Solan, August 21
Six of the nine northern states will become base-load power surplus in another four years if all plants under execution are commissioned by the end of the 12th Plan Period, but peak shortage will continue, according to a CII report on “Power Scenario in Northern India”.

The report points out that the recent blackout in the northern power grid on July 30 and 31 highlights the dire situation on the power front in northern India. The power situation has been aggravated due to scanty rainfall this year and the situation could become worse if immediate steps are not taken to address the problem.

The report highlights the significant gap between demand and supply in almost all northern states with UP having the highest quantum of deficit among the northern states. Besides, UP, Haryana and J&K witnessed a rise in energy deficits while Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand witnessed a fall for the year 2010-11 in comparison to the previous year.

On Transmission & Distribution (T&D) losses, the report states that losses have been falling in most states, with Delhi, Chandigarh and Himachal registering the greatest fall from 43.6 per cent, 39.06 per cent and 38.64 per cent in 2005-06 to 18.3 per cent, 17.4 per cent and 18.96 per cent in 2010-11 respectively.

J&K is the only state to exhibit a rise in T&D losses from 45.5 per cent in 2003-04 to 57.48 per cent in 2010-11. Again, the aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses in the state of J&K are the highest in the region at 72.7 per cent. At the other end of the spectrum is Himachal and Chandigarh with the lowest AT&C losses of 17.42 per cent and 17 per cent in the region for 2010-11.

Among the northern states, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Punjab and UP are primarily dependent on state-owned generation while Himachal, Delhi, J&K and Chandigarh are predominantly dependent on central allocations. In terms of private sector participation, Himachal and Rajasthan have the largest ‘independent power producers’ presence.

UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal have been front runners in the power sector reform process.

There is a rise in private sector power generation as compared to state-owned generation in most states. Haryana and Himachal are the only states that have registered a significant rise in both state-owned and private generation. Himachal -- the only exception to the rule -- has significantly diversified its fuel mix by investing heavily in renewable energy, with special emphasis on small hydro, solar and wind sources. About 45 per cent of the total capacity additions in the state have been in the renewable energy sector.

Palampur, August 21
Despite tall claims made by the Irrigation and Public Health Department, nothing has been done to save the 300-year-old “Kirpal Chand Kuhal”.

The centuries-old water channel originates from the Neugal river and is considered as the lifeline of over one lakh residents of 100 villages of the lower area of Palampur subdivision. Today this kuhal is fast turning into a big “garbage dump”.

Besides dumping of garbage, residents have also thrown open its sewerage into the kuhal between Bundla and Bhawarna. Till recently, the water of this kuhal was crystal clear and used for drinking, but now the water has become highly polluted. It is not even fit for washing of clothes and grazing animals.

Besides, in many villages between Aima and Bhawarna, people have encroached upon the kuhal and its adjoining land, constructed cemented structures reducing its diameters to half, resulting in frequent blockades causing great inconvenience to farmers whose adjoining land had turned slushy. Many houses adjoining the kuhal have become unsafe.

Inquiries made by this correspondent revealed that tonnes of garbage, including polythene, animal carcasses, empty gunny bags and other waste material, is thrown into the kuhal daily as there is none to check this practice. A junior engineer of the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department said over 30 labourers had been deployed between Palampur and Bhawarna to flush out the garbage from the kuhal.

The IPH Department which looks after the maintenance of the “Kirpal Chand Kuhal” has failed to initiate corrective measures and check large-scale encroachments till date.

Though the IPH Department knew that the “heritage asset” of the public had turned into a garbage dump, even this did not move them to serve a simple notice to the defaulters.

Various environmentalist groups of the region have expressed concern over the failure of the IPH Department in maintaining the kuhal and allowing it to become a dumping ground.

KB Ralhan, spokesman of the Palampur Welfare and Environment Forum, has urged the Chief Minister to declare this 300-year-old kuhal as “heritage property” and initiate steps to save it from pollution. 

Solan, August 21
With no defined policy for pursuing welfare activities as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), industries generally pursue small ventures in their vicinity as a cursory exercise. The Baddi-based Elin Appliances has, however, adopted a different approach despite being a small-scale industrial unit. It has set up a park on the Mandi-Manali national highway at Jhiri after investing more than Rs 50 lakh.

The park offers facilities like parking, resting place, playground, river bank trail, arboretum, souvenir shop, food outlet, toilets, rafting and other adventure sports etc for tourists.

Since there was no such site on the entire stretch of Mandi-Manali National Highway, this park is a good halt for tourists to break their journey. The officials of the Forest Department under the guidance of DFO Anil Joshi and employees of Elin Appliances decided to fence this abandoned patch of land susceptible to encroachments.

The park was inaugurated by Chief Minister PK Dhumal recently. 

Kangra, August 21
The 112-metre-long bridge on the outskirts of the town on Banner Khud has not been completed yet due to shortage of funds and government’s apathy, despite the fact that it should have been opened in September last year.

