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Encroachments threaten Pong wetland
Delimitation changes political landscape
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BJP govt non-democratic, oppressive: Virbhadra
Arduous task ahead for poll staff
Hospital expects quality food at Rs 7 per meal
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Encroachments threaten Pong wetland
Dharamsala, April 7 It is also an internationally recognised wetland area as declared in the Ramsar convention. This year, over one lakh migratory birds visited it. It also has the distinction of receiving the highest numbers of bar headed geese in the country. This year, about 30,000 bar headed geese were recorded here. However, this nature’s paradise is being threatened by encroachments and killing of migratory birds. The areas around the wetland are feeding ground to migratory birds. However, local farmers have encroached upon these areas. Inquires revealed that most of the farmers, who have encroached upon the large tracks of the land along the wetland area, are Pong Dam oustees. A few of them try to justify the encroachments. They allege that they were allotted lands in Rajasthan in lieu of their lands acquired here for Pong Dam Lake. However, the locals in Rajasthan have allegedly, due to tacit support from their government, encroached upon the lands allotted to the Pong Dam oustees. “We have not been given possession of the lands despite the Supreme Court’s orders,” they alleged. Wildlife and forest department officials said the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) acquired the land. The authority to get the lands along the Pong Dam vacated lies with the BBMB. However, the fields around the Pong Dam in some cases are being used to poison migratory birds. The birds feed in the fields or the areas around the wetlands at night. This damages crops in the encroached fields. Generally, the farmers in order to save their crops or to hunt them, put poisonous seeds in the fields. The birds die after consuming the poisoned seeds and farmers remove the dead birds early in the morning to escape the wrath of the wildlife authorities. This year, the wildlife authorities recovered many dead bar headed geese in the fields surrounding the Pong Dam Lake near the Nagrota Surian area. However, no one could be arrested as nobody owns the fields and could be pin pointed for the crime. Last month, the wildlife authorities caught a deputy range officer of the forest department poaching in the area. Two dead bar headed geese were recovered from him. He has been put under suspension and a case has been registered. Moreover, encroachments around the wetland area pose much greater threat to the ecology of the area. Pesticides and other toxic wastes generated in the fields go directly into the wetland, adversely affecting the ecology. Experts have suggested that tourism in the wetland area should be promoted, which could also provide alternative employment opportunities to the locals and could be persuaded amicably to vacate the encroachments. Recently, a Asian Development Bank team that visited the wetland area has given its assent to financing the tourism promotion facilities in the area. However, it remains to be seen if proposed plans really gain ground.
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Delimitation changes political landscape
Shimla, April 7 Following the delimitation of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the state, about 12 ministers, MLAs and other leaders in both political parties can only contest if they select another seat depending on the wishes of their party. Topping the list is former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, whose segment of Rohru has been reserved. Barring once, when he contested from Jubbal-Kotkhai, he has contested from Rohru and has been the Chief Minister on five occasions. Though Virbhadra Singh is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Mandi seat, there is always a possibility that he could be keen to return to the state politics before the next Assembly polls. Rampur is his erstwhile estate, but with this segment, too, being reserved for the Scheduled Caste, he will have to search for a constituency elsewhere. The predicament of Irrigation and Public Health minister Ravinder Ravi is no different, as the Thural segment in Kangra has also been reserved to give proportionate representation to the Scheduled Caste. He has represented the seat continuously since 1993 by winning four elections. Seeing Thural, now re-christened as Jaisinghpur, being reserved, his opponent in the Congress Chandresh Kumari, a former minister, who once contested from Dharamshala, has also headed Jodhpur, from where she originally
belongs.
