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Drive to dam water policies
Face behind the campaign
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Sports college falls on bad days
Trade Fair: Egyptian company attracts crowds
Isa Mohammed, an Egyptian, sells his products at the Trade Fair in Dehradun
on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph
RSS body wants clean Valentine’s
DMC to raise iron meshes along nullah
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Drive to dam water policies
Dehradun, February 11
More than 5,000 people in 15 teams walked 2000 km as part of the campaign and converged on Ramnagar on January 16 to share their experiences about the state of the rivers.
The second leg of the campaign began this year from February 2 -10 with activists, particularly women, marching in the river valleys of the state to make people aware of the impending dangers of the official policies regarding rivers. "Official policies have viewed water as a mere commodity and not a community resource essential for survival," said Radha Behan, chairperson of the Gandhi Peace Foundation. The second leg of the campaign focused on the negative impact of the large number of hydro-electric projects. The land cave- in at Chai village located above the Vishnuprayag hydro project on account of construction of a 11 km-long underground tunnel, subsequent shifting of the entire village and fear of displacement due to other projects like Maneri Bhali Phase-II, Loharinag Pala and Pala Maneri were highlighted. People were also told of the cave-in of Pato village caused by the Roopsuiabagad-Khasiabagad tunnel on Gauri Ganga and the damage caused to Singoli village following blasts during digging of the Singoli-Bhatwari tunnel in Rudraprayag were the other subjects taken up by campaigners. "The existence of rivers, including the holy Ganga, is threatened as 330 big, medium and small dams will be built in the state in the coming years. Not only are rivers and their ecosystems in peril, but so are the lives, livelihood and culture of villages," warned Dr Ravi Chopra of the People’s Science Institute here, who is coordinating the campaign. "We are not campaigning against hydropower generation. We believe there are better ways to generate hydropower that do not threaten lives and livelihoods. The state government needs to study the issues and prepares a policy with involvement of communities likely to be affected so that they can be partners in the development process in the real sense," said Dr Chopra. The campaign members alleged that development policies would ultimately sound the death knell of rivers and rivulets in this Himalayan region. “The state government as well as the Central Government has turned a blind eye to the plight of snow-fed rivers and the continuous decrease in the discharge levels in these rivers has become a matter of grave concern for the common man,” said Basant, a volunteer from Kumoan. “It is the first campaign in the country that calls for conservation and preservance of rivers, rivulets and water resources besides protecting the state’s forest cover in totality,” claimed Laxman Singh Negi, a volunteer from Uttarkashi. He expressed opposition to the policies of the government that interfered in sustainable lifestyles of the people of Uttarakhand, earning money by exploiting natural resources like rivers and forests, the very basis of sustainability of life in the Himalayas. Activists allege that glacier-fed rivers are threatened by power projects while spring-fed rivers are drying up due to deforestation. "Rainwater runs off the denuded slopes leading to very little recharge of rivers after the rainy season and over-extraction of water for the ever-increasing demand further depletes the water flow. “Sustained community-based efforts are needed to save the Himalayan rivers," argued Ayan Biswas, one of the campaign coordinators. The campaign members demand a comprehensive development policy taking into consideration the ecological sensitivity of the Himalayas and the people dependent on it. The water policy of the state should be people-oriented rather than biased in favour of multinationals. The campaign activists demand that all hydro-electric projects that destroy agricultural land, forests and rivers should not be allowed to be built. They want that a time-bound programme be launched for afforestation of slopes with broad-leave trees like the oak to tackle the problem of decreasing water levels in the rivers. Locals should be involved in decision-making on developmental schemes. And to spread the message, many eminent activists, including Rajendra Singh, Dr Sandeep Pandey, Arvind Kejriwal, Dr Sudarshan and SR Hiremath, have joined the padayatra at different stages, say organisers. “We will not rest until we are able to turn the tide against the anti-people policies of the government,” said an undefatigable Radha Behan. Face behind the campaign.
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Face behind the campaign
Dehradun, February 11 Working year in and year out for the cause of women and children, today at age 75, she tells one and sundry that there is a deep relation between “jungle and paani” that needs to be conserved at all costs. “We have come down to Dehradun to wake up the authorities on the impending water problem for which we have held padayatras in the adjoining valley of Kosi. It all began in May 2003 when several women and farmers in Kausani observed that the water level in Kosi was reducing. “The situation came to a head when to offset the water shortage, farmers in the area were ordered not to use water for irrigation. We later learnt that the water was being diverted to Almora. “Our observations were also validated by experts at Vivekanand Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, who said that the water level of the Kosi had gone down from 995 litres per second to 85 litres per second. “Lopsided development policies are responsible for our present problems,” said Radha Behan as the inmates of the ashram address her. She also chairs the Gandhi Peace Foundation. A dissenter all through her life, she is eager to give voice to the young and old. At the forefront of the river campaign called “Uttarakhand Nadi Bachao Abhiyan,” Radha Behan and her band of dedicated men and women have travelled 101 km, visiting 73 villages. “You will be surprised to know that when we interacted with the villagers there was a spontaneous response to our campaign. We have no financial support to boast off but that has not deterred us. The enthusiasm is infectious. We have gained in ranks,” she informs. Lakshmi Ashram in Kasauni, established in 1946, caters to the education of girls, making them sensitive to environment. A winner of Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1992 and Indira Gandhi Paryavarn Award in 2000, she is preparing for a long haul, galvanising women and men to transform the campaign into a movement, if the government does not wake up to the impending water problem.
