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Delay in monsoon, heat wave force elephants to move out of forests
Sharpshooter fires at
SI, held
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Race for state BJP chief’s post hots up
Need to improve medical facilities in hill areas: Experts
Installation of 74 BSNL towers approved
Rs 25 lakh disbursed to each district: CM
Villagers gear up for ‘Maund’ today
Haridwar a hub of
save-Ganga agitations
Minor sewerage, water works
to continue
Free Sarabjit, Guv urges Pak govt
Sports Minister for stadium at Suddhowala, Haldwani
Man dies of diarrhoea in Kumaon
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Delay in monsoon, heat wave force elephants to move out of forests
Haridwar, June 29 As most natural water resources have either dried up or their water level has shrunk, particularly in the forest area of Rajaji National Park, the movement of elephants in search of water has increased mainly in and around the park. One such area is the East Ganga canal in the Shyampur forest falling under the Haridwar forest division. The elephants are reportedly coming frequently to the canal to quench their thirst and at times herds of elephants can be seen drinking water and bathing. The delay in the monsoon has led to shrinking of water resources in the forest area, particularly the Rajaji park, which is a major abode of elephants. Hence, the jumbos are coming to the canal to have a respite from summer heat. In a rare spectacle for wildlife lovers as well as local people one can see jumbos stepping down stairs built to reach the canal water with ease. It is a spectacular sight the way the elephants descend towards the canal water and then retract with dexterity. It has been observed by forest officials that adult bull elephants utilise this route to enter the Anjani forest, which is on the periphery of the Ganga. Besides, the elephants also use the Shyampur, Gaziwali, and Pili bridges situated on the East Ganga Canal for moving out of the forests. They also feed on crops in nearby villages, thus making life difficult for villagers. The villagers complain that the elephants eat and destroy their crops and at the same time fear attacks by them as they are seen moving in the area from dawn and dusk. Local people and wildlife lovers can see elephants drinking water and splashing water on their bodies. Elephant experts say this indicates the shrinking of water resources, global warming and encroachment on water sources in the forests. This has compelled the animals to move out of the forest areas in search of water. Noted elephant observer Dr Ritesh Joshi, who has been researching on Asian elephants in Rajaji National Park for the past one decade, told The Tribune that any increase in human activities in the park forest area led to the movement of elephants to open and new spaces, including human habitats. “The movement of jumbos will decline gradually and stop as soon as the monsoon arrives fully, as then they migrate towards the Kotdwar forest division in Pauri Garhwal district for the rest of the monsoonal period,” said Joshi. Besides the change in climate and human activities in the forest areas, elephants are seen in the Ganga canal as it provides them their favorite food: on both sides of the canal is the bamboo crop. Also, the area has dense kapasi (helictres), khari (acacia) and sheesham (dalbergia sissoo, acaciacatechu) trees, which are much liked by the elephants. Hence, it is a boon for the elephants as they are getting both food and water at one place. |
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Sharpshooter fires at
SI, held
Haridwar, June 29 Sub-Inspector of the Jwalapur police station Dharmendra Rathi sustained major injuries in the encounter. The police found a speeding biker alongside the Ganga canal around 1 am last night. When Rathi tried to stop the biker, he was fired at but bullet scrapped his face. He then chased the biker and informed the other police personnel and circled Ahmed few hundred metres alongside the Ganga canal. Seeing police personnel on both sides of the canal stretch, Ahmed tried to jump into the canal but Rathi nabbed him. Talking to the The Tribune, Senior Superintendent of District Police Arun Mohan Joshi said Ahmed was an absconding accused wanted in sixteen criminal cases, including three murders, which he carried out in Udham Singh Nagar district. He added that Ahmed had come to Haridwar to carry out a major crime. The SP, city, Dr Kiran Lal Shaw, said the accused was a sharpshooter who murdered Jaspur municipal committee chairman Mukthyar Ahmed and later killed his accomplice in the murder, Ashlam, also. Keeping in mind the bravery shown by Rathi, Jwalapur Circle Officer Shah Jahan Javed Khan said a citation was being made to the police headquarters to consider Rathi for gallantry award in view of nabbing the murderer. A reward of Rs 2,500 has been announced by Haridwar SSP for Rathi’s act, who is currently receiving medical treatment. |
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Race for state BJP chief’s post hots up
Dehradun, June 29 While the names of senior BJP leader and MLA from Chaubatakhal Tirath Singh Rawat, along with organizing secretary Dhan Singh Rawat, is doing the rounds, there are others like senior BJP leader Trivender Singh Rawat who is hoping to revive his political career after losing the 2012 assembly elections. After Ajay Bhatt, a Brahmin, was made the Leader of the Opposition, it is assumed that the BJP will elect a Rajput from the Garhwal region to head the top party post. "The leaders selection would have the stamp of approval from the senior leaders comprising BC Khanduri and BS Koshiyari but confabulations will also be held with RSS leaders. Leaders like Dhan Singh Rawat and Trivender Singh Rawat have good equation with the RSS," said a senior BJP leader. Meanwhile, whoever is made the BJP state president, he would have to keep the morale of the party high that is already grappling with desertion. "Chufal had an easy tenure as the BJP was in power but now things have changed, whoever takes the top slot would have to revive the party in the state and also expose the misgovernance of the Congress in the state," said a BJP spokesperson.
