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A jump start IF snow is what you want, the majestic Himalayas are an option and Manali, amidst the Western Himalayas being the easily accessible destination, could be the winter wonderland for you! With average temperature at or below freezing point for more than two and half months a year, you are sure to get your fill of cold, fluffy white snow and a soft, peaceful glow. The summers are high season for the domestic tourists but winters in Kullu-Manali are the dullest. The best option for the winters would be the skiing, the most desired winter sport throughout the world. The index of tourist visiting Kullu district is rising. Informs Kullu’s divisional tourist officer Kamal Chand, “In 2004, there were 14, 77, 324 tourists, including 69,649 foreigners, in 2005 the figure went to 16, 41, 060 with 67, 933 foreign tourists and in 2006,18, 67,984 tourists visited Kullu district, including 89,751 foreigners. Manali (Solang and Rohtang) has ‘natural’ beautiful slopes that are fast, full of jumps and parabolic curves and perfect for people who love thrills and excitement. However, the facilities available are below average at these slopes. Even the approach road to the ski slopes are single lane and not fit to cope with the traffic. No Gondola lifts are available at any of the slopes. Now, the proposed Himalayan Ski Village has opened up hopes for class facilities of international standards. Foreign tourists and the adventure seekers are crazy for the Himalayas and have been suggesting local adventure tour operators to initiate construction of ski resorts around Manali. Thanks to the farsightedness of the present government, the first proposed ski village (The Himalayan Ski Village) has been approved. It has sent more than 30 skiers to Finland for training and the quality of training they got was termed to be one of the best in the world. The Finnish trainers Mikko Martikainen and Jussi Toyryla said the boys and girls could be good teachers but could not reach the international standard of competitions as they have crossed that age of training. They said these learners could produce better quality skiers in Manali as Manali had ‘wonderful natural slopes’. Mikko further said Manali offered all kinds of skiing and the virgin snow made skiing a memorable experience. In fact, after making the Ski Resorts, the winter tourism development in the northern part of Finland reached such a height that more than 20,000 tourists from all over the world started visiting the Levy area everyday. The small country with limited natural ski slopes available could organise Olympics ski competition in Levy in 2005 and is now organising World Cup 2007 in November this year. But Manali, despite having one of the world’s best ski slopes, could not even host Winter Asiad. With the setting up the ski village, the winter tourism in Kullu district would get a big boom and the quality of tourists would also be better. Whatever adventure sports were introduced in Kullu, were through the private entrepreneurs. Heli-skiing, skiing, white water river rafting, Para-sports like paragliding, hang gliding, balloon gliding and water sports were all introduced by the private people. The white water rafting was first introduced in 1987 in Kullu by a private travel agency from Delhi. Later, local agents also started the adventure sport and more than 10 companies were involved in operating of rafts in the Beas. Surprisingly, it was Harayana’s tourism department, which also operated rafts in Kullu for two years since 1994. But the Himachal government never promoted the sports, except framing rules and taxing the adventure tourism promoters. The Western Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, now called the Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, offers courses and facilities for skiing. But the dearth of facilities could not produce world-class skiers. Nor did the government ever give incentives to the boys and girls who represented India in the World Winter Competitions. Chief minister of the Himachal Pradesh, during his recent visit to this district, told that the state government has announced an ambitious tourism policy. An amount of Rs 62.76crore has been proposed for the development of tourism in the state. He added that the government had also opened the restricted tribal areas for foreign tourists.
