The picturesque Parashar, famous for its unique rocket-shaped temple dedicated to lord Vishnu and a holy lake with a floating tiny island, is “losing its pristine sheen without attracting tourists even at peak period” as the Parashar tourism development authority has yet to put in place a proper hill-friendly tourism plan here.

The ‘kuchha’ road has ripped apart the fragile green hill that has left behind ugly scars like the uprooted trees, the undressed roadsides and landscape prone to soil erosion and landslips.

Even “land grabbers” have raised over a dozen new structures within the Parashar’s fenced core area in the name of providing accommodation to the ‘devlus’ or devotees during mela.

The meadows around the protected Parashar lake temple area are prone to soil erosion and land is sinking slowing around the roadsides. The gujjars’ buffaloes, which come here in every summer from the plains, have overgrazed meadows adding to soil erosion. 

The 22 kms long Kataula-Parashar road is ‘kuchha’ as the widening or dressing work has come to a stand still. But executive engineer, PWD, VK Awasthi claimed it would be completed under PM Gramin Sarak Yojna in a year.

The half-constructed helipad and a five-room rest house constructed by PWD a few years ago has left the debris in the lush green meadow without proper walls and dressing. This has triggered off soil erosion in the meadow.

As many as 20 new structures-sarais- have come up in the name of devtas filling up the green landscape within the protected Parashar lake area. “It is nothing but a ploy to grab the prime land in the name of devtas, which come here for just two days mela in mid-June. It will mar the beauty of the core area,” lamented local pilgrims.     

“This is not a favourite hub for the tourists,” said the lonely tea stall owner at Parashar. “Main problem is a lack of pucca road. There are no proper lodging facilities here for tourists except 40-rooms in sarais for pilgrims,” added the pujari and chowkidar of Parashar temple.

Bacchus-lovers coming from outside, despite devta committee’s forbidding drinking policy within the Parashar lake area, can be seen having a free run and at times having tiffs with temple committee members. The trash and junk litter the areas around the upper sarais, but temple committee and NGOs coming from Mandi do clean them occasionally. HP tourism department has put up two billboards here, but no one can read them clearly as these have been defaced beyond recognition, showing amply as to how much the department cares for tourism promotion in the new areas in the state.

Conservator of Mandi, also a member of Parashar development authority, BD Suyal said the rest house and Rs. 20 lakh trekkers’ hut are under completion. “We have asked the PWD to regularise construction, develop and dress up the roadsides and helipad to check soil erosion,” he averred.

District tourism officer, Mandi, KL Mustana said they are promoting Parashar tourism with the support from forest department and PWD by first  providing the road connectivity and lodging facilities, but he expressed his ignorance about defacement of billboards. 

Reeling under repeated outbreak of bird flu, the poultry farmers of the state are ruing apathy of the state government. While talking to The Tribune, the farmers alleged that those carrying out poultry in organised manner are the worst hit.

This year, during the peak season, that is winter leading from December to February, the bird flu outbreak in West Bengal led to a crash in market prices of poultry products. The farmers had to sell their produce at just Rs 1.28 per egg against the basic cost of Rs 1.50 per egg.

In last two years, the poultry farmers of Punjab and Haryana have been compensated by the governments of respective states. The poultry farmers of Punjab and Haryana were provided subsidised maize seed that is used as feed for poultry birds. However, the poultry farmers of Himachal were not provided anything by the state government.

The union government provided 2 per cent interest subsidy on loans taken by poultry farmers during the year 2005-06 when the bird flu outbreak was reported all over the country.

The farmers here allege that the Himachal government has no scheme for promoting commercial poultry farming. Presently, the department of animal husbandry is running an ATMA project that promotes kitchen garden poultry. The farmers are being provided subsidy for developing kitchen garden poultry. However, kitchen garden poultry is no way going to help the economy of farmers. Only organised and commercial poultry can help improve the financial status of farmers for lower Himachal who, over the years, are being hit by drought or rains. In addition to that the banks are treating commercial poultry as industry in terms of levying interest on loans. However, while extending loans, it is the least priority sector. Presently the poultry farmers are given loans at interest rates varying from 13 to 13.5 per cent. However, most of the banks avoid giving loans to poultry farmers opting for commercial farming due to risk factor involved in it.

