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Act to stop groundwater misuse yet to be implemented
Dharamsala’s Civil Lines area fast turning into commercial hub
Use of Pine Needles as Fuel
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ELECTORAL POLITICS
NSUI seeks hostel facility soon
vignettes
Internet Service
Manimahesh Yatra
Himachal diary
Samiti seeks ban on animal sacrifice
‘Childhood Innocence’ enthrals
Male-female ratio highest in Lahaul & Spiti: CM
Corruption to be major issue in Assembly poll
PIL on ‘flouting’ of rules in teachers’ appointment
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Act to stop groundwater misuse yet to be implemented
Solan, July 31 This was evident from the fact that a few industrial units had come forward to register themselves with the groundwater authority despite the notification of the Act in its various industrial areas. According to the figures of groundwater available with the Groundwater Board, the net groundwater availability and gross draft for all uses in respect of Paonta and Kala Amb valleys is about 7,500 hectare per metre and 2,000 hectare per metre and 125 hectare per metre and 300 hectare per metre, respectively. However, Paonta valley falls under the safe category and Kala Amb valley has been categorised as an over exploited category. In the Nalagarh valley, the net groundwater availability and gross draft for all uses is about 7,750 hectare per metre and 3,900 hectare per metre, respectively. The net groundwater availability and gross draft for all uses in respect of Una valley is about 15,900 hectare per metre and 15,000 hectare per metre, which falls under critical category. The report indicates that Kala Amb valley and Una valley needs to adopt artificial groundwater recharging by constructing suitable structures so that the stage of groundwater development is brought to safe categories. This necessitates the need to adopt more caution and the need to register all existing users and monitor their water withdrawals by installing metres. Any failure to do so has been made a punishable offence as per the Act. Though the Act even directs IPH officials to install metres if the users fail to do so after seeking registration and get the charges for installing metres from the users, little has been done in this direction. Kala Amb being the hub of industrial activity in Sirmaur district, the number of users who are using groundwater mostly comprises industrial consumers, who withdraw a large quantity of water everyday. Similar is the plight of the industrial area of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh where a few users had come forward to seek registration. KL Thakur, executive engineer of the IPH Department, Nahan, said the hydrologists were monitoring the existing users by visiting the industrial units and ensuring that they registered themselves with the groundwater authority.
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Dharamsala’s Civil Lines area fast turning into commercial hub
Dharamsala, July 31
However, this posh area that used to have residences of the elite of the town is fast turning into a commercial hub. The Civil Lines was part of the Civil Bazar area that also housed the administrative complex of Dharamsala. Hotels and shop-cum-office complexes are replacing old houses in the Civil Lines area. In the recent past, a few big hotels and shop-cum-office complexes have come up in the area. Residents of the Civil Lines area complain that many hotels and shopping complexes have come up in the area, which have rendered the area unfit for residential purposes. They say hotels host parties at night and often violate norms pertaining to the sound system. Many commercial complexes that have come up in the area have no provision for parking. The result is that the area remains choked with vehicles parked on both sides of the road. With high-rise buildings coming up in the area, old houses had no privacy now, they said. Many people are afraid of making complaints against the conversion of the Civil Lines area into a commercial hub due to fear of influential people who have constructed hotels and commercial hubs in the area. Town and Country Planning Department officials said in case someone deposited charges for using residential land for commercial activity, the map for commercial building was passed by a district-level committee, headed by the Deputy Commissioner. There were no clear-cut guidelines in the Town and Country Planning Department rules against bringing up commercial buildings in residential areas, they said. Many old houses in the Civil Lines area are now lying abandoned as the owners have either migrated to other cities in India or foreign countries. People interested in bringing up commercial buildings in the area are approaching the owners of old houses and offering lucrative prices for the property.
