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20 cm snowfall at Jakhu
Parks to lure monkeys away from cities
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Tibetan New Year
Financial aid for children of AIDS victims
President to visit state
Govt on the right track: Rana
Korean varsity invites HPU professor
Ban on import of slaughtered poultry into Solan
Leopard, wild boar injure two
Undertrial nabbed
Nine convicted in 3 cases
Cop returns jewellery
Fire-hit family needs relief
Yoga training in schools
CM’s appeal to people
Hotels must use commercial LPG
Ban on weapons ordered
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20 cm snowfall at Jakhu
Shimla, February 6 A blinding blizzard hit the higher reaches of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Kullu districts in the wee hours. The snowstorm left Narkanda, Hatu peak, Chanshal slopes, Churdhar and other areas under knee-deep snow. The entire 75-km stretch of the Hindustan-Tibet road from here to Odi is under snow. As a result, the upper Shimla areas like Theog, Rohru, Chopal, Jubbal Kotkhai and Kinnaur were cut off. These areas had to go without newspapers, milk, bread, vegetables and other daily necessities. Solang Nullah in Kullu recorded 50 cm of snow, while Manali had 10 cm. Shimla and its surrounding areas were lashed by snow, sleet and rain accompanied with high velocity winds throughout the day. Mount Jakhu, the highest peak of the city, had 20 cm of snow while the lower areas had between 5 cm and 15 cm. The mercury hovered around the freezing point. Keylong recorded 6 cm of fresh snow and it continued to reel under sub-zero temperature with a low of -7.7°C. However, Kalpa in Kinnaur was the coldest with a minimum of -8.7°C. The Rampur and Kinnaur-bound traffic has been diverted through Dhami and Basantpur. Some buses plied to Rohru via Vikasnagar. The lower areas of the state were experiencing widespread intermittent showers since last night. Sundernagar recorded 16.3 mm of rain while Bhuntar got 7.5 mm. |
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Parks to lure monkeys away from cities
Shimla, February 6 The first two such parks are proposed for Shimla and Hamirpur. Each park will be spread over 100 to 150 hectare of open forest to provide enough space for at least 1,000 monkeys. A novel feature will be that there will be no fencing of the area and no enclosures and the primates will be able to move around freely. In fact, the animals will be attracted to the park from the nearby townships by providing food, water and shelter in natural settings. The department will take care of water holes, salt licks and planting of fruit species but the main attraction will be the serving of food at fixed timings daily in which non-government organisation like the temple committee will have a role. Monkeys abound around temples mainly because devotees feed them. It was thus important to involve temples and their managements in the project, says additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Vinay Tandon. The park will be set up in the vicinity of the temples which are at least 3 to 5 km away from the town so that monkeys are not able to return, other wise the purpose will be defeated. Availability of ample food and water in the park will ensure that the simians stay put there. The devotees and NGOs will have a key role here as the cost of feeding a monkey ranges between Rs 10 to Rs 15 per day, depending on the season. The idea is to create a habitat in the shape of a park, which the simians must miss, at least for “sumptuous” food on moving out of it, he explains. He said in Shimla the forest near Tuti Kandi, downhill the Sankat Mochan temple is ideal for the park. In case of Hamirpur the concerned divisional forest officer has been asked to identify a suitable site for the purpose. Further, as the park will have a limited capacity the population of the simians will be maintained at manageable levels by carrying out mass sterilisation. It will be very convenient as the mass sterilisation centre is already functional at Tuti Kandi where over 1,000 monkeys have already been sterilised. The total number of monkeys in the state is 3,19,188. |
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Tibetan New Year
Kangra, February 6 The cold wave conditions and continuous rains for the past two days have not dampened the enthusiasm of the Tibetans here. They continue to keep themselves busy with the purchases and decorating their house to welcome the New Year. The Tibetans here were on a shopping spree, preparing for the whole gamut of rituals and customs of the New Year celebrations, beginning February 7. According to the Tibetans here, the celebration of Losar can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist period in Tibet. From a ceremony to propitiate “spirits, deities and protectors” the Losar celebration has gradually evolved into an annual Buddhist festival. According to Tsepak Rigzin, the author of “The Festivals of Tibet”, the festival is said to have begun when an elderly woman named Belma introduced the measurement of time-based on phases of the moon. That celebration, which coincided with flowering of the apricot trees of the Lhokha region in autumn, could have been the first of what became the traditional farmers’ festival. He said, historically, there were three major traditions for the celebration of Losar. While one tradition celebrated Losar on the first day of the 11th month, another celebrated on the first day of the 12th month. Whereas in the third, that is the system of the 13th century Lama Drogon Choegyal Phagpa, the first day of the first lunar month is celebrated as Losar. Apart from these three, a host of other traditions celebrated Losar at various times, corresponding to the local harvest seasons and customs. In some parts, Losar is said to be celebrated twice a year. However, in the course of history, the Losar celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month became the standard practice, at least at the official level. Mcleodganj was illuminated and beautified on the eve of Losar and tomorrow the day would start with a pooja in the main Tibetan Temple, which would be attended by the Tibetan spiritual leader and temporal head Dalai Lama too. Tibetans from all over the country and abroad were thronging this hill town today to celebrate Losar here tomorrow. Buddhist followers from different Western countries have also arrived here in connection with the festival. |
