Shimla, March 22
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today stressed the need for creating public awareness to protect environment and irrational use of precious natural resources.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day-long conference on Himalayan Environment Issues and Challenges organised by the Institute of Integrated Himalayan Studies (IIHS), Himachal Pradesh University and Mountain Forum Himalayan, here today.

The Chief Minister said rapid growth in population and its dependence on forest had resulted into deforestation and soil erosion, endangering environment and destabilising eco-system. He said the state government had launched different afforestation schemes, including ‘Pipal-Bargad’ and rejuvenation of deodar trees.

He said public participation was a must to ensure success of forestry programme and their cooperation must be sought in increasing forest cover. He said continuous loss of biodiversity and destruction of forests was a cause of concern and remedial measures be taken to protect the fragile Himalayan ecology.

Dhumal said combating climate change and global warming was not only an ecological necessity but also an opportunity for sustainable development. “People must be encouraged to adopt age old traditions so as to lead the community on a path of ecologically sustainable development,” he said.

The CM said speedy melting of glaciers and change in climate had posed threat to the Himalayan region. He said the government had prepared a Rs 372 crore ambitious project to promote diversification of crops with special focus on organic farming and water harvesting.

Delivering the keynote address, eminent environmentalist Dr Vandana Shiva said Himachal must take lessons from Uttarakhand in promoting organic farming. “The Navdanaya movement in Uttarakhand has shown way to farmers in switching over to organic farming which can be replicated in Himachal,” she said.

Dr Shiva said her organisation had fought for protection of over 11,000 plant species against piracy under the Intellectual Property Rights Act. She stressed for protecting indigenous seed varieties, which could be used by villagers in undertaking organic farming.

Dharamsala, March 22
Ticket seekers for IPL matches scheduled for Dharamsala on April 16 and 18 had to return dejected today. The people gathered in large numbers at the ticket counters at Kechehri crossing, Mecleodganj and the cricket stadium, after the announcement was made by HPCA authorities yesterday that sale of tickets would begin at Dharamsala this morning.However, the people had to return dejected as no tickets were sold today by the company hired for the purpose.

The HPCA spokesperson Sanjay Sharma when contacted said that the tickets could not be sold due to technical fault at sale counters. ‘We are hopeful that the tickets would be sold to residents from tomorrow onwards.’

The minimum ticket for the proposed IPL matches is of Rs 650. The price of tickets goes up to Rs 10000. However, students’ tickets are being sold at Rs 125. They would have to produce their identity cards while buying the tickets.

There is a lot of resentment among the locals due to non- availability of tickets and information regarding proposed matches.

The marketing team of Punjab Kings XI visited Dharamsala last week to survey the ground. Development works at the stadium and roads leading to it are being carried out at a hectic pace by the HPCA and district administration authorities. The state government had planned to give a new look to Dharamsala. It had planned a colour scheme for Dharamsala town. However, with the time running out it seems that all targets might not be met.

The sources available here also told The Tribune that the commuters visiting Dharamsala town for IPL matches might face problems in getting hotel accommodation. About 600 hotel rooms that account for 80 per cent room availability at Dharamsala have already been requisitioned by the HPCA.

The HPCA is headed by Anurag Thakur, son of Chief Minister PK Dhumal and MP from Hamirpur. 

Shimla, March 22
Instead of thundershowers, hailstorms and chilly winds, a normal feature during this time of the year, the hill state is experiencing an unusually hot March with the “Queen of Hills” recording the highest temperatures for the month till date over the past two days. The unfavourable weather is causing concern to apple growers as a second consecutive crop failure will spell doom for them.

The mercury has shot up sharply across the state over the past one week and most places are recording maximum temperatures, ranging from 5 to 10 degree Celsius above normal. The increase has been more in middle and higher hills as compared to the lower hills. Shimla recorded a maximum of 25.7 degree Celsius on Saturday and 25.4 degree Celsius on Sunday, 10 degree Celsius higher than normal. The highest for the month till March 21 recorded earlier was 25.5 on March 5, 2004, informs the in charge of the local Met office Dr Manmohan Singh. The minimum of 16.5 degree Celsius was also 9 degree above normal.

Similarly, the mercury soared in other places too with Sundernagar (34.5 degree Celsius) and Dharamsala (30.4 degree Celsius) recording temperatures 9 degree Celsius higher than normal. The winter chill has made a premature exit even in the tribal areas which are normally under snow during this time. Kalpa was unusually hot at 21 degree Celsius, 9 degree Celsius above normal, and Keylong recorded a maximum of 12.9 degree Celsius, 6 degree Celsius higher than normal.

The lower hills adjoining bordering plains were also recording higher temperatures but the increase was less compared to middle and higher hills. Una recorded a maximum of 37 degree Celsius, and Nahan 31.4, both 4 degree Celsius above normal. The main reason for sudden warming of hills is attributed to insufficient snow during winter and dry spell for the past six weeks.

The apple growers are worried as high temperature leads to early flowering which is not good for crop. In such situations the difference between day and night temperature increases and there is always a risk of untimely snow and hailstorms which revive wintry conditions, which affect fruit setting as low temperature cause injury to new shoots, affecting, explains Dr Gurdev Singh, director of horticulture.