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Use of Pine Needles as Fuel
Solan, July 31 The pine needles, which are collected through self-help groups, have also helped the local community in earning an extra buck and it has also helped avert fire incidences this season. Prem Mahajan, DFO, Kunihar, said the project had helped reduce fire incidences and thus save the precious flora and fauna. “With 1,828 hectares of the forest area comprising pine forests, controlling fires is a Herculean task in the summers,” he said. He added that with 19 fire-sensitive beats in the division, every year lakhs of rupees were being spent on fire fighting. The initiative, while reducing the forest fires, had provided a permanent source of disposal of this inflammable material. The state is blessed with abundance of pine needles as 66 per cent of the area consists of forestland and around one-fourth comprising pine forests. Dry pine needles are susceptible to fire and pose fire hazard to the forest. Incidentally, every year thousands of hectares of forests are turned into ashes because of several forest fires during the summer season. These pine needles fall on the ground and form a thick layer to obstruct the growth of green grass. Removal of pine needles from the forest will help save the flora and fauna of the forests and will also encourage regeneration of new growth, fulfil grazing needs of cattle, prevent forest fires, create income generation activity for the local community and also enable use of pine needles as a biomass.
Ambuja Cement Foundation has taken the initiate and identified 3,000 hectare area in the forest division of the Kunihar block where the community has been mobilised to collect pine needles. The pine needles thus collected are used by the plant as fuel. The Forest Department is playing a proactive role in helping the foundation to achieve its motive. It has also identified fire sensitive areas besides sensitising and mobilisation the local rural communities to involve them in preventing forest fires. The local transporters, too, have been involved in its transportation work.
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Jaypee group starts scaled-down 55-bedded hospital
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, July 31 Forty acres of land and half-completed buildings valuing Rs 60 crore were handed over to the Jaypee Group free of cost. However, the BJP leaders did not bother to take into confidence hundreds of donors who made a liberal contribution amounting to Rs 25 crore. In the past four years, the Jaypee group of industries made little effort to complete this project, despite its commitment of two years which stretched to four years. In 2012, the Jaypee group agreed to start a non-super speciality hospital with 55 beds. Since Assembly elections in the state are around the corner, BJP did not want non-completion of VMRT to become a major election issue. Therefore, Shanta Kumar and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had no other alternative except to agree to Jaypee’s proposal. The hospital was inaugurated in haste on July 23, 2012, with only 55 beds with an intention to get political mileage. The foundation stone of Vivekananda Medical College and Research Trust (VMRT) was laid in 1992 by Shanta Kumar when he was the Chief Minister of the state. In 1992, this project was a joint venture of Himachal Pradesh government and the Apollo Group of Hospitals, to be run by a Trust. The Apollo group left this project midway in 1995 and showed no interest in its completion. Later, the state government also withdrew itself from this project. Later in 2000, when Shanta Kumar joined the Union Cabinet, he again revived this project and sought public cooperation to complete the venture. A new Trust headed by Shanta Kumar was formed to execute this project. Besides Shanta Kumar, other social workers and citizens were also included as Trust members. He received overwhelming support from the people who contributed over Rs 25 crore for the setting up of the super speciality hospital. However, the Trust failed to complete this project. In November 2008, Shanta Kumar and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal joined hands and signed an MOU with Jaypee Group of industries as the new partners. The Trust was reconstituted third time. The Trust deed was also amended in accordance with the suitability of Jaypee by inducting 18 trustees, 12 from the Jaypee group six from the old trust of Shanta Kumar to give a free hand to Jaypee to run the Trust. The state cabinet also ratified the transfer of the project to the new trust so that the Jaypee group did not face any legal hurdle in future.
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NSUI seeks hostel facility soon
Shimla, July 31 “It is because of the violence that had erupted in the hostels because of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) that the High Court took a stern view of the hostel allotment,” he claimed. He demanded that the HPU authorities must make alternate arrangement for the students till the issue of hostel allotment is dealt with. — TNS
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The roofless temple of Shikari Mata
by Shriniwas Joshi I would describe the 16-km stretch of road from Janjheli to Shikari in two idioms -- the first segment of 10 km is tolerably bad and the next one of 6 km is absolutely bad. I would also advise not to drive one’s cars on this road; the taxis are easily available at Janjheli and one should make use of them. I also do not deny having seen a few daring drivers coming back in delicate Maruti 800s or dainty Nanos from Shikari Mata while we were going up in a sturdy vehicle. If you have the dare and the dough to get the car repaired after a visit there, then go ahead.
