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Slim chance of making Doon slum-free
Play drives home the message ‘let Ganga be’
Irrigation schemes caught in build-neglect-rebuild cycle, says report
More than 3,500 houses on verge of collapse in Mussoorie: Survey
State Disaster Management Minister Khajan Das launches a book on seismic threat in Uttarakhand at a workshop in Mussoorie.
Doon United thump Uttarakhand Tiger
A player has a go at the goal in a match of the Lala Nemi Dass District Football League in Dehradun on Tuesday.
A Tribune photograph
National Paralympic Games 2010
Sports Hostel beat Vijay Cantt 2-1
Garhwali VCD released
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Rafting hits wildlife hurdle
Dehradun, July 13 Fourteen out of 34 camping sites along the Ganga were found to be detrimental to the region’s wildlife. The camps found unsuitable included Shivpuri, Brahmapuri and Singtalli. The 36-km stretch of the Ganga between Rishikesh and Kaudiyala and along the road to Deoprayag constitutes the rafting zone. Rafting in the world’s most sacred river started as low-key affair in 1988, courtesy Yousuf Zaheer of the Himalayan River Runners when rafting companies requested the then Uttar Pradesh government to grant permission for the establishment of camps along the river. Since then a lot of water has flown down the mighty Ganga and white water rafting today is a soaring business.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, conducted an assessment of rafting camps along the Kaudiyala-Rishikesh stretch. This 36-km river stretch has 34 rafting camps dotted along the banks with 27 camps on the left bank and seven camps on the right bank. Of the seven camps on the right bank, four fall within the administrative control of the Rajaji National Park. Rafting camps pose significant environmental challenges. Camping impacts may include vegetation disturbance, compositional change and loss of cover, erosion of soil, damage and loss of shrubs and trees, pollution of water resources and, more importantly, disturbance to wildlife. Referring to the 14 camps in question, the report revealed that camps Nos. 3, 6, 7 and 9 in Brahmapuri were not suitable for camping for various wildlife reasons. These areas, it said, were found to be have good wildlife habitat.
WII scientists also recommended the removal of rafting camp No. 8 in Paliyalgaon asserting that it would bring humans into direct conflict of wildlife. The report also shows this camp as falling in the protected area. Thus any activity there is in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Camps 15 and 19 in Bijni beat and camp 20 in Malakhunti too falls under protected areas and thus cannot be used for camping. Further, camp No. 17 Shivpuri was found conducive for use by animals and thus not suitable for camping. As the site in Singtalli holds certain ecological value which can be enhanced making it suitable for use by wildlife, camp Nos. 24 and 28 should not be used for camping purposes. Camp No. 33 at Lansdowne was also not found suitable for camping as the site as it is surrounded by a low level of disturbance and is likely to be used by wild animals. The WII report has strongly recommended rationalising the annual and daily operating times and numbers of rafts and rafting camps. The study, apart from making a quick assessment of the ecological implications of the growing number of camps in Rishikesh-Kaudiyala stretch of the Ganga and the consequent impacts on wildlife, also entailed providing some insight for the officials of the Uttarakhand State Forest Department. The aim of this insight is to develop management responses for wildlife conservation and to evolve an environmental management guideline which is inclusive of the best practice code for regulating adventure tourism in the region. The entire stretch was surveyed going upstream on a jet boat. Observations were made with respect to location of all 34 camps, their relative sizes in terms of their spatial spread, natural setting and habitat features, presence and absence of wild animals based on direct and indirect evidences around the camping location. An assessment of existing and potential impacts on habitat quality, disturbance to wildlife, visual influence of the campsites on landscape and cumulative impacts on resource utilisation were some of the criteria against which the site suitability of the camps was determined. However, the role of rafting and camping along the Kaudiyala-Shivpuri stretch in supporting livelihoods and local economy cannot be ruled out, but then maintaining disturbance-free zones on the stretch is also important. The WII team was led by Asha Rajvanshi and had GS Bhardwaj, Roshni Arora and Pragatheesh as its members.