Similarly, Health Minister Rajiv Bindal, too, has been left without a constituency as Solan has been reserved. He has been elected twice from the Solan seat since 2003. All these leaders say they are indebted to their electorate, but keep their options open so far as the question of contesting from elsewhere is concerned. They say it would totally depend on the wishes of the electorate of the area and on their party. Sudhir Sharma of the Congress, who has won the last two elections from the Baijnath seat, represented by his father Sant Ram in the Assembly, too, has been rendered “without seat” by the fresh reservation and rotation of the constituencies. Another young legislator affected by the delimitation process is Rakesh Kalia from Chintpurni in Una district. Kalia has established himself by winning two elections but now even his fate is sealed. While it will be easier for senior leaders like Virbhadra Singh to find a constituency for himself, others who would find it difficult to find a seat for themselves, as being termed as outsiders they will not only be rejected by local leaders but also by the electorate.
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BJP govt non-democratic, oppressive: Virbhadra
Mandi, April 7 Virbhadra Singh says he is contesting the Mandi parliamentary constituency not against one individual BJP candidate, but against the “non-democratic oppressive system being perpetuated in the state under the present Dhumal-led BJP government”. Touching upon several issues, septuagenarian Virbhadra Singh talked to The Tribune on the sidelines of his election campaign where he along with his supporters addressed over 12 gatherings in a day. Q: You are contesting from Mandi this time, not giving your wife (sitting MP Pratibha Singh) a chance? Are you forced into the contest? A: In fact, she refused due to some personal reasons. Moreover, the party high command has asked me to fight. I am here not to fight against any individual, but the “non-democratic oppressive system perpetuated by the Dhumal government”. Q: During your campaigns, you always talk about development. Like your rivals, you stayed away from making big promises to voters. A: The voters are educated now. They understand who has done what for them. The Congress has given them sarak, bijli, pani, schools, anganwadis and cheap ration. I always say that development should be the only issue. But see what the BJP does. Its leaders claim that what the Congress could not do in 45 years they have done it in five years. It is absurd. The BJP is a party flourishing on propagandas. Q: You have been CM for five terms. Still Himachal Pradesh is not a self-reliant state and depends on financial aid. A: See, per capita income was just Rs 258 at the time of the formation of the state. Today, it is Rs 40,000. We had 315 schools and 214 km of road length then. Now, we have more than 17,000 schools and road length of 30,000 km. Himachal Pradesh competes with country’s advanced states and is far ahead among hill states. Who has done it? Congress, of course. But then there is no limit to development. Q: Employment in the government sector still remains a major attraction for the youth in the state. Why this mindset is not changing? A: Unemployed youths look for a secure job. Diversification into other sectors of economy and generation of self-employment avenues are also helping. The mindset is also changing as they look for better avenues. Then, UPA government’s NREGA has come as a boon for the poor. NREGA can be extended to give 200 days or more of employment. Q: The BJP charges that the UPA has failed to tackle terrorism in the face of 26/11. It also says the Congress has been soft on the issue. A: They have no moral right to say so. Terror strikes like the attack on Parliament, Akshardham, and the hijacking of an Indian plane by terrorists to Kandahar, all these happened under the then Vajpayee regime when the present BJP’s PM-in-waiting LK Advani was the Home Minister. On the contrary, India stands tall globally under Dr Manmohan Singh’s regime. Pakistan has been isolated diplomatically and there is almost global consensus on terrorism. War with a nuclear power is no solution. Q: The Congress lost the previous Assembly elections and the BJP formed the government on its own for the first time. The BJP has 13 MLAs out of 17 in Mandi. What went wrong with the Congress? A: We were caught unawares by the election commission’s decision to hold early elections. Our plans went topsy-turvy. The BJP always plays propagandas and petty politics and divide people on basis of region, caste and religion. All big projects like IIT, Mandi, and central university are gifts of the UPA government. The BJP graph has hit a new low. The CFL scheme is a big scam. The Congress is now on a comeback trail. Q: Not much enthusiasm is seen among voters this elections. Is it a sign of degradation in politics? A: Yes, there is a sea change now. I remember when we used to hold marches for campaigning, a large number people used to gather in a festive mood. Now, it looks like a dream. Certainly people take less interest in Lok Sabha polls. The quality of politics is going downhill. Q: If the UPA forms government and you win from Mandi, do you see yourself as a union minister in the next UPA government? A: I am always optimistic. It will be decided by the leader of the party. Certainly, I will not be a backbencher. Q: Do you think you will be back into state politics when it goes to the Assembly polls next time? A: It all depends how things shape up. It depends on the party and circumstances as four years is a long time.