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Need to improve medical facilities in hill areas: Experts
Haridwar, June 29 This view was voiced by experts at a seminar organised by Global Health Advocates in coordination with Mamta Social Society at a city hotel in Bhoopatwala. Apart from representatives from the medical fraternity, those working in the public domain also put forth their suggestions at the seminar. Addressing the gathering, Chief Medical Officer Deepa Sharma said that the facilities of many health programmes and schemes such as child health, child survival, maternal health, malnutrition, TB, clean drinking water etc run by the government were not being availed by a major section of the people. Emphasising on the need for taking benefit from these schemes, an appeal was made to health activists to come forward in providing information and awareness among rural people. She said the government alone could not achieve it's aim of providing health facilities to all. Dr Sapna Naveen of the Global Health Advocates said that they were a non-governmental organisation that focused on engaging all sections of society to fight diseases that disproportionately affected people living in poverty and were also the leading causes of people living in poverty. “We are constantly working towards the formulation and implementation of effective public policies to fight disease and ill-health, specially in rural, far-flung areas, where that most of the people had no direct access to adequate health facilities, leave alone knowledge about government-run health schemes” said Dr Sapna. Dr Shashi Kant cited discrepancies in government health services in terms of tough geographical conditions, particularly hilly regions of the state and also far-flung plain areas of Haridwar. Among others who spoke at the seminar included Dr Vineet Agnihotri, Dr LD Pant and Dr Suresh Aggarwal. |
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Installation of 74 BSNL towers approved
Pithoragarh, June 29 “Of these towers, Almora will have 24, Bageshwar 30, Pithoragarh will have 30 and Champawat have seven BSNL towers with high-speed gadgets installed in these,” said the GM. According to the Almora GM, the department is using both Wi-Max and broadband to provide high-speed Internet connectivity in the interior areas of the zone and the places where this facility is not available. The department is using Wi-Max system to provide the high-speed Internet connectivity. “We are going to spend a sum of Rs 50 crore to create this facility,” said Rana.
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Rs 25 lakh disbursed to each district: CM
Dehradun, June 29 Bahuguna said Rs 25 lakh each had been disbursed to all districts and Rs 1 crore each would be sent to them very soon. He directed the District Magistrates to ensure the availability of foodgrains, kerosene, drinking water, medicines, milk, necessary equipments and alternative shelters in all sensitive areas. The Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain to take the numbers of all control rooms of the district and tehsil levels and have them randomly tested. He stressed on publicising these numbers through hoardings on national highways and newspapers. He directed the District Magistrates to impart sufficient training to officials and workers deputed at disaster control rooms. He laid emphasis on maintaining coordination between districts and the government and strengthen the communication system. He also asked the District Magistrates to maintain coordination with paramilitary forces, the BRO and other institutions so that they could be contacted in time of emergencies. He also directed the officials to conduct resource mapping. Bahuguna took serious note of roadblocks due to landslides and asked the officials concerned to ensure the availability of shelter, drinking water, milk and food for those travellers stranded due to roadblocks. He said JCB machines be placed at sensitive zones so that blocked roads could be cleared immediately. He directed the officials to distribute 50 emergency lights each to every district to facilitate rescue and relief works during night time, besides satellite phones, gas cutters and other equipment. Bahuguna said no lackadaisical attitude in disaster management would be tolerated and stringent action would be taken against erring officials and workers. He said a sufficient increment had been made in relief fund by the state government and instructed the officials to ensure timely disbursement of relief to the victims in district and tehsil levels. Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain, Principal Secretary, PWD, S Raju, Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, Om Prakash, Principal Secretary, Planning, S Ramaswami, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister DK Kotia, Commissioner, Garhwal region, Kunal Sharma, Commissioner, Kumaon region, Hemlata Dhaundiyal, and District Magistrates were present. |
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Villagers gear up for ‘Maund’ today