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Slim chance of making Doon slum-free
Dehradun, July 13 These examples of the urban-rural divide - shanties and hutments totalling 104 - continue to expand making government’s plan of eradicating urban slums in the coming years difficult. In order to ascertain the total number of slums in Uttarakhand, the Urban Development Department has entrusted the Himalayan Institute for Environment Ecology and Development (HIFEED) to carry a comprehensive survey on their number. “There are several grey areas that need to be sorted out. The NGO, along with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is undertaking a survey. Its results will be before us by December and then, we will come out with our own policy on slums. The survey will cover 63 local bodies in the state,” said Nidhi Mani Tripathi, Director, Urban Development. While the Basic Service Programme for the urban poor under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) aims to extend basic services to these people, the government finds itself in a fix whether to legalise encroachments by giving property rights to the marginalised or take action against the encroachers. This uncertainty too has helped in the extension of slums. As slums have the patronage of local politicians and some social organisations, it is difficult to eradicate them. There is also an underlying economic logic that makes the elimination of slums in urban areas a rather difficult proposition. “As long as there are few economic opportunities in villages, rural folk will continue to migrate to cities. After all, they get higher wages here,” said Dr Ravi Chopra of the Public Science Institute (PSI). If a local builder requires labourers to work at his construction site, his wife too proves her utility in the city by working at homes. Social organisations manage to keep this labour class afloat by running several health programmes and political leaders woo them in the election season. A vicious cycle is in operation and will continue to do so unless encroachments are dealt with strictly. Slums in Dehradun present different faces. Of the 104 slums that are present, most came up in the last 15 years. Residing on encroached land with illegal power and water connections, the squatters have perfected the art of living on the edge. Mostly migrant labourers, they live in unhygienic conditions making themselves vulnerable to several diseases and even floods in the monsoon. “It has got into their nature. Come floods, they are uprooted and lose their belongings, but when normalcy returns, they are back. On the banks of the Rispana and Bindal rivers, the story plays over and over again,” said JM Singh of Mamta Samajik Sansthan, an NGO. Then there are other ‘prosperous slums’ that came up some 15 years ago mostly at the Dalanwala area. Referred to as ‘malin bastis’, some inhabitants are even paying house taxes as per the last assessment. Their population has grown since then and most inhabitants have prospered, but local leaders, who come to their rescue, resent any move by the authorities to tax them. “There are at least two or three local MLAs who have managed to make a career in politics thanks
to this section,” said RK Arora, a senior citizen.
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RULE the roost
It’s that time of the year again. New faces, fresh approaches, myriad colours… campuses are ready for their new batches. And here are a few 'unwritten' rules that could come in handy They don't teach you in the syllabus, they won't give it in the prospectus; neither in the handbook of information nor on the notice board…not even in the orientation course. Talk of "campus wisdom" and there's no written rule in the book, rather there's no book. Running a checklist on the nuances of college life do's and don'ts. Five things you must do
1. Bunk: Mass bunk, group bunk or solo bunk, but keep an account of yours Ps and As. With the attendance in place, what's the rest of the session for? So bunk, it is the essence of student life, let it stay so! 2. Break rules:
Once in a while. How about walking in late into the hostel, post cut-off time? How about plugging in all sorts of gadgets into the bulb socket. How about reshuffling seniors' project assignments. But don't get caught and don't go overboard. Breaking minor rules or bending some of them need not hurt hearts! 3. Experiment:
How about experimenting on all things young and all things fun. Girls night out, hostel late night chat sessions, functions, freshers, farewells…add to it the countless college trips. Hanging around in the canteen till the vendor asks you to leave, being just a case in point. Loiter, stroll, laze around, hang out at the Students Centre, Botanical gardens, college campuses, Gandhi Bhawan or 'The Geri Route'. 4. Cause and concern:
College and varsity is as much about obligations as about amusing yourself. The eco-friendly college club, NSS activities, NCC wing; electing the right student candidates, choosing to vote (even if it's picking the bad among worse)…no dearth of the right platform. 5. Making memories:
How about putting it on the priority list? Campus life is a bunch of memories 10 years later. Who really remembers all the lectures attended? And did anybody ever forget mass bunk utilised to watch a movie? Click pictures; spend time with friends.
