Dehradun, September 3
Uttarakhand’s efforts to create a niche for itself in the apple market of the country has received a jolt with another season of poor harvest owing to dry weather conditions in the upper reaches.

After reports of an expected drop in apple production in Harsil region of Uttarkashi, another apple potential belt of Joshimath is facing crop losses primarily due to poor rains and scanty snowfall.

Uttarakhand’s upper reaches grow apples on a total of 31,662 hectares. Nainital tops the district with 7,802 hectares, Uttarkashi 7,254 hectares, Chamoli 3,550 hectares, Tehri 3,129 hectares, Almora 1,565 hectares, Pitthoragarh 1,545 hectares, Dehradun 4,596 hectares, Champawat 487 hectares, Rudraprayag 334 hectares and Bageshwar 85 hectares under apple cultivation.

Apples in the state were introduced in the pre-Independence era and the popular variety was the Red Delicious. Harsil apples in Uttarakashi introduced by Britisher Wilson are in big demand.

Unlike neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, in Uttarakhand apples have failed to become the mainstay of economy or change the fortune of the farmers who have been reluctant to take to apple cultivation in a big way.

The Uttarakhand Government in the recent times has tried to promote apple cultivation, extending every possible incentive to those who take to it. Lack of rainfall and hailstorms during the time of flowering has reduced production this season by over 50 per cent. Apple growers in Baragaon, Subhayee, Bavishya Badri and Malaree and adjoining villages complain of poor production solely due to weather conditions with rainfall registering a drop and snowfall not as expected.

Baragaon resident Jawahar says almost 90 per cent of the apple crop in his village has been destroyed.

“Last year I earned handsome profits but this year it is hard to even meet the cultivation costs,” rued Jawahar, who said he was not sure if he would opt for apple cultivation next year.

Uttarakhand’s hortriculture department which has been working hard to create state’s identity in the apple market too looks worried.

While it has tried to introduce better quality apples and help farmers in enhancing production levels, the adverse weather conditions have hit hard the apple crop. While hoticulture officials admit over 50 per cent of the crop is lost, farmers estimate this loss at 75 per cent. “Fifty per cent of the apple crop has been lost this year mainly due to lack of rains,” said Dr BP Nautiyal, joint director, horticulture, who said a comprehensive survey of damages was yet to undertaken before the exact percentage of losses could be ascertained.

Another apple grower Harish Bhandari from Joshimath region said the fall in apple production would sure to hurt the apple economy in the state. Farmers are distressed as it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to survive on the apple crop which has witnessed a fall in production levels in the recent years with the weather playing truant.

“The losses are huge and will affect the apple growers in a big way,” said CS Rawat, one of the apple growers in Sakhari region. He apprehended that the losses would discourage the farmers from growing apples in future.

Growing and picking apples is not easy; sudden rain and hailstorm can upset calculations.

“The quality of apples is affected if there is unexpected hailstorm while the apples are yet to ripe, they start rotting. We have no storage unit. These things require money,” informed Narayan Singh, a farmer in Chakrata.

The Uttarakhand Government had some time back approached the Centre for assistance to farmers, including apple growers. It had expressed concern over huge losses incurred on account of lack of rains and urged the Centre to address the concerns of Uttarakhand apple growers.

The state horticulture department had some time back introduced American hybrid varieties and new techniques. These imported varieties of apple are not only rich in taste, but also virus and disease-resistant.

Procured from the USA by the horticulture directorate, some varieties include the Star King and Top Red grown at a height of 6,500 ft and the Red Chief, Organ Spur, Scarlet Gala, Red Fuji and Vale Spur suitable for cultivation at 5,500-6,000 ft.

The benefits of the new varieties is that they bear fruit early, productivity is six to seven times more and the cost less than imported apples.

Apple growers in Nainital last year were delighted as griculture scientists from Holland and Uttarakhand developed a new variety of apple plant that can bear fruit in 13 months.

The research spanning three years fructified in the development of M-9 and-111 varietirs of apple plants.

These varieties can bear six to seven kilos of fruit in a short span of time and the production increases manifold in the coming years.

Apple cultivation is today widely recognised in the Hindukush Himalayan region for successful diversification of subsistent mountain agriculture into cash crop farming.

There are niches in the entire Hindu -kush Himalayan region countries where, due to apple farming, socio-economic conditions of marginal mountain farmers have significantly improved during the last four decades.

The future sustainability of apple farming, however, has become a matter of concern due to changing climate, shifting apple production areas, the fall in productivity due to pollination failure, emerging new pest and disease problems and the challenges of trade liberalisation.

The government needs to take all these factors in mind while formulatiing a [policy to boost apple production in the state

Dehradun, September 3
The life and times of Mughal emperors painstakingly recorded in manuscripts several years old, now yellowed and fading, are being restored here at the laboratory of the science branch of Archaeological Survey of India.

As many as 19 manuscripts from Central Antiquity Collection Centre Archaeological Survey of India, Purana Quila, New Delhi, are now in various stages of restoration process.

“The beautiful calligraphy is in Arabic and Persian languages from the Mughal period. All the manuscripts were in pretty bad shape.

“Several folios were decaying and infested by termites; some even on the verge of being reducedto pulp.

The decaying process had worsened due to acidic nature of the paper,” said Dinesh Verma, deputy superintending officer, Archaeological Chemists, science branch

Besides, the science branch has already restored manuscripts dating back to 1878 that are the property of Taj Museum, Taj Complex.

The six documents of historical importance include the “farmans” containing Mughal seals in geometrical style.

Notably, before initiating the preservation and restoration work complete photo documentation of the manuscripts was undertaken followed by fumigation process and tests for solubility of ink, which has to be done for consolidation of the text.

“To maintain the originality of the object, nothing is added or removed. We do not rewrite, only superficial mending is carried out and fading text is revived to make it legible.

What is lost due to ageing cannot be retrieved. The aesthetic value is maintained at all costs,” emphasised Raghu Prakash, assistant superintending officer, Archaeological Chemists.

With the passage of time acidic process sets in and there is a real chance that it may damage the sensitive text, therefore chemical treatment is needed not only to remove the stains but also to enhance the life of the manuscript. Japanese tissue paper was used to line the manuscript along with starch-free binding agent.

“All these agents are used to contain the ageing process, arrest deterioration and physical changes that take place.

The processes are reversible, leaving room for further preservation in case there is a breakthrough in technology. Besides, all these treatments are internationally recommended,” said Dinesh Verma.

“Once the manuscripts are restored and their lifespan enhanced, they can last for a hundred years provided they are properly stored,”he added.

In order to encourage private collectors to voluntarily participate in manuscript conservation process, the ASI even extends expertise to private collectors so that the entire process can be carried out at home and the information is then used only for cataloguing process.

Dehradun, September 3
The ICFAI National College organised ‘Ankur-2009’ here yesterday to welcome its new batch of MBA students. More than 350 students attended the programme. Brig ML Sabharwal (retd), principal, said that the ICFAI University was committed to provide students every possible opportunity to develop their professional and entrepreneurial skills.

He added that the aim is to channelise their potential into result-oriented activities not only for the growth of the organisation in which they would pursue their career but also for the overall growth of the system at large.

He also told the students about the changing corporate scenario and advised them to go in for a holistic development to meet dynamic corporate requirements.

Students showcased their talent by presenting various events and cultural programmes, including skits, solo dance etc. Capt VN Saxena (retd) conducted the programme.