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Arduous task ahead for poll staff
Chamba, April 7 Record reveals that in Chamba district, there are 12 polling stations where the polling parties would have to tread more than 10 km; for 10 polling stations, it is more than 7 km; for 42 polling stations, it is more than 5 km; and for 65 polling stations, more than 3 km of distance would have to be covered by foot. Amazingly, for Chasak Bhatori polling station, situated at an altitude of 16,000 ft in Pangi valley of Bharmour Assembly constituency, which has 69 registered voters, the poll staff will have to tread 19 km. A distance of 16 km is to be covered by the poll officials by foot to reach Dehra polling station having 949 registered voters; the distance of 15 km each for Sagoti polling station with 267 voters and Jutrahan polling station with 357 voters is also to be covered by the poll officials. Similarly, a distance of 12 km is to be covered for Chakki polling station where 124 voters are registered.
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Handpump revolution sweeps villages
Shimla, April 7 The problem is likely to aggravate in the ensuing summer because of a virtual snow-less winter in the mid- hill areas and scanty rain in the plains. The irrigation and public health department is gearing up to meet the drought-like situation. With the demand for water going up due to increasing population, the availability is decreasing progressively. The streams and nullahs which met the needs of the people round- the- year until recently either go dry or suffer a sharp decline in discharge at the onset of the summer. In fact, every summer between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of the total 7989 water supply schemes are affected due to decline in discharge. The department is forced to deploy tankers to supply water in badly hit villages during the peak of the season. Further, it has to look for new sources as the discharge in the existing ones is on the decline. Thus, new schemes are being implemented at high costs to augment the water supply. Since most of the schemes involve pumping of water which require a lot of power, the supply of water becomes a costly affair. However, a handpump revolution is proving a boon for people in the villages facing water scarcity over the past 15 years. The first handpump was installed on an experimental basis in 1990 and there has been no looking back since then. Groundwater has been struck even in the high hills and as a result there is a huge demand for handpumps from all over the state. Till date, 17,222 handpumps have been installed most of which provide water throughout the year, including the lean summer months. Groundwater is available at a depth of 60 to 100 m in most areas with sufficient discharge ranging from 10 to 25 litres per second. Every year, about 2,000 new handpumps are being installed. The biggest advantage is that it has provided a cheaper and decentralised mode of water supply in the hills. The water supply schemes of the department involve lying of several kilometre length of pipelines, pumping stations and distribution network which require much effort and funds for maintainance. In comparison, the handpumps require minimal maintenance. The only problem being faced by the department is that groundwater in some areas contains excessive iron and is not fit for consumption without treatment. There are 270 such handpumps in all and the maximum number of 114 such pumps is in Mandi district , followed by Bilaspur( 71), Hamirpur (50), Kangra (19)and Shimla (12). The department has now decided to install iron-filters at such handpumps so that the local people could use it for all purposes, says engineer-in-chief R.N.Sharma. The equipment, which costs just Rs 40,000, will be installed at all the pumps in a phased manner. Besides, there have been breakdowns of handpumps. While in some pockets, these have also gone dry, in others the pumps have developed faults. In all, there are 889 such handpumps, out which 254 have dried up and their assembly was not retrievable. These will be removed from the site. In case of 129 other pumps, the water level goes down from April to July affecting discharge, while another 264 are repairable. Regional director of the central groundwater board J.S.Sharma says that indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater has lowered the water table in many areas creating problems for the local people. There is need to harness it in a regulated manner to effectively deal with the drought-like situation currently emerging in the state. At the same time, focus should also be on recharging the depleting reserves for which contour trenches are the most suitable in the hills.
