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Crop under curse
The
scourge of scab and premature leaf fall has raised an alarm among the apple growers, more particularly in Bagshiad-Thunag-Janjheli in Mandi and Barshaini in Kullu. The premature leaf fall has also hit several pockets in the Rohroo-Jubbal-Kotkhai-Chopal-Kumarsain apple belt in Shimla. The government-run demonstration-cum-progeny orchard at Kataru in Janjheli too presents a pathetic picture. While the authorities blame the spread of fungal disease on the farmers who are not following a proper spray schedule, the farmers in turn hold the authorities deferred action responsible for the situation.
The premature leaf fall could effect the prospects of a good season next year too. The problem is widespread in the apple belt of Mandi and Shimla and the trees now bear only the fruit, as leaves have fallen prematurely. Kataru orchard that was raised in 1962 to propagate apple as a crop among farmers has now become a breeding ground for scab and premature leaf fall. Rajiv Machhan who has an apple orchard in Rohroo says, “The problem of premature leaf fall has plagued many orchards in the area.” Associate professor Dr S.S Bhardwaj at Bajaura centre of Dr Y.S Parmar University of Forestry and Horticulture-Nauni said the officials had visited the scab-effected area in Mandi and have directed the department of horticulture there to conduct a camp in Janjheli. “The farmers are advised to spray urea to destroy the leaves so that they are decomposed. Otherwise, the fungus remains dormant in the soil and spreads in the rest of the area,” he cautions. “ The 1980’s problem of scab is now showing up in certain pockets in Mandi and Barshani area in Kullu. He also suggested ways of controlling the situation. The scab-infected fruit should be destroyed to control the spread of fungus. “A farmers meet will be organised at Bajaura in the second week of the month to know the problems of the farmers in the central region”, he said. The farmers rued the government procurement agencies like HPMC have stopped procuring fruit from them due to the infection. The presence of scab in the orchards was brought to the notice of the officials during an auction of fruits in July, but to no avail. Brij Lal a farmer from Ruhara said, “Hail storm damaged about to 80 to 90 per cent of the crop. The scourge of scab and premature leaf fall has spread from orchards in Kataru and Panchayat to the ones located across the Bakhli Khad and in Chiuni, Sarahu and Ghair.” “Fungicides were not provided to the farmers on time in June and July and now they have stocked medicines when the disease has taken its toll,” rued Devinder Thakur and Jagdish Thakur, apple farmers from Janjheli. “The damage done to crops has led to a huge financial crisis for the farmers”, said Bhag Chand from Chiuni. An orchard owner and apple trader Jagdish Thakur who bought the government orchards in an auction in July for Rs 2.45 lakhs says, “I had informed the horticultural officials about the problem but they did nothing to control the disease, as a result I am facing losses today.” And, the miseries of the farmers don’t end here. The commission agents charge the farmers exorbitantly for things like telephone and stationary. Mandi’s horticultural deputy director K.C Chambial said, “The disease has been detected in a small pocket around moisture-prone orchards and is controllable. It is spreading in those orchards where farmers are not adhering to the spray schedule. We are organising camps to spread awareness and also advice the farmers on controlling the diseases.”
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Poll politics
With the state Assembly elections due in another five months, top leaders of all political parties, including chief minister Virbhadra Singh, former chief ministers Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar and new aspirant Major Vijay Singh Mankotia have started coming out of their dens to mingle with the public.
