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Leopard has field day in Kaulagarh
A leopard that entered the campus of the Forest Survey of India basks in the sun in Dehradun
on Friday. — Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir
Maha Kumbh brings Hindus, Muslims closer
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Dr Harsh Bhargava, president, I Create, at a workshop in Dehradun on Friday. A Tribune photograph
Workshop on water quality assessment held
Indira Nagar facing MC neglect: Councillor
An overflowing sewer in Indira Nagar colony of Dehradun; and (inset) Naveen Bisht, Municipal Councillor of
the Vasant Vihar-Indira Nagar area. Tribune photographs
Soon, resource centres at panchayat, block levels
Slums to get face lift
Villagers gear up to oppose Pancheswar dam
Madhuban academy organises campus interview
Institute refutes ABVP charges
FRI chief not surprised
Malik Sports drub Lawa to reach semis
Foresters ill-equipped to deal with big cats
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Leopard has field day in Kaulagarh
Dehradun, January 29
Leopard threat seems to have taken over Dehradun’s outskirts. After a series of leopard attacks in villages in the city’s periphery, the wild cat today kept the people living in the area on tenterhooks from 8.15 in the morning, when it was first sighted inside the Forest Survey of India campus, up till 2.45 pm when it was finally caged from the same area.
Fortunately, the leopard attacked no one and the forest officials took it to Malsi Deer Park to be kept under observation. The services of veterinary doctors were sought to find out about the health of the beast, probably an year old, as there were apprehensions of the leopard having taken ill. For forest authorities, more difficult than caging the leopard was managing the surging crowds. “While we are used to spending long hours to capture leopards, here we certainly feared for the crowd as these onlookers are most vulnerable when a leopard is on the prowl,” Dehradun Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Meenakshi Joshi told The Tribune. The beast that looked least afraid of being in public made an easy stay inside the FSI and FRI campuses even as a rush of onlookers continue to spill over to the Chakrata Road for most part of the day. It was only after it was caged that forest officials heaved a sigh of relief. This is not the first time that leopard has been active in Dehradun, particularly the western part of the city. A week earlier, a man-eater leopard was shot dead by forest officials after it attacked a number of villagers in Jhanjhara area. This had infuriated the locals who blocked traffic and staged protests against the Forest Department. Last year too, a leopard had gone berserk injuring scores of people in the Premnagar region of west Dehradun. The entire forest machinery was pressed into service and it was only by late evening that the marauding leopard was neutralised, but not before it had inflicted much human damage. West Dehradun - starting from Kaulagarh up to Kalsi Chakrata region - has been the worst affected by leopard attacks. Starting from Jhanjara right up to Kalsi, leopards venturing out into human habitations have become a common feature. During the past several years, Forest Research Institute authorities have issued notes of caution to its staff members not to venture into forest areas. There have been many leopard sightings in the FRI area. A few years back, a leopard, along with its cubs, was reportedly sighted in Kaulagarh. Few believed in the report while most others took it as a rumour. DFO, Dehradun, admitted that scattered forest patches in the FRI and adjoining areas and its connectivity to Dehradun city has brought the leopards into close conflict with humans. Prakash Lakchuara, a FSI employee who was witness to the leopard drama, said that the time had come to raise the FSI compound walls for the safety of the employees. Apart from the sprawling campus of the FRI, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Zoological Survey of India, Central Soil Research Institute and several other central government offices are along a km stretch of the Chakrata Road falling between KDMIPE and Kaulagarh crossings. Leopard activity in this area could result in some major tragedy some day.
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Maha Kumbh brings Hindus, Muslims closer
Haridwar, January 29 And as the Maha Kumbh progresses, the brotherhood and cooperation between both communities is again coming to light these days. The Muslim community too is excited over the proceedings of the mega fair and is contributing its fair bit in various
ways.
