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Cut off from world, Jaunpur villagers eat rotten veggies
Rains hit tourist season in Lake City
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Nainital Diary
Samajwadi Party student members present views
Camp on scouts, guides ends
Brothers refuse to clash for title, declared winners
Tae Kwon Do
150 take part in karate c’ship
Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, HEC College form students’ council
Waterman committed to Ganga cause
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Cut off from world, Jaunpur villagers eat rotten veggies
Mussoorie, September 26
Villages on the Nagun-Bhavan-Uttarkashi road have been cut off due to damage to the highway for the past week, but the administration has not even once visited these villages to take stock of the situation. Villagers at Marad village of Tehri district on the Nagun-Bhavan-Marad road are still waiting for the road to open so that they can begin their normal lives. These villagers grow cash crops like cabbage, capsicum, potatoes French beans, etc, send their produce to areas as far as Azadpur Mandi daily. They have been forced to see their vegetable rot in the godowns or in the fields. The pea seeds that the farmers bought to sow after the cabbage season are also drying out as their fields have been washed away. According to Zila Kisan Congress Jaunpur president Devi Singh Chauhan, farmers from Marad, Mauryana Top, Khat, Aginda, Sinjal, used to send more than 5-10 trucks laden with vegetables daily to various mandis, but this year they are forced to eat rotten potatoes as no ration has reached them. They feel dejected. Chauhan demanded adequate compensation for the farmers after proper assessment on cash crop basis. He said the farmers who had lost their fields completely but bought the pea seeds should also be compensated adequately. A few more villages like Dunda, Nakurchi, Birkot, Devali, Khaneri and Danda-ki-Beli have also not figured on the list of the affected villages of the administration. According to Dunda village gram pradhan Rajendar Singh Gusain, their village is on the verge of collapse and could fall in the river if it rains for two hours continuously. The villagers are sleeping with the constant fear of its collapse. Recollecting the fateful day when the flooded river washed away their fields completely, leaving the panchyat ghar and Angan Bari centre standing precariously in the middle of the river, the gram pradhan said the administration should rehabilitate them at a safe place. He also said the villagers should be granted financial relief immediately so that the question of death due to hunger does not arise in the village. The survey by this Tribune correspondent covering 20 km on foot in the area suggests that the area has been completely neglected as no aerial food droppings have been carried out and the work on the clearing and repair of the road has not begun even. If the situation remains like this for a few more days the deaths due to hunger are not ruled out. Meanwhile, the state government has begun its exercise to provide relief to the interior regions elsewhere. The Thatyur hamlet is also under the risk of erosion and a high alert has been sounded. The road and the fields above the primary school at Rautu-ki-Baili have cracked and opened alarmingly. The villagers are of the view that the hamlet was in grave danger of subsidence. DM of Tehri Radhika Jha said the administration was trying to provide relief to the villagers and tourists alike on war footing. Elaborating the relief efforts for the Marad village, she said a team had been sent to Thatyur and Bhavan to assess the damage and as the roads are blocked they were facing difficulty but the work was on to remove all bottlenecks and reach the last villager in need of the relief.