Five things you must never do
A lot happens in a session, rather in a semester. The ugly need not be a part of the good and the bad. This is where we draw the line. 1. Violence:
That's one thing not done. The sheer statistics of previous incidents and what came out of them should be reason enough to discourage one and all. No scores ever get settled through swords and yeah, there's no risk, there's surety of your getting chucked out. Join politics, support a party, take out rallies, vote, elect, criticise, express, give in to the colourful manifestos, create a ruckus at the open house, put banners at the most innovative places, maybe even on the windscreens…but don't draw the cudgels. The myopic ones who did, haven't really landed anywhere. 2. Ragging:
We've lost far too many promising lives to even stick to the so-called "introduction" part of the ragging. Nobody really got to know anybody through dares and challenges. 3. Unfair means:
That doesn't just include looking around in the hall, pulling out little paper slips or myriad of other innovative practices but also trying to buy a dissertation, term paper…nobody really reached far by buying or outsourcing project work or by cheating unabashedly. 4. Refrain from illegal acts:
Get a compartment, choose to be a bookworm, sit on the front seat, be a back bencher, be regular, study at the eleventh hour…do anything guys, there's ample choice. But drinking in the hostel, staying there illegally, calling in outsiders et al need not be part of the alternatives. 5. Study:
Just be a bookworm, attend classes, sit in the library, spend time in the lab and hurry back home. Higher education is more about practicals, vivas, projects, presentations, studies and grades than even the boards. But don't get lost in the tomes. Take time out and live! manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Play drives home the message ‘let Ganga be’
Dehradun, July 13 Speakers at the programme vociferously demanded that the government must immediately stop fiddling with the Ganga on some pretext or another. Ulfat effectively urged the fairly good gathering to become assertive citizens and raised their voice against indiscriminate and senseless diversion of the holy Ganga into numerous tunnels for building hydro power plants.
The play, “Ruk Jao”, eloquently depicted the disruption in the lives of villagers and demise of their culture owing to the construction of dams. All of the 15 participants were amateurs and gave an excellent performance to repeated cheers from the gathering. Hemant Dhyani of the Ganga Ahvann movement said, “A free-flowing Ganga is an essential part of my country, our culture and our heritage”. Dhyani strongly protested against the tunneling and destruction of the flow for the generation of hydro-power or any other reason. Vimal Bhai, founder of the Matu Jan Sangathan, strongly opposed the wanton destruction and diversion of the Ganga and other rivers in the hills to build hydro-electric projects of dubious utility. “Dam after dam will create a situation under which there will not be any free-flowing river,” said Vimal Bhai. He questioned the official argument that dams were needed for generating additional energy. He argued that the power that was already being generated in India would be sufficient if its rampant theft and senseless wastage were checked. Dr Nitin Pandey, the man behind the Citizens For Green Doon, lamented that the holy Ganga was India’s soul, and due to senseless policies pursued by successive governments was now virtually on the verge of extension. A special feature of the evening’s programme was a chorus by a group of foreign guests of the Centre for Performing Arts, Avikal Theatre Company of Aloke Ulfat and supported by actors of the play rendered a touching song, “Let it be...”, “Rehne do Ganga, Behne do Ganga...”. The group Carlos from the US played the guitar. The song was so touching that even the goodly gathering to joined him “Rehne do Ganga, Behne do Ganga...”.
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Irrigation schemes caught in build-neglect-rebuild cycle, says report
Dehradun, July 13 Of these 66 per cent of the schemes claimed as completed and functional, were actually non-functional, revealing a large gap in reporting and monitoring systems in the Minor Irrigation Department (MID). The performance audit of the AIBP programme has revealed that schemes executed by MID are now in disrepair and neglect. “A large number of assets are being created only to be left in neglect. Thus, irrigation schemes continue to be caught in the vicious cycle of build-neglect-rebuild,” said the report. On-the-spot assessment showed that 66 per cent of the schemes claimed by the departments as completed and functional were in fact either damaged/defective/incomplete. A poor reflection on the performance of the programme in the state and amplifies the deep-rooted flaws at various stages of planning, execution and monitoring, said the report. Lack of ownership to the schemes undertaken under AIB programme too was proving detrimental to the longevity of schemes in Uttarakhand as the beneficiaries soon began to see them as sources of regular wage earners not concentrating on enhancing irrigation. The irrigation authorities said they had entrusted the maintenance to the Water Users Association (WUA), while the association said they were not in charge. On the other hand, 12 sub-schemes of MID (24 per cent of completed schemes) were found damaged in landslides, which are frequent in some of the districts in the state. The damage was extensive and yet, no action had been taken to repair it. “Maintenance of MID-executed schemes is quite shoddy and poor. MID deducts 3 per cent of the labour component of the project from the muster rolls and the sum, treated as seed money for maintenance, is deposited in a joint bank account of the Gram Scrutiny revealed that this sum was lying unutilised in the bank accounts,” the report pointed out. It may be mentioned that the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) was launched in the state in 2002-03 by the government of India (GOI) to accelerate the creation of irrigation potential. A total of 1931 schemes (Minor Surface Irrigation Schemes) were sanctioned during the period 2002-08 under the AIBP with the aim of creating 161507.02 hectares of irrigation potential (IP) at an estimated cost of Rs 1167.79 crore.
