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Road infrastructure at cost of ‘green gold’
NGOs offer hope
Mansar Lake |
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State losing forest cover at alarming rate
MC to begin plantation drive
Adventure sports to make more spots popular
Comrade Dhanwantri, an unsung hero of
freedom struggle
Parks in Rajouri, Poonch become picnic hot spots
Psychosocial problems: NGO holds workshop
Speaking Out
Jammu Engagements
Tribune Adalat
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Road infrastructure at cost of ‘green gold’
Jammu, July 31 As per September 2007 issue of Quarterly Newsletter, an in-house circulation of the Jammu chapter of the WWF India Mission, as many as Nearly two years down the line, chairman of the organisation VB Sharma says, “Nothing has been done to plant trees along the roads. Moreover, there is no scope for plantation along the national highway as the entire space has been blacktopped.” “Trees on both sides of the highway constituted lungs of the road and had been consuming vehicular emissions and checking noise pollution, besides saving oxygen and serving as habitat to a large number of small animals, reptiles, insects and avian fauna,” he said, adding that the government must ensure that double the number of trees were planted at an alternative place in such cases. Another environmentalist, AK Sharma said, “More than 40 banyan trees were recently felled by the National Highway Authority of India and the Border Roads Organisation, both working on the construction of freeway from Pathankot to Jammu”. “Most of the trees were more than 400 years old and had automatically acquired the heritage status. They were axed on the stretch between Vijaypur and Kunjwani and near Maheshar temple, near the Samba cantonment area”. Similarly, lakhs of pine tress were felled last year during the widening of the Jammu-Poonch highway, but the department concerned has not planted even a single sapling to compensate the loss of mature trees. “The Mughal Road is no exception. There, too, the road construction agencies axed thousands of fully grown trees,” Sharma rued. “We are not against development, but we support sustainable development. Roads should be widened, but how can the government turn a blind eye towards the environment. If not double, the government must ensure that the same number of trees are planted elsewhere so that ecological balance remains intact,” he added.
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Hope is not lost completely though. Certain NGOs in association with the Department of Social Forestry are making efforts, which they claim have yielded positive results. “A number of NGOs have been working for the protection of forests in the entire state. There is a need for more to raise community awareness in this regard,” said joint director, State Forest Research Institute, OP Sharma. Bharat Vikas Parishad, a self-funded organisation of five years, has planted nearly 5,000 trees in and around Jammu city during its tenure. “We rope in schoolchildren in our mission. The Department of Social Forestry provides us saplings free of cost and we plant them through students,” said its secretary, Arun Kumar. “We have 600 volunteers across the Jammu region, who contribute funds every year to support these activities,” he added. The state chapter of the WWF India Mission, an NGO working for the promotion of nature conservation and environment protection, has been working in association with the Ministry of Environment and Forest under the national environment awareness campaign since 1986. “This year’s theme is climate change. We involve NGOs and educational institutes. As many as 300-400 such organisations and institutes are proactively working with us. We have been funding several activities under two major components. First, under awareness programme, workshops on environmental subjects are regularly held at the school level. Secondly, under the action component, practical work is conducted and students are educated about solid waste management, rainwater harvesting, moisture conservation, afforestation etc through practical work,” said chairman of the organisation VP Sharma. “Forests are dwindling at a faster pace. A majority of the people living in the state are non-vegetarians. As many as 50 truckloads of goat, sheep and chicken are imported from outside the state. Goat-breeding and sheep-rearing is taking its toll on biomass, but the government has no vision. How will the forests grow?” he asked. “Whatever the government claims, from Kathua to Patnitop, one could hardly find any patch of forestry anywhere except for some pockets in Billawar Ramnagar, Rajouri and Poonch,” said environmentalist AK Sharma. “Every year thousands of hectares of prime forests are burnt to ashes while the authorities keep looking the other way. Even the best efforts of the local community and environmentalists to wake up the government proved futile. Forest fires in summer have become a routine affairs. So much is the indifference on the part of the government that not even a single FIR was registered this year in spite of so many incidents”.