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Financial aid for children of AIDS victims
Shimla, February 6 Himachal is probably the first state in the country to have started this novel scheme where the children of all AIDS victims between 0 to 15 years are being given a substantial monthly financial assistance. The Department of Health and Family Welfare
has started this scheme so that the education and other living needs of children can be met comfortably
and the already harassed AIDS victims are not burdened with the tension of meeting even the meagre needs to his children. The scheme, which has been launched a month-back is so far covering 32 children. Out of this the largest number of 22 is from Kangra, followed by five each from Bilaspur and Una districts. The benefit would be given to all such children who qualify for assistance under the scheme and are identified by the District AIDS Programme Officers or the Health Department. As per the scheme, the monthly amount of Rs 300 would be given to children up to three years, Rs 400 for those between four to six, Rs 500 for those between seven to nine, Rs 600 to those between 10 t0 12 years and Rs 700 to those between 13 to 15 years. “This scheme covers children whose one parent or both have contracted AIDS and are alive or either of them or both have died,” explained Dr Sulakshna Puri, project director, HP State AIDS Control Society. Besides this, powder milk is also being provided for AIDS victim children up to one year of age. Even though Himachal is still considered a low prevalence state as far as AIDS is concerned but the government came up with the scheme to provide a better living to children of those who had unfortunately contracted the infection. The exact number of full blown AIDS cases in the state at present is 477 while the number of HIV positive persons is 2,511. The highest number of 106 AIDS patients are in Hamirpur, followed by 93 in Shimla, 91 in Mandi, 70 in Kangra, 65 in Bilaspur, 18 in Solan, 10 in Kullu, eight in Una, seven in Sirmaur, two in Chamba, one in Kinnuar and six non-Himachali victims. The number of HIV positive persons in the state if 2,511, with the highest figure of 592 in Hamirpur. Shimla has 310 HIV positive patients, Bilaspur has 296, Mandi has 235, Una has 231, Solan has 80, Chamba has 42, Kullu has 41 and Sirmaur 31. The State AIDS Control Society is already providing free anti-retro viral drugs to over 150 AIDS patients at the Department Of Medicine at the IGMC. It is also running two drop-in-centres at Poanta and Barmana, besides, 20 target intervention projects. |
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President to visit state
New Delhi, February 6 An official spokesman said the President had accepted the invitation to visit the state and dates of her visit, which will be during summer months, will be communicated later. The spokesman said the Chief Minister had sought President’s intervention to change the recruitment policy of the Army based on criteria of population of a state. He said people from Himachal Pradesh have won a number of gallantry awards and should be given more opportunity to serve the armed forces. The Chief Minister also raised the issue of “delay” in handing over the Annadale ground in Shimla to the civil authorities, saying that its lease had long expired. Dhumal said people displaced due to Bhakra dam have not been properly rehabilitated so far and the state was not getting its due power from the project. He said the state had also not got its due share from the Pong Dam and the Beas Satluj dam. The Chief Minister said the state should be allowed to impose 10 paise per unit generation tax on hydel projects commissioned in the state. The spokesman said the Chief Minister also paid a courtesy visit on vice-president M.H. Ansari. |
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Govt on the right track: Rana
Nurpur, February 6 Moreover, the decisions like enhancement of the government’s share from 5 per cent to 50 per cent under the crop insurance scheme aiming at helping farmers, curtailment of vehicles in the CM’s cavalcade, ban on public and political functions and feasts in government schools have earned praise from the man on the street, he claimed. The adoption of the BJP’s manifesto as the policy document by the government reflected eagerness of the Chief Minister to fulfil the promises made during the assembly elections by the party. |
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Korean varsity invites HPU professor
Shimla, February 6 Ghanshaym Chauhan, professor in the universities Chemistry Department, has been selected as “'Brain Pool Fellow” by the Korean Foundation of Science and Technology to work on enzyme-based sensors for novel actuators and sensors, besides carrying out research to improve the efficiency of lithium batteries. During this one-year stay, Chauhan will work at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea. The professor has executed 14 research projects and has to his credit five chapters in chemical and material books, 125 publications in international journals and had presented 84 pages in national and international conferences. He has also been a UNESCO fellow and has worked at the prestigious Charless University and Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry at Prague. He has also guided 15 students in their doctoral degrees and is a reviewer of 15 international journals.
