Bathinda, August 12
In this parched city, that keeps on battling the problem of irregular water supply, there is just one building that has a rainwater harvesting structure, as per the instructions of the Punjab government. This building is the "A" block of the newly-constructed judicial complex. Work on constructing rainwater harvesting structure in block "B" and "C" is also underway.

All other government buildings here, including the District Administrative Complex, Government Rajindra College, Giani Zail Singh Engineering College and the Government Polytechnic College, which have a vast rooftop area, do not have any provision to save the rainwater that otherwise finds its way out on to the streets and roads, flooding the area and inviting the wrath of the people.

As per the letter issued to the Deputy Director, Local Bodies of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Patiala and Bathinda under the Municipal Building Bylaws 2004, it has been made mandatory for every house, above 200 square yards in area, to have a rainwater harvesting structure.

The officials of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda have been given strict instructions that building plans in areas under it should have a provision for rainwater harvesting and no building should be given the completion certificate till it is verified that they have abided by the rule.

But Bathinda city has just one building that boasts of a rainwater harvesting structure which was installed around three years ago.

Surprisingly, people applying to get their maps passed, show provision for such structures, but these are never implemented when the construction begins.

"We do not pass the maps till they have shown the rainwater harvesting structure. But then there is neither adequate staff nor any urgent need to verify whether these houses have actually constructed such structures or not. Added to this is the fact that not everybody comes to us seeking completion certificate. So, the question of verifying it does not arise at all," said an official of the corporation on the condition of anonymity.

With such lackadaisical attitude, even a handful of citizens, who want to opt for such structures in their buildings, do not have the expertise to rely on.

"I am constructing a house in the Housefed Colony and I wanted to have a rainwater harvesting structure on the rooftop. I met some officials at the PWD office to know the guidelines and standards but got no response," added Sneh Lata Sharma, a resident of Pujjan Wala Mohalla.

In the absence of any expert, designated agency or specific guidelines, the rainwater harvesting has become yet another project that has been restricted merely to paper with people unable to realise its potential.

District and sessions judge SK Aggarwal said there are plans to construct a common well for blocks B and C as part of the rainwater harvesting structure. "This well would be tastefully done like a village well and developed into a place to sit around in the lawns of the complex," he said. — TNS

Bathinda, August 12
Local Congress leaders and workers today found a unique way to stage their protest. The Congress workers squatted for over an hour in a waterlogged street of Lal Singh Basti, across the railway lines to demand the immediate removal of the polluted water that is creating problems for the commuters in the locality.

The Congress workers said water has accumulated in a low-lying street for quite some time but no measures have been taken to remove it despite repeated requests to the authorities concerned.

The protesters alleged that despite the claims of the ruling SAD-BJP government of having developed Bathinda, the ground reality was completely different.

The agitation was lead by Mohan Lal Jhumba. He demanded the resignation of the municipal councillors who had promised to the residents that they would effectively take up their problems but had not done so.

Jhumba said apart from the problems faced by the commuters, people were also suffering from various diseases due to the stagnant water. He said the accumulated water has become a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and people are in panic in view of the the rainy season as a large number of dengue cases have been reported in the past from the area.

Jhumba said despite memorandums, reminders and verbal requests, nothing has been done by the corporation officials.

Speaking about the unusual idea of staging a dharna by lying in the polluted water, Jhumba said the party workers decided to highlight the issue in this manner so that the local administration and the SAD-BJP government wake up from their slumber.

Jhumba also threatened to launch a massive agitation against the Municipal Corporation if it failed to resolve the issues pertaining to the residents of Lal Singh Basti.

Meanwhile, municipal councillor of ward number 38 Khem Singh Maakar, under whose ward a portion of the road lies, said he too plans to hold an agitation protesting against the non-completion of the project tomorrow. The Rs 9-crore project was started on July 27 last year and was to be completed within a few months. "However, only 70 per cent of the sewer work has been completed and nothing has been done for drinking water supply. The government says it does not have enough funds to support the project," said Maakar, a SAD councillor.

Amomg those who took part in the protest were Ravinder Singh Laddu, Guriqbal Singh Chahal, Nahar Singh, Chand Bhan Saini, Suba Brar, Karan Jhumba and Sukhraj Sukha.

Bathinda, August 12
Grit overcoming disability has found a perfect personification in a woman who despite losing one hand in an accident, sells roasted maize on the outskirts of the city, to eke out a living.

People purchasing corn cobs (chhalli or bhutta) from this 32-year-old disabled woman on the Bathinda-Dabwali road always compliment her for the flair with which she peels off the maize using her amputated arm.

The woman, Anarwati, lost an arm while chopping green fodder in a machine a couple of years back and since then, has been selling maize by the roadside near the Bathinda-Sirsa railway line, adjoining Ganpati Enclave.

She deftly holds the maize between the amputated arm and her legs and peels it off with the help of her only hand, roasts it and then cajoles people to buy it. Anarwati migrated to Bathinda from Uttar Pradesh a couple of years ago and settled down along with her husband and three children.

