Koteshwar-Jhandidhar Project
Water supply to 102 villages begins
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 2
The Koteshwar-Jhandidhar pumping project has started supplying water to 102 villages from June 1. The Rs 1247.33 crore project, which will supply water to areas in Devprayag and Tehri, was sanctioned in 2005.

State Minister for Water Resources Mantri Prasad Naithani has asked officials to complete other drinking water projects in a similar way.

He appreciated officials and workers for completing the project in a stipulated time frame.

Naithani said the government was serious towards providing water to the people and all arrangements in this direction had been completed.

The minister said work on other projects, including Sajwan Kanda-Silkakhal, Lachmoli, Hadimkidhar, Devprayag, Akriwarjula, Pratapnagar, Pauri and Pithoragarh, was expected to complete in the stipulated time.

Naithani urged the public to conserve water

He said the department was also chalking out action plan to preserve natural water resources and the conservation of water from falls and streams.

He said Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had agreed to give bonus amount to Uttarakhand for drinking water projects, if the state succeeded in utilising the allocated fund well in time.

Kumaon reeling under severe water crisis
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 2
The entire Kumaon region is reeling under a severe drinking water crisis despite slight rain in some parts of the region on Friday. The rain came with a storm and took two lives but could not recharge the traditional water sources in the towns and adjoining villages of 
the region.

Almora town is in the grip of worst water crisis as the Koshi river, which supplies water to the 80,000 population of the temple town, has gone dry to the level of one-third. “The pump house at Koshi, which lifts water to the town, has remained at 5 MLD capacity down from 14 MLD, which is the installed capacity of the project.” said VK Mishra, Jal Sansthan Executive engineer.

“If rain does not occur within a week, even the present lifting capacity of the river will dry out, creating further crisis of drinking in the town.” said Mishra.

According to experts, the Himalayan rivers are having fewer waters as the glaciers which feed these rivers. “The snowline in the Himalayas has gone down to 6000 feet from 9000 feet in the last three decades due to warming, resulting in melting of glaciers.’ said Dr J.N Pant, a botanist teaching in the local PG College.

Another Himalayan wanderer and a member of Pahar team, an NGO working on the matters of environment and social life of the hill region, Dr Lalit Pant, said that the main glaciers of the state, Gangotri, Ralam, Raktavarna, Meru, Sunderdhunga and Pindari have developed a tendency of melting rapidly in the last 20 years. “These glaciers are melting with a rate of 3 to 5 km per decade,” said Pant.

People in Kumaon region have now resorted to superstitions after being disappointed from the government side. The village women in Thal area offered 1000 pitcher full of water, brought from local rivers to please the deity for rains, but the people of Dwarahat have gone a step further to please the local rain deitiy and have starting observing fast for 22 days in the temple of local Nagarjun Dev. “Due to lack of rains, not only the natural water sources have gone dry in our area but our fodder trees have also gone dry, posing a grave crisis of fodder before our cattle herds,” said Chintamani Upreti, a local priest.

Pithoragarh Jal Sansthan has planned to purchase some more water tanks by the money sanctioned by the state government. “We have been informed of the sanction of a sum of Rs 50 lakh by the government to purchase more water tankers,” said a Jal Sansthan officer in Pithoragarh.

In Pithoragarh as the rush of people from cities to escape summer increases on local households, the water crisis is forcing them to make arrangments for the guests in local hotels and guest houses as they have no water available for these guests in their houses.  

Finance panel wants functioning of power utilities streamlined
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 2
The third state Finance Commission (2011-2016) has warned that the poor fiscal health of power utilities was putting a burden on the non-tax revenue and has recommended that improvement be made in terms of performance and financial management.

In view of the revenue potential of the power sector, the third state Finance Commission has recommended an effective monitoring mechanism of hydropower generation for IPPs, state PSUs (Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand (PTCUL) and Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) so that these become a major contributor to the state resources.

Since the tax base and the possibilities of further industrialisation are limited, the power sector has to be efficient, sustainable and contributor to state resources.

The report tabled in the House says: “While the revenue from the power sector was envisaged to be a major contributor to the resources of the state by way of receipts, the power scenario has not turned out to be optimistic. To top it the fiscal health of the power utilities is putting a burden on the non-tax revenue and further laxity may involve higher funding from state plan budget. While the power consumption during the period 2000 to 2008 had grown more than five times, generation has not kept pace with it. As a result of which the state is able to meet only 52 per cent of it's power needs from it's own resources,” said the report.

