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Turning the wheel of power
All is not well with private safari
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CII plans link with eastern freight corridor
Speaker undertakes kar sewa at Guru Singh Sabha
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Turning the wheel of power
Dehradun, June 7 A similar model could be replicated in the Indian Himalayas where migration has been a major problem with the youth deserting their hill villages in search of better livelihood opportunities. A major initiative would be started soon in the Himalayas by International Non-Governmental Cooperation for Renewable Energy with more than 70 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America as members.The organisation is based in China. Most member countries of the organisation are striving to work in the renewable energy sector. The organisation has been formed on the initiative of the UN. The main aim of the organisation, formed in September 2008, is to work towards development, research and dissimilation of effective technologies and harnessing of renewable energy resources like hydro power, wind, solar and bio-energy among the member countries. Dr Anil Joshi of the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO), a Dehradun-based voluntary group has been selected as one of the seven governing body members of the organisation. At a meeting on June 5 in China, it was decided that a major initiative in the shape of an energy valley in the Himalayas would be developed. The energy valley would showcase most of the successful models of harnessing renewable energy sources with the aim that people in India, particularly in the fragile and ecologically sensitive Himalayan region, accept and replicate the models to meet their energy needs. It would be first international effort on the international level to work in the renewable energy sector with the involvement of local communities with top international experts in their respective fields providing expertise and guidance. The main focus of the organisation would be to tap renewable energy in Asian and African countries. “We would be doing a feasibility study to select a valley for this unqiue project in the Himalayas,” said Dr Joshi. Prof Tong Jian Dong, DG of the International Network on Small Hydro Power (IN-SHP) based at Hangzhon, China, a consortium of 70 countries managed jointly by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and China, is also chairman of the International Cooperation for Renewable Energy. On a visit to Dehradun in December 2007 he was taken to watermills (gharats) that have been upgraded to produce electricity besides being used for grinding of grain. Dr Joshi said every possible technical expertise would be provided to upgrade the watermills in the entire Himalayan region of India to produce power. A team of experts, including Prof VK Damodran, Managing Director of the IN-SHP, would be visiting India in this regard. China has done well in tapping small hydro power. Damodran, an expert in small hydro power, has been working in China for the past one decade. “China has a capacity of 45,500 mw of power generated only through small hydro out of a total of 5,00,000 mw and the network has been working to upgrade technology wherever required in the world,” he said. Prof Tong, during his visit to India in December 2007, had met Prof M. Chidambaram, principal scientific adviser (PSA) to the Government of India in New Delhi to explore the possibilities of tapping small hydro potential in the country. “India has been able to tap only 3000 mw of power from the watermills spread over the Himalayan region used for grinding purposes are part of the small hydro potential of India,” said Dr Joshi. “There are so many technologies available with IN-SHP, particularly the water turbine pump that can be used not only for generation of power on mountain streams but is also useful in pumping water high up in the hills,” he said. “We hope that an international water millers hub would be created for the transfer of feasible and sustainable technologies for utilisation of watermills for multiple uses, including the generation of power,” added a rather optimistic Dr Joshi who is devoted to the cause.
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All is not well with private safari
Dehradun, June 7 These resorts around the park carry out elephant safari in territorial forest areas encircling Corbett. Every resort possesses at least one or two elephants as elephant safaris are very popular with tourists. Eighteen-year-old Danish, son of Gulzar, a resident of Purani Colony, Kalagarh, had been working as an attendant to a mahout at Infinity Resort in Dhikuli for past one month. His primary job was to cut fodder. The 55-year-old camp elephant Luxmi threw Gulzar to the ground while the latter was trying to prepare her for a safari. The incident occurred at around 5 am. Danish was rushed to a doctor and was subsequently referred to Moradabad. But he succumbed to his injuries on the way. It could have been worse had the elephant behaved in a similar way during the course of the safari. In this case, tourist could have been the casualties too. The wildife authorities, when approached, washed their hands of the incident, saying: “According to Sec 43 (2) of the Wildlife Act, an individual elephant in private possession must be registered with the office of chief wildlife warden and in case of the Dikhuli incident, the female elephant in question was registered with us.” Responding to complaints vis-à-vis camp elephants in resorts around Corbett, the authorities had in January this year injected micro chips on 16 camp elephants. The microchips had been injected into the earlobes of captive elephants in the possession of resorts. Taking advantage of absence of a mechanism to identify the elephants, the resort owners would get new elephants in case of death of safari elephants, while keeping the wildlife authorities in the dark. Expert in elephant behaviour studies Dr AK Singh says that lack of proper upkeep of camp elephants by private owners leads to erratic behaviour on the part of the pachyderms. “Often these elephants are overworked and incident like Dhikuli can be a fallout of such exploitation,” he explained. Then there is the tendency to sub-let private elephants. This results in the mahout getting separated from his elephant and many a time it is the lesser trained fodder man who is left to attend the elephant. More importantly, there is little mechanism to check whether these camp elephants in possession of resorts are treated well. Apart from registration with the office of the chief wildlife warden, there seems to be no provision to ensure that the resorts follow Project Elephant guidelines linked to the upkeep of the elephant in possession of private individuals.
The guidelines mention adequate fodder for the elephants thrice a day and medical facilities. But these are seldom followed.
The authorities should ensure that these guidelines are complied with.
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CII plans link with eastern freight corridor
Dehradun, June 7 It has requested the state government to take up the matter with the railways ministry to carry out a survey to determine commercial viability of the proposal. CII state council chief Rakesh Oberoi on friday made a presentation before Chief Minister BC Khanduri on the matter which tops the CII’s policy agenda. The proposed corridor passes through Saharanpur. The CII has proposed that an inland container depot be created in the Roorkee-Iqbalpur area, which has emerged as one of the largest industrial hubs in the state, and the same be linked with the corridor at Saharanpur. The latter should be made a halting station. This will provide the industry in and around Haridwar a cheaper alternative for movement of goods as well as reduce traffic congestion on the roads. “We are in the process of exploring this issue with the railways. But progress cannot be made without the active involvement and intervention of the state government. “As RITES has been working on the corridor proposal, a feasibility study for the linkage proposal by us could be entrusted to the same agency. “We believe that our proposal is quite workable as it may require just 12-14 km additional rail line,” said Oberoi. If this is done, the benefits will be manifold. “The movement of raw material into the state and finished goods out of the state is mainly by road. It is expected that the traffic on roads and highways is bound to increase in the coming years. “It will result in direct benefit to the tourism industry as once these are decongested, travel time between Delhi and Haridwar will be reduced significantly. “For the industry, this initiative holds immense importance as besides retaining the existing industrial units, it can help attract more industry to the state,” he added.
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Speaker undertakes kar sewa at Guru Singh Sabha
Dehradun, June 7 Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha speaker Harbans Kapoor yesterday went to the gurdwara and volunteered for the sewa. He said that after the construction of the rooms, it would be convenient for those who want to stay overnight in the gurdwara. He further said that setting up of the dispensary and construction of the parking lot in the premises would also be helpful for the devotees. It may be mentioned here that devotees from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have volunteered for the Kar
Sewa.
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development in rural areas, in turn stopping migration from villages.
resorts at Dikhuli in Corbett while he tried to tie the “howdah” onto a camp elephant raises questions about the practice of rampant use of these elephants by tourist resorts in close vicinity of the Corbett park.
