Sai Ropa (Kullu), April 17
Rampant poaching and illegal mining have spelt doom for trout in the Tirthan river under the nose of the Fisheries And Mining Departments. Anglers expressed concern over the inhuman methods being adopted by poachers to kill brown trout in the river.

More than 40 cases of poaching in the river have come to light recently. The government has banned mining and hydro power projects in the river to promote the Tirthan as an exclusive domain for trout angling in the state.

The anglers said poaching in the river was going on unabated for the past few years. “The poachers use explosives, electrocution and bleaching powders to kill fish for sale in hotels in Kullu and Manali and Mandi,” they said.

From Larji where the Tirthan meets the Sainj river, illegal mining has robbed the river of its boulders, which form the habitats for breeding grounds for the fish in the river, they said pointing out the plundered remains on the riverbed of the Tirthan which can be seen everywhere along the riverside.

Tractors and other utility vehicles can be seen extracting boulders from the riverbed of the Tirthan in broad daylight. Mining mafias cater to four stone crushers operating between Bali Chowki and Larji, the locals said.

Ved Ram Katoch, vice-president of the Kullu Trout Conservation and Angling Association, said poaching and illegal mining were posing a threat to the trout in the river and the Mining and Fisheries Departments must join hands to check this menace to save trout habitats.

KB Rahlan, general secretary, State Angling Association, said they had taken up the matter with the Fisheries and Mining Departments, but they need to strengthen patrolling along the river round the clock to check poaching and mining in the Tirthan.

Gurcharan Singh, deputy director, Fisheries, said they had an inspector at Larji and Hamani to check poaching in the river. “We have registered 40 cases recently. We issue licences to fishermen, but mining is checked by the Mining Department”.

He said they welcome the suggestions put forward by the anglers. “Last year, we had released 24 fingerling in the Tirthan,” he added.

Chamba, April 17
Apprehension prevails among residents of an outlying Mokhar village about the imminent danger of soil erosion to their village and the cultivable land beneath the hillside as a sequel to the reported seepage in the headrace tunnel of the 231-MW Chamera hydroelectric project, stage III, recently, according to reports coming into the district headquarters town of Chamba.

The reports said the leakage in the 16-km-long headrace tunnel of the project occurred because of the concrete-lined tunnel being fully charged for the purpose of testing the generating units of the project.

Since the Chamera project is under construction on the Ravi in Chamba district and is nowadays gearing up for its final stage of commissioning, the task of testing its three generating units has been undertaken since November last year. But abruptly the seepage in the tunnel appeared above the hillside of Mokhar village on Monday, thereby, causing imminent threat to soil erosion in the area.

The project authorities were taking stock of the situation and assessing the damages caused due to the seepage. General Manager of the project AK Malhotra said civil works on the project had been executed by Hindustan Construction Company.

On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner Sharabh Negi has directed SDM Rohit Rathour to rush to the incident site. After inspecting the affected site, the SDM said the substantial amount of the loose strata had washed off from the hill slope as a result of the water leakage and it had also washed away certain livestock.

However, a committee headed by the Tehsildar, Chamba, has been constituted by the DC.

All-India Congress Committee member Thakur Singh has sought a high-level probe by the CBI into the seepage in the 16-km headrace tunnel of the 231-MW Chamera hydroelectric project stage-III at Dharwala in Chamba district.

Addressing mediapersons at the local Circuit House, Thakur Singh, who is also a former MLA of Bharmour tribal Assembly segment, alleged that the leakage through the cracks developed in the tunnel was an outcome of substandard material used in the construction of the tunnels by the Hindustan Construction Company in connivance with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation.

He said he was gong to write to the Centre for conducting a CBI probe in this regard.

He said he had toured the affected area where about 35 families of villages beneath the headrace tunnel had been affected.

He demanded that the government provide compensation to affected residents living alongside the tunnel. He also pleaded for providing employment to a member of each family.