Virbhadra Singh is hopeful of coming back to power by playing the development card, even as his party is going through hard times with recent allegations of corruption and moral misdemeanor on top leaders. In the BJP camp, both former chief ministers Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar have toned up by moving out in the public. At the same time, they are also trying to influence their party high command by projecting themselves as the favorite leaders of the hill folk. Apart from both these parties, the BSP has also started testing the social engineering formula in the state, banking on Major Mankotia, a staunch rival of Virbhadra Singh. He recently quit the Congress and got the blessings from Mayawati hoping to make a big dent in the vote banks of both the BJP and Congress. Above all, in the pre-election exercise, the BJP camp is witnessing an interesting ‘duel’ between Dhumal and Shanta, who are uncertain about their future. Both are aspirants for the chief minister’s post but one cannot guess at the moment who will be the choice of the party high command. As of now, both of these leaders are leaving nothing to chance to get themselves in the limelight and consolidate their base at the grassroots level and influence the party high command. Shanta Kumar with his RSS background is looking for a support from his parent cadre, which has always played a crucial role in the BJP politics. He is also busy creating a lobby of his supporters within the party while Dhumal is trying to project himself as the leader of masses. On September 13, Shanta Kumar celebrated his 74th birthday at Palampur. A book on his life Antodayia Puresh - Shri Shanta Kumar written by Satish Dhar was released on this occasion. This function got a political and religious colour with RSS chief of northern region Bajrang Lal coming all the way from New Delhi to give blessings to his cadre-man. In the function, Shanta projected himself as a messiah of the poor people, which the political Dhumal is busy holding public rallies and nukkar sabhas in his stronghold areas to keep the political equation at balance within the party. For him, political equations in the party have undergone a sea change in his favour after winning the Hamirpur Lok Sabha poll recently with a high margin. He got a lead in 15 out of the total of 17 Assembly segments falling under the Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency. However, truly speaking, the two have been drifting apart as the countdown to the Assembly elections has already begun. It may cost the BJP a lot in the elections if steps are not taken well in time to clear their position in the party and their political role in the near future, feel the common men in the hill state. Meanwhile, the Congress is happy over the fighting for supremacy between Shanta and Dhumal even as the BJP leadership is hopeful to get mileage on the anti-incumbency factor. On the other hand, the BSP is vocal against both the Congress as well as the BJP by promising to provide a clean and responsible administration projecting Mayawati as the future Prime Minister. Major Mankotia has given a slogan ‘Imaandaar Himachal, Shandaar Himachal’’ that has started striking among the people. Who will come to power? It is a big question in the hill state at present. Going by the preparedness of the battleground by the politicians of all major parties, one can easily say that it will not be easy for anybody to predict in a visible triangular fight in the lower hill areas of the state.
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Promotion Jam
Nearly 500 officers and employees of the state department of prison are sore over the indifferent attitude and step-motherly treatment of the state government. Even after pleading their case before the chief minister, their demands, which include promotions and grant of facilities at par with the police personnel, are still unfulfilled. government has decided to post a departmental officer in place of deputy inspector general (DIG), prisons, after promotions. About six months back, the Cabinet had decided to re-designate this post as assistant inspector general, prisons, and abolish the present post of DIG, prisons. Earlier, officers of the cadre of superintendent of police and DIG were appointed for this post as per convenience of the state home department. Sources say the abolition of a high-level post of the rank of a DIG directly affects the promotion avenues of IPS officers in the state. The IPS lobby generally does not favour such decisions, which affect their promotions or postings. Nobody is ready to reveal the reason as why the notification to implement the Cabinet decision has not been issued even after the expiry of six months time. The sources add if this notification is further delayed for two to three months, the matter would automatically go into the cold storage, as after November it is likely that the election code may be enforced at any time and thus the matter will be put up before the next government for decision. Rajiv Sharma, state president of the Him Jail Karamchari Maha Sangthan has expressed anguish over the indifferent attitude of the government towards the employees managing 13 jails in the state, including two model central jails. He says the sangathan members had earlier met chief minister Virbhadra Singh and other senior officers of the government several times but nothing came out of it. The main demands of the union are 13 months salary and Rs 100 as monthly ration allowance. Sharma says police jawans are already getting these allowances for the past several years. In a statement Sharma has appealed to the chief minister to fill up newly created post of AIG, jails, at the earliest so that the ongoing stagnation in the officers cadre could be broken.
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vignettes
Most
of us know Mary Margaret Kaye as the author of enthralling The Far Pavilions. But only few know that the lady who attained name and fame as M. M. Kaye and an author of about 15 books had this to say about her birth, “…in the summer of 1908 I came to be born in a bedroom in the Central Hotel (Shimla) on the twenty first day of August - just. I say ‘just’ because Mother says I arrived in a terrific hurry and complaining at the top of my voice, at eleven minutes to midnight.”
