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Road debris killing trees
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Census confirms new species’ arrival at Pong Dam
JBT trainees rue govt apathy
Dairy project helps farmers enhance milk production
Upkar Divas celebrated
Vignettes
More attempt-to-murder cases in Mandi
Himachal Diary
Divided between two states, farmers face uncertainty
Shivratri fair sees decline in tourists in past years
Mandi a hub of political protests
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Road debris killing trees
Shimla, February 2 The numerous drying tilted trees on the valley side of the Sanjauli bypass constructed two years ago provide a glaring instance of how debris kills even full-grown trees. While over 650 trees were felled after forest clearance for the construction of a 4-km road, a large number have dried up due to indiscriminate dumping of debris. The devastation caused by debris is clearly visible, with entire vegetation which binds the top soil on steep slopes, wiped out and only dry trees standing out. Moreover, the road constructed at a cost of Rs 16 crore has some sharp curves. Had the PWD raised enough retaining structures on the valley side to hold the debris generated from the cutting of hills the trees would have been saved. Not only that the road would have been much straighter. More importantly, retaining structures on the valley side also minimise excavations on the hill side which, in turn, reduce the quantum of debris. At present, hills are being cut almost vertically, rendering the entire strata unstable and prone to landsides. Frequent landslips during rains bring down more trees and the entire debris brought down by them is dumped on the slopes causing more damage to vegetation. The muck ultimately finds way into nallahs and streams, affecting water and irrigation schemes downstream. Often the muck causes nullahs to change course, leading to flash floods. The government has, of late, taken steps to ensure the dumping of debris at designated sites and over 300 such sties have been identified across the state. The initiative is laudable but it will involve huge costs in terms of transportation of debris. The government must make it mandatory for the PWD and other agencies to make the cut-and-fill method an integral part of the tender document so that no debris is dumped on the slopes. Further, the boulders in excess debris, if any, could be provided to stone-crushing units and the soil for enriching farmers fields or used by polyhouse units. It has been observed that contractors start excavation over long stretches for widening of roads, which transforms roads into virtual dustbowls causing problems for motorists as well as pedestrians. It is time that limits are imposed on such reckless excavations and the work is carried out in small stretches with proper disposal of debris through retaining structures and breast walls on the hillside to stabilise the excavated portion. Planned road construction will not only save the environment but also bring down the cost of construction and reduce incidents of landslides.
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Census confirms new species’ arrival at Pong Dam
Hamirpur, February 2 The new species is Common Shelduck (zoological name tadorna tadorna), a widespread duck of the Genus, generally found in temperate Eurasia. The bird census was undertaken at Pong Dam this year from January 15 to 17 by Wildlife Division, Hamirpur, where in NGOs and other agencies also participated. This bird is quite common across the Great Britain and migrates to wetlands of different locations during winter. During the last census, four new species Pied avocet, Great Scaup, Jacana and Nordmans Greenshank were located at Pong Dam. A unique feature of the migratory birds at Pong Dam noted during the census operation this year is that among the 91 species, Common Pochard had taken over the Bar-Headed Goose that is considered as a flag ship bird among the migratory birds, making its count highest this year i.e. 40,500. The arrival of the Bar-Headed Goose is the second highest with its count being about 40,000. Other 10 species, which arrived in good number, are Common Coot, Northern Pintail, Great Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Rudy Shelduck, Eurasian Widgeon, Northern Shoveller, Tufted Pochard, Gadwall and Common Teal. District Forest Officer (DFO) Wildlife Division, Hamirpur, SK Guleria, said: “The continuous arrival of migratory birds in large number with 91 species, including a new species at Pong Dam, has once again confirmed that this wetland is still a good destination for these birds and the department would try to maintain good quality of water in the dam to attract more such birds.”
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JBT trainees rue govt apathy
Nurpur, February 2 According to information, the Education Department has conducted written test for the selection of JBT teachers in 2004 and imparted teaching training to 1,805 selected candidates, out of which 1,611 candidates got training from the District Institutes of Education Training (DIET) and the rest 194 were imparted the same training from four private colleges, including two in Mandi and one each in Shimla and Hamirpur districts. A few JBT trainees hailing from Kangra district told mediapersons recently that they got training from private colleges like other candidates and they also appeared and passed the same entrance test in the same batch and filled the same bond. But we are being given step-motherly treatment and the State Education Department has adopted double standards while appointing JBT trainees, they rued. They lamented that all JBT trainees who were imparted teaching training in DIET centres got government jobs within six months after the completion of their training as per condition of the filled bonds, but they were still waiting for their appointments. They claimed that they had also submitted several memorandums to the government in the connection.