Chamera (Chamba), April 17
The concrete dam of the Chamera hydroelectric project (stage III), from where the Ravi water is being diverted to the tunnel through its intake to begin the testing of three generating units of the project consecutively, is a benchmark in the domain of hydropower development. The dam is 68 m high and 75 m long.

Giving this information here recently, project General Manager AK Malhotra said the 231-MW Chamera stage III project under construction on the Ravi in Chamba district was now gearing up for its final stage of commissioning as the testing of three generating units of the project was underway.

The project, which is a run-of-the-river scheme, is being constructed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and will provide an additional power capacity to the development of the nation.

Apart from the concrete gravity dam, the main components of the project comprised two desilting chambers, an 18-m diameter and 103-m deep surge shaft, a 6.5-m diameter 16-km-long headrace tunnel and 125-m-long tailrace tunnel for discharging the waters into the river course of the Ravi.

The project had constructed an underground powerhouse cavern having three generating units of 77 MW each with an overall installed capacity of 231 MW, the General Manager said, adding that the project would generate 1,104 million units of electricity in a 90 per cent dependable year.

The estimated sanctioned cost of the project is Rs 1,405 crore at the February 2005 price level.

The Himachal Pradesh home state will be getting 12 per cent free power from this project which may amount to around Rs 50 crore annually.

The power generated from this project will be fed to Northern Grid for further distribution to the beneficiary states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP, Delhi, Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

The adjoining areas of the project were being immensely benefited due to the construction of bridges and widening of roads, the GM said.

He claimed that the NHPC had already spent crores on the road networks besides implementation of a Rs 47.60 crore environment management plan in the environs of the project.

Sundernagar, April 17
The controversial cement plant near Sundernagar, which remained the dream project of various governments of Himachal Pradesh, was never given any mandatory clearance as required under the Forest Conservation Act as per the information supplied recently under the Right to Information Act.

For setting up the cement plant, a mining lease of 725.857 hectares (out of which 467 hectares was forestland) was executed by the Mining Department in the favour of Harish Cement Ltd on January 31, 2007. For the execution of the mining lease, the Director, Industries, had written a letter to M/S Harish Cement Ltd alleging that since the project was granted clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, therefore, he had asked the project authorities to execute the mining lease which was registered on January 1, 2007, by the Sundernagar tehsildar.

As per the information sought by Diwan Chand Kaundal, general secretary of the Krishak Vikas Samiti, Keran, under the RTI Act, the cement project was never granted the mandatory forest clearance as required under the Forest Conservation Act-1980.

According to the information supplied recently by the Divisional Forest Officer, Sundernagar, no forest land was given for setting up the cement plant or for mining. It was further told that no final forest clearance had been granted to the project so far. This information has revealed that the Director, Industries, has ‘wrongly’ granted mining lease to the cement plant.

However, after the registration of the mining lease, the mutation pertaining to 725.857 hectares (about 9,000 bighas, out of which about 6,000 bighas was forestland) has been entered in favour of the cement project without any mandatory clearance, which amounted to an offence as defined under the Forest Conservation Act. According to officials of the Forest Department, no mining lease can be executed in favour of any project till it was accorded final forest clearance by the Central Government which was not given in the present case. It seems that there was something ‘wrong’ in the matter as both the political parties were siding with the project, the source added. Even a small piece of land cannot be given for mining without the prior permission of the Central Government as required under the Forest Conservation Act.

However, the Industry Department could grant lease of about 9,000 bighas, out of which about 6,000 bighas was forestland. It was a big mining land scam, the sources said.

According to Diwan Kaundal, he has brought the matter to the knowledge of various authorities, but to no avail.

The spokesman of Harish Cement Ltd claimed that various clearances had been granted to the project.

However, things were different as various environmental clearances and notification issued for the acquisition of land under the Land Acquisition Act have been set aside by the Green Bench of the Himachal High Court on December 13, 2010. 