The recent change is policy by army has hit the poultry farmers going for layer farming. Earlier the army was main consumer for hens that stopped yielding eggs in layer farming. However, from the past two years army authorities have stopped procuring layer hens. They have opted for only broilers. The poultry farmers alleged that earlier they used to sell their hen after they stopped yielding eggs at rates ranging from Rs 22 to Rs 23 per kg. However, since the army has stopped procuring their produce they are forced to sell it to traders from metros at rates varying between Rs 11 to Rs 12 per kg.

Since large tracks of areas in lower Himachal are dependent on rain for agriculture produce poultry and fishery can be viable alternatives for farmers. However, the farmers need government support to diversify to these sectors.

IT’S holiday-time and, as always, I recommend that you pack in an adventure activity during your holiday. Last time, I talked about the extreme sport of skydiving. Simulated skydiving is a recreational adventure activity that most people can try at least once.

Are you game? Cost: 50 ringgits. (1 ringgit=Rs 11.5.) You can buy a CD of yourself skydiving for 45 ringgits. Safety: Heart problems, shoulder dislocation, neck and back injury bar you from this activity.

To do simulated skydiving, you have to go to Malaysia – which is affordable in terms of both time and money. The flight from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur takes around five hours and Malaysia is extremely tourist-friendly so there’s enough variety in accommodation and food to suit all budgets.

Simulated skydiving is done in a vertical wind tunnel through which a wind machine blasts artificial wind at speeds up to 200 kmph. Asia’s only skydiving simulator, Skyventure, is located at Genting Highlands, an amusement park and resort an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. You are given a Beginner’s Course in a room before entering the tunnel during which the instructor teaches you the belly fly position - which is what you’ve seen in a million skydiving movies! At Skyventure you can belly fly, soaring up on a stream of air, without the fright of freefall in real skydiving.

The Beginner’s Course teaches you basic body flight elements such as belly flying and achieving a stable, controlled position. You practise by lying on your stomach on the table with arms stretched out and curving slightly forward and knees bent so that the calves are at about a 45-degree angle to the thighs. This basic belly fly position is altered to soar up or down or to move forward or backward. If you bend your knees more, you move forward. If you straighten them, you move backward. The other bit of theory that you have to get right in the tunnel is: if you arch your back more, you descend. If you straighten your back, you soar.

After the briefing, both you and the instructor put on protective gear. A jumpsuit with velcro at the neck, wrists and ankles goes on over your clothes, followed by kneecaps, elbow guards, earplugs, goggles and helmet. Now you are ready to enter the tunnel.

The Beginner’s Course includes six minutes of tunnel time. The tunnel is hexagonal and about 12 feet in diameter. It has glass panes on all sides and two doors. When you enter through a door, you stand on a wire mesh before taking up the belly fly position and soaring on the stream of air like a ball on a jet of water! The instructor enters first and gives a demo. He also gives an exhibition afterward, showing front and back flips.

When you enter, if you are not able to turn over onto your stomach and achieve the belly fly posture, the instructor will flip you into a horizontal position over his knee and then, for a few minutes, you know what skydiving feels like! At the end, the instructor also belly flies with you, holding your hands and rotating with you.

If you decide to do all the courses, the Intermediate course teaches left and right sliding, turning and controlled forward and backward movement followed by 10 minutes of tunnel time. The Advanced course teaches the stuff we see in the movies – 180/360-degree turns and with hand-touching movements and right/left tee free fly movement. Have a great time!

His job requires guts and hard work to man a major railway crossing in the wilderness near Jabli on the century-old Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge rail track. Though this historical track has received blitzkrieg publicity in the media recently, no one ever took fancy of Mahinder Singh who stands tall to manage the crossing without complaining much of his hard job.

