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Dept accused of negligence in
Water crisis in Kasauli
Anti-drug drive: police in a dilemma
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Poor weather hits fruit production
Development body merger with MC faces opposition
28 hurt in road mishap
Tout menace continues despite vigil
Army recruitment rally from May 3
Prominent temples to get facelift
Resident doctors rue staff shortage
Man drugs driver, steals vehicle
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Dept accused of negligence in repairing leaking pipes
Mandi, April 24 In Ward No 10-11 in the Municipal Council the sewer line is leaking into the Suketi khud under the newly inaugurated Beas bridge, emitting bad smell, complain residents. Though residents and the councillor of the ward have brought the leakage of the sewer line to the notice of the department, it is yet to plug the pipeline. The councillor, Mr Gagan Kashyap, said the sewer line was damaged during the construction of the Beas bridge before the Shivaratri festival in February last, but the line continues to be leaking. The residents complained that the cases of diarrhoea have increased in the town for the last few days as they have not been getting clean water being supplied by the IPH Department. The IPH Executive Engineer, Mr M.C. Dhiman, said the department was supplying proper filtered water to the town. “We have repaired the sewer line earlier. The line was damaged by the PWD during the construction of the bridge”, he claimed. IPH engineers blamed the diarrhoea cases on the poor hygiene of the private water tanks and the eateries and dhabas. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr K.C. Sharma, said the hospital had received no reports of any outbreak of diarrhoea in the district. Only routine cases were being reported, he added. |
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Water crisis in Kasauli
Kasauli, April 24 Mr Baljit Malik, convenor of the andolan, alleged that while civilians were facing acute water shortage their defence counterparts faced no such shortage. The residents also held a meeting yesterday where they had demanded that a single authority should control the supply in the town. The fact that the Army supply was looked after by the Military Engineering Services (MES) while the Cantonment Board ensured its availability to the civilians, there was often an intra-departmental difference of opinion hindering smooth supply of water, Mr Malik observed. Mr Tajinder Sahu, Mr Munish Kumar, Mr Krishan and Mr Chote Lal, all residents, while resenting the irregular water supply said not only was it supplied on alternate days but there was no fixed time. As against the earlier half-an-hour daily supply, the water was being supplied on alternate days. The hoteliers had to get tankers to meet their requirements and the locals pooled in resources to meet the shortage. When contacted, Mr Y. Gaur, Garrison Engineer of the MES, refused to comment on the situation. The Executive Officer of the Cantonment Board, Mr Pritpal Singh, however, agreed that there was a partial disruption in the supply a few days back due to a snag at the pumping site and added that the insufficient rain and snow added to the problem. He, however, said water tankers were ready to supply water to the residents if they so demanded but due to the hill topography they could not reach all places. He denied any large-scale shortage. A notice had also been issued on March 21 to the residents informing them about the shortage due to little rains, he added. |
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Anti-drug drive: police in a dilemma
Mandi, April 24 Though the police is yet to approach Agricultural University, Palampur (PAU), in this regard the scientists caution the use of chemical sprays in destroying the cannabis and poppy plants in the ecologically sensitive areas in the Mandi-Kulu drug haven. Inputs from the police revealed that the smugglers are encouraging poor farmers to cultivate high-quality hybrid cannabis and poppy plants in the obscure pastures and forest areas in the higher reaches of Malana, Parbati, Banjar in Kulu district and the Chamaj-Seraj and Churah valleys in Mandi district. But the scientists and the wild life officials question the use of hazardous chemical sprays stating the chemicals would poison the forest and pastures areas, which support herbs and feed the herds of migratory shepherds and the sources of drinking water for the downstream villagers. “Even the use of chemical sprays to destroy the lantana bushes has been abandoned in Uttaranchal”, they argued. The Director, Research, PAU, Dr. Satish Sharma, said the two chemical sprays can destroy the