Mandi/Kullu, April 17
The opium poppy crop is thriving on over 2,000 bighas, mainly on private land in Kullu-Mandi areas and Bara Bhangal and Chota Bhangal areas of Kangra as anti-poppy drive is losing its punch this year ahead of the state Assembly poll.

Though the police and experts claim that there is a drastic drop of “over 80 per cent in illegal opium cultivation in the region this time as compared to last year, poppy has reached a lancing stage in the opium belt of Kullu and Mandi”.

Opium mafias have been exploiting poor villagers as their economic and health facilities remain poor in these villages. Villagers continue to use poppy for making local winter dish from its seeds and use opium for both medicine and cash.

An independent survey said, there were over 2,000 bighas of illegal poppy-concentrated land mainly in pockets of the Sainj-Tirthan and Lug valleys and the Ani area in Kullu district. Illegal poppy had been detected in the Chauhar valley in Drang and Janjheli in Seraj, Luhardi, Chota Banghal and Bara Banghal areas of Kangra district.

OP Sharma, former Superintendent of the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) and founder of Malana and Chauhar Vikalp Cooperative Society, said: “This year there is a drastic drop of over 80 per cent in poppy cultivation in the region as compared to last year. The credit goes to the state police that registered cases under the NDPS Act against the guilty and people have now realised that they will land behind bars if they persist with its cultivation.”

But there was a time when the Chauhar valley alone accounted for cultivation of 4,000 bighas in 2003 when the NCB and the police had launched an anti-poppy drive there, Sharma added.

On the other hand, SP, Kullu, Ashok Kumar said the police had launched a campaign against the menace and had destroyed 59,800 plants in 8 bighas of private land in Deoridhar and Shamshair panchayat in the Sainj valley and registered four cases under the NDPS Act.

“We are using inputs from the NCB and also involving villagers under the MNREGA in the campaign as well,” Kumar added.

SP, Mandi, Abhishek Dular said the police had launched an anti-poppy drive to recce the area and would register cases under the NDPS Act. But both cultivation and production of the contraband had dropped in the region due to anti-drug drives, he added.

Police officials said they had destroyed poppy crop in over 392 bighas and booked 50 cases last year in Kullu district and booked 11 cases in Mandi district last year.

Members of SAGES (Shimla Amateur Garden and Environment Society) eagerly wait for April when their organisation arranges a nature walk for them and their families. The trees, this month, begin to prepare for the summer, chlorophyll gets activated in their leaves and they wear them in all shades of green. The gardens look beautiful in the hues of different species of flowers. This part of the year provides everyone with what is arguably the most aesthetically beautiful time to study plant life.

A group of nearly 100, young and old, men and women, reached Mashobra, a village that was eyed by the British in the 19th century who would attend the Sipi fair held here in the summer. The Pioneer of 1882 describes the arrangements for such visits:” Had the luxurious shamianas with their luncheon tables and groups of scarlet waist-belt khitmatgars waiting about in the left foreground; then in the middle foreground the European guests, ladies in riding habits or bright dresses, and the men in all imaginable varieties of riding costumes….” That used to be the colonial arrangement, but the group of SAGES was received by JVS Ayengar in Saroj Malhotra’s cottage, courtesy Saroj, with such warmth and conviviality that any other mode of reception would look contrived. Ayengar is a good family friend of the Malhotras and looks after their garden in their absence. Beautiful tulips in the garden attracted all and the clicking of cameras did not stop as long as we stayed there. Saroj had purchased the land from a Jain family and constructed the cottage about 18 years ago. Her keen interest in gardening has fetched her prizes for the garden in the garden competition organised by SAGES every year. She is generous in giving cash prizes to result-oriented malis whenever SAGES organises a flower show.