It further recommends restructuring of the entire State Public Sector Undertakings so that they do not become a drain on the state’s finances. The state public sector undertakings include Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam along with their subsidiary companies, Uttarakhand Forest Corporation, Uttarakhand Pey Jal Nigam, Uttarakahnd Infrastructure Development Corporation, Terai Seed Development Corporation etc.

It has recommended that a VRS coupled with re-deployment policy needs to be put in place and the state should gradually move towards divestment especially with regard to sugar industry, power distribution, tourism and industry-related functions of KMVN and GMVN, which should be run on a public-private partnership mode.

Further, it suggests that the government's own sugar factory at Doiwala be privatised and the state government should dilute it's share holding in cooperative sugar mills. 

CM announces several projects for Munsiyari 
Bid to placate MLA close to Rawat
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 2
To placate Munsiyari MLA Harish Dhami who belongs to Harish Rawat camp and had recently worn a black flag against the 'step-motherly treatment' meted out to his constituency, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today announced a volley of projects for Munsiyari Assembly constituency, including two hospitals of 30 beds each at Madkot and Tejam areas of Talla Johar and several other projects.

The Chief Minister reached Munsiyari today for a brief time of 90 minutes to inaugurate the annual festival of Johar Club.

The Chief Minister also announced constitution of a committee of 3 MLAs to look into the problems of the affected villages under the area notified for Askot musk deer sanctuary and a separate committee to look into the matters of reservation of entire Munsiyari area under OBC category. "The Chief Minister announced construction of a 5-km-long pending road from Papri to Chauna in Talla Johar and a sum of Rs 15 lakh for the Johar Club.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the annual sports competition of Johar Club, which begins today. "The Chief Minister praised fourth time Everest victory of Munsiyari resident Lav Raj Singh Dharmasaktu and announced a sum Rs 2 lakh in his honour.

According to the Congress president, the Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the two boys who died in a thunderstorm on June 1 in Pithoragarh town.

The Chief Minister announced that the junior high schools at Hokra and Tejam will be upgraded to the high school level in the coming academic year.

Overflowing sewage threat to health, environment
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, June 2
The overflowing sewage due to the broken line on the road near Avalon Resorts from the past several days is posing a threat to the health and environment of the town, much to the disgust of local residents and tourists alike, despite the ongoing project of laying down the new sewage pipeline under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) . The Municipal Council and the Jal Santhan have turned a blind eye towards the problem despite several reminders in the past.

The tourists visiting Gun Hill have to pass through with their noses covered due to the strong stench emanating from the area. The local residents are of the view that around 300 people visit Gun Hill on a daily basis but the concerned authorities have not yet begun the repair work despite several complaints, which was really unfortunate.

When contacted the Muncipal Council health officer Vinod Nautiyal said that he was aware of the problem but was unable to act as the repair work of sewage system was the job of Jal Sansthan. When contacted Jal Sansthan officials were not available for comments. The experts from medical fraternity believe that the overflowing sewage meant that the place was in danger of being infested with infectious bacteria, viruses, parasites and a growing legion of potentially toxic chemicals that could lead to a major epidemic if the pipeline is not repaired. 

Dance fever grips Haridwar youth
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 2
Call it the impact of dance reality shows or engaging children in co-curricular activities, parents are now enrolling their children in dance classes in Haridwar.

This trend is catching up since the summer season and school vacations 
have started.

Over six dance workshops for schoolchildren are going on presently in the city, which was not the case a few years back.

Choreographer Dolly Bisht of the Dance India Dance (DID) fame is training more than 150 children at Funk Dynamics in Jwalapur.

Accepting the fact that the television dance reality-based shows have propelled a craze for dance, Dolly said majority of the learners want to make it big in dance which is reflected in their commitment while learning. “Earlier, when I wanted to learn dance professionally in Haridwar few years back, there was no such platform. But now younger generation has the benefit of our experience,” said Dolly, who also worked as a second assistant choreographer in Farah Khan’s upcoming film ‘Joker’.

Sonal Hajela, a student, pointed out that learning dance from a professional choreographer was different than learning from videos.

According to the Ekta Girdhar workshop organiser, there are more than 150 children who are learning dance, which reflects the craze among the younger lot.

Industrial investment in hills needed: Durgapal
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 2
Minister for Labour and Industries in Uttarakhand Cabinet Harish Chandra Durgapal has called for industrial investment in the hilly districts of the state in view of the overall development of the state.