Muslim contribution Making chariots and other decoration items for
“peshwayis” Arrangement at two mosques to shower petals and give “peshwayis” a grand
reception Felicitation programmes for akhada saints
Muslims are making chariots and other decoration items for the royal procession known as “peshwayis” for various akhadas. Their lending a hand to the “peshwayis” only adds more harmony with no issue of religion or caste surfacing. Apart from this, the Muslims are trying to get associated with the mega fair. They are organising felicitation programmes for akhada saints coming to Haridwar to participate in the Maha Kumbh. Anjuman Kaum Gadan Panchayat has been organising functions to showcase the love and recognition of the Muslim community to the rituals and traditions observed by the akhadas. The atmosphere at Jwalapur Pandawala was a cordial one with Muslims garlanding saints and akhada representatives sharing the dais and discussing various issues. “These steps will give a message of religious harmony to the whole world and speaks of the brotherhood shared between the two communities. With the Maha Kumbh, this aspect gains more significance,” said Asgad Gada, a representative of the Anjuman Panchayat. Former municipal chairman Pradeep Chaudhary opined that people of both communities have been living peacefully in Haridwar district and rarely has communal tension raised its ugly head unlike in other cities where both communities have sizable populations. There is a considerable excitement among Muslims too to see the royal processions of various akhadas. On the route of the “peshwayis” lie two mosques and elaborate arrangements have been done to shower petals and to give these a grand reception by the Muslims in the holy city. Notably, the Muslim community also plays a pivotal role during the “kanwar” season. Millions of “Kanwariyas” come to Haridwar to take the holy water of the Ganga in their “kanwars” most of which are made by Muslims. At Jwalapur, the suburban Muslim dominated township in Haridwar, making “kanwars” is big business and for many Muslim families, it is a family business. Several families have been involved in their making for decades and the ones made by Muslims are most in demand among Hindu “Kanwariyas”.
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Creating jobs through entrepreneurship
Dehradun, January 29 I Create and the NFTE have established their mark in six other states. However, as Uttarakhand has immense potential for developing opportunities in the field of entrepreneurship, the seventh chapter of the programme was initiated here. The thrust of the foundation is to collaborate with a large number of educational and women-oriented institutes so that jobs can be created through the methods of entrepreneurship. The keynote speaker for the workshop were Dr Harsh Bhargava, president of I Create, Dr Apoorva Bhargava, Editor and Director, programme development, I Create, and Erik Daumen, Director, NFTE. Sharing a close association with I create and NFTE, VA Bourai, Principal SGRR College supported this plan in Uttarakhand so that amongst youth business acumen can be generated indirectly creating job opportunities for large number of people. “Since last several years I have shared a close bond with team of I create, however, over the years when I discovered that people in Uttarakhand are hardly interested in setting up business we thought of organising a workshop here. Primarily, two methodologies are followed in the workshop, to change the mindset and to create job creators instead of job seekers,” said VA Bourai, Principal SGRR College. Topics such as power of networking, entrepreneurs-artist of economy, entrepreneurial skills and characteristics, entrepreneurial risks and rewards, sources of business opportunities and other related subjects were discussed in an interactive session amid members.
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Workshop on water quality assessment held
Dehradun, January 29 The geographical picture of Uttarakhand largely comprises mountainous areas, which cradle many rivers and natural water sources. Owing to geological differences and as a result of leaching of various cations through water sources, different parts of the state have an acute problem arising out of the supply of this water for domestic and drinking use. As water moves through soil and rocks, it dissolves very small amounts of minerals and holds them in solutions. Elaborating on the significance of the training, Dr Rajendra Dobhal, Director, UCOST, said such workshops would help produce human resource for assessing the quality of water across all districts of Uttarakhand. The PCRI has joined hands with us to provide training to persons in all districts of Uttarakhand, he added Calcium and magnesium contents dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water ‘hard’ and the presence of these two cations are felt in most of the parts of the state. In addition to the above, most of the drinking water sources in Uttarakhand, especially in the Garhwal region, have high iron contents. Moreover, urban solid waste and industrial waste are two other major contributors to water pollution. Thus, groundwater and river water being supplied and used for drinking and domestic purposes are not in good condition and need intervention. A lack of access to safe drinking water for millions of people in the country, including those living in Uttarakhand, is one of the greatest technological challenges today. “This kind of training is the need of the hour because quality water will ensure health and hygiene for the users”, concluded Dr NC Agarwal, Medical Officer, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
(BHEL), Haridwar.
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U’khand Police, Khudbura XI win
Dehradun, January 29 The state police won the toss and elected to bat first piling a massive total of 311 runs in the allotted 35 overs. Opening batsman Harsh with 41 and Nitin Saini with 25 gave a good start to the team, but couldn’t convert their individual scores to a big number. Perhaps this was for good for the team as first down batsman Neeraj played a smashing knock of 122 runs for 76 balls. His century contained five sixes and 14 boundaries. Ashish, who scored 64 runs for 48 balls, supported Neeraj from the other end while Ravinder Bisht too played a cameo innings of 27 runs in just 10 balls. For DRCA, Vikas claimed three wickets while Nittu, Anil and Anuj pocketed one wicket each. Replying to the modest total, the batsmen of DRCA failed to click in front of its rivals bowling attack. Nittu, who made 26 runs and Anuj with 39 were the only batsmen who could score some respectable number for the team. The team was bundled out for just 118 runs in 29.2 overs. Dhiraj with four wickets was the pick of bowlers for the Uttarakhand Police. Ravinder Bisht and Naresh took two wickets while Navnish and Bhuran chipped in with one wicket each. In the second well-contested match, Khudbura XI managed to beat Rao Cricket Academy by five runs played at the Survey of India Stadium. The winning team won the toss and chose to bat first. Shivam with 83 was the top scorer for the batting side. The team scored 174 runs for 10 in 36.1 overs. Replying Rao Cricket Academy had small contribution from all its batsmen and it gave a good competition to the Khudbura XI. However, it couldn’t capitalise in the last moment and the team got all-out of five-run short of its target.
