Jalandhar, December 29
In the absence of any concrete move by the PUDA authorities, owners of shops located in the PUDA complex start showing resentment against the illegal encroachment of parks in the complex. These encroached parks, which are turning into eyesore, are located just 500 yards from the office of PUDA. The continuous dumping of chassis of damaged vehicles has caught the authorities in deep slumber.

Immunity of the authorities towards the issue of public concern can be gauzed from the fact that the condition of parks is worsening despite the fact that the issue has already been raised by concerned quarters. The issue of illegal encroachments was also highlighted in these columns a few days back, but it seems that the authorities want to be in the news fo wrong reasons.

With a frequency of more than twice a day, recovery vans along with hanging damaged vehicles enter the complex. Location of dumping of scrap depends only up to the will of the operator of recovery van and junk dealers. After having brief conversation with one another, they usually decide to drop this scrap in the parks of the complex. And sometimes, when required “space” is not available, they unload it right in front of the shops and shop-cum-offices. All this happens in broad daylight.

“Cleanliness was the only reason that we bought shops in this complex. But reality is that sometimes even entries to our shops become chocked due to assembling of scrap. Now these illegal dumping grounds have started affecting our business,” said shop owner Harinder Singh.

“We didn’t lodge any complaint with PUDA on this issue. However, we verbally brought the matter to the notice of a senior official. But they want written complaints from us. How far is it genuine to seek complaints to enforce rule of law when clearing of illegal encroachment is duty of the authorities,” added another shopkeeper.

Immunity of the authorities is proved further by the replies given by one of the encroachers.

“PUDA officials never asked us to clear the space. Whenever they ask, we will clear the encroachments,” he said.

However, PUDA officials always remained of the view that in the absence of any stringent law against encroachment, it is not possible to implement anti-encroachment drive effectively.

“We will definitely serve notice to clear the encroachments. We can impose a fine on them if they will not clear it. This is all what we can do,” said Chief Administrator of PUDA Parvin Kumar.

Jalandhar, December 29
The clichéd statements of the state education authorities to provide quality science education to the students of government schools do not seem to be bearing fruit as only 26 senior secondary government schools have science streams in their curriculum. At present, there are 119 senior secondary schools in the district.

This, despite the fact that district science teachers have the provision of utilising 30 per cent of the total monthly funds to purchase apparatus for science labs in schools.

Earlier, schools availed the facility of separate science funds to upgrade facilities in labs.

Science Teachers Association, Punjab, general secretary Sanjiwan Singh Dhadwal said science education was virtually paralysed due to lack of practical periods in the time table.

“Although we have been taking up this issue with senior officials every now and then, the issue hasn’t been addressed as yet. Assurances come and go but the ground reality remains the same. The wrong policies of the education authorities are taking their toll on the students with poor results and a few takers for the science stream in senior classes,” he added.

Such is the condition that nearly 90 per cent middle schools in the district are without science labs. “Leave the schools in the remote areas of the district even those in cities run with makeshift arrangements,” he maintained.

The Tribune team visited some of the government schools and found science labs in a state of mess. At Government School, Puranpur, the science apparatus has not been changed for the past more than five years. Even the furniture was broken with poor facilitie of lights, ventilation and mandatory cleanliness. “We cannot help the situation as the school lacks the necessary apparatus and moreover there is no science stream here,” lamented a teacher.

At Government Middle School, Talhi Mohalla, Kabir Nagar and Labh Singh Nagar, the situation is no better. “In the absence of any science labs, we are forced to teach the students through demonstrations in classrooms,” said a science teacher, requesting anonymity.

Similarly, at Government Senior Secondary School, Nihaluwal, near Shahkot, the school is managing the show with makeshift arrangements. It has been more than eight years since the school is working without a regular chemistry teacher. Though the school has a well-equipped laboratory, due to the absence of a chemistry teacher, the subject is being taught in makeshift arrangements.

Even at Government Senior School, Raipur Pharaula, the science students were forced to manage the show with makeshift conditions. “Almost every senior secondary school has been facing a shortage of the necessary science equipment in the laboratories,” said another teacher.