foliage. Two kilogram of gramaxone, a herbicide mixed with 600 litres of water destroys the foliage, but not its roots, in one hectare area. “The spray of the two litres of glyphosate, another chemical mixed in 600 litres of water completely destroys both foliage and roots, including the greenery”, he added. On the other, the Inspector General of Police, (CID) Mr. ID Bhandari, who heads the anti-drug task force said they would first try the chemicals and would avoid if it turns out to be harmful. Even the forest guards and the patwaris, local revenue officials either avoid reporting detection of the crop due to political pressure or do not bother to detect the cultivation at all”, revealed sources. The charas mafia has shifted the cannabis cultivation from their private lands to the inaccessible forest areas in Mandi and Kulu district after the anti-cannabis drive launched by the HP police and the zonal Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB), Chandigarh for the past three years. |
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Poor weather hits fruit production
Shimla, April 24 The state recorded the highest-ever fruit production of 6.92 lakh tonne in 2004-05, surpassing the previous high by 1.40 lakh tonne. However, the following year turned out to be even better with an output of 1.95 lakh tonne. The Horticulture Department expected the production to cross 7 lakh tonne mark this year, but the hope seems to have been dashed by hostile weather. While the hailstorm that lashed the lower hill areas of the state in the last week of March devastated the mango and litchi crops in Kangra and Hamirpur districts, the lack of adequate snow during winter and subsequent low temperatures and rains hit the apple crop adversely. Preliminary reports from field indicate that the mango crop has suffered damage ranging from 30 to 40 per cent in the two districts which account for the bulk of production. The damage to Litchi, which is grown only in some pockets of Kangra, varies from 20 to 25 per cent. Last year, 63,000 tonne of mango was produced and this year it will not cross the 40,000 tonne mark. The weather conditions have been far from conducive for the apple crop. The apple belt in Shimla district, which produced about 80 per cent of the fruit, did not have adequate snow. The temperatures remained abnormally high during January and almost April like conditions were created towards February. However, wintry conditions were revived towards in the third week of March, which affected flowering and fruit setting. As per initial reports, the loss of production due to poor fruit setting ranges from 25 to 30 per cent. The state has had a hat-trick of bumper crops over the past three years with the last season registering the highest ever apple production of 5.40 lakh tonne. The total fruit production was likely to remain between 4.50 lakh tonne to 5 lakh tonne as against the expected 7 lakh tonne. |
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Development body merger with MC faces opposition
Shimla, April 24 The MC has laid down conditions before the merger of these three SADA’s comprising 38 revenue villages with it. The Cabinet at a meeting on April, 22 deferred the matter of merger till the next meeting. It approved it the merger will take place by October. With resentment amongst people of these three
SADA’s, the government is also considering creating an Outer Shimla MC. “Since population falling under these areas is more than that of the Shimla MC, there is possibility of creation of another MC,” said a senior official. The residents feel after merger with the MC they will be burdened with heavy taxes without getting any facilities. Meanwhile the Up Nagariya Jan Kalyan Samanvaya Samiti, opposing the merger has decided to launch an agitation if the government did not relent. The samiti will meet on April 30, to decide the course of action if the government decided to go ahead with the merger. The MC at a meeting laid down conditions for the merger of these areas with it. They demanded that the government should refund the Rs 7 crore that the MC had spent on these areas were under it between 1997 and 2002. Besides this, the MC has demanded the government must assure that the decision would not be reversed as happened in the past. Barring residents of the New Shimla area, which has come up as a planned colony, people in other areas are opposed to the merger. They say the MC has failed to provide satisfactory services to the people in the 24 wards of the town and services are under strain. The district unit of the CPM has demanded that the SADA’s of New Shimla, Dhalli and Tutu be declared as Notified Area Committees (NAC) and elections held District Secretary of the CPM, Sanjay Chauhan said it was essential these had had elected representatives, to address their demands. |
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28 hurt in road mishap
Hamirpur, April 24 The bus, carrying pilgrims from Delhi to shrines of Baba Balak Nath and other religious shrines, overturned near Ambehri village. All injured have been admitted to a government hospital at Barsar where the doctors described the condition of five of them serious. Barsar SDM Vinod Kumar visited the injured in the hospital and provided immediate relief, besides making arrangements for their return journey to Delhi. The police said the accident occurred as the driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve, adding that a case has been registered against the driver and investigations were on.