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Dairy project helps farmers enhance milk production
Nurpur, February 2 Initially it was scheduled for five years, but was granted extension up to September 2009, and now second extension was granted till March this year. Being implemented jointly by the State Animal Husbandry Department, the District Rural Development Agency and the Milkfed, this project has been aimed at strengthening dairy farming. According to RK Nanda, joint director, animal husbandry, the department has been organising block-level workshops to educate dairy farmers in Kangra district. He revealed that 20,000 farmers had been selected in Kangra district with the Below Poverty Line and the Above Poverty Line in the ratio of 80:20. Recently, a block-level workshop was organised here by the department in which dairy farming experts gave tips to farmers to improve milk production. Meanwhile, the Animal Husbandry Department claimed that 150 health camps were organised and 5,960 milch cattle were treated from gynecological ailments free of cost last year.
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Upkar Divas celebrated
Kangra, February 2 The scholarships were given to Ranjna, who topped the merit list of MCM DAV College in B.Sc-III, and Retu Rani, topper of class XII, GAV Public School, Kangra. They were handed over cheques of Rs 5,100 each by Urmila Sharma, president of the Bala Ji Trust. Eleven needy and poor students of Government Senior Secondary School, Kangra, were given school uniforms in Loharka village by Komal Sharma, secretary of the Trust. Hundreds of patients were treated on the occasion free of cost and medicines too were distributed by Dr Rajesh Sharma, president of the Bala Ji Vihar Society, in his Bala Ji Hospital. Another free medical camp in this connection was held in Loharka village. The Trust on the occasion launched ‘Roshni aur Hariyali’ programme under which needy people would be operated free of cost and Intraocular Lens would be planted to give them sight on a condition that each patient would plant 10 saplings and look after them so that the environment would become green and benefit society in right perspective.
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Vignettes
The 1910 State Gazetteer of Simla Hill states says that "the only notable industry is brewing in Solan. Messrs. Dyer and Co. have a brewery between Solan and Salogra, and Messrs. Meakin and Co have another one close to Kasauli in Baghat territory." It means Dyer and Meakin were two different companies in 1910. They merged in 1937 to form Dyer Meakin Breweries and Solan became known the world over for Solan beer. Solan earned fame again when it was declared the mushroom city of India on September 10, 1997, because of the indoor cultivation of white button mushrooms at Chambaghat in Solan which laid the foundation of mushroom cultivation in the country.
The Agriculture College campus building of HPKV at Chambaghat is, therefore, an important building in this regard. Solan also had the privilege of giving shelter to Panjab University after it was uprooted from Lahore in 1947. The administrative office was at Solan for about a decade while teaching departments functioned at Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Delhi and Amritsar. Dewan Anand Kumar, the then Vice-Chancellor, used to live in Badrukhan House, where now houses St. Luke's School since 1961. Badrukhan is not the name of any person but of a village about 5 km from Sangrur in Punjab. It is named after big (bade) trees (rukhan). Badrukhan and other villages came under the tutelage of Bagrian sardars and Bhai Arjan Singh, who became the head in 1889, started improving the estate. Badrukhan House at Solan was built probably between 1917 and 1919 under this improvement mission. Kanwar Satyendra Singh says that it was the first tinned-roof house in Solan and many villagers who had never seen such houses earlier used to come to Solan simply to see its tin roof. Khalifa Lodge, currently housing DIET (District Institutes of Education and Training), built around 1929 is a beautiful heritage structure where Khalifa and about 28 members of his family lived during 1947 when communal riots engulfed India and Pakistan. Solan also felt the heat. Khalifa managed to sneak into Raja Durga Singh's palace and directly asked a question "Is it the King's duty to protect the minorities or they have to protect themselves?" The benevolent Raja replied that, of course, it was the duty of the King and made arrangements for stay of the entire family of Khalifa in his residence and saw to it they were escorted safely to Pakistan under a special army contingent commanded from Ambala. Old timers proudly show Radha Bhawan, renamed Rajasthan Bhawan during the mid-1950s when Seths Tula Ram, Gajraj etc. purchased it, where Moti Lal Nehru used to stay with his friend, Lord SC Sinha, a legal luminary from Patna, who had built it in the 1920s. It is adjacent to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and has recently been renovated. Indira Gandhi had lost elections in 1977 and toured various places delivering lectures and had visited Solan too where she divulged addressing a large gathering in the Thodo ground that she, as a child, had come to Solan with her grandfather and stayed at Radha Bhawan. A building that had brought Solan to imminent importance is Anees Villa belonging to Salman Rushdie, the famous controversial writer. Built in 1927, it was purchased by Mohammad Uldin, grandfather of Salman but when the Rushdies left for Pakistan, the government declared it as an evacuee property and transferred it to the Revenue Department. Salman Rushdie's father, Maulvi Anees Ahmad, had gifted it to his son in 1969 who put a claim to it in 1992 and after being convinced the then Deputy Commissioner, Shrikant Baldi, granted the property back to Salman Rushdie in 1997. Rushdie wanted to develop it as a writers' retreat-a dream that is still a dream.