Touching her cottage is Bendochy (see photo), which was described by Sir Edward Buck in 1904 as ” a delightful little cottage, once occupied by Sir Henry Brackenbury, and recently secured by the United Service Club as an annexe for its members.” Brackenbury, author of several books of military history and memoirs, was a member of the Council of the Viceroy in India from 1891 onwards and it was in that decade that he got this cottage built. It is now owned by Radhika Sharma, who was not present on the day of our visit. An attractive, old lamp post with exquisite wood carvings (see photo) in it stands in one corner of the green-grassed lawn while the other end has an elegant gazebo. The rows of pansy flowers on the sides of the lawn added colour to the total charm.

The next building on the path of our nature walk was Rahat Mahal, which too, existed in 1904 and was named so by its first owner, T. Bliss. Bliss thought that “bliss” meant “rahat” in Hindi and so he gave this name to the building. Actually, the words “repose”, “ease” or “relief” meant “rahat” and “bliss” meant “anand”. It is a coincidence that DC Anand is the present owner of the building. Passing Sherwood, Raja Faridkot’s house, we reached an area called “talai” where a fight of buffaloes is arranged every summer. Is it Lady Lytton’s “tea-cup valley shaded by magnificent deodar”? Our destination was the Regional Fruit Research Station, which was called Hillock’s Head in 1887 when Alexander Coutts, a tailor to the then Viceroy Lord Dufferin, originally planted apples, pear, plums and a number of exotic plants, including roses. After Independence, its common name was Coutts Garden, the name by which it is still referred to sometimes. Since December 1, 1985, it is the leading temperate fruit research station of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan.

The mystic aura created by well-known artist Him Chaterjee (see photo) for displaying his new range of works made his “Spiritual Spiti” exhibition a unique experience for viewers.

With a Buddhist altar at the entrance to the gallery, bowls of holy water,colourful prayer flags along with a strong fragrance of incense and the sound of mantras in the background, he brought in all the features associated with Buddhist monasteries for which the tribal region is famous. No only that. The paintings were displayed in box-like frames to create a three-dimensional effect similar in appearance to houses which dot the barren steep slopes of the cold desert area.

The scenic splendour of the Spiti valley is unparalleled and every visitor has been captivated by its breath-taking beauty. However, Chaterjee, who spent a fortnight exploring the area last year, was overwhelmed by the spiritual aura that enveloped the awesome mountains. The impact was so strong and compelling that he decided to come out with a whole range of paintings to capture the spirituality of the Spiti area on his canvas.

The hypnotic pull of spirituality resulted in a flush of creativity during which he came out with 70 paintings, out of which 63 were on display. He says his foray into spiritual art has been a rewarding experience as he has been able to experience a new relationship the human being has with the cosmic forces. The Buddhist flags of different colours represent the elements of nature and their fluttering symbolises communion with the invisible forces.

A striking feature is the lively tribal people in sharp contrast to the dull brown hue (colour of sand) that dominates the barren cold desert. The bright vibrant colours that dominate their lives stand out everywhere, monasteries, houses, prayer flags, costumes and cultural events.

Palampur April 17
Corruption will be a major issue in the coming Assembly elections particularly in Kangra, the largest district of the state. It looks evident that the Assembly poll in this hill state will witness the “Anna effect”.

Although the Assembly poll is yet to be announced, corruption has overtaken the agenda of development. Allegations of corruption have been levelled time and again by Congress leaders against Chief Minister PK Dhumal and his cabinet colleagues inside and outside the Assembly.

It seems that the main contenders, the BJP, which is making an attempt to seek another term in office under “mission repeat”, and the Congress have gone in for a reversal of roles since the last elections.

The Congress had to pay a heavy price in the 2007 Assembly elections, coming under fire from the BJP for allegedly being involved in various scams. Now the ruling BJP has been facing similar attacks from Congress leaders particularly on “benami land deals” which surfaced during the BJP regime.

The BJP is harping on the issue of development, challenging the Congress to compare any of its five best year’s tenure with the performance of Dhumal’s present government in the state.