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State losing forest cover at alarming rate
Jammu, July 31 As per the official figures, the total forest cover in the state is 20,700 sq km, which is 9.31 per cent of the total land. “The Kashmir province accounts for 8,128 sq km of forest cover while the remaining part is in the Jammu region,” an official of the state forest department said. He said, “There are different reasons behind the illegal felling of trees, but this cannot be done without the active participation of officials of the forest department”. The government of India had passed a resolution in 1952 in which it had recommended a natural national target of 100 mh of forests, but till date the actual forest cover in the country was only 74 mh, he added. “Forests in India are being lost at the rate of about 1.5 mh per annum,” the officer said. The census of forests in 1991, which was based on visual interpretation of landsite imagery, showed that the forest cover in the state was only 19.44 per cent, much less than the standard 33 per cent as recommended by the national forest policy. As per the census report, there was an alarming decline in the forest cover in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and some northeastern states. Scientists have predicted that if the destruction of forests continues at the present rate, the carbon dioxide content will rise to 560 ppm between 2050 and 2100. According to the national forest policy, India should maintain one-third of its land under forests. However, a study by the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) revealed that there had been an alarming decrease in the forest area between 1972 and 1982 in various states of the country with Jammu and Kashmir topping the list. “The state forest department has taken various measures to minimise the illegal cutting of the trees. With the active assistance from the union government, we have increased the number of forest guards. And with the help of the local police we are trying to nab timber smugglers,” a forest official said. He said, “Unless the local population come forward to support us, it would be difficult for us to check the illegal felling of trees”.
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Mansar Lake
Mansar, July 31 The wooden platforms, which extend right into the lake and stand on wooden pillars, have their history as old as the lake and the much-revered temple. Decades of wear and tear while bearing the constant weight of tourists proved too much for the platform that crumbled two months ago. Sources said two persons, both from Delhi, suffered serious injuries with one reporting multiple fractures after his leg got stuck in the wooden planks. The other got injuries on the face and bruises all over. The platform has been closed since then and the entire burden of tourists has been shifted to another platform, which is smaller in size. Sources said this platform also equally old might break down anytime, if a new platform was not constructed immediately. It is ironical that on one hand the lake authorities claim of making best efforts to attract tourists while on the other a basic facility required for the visitors is being ignored. While Mansar deputy commissioner Saurabh Bhagat was unavailable for his comments, director tourism SK Sinha said he had asked the Mansar Development Authority to solve the problem at the earliest. The lake is much revered by locals. Walking around the lake is believed to bring good fortune to newly wed couples. Honeymooners often visit the lake to take an auspicious stroll around it. The shrine of the serpent deity, Sheshnag, is situated on the eastern bank of the lake. Umapati Mahadev and Narsimha are the other two ancient temples located near the lake. It is considered auspicious to feed fish here. Livelihood of many families living in surrounding villages depends on this custom. Children belonging to nearby villages sell half-knead wheat flour to tourists here. The only place to feed the fish is from the wooden platform. “We fear that less tourists will come here if the platforms are not repaired or reconstructed,” a local resident, Sonu, said while complaining that the tourist flow had already hit after the incident.
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MC to begin plantation drive
Jammu, July 31 But the silver lining is that the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has for the first time since its inception has decided to launch a major plantation drive in the city next month .The JMC would cover various areas where more than 50,000 new saplings would be planted. “This drive is being launched by the corporation for the first time”, said Mayor Kavinder Gupta.It would be initiated in a systematic way, in which a record would be maintained that would include the mortality, survival rate of plants and the number of saplings planted. “The areas have been identified for the drive. It can prove beneficial to lessen the rising level of pollution in the city”, said MC Commissioner Mubarak Singh. The public places which would be covered under the drive include municipal parks,cremation grounds, open spaces, road dividers, schools and various localities.It would be conducted with the assistance of the social forestry and urban forestry departments. NGOs were also coming forward to join it, said the commissioner. “We are trying to motivate principals to help us in the drive by allowing us to plant trees and saplings in schools. They can help us generate awareness among the masses about the benefits of plantation. They can also help us make the drive successful in localities adjacent to the schools”, said Mubarak Singh. The aim of the drive was to make Jammu green and clean and to maintain the ecological balance. The process of digging of pits had already been started at the cremation ground, Bhagwati Nagar and in a park at Janipur. During the first phase 15,000 plants and saplings would be planted; in the second phase the number would be doubled and in the final phase, the number would be increased to 50,000. Saplings of ornamental plants would be planted in the municipal parks,shady trees at public places and trees and plants which did not require much care would be planted at idle and open spaces. Amit Bali, a resident of Manhorma Vihar, said: “This will be a big effort of the corporation which can prove beneficial for the city”. Sudesh Sharma, a resident of Sarwal, said: “The Jammu Municipal Corporation should have started the drive earlier. Now, the corporation has taken the right step and I hope it will continue the drive in future also”. |
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Adventure sports to make more spots popular