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Holy lake Unholy mess IT
is not just scenic landscape, lofty mountains and the sacred temple of Lord Shiva that greet you at the Dal lake, situated at a height of about 1,775 mt and about 11 km from Dharamsala, but also stray cattle and dogs, heaps of garbage and polythene bags thrown carelessly by visitors and residents. The sacred lake at Naddi village, near McLeodganj, is surrounded by deodar trees on three sides and a link road on one side. The road links to many villages, hotels and guesthouses, and thus the lakeside has attracted a couple of petty shopkeepers and few roadside vendors. Unfortunately, there is no garbage bin on the roadside for dumping the waste material. So the lake has been used as the dumping ground for plastics and other waste material by many. Heaps of garbage is also thrown into the nullah that flows out of the lake when the water overflows, particularly during the monsoons. Otherwise, from November to June, almost half of the lake gets dried up in the absence of rainfall, threatening the very existence of the fish species. This lake is known for orange coloured fish. Since, it is considered as a sacred lake and fishing is not allowed. But, one can often witness dogs jumping into the lake and coming out with a fish in their mouth. Taking a dip in the lake is considered sacred. Devotees believe that a bath in the lake fulfills any wish. On the banks of the Dal lake, the famous Lord Shiva temple is located. Every year, a huge number of tourists flock to the lake to attend the festival that begins September 20. Meanwhile, Bharat Khera, district magistrate of Kangra, says the administration has recently taken over the administrative control of the temple and chalked out a plan to preserve the sanctity of the lake and also beautify it. He says a sum of Rs 9 lakh has been sanctioned by the forest department and Rs 11 lakh by the tourism department for the maintenance and beautification of the lake. Saplings will be planted around the lake and the lake be dug. The local people of the village will be employed under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme to carry out the work. There is also a proposal to lease out a parking lot adjoining the lake so as to generate income for the temple trust. On other hand, environmentalists are also worried over the long-term affects of plastic invasion. “The threat is serious. It will not only choke the nullah that flows out of the lake but also pose threat to the very existence of the fish species,” says Atul Bhardwaj, a local environmentalist. And, for the visiting devotees and environment lovers, now, they have a reason to pray for preserving the traditional sanctity of the lake.
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Beauty & Beliefs KALPA, says a forty-something local gentleman, marks the confluence of two beliefs: Shivaism and Buddhism. I miss the gentleman’s name in the din of the overcrowded shared taxi, but not the apt description of a place known as the mythological winter abode of Lord Shiva.
Tucked away in a corner of the Sutluj valley, seven-kilometer away from Rekongpeo in Kinnaur, Kalpa looks sleepy and serene amidst stately deodars, lush apple orchards and the region’s specialty, chilgoza trees. “There’s nothing much here you can do. It’s a half-an-hour walk, all of Kalpa. You can go to temples and monastery and may be pray for the clouds to disperse,” says the gentleman and departs hastily for some seminar on Buddhism. It’s a cloudy Sunday morning and Kalpa’s small bazaar is mostly closed and the roads are deserted. Kalpa must have been a busier place earlier; it used to be the district headquarters of Kinnaur. But owing to its peculiar wayward location—it’s a detour on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route —it invites lesser tourist attention. Situated at about 3200 meter above sea level, Kalpa, somehow, looks much higher. It probably has something to do with the sudden steep climb that the road takes a few kilometers before Rekongpeo, which peaks at Kalpa. “You are extremely unlucky sir. It’s a cloudy day,” says a Nepali boy, as I try to capture the blur of a mountain, hidden behind a thick cover of clouds and mist. At the Buddhist monastery, believed to be founded more than a thousand years back, there’s an air of festivity. Women are busy chatting and cooking halwa and chana in the backyard kitchen while inside the monastery, an old monk shakes vigorously as he chants some Tibetan hymns. A pin-drop silence prevails at the twin Hindu temples, a few furlongs away from the monastery. The temples’ doors and roofs have the typical ornate Kinnauri wooden artistry at display. An old man tells me whatever little he knows about the history and origin of the Narayan-Nagini temples. “What is the one most significant thing about Kalpa,” I ask him. “Anguri, the local daru,” he replies without second thoughts. “You can’t buy it here. It’s mostly made for personal consumption. It’s the best sharab you will ever get to drink. During harsh winters it’s a medicine. It beats your English wine also.” Kalpa, like most of Kinnaur, is a land of fruits too. From a vantage point, it looks like a huge orchard of apples, plums and peaches. But what make it richer are its chilgozas (pine nuts). The clouds start drifting apart as the day passes. “Rice-daal will be difficult today. You can have momo or thupka,” says a young Tibetan boy, guarding the counter at his home-cum-cafe. A group of boisterous young foreigners also step in seeking “anything edible”. They are from New York doing the circle—Manali-Shimla-Spiti-Manali—on motorcycles. “I have fallen in love with a local girl here. I want to know how her father would react if I seek her hand. I will take her to New York,” asks one of them. We mull over the possibilities and discuss various cultural contexts but reach no definite conclusion. “By the way, I am Arnab, which means ocean,” says the American. He was rechristened last month only by the Osho commune at Pune. “Boy, just at look at this!” cries out one of them, the moment we step out of the café. The sun is finally out, and out of the fading mist in front of us is unveiled the majestic Kailash peak. Steeped in legend and folklore, the high jagged peaks, look strikingly close to Kalpa. “The peak changes colour throughout the day,” says the Nepali boy, who’s still sitting at the same spot. “This is why the Lord Shiva must have made this place his winter home,” says Arnab. Another lord, the British governor general Dalhousie, fell in love with Kalpa when he arrived here in 19th century. The gentleman in the taxi had told me. At the deserted bus stop, a group of Biharis tell me there’ll be no bus to Rekongpeo for at least two hours. We walk down the road taking the short cuts at each winding turn. They are into construction work, all four youngsters. They’ve been here for five years and have worked in the remotest zones of Kinnaur. “There is plenty of work here, but there’s competition also. For us, Kalpa is like a heaven though,” says Deepak. Lord Shiva, Dalhousie, Buddhism, the Oshoite American infatuated by a Kinnauri girl, the Nepali labourer, Bihari construction workers… The confluence of two beliefs, the gentleman had said. On a lazy Sunday, Kalpa, in all its serenity and beauty, can be a confluence of as many beliefs as possible.