State Congress leaders Virbhadra Singh, Kaul Singh and GS Bali without caring to engage in a debate on development have made corruption as the main poll plank against the BJP government.

The Congress party has formed a committee under the chairmanship of GS Bali to submit a charge-sheet against the BJP government to the President of India.

This is the first time that elections in state would witness mud slinging on main leaders of both parties, with the Congress paying the BJP back in the same coin, digging up all controversial issues of the past five years.

In the previous tenure between 1998 to 2003, there was appreciation for the BJP for development in the state and for the national highways, but this time around, bad road conditions all across the state has become another major election issue.

Congress leaders in their speeches were openly targeting the ruling BJP for poor maintenance of roads in the state and alleged misuse of World Bank and NABARD funds. The issue of corruption has also been linked to purchase of land by BJP leaders; receiving favours from power companies, cement plants; selling lands to outsiders and allowing private universities in the state. Awarding PWD contracts to their henchmen are other issues putting BJP on the back foot. 

Palampur, April 17
Virbhadra Singh, senior Congress leader and Union Minister for Small Scale and Micro Industries, said here recently that the chargesheet prepared by leaders of the Congress against the BJP, which was to be submitted to the President, had now become irrelevant as it was too late and to file the same at this stage was of no use. It is evident that less than six months are left for the Assembly elections in the state.

He said if the Congress was voted to power, it would review the Lokayukta Bill passed by the state Assembly last week. The Bill passed by the BJP Government was a weak Bill which had no teeth to fight corruption.

Virbhadra said it was against the democratic ethics that before tabling the Bill in the state Assembly, the Opposition party was not taken into confidence. Chief Minister PK Dhumal did not discuss it with the senior leaders of the BJP and hurriedly placed it in the Assembly.

He said the Chief Minister made efforts to get the Bill approved from Team Anna, but they too outrightly rejected it because of the fact that in this law, all powers remained with the political institutions and without the consent of the state Assembly, Speaker and the Chief Minister, no action could be taken against any corrupt officials or politicians.

Nurpur, April 17
The local Bachat Bhawan building on which lakhs of rupees was spent for its renovation and facelift for converting it into the Cultural Activities Centre (CAC) during the previous Congress regime is in a state of neglect thanks to the apathy of the government agency entrusted with its maintenance.

To convert the bhawan into the CAC the previous government had spent over Rs 25 lakh on its soundproofing, air-conditioning and renovation, following efforts by the then local MLA and former Minister Sat Mahajan. However, the dream of a CAC was not fulfilled.

The ceiling and doors of the building are now damaged and the electrical fittings are in poor condition. The renovated stage for cultural activities is also in bad shape.

Sat Mahajan rued that the present government was responsible for the sorry state of affairs.

Deputy Commissioner R.C.Gupta said the building was a government asset but it was not in his knowledge that it was in such a condition . However, he would take the necessary steps for its maintenance and repair. He admitted that the building was not generating funds required for its maintenance. 

Hamirpur, April 17
Shakshi Gautam, a girl from Hamirpur, has brought laurels for the district by getting selected to present a research paper on “Nuclear Physics” at an international conference being held in the US from May 27 to June 1.

Shakshi, who is presently working as a senior research fellow in Nuclear Physics at Panjab University, Chandigarh, recently received a communication in this regard from Prof Joe Notewiz and BA Li, chairman of the conference, for selecting her paper out of hundreds of research papers received from throughout the world by them.

The 11th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions is one of the world’s most prestigious conferences on nuclear research. It is supported by a number of countries of Europe apart from the US.

Shakshi is working under the supervision of Prof Rajeev K. Puri at present. She did her schooling from Him Academy Public School, Hamirpur, and her B.Sc and M.Sc (honours) from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and won gold medals in B.Sc and M.Sc.

When asked about her selection to deliver speech in such a conference, she said this was a rare chance through which she would be able to present her work before international experts. Shakshi said she had completed the paper in association with Dr Puri.