Even as he is one of the smallest elements in the chain, yet he stands proud to be an essential part of the marvellous human engineering feat. The passerby would spot this lean and tall soul attired in railway's khakhi dress just close to tunnel no. 16 running parallel of Kalka-Shimla national highway. As toy train chugs in close to the crossing, Mahinder allows it to pass with his green flag with a board smile on his motion less face.

Sitting closed to the crossing in an old fashioned box type railway cabin inscribed with railways technical slang, Mahinder prefers puffing bidis to kill the chill of wooded hills surrounding. Ever since he joined the railway services in 1991, this phase of his life "he feels" is toughest one.

Mahinder's day starts at 5 am as he has to relinquish his day's first assignment at 5.15 am when the first train enroute to Shimla usually reaches the crossing. "It's a responsible job. I have to remain alert every moment to avert any mishap," says Mahinder, in his typical haryanvi dialect. Mahinder, who hails from Ambala, stays away from his family and shares the crossing with Thakur Das, who is a local person.

With their adjustments, both manage their morning affairs without leaving crossing unmanned. After a short interval, Mahinder again resumes his duty. In a day, this crossing witnesses 10 trains. "In peak season, railways authorities increase the train service due to the advent of more tourists to Shimla,” avers fifth class pass Mahinder Singh.

Besides giving signals, Mahinder and his colleague are responsible for every technical aspect of the railways, ranging from excel, disc brake, signals to avert any causalities or sabotage. The day brings mixed experiences for Mahinder and his companion. "Sometimes, the local commuters reprimand us for pulling down the barricade too early to check vehicle flow. Though we feel bad, but safety of people is always our top priority."

There is no TV, no radio and any form of entertainment. There is no habitation in the vicinity. The duty hours continue till 10:15 pm when the last train to Kalka crosses from there. Spending a night amidst dense forest sometimes becomes too difficult for him. The unpredictable weather also can dampen the spirits. Still Mahinder Singh is proud to be a part of this historical rail line.

The five-day visit of President Pratibha Patil to the ‘Queen of Hills’ is giving a tough time to the police authorities as the presence of a VVIP in town invariably causes inconvenience to the locals as well as tourists.

Besides making security arrangements, the authorities are trying to ensure that all goes well as she will not just spend five days here, but is likely to visit Manali and some of the locations in and around the town.

More than 1,200 security personnel have been deputed for the President’s security. One can see cops deputed at every nook and corner of the town. In fact, with thousands of tourists thronging the town, the police is also keeping an eye on hotels and guesthouses to ensure that no anti-social element causes any trouble during the visit of the President.

The country has total hydropower potential of 84,044 megawatt (MW) out of which Himachal Pradesh state alone has a potential of 20,744 MW, available through five river basins of Yamuna, Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Chenab. Himachal Pradesh also has a hydropower potential of 500 MW through mini and micro projects up to 3 MW. Hydro potential through Ravi basin, which originates in Chamba district, is of the order of 2325 MW. Ravi, through its tributaries and nallahas, has an additional potential of 80 MW through 53 schemes.

So far hydro potential of 1038 MW has been developed in the Central sector by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) through schemes of Baira-Siul Project and Chamera Stage-I which is one-third of the total potential). The Chamera Project, Stage-II of 300 MW has been commissioned in Feb 2004 through NHPC while 231-MW Chamera-III is under execution. Among the balance three schemes, Kuthehar and Bada Bhangal are waiting for clearance while Bajoli Holi has recently been awarded to a private hydropower enterprise by the Himachal Pradesh Government.

Besides, Chamba district has also hydro potential of 141 MW through mini-micro schemes, identified on the tributary streams of rivers Ravi and Chenab. 53 such schemes totaling 60 MW are on the Ravi basins and 34 schemes totaling 61 MW on Chenab basins of Chamba district. The state government has put open many other hydro schemes for execution through private sector.

The state of Himachal Pradesh is getting 12 percent free power from Central sector projects of Baira-Siul, Chamera Stage-I and Stage-II which are under operation on the Ravi in the district; claims Nain Singh, Executive Director, NHPC Region-II.

