Shimla, September 10
Heavy rains have thrown normal life out of gear as all roads leading to Upper Shimla, Kinnaur and Spiti remained blocked due to landslides. Meanwhile, heavy silt halted power generation at the Nathpa Jhakri and Baspa hydel power projects.

As rains disrupted normal life, people in the state capital had to face acute water shortage for due to excessive silt, pumping could not be done at Gumma and Ashwani khud with only 18 MLD being pumped against a requirement of 35 MLD.

Even as it is one of the heaviest rainfall spells in September, overall rains are still 37 per cent below normal in the state between June 1 and September 10.

“Rains are deficient in the state though the current spell has helped reduce shortfall by almost 10 per cent,” said Manmohan Singh, director, Meteorological Centre.

With silt in the Nathpa Jhakri project crossing 700 ppm, generation was halted at about 2.30 pm today.

On the other hand, generation at the 300 MW Baspa in the Sangal valley of Kinnuar too was stopped after midnight as the silt level rose much above normal.

The NH-22 remained blocked at Kali Mitti near Sainj, disrupting vehicular traffic on the Shimla-Rampur road.

All other roads connecting Rohru-Chirgaon, Narkanda-Tikkar and Rohru-Tiuni, also remained closed due to heavy landslides. With rains still continuing, work to clear roads has also been hampered.

The administration got 13 houses vacated in Sandor village in Rohru subdivision as water level in the Pabbar rose, posing a threat to the life of the occupants.

Some of the people in the Rampur area too vacated their houses as heavy landslides posed threat to their houses.

With the south-west monsoons being vigorous in the state, the local meteorological centre has predicted rainfall over the next two days.

Una district received 33 per cent more than normal rain as compared to deficient trains in most parts of the state.

Other parts of the state also received heavy rains with Gohar getting 125 mm, Jubbal-114 mm, Dharampur-101 mm, Kasauli-100 mm, Kumarsain-90 mm, Rohru-80 mm, Rampur-70 mm, Hamirpur-66 mm, Baijnath-54 mm and Renuka-24 mm.

Higher reaches in Kinnaur area experienced fresh snowfall while Kalpa recorded a minimum temperature of five degree Celsius.

In view of the rain, the government has ordered the closure of all government institutions tomorrow.

Shimla, September 10
Age has not weakened the determination of octogenarian Chipko movement leader Sunder Lal Bahuguna, who has now embarked on his second mission to save the “dying Himalayas”.

The 82-year-old renowned eco-activist, who undertook a 4,870 km “padyatra” from Kashmir to Kohima during the Chipko Movement to save trees three decades ago, is on the move again.

He, along with some other activists, launched a fresh campaign from Kashmir to create public opinion in favour of a long-term policy for sustainable development of the Himalayan region.

“The mighty Himalayas, which sustains life in the region, is gasping for breath. Mindless development activity has inflicted deep wounds on the mountain ranges, causing both ecological and aesthetic degradation,” he said.

“If the government failed to take immediate steps to review the environmentally destructive development policy or a comprehensive Himalayan policy was put in place to enhance the life-sustaining elements, the country’s biggest natural resource will be lost forever, leaving a host of intractable problems for posterity,” Bahuguna, who was in the city today, told The Tribune.

Hiamchal Pradesh is the second state he is visiting under the “Save Himalaya” campaign after J&K. He will not only cover all 10 states of the country, but also plans to extend the campaign to other Himalayan countries, right from Afghanistan to Myanmar and even China.

The touchstone for any long-term policy should be whether or not it enhanced life-sustaining forces.

The forest cover had to be maintained at all costs and the focus must shift from “trees for timber” to “trees for water and oxygen”, he added. Forests should be seen and developed as carbon sinks and perennial sources of water.

Afforestation policy must ensure that only those species which regulated the hydrological cycle, produced maximum oxygen and absorbed maximum carbon dioxide, besides meeting needs of the local community for fodder, fuel and food, were propagated, Bahuguna observed, making a strong case for separate policy.

Wanton destruction of forests in the name of development must stop. Mining and other such activists which devoured green cover, destabilised hills or caused large-scaled displacement of people, should stop, he said.

The ecology of the Himalayas had implications for the whole of India and the neighbouring countries and it was important to raise a pan-Himalayan voice for the safety of the mountain ranges, he added.

Bilaspur, September 10
INTUC affiliated Kisan, Khetihar and Mazdoor Union and several leaders of the district Congress here have criticised the alleged ‘pro-industrialist’ policy of the state government under which the JP Industries was setting up a cement plant at Bagha Balag on the borders of Bilaspur and Solan districts.

Union president Rattan Lal Maratha, vice-president Ranjeet Kashyap, general secretary Kuldip Chandel, adviser Dinesh Sharma, District Congress Committee general secretary Lekh Ram Dhiman, Bilaspur Sadar Block Congress unit vice- president Kishori Lal Chaudhary and many other Congress leaders addressed mediapersons here today.

They alleged that the government was only adopting the so called ‘policies and agreements’ on paper regarding providing various facilities to the oustees of this cement plant but was not at all bothered about its implementation at the factory site, which was resulting in resentment among the oustees.

They alleged that the district administration, police and concerned officers were all siding with the cement factory management and all rules and regulations and laws were being broken with impunity by the factory.

They also alleged that this attitude was a clear indication that the government was unnecessarily favouring the management.

They said the concoction of false cases by the police against labour leaders who visited the factory site to provide moral support to the peacefully agitating oustees (who were being maltreated and harassed by the police) was a clear proof that the government was not interested in listening to any grievances of the oustees.

Hamirpur, September 10
A student of a private polytechnic institute at Banni has reportedly drowned while bathing in a lake near Lathiani this afternoon.