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A test of endurance IF the ever-increasing response from peddlers all across the globe is any indication, then Himachal has secured its place on the international mountain terrain biking (MTB) map. A popular sport in the west, MTB was introduced in the country in 2005 with the holding of MTB Himachal, an annual cycling ride and race event. The event has since then seen a huge participation from all across the world.
The first year of the event saw participation from six countries with 12 foreigners among the total 44 participants. In the second year, eight countries took part and there were 19 foreigners among the 77 participants. This year in October, 36 foreign peddlers from 13 countries will participate in the event. The participants will be from the USA, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, Brazil, Belgium, Hungry, Hong Kong among other countries. The event is the initiative by the Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA), which has been striving to promote eco-friendly tourism activities. The strength, determination and endurance of peddlers will be put to test in the trans-Himalayan terrain with an extensive network of natural trails, village back tracks, un-metalled and metalled single-lane. This year about 70 km of single track has been added increasing the total length to 720 km. A popular adventure sport, but still a lot needs to be done to make the state an international MTB destination. It will have to link the existing cycling trials to ensure continuity. Says president of the association, Mohit Sood, “ At present the cyclists have to peddle through large stretches of metalled highways and state roads which takes the charm of mountain biking away.” The state already has about 400 km of forest trails in patches, which could be connected by developing another 200 km of mountain trails. “In the process two MTB circuits, one from Shimla to Manali, and the other form Manali to Dharamsala will be developed and virtually the entire state will be connected by mountain biking tracks,” he explains. The new trails will cost between Rs 3 to Rs 4 crore, but the government is not willing to part with funds for it, even though MTB fits well in the plan to promote ecotourism. The other factor, which dissuades foreign participants, is lack of proper rescue and security arrangements. In other countries helicopters are kept on stand by for emergency, but not here. Neither are high quality bikes manufactured in the country. The carbon fibre bikes used by foreigners weigh around 4 kg to 6 kg, whereas the best bikes produced in the country are as heavy as 16 kg to 22 kg. An imported bike comes at a high cost of Rs 3.5 lakh.
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All hiss, no poison While human beings feel threatened by snakes and try to kill them as soon as they happen to spot them, it is an established fact that only a minuscule number of them are poisonous. In fact, some of them are very useful to us. It is a general tendency in our country to kill snakes, whether harmful or not. No doubt, a large number of them are killed every year, though only about 15 per cent snakes are poisonous. Reptile experts believe that all snakes are not harmful. Identifying a poisonous snake is not just easy, but can help in warding off the sudden panic on spotting a snake and consequently saving this species which can be put to several uses . Wildlife experts inform that only four species —- cobra, krait, viper and sea- snakes—- among all the species, are poisonous and among these, only the first three are found in Himachal. Both cobra and krait are found in lower areas of the state situated below 2,000 mts and only vipers live in high reaches. While the cobra can be identified by its hood, it is the only snake, which makes nest and guards it too. The shining violet colour of the krait helps in its identification. Viper is generally recoiled on branches of a tree and in grass and is generally in the sharp green colour like the grass. The poisonous snakes leave two marks of a fang after a bite while others leave a bunch of marks after the bite. The snakes are covered under the Wild Life Protection Act and cobra and python are schedule animals. In fact, a person killing a cobra can be imprisoned for 7 years. While snake venom can be used for preparing antidote to snakebites, they are used in medicines too. Informs wild life divisional forest officer S.K. Guleria, “As a safety measure, people should keep their homes clean specially under sofas and almirahs. Mice and frogs should not be allowed near the house as snakes chase them for food. Also always make a sound while venturing at night on secluded places.”