Government Senior Secondary School, Chak Kalan, has been running the science stream with the help of the lone chemistry teacher as the physics lecturer went abroad. “It has been more than a year since the school has no physics and biology teachers,” said a teacher.

Even Government School, Alawalpur, has been running the science stream without the mandatory chemistry lecturer for more than a year. And similar is the situation at Government School, Randhawa Massanda, near here, where owing to lack of facilities for science teaching, students have been opting for colleges in the vicinity. “Science education would witness a complete downfall if the state education authorities fail to act on time bringing some major policy changes in this regard,” added Dhadwal.

Jalandhar, December 29
After the dismal performance of the world’s leading polluting countries at the conference in Copenhagen, the environmental dangers, which are almost ready to engulf us all, seem all the more monstrous.

While we can in no way nullify the conclusions reached upon by the science community after diligent and assiduous researches, that toxic gases and insensible deforestation be immediately controlled to tackle the problem of global warming, nothing much is being done to stop the menace at the local front.

A study conducted by the IIT Delhi, in association with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) listed Jalandhar as a ‘seriously’ polluted zone. It has a pollution score of around 65, just five points short of entering the ‘critically’ polluted areas, which pose dangers of serious ecological distress.

The criteria followed to assess the pollution level were air and water pollution, ecological damage, land degradation, waste management and bio-diversity conservation.

“We need to take serious note of the situation. Some tough decisions need to be taken immediately to put brakes on new approvals of industrial projects until alternative additional measures of pollution control are not evolved. Otherwise, the situation will only deteriorate,” said a senior member of the Punjab Pollution Control Board, on the condition of anonymity.

As per an estimate, the volume of polluted water generated in the municipal limits stands at around 280 million litres per day (MLD). The Supreme Court directions made it mandatory that polluted water from cities should in no way be directly or indirectly drained into rivers.

So, the MC, along with the Sewerage Board is planning to enhance the polluted water treatment capacity of the city by proposing two sewerage treatment plants of 25 MLD each against the earlier proposed 185 MLD. The city reportedly produces 500 tones of solid waste per day, which means around 500,000 kilograms. Due to inadequate finances, lack of proper monitoring and inadequate emphasis on preventive maintenance, most of the solid waste, at present, is being disposed off in an unscientific manner.

“A new system is in the pipeline. The responsibility of door to door collection of garbage, its transportation to the dump yard, treatment and scientific disposal of the residue, will be handed over to a private firm in about a period of three months,” said B.P. Singh, a senior official with the corporation.

With the rise in industries and traffic, the level of air pollution is constantly on the rise in the city. While as per the accepted norms, the higher limit of respirable suspended particulate matter should not increase from 120 microgram per metre cube, it stands at around 170 in industrial areas, 165 in commercial and 128 in residential areas.

Recently, the High Court put a ban on the registration and renewal of permits of vehicles run by diesel engines. But as per the expectations, the government stands far behind in providing the outlets of alternative CNG fuel. The supply of CNG is only available up to Sonepat.

However, Deputy Commissioner Ajit Singh Pannu, in his statement on December 2nd, said either all the auto-drivers convert their autos to LPG/CNG or leave the city. When the city needs efficient public transport to control rising air pollution and traffic congestion, the city will instead suffer from shortage of intra-city buses as long as the HC directions are not met.

Meanwhile, the city’s forest cover is depleting pretty fast. Long stretches of old trees are being cut mercilessly to give way to roads and other ‘developmental’ projects. Ideally, about 33 per cent of the total area should comprise green cover. In urban localities, the lower limit stands at 13 per cent. Surprisingly, even after the Municipal Corporation’s attempt to promote green cover by planting about 500 plants in each of the 60 wards, the green cover stands at around 6 per cent, after including parks and playgrounds.

The proposed transformation of the city’s biggest Burlton Park into a sports hub would decrease it further. The situation of public parks can easily be assessed from the un-maintained and unkempt Nehru Garden, present directly under the nose of MC’s new building. Once spread across around 15 acres, it now possesses only 6/7 acres of land.

Interestingly, a budget of Rs 3.27 crore has been allocated for the beautification of the park but how much of it would be translated into reality, needs to be seen.