Udhampur, July 31 Though there are numerous beautiful spots in Udhampur district, due to poor infrastructure and topographical disadvantage devotees usually skip these places. However, after successfully introducing paragliding in this year’s Sudhmahadev Mela, the authorities have decided to introduce the same in other places as well. Trekking and paragliding are the two adventure sports that would be introduced at various picnic spots like Patnitop, Kud, Sudhmahadev, Maantalai, Sansagar and other sites of religious significance. The tourism department has already developed trekking routes along Sundarani, Jangal Gali, Jasarkote and Sanasar. While Kud, Patnitop and Sanasar are combined in one travel circuit where adventure sports like skiing, paragliding, parasailing and trekking could be started, efforts are on to divert tourists towards Gourikund, Sudhmahadev, and Maantalai as well. According to Hindu chronicles, devotees in the past used to visit Gourikund, which is situated about 4 km from Sudhmahadev, for a holy dip at Gourikund where Uma (Parvati) meditated to please Lord Shiva. Keeping in view the sanctity of this place, local devotees visit this place in large numbers on the occasion of Jayestha Choudhash, but only a few devotees from outside the state visit this holy place. The authorities have decided to introduce adventure sports to attract tourists to these places. The first effort of the authorities has yielded encouraging result as a large number of tourists from outside the state visited Maantali and participated in parasailing during this year’s Sudhmahadev Mela. The inaccessible areas like Dodu, Bastangarh, Latti, Dhuna etc have also been identified for adventure sports as these virgin areas have huge tourism potential. During his public darbars at Kulwanta, Gandh Top, Basantgarh, Kirchi, Dodu and Latti recently, Udhampur deputy commissioner Ajay Khajuria promised to explore tourism potentials in these belts. These backward areas have good trekking routes along the Tawi. During these public darbars, locals regretted that this belt had been neglected by the successive state governments. It was only during an interaction with the local public, the DC has decided to introduce adventure sports in this belt also.
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Comrade Dhanwantri, an unsung hero of
freedom struggle
Jammu, July 31 Except a yearly ritual celebrated by a couple of voluntary organisations, Dhanwantri is unknown to the people of the land to which he belonged. Expressing ignorance about the role of Dhanwantri in the freedom struggle, a professor of the history said the name of Comrade Dhanwantri did not find any mention in the history books. To give recognition to his contribution in the freedom struggle, a library named after him was set up on the campus of the University of Jammu in 1980. The freedom fighter was born on March 7, 1902, in the family of Dr Durga Datt Mahey in Kali Janni Mohalla of the old Jammu city. After completing matriculation from Sri Ranbir Higher Secondary School, he joined DAV College, Lahore, in 1917. He joined the freedom struggle and was a close associate of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandra Shekhar Azad. He died on July 13, 1953, at the age of 51 years. The ancestral house of Dhanvantri lies in a pathetic condition at Kali Janni. His family members have settled abroad after selling off the property that lies in dilapidated condition. Except some freedom fighters and close associates of the Dhanvantri, no one else knows him and his great sacrifices. The thing that makes the situation worse is that his house has been put on sale these days. “It is our invaluable heritage which has been put on sale and it should have been preserved by either setting up a museum or a school by the state government,” said Ramesh Rahi, a tailor of the Kali Janni area. “It is unfortunate that the National Conference, who received ‘Naya Kashmir’ a political programme from Comrade Dhanwantri as its architect, never remembers him on any occasion, be that his birth or death anniversaries. This organisation owes a lot to Dhanwantri, Master Abdul Aziz and Sherwani,” said Krishan Sharma, a resident of Durga Nagar. Expressing concern over the less recognition given to Dhanwantri, Rahul Bahu, a state president of the Progressive Students Association, said, at least, there should had been a chair on his name and his statue should be installed in the city. |
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Parks in Rajouri, Poonch become picnic hot spots
Poonch, July 31 Expressing happiness over the declining militancy in the state which has allowed them to take to the parks even in the late evening hours, locals are now hoping that the local administration undertakes some more beautification of the already existing parks as well as the construction of new parks in the areas having potential to attract more people. They hoped that even as a majority of the parks lack proper facilities, the government with active support of the Centre would supplement the facilities in these parks. “There are two major parks in Poonch - Preetam Park and Krishan Chander Park - besides a lush green ground at Raja Memorial. During militancy, a few people used to go to these places even during the day time, but after security situation has started improving in our area following the decline in the number of militancy-related incidents, people are flooding these parks,” said Farooq Ahmed Dar, a local resident. “However, the facilities in these parks are not up to the mark and we hope that the government with financial support from the Centre will improve the facilities at these parks and also construct new parks, in the areas having potential to attract people, where there are none. Rahil Khan, a child, who was enjoying at Krishan Chander Park, said it was good that parks in Poonch remained open till late evening now. “During militancy, our parents fearing insecurity would confine us within the four walls of room, but now with the things changing in the state, they don’t mind allowing us to visit parks even during late evening,” he said. “We are quite happy with the change in the security scenario in the state and hope that the things continue to change in our state for better”. Deputy commissioner, Poonch, Muhammad Afzal, told The Tribune that it was quite heartening to see a huge rush of people in the parks in Poonch town. “With the security situation in my area of responsibility witnessing a positive change, people in huge numbers are visiting the parks and that too till late in the evening. Given the huge rush of people to the parks, we have proposed the augmentation of facilities in the existing parks as well as the construction of new ones,” Afzal said. In the neighbouring Rajouri town, Zanana (women) Park in the town area, too, registers a huge rush of people in the evening. Since there is a huge rush of people in the parks in the evening hours, rehri wallahs, too, are making merry. “With the things racing back to normalcy in the state, people in large numbers are visiting the parks which has impacted our business in a positive way,” said Vijay Kumar, a vendor, who sells “gol gaffas” at the Zanana Park in Rajouri.