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Right trek WITH a shift towards adventure tourism, the state government for the first time will be holding a week-long trekking festival, covering the main tracks in various parts of the state to attract tourists. The department will hold the festival in various parts of the state where there are popular tracks as in the recent years there has been an increase in the number of tourists who come here specifically for trekking. The most popular treks are in Kullu, Dharamshala, Chamba and the Sarahan area of Shimla district.The department has selected three sectors where the festival will be held simultaneously. One area, which is very famous for its treks, immensely popular with foreigners is the Parbati valley and Chanderkhani Pass in Shimla. The other belt selected for the festival is Sarahan and Bhanshal area on the border of Shimla and Kinuar district. For those keen on the more arduous tracks there is Dodra Kawar in Rohru.
The festival will have something to offer to all categories — be it children, women, youth, corporate clients or the slightly elderly. “There will be an air of festivity with cultural and sports activities taking place at the tented accommodation so that people get the real feel of adventure tourism and camping,” informed a senior official. The department has tied up with the Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, to ensure that all this is done professionally and proper safety measures are taken. The Institute at Manali offers all kinds of courses for those keen on trekking, rock climbing, skiing and other adventure sports. The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) authorities have also been involved in the festival as certain trekking routs fall inside the GHNP in Kullu. The authorities feel that by holding a trekking festival, people will be visiting areas which otherwise remain unexplored. “By organising a trekking festival we want people to visit areas which otherwise are not visited be people,” said officials. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of people who have been visiting the state for trekking and other adventure sports like para-gliding, river rafting, skiing and other winter sports. In fact, large number of school children from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal visit the Mountaineering Institute at Dharamshala for various courses.
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Vignettes Alice Elizabeth Dracott, in the original volume of her book, had given a photograph of a Simla village woman. There is a child too in the photograph published here. This little boy was the last surviving child of the woman. He died within one year of being photographed. Dracott had all praise for the woman who bore the grief with remarkable fortitude. Her opinion on general Paharee woman was, “extremely good looking, and a born flirt; she has a pleasant, gay manner, and can always see a joke, people who wish to chaff her discover an adept at repartee.” In The Origin of Death, the folk of Shimla teach manners through a tale whereby God makes two handfuls of ashes, places these in a corner and hides himself. The heaps of ashes convert themselves into a man and a woman. God then calls man by the name, Manoo (Man!) and he replies, Han or Hoo instead of respectful Han Jee. He was, thus, denied the everlasting life. Whenever somebody calls you and you reply using civil Han Jee, you add years to your own life by wishing Jee or ‘live’ to the caller. Was this incivility on the part of the first man, the Paharee Adam, deterred Dracott from contacting the hilly-men for their contribution to Simla tales? She writes, “I was asked if I would allow a Paharee man, well versed in local folk-lore, to relate a few stories to me; but, for obvious reasons, I was obliged to decline offer, for many Simla village tales related to me by women, and not included in this book, were grotesquely unfit for publication.” A tale on The Legend of Naldera Temple says that there was a beautiful and prosperous city here full of people and houses and an “old temple of the Mongolian type, around which hangs a quaint wooden fringe, which causes a strange rattling sound on a windy day” stood in the midst of the town. The people of the town were wicked and sinful, so one day the Deo (the deity) in great wrath hurled the entire city along with its inhabitants down the precipice but the temple remained to tell the past splendour. Dracott’s observation is that no priest lives within the sacred precincts of the temple because the Viceroy’s (Lord Curzon) camping ground in the vicinity with ‘the light laughter and chatter of picnic parties’ is disturbing to the Deo. Was it Shimla hurled down by the Deo? Shimla that has gone deaf and blind to what existed in Himachal in the past; Shimla that is losing deodars and pines; greenery and verdour; water-sources and flowing creeks to the march of so-called development. Dracott writes in 1906, “The hurry and rush of official life in India’s Summer Capital leaves no time for the song of birds or scent of flowers; these, like the ancient and exquisite fireside tales of its people, have been hustled away into distant valleys and remote villages, where, on cold wintry nights, Paharees, young and old, gather together to hear these oft-repeated tales.” Do they really, even today?