Mussoorie, June 29 Many villages had refused to participate in the festival this year due to excessive use of the bleaching powder and passing electricity current into the water in order to catch more fish. Villager from Bhut Gaon Bitto Kavi said they had opposed any such move as it was harming the environment every year. Bitto Kavi favoured a condition of introducing a penalty of over Rs 25,000 on those villagers who indulged in unwarranted means. The villagers then decided to agree to the suggestion and also announced Rs 5,000 for the person who informed them of such illegal activity during the festival, thus removing the clouds surrounding over the annual celebrations. According to another villager from Laloor Talla Mohan, they, along with several other villagers, have been assigned to prepare the addictive powder using the bark of plant “Timru” with botanical name (Zanthoxylum Alatum,) at a place called the “Maundkot” upstream in the Aglar rivulet this year so that the fish are paralysed and fall in the net. This exercise of placing the powder is called “Maund” from where the festival gets its name. He further said villagers had completed the task of collecting the bark of the plant and after drying and grinding it into fine powder, they throw it in the Aglar rivulet at the designated area known as Maund or Maun tomorrow. “The village head will declare the festival open after offering the traditional prayers amid the beating of traditional drums and villagers will then wait for fish to fall in the nets of the individuals, added Mohan. Member from the Aglar-Yamuna Ghati Vikas Manch Surat Singh Kharkai said the festival dated back to the feudal era where the maharaja of Tehri inaugurated the festival and collected “Maun tax” imposed on fishing. The festival was stopped temporarily for a few years but restarted later,” added Rawat. |
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Haridwar a hub of
save-Ganga agitations
Haridwar, June 29 Haridwar has been a hub of pro-Ganga movements since 1914 when led by Madan Mohan Malviya, Ganga Sabha teerth purohits and saints held a successful agitation during the British rule against a dam on the Ganga. The recent one is the agitation launched by the Shankaracharya against the hydropower projects on the river. Another recent agitation is the one started from Matra Sadan against illegal quarrying on the Ganga which led to the death of Swami Nigamanand. Nigamanand had fasted continuously for 108 days and later died in a hospital. The declaration of Ganga as a national river and the formation of the National River Ganga Basin Authority by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are also attributed to various Ganga movements launched from Haridwar. Following persistent efforts by saints and environmentalists here, Rs 2,600 crore was recently sanctioned for sewage treatment plants at various places near the Ganga. In 1916, when the British planned to build a barrage blocking the flow of the river near Haridwar, Madan Mohan Malviya spearheaded a popular movement and forced the rulers to modify their plans. The British entered into a written agreement committing that the flow of the Ganga would not be blocked completely. They also promised that any such blockade or restricted water flow would be resorted to only after taking consent of the Ganga Sabha, the working body of Brahm Kund, Har-Ki-Pauri. Notably, this agreement finds mention in the Constitution of India. Later in 1983 when the Ganga started getting polluted owing to massive industrialisation and after hundreds of industrial units mushroomed near the river threw contaminated water directly into it, a unity march called ‘Ekatmakta Yatra’ was staged in which pro-Ganga activists from various sections of society took part. This drive generated awareness among the people and forced the government to pave the way for the Ganga Action Plan -1986 initiated by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The saint community raised its voice to save the Ganga at various platforms and religious seminars when they saw Rs 9,000 crore allocated under the Ganga Action Plan going waste and the river getting more polluted, particularly in the plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. During Mahakumbh in 1998 and 2010 and Ardh Kumbh in 1992 and 2004 the saints raised the issue of pollution in the Ganga and questioned efforts being made to clean it. A convention was held in New Delhi in 2004 in which saints from across the country participated and pressed for cleaning the river. The Matra Sadan ashram at Jagjeetpur village, 5 km from Haridwar city, has become synonymous with the save Ganga movement, as various agitations, including that by Swami Nigamanand, were launched from here. Swami Shivanand, founder of the Matra Sadan ashram, is taking both agitation and litigation routes to ensure that the sanctity of the Ganga is maintained. Noted environmentalist Guru Das Aggarwal, now Swami Sanand, also staged a successful agitation against hydroelectric projects on the tributaries of the Ganga, leading to the closure of 600 MW Lohari Nagpala and Pala Maneri hydropower projects in August 2010. Shankaracharya Swami Saraswati, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Jayanendra Saraswati of Kanchi Peeth, former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Swami Chinmayanand, Swami Achutyanannd Teerth, yog guru Swami Ramdev and a number of saints have from time to time been involved in save-Ganga agitations. |