The construction of these major projects of Baira-Siul and Chamera in Central sector by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has opened a new era of development in Chamba district and if more schemes of the Ravi basin hydropower projects are taken up, Chamba district can not only come on the power map of the country but also become prosperous district of Himachal Pradesh besides opening of tourism and employment potential for the locals to a great extent.

It is estimated that with the taking up of these schemes of 200 to 300 MW in next few years, HP can earn revenue of over Rs 100 crore annually alone through 12 per cent free power from the projects of Chamba district.

On the other hand, for the local people, environment is the main concern.

But at the same time, they feel that after the construction of the project and the revival of greenery in and around the project, the site will become a place of attraction.

Chander Bhushan, a zila parishad member, feels the projects are not only producing power for the development of the nation but also adding much to the progress and prosperity of the surrounding areas.

At a time when the country is witnessing mushroom growth of ‘yoga gurus’, highly qualified yogi and chief of Maharishi Patanjli Yoga foundation, Swami Karamvir has emerged as a ray of hope for the followers of this ancient science of healthy living.

Swami Karamvir, a renowned yogi, has been leading a nationwide movement for the preservation of this great science of life in its original form. Known for his unique yoga techniques, he has a thorough knowledge of vedas, patanjli ashtang yog, Indian spirituality and philosophy. He is a postgraduate in yoga, vedas and philosophy and is academically one of the most qualified yoga gurus in the country.  

Besides, he is also a master of Ayurveda and has done research on the Indian medicinal plants and their composition for over seven years in Garwal Himalayas. The multi-faceted man has authored many books on yoga and Indian system of healing. His latest creation, ‘Your Kitchen: An encyclopedia of complete health’ will soon hit the stands. 

Swami Karamvir has asked yoga enthusiasts to choose an expert yoga teacher for proper guidance or else the entire purpose of the art would be defeated. He said so in an interaction with the Himachal Plus, during a weeklong Yog Vigyan camp at Nahan in Chowgan ground. 

He expressed his concern over some untrained people posing themselves as ‘yoga gurus’ having little knowledge, which ultimately would kill the very essence of yoga, and people following their instructions would not get the desired results. “At present, more than 99 per cent of so called ‘yoga teachers’ are unqualified, Mumbai being a major victim with more than five thousand “self-proclaimed” yoga teachers making a fool out of the ignoramuses,” he claimed.

Dismissing yoga as a means of earning money, he said, “It has been clearly mentioned in the Indian scriptures and history that yoga should never be a means of earning. If somebody makes money thorough this science, which is purely made to serve the humanity, it is a violation of laid ethics of yoga.”

If such practice continues in future, the coming generations of the country would be deprived of this perfect science, Swami warned. 

For a healthy body and alert mind, Swami Karamvir suggested that one must return to one’s vedic roots. Citing example of an average farmer living in a village, he said, “Unlike the high-paced life of the cities, a common man in a village leads a healthier life, thanks to the stress-free environment.” To combat all kind of negative elements in life, yoga is the only way out, he added.

In areas where modern science could do little, yoga has performed miracles. Pranayam adds oxygen in the blood and throw toxins and oxidants out. It completely cures many diseases and certainly reduces the effect of some fatal diseases. Yoga committees, under the patronage of Maharishi Patanjli Yoga Foundation Trust, are working at several places in the country and abroad. Some of the projects initiated by his organisation include opening of yoga training institutes, project to link schools of country with yoga and to plant and preserve crores of trees in India under their ‘Green India Project’. 

The government is trying to provide water through water tankers and tractors to the hard areas where water scarcity is predominant in the district of Bilaspur in the state. In this regard, approx Rs 1 crore is going to be spent in duration of just two months on tankers or tractors. People on the other hand are still dissatisfied. Instead of spending so much, can’t the government device new methods so that there is a permanent solution to the water problem?

Nothing is impossible, new schemes can be augmented, which can be beneficial to both government and the common man. The need is to trigger the IPH department.