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vignettes
General Dyer is associated with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919. Lesser known were Dyer’s “crawling orders” passed on Indians that were in force from April 19 to 25 in 1919 on a 150-yard-strip of a street in Amritsar.
A nun, Marcella Sherwood was assaulted by the hooligans there. Brigadier-general Reginald Edward Harry Dyer decreed angrily that between 6 am and 8 pm, Indians would crawl on all fours and be beaten if they raised buttock. Being the only connecting street for the residents of the area, the sick suffered, women wailed, men moaned, children carped but Dyer was deaf and the insulting decree stayed for seven days. Edward Dyer, his father, had come to Mussorie from Pilton in Devon, UK, to meet his brother John in 1850. John suggested to him to start a business of brewing English beer in India. It was costly here, as it came on the sea journeying round the Cape of Good Hope. Edward liked the idea and returned to England to be perfect in the brewing business and came back in 1855. He first settled at Kasauli and started the business on the ruins of an earlier brewery that had failed in 1840 and then joined Murree Brewery Company at Murree in present Pakistan. His wife Mary had joined him in 1857 to give birth to nine children, six in Kasauli and three in Murree. Reginald, nicknamed Rex, was Murree-born on October 9, 1864. The Dyers shifted to Shimla in 1866 because the town was growing as profitable beer-market and an old brewery (Beer Khana) at Khalini, started by philanthropist Barratt, had shut in 1863. Edward started his brewery at Chota Shimla and the old town maps mark new brewery somewhere below the present Secretariat. He purchased a house at Khalini called Ladyhill, re-titled Dyerton in 1870. Nigel Collett in “The Butcher of Amritsar” describes that it had view of “the road that wound up Simla from the plains. The town was itself in clear view from the estate.” The house fitting in the description is dilapidated Kapoor Cottage. It has sky-windows, chimney and heavily slanted roof to accommodate an attic, a la 1860 architecture. In Shimla, Edward found in HG Meakin, a practical brewer, a tough competitor. His ale was “much liked and sought after” but his poor business sense doomed his brewery. They together started ‘Dyer-Meakin Brewery’ at Solan around that time and this forced Edward to stay outside his home, where his domineering wife ruled the roost. Mary Dyer upheld the arrogant and insular views encouraging ill manners and even physical brutality towards the Indians, which had an impact on her children too. Shimla of that day was wild and pastoral and once, when Rex was escorting his sisters home from the school, he found a hyena blocking their path. The 10-year boy remembered that the animals fear the human eye. He started staring at him. The hyena stayed for a time but then eloped into the jungle. Child Rex once shot a female-monkey by mistake. Her tears of pain disturbed him and he took a vow not to shoot for pleasure in future but for necessity or for the pot. He would, however, feel cheer in killing the snakes. As a student of Bishop Cotton School, 1870, he would walk a few miles to get there. His studentship was not exciting, as he used to stammer and schoolmates teased him. Resolutely he won over the defect. In 1875, when he was 11-year-old, he was sent to the Midleton College in Ireland for further studies and could return to Shimla after a 12-year break. Biographers say that, had his parents not abruptly snatched his boyhood and also the close affection of the family that he fancied, Rex would not have blackened the pages of history. Kipling had echoed the voice of many Englishmen, “He did his duty as he saw it.”
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shimla diary
THE country’s largest 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric project has for the first time achieved the “excellent” target by generating record 6,609 million units (MU) in 2008-09.
The achievement was all the more creditable as power generation in smaller projects in the region has been affected due to the lack of rain and snow. The union ministry has set the “excellent” (6,600 MU), “very good” (6400 MU) and “good” (6100 MU) targets for power generation projects. In 2007-08, the Naptha Jhakri project generated 6,449 MU surpassing the “very good” target. In the preceding year, only 5,947 MU were generated and the project even failed to achieve the “good” target of 6,100 MU. The capacity of the project is being reviewed on the basis of hydrological data for the past five years. It was originally designed to generate 6,950 MU annually based on the hydrological data of the past 40 years for a maximum silt level of 5,000 ppm (parts per million). Further, there were to be only four days with a silt level in excess of the permissible limits of 5,000 ppm in a year, but actually the number of such days was much higher forcing the project to shutdown repeatedly during the peak season to save turbines from silt-damage. The raising of height of the dam at Nathpa by 10 m, which doubled the length of reservoir to 3.10 km, has also helped in the sedimentation of silt.