Kaye’s autobiography is written in three volumes The Sun in the Morning, Golden Afternoon and Enchanted Evening. This article is based upon her observations in the first book. She was christened at Christ Church on the Ridge and she felt that the good fairies present there on the occasion gave her two blessings – to have excellent memory and the gift of writing splendidly. She used to be trundled along the Mall in her push-chair by her ayah and once was excited to see “innumerable strings of brightly tinted paper flags” over the stairs going from The Gaiety to Middle Bazaar and when she asked her ayah what they were for, she replied that it was for the durbar. Can you recollect reading about the Delhi Durbar of December 1911 held to commemorate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India? Kaye writes that the word was new to her and till the reality dawned upon her, all coloured decorations were durbars for her. The Kayes had moved to Chillingham in Chhota Shimla by then. British children in Shimla used to lead an active social life during the Raj. ‘Party after party after party…’ MM disliked the parties and preferred to be at home but had to go because her mother was a party-bird. Children’s status was visible in these parties. The ones with rich parents or those with their fathers in higher rank of the Civil Service had British nannies while the offspring of less exalted parents were under the charge of ayahs. “We, the ayah brigade, were fully conscious of our luck and would not have changed places with the nanny-lot for anything in the world: it was snobbery in reverse.” Ayahs, generally, loved their wards, they would be happy when the child was happy and shed tears when the child was in pain. They doted upon them. She felt that her clan was fortunate because it was not dragooned into good behaviour with words, “Now you eat that up at once, Miss Enid! Just think how many poor little boys or girls would be only too grateful to have that lovely rice pudding!” or “Don’t speak with your mouth full, Master Eddie! It’s rude.” The nanny-children envied the greater freedom and the ability of ayah-brigade to talk to an Indian in Hindustani. For them, the bedtime stories were Peter Rabbit or Little Red Riding Hood whereas ayahs used to tell their charges why Ganesh had the body of man and head of an elephant. She, as a child, knew who this god Hanuman was and why his temple was in Jakko. Her Teeta-ayah, yes that’s the name that she has for her ayah, even taught her how to wear a sari and look like a maharani, a no-no for nanny-lots. Her brother Bill learned to wear Indian dresses from her, turban and all. Kayes, during the middle of 1910s came to live at Harvington in upper Bharari road. A kind, old lady called Miss Cullen used to run a boarding house there under whose custody she and her sister Bets were left when her parents shifted to the plains on transfer. The children came under the care of a British nanny Lizzie. They were ‘soundly beaten for every peccadillo, however trivial.’ “She (Lizzie) would put us across her knee, pull down our frilly drawers, yank up our vests and belabour our small bottoms with the back of her hairbrush until they were sore and scarlet and exceedingly painful to sit down on.” How much MM missed her Indian ayah! Tailpiece Before I married, I had six theories about bringing up children. Now, I have six children and no theories. — John Wilmot
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Tea(ry) affair
The state’s greens are yet again facing the axe and this time, it is Kangra valley’s lone tea industry that is the target. Interestingly, it is the state government that is to blame. Its apathy is causing tea gardens to be replaced by concrete jungles. Tea cultivation in the valley was introduced by Nissan Tea Company in the middle of the 19th century, approximately between 1830 to 1840. But now, the tea industry, known for its famous China tea, is in jeopardy with tea bushes being uprooted in several villages. The state government’s recent decision to permit sale of tea gardens has caused widespread resentment among the valley residents. Although Section 7-A of the Himachal Pradesh State Land Revenue Act prohibits the sale of tea gardens (with certain provisions) the government is acting otherwise. Under the provisions of the act, permission to sell tea gardens can be granted only in special cases, such as for the setting up of defence units, cantonment and other government establishments. But now, the government is misusing these provisions to permit influential persons and several outsiders, particularly from Delhi, to acquire property in the region. Several Tibetan refugees have also been allowed to do so. Stringent provisions in the law debar outsiders from purchasing land in Himachal Pradesh and yet, the state government is allowing just that. Even the Government of India’s suggestions to bring more land in Himachal Pradesh under tea cultivation are going unheeded. These recent developments have made the residents of Palampur and Dharamsala a worried lot, as they perceive this as a threat to the hilly region’s environment. “The government is adopting double standards in permitting the sale of tea gardens. While it is difficult for small tea growers to sell even one kanal of land, influential persons are easily given permits to sell large plots. In the past three years, these persons have sold more than 1,000 kanals of Palampur’s tea gardens. There are over 4,000 applications of small landowners and tea growers that are gathering dust in the HP Secretariat and the government is just refusing to give them the permission,” said BJP MLA Ravinder Thakur. He firmly demanded a high-level probe into the scam.