Satish Kumar Nag, executive engineer, National Highway, Hamirpur, said work on the Rs 6.92-crore project was started on February 28, 2010, and was to be completed on September 12, 2011, but due to the paucity of funds, the work was left halfway.

He said Rs 2 crore was required for the completion of the bridge, but for the want of funds, the work was left halfway. He said earlier, when the estimate of the bridge was submitted, the approach road construction estimate was not included.

He added that later on, when the department approached the Union Surface and Transport Ministry for funds, the ministry refused to provide. He said fresh estimate was submitted and the ministry raised many queries.

Nag added that it was two months ago that the chief engineer of the ministry inspected the site and assured that Rs 2 crore would be provided for the completion of the bridge.

The strategically important bridge connecting Punjab and the state capital with Yol Seat of the Rising Star Army Headquarters was constructed at a height of 22 metre from Banner Khud. When the bridge would be completed, it would shorten the distance by half-a-kilometre. At present, the bridge meant for one vehicle at a time was under heavy traffic pressure and needs an alternate bridge, but the Ministry of Surface and Transport has been ‘ignoring’ the importance of the bridge. 

Shimla, August 21
Ex-Army officer and president of the Himachal People’s Progressive Group (HPPG) Shakti Singh Chandel has urged the government to appoint a commission to study the incentives being given to winners of various gallantry awards and to evaluate the relative gains that accrue to sports award winners at the state and the Central levels.

In separate petitions to the President and the Chief Minister, he said it was a matter of pride that the country had done well in the London Olympics and various awards and incentives were being announced for the winners. But, strange enough, no parity and relative balance had been maintained by the government with respect to medal winners in different fields in the country and winners of the gallantry awards.

The Army was wary of even granting out-of-turn promotions to its gallantry award winners. For example, Sanjay Kumar, hero of the Kargil War (1999) and winner of the Param Vir Chakra, was given no out-of-turn promotion.

He was still a havildar even after 17 years of active service in the Army.

He could not aspire to reach the rank of even naib subedar despite his educational qualifications.

Similar was the case with other gallantry award winners who were not considered for such incentive promotions.

Even, the old parents of Capt Vikram Batra, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously, got a meagre incentive.

The Param Vir Chakra was the second highest award after the Bharat Ratna but no adequate gains accrue to winners in consonance with national honour which they brought at the risk of their own lives.

A Paramvir Chakra winner would during his lifetime receive a sum of about Rs 35 lakh or so which was not a big amount as compared to what sports winners were getting from state governments, corporate houses and other organisations.

The gallantry award winners were the symbol of bravery and dedication and their iconic status also deserved adequate material gain.

He pleaded that a uniform scheme of incentives of higher recognition to the gallantry award winners should be extended retrospectively, at least with effect from the 1999 Kargil War.

Mandi, August 21
After inspecting fungal yellow rust attack on wheat crop in the state, experts have advised farmers to sow treated seeds early in the higher altitude and delay sowing in the lower region.

They have also advised farmers to apply fungicide once the crop faces an intermittent spells, rains and sunny days when the crop is in formative stage.

Though the state government has phased out three hybrid varieties more susceptible to yellow rust last year, agriculture experts have advised farmers to go for early sowing in September in the higher hills and treat the hybrid seeds with fungicides to avoid yellow rust attack on the crop.

A Central team led by Dr Chaudhary, Director, Wheat Research, Ministry of Agriculture, inspected yellow rust wheat varieties and interacted with the officials of the Agriculture Department.

The farmers should go for early sowing and treating the wheat varieties recommend by the scientists at Agriculture University, Palampur, Dr Chaudhary said.

The yellow rust has become a recurring problem in the state hitting farmers hard as they lose about 10 to 40 per cent crop every year. Last year, 8 to 10 per cent of wheat was rotten by yellow rust in the state and three hybrid wheat varieties had been phased out, the farmers said.

Mandi, Kangra, Solan, Sirmaur, Bilaspur and Una are the major wheat producers in the state. But the agricultural university and the Agricultural Department have failed to push up wheat production in the state, which remains dismal 16 tonnes per hectare, which is almost four times less than that of Punjab.

“We can reach closer to Punjab if we get more land, assured irrigation and subsidies on seeds go commercial,” farmers said. They added that they were at the mercy of weather for good crop as only 20 per cent of the sown area in the state was under assured irrigation. “Yellow rust and the lack of certified seeds, high cost of fertilisers and small and scattered land holdings have made the farmers almost incompetent,” said Khem Singh, a farmer from Balh.

Farmers in the state grow foodgrains not much for commercial purpose, but for sustaining their family.

“The land holdings have shrunk significantly after Partition as joint families end up with small and marginal land which is unprofitable to support commercial crop. The government has no policy to provide land to farmers,” the farmers lamented.

Deputy Director, Agriculture, AR Sharma, said the department provides certified seeds to farmers every year but they also buy directly from markets or produce for themselves.

