Flouting the eviction orders passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court against dairies falling within the Municipal Corporation limits, the authorities have failed to shift the complex located at Ram Nagar in ward numbers 49 and 52.

While five of the nine dairies have been moved out, the remaining continues to operate.

Residents said the stench emanating from the dairies was unbearable for them, especially on days when it was raining as the cow dung got mixed up with sewage.

The worst, they said, was when the dairy owners got the left out bones from the waste of hotels to mix these with the feed. They said birds picked up these bones and dropped them on their rooftops and verandahs.

The residents said there was only one dairy in the area till August. The number of dairies swelled up to nine till the last month. After five of them shifted out, four dairies with nearly 200 animals continued to exist, causing a lot of nuisance and pollution in the area that is inhabited by over 100 residents.

They said after the orders on shifting out dairies was passed by the high court a few years ago, the district administration had evicted the diaries from the corporation limits. At the same time, the Cantonment Board also made similar efforts and planned to make a dairy complex at Subhanpur. Their tussle continued with the dairy owners on the payment schedule of the dairy complex undertaken by the board. They were evicted from the cantonment. Later they shifted to Ram Nagar in Birring.

The residents said they had complained to the corporation authorities in this regard a number of times but to no avail.

They said the slackness and unjustifiable demand in taking requisite action had emboldened the dairy owners so much that they were now even threatening all those residents who complained about the matter.

Interestingly, the matter was brought to the notice of the corporation way back in August, following which the officials had visited the area and allowed the dairies to continue till the completion of work at Subhanpur.

The officials had granted one month time to the dairy owners on September 16 while also stating that there would be no extension. However, the dairy owners continue to keep their cattle.

Mr K.K. Prabhakar, SE, Municipal Corporation, said the dairies had been removed from the area. When told that four dairies were still there, he said that he would get it checked up.

Encroachments seem to have become a common thing in the city and that, too, with the alleged connivance of the civic authorities in Phagwara. The fact that the most glaring instances of encroachments can be seen in prime locations and in front of offices of the administration, police stations and district courts.

The encroachments include those done by shopkeepers in market areas, making these areas congested. Many shopkeepers have got their shops extended to cover the verandahs, of course allegedly after paying a premium to their respective authorities. Some have extended their counters temporarily and they display their products right till the middle of the road.

Even the highways have not been spared. On the Banga road, not just shopkeepers but also vendors selling fruits, vegetables, plastic goods, slippers and old garments have covered a huge area on either side of the road. This makes it really tough for commuters to pass through the area that is otherwise reasonably wide.

As one moves farther from Model Town towards ESI Hospital, congestion becomes more prominent. Slum structures have also become regular features in front of the gate of the hospital.

Going ahead, the passage becomes very narrow near the grain market, where also the shopkeepers have extended their products till the end of the verandah. Hawkers have made the condition worse, with long queues of rehris selling fruits and vegetables.

Shopkeepers selling eatables have permanently encroached upon even the market area in front of the Improvement Trust office. A liquor vend just opposite the trust office, too, has set up a drinking place by constructing a wall of plywood all around, covering the entire verandah.

Even automobile repair shops on the Model Town road cover the entire road by parking scooters for repair. Shopkeepers of the Gaushala road market, too, have extended their counters and displayed their goods outside.

Encroachments can also be seen in abundance on the Sarai road. Almost all shopkeepers have extended their shops to cover most of the roads.

The shopkeepers on either side, leaving a narrow passage for commuters, too, have encroached upon the road leading to the railway station. Dhaba owners have been preparing the food in the middle of the road, while vendors selling tobacco products remain lined up there.

Temporary structures have been set up near the bus stand. The area also remains permanently occupied by those selling garments, shoes, fruits, vegetables, soft drinks and eatables.

Encroachments by shopkeepers on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road have also become regular features. Bansanwala Bazaar and the Banga road remain busier due to rampant encroachments by shopkeepers.

On Saturday, Eklavya School, Jalandhar, organised Sahodaya inter-school flower arrangement competition in which students from over 15 schools affiliated with the CBSE participated.

The students from Class V to VIII made beautiful arrangements. The themes of the arrangements were tsunami, Jessica Lal murder case, “Rang de Basanti”, Sare jahan se achcha Hindustan hamara and Indo-Pak relations. The first prize in various categories was won by Kashish of CT Public School, Kamalpreet Kaur of Delhi Public School and Kirti of Guru Amar Dass Public School. Winners of second prize were Radhika Sumra of Innocent Hearts School and Sargun Singh of Apeejay School. The third prize went to Parul Khanna of Eklavya School, Ashish of Shiv Jyoti Public School, Vijaya Sondhi of Delhi Public School and Gurmanjot of Guru Amar Dass Public School.

A sage saw Gautam Budha’s image in the flowing canvas of a river in Tibet as he was taking a bath and started painting the pious image that is how the art of Thanka (meaning a canvas that is hung) paintings took birth, goes the belief in Tibet. The rare art form has come alive in the city as it can be seen done live by eight tribal Budhist students from ten different schools devoted to the art in Himachal. One of these shy tribal boys was also asked to cut the ribbon to inaugurate at the exhibition cum sale of handicraft from Himachal Pradesh on at the Panchayat Bhawan Sector 18 till December 10 from today.

It takes an amazing six years to learn Thanka paintings, says the Thuptan Negi. If you are wondering why such paintings coming from China, Tibet, Japan or Ladakh look alike, well it is the mathematics of highly detailed and balanced scales on which the paintings are etched out.

Art and craft is forever born out of the needs, experiences and emotions of the natives. The best example of the richness of folk culture and customs can be seen in mountain arts of states like Himachal Pradesh. These folk art and crafts some of them vanishing are on exhibit here.

Kulu and Kinnauri handloom shawls, to hand knit woollen socks, the exhibition has the master craftsmen, like Sagar Chand from Arki, working on the loom for everyone to see. The Kinnauri shawl all seven colours of the traditional Budhist motifs woven into the four sides of the shawl on the tana bana of the loom is rare sight for nay visitor here.

The Tribune is starting a column providing residents of Jalandhar and its neighbourhood an opportunity to highlight their problems, which are of a public nature.

It could be about a particular stretch of road which badly needs repairs or about a hospital which does not have a doctor or a school which does not have a proper building.

The column, Citizens’ Corner, will appear in Jalandhar Plus. Readers are requested to send their contributions typed neatly in double space and consisting of not more than 300 words in English to The Editor, Jalandhar Plus, SCO 20, Ladowali Road, PUDA Complex, Jalandhar – 144001 or at jalandhar@tribunemail.com