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150 dead in accidents so far
Devotees throng ghats for celestial event
Yoga guru attends peace conference
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Ropeway Fare
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150 dead in accidents so far
Dehradun, July 22
The death toll in road mishaps continues to rise even as the state authorities find themselves helpless in checking the growing number of accidents on hill roads. Though the Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre records put the figure at 150, the death toll could be higher. While 26 deaths have taken place in Tehri Among the dead, 56 casualties were in the age group 19 to 50. Most of the 154 injured were also from the same age group. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre that complies all data concerning road mishaps constantly works to conduct training programmes for police personnel, locals and other agencies to ensure speedy relief and rescue operations. The department identifies spots on winding hill roads most prone to mishaps. Centre executive director Piyush Rautela said the centre had been regularly organising training programmes for both officials and villagers as rescue and relief preparations. “We are already undertaking one such training programme for villagers at Yamkeshwar,” he said. The centre recently distributed concrete and hydraulic cutters among villagers to ensure speedy rescue operations in case of a mishap. Safety records of Uttarakhand buses has remained dismal with a large number of persons dying every year, particularly during the yatra, which coincides with the monsoon season. Drunken driving, overcrowding in buses and other four- wheelers, particularly by Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib pilgrims, rash driving and lack of repair of the state transport buses are some major reasons for the recurring road accidents. The tendency among transporters to make maximum money by making a number of trips to the Char Dham has often resulted in accidents. Each time an accident occurs, a magisterial inquiry is announced but nothing ever comes of this exercise. The state government at one time constituted a group comprising government officials, experts from the Central Institute of Road Transport and Roorkee University to look into the issue. The group recommended several measures which the state government claims to be implementing in a phased manner. The group, in its report, had pointed to the missing parapets and suggested that three layers of trees be planted along the roads. The replacement of old worn out buses was also sought. Additional transport secretary Vinod Sharma said: "In a majority of accidents, there is an error on the part of the driver. It has been noted that drivers are often overworked. At times they are driving heavy vehicles while possessing a licence for light vehicles alone." He said that more than 40 per cent of the accidents were on account of errors on the part of the drivers. According to transport officials, during April and May this year, more than 42,000 vehicles were inspected and about 5,000 challaned. This resulted in a collection of Rs 4.10 crore. As many as 559 vehicles had been impounded in the process. Most accidents occur on highways or remote areas where medical help is hard to come by. Taking this into account, the Uttarakhand government had some time back set up trauma centres. Since the area is prone to quakes, landslides and accidents, such trauma centres were to deliver the best possible help to victims. But these centres have failed to provide the much-needed succour to victims. Despite clearance for 16 trauma centres, these have remained non-functional in the absence of adequate manpower. A 24-hour trauma centre of international standards with specialists remains a pipe dream. Even the centre at Doon Hospital claimed to have been built on the lines of a multi-specialty centre, till date is not equipped with neuro surgeons, plastic surgeons and radiologists.
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Devotees throng ghats for celestial event
Haridwar, July 22 At Har-Ki-Pauri in Haridwar and Muni-Ki-Reti in Rishikesh, there was a huge rush at the ghats at 5.35 am when the eclipse began with the devotees taking a holy dip amid the chanting of mantras. An estimated 12 to 15 lakh bathed at the holy ghats. People were seen coming to the two pilgrim cities till late afternoon. The next solar eclipse will occur on June 13, 2132. People in the district couldn’t see the eclipse due to the cloud cover with morning rains lashing the city. Residents, specially children had geared themselves for the event, but due to the dense clouds they could not see the celestial event. Elaborate security and traffic arrangements were in place for the event. With the flow of the Ganga quite fast, the Jal Police was deployed at various ghats. No traffic jams was witnessed with the just concluded Kanwar Yatra preparations coming handy for the police.
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Yoga guru attends peace conference
Delegates from 50 countries participated at the conference. Radhika made India proud by representing the nation with élan and dexterity and got a standing ovation for her lecture. The conference saw delegates from developed as well as poor nations. Delegates from USA, UK and Australia rubbed shoulders with delegates from Kenya and Ghana. At the four-day international conference, she made a presentation on yoga and spoke on the effect of yoga on the body. “It was an honour to represent India as I come from the small hill state of Uttarakhand. This made me even more determined to perform better. So I gave the speech in a simple manner aided with examples,” said Dr Radhika. Elaborating on her speech, Radhika said, “I focused on the holistic approach of yoga and the balance it creates on the body, mind and soul. “Yoga helps balance the vital parts of our body. Irrespective of the conditions, a yoga practitioner can face it with ease and emerge a winner while a non-yoga practitioner may falter. “Only individuals with a healthy body and balanced approach can usher in a peaceful world,” said Nagrath. Radhika is an admirer of Swami Ramdev and has had the opportunity to work with him. She cited the example of Ramdev and his followers who are trying to usher in a healthier India.
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Ropeway Fare
Haridwar, July 22 The issue of the fare of the Usha Breko Ropeway has once again come to the fore with allegations on the municipal committee chairman and ruling ward members of favouring the company. In the last board meeting of the municipal committee, a resolution was tabled in which it was stated that the lease, which expires in 2011, would not be extended cancelling the Prakashwati committee recommendation that the fare per person for ropeway would be slashed from Rs 48 to Rs 39. But Opposition members and several organisations term the resolution as a favour to the company as a case is pending in the apex court. The next hearing is on July 27. The NUVM activists alleged that the ruling palika members had taken money from the company. Demanding a CBI inquiry, the protesters said that they would not sit quietly until “The issue is of prime importance as the municipality seems to be playing into the hands of the company,” said Sanjay Chopra, chief, NUVM. Condemning the municipality chairman Kamal Johra, protesters said that he was toeing the line of company and alleged that huge money was being offered by the company to the ruling palika members to side with them. District convener of the NUVM Bhoopendra Rajput said, “The company is hiking rates by its own sweet will without intimating the municipality. The palika has become a mute spectator,” said Rajput. Opposition leader in the municipal committee, Sanjay Sharma, said that the resolution tabled in the last board meeting doesn’t stand any chance as the chairman has the support of only 14 members. The resolution will be put to vote in the next board meeting.
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Haridwar, July 22