Tailpiece
Zafar, 20-year-old son of Salman at the time of visit to Solan, commented on his father: "All the beautiful women want to talk to dad, so I stand close and bask in the sunlight. Beauty loves brains... I'm not convinced... he's necessarily the best person to give relationship advice..."
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More attempt-to-murder cases in Mandi
Mandi, February 2 In 2008, Mandi topped with 32 cases of rape followed by Kullu (16). Mandi district topped in the cases of murder (9) and attempt to murder (7), while Bilaspur, which has a much less population as compared to Mandi, came second with the cases of murder (8) and attempt to murder (6). Kullu reported 7 cases of murder and Hamirpur 6, while Kullu reported 6 cases of attempt to murder and Hamirpur 4. Mandi district, however, showed a decline in 2009 as it had witnessed 19 cases of murder and 7 cases of attempt to murder in 2008. Crime against women and children reported an upswing in the past two years in the central range reporting 36 cases this year as compared to that of 2008, which had reported 33 cases. With 14 cases, Hamirpur topped the list in the cases of crimes against women and children, kidnapping or abduction followed by Kullu with 11 cases reported in 2009. Bilaspur continued to be in the hall of shame as it reported a case of dowry death in 2009, it had reported two cases of dowry deaths in 2008 and Mandi had reported one case of dowry death in 2008. No other district in this range reported dowry death for the past two years, the police said. But the cruelty to women is on the rise in the Mandi range with Hamirpur district topping the list with 30 cases of cruelty against women. In all, the Mandi range reported 98 cases of cruelty in 2009. But this figure, however, was less than 143 cases of cruelty reported in 2008 in all four districts put together, said the police.
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Himachal Diary
The ban on polythene bags has helped in keeping the hills clean only to a small extent. The main reason for imposing the ban was that the non-biodegradable waste choked drains and nullahs creating sanitary problems in residential localities in the state capital. However, there has been little improvement in the situation and heaps of garbage could be seen in nullahs right in various localities. One such nullah flows through Sector 2 in New Shimla. Huge quantities of urban waste deposited in its bed makes it obvious that the garbage collection system is not functioning. The entire waste is finding its way into the nullah (See photo). The stench emanating from the decaying waste is making life hell for the residents. Similar problems are being faced by residents in other localities as garbage continues to choke nullahs. It is high time that the authorities realise that the ban on polythene is no solution and an effective garbage collection and disposal system has to be put in place. Segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste is the first step towards scientific disposal of waste. However, local bodies in the state have so far not been able organise collection of domestic waste, what to speak of segregation. Out of the total 350 to 400 tonnes of waste generated only a small part of it is collected. Waste management plants are either non-existent or partially functional. The government last month launched a statewide campaign to remove polythene waste during which over 1300 quintals of it was collected. While such campaigns help create awareness among people, they are no substitute for a regular garbage disposal system. Bids sought for carton factory
Tenders have been invited for the sale of apple carton factory at Gumma yet again. It is for the sixth time in the past four years that an effort is being to get rid of the public sector unit with accumulated losses of over Rs 65 crore. The process was initiated by the previous Congress regime, which invited bids to lease out the factory twice. On both occasions, Indage India Limited was the top bidder but somehow the deal did not materialise. The BJP Government, which came to power subsequently also made an unsuccessful attempt to lease out the factory. Thereafter it invited tenders for sale of plant and machinery but as just one party responded no further action be taken in the matter. The Left parties and some fruit growers associations have been opposing the sale of the factory but the government has decide to go ahead with its plans to get rid of the white elephant. Cartons, which were introduced to replace wooden apple packing boxes to help save trees, are now being manufactured in the private sector on a large scale and freely available. As such the decision of the government to close down the loss-making unit and instead set up a fruit processing plant in the area is a step in right direction.