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Rains hit tourist season in Lake City
Nainital, September 26 Excessive rains over the past one month have led to landslides and falling of rocks which is proving to be the bane of transportation, hampering the flow of tourists. Over the past few weeks, weekends have been dull in the town with hardly any tourist-related activity seen. Normally, a large number of tourists, particularly from Bengal, make it to Nainital around Puja time, but this time their arrival is being assumed to be minimal. People here were expecting a good tourist inflow from Delhi in October as schools are expected to have holidays while the Commonwealth Games are on, but even that possibility is being considered with a pinch of salt. The hoteliers who had prepared for the forthcoming season are a disheartened lot as a large number of the bookings are now faced with cancellations. The hoteliers are now returning the advance payments taken by them sending the whole cycle of cash flow topsy turvy. People directly earning their bread and butter from tourism-related activities, like boatmen, those offering horse rides, taxi owners, guides and shopkeepers, all are a disheartened lot. Mohammed Shah, who runs a tours and travel agency, points out: “We have been very badly hit as one of the prime tourist seasons is almost decimated because of the poor road connectivity and the delay in repairs. We had purchased new buses which are now standing idle and even paying the regular monthly loan instalments is becoming a challenge”. A hotelier in the Dhaila area of Ramnagar said: “We were successful in booking a group for the forthcoming season for about 18 lakh, but following reports of devastation that was carried by the media, the group cancelled the booking and we have lost a good chance to make a handsome earning”. Talking to The Tribune, a senior functionary of the Tourism Department, said: “Tourism development has gone on the back burner for now as the entire focus is on relief activity. There is going to be a heavy loss to those in the tourism industry for months to come”.
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Nainital Diary
Besides washing out tracts of agricultural and other land, roads, trees and vehicles, the recent rains in Kumaon have also washed out the claims of the government with regards to its preparation in combating disaster. With very little foresight in managing the fallout of the rains, the disaster management setup in the state and its ability to handle situation on the ground is being questioned by the people across the region. One wonders whether the state that prides itself in having a full-fledged Disaster Management Department is actually doing enough on the front as it is a well-known fact that Uttarakhand is highly prone to seismic activity and incessant rains.
Old timers point out that such high intensity of rains is nothing new for the region, but the gross mismanagement surely is. This correspondent is a witness to several delegations of villagers visiting officials in the past one year with requests to build embankments, repair faulty transformers, drinking water supply lines, hanging wires, etc. But, all their efforts were in vain. With the officials not paying heed to the pointers towards the possibility of disaster striking anytime, the government is now trying to take refuge in the statements that no one had imagined that a disaster of such intensity would strike the region without any warning. Fingers are now being pointed by people at large at the efficiency of those given the task of disaster management. The common joke doing the rounds is that the only thing that the high-ups in the department can manage very well is workshops in plush hotels and Administrative Training Institute (ATI). Recently this correspondent was a witness to a couple of such workshops with one of them being conducted in simulated environment. Today it makes one wonder where all those training sessions have gone. Sources point out that the disaster management setup is devoid of even the most basic of equipment and at the times of such calamities everyone looks towards the office of the District Magistrate to lead from the front. Another question being raised is about a contractual post of a senior official in the disaster management setup lying vacant in Nainital. It is learnt that the official of a similar rank in Hardwar is at present in charge of Nainital district also. At a time like the present disaster, is it possible for the person sitting in Hardwar, which is itself reeling under floods, to pitch in for disaster mitigation in Nainital? And that too when Nainital became inaccessible for a short span of time. When asked about the issue at a recent media interaction with the cabinet minister Madan Kaushik, the latter was clearly at a loss of words to explain things. All that he could say was that if there is a sanctioned post, it would surely be filled. The people have too many questions for which they want answers and accountability from those who are sitting at the top levels of governance and administration.
Nishank’s visit stirs grapevine
People in Nainital are still wondering what made Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank turn up in the town recently. The town as such has not seen any major damage till now except for the inundation of a residential colony in the Sukha Tal, which is a rechargeable lake housing a colony that has surprisingly come up right under the nose of the administration. It makes one wonder if such colonies are allowed to spring up like this in the beds of rechargeable lakes what can be expected if not inundation at some point of time. There is lots of grapevine to Nishank’s visit to the spot. One theory is that his appearance at the spot was an image-building effort. Some people say his “publicity craze” drove him to the spot as his advisers knew that cameras would be there in plenty in Nainital as it is the regional headquarters with almost every media house having a representative here, unlike the devastated areas of Okhalkanda or Almora. Still others say he was misguided into coming to the Sukha Tal by his own party workers as some of them also have properties in the area along with some other “influential persons”. In any case, Nishank just went to the spot and returned after a small chat with his own party workers and a couple of officials. However, he drew further ire from the people as a section of the media went gaga over his visit saying he had won over the people during his 5-minute visit and had accomplished a major mission. These reports stood out amidst a majority of people attacking him for not even talking to a single victim during his visit. People are now comparing his conduct with that of erstwhile Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tewari and are claiming that had it been Tewari visiting the spot on that day, he would have surely become hero given his ability to cash such public appearances. Hence, what was aimed at an “image-building exercise” proved to be a fiasco for Nishank.