— UNI |
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Pong nests 40 pc global population of geese
Pong Dam, February 6 It is a regular winter visitor to large wetlands of India. It has two distinctive black bars across its neck. Its elegant shape, attractive colour and long slim neck are particularly appealing. It arrives here in October and stays till March-end. The gregarious goose feeds at night in grasslands on riverbanks and breeds in high-altitude lakes in Central Asia, including Tibet and Ladakh. This species is listed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Its wild population is believed to be declining due to hunting. According to a recent bird survey conducted by the Forest Department in the Pong Dam area, the largest influx is of the bar-beaded goose. Their number has increased to 28,160 this time. Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Solan and Dehra Dun, who were part of the survey, are quite impressed with their number. “Our team, comprising Uttam Saikia and T.R. Sharma, has recorded a good population of the bar-headed goose in the one-km stretch of Guglara area. The figure 28,160 works out to be more than 40 per cent of the estimated world population, is quite impressive. This means the wetlands are favourite roosting and feeding ground for the birds, especially the bar-headed goose,” says P.C. Tak, scientist C, ZSI, Dehra Dun. “Over the years their number has increased. In 2003, we have recorded 24,276 bar-headed geese. Still the area has the potential to support more of this species, provided the habitat is maintained,” he feels. According to a paper published by the ZSI on the basis of the census at Pong in 2003: “A spectacular number(24,276) of the bar-headed goose works out to be 40 per cent of the estimated world population (52,000 to 60,000) of the species.” He says this time four spoonbills have also been spotted in the Pong area. It is a wading bird having a long flat bill with a tip like a spoon. Records of the Forest Department say that in 2007 (22,628), 2006 (19,420), 2005 (28,700) and 2004 (27,064) bar-headed geese were recorded. However, in 2001, only 5,500 birds were recorded. |
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Ban on import of slaughtered poultry into Solan
Solan, February 6 He further fixed the timings of entry of such items into the district from 6 am to 8 pm. He also directed the deputy director of the Animal Husbandry Department to deploy doctors and other required staff for checking the entry of such items at Baddi, Parwanoo and Manjholi barriers. As an added check a meeting of various officials was convened by ADM Rakhil Kahlon here today. She said though no case of bird flu has been reported in the district but being a bordering area an added vigil was to be maintained. Nodal committees have been constituted at the block and sub-division levels to monitor the situation. Officials comprising CMO and assistant director of the Animal Husbandry Department were directed to initiate immediate action in case any symptom of bird flu was detected. The administration would also launch a joint inspection where officials of the Health, the Animal Husbandry Department and the Municipal Committee would check various slaughterhouses confided the ADC. |
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Leopard, wild boar injure two
Mandi, February 6 Sources told The Tribune that the leopard’s victim has been identified as Besar Lal and the wild boar’s victim has been identified as Chandra Kanta, resident of Lunu, Biala in Sundernagar. Besar Lal was attacked by the leopard around 10 pm when he went out to save his goat that had been attacked by it. He sustained injuries on his forehead and other parts of the body. He was today admitted to the hospital at Gohar where got 16 stitches on his forehead. In the other incident Chander Kanta was going to milk her cows when a wild boar on prowl near cowshed attacked her and mauled her badly. She cried for help and her family members came to her rescue and drove away the animal. Her family members said Chander Kanta was under shock and was recovering in the zonal hospital here. Conservator of forests, Mandi, B.D. Suyal said the department would give compensation to the victims as medical reports were awaited. |
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Undertrial nabbed