War of one-upmanship
With the war of one-upmanship among BJP and Congress leaders of Himachal Pradesh getting more intense over the involvement of their top leaders in the alleged corruption cases after surfacing of triple CDs during the past some time, burning of effigies of their political opponents have become the order of the day. The burning of effigies of a leader or any institution, which is considered the strongest form of protest to highlight the misdeeds of a leader, is nowadays being used as a tool to browbeat their opponents at the slightest provocation. The last week saw a series of protest across the state in which effigies of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh were set aflame by party workers. So intense was the competition among the workers of the among Congress and the BJP that they did not even bothered to make proper effigies. Instead, they chose to stuff the gunny bags with waste material and virtually made a bonfire of it. Interestingly, with such protest becoming common feature the people have stopped reacting and they hardly help in influencing the public mind. In fact, the party workers also know that and they carry out the rituals more to please their political bosses. The only attraction for the lower rung party activists is that such protests help them find space in newspaper columns, invariably in the pictorial form. (Contributed by
Rakesh Lohumi and DP Gupta)
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Divided between two states, farmers face uncertainty
Dharamsala, February 2 Sanoli Majara is one of the biggest villages near Santoshgarh township of Una district. Some of its farmers are a harassed lot since the village is in Himachal and their land falls in Punjab. Joginder, a farmer, alleges that they are in no man’s land. They cannot take the benefit of schemes floated by either the Punjab or Himachal government. Joginder is a resident of Sanoli Majara which his land is in Punjab. He says they cannot get free electricity for tubewells as being given to farmers in Punjab. On the other hand, they also cannot erect polyhouses under a scheme extended by the Himachal government as their land is not in the state. Besides, both states are not ready to redress their complaints. Farmers of Sanoli Majara also allege that pollution being caused by Punjab Alkalis and Chemicals Ltd (PACL), a chemical unit owned by Punjab government, has been ruining the fertility of their land. Joginder alleges effluent from the unit mixes with the underground water, rendering it unfit for irrigation purposes. “We have reported the matter to the authorities of both the states, but no action has been taken”. As Joginder is finding it hard to earn sufficiently to sustain his family from his agricultural land, he is being forced to work as a labourer with private contractors. Many other farmers like Joginder are facing similar problems due to the alleged faulty demarcation of land on Punjab and Himachal border. Since the Himachal revenue department has failed to complete the settlement of land in the entire state even after 60 years of formation of the state, the problems of farmers are not likely to end in the near future. Farmers say since they are residents of Himachal, the state government should take up the matter with the Punjab government and resettle the boundary issue. Lal Singhi is another village which is suffering on account of merger of the lower Punjab areas with Himachal. The village is located 2 km from the district headquarters of Una. However, in revenue papers it is still part of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab. Sources say the reason behind the anomaly is that the revenue papers of the villagers were lost when the Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur district was merged with Himachal. Later, Una became a district in Himachal. However, since the new settlement has not been carried out in the village, the old entries in revenue papers of village still exist. However, this has caused endless agony for residents of the village who even cannot transfer or sell their land.
