 |
|
|
Rain disrupts life as 6 bridges washed away
WB to fund mega hydel projects
Collapsed Bathu bridge cries for repairs
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
DC: Ensure sanitation in every village
Sale of spurious drugs on
Novel way to celebrate I-Day
Kalka-Shimla rail line declared heritage property
Police moots paying TA to witnesses
Govt responsible for Chakki bridge collapse: Dhumal
‘Declare Nurpur calamity-hit area’
Rs 750 cr for water schemes
Murdered
|
|
Rain disrupts life as 6 bridges washed away
Shimla, August 12 Power generation in the 1500-MW Nathpa-Jhakri and 300-MW Baspa projects in Kinnaur district came to a grinding halt as the high level of silt in the Sutlej and Baspa rivers forced the authorities to shut down the power plants. Two persons perished in flash floods in the Seer khad in Bilaspur district and one person was electrocuted in Kalol village. Another bridge on the road leading to Nalagarh was also washed away. In Kangra district one person was killed in a house collapse while two persons were missing after a landslide buried some shops in Jwalamukhi. A 14-year old boy was killed in Hamirpur and one person was washed away along with his Alto car in Khogla nullah in Kinnaur district. SOLAN: The Chikni bridge on the NH-21 Pinjore-Swarghat road was washed away following heavy rain in the region. The incident took place around 12.15 pm today. No loss of life was, however, reported. SDM Manmohan Sharma said the traffic had been diverted through the Panjera-Dagota road. “It appears that erection of buttresses by two plot developers on either side of the river had obstructed the natural course of water that ultimately led to washing away of the bridge,” he said. SDO (national highway) Sandeep Sobti said notices were served on these two plot developers more than a month ago. They were told that in case of any damage to the bridge, they would be held responsible. The SDO said a 200 sq-m plot was being developed right in the middle of the riverbed by one Jatinder Khuller. When the department objected to it, the owner of the plot produced an affidavit bearing signatures and stamp of the SDM, Nalagarh, and the mining inspector granting him permission for the same. Another such project was underway on the other side of the river by Jindal Mctech Private Limited. A buttress had been erected for the purpose. Seven of the total nine spans of the 48-m bridge were washed away. Yet another plot being developed around 300 m away upstream also obstructed the flow of water. Senior officials of the National Highway Authority, including XEN Anil Sharma, SE V.K. Bhardwaj and regional officer Nagpal reached the spot to take stock of the situation. SUNDERNAGAR: Four houses were damaged following heavy rain in the Ambedkar locality here. Water also entered pump house of the Behali Mahadev Water Supply Scheme at Samkal causing damage to motors of the lift scheme. The Dhanotu Naun Jaral scheme also suffered damaged due to heavy rain. Traffic was affected due to accumulation of rainwater on various roads. Incidences of landslide were also reported. Traffic on the NH-21 remained disrupted for a few hours following a landslide near Hara Bagh. The NH-21 at Dhanotu, near Sundernagar, adorned the look of a water pool following rain. Poor drainage system aggravated the situation. MANDI: Heavy rain over the past 24 hours wreaked havoc in the Mandi region. Landslides, cloudburst and flash floods threw normal life out of gear. Five persons were reportedly killed, three at Gadhari village in Chachiot (Gohar) and two at Sarkaghat, and over 25 houses damaged in various villages. Maize and paddy crops in hundreds of bighas, besides vegetable crop along the Suketi Khud in Balh valley, were also damaged. The Mandi-Hamirpur bridge, near Jaho, was also damaged leading to snapping of link between two districts. A number of link roads, water supply schemes and the telephone lines were also affected. Ram Singh, his wife Shivti Devi and their four-year-old son Pawan were buried alive in a landslide at Gadhari village. The incident took place around 5 am while the victims were still asleep. Gohar SDM Gopal Chand said ex gratia of Rs 25,000 has been given to the next of kin of the victims. In Sarkaghat subdivision, Kanta Devi of Paonta village and Sher Singh of Nabahai Devi, around 4 km from Sarkaghat, were killed when in two separate incidents of house collapse. Thana village, around 6 km from Sarkaghat, was washed away due to a cloudburst. The village had only 6-8 houses. No loss of human life was reported as the villagers had moved to safer places in time. Several cows and other animals were, however, killed in the incident. Telecommunication and road links to several areas in Sarkaghat subdivision were blocked due to landslides. The Mandi-Sarkaghat highway was blocked at Kalkhar and Dhalwan. The Ladbharola-Neri road at Chakrot, Bhamla at Patrighat, the Seerkhad-Bhamla-Jahu road, the Ner Chowk-Haliatra road, the Sarkaghat-Jogindernagar highway at Neri and the Drubal-Jogindernagar road at Chaka were blocked due to landslides. More