The roofless temple of Shikari Devi has the idols of Goddess Durga sitting on a lion, Goddess Kali, 64 yoginis and demi hero, Kamarunag Devta. There are some other images of local gods sitting behind the image of Goddess Durga. Goddess Durga in this area is popularly known as Shikari Devi. I too was roused, like anybody else, to know that why the goddess refused to have roof on her head and why was she called Shikari which meant hunter in Hindi. I was told that the devotees of the temple tried to construct a roof over the head of the Devi but could not succeed in the venture.The goddess then through the pujari of the temple ordered the masses that no person should ever construct a roof over her head. And the most popular myth circulating the air was the death of Surendra Nath Malhotra, the Governor of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in 1994, with his 10 family members whose helicopter flew over Shikari Mata, providing a temporary roof to the temple, got crashed into a hillock next to the temple. This disaster of an unprecedented magnitude may have happened by chance but the people’s faith of goddess refusing to have roofed got firm. The myth that no snow falls on the idols of Devi was rectified by the pujari Suresh Sharma who said, “After the snowfall, I come here and wipe the snow off from the slab on which the idol stands.” Hearsay is that in the long past the king of Mandi came here for hunting. He wandered in the forest for the whole day but could get no prey. Tired and exhausted, he visited the temple in the evening and offered prayers for a successful hunt. The Goddess Durga helped him and he had a satisfying game the next day. The Goddess is prayed in this area as Shikari Devi since then. The top of the mountain where stands Shikari Devi temple is mesmerising (see photo). The glades are so beautiful that one likes to spend a day or two here roaming in the glades and watching the wildlife -- goral, monal, black-bear, barking-deer, musk-deer, cat-leopard, marten, porcupine, flying-squirrel, langur, leopard, squirrel, and the snow-leopard -- in 7,800 hectares of the area between 1,800 and 3,359 metres. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1962. There is a serai here for sundowners who can pass the nights comfortably. Tailpiece I asked my hunter friend why he had the deer heads on the wall. “They are so beautiful animals,” he said. “But your wife is also so beautiful,” I replied.
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Subscribers rue late payment penalty
Our Correspondent
Nurpur, July 31 Subscribers feel they should not be held liable to pay the penalty because of the delay in sending the bills. The landline and post-paid mobile bills are generated at the Call Detail Report System (CDRS), Chandigarh, but these are dispatched from Dharamsala by the BSNL account office. The subscribers demand that the penalty be waived. Rajiv Kumar, account officer of the BSNL at Dharamsala, claimed that he had received no complaint so far and was receiving this information from the media. The account officer said he would check the bill dispatch record and ensure that such delay did not occur in the future.
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Pilgrims from J&K reach Salooni
Our Correspondent
Chamba, July 31 The police sources said nearly 730 pilgrims from Bhaderwah, including women and children, were on their way to Manimahesh. They crossed the border under the security cover of the CRPF and the Jammu police. After verification, they were handed over to the HP Police at the Khundi Mural borderland of Himachal. Officials of armed forces are deployed to check the security arrangements of pilgrims. “Pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir come to pay obeisance to the Lord Shiva at Manimahesh every year,” the sources said. However, pilgrims from neighbouring states had started making a beeline to the Manimahesh, though this famous pilgrimage in Chamba district would commence on August 10. The sources said pilgrims would return on August 11 after visiting the shrine.