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Snow beckons
Mussoorie, February 11 The snowfall has attracted a large number of tourists which is good news for local businessmen. After continuous rain on Tuesday night, snowfall started early morning on Wednesday and continued till noon. The news of the snowfall quickly spread to nearby towns and cities and by noon, a large number of tourists had reached the town. They were seen throwing snowballs at each other. The sudden rush of tourists resulted in traffic jams at Picture Palace and Library ends of the town. The locals were extremely happy. “Snowfall is essential to recharge the underground aquifers which supply water to the town during summers,” said Darab Nagarwalla, a teacher at Woodstock school. “Snowfall attracts a large number of tourists which means good business for restaurants, hotels and shopkeepers,” said Deepak Verma, a local shopkeeper. Hoteliers are also expecting good occupancy during the next couple of days. “At the moment, only day-tourists from Dehradun and nearby areas have arrived. Tourists from Delhi and other places are expected by the evening,” Ajay Bhargava, secretary of Mussoorie Hotels Association said. Bhargava said that hotels were receiving a lot of phone calls, particularly from Delhi, for reservations. Although snowfall has brought smiles to the faces of almost everyone, it has also led to power breakdown in most parts of the town. “Without electricity, we have been shivering since morning,” complained Rama, a housewife.
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Sports college falls on bad days
Dehradun, February 11
The principal, Devan Singh Rautela, has been attached to the Sport Directorate till the outcome of an inquiry that was initiated after the death of a hostel student, Bhagwan Singh, due to a kidney failure at the college last week. The absence of the principal has taken its toll on the residential facilities of 250 hostelers. The students have complained that the facilities offered at the hostel have further deteriorated. No one was ready to take the charge of principal in the fear of getting embroiled in the controversy. The absence of the principal has also resulted in mismanagement at various levels at the college and the students were facing difficulties. Students alleged that they were not getting the nutritious diet as they used to get earlier at the hostel. Water taps have gone dry and there is no one to look into the matter. Toilets too are in a bad shape in the absence of a sweeper. The hostel is still to see a doctor in its premises. “We have not been receiving a good diet since the principal was attached. We used to get non-vegetarian diet five days a week. Now, it has been reduced to two days. Other food items are also sub-standard,” said Shashank Rawat, a footballer. Sanjay Singh, who is a boxer at the college said, “Our day-to-day problems have been compounded as there is no one to listen to our woes.” The students have decided to resort to an agitation in case things do not improve. The college runs classes from VIth to XIIth and had five television sets for the students. But only one television set is presently available to them. “The teachers at the hostel have taken the televisions to their residential accommodations inside the college,” said Amit Kumar, a footballer at the college. Games kits too have not made available to the students. The facility of a waiver of the fees of students who win a medal at a national-level tournament too have been cancelled. Sports authorities claim that everything would be sorted out soon.
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Trade Fair: Egyptian company attracts crowds
Dehradun, February 11 Delicious cashews, royal Afghan mix mewa (a mixture of all dry fruits), Irani pista, royal dates, munuqa (big sized raisins) with authentic anjeers, real asetofidia and cardamoms are apt for cooking purpose as well as keeping body warm and healthy. “Anjeer is beneficial in curing joint aches, heart problems, asthma and is also prescribed by Ram Dev,” said Isa. As compared to the other almond oils in the market, the stall has also got pure ‘badam (almond) rogan
josh’ oil. With appetising dry fruits, pure and aromatic spices of superior quality are also attracting women, to add a tinge of real spices to their favourite delicacies. Mayonnaise from Dubai is another hot selling product amongst the youngsters. Apart from food items the stall is also selling Egyptian hand-made showpieces to be hung at any corner of the house.
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RSS body wants clean Valentine’s
Dehradun, February 11 Vinod Uniyal, coordinator of Kender, said the administration should strictly monitor the people, especially youngsters, strictly in accordance with the socially acceptable manner. “We will also move in various parts of the city for the purpose but the administration should also ensure that there is no open display of any vulgarity and obscenity related to the occasion,” she said. Uniyal also said the organisation was against any kind of hooliganism created in the name of moral policing by any outfit on the occasion.
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DMC to raise iron meshes along nullah
Dehradun, February 11 The garbage was leading to choking of the drain and subsequent overflowing of the sewage. The DMC authorities have been working towards strengthening of parapet alongside the nullah followed by installing of 8-feet long iron mesh. An amount of Rs 76 lakh will be utilised for the purpose. Meanwhile, the residents that some time have been seeking complete covering for the nullah while pointing that the foul smell is a
constant cause of irritant for them. DMC chief executive officer Sushil Kumar said the iron mesh would help prevent any outside garbage being thrown in the drain. However, the DMC has ruled out covering for the nullah. The nullah that crisscrosses downtown Dehradun covers 3 km distance and carries most of the sweage of the old city.
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Scribes’ working panel
Haridwar, February 11
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concerned citizens and social activists who joined hands to mobilise locals against the “anti-river” policies of the state last year, have resumed their campaign.
Dehradun, February 11
Lotus Egypt, a famous company of Egypt dealing in dry fruits and spices, is attracting crowd in a large numbers at the ongoing International Trade Fair. “From the past 20 years our company is exporting dry fruits and masalas from Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan to Dubai and the UK,” said Isa Mohammad, an employee at Lotus Egypt.
Several social organisations had resolved to declare 2008 as "Save the Rivers Year" and held padayatras from January 1 to 15, 2008, in a dozen river valleys of Uttarakhand to awaken people on the impact of these hydro projects. 
