Water scarcity is acute in Mewat district in Haryana. Women and children have to trek a long distance to fetch water, which may not even be potable. This handpump, which serves the needs of the residents of Gusbethi in Tauru block, is one of the few that have not dried up but the villagers are not sure how long it will function. Ironically, these children do not even know that less than 25 km away is Gurgaon with its splendid driveways, magnificent malls and ultramodern apartment buildings. — Photo by A. J. Philip

Illegal water trade thrives in Faridabad
Faridabad, September 6
Although various parts of Faridabad continue to reel under acute water shortage, several persons, especially farmers, are exploiting underground water for commercial benefits.

Water eruption at Kalayat stirs debate
Kurukshetra, September 6
Once again water has erupted from the sacred tank of Kapil Muni tirtha at Kalayat, 80 km from here, which is believed to be the water of the Saraswati. The phenomenon of the artesian well in hydrological term was experienced at the same place on the other side of the tank in December 2005. According to Rajesh Purohit, an archaeologist and curator, Srikrishna Museum, on the previous occasion the water oozed from the ground, but this time it happened from the fissure of the retaining wall of the Kalayat tank and the force is very strong.

‘Jind’ may soon be ‘Jeend’ Jind, September 6 Jind is the first city of the state that may witness a name change or perhaps correction in its original name. A copy of the seal used by erstwhile ruler Raja Gajpat Singh in 1772, which spells the name of the city as Jeend. — A Tribune photograph

Inside Babudom
‘Fish man’ Mathur nets his reward
Chandigarh, September 6
“Governance is like a small fish. Do not overcook it,” suggests a poster kept in the office room of Samir Mathur. Mathur, who was principal secretary, fisheries, has been posted as the principal secretary, water supply and sanitation department (formerly known as the PHE department), in the reshuffle carried out by the Hooda regime on Tuesday night. The new assignment is an important one. Mathur must be quite pleased at being chosen for the post.

Charkhi Dadri awaits overall development
Charkhi Dadri, September 6
Charkhi Dadri lags behind in development despite being biggest among the subdivisions in the state. Once an important district of Jind province, this area has been neglected by every government since the formation of the state in 1966.

Sabzi mandi gives way to IT park
Sonepat, September 6
All hopes of the farmers of the region in general and Sonepat district in particular are dashed after the recent decision of the state government to develop an information technology park in place of a sabzi mandi on 90 acres near Rai in the district.

Subsidy for jatropha farmers, users
Rohtak, September 6
The state government has decided to give subsidy to farmers for setting up units for extracting oil from jatropha seeds. Apart from the farmers, the industrial units who use the jatropha oil-based generator sets will also get subsidy from the government.

CITIZEN FIRST
Reconsider semester system
Recently, the Haryana Board of School Education has introduced semester system in all schools affiliated to it. Though the government is busy making tall claims regarding the success of the system, there are several queries that remained unanswered. For instance, in the Ist semester the method of examination is defective, as only objective type questions are asked. This method does not develop the habit of reading and writing among the students. It would curb their original and creative thinking.

• Sanitation a far cry

Citizens’ Grievances
Medical bills not paid
I put up a case of medical reimbursement before the HPSEB five years ago, but till date it has not been settled. The claim pertains to a heart bye-pass surgery at Fortis, Mohali, in June 2002. Part payments in two installments on vague calculations have been made, but a balance and final payment of Rs 21,565 is pending. I also clarified all points raised with all relevant rulings applicable in this behalf. I request the authorities concerned to release the balance payment.

Jagadhri MC plans Rs 4 cr complex Jagadhri, September 6 Bulldozers would soon demolish the old building of the Jagadhri Municipal Committee at Jhanda chowk here to make way for a new three-storey complex with showrooms and a modern MC office. The 90-year-old building of the Jagadhri Municipal Committee which will be replaced by a modern building housing shops and offices. — A Tribune photograph

3 dists adjoining Delhi most accident prone
Chandigarh, September 6
Three Haryana districts adjoining the national capital, besides being highly industrialised, also hold the dubious distinction of being the most accident prone in the state.

Malls to replace Panipat's Haali Park
Panipat, September 6

Aimed at generating revenue from “vacant wasteland” in the heart of the township, the government has decided to set up a multi-crore commercial and amusement park. The proposed project would be built on built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. Haali Park was once a popular destination for picnickers from Panipat and nearby areas. Water has nearly dried up in the lake. People have fond memories of their boatrides in the lake. The district administration is unconcerned about the filthy condition of the park. — Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar

Rewari set to see industrial boom
Govt support sought
Rewari, September 6
The industrial growth has finally started picking up in the district. Its ideal location on the national highway no. 8 (Delhi-Jaipur highway) in close proximity to Delhi has made it the choicest location for industries, as big projects involving foreign investment have come up in the region.

Kaithal emerging hub of higher education
Kaithal, September 6
Despite being a fast developing district of Haryana, Kaithal had remained backward in the field of education. But in the recent years, it has created a place for itself in the field of higher education.

Dr Chauhan gets Oxford  fellowship
Ambala, September 6
Dr Pradeep Chauhan, a noted economist who hails from Ambala, has been selected as senior fellow of Oxford University, UK. Dr Chauhan, who is a senior lecturer in Economics at Kurukshetra University, has been awarded the prestigious Agatha Harrison Memorial Fellowship to pursue higher studies and research. 

Hooda on goodwill hunt among farmers
Chandigarh, September 6
When it comes to issues relating to the farming community, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda goes overboard to prove himself to be “messiah” of the farmers. During his tenure of two and a half years as Chief Minister, Hooda has taken several decisions for the benefit of farmers.

Readers, write in
Make Haryana Plus your very own forum and do yourselves and your neighbours a good turn. Here is an opportunity to highlight civic and other public issues, and air your grievances about government negligence and ineffectiveness and the apathy of the officialdom. Send in write-ups, not exceeding 200 words, to Haryana Plus, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh. E-mail: adalat@tribunemail.com