than a dozen IPH water schemes were washed away or damaged due to flooded nullahs, rendering several villages without potable water, IPH officials said. Dharamsala: At least two persons were feared to have been buried alive when a landslide hit shops on the main temple road at Jawalaji on Sunday. Another person died in a village near Jawalaji in a house collapse. According to Kangra ADM K.D. Lakhanpal, two shopkeepers, Bhagmal and Bhushan, were missing in the incident of landslide in Jawalaji while 15, including pilgrims, were rescued. Three shops were completely damaged in the landslide. In another incident, Piar Chand Guleria died in sleep when the roof of his house collapsed in the wee hours at Kundlihar village, near Jawalaji, on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Jawalaji-Hoshiarpur road was cut off due to heavy landslides. The Dharamsala-Shimla national highway remained disrupted for more than four hours on Sunday as a portion of the national highway 500 metres from the Jawalaji bus stand was damaged in the rain.
|
|
WB to fund mega hydel projects
Shimla, August 12 The issue was discussed at a high-level meeting in Delhi early last week regarding the development policy loan of Rs 900 crore being provided to the state to help mitigate the impact of the huge debt burden. The bank has been looking into policy issues to help the state find ways and means to overcome the financial crisis. It has over the past two years carried out a series of exercises to identify areas where policy changes were to curb expenditure and mobilise additional resources. The bank agreed to fund the Rs 5,000-crore 775-MW Luhri project which is to be implemented as a joint venture between the state and the Centre. Besides negotiations are on with the bank for funding three more projects--the 402-MW Shongtong-Karcham, 100-MW Sainj and 243-MW Kashang -- to be executed in the state sector through the newly setup Himachal Power Corporation. These projects together involve an expenditure of Rs 4,800 crore. The government has already approved the “policy matrix” for availing the “development policy loan” to meet the conditions laid down by the World Bank after a detailed exercise to find the root cause of the state’s financial woes. As per the conditions the total number of transfers in a year will not exceed 6 per cent of the total strength of the staff, the amount of government guarantees will not exceed 40 per cent of the total receipts of the preceding year and that the level of subsidy on electricity to various categories of consumers will be maintained at the existing level. This means that the total number of transfers will be pegged at about 12,000, the government guarantees within Rs 2000 crore and the quantum of subsidy will not exceed Rs 132 crore.
|
|
Collapsed Bathu bridge
cries for repairs
Kangra, August 12 The bridge was constructed on Bathu Khad in 1920 during the British rule connecting towns of Punjab with the Kangra valley. It is now in a bad shape. The bridge is losing its strength due to heavy rains in the area and increase in traffic. Retired executive engineer and a construction consultant P.R.Agnihotri said here yesterday that the bridge had technically out lived its life of 60 years He said it was a matter of risk and if it was overburdened it could collapse too. Agnihotri said the bridge was of vital importance but the state government. was not serious about reconstructing the bridge. The bridge is also strategically important. This bridge is connecting Jawalamukhi town with Kangra town, besides the pilgrims visiting Chamunda ji use this bridge. The tourists from Punjab, Haryana ,Chandigarh, Delhi and different districts of Himachal Pradesh, including the Shimla, use this bridge to visit Kangra Valley. Last year, a part of the bridge had collapsed following heavy rains and the traffic was diverted via Tiara Lunj and Suni Sarotri for nearly a month before it was repaired. The government at that point of time assured that a new bridge would be constructed shortly, but a year has passed and yet no construction has begun so far. |
|
Trains to Shimla suspended
Chandigarh, August 12 While the derailment between Koti and Sanwara was cleared by evening, the other damaged section between Salogra and Kandaghat remained blocked till the filing of this report. Around 200 labourers were pressed in to service to clear the track. Officials said the section would be cleared by tomorrow. Though the Northern Railway officials had made alternative arrangements to ferry the passengers who were caught midway, a number of passengers sought refund. Senior divisional commercial manager, Ambala division, Karan Singh, said around 160 Shimla-bound passengers were provided taxis to cover the remaining journey. For the cancelled trains, refund was offered to the passengers. A railway official said most affected was the down train coming from Shimla. A railway official on the condition of anonymity said the haphazard construction along the track was responsible for the frequent landslides which often occurred during rains.
