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ICIMOD Governors Meeting
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Lensman Dalip clicks nature in all
its glory
Experts discuss ways to save river ecosystem
Himalayan Caves
U’khand get off to winning start
District-level games end
Vidya fashions Nimbus’ win
Easy win for petro institute
Police water games from Nov 24
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ICIMOD Governors Meeting
Mussoorie, November 22 Experts from the World Bank, United Nations Environment Programme and regional members were informed about the Indian projects like the Kailash Sacred Landscape project, which is being carried out in China, India and Nepal. The main focus was to create a bonding between biodiversity and indigenous people to create livelihood avenues and mountain development. GB Pant Institute Director LMS Palni also presented a future vision for mountain development. ICIMOD Director-General Andreas Schild also laid out a road map for the next five years and the ways to develop mountains and presented a strategy to address issues like distress migration, melting glaciers, information technology and livestock, etc. The panelists also discussed the use of modern technology during disasters, like using early-warning systems, etc. The opportunities and expectations for the cooperation with the ICIMOD from the point of view of the key partner India were also discussed here. According to the Uttarakhand PPCF and Chairman of the meeting RBS Rawat, the value chain development issues in Uttarakhand were also raised and deliberated by the panelists like CCF Uttarakhand RK Shah, Secretary, HARC, MS Kunwar, Dr Girdhar Kinhal of ICIMOD. The panelists also discussed the ways of local adaptation to climate change induced water hazard and strengthening traditions and augmenting technologies. Team leader ICIMOD Hari Krishna elaborated on the need of creating a balance between environment and development in the mountain region. RBS Rawat also said the issue of migration and distress migration could be stopped from mountain and it was revealed that the eco- tourism was the best possible way in which both environment and mountain people could develop immensely. He also said in Uttarakhand the projects like using malta or citric fruit and tejpatta aimed at improving the livelihood opportunities had been immensely successful. Uttarakhand was blessed with a huge biodiversity and the state could benefit immensely from carbon credit which was assessed worth around 100 billion dollars in the world so the need was felt to involve forest panchayats and accumulate as much carbon credit so that the indigenous people and the state got the benefit of conservation, he added. According to Central Joint Secretary BMS Rathore, the objective of the meeting is the regional cooperation so that mountain people get benefit keeping the issue of climatic change in mind. Rathore commended the work on creating value chain for the produce in hills and the malta project is a living example. He also said a pro-poor strategy was essential so that the producer was benefited to a large extent and the target for this was around 50 per cent returns for the marginal farmers of the mountains. Speaking on the organic farming in mountains, he said the need was also felt to encash the specialisation present in mountains on organic farming and the farmers should be provided technology so that they could produce by spending less and getting more in return. Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Surendar Shreshtra said they were here to listen to the experts and build a strong relationship keeping the mountain development in the fore. He also said biodiversity was a big issue and the United Nations Environment Programme was working closely with ICIMOD in solving such issues related to mountain development. He also said a trans-boundary cooperation to preserve biodiversity was the need of the hour as “nature knows no boundary”. Success stories in India in using potatoes for creating employment and livelihood need to be replicated and such meetings were necessary in sharing the experience and using them in other countries. Disasters across the mountainous regions have increased as all major rivers start from mountains so an early warning system needed to be created to ensure that there is less loss of life. For this, the countries will have to work on a trans-boundary basis, he added. Shreshtra said the UN programme could assist in scientific programme support and was doing it in association with ICIMOD. It was also interested in an increased use of alternative sources of energy, like solar and wind, especially in Uttarakhand, which could be net exporter of such energy in the near future.