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Hamirpur shining
Students of Hamirpur-based International Institute of Fashion Designing (INFID) are all set to make their mark in the world of fashion. Seven students of the institute have been selected by Madura Garments in Ludhiana and New Delhi recently.
Getting placement in Madura Garments, which is associated with of top brands like Allen Solly, Van Heusen and Louise Phillipe etc, was not a cakewalk for these Hamirpur girls. Deepika Bharti and Archna Sharma, who have obtained their two-year diploma in Fashion Designing, have already joined their work in New Delhi. Swati and Babita will be joining at Ludhiana soon. Diploma holders Neha, Reecha and Palavi Gupta are also leaving for Ludhiana. They will be getting a salary package of around Rs 1.5 lakh per annum. They had to pass through series of grueling interviews to prove their worth. Managing director of the INFID Sat Pal Sharma says — “This is the outcome of hard work and fashion techniques they acquired at the institute which is being acknowledged by the garment companies.” Golden throw A student of local government college from Hamirpur has brought laurels for her district and state. Sanjo Devi, a student of Subhash Chander Bose Memorial Postgraduate College has won a gold medal in the javelin throw event in the 47th All India Inter State Athletics (senior) Championship held in Bhopal. She bagged the first place by throwing a javelin at a distance of 43.65 metres. The silver and bronze medallist were Haryana Sonu and Alposad. In January this year, Sanjo had set a record of 51.69 metres at the inter-university sports meet at Bangalore. Says coach Bhupinder Singh who trained Sanjo and other players in Hamirpur, “Sanjo’s success will boast many others to take up sports.” After winning a gold medal in nationals, Sanjo stands a good chance of being a part of the Indian squad of athletes that would participate in 2008 Beijing Olympics. She’s already been selected for the Olympic camp. Averss Sanjo, “My coach played a big role in my success. He trained me on the finer points of a national competition and corrected my throw techniques.” She also owes her success to the support of her college authorities.“I’d improve my performance to secure a place in the international events and make my country proud.”
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Weaving a success story
Jute geotextile engineering technology, which has been effectively tried in many states in treating soil related problems, has not been put to much use so far in the ecologically fragile hill state of Himachal Pradesh, where landslides, soil erosion, subsistence of roads are a major problem.
Jute geotextile has multifarious applications but the main concerned agencies of the state like the public works department, forest department and the irrigation and public health department have made no serious effort to use the more effective and environment friendly new technology. The mining department has only implemented pilot schemes to rehabilitate mined areas. However, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has weaved a success story by using this technology for slope stabilisation in the 800 Kol Dam Project. Encountered with steep slopes with gradients ranging up to 70 degrees downstream, the dam site on which raising new plantation seemed impossible, the project authorities decided to try out jute geotextile and the experiment worked. Greenery has appeared on the slopes near Mairi Bridge. Along with trees like mehendu, amaltas and bougainvilleas, votive grass has also been planted. The project authorities have now decided to use the technology on a large scale to help stabilise 20,000 sq mt of erosion–prone hill slopes. The engineers of National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) and public works department also plan to use the technology. The use of the material strengthens the roads and highways largely, evident from the fact that the CBR - California Bearing Ratio - increased almost three times. Contrary to common perception, the bio-degradation of jute geotextile is not a technical disadvantage as all geotextiles, natural and manmade, act as catalytic agents of change in soil characteristics. The loss of strength of the geotextile is compensated by the gain of soil strength during the process. Soil takes 18 to 24 months to consolidate under concurrent functioning of separation, filtration and drainage under extraneous loads and jute geotextile can be tailor-made to retain its properties until the period by coating it with suitable additive. On exposed soil, it promotes growth of vegetation by exerting mulching action, adding nutrients to the soil and augmenting its permeability. These properties make the material highly effective in protection of eroding banks, strengthening of weak sub-grades in roads, managing vulnerable slopes, stabilising embankments and arresting soil erosion, explains secretary of the Jute Manufactures Development Council Atri Bhattacharya who was in the city for a seminar on ‘Jute Geo-Textiles And Innovative Jute Products’. Jute has some unique characteristics, which make it most suitable for bio-engineering applications. It absorbs water up to five times its weight and improves drainage of the strata when used as a sub-grade in construction of roads. Its use has helped in preventing lateral slippages, he says. Further, it is an economical proposition as the cost of construction of new roads using jute geotextiles is about Rs 2 lakh per km less than synthetic geo-textiles and more than doubles the durability of the road. The road, which needed repairs after three years or even early, lasted up to 11 years with the material, according to jute geotextile expert and advisor to the council T Sanyal. Initially the jute geotextiles exert confining action on the soil but as it degrades, it forms a bonding with the soil, which increases its strength. It has been accepted as an effective bio-engineering measure by international funding agencies like the World Bank. Suitable geotextiles can be designed by taking into consideration factors like soil characteristics, slope and annual rainfall for various bio-engineering applications.