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A tale of neglect THE state’s oldest, biggest and first reformist jail, the Model Central Jail, Nahan has been in a state of neglect for half a century now. Records suggest that the jail is around two centuries old and came into existence during the Ryasati rule in the capital of erstwhile Sirmoor Riyasat. The present situation of the jail is alarming and records show that in the past 60 years no effective steps have been taken to increase its capacity. In 1960, the jail had the capacity to house 100 inmates and after independence the state government increased it to its present capacity of 198. Today, the number of inmates here are over 400, almost double its capacity. 100 persons carry life imprisonment here but none with death penalty. Earlier prisoners, awarded with death sentence were hanged on a Vat Vriksha, a tree behind the jail. It was felled by the authorities some years back to expand the jail. After Independence, only one inmate was executed and he was sent to Ambala Jail for execution. At present only 5 head wardens and 15 jail wardens are deployed in the jail as against the sanctioned strength of 15 and 75, respectively. Some administrative posts like assistant jail superintendent are also unoccupied. The jail is virtually managed by 50 home guards deployed inside the jail. The situation continues to be grim even after the transfer of 200 inmates to Kanda jail in Shimla in past two years. “It is impossible to carry search operations in over crowded barracks. Still, we are managing the jail efficiently by putting ourselves at risk,” said a security man at the jail. It was the escape episode of Shyamal Rao Reddy accused of a double murder that woke the authorities. Reddy escaped in August 2004 by scaling the walls. It forced the authorities to take account of the situation and plan for expansion. J. S. Chauhan, a retired police officer said, “The expansion project started materialising after a period of nearly three years.” Before Reddy another inmate had escaped in the same year in February. He was reported to have an unstable mental health and was caught in Solan. Later, the inmate demonstrated how he scaled the walls in the presence of police officials. Chauhan says, “This incident failed to get the attention of the top officials, and they took notice only after Reddy escaped.” Well, still all hope is not lost for the construction of a new complex to house 110 inmates has been in process since past few months. In the first phase, two and half crores have been sanctioned for the construction of the 400 meter wide and 18 feet height security wall. Also, the recruitment process is on and a number of additional posts have been sanctioned including that of 40 wardens.
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It’s an emergency IT has been over a decade now that Himachal’s premier health institution, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and associated hospitals in Shimla has failed to deliver prompt health care services. Emergency services at zonal hospitals are yet to see the light, as the health department is yet to start the proposed trauma centres for zonal hospitals at Mandi, Bilaspur and Kullu. The Emergency care is not a priority with the IGMC doctors or the hospital administration and they remain neck deep in mutual bickering.As a result, critically sick patients from all across the state are left at the mercy of one or two resident doctors on duty. The patients complain of being examined hurriedly at IGMC and moving to the PGI or other private hospitals in the north for treatment. To add to the situation, the junior doctors in the Emergency apply a hit-and-trial method in their treatment, as in many cases consultants don’t bother to examine the patients or registrars don’t consult others on the course of treatment. Says a son, who lost his father this month due to the hospital’s negligence, “My father was admitted in the Emergency ward with a chest pain in early August. The doctors on duty could not diagnose the problem correctly and his treatment started three days later. By then it was too late.” The doctors on duty however continue to justify their position but this is not an isolated case. The patients also rue that at times right connections with senior doctors ensure right treatment. And, though IGMC claims to have a ‘telemedicine link’ with the PGI to discuss critical cases, none of the faculty members consult the experts at the PGI, revealed a senior faculty member. “Moreover, IGMC is not even growing competitively and professionally like along the lines of PGI”, said other faculty members. There is no waiting room for the attendants outside the Emergency and they stand in the crowded corridor. No ward boys are available to assist the patients for tests. The toilets in general wards stink. Hospital administration blames it on bad users habit and the increasing rush, as over 1000-1500 patients come here each day. The resident doctors’ association feels they are overburdened with duties and the new generation of doctors are more concerned about big pay packets. IGMC principal-cum-director, Dr Surender Kashayap says, “The IGMC Emergency will have a complete makeover by December. Twelve specialists, three each for medicine, orthopaedics, peadiatrics, and surgery will be appointed to cater to the needs of Emergency.” Also, the Emergency has been equipped with nine monitors, defibrillators and other equipments. A waiting room for the attendants outside the Emergency and an elevator is also being installed in the OT building. On other charges, the authorities claim consultants are taken into confidence by registrars after which it is their choice to take a second opinion from the faculty members or the
PGI.