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Lensman Dalip clicks nature in all its glory
Dehradun, November 22 “I am always looking for something unique and when it comes, it gives me immense satisfaction. I sat in a tent when the temperature was 50°C to capture a humming bird flap its wings, but the bird is so sensitive that every time, I used to get ready to take the shot, it used to disappear,” said Dalip Singh, nephew of spiritual head of the Namdhari sect Guru Jagjit Singh. Like the Namdhari sect, he follows, his photography has elements of beauty and nature, balanced by mysticism. “Gurbani speaks about prakriti (nature) and conservation should be our duty. All human endeavour should be aimed towards the good of humanity. “We are losing far too much in the mad rush for speedy development. I will say human beings are cruel when they cry foul when animals enter their fields. We forget that it is we who have usurped most of their land and edged them out,” added Dalip Singh, who has put up an exhibition of his photographs at the Uttaranchal Gramin Bank (UGB) gallery. A resident of Jiwan Nagar in Sirsa, Dalip Singh became a serious photographer in 1977. He is also a founder member of the India International Photography Society. A picture of white egret soaring high on a white background that is on display is also part of a private collection and is housed in a museum in Switzerland. River tern fishing, crimson-breasted barbet feeding the baby and a mayna spreading its wings - these photographs captured for posterity tell different stories. The pictures of the Kumbh Mela spread all across the banks of the Ganga captured from a helicopter and of Haridwar, taken while sailing in an air balloon, add uniqueness to the photographer’s endeavours. “The Ganga is the only river that does not lose its identity. It remains a river through out its journey, unlike Thames river that even has water from the ocean,” he explained. In fact, his reverence for nature is so overpowering that he feels like a caged animal while travelling to the metropolis. “We have made these cities unlivable with box-like concrete structures that seem to encircle these cities. How can we expect our children to admire nature when we do not allow them to step out of these boxes?” he says. Pointing to an image of Sikh warrior riding a horse and participating in a rural sports meet at Kila Raipur, “Look at the dog. It too seems to be competing with the horse. In fact the dog, horseman and the horse seem to be in total harmony and that’s why the story appealed to me,” added Dalip Singh.
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Experts discuss ways to save river ecosystem
Dehradun, November 22 The aim of the workshop was to discuss ways of saving river ecosystem and the species dependent on them (with a focus on the Ramganga river and the golden mahseer), and to discuss ways of promoting Uttarakhand as an angling destination. Participants included representatives of the Forest Department, other conservation societies and interested parties from outside the state. Villagers from Bandran, Nagtale, Baluli and Jamun were also important attendees at the workshop. From the Forest Department, attendees included Rajiv Bhartari, Director Eco Tourism, AS Negi, former Chief of Forest, Uttarakhand, Aalum Singh, fishing guide, Amit Verma, DFO of Haldwani, Anand Singh, fishing guide, Jaiprakash Sundriyal, president of the EDC, Baluli/ Chimpani/ Bagroti, and RS Haldar, Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries and Research, ICAR. Dhillion informed the participants about the agenda saying: “The agenda included discussion on partner community concerns. It also talked about government concerns, which included issues regarding legalities, angling fees, access to state waters, fingerlings for beats, river protection via forest/Van Panchayat Guards/guides. Members also discussed beat regulation such as code of conduct (regulated commercial activity), Van Panchayat’s contribution, patrolling, weaknesses and strengths of present state of existing beats. Scientists contributed in the discussion by elaborating on research and development activities, including the Wildlife Institute and Fisheries Department contributions. Other issues such as promoting conservation awareness programmes, garbage disposal, etc, were also mooted. The other important issue, which dominated the discussion, was to create a bridge among the various stakeholders such as the government sector, local communities, lodges and guides and to generate ways of alternative income through various sources such as fishing guide programmes, home stay, fishery project, vegetable garden and poultry farm, he said. The villagers had many ideas for alternative income, which they were currently unable to implement due to a lack of funding, something which the conservation community and the Forest Department promised them to help with. Saving the golden mahseer in the Ramganga river was the chief subject of the