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SHIMLA DIARY
Children
from strife-torn Kashmir have made the state their abode. They do not find much difference between their home state and Himachal, except that back home peace eluded them. It was the Indian Army’s Operation Sadbhavana that gave these 30 children from Jammu and Kashmir a chance to live peaceful lives. These kids were brought to various parts of the state by the 14 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment.
“I pray that Jammu and Kashmir is blessed with the same peace and tranquility that makes life so relaxed here,” says Ashfaq, a Class X student at one of the schools being run by the Army. The children, some of whom were studying at madarsas and local schools in Kashmir, now have access to computers and are learning English as well. “Several of these children have lost their near and dear ones to terrorism,” says one of their teachers. For some of these kids, this is the first time they have ventured out of their villages. Army team conquers heights The Pine Motorcycle expedition, conducted by the 14th Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, concluded at Shimla on September 27. The tour, led by Major S. Thapliyal, traversed a distance of over 2,000 km as it passed through arduous tracks across Rohtangla and Baralachala passes. The other team members included Major Mahesh Kumar, one medical officer, one junior commissioned officer and 12 jawans. During the 12-day expedition, the team also crossed the Khardungla Pass, the highest motorable road in the world. Riders with varying skills and distinctions were chosen to participate in the expedition. Braving the inhospitable weather and difficult terrain, the team emerged victorious. Kiwi cultivation fails to attract Despite several efforts by the government to promote kiwi cultivation in the state, farmers have not taken a fancy to the exotic fruit. Even after almost 15 years since the fruit’s introduction in Himachal, there is hardly 100 hectares of land under kiwi cultivation. Lack of a proper market for the fruit deters farmers from taking to its cultivation. Moreover, with very limited production, it is not possible for food processing units to make juices, jellies or jams out of it. With one kg of kiwi costing over Rs 100, the fruit is out of the reach of the common man and consumed mostly in five-star hotels. Its peculiar tangy taste is also not very appealing. As such, kiwi cultivation is confined to a few pockets in the districts of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Kullu and
Mandi.
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Victim of Apathy
Despite being an important tourist attraction of Himachal, Palampur is crying for immediate attention of the concerned authorities. The valley was earlier called Palam, which meant the land of brave soldiers, who have laid down their lives for the country in various wars before and after independence.