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Cycle enthusiasts show the way to go green
The event “Padal nahin to pedal sahi” evoked a good response with over 40 biking enthusiasts, including the Deputy Mayor, Tikender Panwar, taking part. Organised in collaboration with the Initiative for Cycle Enthusiast (ICE) club, the rally was flagged off by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal from his official residence Oak Over. The Chief Minister said the initiative would go a long way in creating awareness about the need to conserve the environment and use cycles to commute. The government would encourage officials to use cycles which would not only keep them physically fit but also help save petrol and preserve the environment. Ashadeep president and chairman of the ICE Sushil said it was the third such cycling rally since the launch of the initiative last year and more such events would be organised to ensure that cycling was adopted as a culture here in the town. The 25-km rally traversed through Kasumpti, Panthaghati, Beolia, APG University, Pujarli and Mehli, full of uphill and downhill stretches, putting to test the grit and determination and endurance of the of the riders. The competitive stretch comprised 7 km. Coordinator of the event Kunal Condillac said as a safety measure all riders under 18 rode in a controlled group. An ambulance followed the riders with medical back-up. Those riders unable to complete the ride were given the option of being picked up on the 7 km uphill section. (Contributed by Rakesh Lohumi)
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Samiti seeks ban on animal sacrifice
Chamba, July 31 In a memorandum submitted to the Governor recently, Mahant Swami Virendrananda Giri, the president of the samitti, said, “God Shiva is always merciful to all beings of the universe and never seeks sacrifices of living beings, but every year, one can see cruel slaughter of sheep by some pilgrims as they believe it to be food for Lord Shiva, which is a superstition.” Swami Virendrananda urged the government to prohibit the sacrifice of animals in all religious places in the state. He said in order to keep the Manimahesh lake clean, the langars, shops and the stay of devotees should not be allowed on the fringe of the lake. The Swami added that the shoe shops, which existed on the premises of the sacred Chowrasi Sidh temples at Bharmour, desecrated the sanctity of the holy place. So, he requested the state government to remove such shops and stalls. The famous Manimahesh pilgrimage, in the mountainous Bharmour tribal region of Chamba district, will commence on August 10 on the eve of Sri Krishna Janamashtami and will conclude on September 23, which is the divine day of Sri Radhashtami.
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‘Childhood Innocence’ enthrals
Shimla, July 31
The function commenced with a touching song by the students of Class XI and XII, dedicated to all parents. The song, composed and sung by the students, left everyone present there teary eyed. The emotive display of a child’s affection and fondness for the “Kabuliwala” aptly justified the belief that love transcends geographical boundaries, culture, language and religion. The performance of Kabuliwala and the little girl “Minnie” whom he doted on as she reminded him of his daughter, Ameena, back home in Kabul, was very impressive. The play directed and scripted by Sarla Kant had excellent stage setting, costumes and a strong script. The seven-scene play was interspersed with musical bonanza with almost all student of the school getting a chance to participate in the play, much to the delight of their parents. Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Sanjay Chauhan, along with the Deputy Mayor, graced the occasion. Chauhan in his address to the students exhorted them to make “Green and Clean Shimla” a mass movement. “You are the best messengers that we can seek while asking for people’s cooperation in the movement,” he said. He said students could be the most responsible citizens who could play a crucial role in brining about a positive change in society. The Mayor said a Green and Clean Shimla would catapult “Queen of Hills” on the world tourist map. He sought everyone’s cooperation in the plantation drive to be launched in August and said students must ensure that not a single tree was felled at any cost. Speaking on the occasion, principal of the school, Sister Antoinette expressed her gratitude towards the parents and students for making the institution one of the best in the region. “Our endeavour is to offer the best to the students so that we can groom them into young, bright, confident youth, who can excel in life and make a difference in the lives of others,” she said.