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Nature’s own Kaya
Kalap, a naturopathy centre run by the Vivekananda Medical Research Trust, a charitable institution, has proved to be a boon to the people of the northern region. Situated on the Pathankot-Manali highway, 2 km from Palampur, Kaya kalap is an 86-bedded health retreat, set amidst 60 acres of lush green land in the foothills of the Himalayas. In Sanskrit, kaya means the body in its physical and sublime state, and kalap means transformation. Kayakalap aims to arrest the ageing process by detoxifying, immunising, rejuvenating and regeneration of body cells and tissues through holistic transformation of the body, mind and soul. The healthcare unit, which is known as a Himalayan Research Institute for Yoga and Naturopathy, has several offerings, including yoga, pranayam, meditation, naturopathy, panchkarma, acupressure, magneto therapy, chromotherapy and diet therapy. It also has a gymnasium. The institution is being run by a private charitable trust on no profit, no loss basis and treatment is quite within the reach of common man. Trust also provides free treatment to the needy and poor. Shanta Kumar, chairman of the trust, said Kaya Kalap most of the persons who had fed up with allopathic treatment were now coming to the Kaya Kalap for the treatment of chronic disease like asthma, allergy, joint pains , arthritis etc and eighty percent of them had recovered. He said being charitable institutions, the charges had been fixed within the reach of common man. Besides, the trust is providing four type of indoor accommodation to the patients. The charges are rupees, 1000/-, 600/, 400/- and 300/- per day inclusive of food and cost of basic treatment. He said the trust was also planning to set up naturopathy college from the next session.
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Shimla Diary THE brief monsoon session of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha saw fireworks both inside and outside the house. It was a mere coincidence that the party adopted aggressive postures under I. D. Dhiman, who replaced former chief minister P. K. Dhumal as the leader of the BJP legislative party recently. It was quite unexpected as Dhiman does not carry the tag of a firebrand leader. However, under his leadership, the party was on the offensive throughout the session, which saw the suspension of the entire group from the house on the very first day of the three-day session. Even after retuning to the house after their suspension was revoked they kept up the aggressive tempo and did not yield any ground to the ruling party. They staged two walkouts over the next two days. On the final day there was confrontation inside as well as out side the house as both the parties held parallel rallies. The violent clashes which resulted in police action in which several persons including senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar were injured The proceedings inside the house remained lively throughout even though senior BJP leader P. K. Dhumal, who resigned as MLA after being elected as member of Parliament from Hamirpur constituency, and flamboyant Vijay Singh Mankotia, who recently deserted Congress to join the BSP, were missing from the house. Headless institute The prestigious Indian Institute of Advanced Study continues to be without a regular director since Bhuwan Chandel, the last incumbent, completed her term on April 15 last year. The three-member search committee had recommended a panel of three names for the post. However, the Amitabh Kundu, an expert on the international relation from the Jawahar Lal Nehru University, whose name was at the top decline the offer. The case of Peter d’Souza, the next in line is pending with the cabinet committee on appointments for the past quite some time for clearance. Nevertheless, academic activity has resumed at the institute and already a national seminar on the Buddha and His Universe and a week-long summer school on the Interpretation of Statistical Data have been organised. The institute is organising the Dr S. Radhakrishnan Memorial Lecture ot commemorate the birth anniversary of its founder on September 5. Deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia is delivering the lecture on the Eleventh Plan and Inclusive Growth. It will be followed by a national seminar on the National Integration from September 13 to 15. Yes to Himbala The manner in which Himbala, an artistic creation of renowned sculptor M. C. Saxena, has been removed from the Ridge has caused resentment among the common residents as well as art lovers. The statue of a Himachali woman in traditional costume and holding a pitcher in her hands has been major attraction for both tourists and locals ever since it was installed in 1973. The visitors made it a point to get themselves photographed along with the statue. Saxena alleges that the exquisite piece of art he created has been vandalised, defaced and dumped in store. The municipal authorities were not giving a straight answer to his queries regarding the fate of the statue and when it will be reinstalled, he laments. The residents have started a signature campaign in protest, which has evoked overwhelming response.
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Clearance within 15 days TO streamline the working pattern of the Town and Country Planning, the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) has launched a new scheme. With this, the BBNDA is aiming to surpass the agencies like PUDA and HUDA by clearing cases within 15 days. Earlier, one had to wait for two to three months to get permission for construction.