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Indira Nagar facing MC neglect: Councillor
Dehradun January 29 Promises, hopes and
assurance, these are the most common things on the mind of voters during the season of MC elections. Contesting candidates during door-to-door campaigning promise repairing streetlights, maintaining roads and supply of potable water.
Navin Bisht, a young Congress party municipal councillor from Vasant Vihar ward, asserted on his achievements of doing maximum work like making roads and providing 90 per cent streetlights in his block but also highlighted the drawbacks of his tenure. “The condition of the drainage system in Indira Nagar and the adjoining areas are worst, which is the neglected part from the municipal corporation’s end. The grants provided by the Centre are somewhere getting dissolved between the ruling and opposition parties. Being common people’s representative, it’s my responsibility to facilitate them with every basic necessity for which I am striving diligently during my tenure,” said
Bisht. Bisht said he has the largest ward in the area, making the regular cleaning work cumbersome and lengthy task on the daily basis. He made a plea to the public for keeping their localities clean as a measure of hygiene and sanitation. Infringed outflow of the sewage water and domestic wastes could be curbed with public cooperation.
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Soon, resource centres at panchayat, block levels
Dehradun, January 29 Besides providing space for the implementation of MGNREG, BNRGSK will become the hub for facilitating convergence of all schemes of rural development and other development programmes. The move by the Ministry of Rural Development has come in the wake of the various state governments’ desire to strengthen the infrastructure at the gram panchayat and block level. The move will also strengthen the infrastructure at the programme office level to enable efficient implementation of NREGA and to provide space for greater and more transparent interaction with citizens. “The BNRGSK will function as a knowledge resource centre to allow access to information on NREGA and other rural development programmes. Citizens can submit applications for job cards and for work, complaints and muster roll scrutiny,” said Om Prakash, Secretary, Rural Development. A meeting of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department
officers will soon be convened to facilitate the construction of the BNRGSK in Uttarakhand. At the gram panchayat, the BNRGSK centre will comprise approximately 130 sq m covered area and the cost should not exceed Rs 10 lakh to be covered under the NREGS budget. It will have a meeting hall to accommodate approximately 50 persons, a room to accommodate the gram panchayat office requirements, another room for public interface and an open amphitheatre near the building to be used for public functions. At the block level, the covered area for the BNRGSK will be 290 sq m and the overall cost has to be kept under Rs 25 lakh. The labour material ratio of 60:40 has to be maintained. For the districts that are beneficiaries of the Border Region Grant
Fund (BRGF), the material component will be met from the BRGF and the labour component from NREGS. These districts are Tehri, Champawat and Chamoli. In the non-BRGF districts,NREGS will be the main source of funding while maintaining the limits that have been stipulated for expenditure under NREGS for constructing the BNRGSK building at block and gram
panchayat level.
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Slums to get face lift
Dehradun, January 29 A formal approval has been given for the construction of 274 houses at Landhoura at a cost of Rs 8.5 crore, 144 houses at a cost of Rs 6 crore at Jaspur and for housing projects in Dehradun, Ramnagar and Deepnagar at a cost of Rs 10 crore. The poor in other cities are also expected to benefit from the Central government’s programme for which a detailed project report is under preparation. These include Narain Nagar in Nainital where 133 houses are likely to be built. Infrastructure renovation and expansion will also take place in other four slums of
Nainital. According to officials concerned of the Urban Department, detailed project reports are also being prepared for the construction of 251 houses at a cost of Rs 7.5 crore at Mohra Dabra and 251 houses in Udham Singh
Nagar. Simultaneously, projects are being prepared for the constructing 300 houses at
Kashipur, 50 at in Lal Kuan, 40 at Mussoorie, 250 at Haldwani, 130 at Kala
Dhungi, 40 at Bageshwar for slum dwellers and for the construction of 250 houses in
Haldwani. Work is also on for laying sewerage in Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital and setting up a solid waste management project under the Central
programme.