Flowering has already started in low areas and growers are keeping their fingers crossed. 

Dharamsala, March 22
The Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department will write to the Finance Department to cut in the budget being allotted to three local bodies of the state, including the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Solan and Palampur municipal councils. The IPH Department is making the move to recover over Rs 80 crore that the said local bodies owe to it.

IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi gave this information while talking to The Tribune here today.

He said all said local government bodies were getting water supply from the IPH Department. They were also collecting bills regularly from residents. However, the amount was not being deposited in the IPH. Due to it the liability of the IPH towards the Shimla Municipal Corporation had increased to Rs 72 crore, Solan Municipal Council Rs 9 crore and Palampur Municipal Council Rs 2 crore.

We have sent reminders to the said local bodies regularly. However, they have failed to pay. Now we are being forced to write to the government and the Finance Department to make cut in the budget of the local government and deposit the liability with the IPH Department, the minister said.

Interestingly Shimla, Solan and Palampur are the only three municipal councils that are collecting bills from consumers. At all other places the bills are being collected directly by the IPH Department.

According to sources, theft of water in the said local government bodies is a major cause of under recovery of water dues. In Shimla there are lakhs of dwellings. However, there are a few thousand legal connections.

The minister also said the state government had made a budget provision of Rs 10 crore for the Phina Singh Canal in the Nurpur area of Kangra district. The amount was 10 per cent share that the state government would have to contribute to the project. Ravi further said it was for the first time that the state government would get Rs 160 crore as 90 per cent grant-in-aid for flood control measures in the state from the Union government. The amount would be spent on the Swan river in Kangra district and the Bata river in Sirmour district.

When asked, he also said the chargesheet in the grease scam would be submitted in the court by vigilance in the near future.

Hamirpur, March 22
The Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department today organised an awareness rally here on the World Water Day in which school students and employees of the department participated. The main objective of the rally was to create awareness about the importance of water conservation among public.

The rally was flagged off by department’s chief engineer Ashok Shridhar. Participants carrying placards and raising slogans about water conservation marched through the bazaar up to the Nadaun Chowk.

A programme was also organised at the District Education and Training Institute, Gona Karor, which was presided over by zila parishad chairperson Malika Dhiman.

She stressed the need of conserving water as its demand is increasing every day. More than 1.21 billion people throughout the world are not getting clean drinking water, she said adding that the situation was quite alarming in India as water density had decreased manifold and now, the situation could only be tackled by conserving every drop of water and by better water management system. — TNS

Palampur, March 22
The 12th World Congress on Environment Management will be held at Palampur from May 28 to 30. It will be organised by the World Environment Foundation to promote sustainable tourism in the state in a way that puts the state on the world map of tourism without endangering its ecology.

Dr Madhav Mehra, president World Environment Foundation (WEF), said the conference would have a keynote address from former secretary tourism and permanent representative of World Tourism Organisation Bezbaruah, besides several other dignitaries from all over the world. — OC

Sundernagar, March 22
In his new “back to village political mantra”, Chief Minister PK Dhumal today announced to open an animal hospital in each 1,150 left-out gram panchayats and went on to urge farmers to protect, propagate and promote Pahari cow breeds as the they were storehouse of actual wholesome milk and their urine had cancer-curing medicinal properties.

This twin effort will usher into a real “organic farming revolution” in the state that in turn can raise the economic power of villagers, he added.

Addressing the public meeting at Jawahar Park after performing puja at mela ground of the week-long Nalwar cattle fair and devta mela here, Dhumal said the state government was about to get Rs 372 crore from Japan for promoting organic farming under which each farmer could set up an organic farm unit at his field and use manure and produce organic milk products.

He said Japan-sponsored project would mature by 2011 and Rs 300 crore had been earmarked for the drip and water-sprinkling scheme, which gives 80 per cent subsidies, and Rs 85 crore for the apple rejuvenation scheme to provide root stocks to farmers.

The Chief Minister made dig at Congress leaders accusing them of promoters of “old wine in new bottle” culture while his government was the real benefactor of farmers. He urged farmers to take advantage of various rural development schemes.

He also dedicated Rs 65 lakh Banait-Bahot lift irrigation scheme near here to public, which was started in 2002 during his last tenure.

On demands raised by the BJP, Sundernagar MLA Roop Singh Thakur Dhumal said proposal for blood bank at the Civil Hospital here would be sent to NACO and bypass for town was already in the government’s consideration.

Hamirpur, March 22
Additional District and Sessions Judge here Ratan Singh Thakur has sentenced a person to 12 years rigorous imprisonment under Section 376 of the IPC for rape.

It is notable that the offender has already served seven years imprisonment in another rape case under Section 376 and 452 of the IPC, some time back.

In a judgment passed today, the judge has found Bhupinder Singh, alias Shanichru, son of Raghu Nath of Ladhuahi under Bhoranj police station, guilty of raping the victim on August 22, 2009.

The offender has been imprisonment for 12 years with a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 376, another six years with a fine of Rs 5,000 under Section 452 and one-year sentence and a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 323 of the IPC.