Major Som Nath, (PVC), Capt Vikram Batra (PVC), Capt Sorbah Kalia and Major Sudheer Walia (Ashok Chakra), are some of the names in the list of those from this town who’ve sacrificed their lives in the recent wars. However, the governments who’ve ruled the state have failed to recognise their supreme sacrifices and extended step-motherly treatment to this town. Today, people here are devoid of all basic amenities. Potholed roads and streets, overflowing drains and contaminated drinking water tell the tale of the place, which is fast turning into a big slum. Despite the fact that there has been a manifold increase in the population here, the state government has failed to extend the municipal limits of the town. At present, only a 10 per cent of the town’s area, with a population of 4,000, falls in the municipal limits. Over 35,000 people live outside these limits. In fact, the town has become the victim of dirty politics. No one in the local Municipal Council is worried about improving things that are going from bad to worse. Almost all the interior streets are in a bad shape. Overflowing of the drains in the rainy season leads to water clogging on the streets. The roads and streets dug up for laying water supply pipes in Ghuggar, Tikka Aima and Bundla are yet to be repaired. The two busiest roads leading to Lohana colony, Ram Chowk, Cinema road and inter-state bus terminal are in the worst condition. However, the PWD, Municipal Council and panchayats blame the Irrigation and Public Health authorities, for not releasing the funds for the repair of roads. Heaps of garbage are seen in every nook and corner of the town emitting foul smell. The situation in the internal parts of the town is no better as the panchayats have no resources to maintain cleanliness, resulting in huge garbage dumps on the roadside at Ghuggar, Aima, Bundla and Chokki Khalet. Even in municipal areas, things are no better. The unplanned construction of housing colonies in the town has become quite common. Since all these colonies have been coming up in the panchayat areas, it lacks all basic amenities like, streetlights, roads, sewerage and drinking water supply. In the absence of any appropriate authority to deal with the planning of the town, there has been mushroom growth of colonies. Although the state government has brought this town under the purview of the HP Town and Country Planning Act, this too, has failed to improve the situation. A number of houses and shops in the town have come up without the prior approval of the Town and Country Planning Department.
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Small holdings, big problem
While the state has been doing exceedingly well in the field of education, health and social welfare in recent years, it has been lagging far behind in agriculture, which is the mainstay of the hill people.
The agriculture productivity continues to be below the national average. Only in case of maize the yield is higher at 29 quintal per hectare, 4 quintal more than the national average. Apart from inherent bottlenecks like difficult hilly terrain, small landholdings, frequent natural calamities and uncertain weather which affect productivity, factors like lack of irrigation facility, indifferent transfer of latest know-how, inadequate and injudicious use of fertilisers, lack of mechanisation and poor connectivity between fields and markets have also been impeding the growth of agriculture. Only 21 per cent of the total 9.98 lakh hectare of cultivated land has irrigation facility and the fortunes of the farmers, who are at the mercy of the rain god, had been oscillating between drought and deluge. The extension of irrigation facility has encouraged diversification from traditional crops. More and more farmers are taking to cash crops like off-season vegetables as a result the area under foodgrain crops have started declining. Director of Agriculture, J. C. Rana says self-sufficiency in foodgrain is no longer the main priority and the emphasis is on improving the economy of the farmers by maximising returns from the small land-holdings. The state has reached a plateau so far as cultivable land is concerned. The only way out is to increase productivity and diversify to high value crops. While food grain crops yield Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per hectare the returns from off-vegetables is around Rs 50,000 per hectare and from floriculture up to Rs 80,000 per hectare. Himachal has over the years come to be known as the apple state but even the yield of apple has been declining and come down to 6 tonne per hectare from 10 tonne per hectare in the 1970’s. Another reason for the declining productivity is that the ageing plantations are not being replaced. The productive life of an apple plant is around 45 years and as such the plantations, which came up in the 1950’s should have been replaced a decade ago as the new plants take about seven years to come to bearing.