|
|
Zee TV reporter dies in landslide
Shimla, August 12 Lahaul and Spiti Deputy Commissioner S. Rathore said over the phone that a vehicle of Zee TV was going for news coverage to Chandratal pond when it got stuck on the road near Chattru on Kaza Marg late last evening. The three occupants of the vehicle, including reporter Shobhana Singh got down and tried to push the vehicle. The trio was then hit by a landslide. While cameraman Satish Upadhya and driver Shoorvir managed to flee, the TV reporter was crushed to death. Satish and Shoorvir managed to reach a nearby place to send an SoS for their rescue. On getting the information of a TV crew being in distress, Defence Minister A.K. Antony asked the Army and the IAF to launch a search-and-rescue operation. An army rescue team, braving heavy rain and bad weather, reached the accident site this morning and retrieved the body of the TV correspondent. The body has been taken to nearby Chatru village and arrangements have been made to fly the body back to Hindon on the outskirts of the capital.
— PTI |
|
|
DC: Ensure sanitation in every village
Bilaspur, August 12 This was stated by deputy commissioner Rajinder Singh, while presiding over the development block-level total sanitation panchayats’ ‘samman samaroh’ organized at Ghumarwin here on Friday. He said the panchayats attaining the first position at the block level would get Rs 1 lakh in prize, while those getting the first position at the district and state-level would get Rs 3 lakh, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively. He said the Central Government had announced prizes ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh under the scheme. He asked representatives of those panchayats that had attained total sanitation to prepare a development plan worth Rs 50,000 and send it to him so that finances could be released for the same. He expressed confidence that the Ghumarwin development block would attain the first position under the campaign not only in Himachal Pradesh but in entire northern India. The DC honoured the following panchayat presidents and their team for making their panchayats hygienic by providing safe toilets in all households- Kuldip Singh (president Mehari Kathla), Ramesh Chand (president Gatwad), Sanjeev Kumar (president Baam), Bhupender Singh (president Ladda) and Jamuna Devi (president Salaon).
|
|
Sale of spurious drugs on
Palampur, August 12 Though various premises of chemists have been raided in the past one month, most of the raids proved futile as the people involved had prior information of these raids. A senior officer of the department admitted that over 100 brands of substandard drugs were selling in the state. Even the samples collected by the department from various chemist shops, which were tested in the government lab at Kandaghat also failed. According to information collected by The Tribune, the business of spurious drugs had been flourishing in the district at the behest of medical officers posted in various government hospitals. Today most of the drugs are selling on the prescription of medical officers, who had patronized particular companies and chemist shops in the district. The patients are specifically directed by the doctors to buy medicines from these particular shops. If the patients buy medicines of standard companies from other shops, they are asked by the doctors to return them. These doctors receive handsome commissions from these companies every month. The record of various hospitals in the district revealed that doctors were repeatedly prescribing particular brand of medicines to their patients for the past two years. Indoor record of the hospitals also established that doctors were writing particular drugs to their patients for the past one year. All these facts were already in the notice of senior officers, including secretary, Health, but nothing was done to improve the affairs. It is on record that the sale of standard drugs has come down in the district. A leading chemist and wholesale dealer of medicines disclosed that though the standard company medicines were cheaper in the market but doctors were not prescribing these as they did not get commission or other incentives from the standard companies. He said the margin on substandard ranged between 300 to 500 per cent and part of it went to doctors. Besides, cash, they also got costly gifts, foreign tours and cars by the company.