She has become a familiar face among those passing by who stop to purchase the corn cobs from her.

Anarwati said she has developed the skill to perform every household chore despite her disability. "I do not feel that I have only one arm and do all the work like a normal human being. But people around me always remind me about the missing arm," she said.

Anarwati buys and carries maize to her vend on her own, lights up the fire, takes care of the children besides cooking meals and performing other routine tasks.

Anarwati's husband does menial jobs in the city. Sometimes, when he fails to get work, he helps his wife in selling corn cobs.

Anarwati said she resorted to selling maize after wasting two years in search of a job. She made umpteen rounds of the local employment exchange, urging the officials to help her get a job but in vain.

Eventually she lost all hope and sat by the roadside, earning a few hundred rupees every month.

Anarwati said her earnings depend on the rush of the people and usually she is able to sell 10 to 30 corn cobs in a day, each for Rs 10.

The woman said the rising number of corn cob sellers has now dented her business to some extent as many others have positioned themselves on both sides of the railway crossing to sell maize and other items.

The gutsy woman said that her children and others offer to help her but she refuses preferring to do all the work by herself.

What does she do when the maize season is over? Anarwati says she opts to sell roasted sweet potatoes during the winter.

Anarwati may not be making a killing and laughing all the way to the bank with her meagre business but her grit and determination impart a great lesson to many of her customers, that is not to give up despite the odds.

Bathinda, August 12
Dr Balraj Singh, principal scientist & in-charge, Centre for Protected Cultivation, Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), today called for an urgent need to shift to protected farming in Punjab in order to save its waters and replenish the losing fertility of soil.

He was here to address a seminar at the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery (GGSR) of the HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) in coordination with the Indian Society for Protected Cultivation, New Delhi.

Addressing a gathering of 150 farmers at the seminar on Protected Cultivation and Precision Farming, he said Punjab's soil had been losing its fertility and water table was already quite low due to intensive farming of paddy and wheat in the state.

He said to usher in diversification, the Central Government had introduced a number of subsidies, which are not being promoted effectively.

He said China had 25 to 26 lakh hectares under protected cultivation, which was mere 20,000 hectares in India and that too when government gave a number of subsidies for the same.

"In my last two days in Malwa, I am yet to come across a field full of vegetables. The farmers have forgotten to maintain even kitchen gardens. Our body does not need only grain. It requires other essential nutrients also. Lack of enough vegetable fields explain the cause of anemia in a prosperous state like Punjab where children are not getting balanced diet,” he said.

Elaborating on protected farming, he said such farming means growing products in an environment wherein 60 per cent less pesticides were used. Such kind of farming entails usage of drip irrigation system, creating spots for rainwater harvesting and managing the lot in most scientific way close to the nature.

He emphasised on prospects of protected cultivation technology for rural prosperity and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Dr Naved Sabir from the National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, New Delhi, spoke on environment-friendly pest management technologies for protected cultivation and precision farming.

Kuldeep Brar, one of the progressive growers from Kotkapura, thanked the organisers on behalf of farmers for the guidance provided on protected cultivation.

Bathinda, August 12
The General Category Welfare Federation (GCWF) has written to the Members of Parliament (MP) requesting that they should not favour any category during the August 21 all-party meeting to be held at Delhi in connection with the Bill for quota to SC/STs in promotions in government jobs.

GCWF member Radhe Shyam Sharma said during the all-party meeting scheduled to be held on August 21, MPs should take a balanced view of the situation and not to extend any undue favour to any category of employees or people.

Citing the Supreme Court of India judgement in M. Nagraj vs Union of India case of 2006 that reservation in promotions was completely unconstitutional until and unless a qualitative and quantitative data was collected to prove that the concerned reserve category had less representation in government employment, Sharma said that interests of the general category people too needed to be safeguarded.

Sharma added: “The poor and the really needful scheduled caste section in our country are still not getting the benefits of caste-based reservation, while the creamy layer is enjoying the benefits again and again. This has resulted in the creation of the ‘Super Dalits’.”

Bathinda, August 12
The police has booked a bus driver and a conductor of the New Guru Kashi Bus Transport for beating and abusing an MPhil-PHD research scholar of the Central University of Punjab (CUP).

Originally from Batala, the student, Jatinder Singh, was beaten up for asking the bus driver to stop the bus near the CUP entrance. The student rued that while selling him a ticket, the bus conductor had promised to drop him near the CUP, but he did not blow the whistle despite the bus crossing the university.

"I was standing close to the bus driver and I politely requested him to stop the bus but he deliberately drove the vehicle almost half a kilometre away from the CUP. The bus driver 
got irate over my request and said that he would take me to Jassi Chowk," Jatinder said.

He alleged that the bus driver and the conductor twisted his arms and abused him when he identified himself as a research scholar of the CUP.

Jatinder said the students of the university were facing problems ever since the under bridge on the Delhi-Bathinda railway line was opened for vehicles.

“Earlier, bus drivers used to drop students at the railway crossing, which is quite close to the entrance of the university. Now, they don't pay heed to repeated requests of the students to drop them near the university," the student lamented.