This, according to him, will also be instrumental in stopping the mass migration and unemployment in hilly districts as in the past five years, nothing much has been done as far as development is concerned.

Durgapal was speaking at a seminar organised by the PhD chamber of commerce at the BHEL convention hall today.

He also assured of various sops so that industries have convenience in setting up smaller manufacturing, processing or packing units in hilly districts.

In another programme, Congress activists welcomed the minister at the Chandi Ghat chowk.

Swami Sananand's arrest justified: Uttarakhand Janmanch
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 2
Uttarakhand Janmanch, an organisation favouring the construction of hydro power projects in the state, has justified the arrest of GD Agarwal, alias Swami Sananand.

At a press conference today, Uttarakhand Janmanch general secretary Raja Todaria said Agarwal could have become threat to the peace of the Srinagar and Kirtinagar areas of Garhwal as he had been persistently opposing power projects despite the majority of people in the state supporting these projects.

Todaria also appealed the state Congress government to ban the entry of Agarwal into the state. He even questioned environmentalist Bharat Jhunjhunwala, asserting that he too was trying to create trouble in Uttarakhand in the name of environment conservation.

He also held that the Uttarakhand Janmanch would observe the coming Environment Day of June 5 as black day as the state was suffering in the name of environment. He said the janmanch workers would also hold protests at the state Forest headquarters in Dehradun on the same day. He said the janmanch had also made an appeal to the people in the state to observe June 5 as a protest day.

He said stringent forest laws were adversely affecting the villagers in the state. He said the people in the hills had abandoned agriculture due to the destruction of their crops by wild animals. 

HC Judges call on Governor
Tribune News Service

Nainital, June 2
Uttarakhand High Court Judges --- Justice PC Pant, Justice VK Bisht and Justice SK Gupta --- made a courtesy call on Governor Aziz Qureshi at Raj Bhavan, Nainital, today.

Besides the Judges, Deputy Advocate-General, Uttarakhand High Court, Tanvir Alam Khan, Dalbir Singh from Delhi, Subhash Malhotra from Kashipur and some other people also called upon the Governor today.

Bias alleged against election officer
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 2
With the preparation on for the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Junior Engineers and Officers Association elections, a number of aspiring candidates and association members have accused the presiding election officer of being bias.

Nine candidates vying for various posts in elections today sat on a dharna against election officer Ravindra Vasisth.

Accusing him of bias and improper conduct, these nine candidates feared frailties in the elections procedure as they termed Vasisth’s the election procedure inclined towards certain candidates.

Pointing out that Vasisth is also the chief of the executive body of the association and has not resigned, he is trying to make sure that his ‘acquaintances’ get elected for which he may misuse the election officer post.

Pravesh Kumar, one of the candidates, said, “The election date has also been deliberately scheduled for June 3 as the AMIEC engineering examination date is coinciding with it and more than 200 association members would be taking this exam. By this, young association members will not be able to cast their votes and senior candidates will have a direct advantage which will help Vasisth’s group.”

First batch of Mansarovar yatra reaches Chokari

Pithoragarh, June 2
The first batch of the Kailash Mansarowar yatra comprising 47 pilgrims, including six women, reached Chokari in Berinag subdivision, Pithoragarh, today.

The batch is here for the second day's night halt and will visit the ancient cave temple of Patal Bhuvneswar near the town. The batch, led by Kuwarpal Singh, liaison officer, Bulandshar, consists of pilgrims from 14 states, including Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, UP and Uttarakhand. The maximum number of pilgrims (13) are from Delhi followed by Gujarat, Haryana and Karnataka, said Deepak Rawat, managing director, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).

Rawat said the nodal agency had fixed lunch and dinner menu for every camp this year. He further said this year they had set up six camps on the trekking route.

Sources said the KMVN had charged Rs 27,000 per pilgrim this year and the Chinese authorities had fixed a sum of $751 per pilgrim this year. — OC

Students examined at medical camp
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, June 2
A one-day free medical camp and routine immunisation programme was organised by Sadbhavna, a social organisation, at Rama Devi Inter-college here today.

Nearly 80 students were vaccinated against hepatitis B and over 100 received complete health check-up on the occasion.

President of the organisation Anuj Tayal expressed gratitude to all who participated and extended a helping hand in the smooth conduct of the camp.