|
|
Novel way to celebrate I-Day
Shimla, August 12 The team will cover a distance of 440 km passing through Narkanda, Rampur, Reckong Peo, Ki and Kaza to reach the 14,500 ft high Kibber where the local tribals will join the ceremony to hoist the tricolour. He said the main objective of the expedition was to infuse the spirit of nationalism among the youth. He said it was a long cherished desire of his associates to celebrate Independence Day this way. Other members of the team are Mohit Verma, Rahul Verma and Sandeep Rawat.
|
|
Kalka-Shimla rail line declared heritage property
Shimla, August 12 The decision was taken at a recent Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Railway officials said this would strengthen the claim of the 104-year-old railway line to be included in the list as an expert team from UNESCO is scheduled to arrive here next month to evaluate and inspect it. The team headed by Australian professor Robert Lee will visit the state from September 11 and a report on the merits of the railway line will be submitted to UNESCO afterwards. The 96-km route, inaugurated by British viceroy Lord Curzon in November 1903, is declared as a world heritage site, it will be the fourth instance of Indian railways making it into the heritage list. Darjeeling Himalaya railway, Neelgiri mountain railway and VT station in Mumbai have already made it into the UNESCO list. — PTI
|
|
Police moots paying TA to witnesses
Shimla, August 12 The state police headquarters has sent a proposal under the title “Witness Care Scheme” to the Home Department for approval. If the scheme gets a green signal, Himachal Pradesh would probably be the first state in the country to make such an encouraging provision for witnesses. Inspector general of police (Law and Order) B. Kamal Kumar said the project also included the setting up of a separate room for witnesses in the court premises. These would encourage people to come forward to help the police solve cases, he said. Details like fixation of TA amount would be worked out once the proposal is okayed by the Home Department, the IG said. The community policing scheme in HP also lays emphasis on paying special care to witnesses. — PTI
|
|
Govt responsible for Chakki bridge collapse: Dhumal
Nurpur, August 12 In a statement issued here today, Dhumal alleged that the government had failed to start the construction of the proposed new bridge, foundation of which was laid by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on February 7, in the presence of Union Transport and Highways minister T.R. Balu. He accused the CM of laying the foundation stone in a haste even before completing the tender for awarding formalities for executing the construction of the bridge. He said the foundation stone was laid only to benefit the then Congress government in Punjab where campaigning was in full swing that time. He said the failure of the state government to execute the construction of the bridge even after six months proved that the government was against the merged areas in general and anti-Kangra in particular. He alleged that the Himachal Pradesh and Punjab governments had failed to curb the rampant mining in Chakki rivulet which had resulted in the washing away of bridge pillars along with bridge slab, snapping inter-state connectivity. He lamented that the government which was well aware of the dilapidated condition of 118-year-old bridge remained indifferent even in repairing and maintaining of the alternative Kandwal - Bhadroya link road which was now being used by diverting the traffic of National Highway-20 on it. Dhumal alleged that the present government was not serious in the maintenance of old bridges and construction of new bridges in the state.
|
|
‘Declare Nurpur calamity-hit area’
Nurpur, August 12 He lamented that the state government had failed to conduct any survey to assess the loss to the properties of people and roads.
|
|
Rs 750 cr for water schemes
Kumarhatti, August 12 He thanked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for opening a sub tehsil at Darlaghat, which would benefit 22 panchayats of Arki tehsil. He said Rs 4 crore would be spent on the proposed Chanda-Mangal lift irrigation scheme. Thakur said the construction work of Darla-Khata via Bagha road would be speeded up. He directed the PWD to complete the Krada-Phugana via Barsnu road so that residents of the area could take their produce to the market. |
|
Murdered
Kumarhatti, August 12 He died on the spot. The police is clueless about the identity of the accused and has launched a massive search operation to nab them.
— OC |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