High Court impact on civic works
Having the High Court in Nainital surely has its advantages. It has been seen on several occasions that the works which the officials continue to linger are done with promptness once the High Court comes into picture. The works being done with regards to sewer lines on the Mall Road these days are a fallout of the similar phenomenon. It is being said that the directions coming from the High Court on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with regards to Nainital has galvanised the officialdom into working round the clock. Otherwise the work which ideally should have been done before the start of the summer tourist season had been hanging fire and with the directions coming from the court, the officials saw to it that it was executed even when the rainy season was at its peak.
Pamphlets eulogising govt pile up
The high-ups in the Information Department in Dehradun leave no stone unturned to promote the Nishank-led state government. They continue to print thousands of booklets and pamphlets eulogising the works and achievements of the government for which there are hardly any takers amongst the common public. This material has become a pain for officials right up to Block levels as their dissemination and distribution has become an arduous task. Even when the supply of essentials has been difficult in the region, this material has been duly arriving only to be heaped in various offices to eat dust as the officials have other major relief and rehabilitation related works on their hands. An irate employee recently pointed out, “What is the point in wasting crores on such material which is not being read at all. Can’t the government put this to some better use?”
A noble drive has been undertaken by the little known Gau Sewa Ashram at Thapla village, near Mangoli, close to the Nainital-Kaladhungi road. Activists of the ashram are going around the region asking residents not to let the cows stray on the roads once they are not fit for yielding milk. The activists have been distributing pamphlets to the people and have been telling them: “Since we treat the cow as Mata (mother), we must ensure that the mother is not turned out to take refuge on the roads once she is useless economically”.
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Samajwadi Party student members present views
Dehradun, September 26 The tone and tenor of the speeches made by students focused more on philosophy and political science, which was a pleasant deviation from hackneyed political addresses. The idealism propounded by political wizards such as Marx, Friedrick Engels and scientists like Albert Einstein and many others were the subjects of their discussion where they differentiated between idealism and pragmatism. Shakti Nautiyal, a member, cast light on the significance of knowledge which, he said, should not remain confined to books, but be of relevance to day-to-day life. This tool, they could use to bring clarity about their future goals, he said and added that if they desired to jump into active political or social life, they quite required a podium like a political party which would further hone their skills and provide them exposure to blossom in that particular field. Nitin, an IAS aspirant, stressed on the free flow of expressions which, according to him, is usually held back when people got awe-struck by the persona of famous and influential personalities. This made persons more important than the contents of the talk, he asserted. Therefore, he advised them not to get smitten by people and rather be focused on their views, which they wanted to express. He also suggested to the audience to read books to gather knowledge, but tipped them to remain abreast with further update. Barthwal too joined the chorus and talked of the days of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Ram Manohar Lohiya. He called upon youngsters to contribute in disaster management work.