Says Dr Amandeep Garg, ceo of the BBNDA , “The process has redefined to improve cases like planning permission, change of land use, NOC for water and electricity, NOC for land under 118 and essentiality certificate etc. “Under the new arrangements, all these cases will be received by designated official of the BBNDA. If the case is strictly as per the check-list and all the documents are enclosed along with, in such cases a token receipt regarding the acknowledgement of the receipt of the case will be issued at the spot.” For the fast-processing of cases, a technical assistant will deal with the case within seven days of the marking of the case. For apartment cases and any other cases by specific orders of the ceo, an additional three days will be granted. For the ongoing cases, the time frame will be four days only. Any delay will have to be explained by the concerned official. Meanwhile, in another significant development that can avoid major hassles, the residents of 171 revenue villages under 31 gram panchayats under the BBNDA purview, have been authorised to get an NOC for new constructions from their concerned panchayat. The moves thus avoid getting an NOC from the BBNDA. And now with the inclusion of more 124 revenue villages into the BBNDA under the TCP Act from Nalagarh area in May this year, the people were required to get their building plans approved even for their residential houses from the BBNDA office at Baddi. The move is expected to save lot of time and avoid harassment. Almost 90 per cent of the cases in our office are related to residential houses, points Dr Garg. “It will save a lot of time and effort of my office and can now focus more on overall land-use regulation and the regulation of industrialisation. Also, we have started a scheme for self-certification for further speeding the clearances,” maintains Dr Garg. However, to check the haphazard construction along roads, any construction falling within 20 mt of the road on both sides, an NOC from the BBNDA is required. To facilitate commercial construction, the laws have also made easier. The prospective investor has to submit a plan made by approved architect with the BBNDA. The construction can be started after that without waiting for final approval.
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After apples,it’s raining tomatoes Tomato has really helped in transforming the economy of the farmers in Solan. If it was apple for the upper areas, it’s the tomato that has brought sea changes in the lifestyle of the farmers of the lower Shivalik hills. Not only the tomato, the farmers of Solan also have set an example by producing other off- season cash crops like capsicum, cucumber, peas and ginger on large scale. It was the Saproon valley in this district that had witnessed the first harvesting of tomato by late Devi Chand Mehta in 1942. As per the information available, Mehta had sown the Kolkatta-based Stuns and Sons Company seeds in his fields. The packets of these tomato seeds are still lying safe in Mehta home. In the year 1943-44, others farmers of the valley, getting motivated from Mehta’s initiatives, started tomato production. Marketing, besides carrying the produce to terminal markers were the biggest hurdles at that time. Farmers used to pack tomatoes in locked tins. The produce was sent through rail to Delhi markets. The tin had two keys, one of which was with the farmer and the other with arhitya. In 1945, the farmers started to send produce by packing it in soap and orange boxes. In 1956, farmers started using pine boxes to supply the huge quantity of produce. By this time, the Solan tomato had made its presence felt in Delhi, Kolkatta and Mumbai markets. In 1992-93, the tomato was grown on only 1,200 hectares of land in Solan. However, now it grows on over 3,700 hectares of area. As per the agriculture department, in 2002-03 the tomato production was recorded 93,000 metric ton the market price of which was estimated at Rs 60crore. The main problem for growers was to transport the produce to the market and save themselves from greedy commission agents who usually charged hefty amounts of commission. However, in past few years, the markets in districts have set up terminals to facilitate the marketing for produce ,besides promoting the direct sale by farmers. The markets at Solan and Dharampur have helped in great way to give deserving prices to growers. In past year, the Solan market alone had witnessed 25,000 metric tons trade of the vegetables and fruits. In the current season, the market has received 14 thousand MT vegetables and fruits and till date, 1.25 crates of tomato involving Rs 9 crore has reached the Solan market.
