in its functioning and some of them are working at cross purposes. The entire responsibility to run this scheme should be entrusted to the Army Medical Corps (AMC). It should be made accountable and answerable for the efficient functioning of this scheme. The current confusion caused by issuing new instructions from the Central ECHS Organisation too frequently should be removed. The well laid down procedures of the scheme should not be changed without the government sanction. The patients should not be shuttled from place to place for reference to an empanelled hospital. This should be done by one agency without any delay. The patients should directly report to this agency without going through any intermediaries. The list of dependants should be pruned by taking out the well-to-do parents whose income is shown less than Rs 1500 per month. Can the parents with two to three sons as Generals be treated as dependants? There should be no shortage of medicines in the polyclinics at any time. The responsibility for this should be squarely put on the shoulders of the AMC. The rates for treatment at the empanelled hospitals should be brought down because the Army clientele is their main stay. There is no reason why such a good health scheme should not function well if all its functionaries pull on the same rope and keep their focus on patient satisfaction.
Musketry trophy
This trophy is the oldest silver piece in the Officers' Mess of 4 Kumaon. It was presented by the Hyderabad contingent for the musketry competition, which was held between the battalions of the contingent from 1890 to 1914. After winning this competition for three consecutive years, 98 Infantry Battalion retained this trophy in 1914. — Pritam Bhullar
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Rally against resumption notices
Chandigarh, April 24
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Havan for speedy recovery of Mahajan
Chandigarh, April 24
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Namann enlightens Rotarians
Chandigarh, April 24
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Rana elected Lions Club DG
Chandigarh, April 24
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Owner of catering institute held for duping students
Chandigarh, April 24 The police acted on the complaint of four students of the institute who alleged that they had paid over Rs 25,000 each to the institute for the course, but were being harassed by the owners of the institute. The students, Solanki, Avinash Guleria, Sushil Kumar and Kehar Singh, stated that they had taken admission to the institute some time ago for which they deposited their original certificates along with the fee. However, after having taken the fee, the accused demanded more money and even shifted the classes from Chandigarh to Dera Bassi. The students decided to leave the course when they were asked to deposit Rs 25,000 each. They demanded their certificates back but the accused allegedly asked for another Rs 10,000 for that. Fed up with their demands, the students contacted the police. An FIR was lodged at the Sector 36 police station under Sections 406 and 120-B of the IPC against the two. The police had earlier called the two for questioning, but found that the residential address given by the accused was false.
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Man held with liquor
Chandigarh, April 24 Thefts:
Two cases of theft have been registered.
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Man booked for murder bid
Mohali, April 24 It is alleged that she was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon. She was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.
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Biz Clips
Chandigarh Inaugurated: Mr J.P. Sharma, General Manager, Ordnance Cable Factory (OCF), on Monday inaugurated the ATM at the OCF, Industrial Area, Phase I, here. Customers can withdraw cash up to Rs 15,000 per day from the ATM. Besides, they can make donations to the following holy places through the ATM:Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, Shri Bahubali Mahamastakabhishek, Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri.
— TNS
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Protesting with laughter: The decision to build a private school in a park in Sector 19-D caused much heartache to the residents of this crowded area. For this was the open green they used for walking, yoga or just getting a breath of fresh air. So they decided to come out in the open and protest. But the protest seemed more like a laughter yoga camp. When asked that why were they laughing, a resident replied: “We are first time protestors and we know laughter only. With time, of course, we will learn to howl.” We hope that never happens and that they should be able to retain their patch of green.
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