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Camp on scouts, guides ends
Dehradun, September 26 Highly qualified guide trainers gathered to participate in the camp. The camp was conducted under the guidance and supervision of Scout and Guide Master, KV-2, MS Uniyal. JM Rawat, Assistant Commissioner, KVS (RO), who also awarded the participating scouts and guides, inaugurated the camp. DP Mamgai, Principal of the school, HS Bisht, RR Sinha, Santosh Singh, guide captain, Vijaylakshmi Arora, Anju Singh, Usha Pundir and many others were also present on
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Brothers refuse to clash for title, declared winners
Dehradun, September 26 In first semifinal, Vyom had beaten Shivam 15-8, 15-9 while in the second semifinal Vaibhav had defeated Ujjawal 20-22, 21-15, 21-10 to enter the final. But the brothers were declared joint winners as they refused to play the final facing each other. However, the two talented brothers paired together in the U-13 boys’ doubles final to beat Tushar and Ujjawal 21-12, 21-15. In the U-13 girls’ doubles final, Anustha and Shivangi got the better of Deepty and Himani (25-23, 21-18). In the U-13 girls’ singles final, Himansi beat Sara Bora (21-16, 15-21, 22-20). Udit defeated Puneet 21-13, 22-20 in the U-16 boys’ singles final. In doubles, Puneet paired Udit to get past brothers Vyom and Vaibhav (22-20, 22-24-21-12) in a tough encounter. Whereas in U-16 girls’ singles final, Ayushi got the better of Sara Bora 21-10, 21-11. Aryesh beat Sohail Ahmed 15-13, 15-10 in the U-10 boys’ singles final. Himansi registered win over Unnati (21-13, 21-9, 21-8). All winners and runners-up of the tournament were given away prizes later during the prize distribution ceremony. Aryeshi and Himanshi were given a cheque of Rs 1,100 each for their excellent performance.
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Doon Star win football title
Dehradun, September 26 The close contested final witnessed first half goalless. The first and the only success came for Doon Star in the 47th minute through Dharam Singh. The rival team failed to score later in the match and had to digest with the runner-up place. Meanwhile, Izek of the organising committee said the winning and the runner-up teams were given Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively, which was sponsored by Zhidey Khangsar. The players were also given away certificates. The referees were also appreciated and were given prizes. The prizes were distributed by chief guest STS Lepcha, Chief Conservator of Forest, Dehradun.
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Tae Kwon Do
Haridwar, Septmber 26 In this medal tally, five glittering gold medals in various categories itself speak of the dominance of the team from Roshanabad-based school. Only six participants of the 21-member team couldn’t bag any medal. But, they performed well in the preliminary and quarterfinal stages. The 14 medals include, apart from five gold, an equal amount of silver medals and four bronze medals. Pallavi Kumari, Pragya, Aman, Abbaas and Ravindra won the coveted gold medals, while Sakshi, Mansi, Muskan, Raunak and Amit bagged silver medals. Adding to the impressive tally, Sonam, Himanshi, Sekhar and Anubhav clinched bronze medals. Giving information about this achievement, school Principal BS Rautella said school had been providing specific tae kwon do training to the students with a specialised coach who paved way for this achievement. Team coach Rajendra Nautiyal said the level of competition was quite high in the championship, lauding the efforts pitched in by the participants. School sports officer SK Kaushik emphasised on the need of having a sporting culture in all schools as it not only made one healthy, but also made a stronger nation. Meanwhile, in a press statement from Vedik Mohan Ashram stated, a state-level judo championship on the ashram premises would be held from October 9 to 10.
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150 take part in karate c’ship
Dehradun, September 26 While in the seven to nine years’ category, Himanshu Mittal took the first position. Aradhya Shastri and Deppali Sharma claimed top positions in the 12-13 years’ category of boys and girls, respectively. In the 14-15 years’ category, Nupur, Pooja and Akansha got the first, second and third place, respectively. In the 16-17 years’ category Ravneet Singh stood first.