Kangra, February 6 Kangra district police chief Atul Phooljalai confirmed the re-arrest of Gulshan Kumar of Ghawal village. The Baijnath police got information that he was spotted at Mulana, near Chidiyar. The input further revealed that he was moving towards the Simbal forests. He said that following this information DSP Baijnath Mr. P.C.Thakur sought additional re-enforcement from district head quarter for carrying out a combing operation in the Simbal forests to nab the accused. DSP P.C. Thakur said a raid was conducted and the undertrial was arrested from the Simbal Mahadev temple. The temple is located in the dense forest and is managed by a sadhu. He said the accused was later handed over to the
Kangra SHO. The two head constables, Dharam Chand and Lal Singh, who had not handcuffed the accused while taking him back to the Dharamsala jail, were placed under suspension. |
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Nine convicted in 3 cases
Hamirpur, February 6 Seven persons of Mundkhar village were convicted under various sections of the IPC for attacking Maya Devi of same village on May 18, 2002, with a sickle. Baldev, Urmil, Narinder, Virender, Neena, Neelam and Dev Raj have been awarded one-year imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs 1,000 each under Section 324 of the IPC, six-month imprisonment and Rs 1,000 fine under Section 147, one-year imprisonment and Rs 1,000 fine under Section 325, six-month jail and Rs 1,000 fine under Section 323, six-month jail and Rs 1,000 fine under Section 504, one-year jail and Rs 1,000 fine under Section 379 and 15-day jail and Rs 1,000 fine under Section 447/149. All sentences will run concurrently. In another case, CJM convicted Sandeep of Hamirpur and imprisoned him to three-month jail besides imposing a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 279 of the IPC and one-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 304 of the IPC for injuring Prakasho Devi by ramming his motorcycle into her in Hamirpur on December 9, 2004. Similarly, Madan Kumar of Kakariyar was convicted and sentenced to three-month imprisonment for possessing illicit liquor. |
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Cop returns jewellery
Mandi, February 6 Constable Satya Devi was on duty as the gatekeeper of the operation theatre when she found the jewellery. After verification, she found that it belonged to Mina Devi, a patient. It had fallen there while the patient was being taken inside the operation theatre for surgery. |
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Fire-hit family needs relief
Kangra, February 6 The village panchayat said Honsar Ram was economically weak and the fire accident has left the family in a lurch. The administration has given him ex gratia relief of Rs 5,000 and the villagers have also collected money for the family, said Satish Sharma of the village. The village panchayat has demanded some economic help to the family so that the family could face the trauma. |
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Yoga training in schools
Bilaspur, February 6 Presiding over the annual prize distribution function of Government Senior Secondary School, Kothipura, near here, today, he said students should not waste their energy in unproductive pursuits but concentrate on their studies. The Dhumal government, he said, had taken certain steps to improve not only the atmosphere in schools but also quality of education. The MLA said that the work on all drinking water supply and irrigation schemes had been expedited during the past one month to complete these projects at the earliest. |
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CM’s appeal to people
Shimla, February 6 Expressing gratitude to the donors of Una who contributed Rs 1,10,952 for the fund during his recent visit, he said the fund had been created to grant financial assistance to the poor who required help for getting medical treatment, marriage of daughters and other such purposes. |
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Hotels must use commercial LPG
Shimla, February 6 Presiding over a meeting of officers of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department here today, Dhawala pointed out that it had come to his notice that domestic gas cylinders were being used in hotels, resulting in problems to domestic consumers. He directed the officials to check this trend of supply of domestic cylinders to hotels. |
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Ban on weapons ordered
Bilaspur, February 6 This has been done to keep peace and maintain law and order during the Basant Panchami fair at Guru ka Lahore on February 10 and 11. Meanwhile, the tehsildar, Naina Devi, has been appointed the mela officer. |
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