Kanwariya count touches one crore mark
Haridwar, July 13
Despite odd weather conditions, one crore Kanwariyas have reached Haridwar to fetch Ganga water. Kanwar Mela will culminate on June 17.

4 women hurt
Mussoorie, July 13
Four tourist women were injured in a head-on collision between an Alto car and a mini-bus near JP Bend on the Mussoorie-Dehradun Highway today.

Dehradun July 13
Activists of the Uttrakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) - P created a bedlam in Kashipur MLA Harbhans Cheema’s residence at Race Course today in protest against his alleged anti-hills rhetoric. The activists not only smashed the windows, ramshackle the furniture but also smeared his house with black ink writing obnoxious comments related to his alleged statement.

Senior Superintendent of Police Neeru Garg has suspended a team of guards, a constable and a head constable, who were found missing at the time of ruckus. She had deployed a police team consisting of one sub-inspector and four constables outside the premises.

Garg said the CCTV footage retrieved from the sight would be examined after which action would be taken against the accused. The members associated with the UKD (P) have become synonymous with intolerance and vandalism of late in the state.

The party president was unapologetic about the way the members behaved at Cheema’s place. He said, “The party members did everything as per their democratic rights and out of their strong sentiments for the hills and its residents. People like Cheema could not stay in the state.” 

Dehradun, July 13
Rain was all in its fury in Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun today while other parts of the state experienced rain with varying intensity.

The city was all drenched with the region experiencing staggering 84 mm of rainfall till 8.30 pm taking into account the past 24 years. A downpour was witnessed in Dehradun around 5 pm which paralysed the normal life. Almost all major roads of the city were inundated bringing traffic to a screeching halt.

According to Dr Anand Sharma, Executive Director, Dehradun Meteorological Centre, rain will continue in Dehradun till July 15. Rain and thundershowers are also likely to take place in other parts of Uttarakhand in the next 24 hours.

He said, however, rather heavy rains are likely to occur in southern Uttarakhand that comprises districts adjoining to the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Haridwar, July 13
Despite odd weather conditions, one crore Kanwariyas have reached Haridwar to fetch Ganga water. Kanwar Mela will culminate on June 17.

Although Kanwariyas from distant states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already left Uttarakhand, those from Haryana, Delhi and Punjab are still pouring in large numbers to fetch Ganga water from Gaumukh, Gangotri, Brahmkund, Har-ki-Pauri, and Ganga ghats.

With the Kanwariya count reaching one crore mark, the mela administration is now reviewing its traffic plan and security arrangements as managing a large number of Kanwariyas is a tough task. Besides police personnel, it has deployed the Rapid Action Force and the Provincial Armed Constabulary at important points. The presence of paramilitary personnel is showing results as errant Kanwariyas don’t persist in treading on highways.

Kanwar Mela chief Kiran Lal Shaw said from June 15, a new traffic plan would be implemented to ensure that there was no jams on highway as Dak Kanwars come to Haridwar on the last two days of the mela.

He said the entry of heavy vehicles would also be banned in the city and national highways on these days. Additional police force would be deployed on the stretches leading to Har-ki-Pauri.

Meanwhile, as Kanwariyas have been allowed to use the national highway route despite separate Kanwar Patri being the main pathway for them, they are using inner city lanes to move towards Roorkee, which is posing problems for local commuters. Circle officer Shah Jahan Khan said as the Kanwariya count had touched one crore mark, they had been allowed to use the national highway route to avoid congestion.

Haridwar, July 13
Though a majority of Kanwariyas on the Kanwar yatra to Haridwar follow religious norms strictly, some of them resort to unethical practices.

A few Kanwariyas can be seen smoking bidis, cigarettes and using ‘chillum’ to chill out during the arduous pilgrimage.

While it is a pleasant sight to see young Kanwariyas treading with faith and devotion on the Kanwar mela stretch, it is disheartening to see a few of them smoking tobacco and taking intoxicating drugs.

Shailesh, a teenage from Sohna in Haryana, who happily posed for a photograph, said though the pilgrimage was quite tough and tiring, it revitalized his spirit.

Religious gurus and organisations have condemned the use of drugs and tobacco in any form during the pilgrimage. Some even take ‘bhang’.

To generate awareness among the Kanwariyas, hoardings have been put up on the Kanwar stretch and in the city advising them to shun smoking and abide by religious norms.

Acharaya Balkrishan of the Patanjali Yogpeeth and Swami Ramanandacharya have appealed to the Kanwariyas to strictly maintain the sanctity of the pilgrimage, while the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad has said the use of drugs, alcohol and other intoxicants deprived the Kanwariyas of the boon accruing due to the pilgrimage.

Though there are usually a few errant Kanwariyas every time, most of them finish the pilgrimage quietly.

The local people say a decade ago the number of Kanwariyas seen smoking was more, but in the past few years their number has declined drastically.

Mussoorie, July 13
Members of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Mahila Aggarwal Sabha felicitated more than 250 students of class IX and XII from around 25 schools for excelling in academics at a formal function held in Rama Devi inter College here today.

The function was inaugurated by Jot Singh Gunsola, former MLA, Mussoorie, by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Students from Rama Devi Inter-College presented a welcome song on the occasion.

The students from Class IX and XII who had topped in 2012 were also received citations and medals from the chief guest.

The students who received the award were from schools such as Waverly Convent School, St. Clares, Rama Devi Inter-College, Mussoorie Girls Inter-College, Sanatan Dharm Inter-College, Hampton Court, Nirmala School, etc.

Former MLA Jot Singh Gunsola commended the efforts of the organisers and said with such functions, the students were motivated.

He further said the students should not forget the struggle of their parents and teachers behind their success.

The Mussoorie council president OP Uniyal, former MC president Manmohan Singh Mall, president of the Agarwal Mahasabha Dhanprakash, Agarwal Mahila Mahasabha member Renu Agarwal, Sashi Goyal and others were present on the occasion.