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Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, HEC College form students’ council
Haridwar, September 26 President Mukesh Variyal got elected unopposed, while Vinod Joshi was elected general secretary. The other council members elected are Ankush Sharma vice-president, Prakash Bahuguna assistant secretary, Santosh Lekhwar treasurer and Deepak Raturi university representative. Five members were appointed for the executive committee of the students’ council that include Kamlesh Bhatt, Vivek, Anurag Shukla, Suresh and Sanjay Paudiyal. At HEC Degree College, the Student Welfare Council was also elected without direct elections. All members were elected unanimously for the second consecutive year. Alongside, Student Welfare Committee representatives were also elected numbering 16 in total comprising one boy and girl from each class. Gagandeep Singh got elected as Student Welfare Council president, while Saurabh Singh was elected general secretary of the council. The others include Aditi Kumari vice-president, Rajlakshmi sub-secretary, Rashmi Yadav treasurer and Saksham Pathak university representative. College Principal Navneet Verma urged the executive as well as council members to work cordially so that problems of the students were rectified via the council members. “This is the first time I am holding such a post, but I assure the students that I will work for them as being a part of the college for a year makes me well aware of the problems and requirements of the students,” said Rashmi Yadav, newly elected treasurer.
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Oak Grove lift trophy
Mussoorie, September 26 Oak Grove School increased the tempo in the second half and took lead in 35th minute of the match. Soon, he scored the second goal and gained a well-deserved victory for the school. The chief guest was Moravian institute Principal Kundan who distributed the awards and the trophy.
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Waterman committed to Ganga cause
Haridwar, September 26 A determined Rajendra Singh, who has been warned by the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal with mass protest if he lands in hilly districts of the state, said his was no personal cause, but it was associated with the holy Ganga which was the lifeline of billions and held a distinct religious-spiritual place among Indians. “I was born in Uttar Pradesh of which Uttarakhand was a part till 2000. So that way I am a resident of this area too. Besides I am an Indian and ours is a sovereign, republic country so I am free to go anywhere in entire India. Uttarakhand is no Kashmir and I am doing a social cause for the benefit of people only. Let anyone protest, I will go to hilly regions as part of the Ganga Panchayat,” said Rajendra Singh. Elaborating on the ambitious Ganga Panchayat which was previously scheduled to get start from Gaumukh in Gangotri, Magsaysay awardee stated that now the panchayat would start from the Raj Ghat in New Delhi, carry on towards the Ganga Sagar and then retreat towards Gangotri in Uttarakhand. Rajendra Singh was in the city in view of a failed violent attack on Matra Sadan founder Swami Shivanand Maharaj yesterday. He has been closely involved with Matra Sadan in saving the Ganga and opposing hydroelectric projects in hilly regions hampering the sanctity and natural flow of the holy Ganga. Notably a youth forcefully tried to enter the ashram premise with intentions of attacking Swami Shivanand. Ashram saints and assistants grabbed accused Lovely, a resident of Jagjeetpur, from entering the yagyashala with the intention of attacking the saint. A case has been registered at the Kankhal police station against the assailant who, according to the police, is not in a stable mental state. But, ashram saints link the attacker with the quarrying mafia who are constantly doing illegal quarrying from the Ganga basin falling near the ashram area of Jagjeetpur and Ajitpur. Matra Sadan saints have been protesting against the illegal quarrying putting in danger the lives and human settlements of the region. Many saints even went on a hunger strike for almost three months ultimately putting the area in the Kumbh Mela purview and bringing the quarrying to halt. Accusing quarrying mafia behind this, Swami Shivanand said previously too such attempts on his life had been made but such acts would not deter them and their peaceful agitation against the illegal act would carry on. Assistant Superintendent of Police Janmayjay Khanduri said a case had been registered against the accused and in initial investigation it had been found that the youth was not in a stable condition and the police was looking into the accusations of the youth having a link with owners of stone crushers.
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The after-effects of the devastation caused by flashfloods, cloudbursts and mudslides are being felt in Jaunpur Block of Tehri district where children are forced to eat rotten vegetables.
Economic activity in the Lake City has been badly hit as most of the people here survive on tourism-related professions. With the rains wreaking havoc on roads, Nainital is hardly getting any visitors these days.
Brothers Vyom and Vaibhav were declared joint winners in the U-13 boys’ singles after the two siblings refused to face each other in the final during the District Badminton Championship that culminated today.
ehradun, September 26