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Psychosocial problems: NGO holds workshop
Srinagar, July 31 At the global level, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has come out with guidelines for NGOs working for the people suffering on account of mental health and psychosocial problems. In Kashmir, Actionaid, an NGO, organised a two-day workshop recently on the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support. The guidelines meant for emergency settings were rolled out as part of the WHO-led initiative to set minimum standards for mental health care in emergency situations. These guidelines have been published by the IASC, a committee that is responsible for worldwide humanitarian policy. The committee consists of heads of the relevant UN and other intergovernmental agencies, the Red Cross and the Red Crescent agencies and international and NGO consortium. The organisations that took part in the workshop include the Department of Social Work - University of Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Yateem Foundation, KOSHISH, ANHAD, the Agha Khan Foundation, the Jammu and Kashmir Association of Social Workers, the Jammu and Kashmir Yateem Trust, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Development Trust, STEPS and HIMAYAT. “The aim of the workshop is to sensitise local and other organisations operating in Kashmir about the imperatives of guidelines. These guidelines on mental health and psychosocial issues in emergency settings offer essential advice on how to facilitate an integrated approach to address the most urgent mental health and psychosocial issues in emergency situations,” says Shazia Iqbal, project officer, Actionaid. Shazia says once these guidelines are followed, they can lead to solution for mental health and psychosocial problems. “The guidelines aim to strengthen humanitarian response in emergencies by all actors, from pre-emergency preparedness through all steps of response programme planning, implementation and evaluation,” she says. The guidelines are being viewed as the first steps in protecting or promoting people's mental health and psychosocial well-being during emergencies. They help in identifying useful practices while keeping at bay potential harmful ones.
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Speaking Out Was it correct for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to submit resignation or he should have fought the accusations? TNS talked to a cross section of society in Jammu. This is what they had to say.
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BOOK RELEASE: “Tanda Rishte Diyan”, a book based on Dogri short stories and penned by Shambu Ram Pyasa, will be released on August 1 at KL Saigal hall, Jammu, at 4.30 pm. RAFTING CHAMPIONSHIP: The six-day International Rafting Championship in the Sindh river at Sonamarg would commence from August 3.
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Mansar, July 31
Udhampur, July 31
Jammu, July 31
Omar Abdullah took the right decision by submitting his resignation. The matter can only be resolved in the appropriate court of law, which is conducting the trial in the sex scandal case. Omar’s decision deserves appreciation. He should stand to his commitment to prove his innocence.
Omar Abdullah took the right decision. Generally in India, people on top positions do not give up their chairs easily, so the decision of Omar is one of the ways to fight against the accusations charged against him by the Opposition.
No, he should not have submitted his resignation. By submitting resignation on the charges levelled against him by the Opposition, he has put the government in crisis. A Chief Minister is not expected to act at such an emotional level, where he has the responsibility of running the government of a troubled state like Jammu and Kashmir.
Yes, he took the right decision and has proved that he is being unnecessarily involved in the sex scandal. It was a big allegation levelled by the Opposition against him and by submitting his resignation he has maintained his dignity.
It is a shameful activity that is going on in the Assembly. The Chief Minister should have fought against the allegations levelled against him instead of submitting resignation. He should have proved that he was not involved in the sex scandal. Actually, he is making a drama in the Assembly and that is why he has maintained conditions for submitting resignation. 
No, he took the wrong decision. Instead of submitting resignation, he should have fought for the allegations charged against him. 
Instead of submitting his resignation, he should have fought for the accusations levelled against him. He is simply playing a political drama because he has made his resignation conditional. He should have given his resignation straightway. 
Omar Abdullah took the right decision as the leaders of Opposition have attacked on his dignity. After proper investigation, the guilty person should be given punishment.