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Male-female ratio highest in Lahaul & Spiti: CM
Shimla, July 31 “The 'Beti Hai Anmol' scheme under which the government provides Rs 10,000 financial assistance to each girl child of BPL families played a significant role in motivating people,” he said at the inauguration function of a 200-bedded super-speciality hospital here. — PTI
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Corruption to be major issue in Assembly poll
Palampur, July 31 Allegations have been levelled by Congress leaders against leaders of the ruling BJP government. The Congress had to pay a heavy price in the 2007 elections, coming under fire from the BJP for allegedly being involved in corruption. Now, the ruling party was facing a similar situation. The BJP has now picked up the issue of development, challenging the Congress to compare any of its “five best years” with the performance of the Dhumal government. Congress leaders like Kaul Singh, Virbhadra Singh and Vidya Stokes have been making corruption as the main issue against the BJP and had prepared a charge sheet against BJP leaders. In the previous tenure between 1998 to 2003 there was appreciation for the BJP for making special development efforts in the road sector, but this time poor road conditions in the state and poor governance have become major election issues adversely affecting the wining chances of the BJP. The issue of corruption has now been linked to other issues like purchase of land by BJP leaders, selling land to outsiders, allowing private universities to come up in the state and awarding PWD and IPH contracts to their henchmen.
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PIL on ‘flouting’ of rules in teachers’ appointment
Kangra, July 31 In a PIL addressed to Justice Kurian Joseph, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, he said that the state government on June 27 decided to recruit teachers through school management committees with preference being given to local educated youths to fill vacant posts of teachers in schools located in the tribal and backward areas. Sharma alleged that it was a means to pave way for ‘back door entries’. ‘Local Teachers’ was the 10th category of teachers created by flouting R and P rules by the government. The PIL mentioned that earlier different category of teachers were recruited which included voluntary, ad-hoc and temporary teachers, ‘vidaya upasaks’, primary assistant teacher, PTA teachers, contract teachers and regular teachers. He said some of these teachers had been regularised and some were holding agitations to get themselves regularised. The PIL said a PGT would be paid Rs 150, TGT Rs 100, ‘shastri’ and JBT Rs 75 each per period under local teacher appointments. It added that the latest category created was to benefit and oblige the local ‘political workers’ and when appointed would become ‘permanent political voters and followers’ of the ruling party till their regularisation. Sharma alleged that government was violating the Right to Education Act by making these appointments without holding Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for them. The PIL added that the state government held TET on February 5 in which 71,026 trained teachers appeared and 17,982 qualified the test, but by flouting R and P rules issued administrative order to make appointments 37.5 per cent on TET merit, 37.5 per cent batch wise and 25 per cent by JBT promotion without qualifying TET. On one hand, TGT arts 1988 batch, non medical batch 1995 and TGT medical batch 1997 were still unemployed in the state and situation was precipitated and their future was jeopardised by new government orders. While on the other hand, 73 private BEd colleges in addition to two government BEd Colleges were producing 8,825 TGTs every year thus opening flood gates of unemployment in the educational sector in the state. The PIL urged for providing suitable guidelines to the state government for safeguarding the educational system from further deterioration and to maintain the quality of education and further direct the government to cancel counselling process for TGT appointments and follow R and P rules and appoint TGTs 50 per cent through the commission and 50 per cent batch wise.
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The entire roadsides of 16 km are pitched with trees of different species and the variety of shrubs is so diverse that one is astounded by the bounty of nature. Oscillating and dangling on the way (it was not driving), I felt that even God is not impartial; otherwise why must He give such beauty to this place whereas many areas have only thorny bushes. I was reminded of a Hindi poet who seeing such partiality of God had asked old Brahma, the God who creates, to retire and give charge to a younger one. 
In doing the 16 km, the vehicle carried our load from about 7,100 feet to 9,000 feet and dropped us at a charming open glade from where we had to foot another 1,600 feet of steep climb. There were 421 stairs and a further stair-free steep for 10 to 15 minutes to cover it up and lo! We were at Shikari Mata temple (see photo).
Continuing its efforts to promote cycling as an environment-friendly mode of transportation in the “Queen of Hills”, Ashadeep, a non-government organisation, held a cycle rally early this week (see photo).