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Potato Power THE Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, has developed two new potato varieties, including Kufri Himsona for cultivation in the Himachal hills and Kufri Sadabahar for the Uttar Pradesh plains. Both the varieties have been released by the respective state agencies. Kufri Himsona, a processing variety, contains high levels of dry matter and low sugar content. It produces excellent white chips on frying. On-line testing of Kufri Himsona in the industry has produced excellent chips. Cultivation of this variety in the hills of Himachal Pradesh will prove to be a boon to potato farmers, particularly in the Kangra region. Till now, this region was dependent on Kufri Jyoti variety, which has now become susceptible to late blight. Kufri Himsona has a very high degree of late blight resistance. In spite of the release of three exclusive varieties for potato processing by CPRI for cultivation in the plains i.e. Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Chipsona-2 and Kufri Chipsona-3, there was an urgent need for the development of a suitable processing variety for cultivation in the hills to maintain round the year availability of raw material for processing units located in the plains. The cultivation of Kufri Sadabahar will boost potato production in Uttar Pradesh, which has already the record of highest potato production in the country. New table potato variety Kufri Sadabahar produces more than 10% higher yield over Kufri Bahar. The variety is capable of yielding about 35-40 tones/ hectare under optimum agronomical practices. The added advantage of this variety is field resistance to late blight. CPRI released white skin potato variety Kufri Bahar in 1980 for cultivation in plains of Uttar Pradesh. It is the most popular variety of the State occupying as much as nearly 70 per cent of potato area in the state of UP. Though the farmers are satisfied with the productivity of this variety, it is susceptible to late blight.
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Elsewhere, some suffer losses due to spurious hybrid seeds Dozens of growers who used Mahindra Shublabh sona hybrid F1 tomato seeds in this season for getting a better yield, are now running from pillar to post to find remedies for their colossal loss. Neither have the company officials responded positively, nor are the officials of agriculture department offering much help in this case. Pointed out a grower Satya Vrath Sharma from Dharampur who had grown nearly 2,000 saplings in one bigha of land,“Instead of getting a higher yield of superior quality, the tomato fruit which the plants bore, was cancerous and comprised of black spots. This affected the quality of fruit and reduced its market value.” The entire tomato crop has found no buyers in the market committee with commission agents giving in writing its lack of sale value due to poor quality. “ I used to earn nearly Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,0000 in the season which enabled me to fend for my family for the entire year. Never did I have such a poor yield in all my 15 years of agriculture experience” confided Sharma. Scores of farmers had grown this sona hybrid F1 variety in Dagroh, Kyar and other areas of Dharampur. After growing for nearly three-feet, the crop did not grow further. The cancerous crop has now found no buyers in the market. Each farmer had spent nearly Rs 400 in getting these seeds believing that it would fetch them higher gains. The aggrieved farmers said they failed to get any respite from the dealer and even after approaching the company officials telephonically, they found no relief. They were now asking for due compensation from the officials. The officials of the agriculture department opined that they could do little to help the farmers, as they had not approved the particular variety of tomato. The deputy director agriculture Rattan Kumar said that they advised the farmers to buy seeds from authorised dealers only as a number of private firms were selling seeds that had not been tested for the local climate. It could be such untested seeds that led to such problems. “Adopting a hit and trial method, the farmers use whatever seeds are available in the market. If it yields a bumper crop, the farmers tend to gain but if the seeds prove to be spurious the farmers end up losing. “Ideally a hybrid is supposed to be tested either by the individual company or by the agriculture department prior to its release in the state but this has remained a mere obligatory direction rather than a mandatory clause,” opined Dr B.N.Korla, professor and head of the vegetable crops department of Dr Y.S.Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry,
Nauni.
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History comes alive Century-old-festival Googa Mandli, which finds a mention in the history books, is still alive in the Dev
Bhoomi. The Raksha Bandhan is followed by Googa Mandli. Almost eight days before the festival, member of the Mandli or so called a group — Chela and Betries — start making their contacts with one another. For nine days they have to observe strict Brahamacharya and remain in Deras. The Mandli-head, Chela (leader of the group), is responsible for the safe custody and maintenance of Googas’ chhattar (a holy umbrella specially made of bamboo and leaves), padukaus (wooden slippers) and bunch of chains called ‘sangle’. The Mandli takes all the decisions with his consent. Other Betries are responsible for the maintenance of dholak (drum), damroo, chimta (tong), thali (plate), ghara (pitcher), harmonium, chenae and other musical instruments. Wearing turbans, kurtas and tehmads, the members remain barefooted for nine days. They are often seen carrying their smoking equipment like hookas, kalees, nareloos and piped jhajarees with them. Bharath-Googa Gatha, the life history of Googamal Rana, a great warrior, is the main song of the Mandli. The group members also entertain people by singing and dancing on satirical couplets like jheras and
maklawa.
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Alice Elizabeth Dracott
THE presence of sub-standard seeds in the markets has become a cause of concern for the tomato growers of the area. Since there is no monitoring over the sale of untested or sub-standard seeds in the market, it is the rural agrarian community, which generally falls prey to such planting material. Adopting a hit and trial method, the farmers use whatever seeds are available in the market.