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Villagers gear up to oppose Pancheswar dam
Pitthoragarh, January 29 Except for the traders of Jhoolaghat, more than 20 villages in the vicinity of the town are against the construction of the dam. “All villages up to 3,000 ft, which are likely to be
submerged in the dam waters, have fertile lands growing not only sufficient grain, but also fruits and vegetables. The villagers there will have no place to go if they are uprooted,” said Chandrashekhar Bhatt, a villager who has announced that he would organise the villagers against the construction of
the project. “As traders and businessmen in Jhoolaghat town are originally either from Nepal or Champawat district, they do not represent local sentiment,” said Bhatt. A meeting of the local affected villages will soon be organised to oppose the move. Jhoolaghat town on Monday witnessed a protest march organised by the chairman of the District Youth Committee Shanker Singh Kharyat who announced that he would form a joint committee of the affected people from India and Nepal. “Since the dam will inundate a very sensitive area of the Himalayan region and will displace thousands of villagers situated on fertile land, our organisation will join hands with the affected people in Nepal to oppose the project,” said Shanker Singh Kharyat.
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Madhuban academy organises campus interview
Dehradun, January 29 Aspiring candidates were very excited and with full confidence appeared for the interview. Director of the academy Hemant Kochar said, “Keeping in mind the professional needs of the students, we organised the campus interview. In six-month industrial training at leading five star hotels students will find several opportunities to grow and once their training period will get over they will get good placement.” To get an overview of the campus placement, participating students have an interaction with the human resource team of the five star hotels and cleared their all queries. Moreover, in February the renowned hotels like Le Meredien, Sangrila and Rmada Plaza will again come here for the interviews,” added Kochar. Principal of the academy KK Chopra, operation training and placement coordinator Sunil Philip and Amit Anand and other members of the academy were present at the venue.
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Institute refutes ABVP charges
Dehradun, January 29 Ragubir Singh, secretary of the IIMT, alleged that the ABVP members had approached them for some donation to which the institute authorities had asked them to come sometime later. However, the ABVP workers came to the institute on January 26 in the evening and created a ruckus over the issue of unfurling of the national flag and filed an FIR against the institute, added the secretary. He further alleged the ABVP workers forcibly entered the premises of the institute on
January 28 while the students were attending their respective classes and vandalised its
property. However, later the police reached the spot and controlled the situation. The IIMT demanded that the case filed
against it be withdrawn as it was baseless and the students be provided with security.
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FRI chief not surprised
Dehradun, January 29 “Yes, there exists a leopard within FRI forest area and we were not surprised by today’s leopard episode in the adjacent Forest Survey of India,” Director FRI Dr SS Negi told The Tribune. He rather asserted that the presence
of a leopard inside the FRI forest revealed the presence of rich biodiversity
in the area. He also confirmed the existence of wild boar, “sambhar” and other wildlife inside FRI forests. The sightings of cobras have been very frequent inside the FRI campus. The Bombay Natural History Society had declared the Forest Research Institute campus as one of 200 bird-rich areas in the country. The leopard captured today had barged into the Forest Survey of India campus from the FRI side after jumping over the boundary wall. There were also reports that some FRI officials, at a personal level, were studying FRI forest vegetation vis-à-vis leopards.
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Malik Sports drub Lawa to reach semis
Roorkee, January 29 Batting first after winning the toss, the Lawa team made 164 runs at the loss of nine wickets in the allotted 30 overs. The opponent team overhauled the target with ease, scoring 165 for 5 in just 18.5 overs. For Lawa, Devinder was the most successful batsman, who hit 46 runs on 53 balls, followed by Sachin (37 on 32 balls) and Sanjiv (25 on 43 balls). Kartar and Vivek of the Delhi team struck three wickets each, conceding 25 and 43 runs, respectively. Rakesh and Amit got one wicket each. In reply, a superb knock of 80 runs in just 49 balls by Azam Khan helped the Delhi team to win the match with ease. The other successful batsmen were Nakul (26 off 17) and Tarun Chaudhary (11 off 14). Sanjiv from the Lawa team claimed the maximum three wickets conceding 27 runs whereas Nepal and Arvind took one wicket each. Azam Khan was declared the man of the match.
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Foresters ill-equipped to deal with big cats
Dehradun, January 29 However, the Garhi Cantonment police authorities acted courageously along with the forest officials in overpowering the leopard. Dealing with leopards seems to have become a challenging task for the forest authorities. Even in cases when leopards have been declared man-eaters, the forest authorities were found holding searches for efficient hunters as one or two on its roll were often found busy in one task or another. Even scarcity of tranquilliser guns have been felt time and again.
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Dehradun, January 29
Dehradun January 29