entire discussion. Casting light on the the issue, Sumantha Ghosh said: “Bombing should be immediately stopped in rivers, whereas angling should be promoted as a sport. For this, we need to train and employ local people such as guides in this business. More job avenues can also be traced to match up their different abilities”. Ghosh stressed for greater local involvement and conservation community in conservation programmes. Expressing concern over the decline in fish numbers, he said: “It is wrong to blame only villagers for a steep reduction in fish numbers. To contain this miasma, there is an urgent need to strike a ecological balance where net fishing should only be allowed, with restriction on net sizes. Only catch and release angling should be allowed. Similarly, changes are needed in conservation programming and in the beat system. Only with these effective measures, we will be able to control fish decline”. Jai Prakash Soundriyal emphasised on the significance of holding such workshops quite frequently and stressed the needs to set up hatcheries and promotion of Van Panchayats, formation of a local angling information office at Marchulla and equipping village women with some alternative income source for which a development association could be created. Rajiv Bhartari offered manpower and promised to help as much as possible through the Forest Department and suggested a state-level angling event to promote the sport. At the end of two-day workshop, it was decided to form a society in the near future, with the aims of promoting angling tourism, conserving the river as well as the communities that live on the river. Attendees from other conservation societies included Ritish Suri (Camp Forktail Creek), Hem Bahuguna of the Mahseer Conservancy Organisation, Siddharth Anand of Blaze Trails, Aashish Rawat, Anand Singh Rawat, Bopanna from the Indian Angler Forum, Brijendra Prasad of the Mahseer Sanrakshan Samiti, Pancheshwar, and Rana Sidhu of Go Adventure Sports.
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Himalayan Caves
Pitthoragarh, November 22 “We will not only be able to unravel the climatic tendencies in the Himalayan region in the past three millenniums, but also forecast future trends as well,” said Dr BS Kotlia, a geologist working on three such projects. “We are studying year-to-year climatic conditions in Uttarakhand making these lime-stone caves an symptom of climate change,” said Kotlia, a geologist in Kumaon University presently working on caves in Pitthoragarh district. Dr Kotlia added that after the release of his studies on lime-stone caves of the region, the climatic condition that prevailed in the long past will be known. “It will reflect the rainfall and temperature conditions in this period.” Dr Kotlia said that Himalayan caves are made of lime stone which contains calcium carbonate and which is soluble in water. “As the raindrops fall on calcium carbonate, it dissolves and while the insoluble part remains. Rainfall every year forms a ring on the stone which rises upwards. “We study that ring at 400 times magnification before doing uranium-thorium dating on these.” The limestone admissible for study should contain at least 1 PPM of uranium in it. Asked why he did not take the period beyond 3,000 years, Dr Kotlia said during the period from 3,000 years to 22,000 years, the Himalayan region was full of snow. Dr Kotlia has studied 32 caves in Pitthoragarh, Chaukhutia (Ahmorg) and Chakrata (Garhwal) for his project along with Same lakes of Garhwal. “Some of these caves are as high as a three-storey building bearing the mark of changes in climate in the past 3,000 years.”
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U’khand get off to winning start
Dehradun, November 22 Besides hosts Uttarakhand, 20 teams from different states and union territories are participating in the tournament. A total of 482 players and 62 officials are taking part in the event. Teams from Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Indian Public School and Vidya Bharti are in the fray. The event was inaugurated by Governor Margaret Alva. She said many players who had come from far-off places to take part in the competition will make India proud by bagging medals at the international level. Other than Alva, Sports and Disaster Management Minister Khazan Das, secretary, school education, Manisha Panwar and MLA Ganesh Joshi were also present at the inauguration ceremony. The first match was played between Anubhav of Uttarakhand and Sachin of Indian Public School in the 51-54kg. It was a very close bout. Finally, Anubhav of the host team won 6-5. In the 57-60kg bout, Sachin of Himachal Pradesh beat Gurpreet of Punjab 3-2. Rishi of Vidya Bharati defeated Pramod of Maharashtra 5-1 in the 69-75kg. Chandigarh’s Sumit managed a big win of 5-0 over Anand of Maharashtra in the 46-48kg. Radhe of Uttar Pradesh got the better of Nagender of Delhi 6-0 in another 46-48kg fight. Punjab’s Jatinder beat Goa’s Prem 9-2 in the 46-48kg.