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More than 3,500 houses on verge of collapse in Mussoorie: Survey
Mussoorie, July 13 The workshop was inaugurated by
State Disaster Management Minister Khajan Das by lighting the ceremonial
lamp. A book highlighting seismic threat in Uttarakhand was also launched on
the occasion. The delegates deliberated on the issue of reducing the risk vulnerability of the town during any natural disaster. Uttarakhand Executive Director Dr Piyush Rautela informed that in a survey conducted last year, it was revealed that more than 3,500 houses in Mussoorie were on the verge of collapse and an earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale would bring down the town to rubbles. Rautela also informed that under
the Atal Adarsh Gram Yojna, a project run by the state, a group of 25 persons would be formed in every nyay panchayat and they would be provided training on disaster and risk management as they were the people who reached first any disaster response site. MLA Mussoorie Jot Singh Gunsola commended the efforts of the government to educate the masses on disaster management, but he also said as the buildings in the town were ages old, so the guidelines of 11-metre parameter were baseless and needed to be changed in accordance to the needs of townsmen. He also said other basic amenities like sewage and drainage system should also be corrected to avoid disaster in Mussoorie as the water seeping under the buildings had become of immense risk and tilted the Landour Bazar to a dangerous degree. Palika President OP Uniyal said the responsibility of adhering to the norms according to risk factors lay totally on officials of various departments. He said a building should be constructed according to the designs, which could bear any major disasters like landslides and earthquakes. Landslides and earthquakes are among the major geological hazards that affect large parts of the Himalayas. A landslide tragedy of an unprecedented dimension was the Alaknanda tragedy of July 1970 in the state that resulted from the massive floods in the river Alaknanda upon the breach of a landslide dam at its confluence with the river Patal Ganga. A few years ago, the Malpa rock avalanche tragedy of August 18, 1998, as it instantly killed 220 persons and wiped out the entire village of Malpa on the right bank of the Kali river in the Kumaon Himalayas of the state. The economic losses due to landslides and earthquakes in the state are enormous and recurring, not to speak of strategic setbacks to the developmental plans. Immediate measures are required to educate people and reduce risk vulnerability to avoid major disasters.
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Doon United thump Uttarakhand Tiger
Dehradun, July 13 Earlier, the first match played between the DMK and Adhoiwala ended in a 2-2 draw. Tshering (10th) and Dipesh (45th) netted a goal each for DMK while Nitesh (24th) and Abhishek Rana (37th) scored for latter. Ashish Rawat and Anurag Bisht of Adhoiwala were shown yellow card during the match. DMK’s Atul Neshu was also given yellow card. Tomorrow Bajrang Boys and Sunderwala Boys are scheduled to play each other, while City Young will face Gorkha United.
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National Paralympic Games 2010 Tribune News Service
Dehradun, July 13 He is the only player from the district participating in the national tournament. While two to three players from Almora district will take part in athletics during this national. Kumar said in total, 13 sports would be played during the national championship, including badminton, athletics, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheel chair basketball, archery, table tennis and lawn tennis. He is participating in both the singles and doubles events of badminton.
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Sports Hostel beat Vijay Cantt 2-1
Dehradun, July 13 Sports Hostel got its first success in the third minute when Ravindra struck a goal. No other goal came in the first half later and the Sports Hostel was leading with 1-0 before going for the break. Returning after the break, Vijay Cantt equalised in the 36th minute through Bhuvan to draw the match. It didn’t take much time for rival team to strike back to get the match in its favour. Bhagwat (39th) scored the second goal, which proved crucial one for the Sports Hostel. The Cantt Blue and Yankies will play the first match tomorrow and the Uttarakhand Police will test Willis Youth in another match.
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Garhwali VCD released
Dehradun, July 13 The others who joined and worked on this VCD were director of Bhagirathi Films Rajesh Panyuli, lyricist and singer Vinod Vijlvan, female singer Meena Rana, music director Virender Negi and director Anil Bisht. The programme was emceed by Ashutosh Mamgai.
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A daylong workshop on “Risk Vulnerability Analysis in Disaster Management” held at Library Bazar here was attended by members of various communities.
The workshop was inaugurated by
State Disaster Management Minister Khajan Das by lighting the ceremonial
lamp. A book highlighting seismic threat in Uttarakhand was also launched on
the occasion.
Dehradun, July 13
From just two camping sites - one between Kaudiyala-Shivpuri and the other at Byasi, there are as many as 34 camping sites along the Kaudiyala-Rishikesh stretch of India’s national river today posing a big threat to the region’s faunal ecology.
He also referred to the conversion of
aesthetic environment into an ugly one. 