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Minor sewerage, water works
to continue
Dehradun, June 29 “We will continue to take up minor works such as water testing, providing water connections to people. So far 4,000 water connections have been provided,” said SK Jain, Executive Engineer, Project Implementation Unit (Dehradun-I), Water Supply. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded programme Rs 2,250 crore is to be completed in 31 towns of the state. |
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Free Sarabjit, Guv urges Pak govt
Dehradun, June 29 Dr Qureshi has expressed concern at the way “wrong” news was given and then corrected by the Pakistan government about Sarabjit’s release. Dr Qureshi said for the last 20 years, Sarabjit Singh has been languishing in Pakistan jails and during this period, his family, friends and many human rights activists in India and Pakistan had been demanding his release on compassionate and humanitarian grounds. “During the last few years, his case did not remain confined to the members of his family but his release became a common wish of many peace-loving Indians, irrespective of caste, colour and creed, who have been dreaming of Indo-Pak friendship and harmonious relations between the two countries,” he said. Dr Qureshi further said instead of talking about “war and jehad,” what was needed now was that both countries should together “wage a war against hunger, poverty, illiteracy, superstition, disease, sorrow, suffering and natural calamities.” He said today, only this kind of jehad could be waged against the sufferings and ills that plagued people in both countries. The Governor said he had appealed to the government of Pakistan that “in order to restore sanity and develop man-to-man contact”, it should release Sarabjit Singh without any delay and write a new chapter in the history of Indo-Pak relations where many earlier chapters had been inscribed in human blood. |
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Sports Minister for stadium at Suddhowala, Haldwani
Dehradun, 29 June He said services of renowned consultant company should be taken to prepare the project. Chairing a meeting at the Vidhan Sabha Bhawan today, Aggarwal said quality be ensured in the construction works of the stadiums. He also directed the officials to take the final step in drafting the proposals for stadiums at Srinagar, Pithoragarh, Champawat and Almora. He also told the officials to finalise the draft of open ice skating rink at Auli. He suggested the officials to take ideas from other states in this aspect. Expressing his dissatisfaction over the pathetic condition of Sports College at Raipur, he instructed the officials concerned to take necessary measures to improve its condition. |
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Man dies of diarrhoea in Kumaon
Pithoragarh, June 29 “Har Singh Dhanik (72) of Kunjanpur village died of diarrhoea on Wednesday as the epidemic broke out in the village and affected 78 other villagers. Three of them have been admitted to the district hospital,” said HC Pant, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Pithoragarh. According to the CMO, the medical administration has sent a team of four doctors led by Deputy CMO of the district BMS Pangti. “The team will visit Jajoli, Jjarapani, Kamara, Bhandarigaon, Rawalgaon and Dasaithal villages and will find out the reason of the sudden outbreak of the epidemic,” said the CMO. According to Pant, the reason of this sudden outbreak of diarrhoea might be contamination of drinking water sources due to pre-monsoon rains that occurred last week. “We have distributed chlorination kits to the villagers in the affected areas,” said Dr Kundan Kumar, medical officer at the PHC, Gangolihat. Reports of water contamination have also come from Almora, where residents complained that the water being supplied to them from the Koshi river was contaminated. “More than 1.5 lakh population of Almora town, which gets drinking water from the Koshi river, has been affected by this contamination,” said Navin Chandra Joshi, a resident of Almora town. Officials of Jal Sanstahn have said the Koshi river water is carrying dust from jungles which were burnt in forest fires recently. Due to this dust, the water being supplied to the town has become polluted. |
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The delay in the arrival of the monsoon and scorching summer heat is not only affecting human beings but also animals. Haridwar has received only a few hours of rain during the past two months.
The Haridwar police today arrested notorious sharpshooter Raees Ahmed for firing at a police patrolling party in a late night encounter at Ranipur Jhal alongside the Ganga canal.