The Shimla Amateur Garden and Environment Society organised a “nature walk” recently to acquaint schoolchildren with the local flora and fauna and create awareness about the need to protect the environment. Over 100 children along with members of the society trekked from Kennedy house to Annandale ground via Gawai village. The route passed through a thick forest of deodar, oak and rhododendron providing ideal location for enriching the knowledge of the young ones. Green Glade, which also has a golf course and a war museum, is one of the picturesque spot of the city. The fact that the ground is under the control of the Army has ensured that the greenery in and around it was intact and the area had been saved from the onslaught of concrete structures. The society will organise its annual flower show during the international Shimla summer festival to be held in
June.
Computerised
complaint system
While the city is likely to face severe water shortage during summer because of scanty snow and rain during winter, there is some good news for the residents. They will not have to run after the field staff of the municipal corporation to lodge complaints pertaining to inadequate or irregular water supply. The corporation has decided to put in place a computerised grievances redressal system. It will enable the residents to lodge complaints pertaining to the deficiency in civic service or problems related to the municipal authorities by dialling a toll-free telephone number. In case, there is no response, the telephone number of the complainant will be recorded in the computer and the official on duty will call back to register the complaint. Further, once the complaint is lodged, a message will be sent to the officials concerned on their mobile phones and they will have to take action in a time-bound manner. — Rakesh Lohumi
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Hospital expects quality food at Rs 7 per meal
Nurpur, April 7 According to the award letter of the lowest-quoted tender, cooked meal without cheese, 400 g of bread, and boiled and sweetened milk, will be supplied at the rates of Rs 6.50, Rs 10 and Rs 15 per litre, respectively. It is notable that 400 g of bread and quality milk is available in the market at the rate of Rs 14 and Rs 20 per litre, respectively. Apart from this, each indoor patient will be supplied 25 g of branded butter free of cost. The hospital administration will also deduct income tax while releasing payment to the supplier. Hospital in charge Deepak Sharma said five suppliers had filed tenders to supply cooked food in the hospital. “The supplier who had quoted the lowest rates has been awarded the tender for this financial year,” he added. He said the hospital administration would ensure quality diet with regular inspections. Meanwhile, at a recent meeting of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti of the civil hospital, the issue of poor quality of food was discussed and it was advised that the hospital administration should award the tender to the supplier who agreed to cook the food in the hospital kitchen, but the advice was not listened to. Similar is the position with the lowest approved rates for the washing of beddings and clothes in the hospital. The contractor will be paid only 50 paisa as washing charges for a hospital blanket or a curtain of any size or an apron. Interestingly, the state health department has been spending money on patients’ diet, but no schedule rates have been fixed, which has led to unhealthy competition among suppliers and the supply of poor quality items.
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Ruler of Suket
This is with reference to the article, “ Mandi - Battlefield of rajas", in Himachal Plus, dated April 1,2009. It is to point out that the ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Suket (not Saket) was not Joginder Sen and Lalit Sen was not his son as mentioned in the article. Rather Joginder Sen was the ruler of the erstwhile Mandi state and Lalit Sen was the son of Raja Laxman Sen of the erstwhile princely state of Suket. C.L.
Gupta
Readers are invited to write to us. Send your mail, in not more than 200 words, at himachalplus@tribunemail.com or write in at: Letters, Himachal Plus,
The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030.
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Brigadier-general Villiers Stuart, the inspector of infantry in India, had described Dyer as an excitable lunatic, who used to get delight in frightening the passenger ladies by driving car dangerously about the mountain roads around Abbottabad. This lunatic had spent his childhood in Shimla.