Harsh Thakur, a first-year student of diploma in civil engineering at a private polytechnic institute at Banni under Badsar subdivision, had gone to Lathiani along with two college friends Vinay Thakur and Davesh.

According to information, at noon the boy ventured into the Gobindsagar Lake, near Lathiani, to take a dip and was reportedly drowned into the deep waters.

The police parties are searching for the body but have not found any trace till the filing of this report as the lake was overflowing with rainwater.

Una ASP KG Kapoor said, “The administration and police are making all efforts to trace the body of the boy. The administration has requisitioned divers from the Bhakra Beas Management Board for carrying out further search into deep waters.”

Harsh, son of Sat Pal Thakur, hailed from Ani in Kullu district and was the only son of his parents. His father and relatives are likely to reach the place late in the night.

Dharamsala, September 10
The Sakoh government school has become an illustration of how politics weighs over administrative decisions.

The notification for upgradation of the school to senior secondary level was issued in 2007. In 2008 session three lecturers and principal were posted and admissions for 11th and 12th classes were started.

Today, there are 38 students in 11th class and 33 students in 12th class. Suddenly, the education department authorities have realised that the building of the school was not ample enough to run a senior secondary school.

Orders have been issued by director, education, that the school is downgraded to high school (10th class) level as the building is not big enough. The three lecturers and principal posted here have been transferred.

The reaction from the school children and residents was obvious. The students today boycotted the classes in protest against the government decision.

The students sat in dharna on the Dharamsala-Kangra road for about one hour and raised slogans against the state government and local leaders of ruling party. Later in the form procession the students marched to the deputy commissioner’s office.

Deputy commissioner RS Gupta called up the director, education, to know the reason for downgrading the school.

The director besides the reason stated in office orders also told the deputy commissioner that distance of Sakoh from Dharamsala was just 1.5 km.

He said the students who would suffer because of government decision would be shifted to the Dharamsala school.

The deputy commissioner assured the protesters that he would take up the matter with the government.

The sources here said though the school was upgraded to senior secondary level the education department had never sanctioned the posts of lecturer in the school.

The result was that lecturers posted here had not been paid their salaries for the past one year. One of the lecturers affected had moved court against the non- payment of salaries.

The agitation against downgrading of the school has been generating heat as the residents of Sakoh are joining protest.

While talking to The Tribune they said how was it now that the education department realised that the infrastructure for running the senior school here was inadequate after two years. They cited political reasons behind the downgrading.

Dharamsala, September 10
As the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) turned 25 today, the Tibetan women-in-exile dedicated the day to rekindling and reiterating their spirit by re-evaluating their role in the Tibetan freedom struggle.

As mothers of the family, every Tibetan woman is bestowed with a huge responsibility to nurture the future generations and to instill in them the undying spirit of responsibility and freedom.

The TWA traces its origin back to March 1959, in Lhasa, when thousands of Tibetan women gathered in front of the Potala Palace to protest against the Chinese invasion. Hundreds lost lives and thousands were imprisoned.

After those fatal days, many Tibetan women fled across the border, seeking asylum along with the Dalai Lama.

As the women in Tibet were struggling to find steady footing, the women-in-exile fought to help them from the free side of the border.

Later, during 1960s, 70s and till mid 80s, the Tibetan women’s movement spread into Dharamsala and around India. The TWA was reinstated on September 10, 1984.

Today, the TWA has 49 worldwide chapters across four continents: Asia, Europe, America and Australia, and a total of 15,000 members.

The year 2009 is an important year for the TWA, as it marks the 50th anniversary since its inception in Tibet and 25 years since its re-inception in-exile and this year is also being marked as the ‘International Year of Tibetan Women’.

This year the TWA has received invitation from Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) to attend the Regional Consultation Meeting of WGNRR members from October 15 to 17 and to represent Tibet at the Fifth Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights from October 17 to 20 in Beijing. The TWA’s participation will be a milestone in bringing to light the violations that the Tibetan women face in Tibet, the spokesperson of the TWA said.

To commemorate the ‘Twenty Five years in Exile’, the TWA released three new publications. The TWA’s documentary film ‘Breaking the Shackles; 50 years of Tibetan women’s struggle’ (Tibetan narration) followed by premier of the TWA’s maiden documentary film, ‘Lhamo Tso; Behind the Sea’, were also screened.

In the resolution passed today, the TWA urged the Chinese government to open negotiations with Dalai Lama and work sincerely towards resolving the Tibet issue.

Kangra, September 10
Khart Khas panchayat of this block was today awarded the Maharishi Valmiki Swatchta Puraskar, a state-level prize of Rs 1 lakh, for its achievements in community led total sanitation programme and four village panchayats were nominated for Presidential award — Nirmal Gram Puraskar — from this block. They include Ansoli, Ghurkari, Lunj Khas and Kharat Khas.

Speaking on the occasion of the award ceremony held at the BDO office complex here today, local MLA Sanjay Choudary and BDO Bacchan Singh stressed upon the need to maintain cleanliness of villages and wards which could provide better hygienic atmosphere for people living in the respective areas.

NREGA and other developmental schemes would prove effective only when the total sanitation programme was achieved. They sought the support of the community for achieving the target of total sanitation.

The BDO said out of 55 village panchayats in the block, 21 had achieved the target of total sanitation.

Meanwhile, a cash prize of Rs 15,000 each for four mahila mandals on the ward-level were given to Matour, Kachiari, Bala and Samirpur and on the village-level, cash prize of Rs 25,000 each was given to Khala, Icchhi Khas and Lanka Gari.

Uday Bharti, an NGO, has been carrying on door-to-door campaign for total sanitation in the villages, the BDO added.