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Shivratri fair sees decline in tourists in past years
Mandi, February 2 As per the records available, not more than 40 devtas, who enjoyed the royal patronage used to come to Mandi for the fair in distant past when feudal lords ruled the roost in the hill states. But after independence, their number has swelled to close to 215 devtas. Partly this trend of introducing “new family devtas”, shows an assertion of Dalits’ identities. “Mainly, it highlights the fact that certain section of people in the hills have abused this institution of devtas to carry forward their “private business”, introducing new devtas”, comment old-timers in the town. Local politicians are always there to patronise the new devtas as the followers of devtas constitute a vote bank, local scholars said. “It is happening in Kullu, Shimla, Mandi, Chamba, Sirmaur and other districts where institution of devta exists”. Though the Shivratri ceremonies are part of festivities and a get-together for families and relatives during the festival, but it has failed to attract tourists like the fairs in Mysore and Rajasthan. Moreover, the traditional temple of Mado Rai has entangled in a property dispute after a benami property deal was unearthed involving the Damdama palace that houses the temple. The residents demand that the palace should be maintained exclusively for the festival. This year Shivratri mela starts from February 13 here in which Mandi’s over 215 devis and devtas are expected to participate with traditional gaiety. The traditional “Jaleb” procession starts from Madhavrai temple to the historic Paddal Maidan. Temple town echoes with runny tunes played by the folk musicians, bajantris, who accompany the processions of the devtas. Shivratri begins at traditional Puja Temple of Madhavrai, lord Krishna and Bhootnath, lord Shiva, where traditional bonfire is lit during the night before divine procession proceeds on the Shobha Yatra the next day. The Kamrunag, worshipped as Rain god, is the first devta who enters the town. He is received by the president of the Shivratri Mela Committee on behalf of the erstwhile Raja of Mandi whose ancestors had started the festival in the 16th century. Interestingly Kamrunag, as a tradition, does not participate in the Jaleb instead camps at Tarna temple atop this hill town throughout the weeklong ceremony. The Jaleb procession is led by the Lord Madhavrai, Sukhdev Rishi, (Bali chowki), Shridev Thata(Shiv Badar), and Buda Bingal (Roonj), they said. For villagers who come from all regions, Shivratri is not only a scared time but also shopping time as they buy clothes and agricultural implements from the fair and look forward to a period of good crops and prosperity. For tourists, special attraction is the jaleb and oracle sessions. The rituals part is performed on the premises of the present scion of the Mandi kings and are more or less a formality. Tourists can buy traditional handicrafts and handlooms from the exhibition-cum-sale held at Paddal Maidan. The main cultural events featuring Bollywood singers, dance troupes from different states, local artistes are held at Seri Manch during the festival. Folk music festival for bajantris, wrestling events, rural sports activities and exhibitions are also held. Amandeep Garg, president, mela committee, said all arrangements have been made to maintain health, hygiene and law and order to make the fair a success.
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Mandi a hub of political protests
Mandi, February 2 CPM leaders VK Raghvan and Rakesh Singha and CPI leaders Amarjit Kaur and Des Raj attacked the Manmohan Singh government at the Centre and the PK Dhumal government in the state and hold them responsible for the rocketing prices of commodities and petroleum products in the country. They charged that common man has been pushed to brink of starvation and committing suicides, while a handful of industrialists are becoming richer and richer at the cost of common man. They urged the people of the state to wage a war against the government’s failure to protect their well-being. The rising price has broken the bone of the masses, including farmers, labourers, marginal working class, Dalits and weaker sections of society, in the country, they stressed. Women, youth, workers and activists of the Left Frontal organisations participated in the rally raising their voice against the governments at the Centre and in the state. Rakesh Singha and Des Raj hold the Dhumal government responsible for his failure to control black marketeers in the state. They also hold the Congress and the BJP responsible for the price rise as they were diverting attention of the public from the real issues by playing up the CD issue to gain political upmanship. On the other hand, Congress leaders Rangila Ram Rao, Teg Chand Dogra, Puran Chand Thakur, including NSUI state president Yadhupati Thakur and HP Khet-Kisan Mazdur Sangh convener Surinder Pal, and spokesperson Tarun Pathak burnt the effigies of Dhumal, Manhas and Kashyap in the town in connection with the triple CD expose that created tremors within the BJP. They demanded the dismissal of the BJP government as it was indulging in phone tapping and other unconstitutional activities to settle scores with Congress veteran like Mandi MP and Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh. Even PK Dhumal at a press conference at Una last week dismissed his voice in the CDs as cut and paste job and dubbed them as fake and doctored to damage him and his government politically. Pushing on the defensive, the BJP leaders, Forest Minister JP Nadda, state president Khimi Ram, Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur, retorted stating that the Congress has no moral ground to demand resignation over the issue. The CM has ordered the CID probe to bring out the truth as the CDs are fake and the Congress was playing it up to save its skin, they claimed.
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Shimla, February 2
Hamirpur, February 2
The 1910 State Gazetteer of Simla Hill states says that "the only notable industry is brewing in
Solan. Messrs. Dyer and Co. have a brewery between Solan and Salogra, and Messrs. Meakin and Co have another one close to Kasauli in Baghat territory." It means Dyer and Meakin were two different companies in 1910.
Mandi, February 2