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Blue Revolution
The state government has launched a rainwater harvesting scheme in the rural areas of Himachal, with the participation of the rural folk through the gram panchayats. In order to run the scheme effectively, it has also decided to give incentives to the best performing gram panchayats for the construction of rainwater harvesting structures in the villages. The hill state has been divided into four zones that are dependent on rain-fed agriculture. In the first zone (650 mt and below), the cropping system of maize-toria-wheat fetches an income of Rs 15, 000 per hectare. If irrigation facilities are provided and potato-capsicum-cauliflower cropping system is adopted, the net income can touch Rs 1, 25,972. In the second zone (650 to 1,800 mt), dry land farming fetches the same income as in the first zone but an irrigated hectare with peas-tomato-cauliflower combination can fetch Rs 2,27,000.In the third zone (1,800 to 2,200 mt), vegetables and fruits are grown under irrigated conditions. One hectare can potentially fetch Rs 73, 869, much higher than Rs 15, 000 under dry land farming. The fourth zone (above 2,200 mt), being the coldest and the driest zone, has little irrigational facilities. However, with irrigation facilities, peas, onion, carrot, radish and tomato can be grown here effectively. Agriculture scientists feel that the provisions of irrigation facilities are important to enhance the incomes of farmers and to overcome food insecurity. The average rainfall in the state is 984.8 mm per year. Hardly 5 per cent of the water is conserved for agricultural purposes. Therefore, top priority needs to be given to rainwater conservation. Providing irrigation through lift and gravity schemes is a time and money-consuming job. Rainwater harvesting should be started as a campaign, feels a senior official of the state government. Earlier, the state government had mandated rainwater conservation in any new construction in the urban areas. There is a need for the construction of rainwater harvesting structures in rural areas for irrigation and for domestic/sanitation purposes at the panchayat-level. The current policy of the government provides incentives to the best performing gram panchayats. Incentives in the form of grant for the best performing gram panchayats will be provided every year at the block-level, district-level and the state-level. As per the notification, only those gram panchayats will be eligible for consideration for the best performing gram panchayats, where at least 50 per cent of the total houses will have rainwater harvesting structures. Only the rainwater harvesting structures having a minimum capacity of 5,000 litres will be considered under this scheme. The best performing panchayat, having the highest percentage of rainwater harvesting structures and a subject to the minimum of 50 per cent household coverage, will be selected in each development block. As such, 77 gram panchayats will be selected in the whole state for the block-level award every year. A district-level incentive will be given to 12 panchayats from amongst the 77 block-level panchayats selected for the incentives. In the event of a panchayat being awarded district award, the block-level award will entitle a new gram panchayat for such award. This information will be placed before a committee comprising the local deputy commissioner as the chairperson, project officer of DRDA and assistant engineer, rural development, as the members and the district panchayat officer as the member secretary. The best performing panchayats will be awarded the incentive during March every financial year. The award money for the best performing panchayat would be Rs 3lakh at the state-level, Rs 1.50lakh at the district-level and Rs 1 lakh at the block-level.
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Disrupted connectivity
The washing away of the 118-year-old, inter-state bridge on the Chakki rivulet, popularly known as the Chakki Bridge, has added to the woes of commuters of Kangra valley. Six pillars of the bridge (spanning over 100 mt) were washed away in the flashfloods in Chakki rivulet on August 9, 2007. The bridge was a lifeline for Kangra valley but had outlived its utility and had been declared unsafe many years back. Constructed in 1889 by the British government at a cost of Rs 1,4,280, the bridge had outlived its life. The bridge on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway (20), besides being significant for tourism, was of vital importance for the movement of security forces to the Yol cantonment in the Kangra district. It also provided an alternative approach to the Kargil sector through Leh-Manali route. Interestingly, this bridge also identified the boundaries of the two neighbouring states as 75 per cent of its portion fell in Punjab and the rest in Himachal. Following the snapping of road connectivity on the NH 20 after the collapse of the bridge, the traffic has been diverted through Kandwal-Bhadroya-Pathankot link road, which is under construction.
After persistent demand of the state government, the Union Road Transport and National Highways (RTNH) ministry had given its nod for the construction of the new Chakki bridge and earmarked Rs 21crore for it. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had laid the foundation stone of the proposed bridge in the presence of the union minister for RTNH, T.R. Balu, on February 7 without completing tender-awarding formalities. The government had been entrusted the task of executing the construction of the new bridge. It submitted the tender and awarded formalities after laying the foundation stone to the union ministry for RTNH, which were reportedly turned down. But the government again submitted the same after shortlisting the tender bids of construction companies last month. Inquiries revealed that the tender bid of Hyderabad-based company Mahadev High-Tech had been shortlisted, as it had offered the lowest bid to the tune of Rs 29crore. According to Superintending engineer, NH circle Shahpur, the tender bid had been submitted to the union ministry for RTNH for revision of final approval. He claimed that after getting approval, the construction of the new double-lane bridge would be started. The unprecedented delay in completing tender-awarding formalities cum final approval and collapse of the old Chakki Bridge have raised the demand of construction of the Bailley bridge in lieu of the collapsed bridge, to restore the vehicular traffic on the Pathankot-Mandi highway.
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