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District-level games end
Dehradun, November 22 100 mt race: Aditi Gupta (Raipur, First), Rinki (Doiwala, Second), Rekha Chauhan (Vikas Nagar, Third) 400 mt race: Sarita (Doiwala, First), Rekha Chauhan (Vikas Nagar, Second), Anita Negi (Sahaspur, Third) Long Jump: Nikiti (Chakrata, First), Sonali (Doiwala, Second), Purnima (Vikas Nagar, Third) Shot Put: Kamlesh Rathore (Kalsi, First), Neeraj (Vikas Nagar, Second), Aarti, Raipur, Third) Javelin Throw: Priyanka Sharma (Kalsi, First), Priyanka Yadav (Kalsi, Second), Neeraj (Chakrata, Third) 4X100 Relay: Vikas Block Raipur (First), Vikas Block Kalsi (Second), Vikas Block Sahaspur (Third) 4X400 Relay: Vikas Block Raipur (First), Vikas Block Chakrata (Second), Vikas Block Kalsi (Third) Boys category 100 mt race: Zabir hassan (Sahaspur, First), Aashish (Raipur, Second), Arjun Rawat (Doiwala, Third) 400 mt race: Ram Kishore (Doiwala, First), Deepak (Raipur, Second), Sunil (Vikas Nagar, Third) 3000 mt race: Pramod Kumar (Sahaspur, First), Ram Kishore (Doiwala, Second), Sunil (Vikas Nagar, Third) Javelin Throw: Aashish Bisht (Sahaspur, First), AjayVeer (Chakrata, Second), Sanjay Chauhan (Vikas Nagar, Third) 4X400 Relay: Vikas Block Raipur (First), Vikas Block Doiwala (Second), Vikas Block Chakrata (Third) Volleyball: Vikas Block Doiwala (First with 25-25numbers) Vikas Block Raipur (Second with 21-23 numbers).
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Vidya fashions Nimbus’ win
Dehradun, November 22 Nimbus won the toss and opted to bat first. Riding high on the performance of Vidya Sagar (69 off 55 balls), the batting side set a target of 198 runs in 25 overs. For Beehive, Shrey Verma took three wickets while Khush Kumar got two wickets. In reply, Beehive’s Shrey Verma (28*) was the lone batsman to have scored respectable runs for his team. Nimbus’ Atul Kumar captured four wickets and Vidya Sagar took two wickets.
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Easy win for petro institute
Dehradun, November 22 In a one-sided match, Corporate Administration batted first, but could not do much. They could just score 85 runs for three wickets in 20 overs. KDMIPE, batting second, didn’t face any resistance from their opponents. Opening batsmen Jitender Kumar (46) and AK Sinha (31) did the job for their side. They flayed the bowling attack of the opposing team’s bowlers. The institute team was much stronger than their rivals and performed well in both the bowling and batting departments. It achieved the target without losing any wicket.
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Police water games from Nov 24
Dehradun, November 22 The five-day championship will feature 18 teams of the Central paramilitary forces from various states and union territories. As many as 500 players of repute are expected to participate. Addressing a press conference, DIG (PAC) and organising secretary Alok Sharma said that the events would include kayaking, canoeing and rowing. Kayaking and canoeing will be for 200m, 500m and 1,000m where as rowing will include single scull, double scull, coxless pair and cox four will be performed over a stretch of 500m and 2,000m, added the DIG. The DIG stated that the Uttarakhand Police feels proud to organise the event here for the second time after 2004. “There are 26 gold medals on offer,” DIG Alok Sharma. He appreciated the Bengal Engineering Group for its support and contribution in making this gala event successful by extending all technical support and time-to-time assistance. Answering a question about women participants, he said that an event was planned, but due to few entries, it was cancelled. The event is expected to be inaugurated by Uttarakhand CM RP Nishank.
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Dehradun, November 22
Dehradun, November 22