— UNI |
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Tout menace continues despite vigil
Manali, April 24 The touts, active in Manali, Shimla and other hill stations, are roping in tourists by promising them better accommodation and comforts. “We faced this problem more in Shimla and Manali,” complained Ms Upasana Shah, who along with her family visited Himachal for the first time. The Department of Tourism has made it mandatory for the hoteliers, guesthouse owners and the restaurateurs to display the rate list at the counter, but its enforcement wing is weak. Mr Raghunath Sud, treasurer, Manali Hoteliers Association, said a campaign against touts is yielding good result. “We are distributing pamphlets at the Bajaura post to make the tourists aware about the touts,” he added. “We need a special force during the tourist season as there is a shortage of policemen,” said Mr S.S. Sharma, a member of the hoteliers’ association. Admitting that the touts were a big problem, the Tourism Commissioner, Mr Tarun Shridhar, said they had constituted a task force to check the menace. “We have issued identity cards to authorised guides and are distributing pamphlets among tourists at the entry points. The tourists can register a complain at the Tourist Information Office so that we can take action,” he added. The DSP, Manali, Mr Kushal Sharma, said: “We will have an additional police force from April 24.” |
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Army recruitment rally from May 3
Mandi, April 24 This was stated by Col Arun Sehgal, Director, Branch Recruiting Office (BRO), Mandi, while talking to reporters here today. He said the recruitment process would be done through computers to check impersonation, proxy and fake documentation. Colonel Sehgal cautioned parents and candidates over fraudulent middlemen and brokers and said the recruitment was done on the basis of merit and they should not land in any trap. He said the rally would be held for Sol, Sadar Mandi, Chachyot and Thunag Tehsil on May 3, for Sundernagar,
Jogindernagar, Padhar and Karsog on May 4 and for Sarkaghat Tehsil in Mandi district, Kulu and Lahaul-Spiti districts on May 5. For the Sikh and Sikh (M&R), including the sons of the serving and the ex-servicemen, widows and war widows from these districts the rally would be held on May 6. The rally for the Sol tech and clerks would be held on May 7, he added. |
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Prominent temples to get facelift
Shimla, April 24 This was state by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while addressing a delegation from Kulu district here today. He said the government had created necessary infrastructure to cater to the needs of the devotees. The government had always been considerate towards demands of the “kardars” and provided them with a number of incentives. He said the restoration, renovation and maintenance of the shrines would help in the promotion of the religious tourism. The Chief Minister said the government would be examining the case of the ski village in Kulu district after taking into consideration all related aspects. |
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Resident doctors rue staff shortage
Dharamsala, April 22 The Resident Doctors Association here today said that the MCI recommended faculty was for teaching undergraduates and not to run the hospital. It demanded that the sanctioned posts should be filled immediately for the maintenance of the health facilities. A senior doctor said there was a move by the Health Department to bring down the strength in medical colleges to the minimum number fixed by the MCI and this would further worsen the situation. Already there had been a decline in the number of students getting admission to the postgraduate courses due to shortage of faculty, he said.
— OC |
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Man drugs driver, steals vehicle Parwanoo, April 24 The driver of the vehicle, Duni Chand, along with a man, who was to be dropped at the Chandigarh airport, reached the hotel in the evening and booked a room. At night the man gave some intoxicant to Duni Chand. After the driver had lost consciousness under the influence of the intoxicant, the man fled from the hotel along with the vehicle.
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