“This year, we have a demand of 10,000 quintals to be sown on 66,000 hectare area in the region. Yellow rust was not found in the crop sown early in Kullu last year and we are advising farmers to sow early in the higher region and delay it in lower areas as late as January as it checks the spread of yellow rust fungus,” he added. 

Solan, August 21
He dispels darkness through solar lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). "Eco-man" Gopal Dutt of Solan walks around everyday with a loudspeaker in his hands and CFLs and solar lamps in his bag to generate ecological awareness among the hill folk.

Gopal is not a marketing man of any CFL or solar lamp company. His messages are brief, crispy and clear. Sample these: "Please make doors and windows of your house big enough to let sunlight enter. This helps saving electricity." "Don't switch on the lights during the day and use CFLs and solar lamps to save power."

Gopal's daily routine is to trudge 20 to 30 km through six villages. Whenever he sees a house where he feels there is a need to drive home his eco notes, he stops and enlightens the people there. "Your house needs bigger windows to get more natural light and air," Gopal told a resident of Sanwara village, some 20 km from Solan, who is constructing a house. He told the man to install CFLs.

Further along, he advised a group of women outside a shop to go for CFLs in place of incandescent bulbs. "You can save up to 80 per cent energy and these (CFLs) last six times longer than the standard incandescent bulbs. This means a big saving in your monthly kitchen budget," Gopal told the women. "But these need safe and proper disposal as they contain a small amount of mercury," he said, explaining when the CFL lights don't function and need to be disposed of. He also advocated the need for solar lamps. "These are totally environment-friendly," he said, while showing a solar lantern.

"I have been doing this over five years and people are now more aware about environment," he said. For locals, Gopal is either a marketing man or a government employee. "Sometime people view me with suspicion. But that doesn't matter to me. My aim is to sensitise them as the temperatures are rising and the hills are turning barren," he added.

His campaign also gives him an opportunity to earn his livelihood. He doesn't mind advertising products over his loudspeakers for shopkeepers. "I am earning a little from selling CFLs and solar lanterns as these are not easily available in villages. But profit is not the sole motive," he added.

To promote the use of CFLs, the state government had distributed these bulbs to 16.5 lakh households free of cost in 2008-09. According to the government, this resulted in saving about 270 million units of power worth Rs 100 crore each year.

This month, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy sanctioned Rs 1.07 crore to the state government under the energy conservation scheme for distributing 4,337 solar lanterns in pastoral settlements in non-electrified villages. — IANS

Solan, August 21
Bahra University has become the first non-American university to get approval for setting up its centre in South Carolina, US, as Bahra University Centre Greenville (BUCG).

Represented by Dr Sandeep Kaura, joint managing director, Rayat Bahra Educational Group, this approval was granted at a recent meeting of the board of governors of the University Centre of Greenville.

The University Centre of Greenville (UCG) is a consortium of higher education institutions dedicated to increasing access to educational opportunities for international citizens. Greenville is one of the largest cities in the Southeast without its own university. To help their community maintain a competitive edge educationally, UCG was chartered to bring the undergraduate and graduate degrees from some of South Carolina's top universities.

With the governance structure and funding sources, equipped at a total cost of $3.5 million, the UCG officially opened its doors in September 1989.

This approval will open a vast array of opportunities before the students who can now choose from more than 75 undergraduate and graduate programmes, master's and doctorate degrees from reputed universities, including Anderson University, Clemson University, Furman University, South Carolina State University, University of South Carolina, University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College.

Chairman of Bahra University Gurvinder Singh Bahra said, “This tie-up will enable Indian students to choose from a variety of reputed universities in the US, thus adding the much-needed global exposure to their experience. This will not only enhance their chances of securing a decent job in the US, but also will fulfil the requirements of having undertaken and approved a course of study valid in the US”.

Dr Sandeep Kaura, who met the representatives of all eight member universities, individually presented the working proposal to them and this has been approved by all the universities.

At its annual meeting held on June 27, 2012, all members of the board of trustees of the UCG unanimously endorsed the pursuit of a working relationship with Bahra University which includes the development of an appropriate physical presence at the University Centre for Bahra University staff members.

This will now authorise Bahra University to send their students to all the eight member universities at that centre in the US.

Dr Kaura said, “We will soon start mapping different programmes with individual university of UCG and we will get ready to send our first batch by January 2013. 

Solan, August 21
A company manufacturing automotive components has sponsored 26 in-service diploma holders for pursuing B.Tech in mechanical engineering at Shoolini University.

The company, Anand Automotive, held an induction programme for them for the first phase of the programme here recently.

KS Bhullar, HR head of Anand Automotives, said the sponsored employees had been selected from among 3,000 aspirants on the basis of their leadership and managerial qualities. He said this would help equip them with specialisation in automotive engineering, adding that the syllabus had been designed accordingly.

Anand group is supporting the programme for upgrading the knowledge and skills of its employees from the company’s establishments in seven states. The company has earmarked Rs 4.5 crore over a period of three years for the programme.

KC Anand, director, Anand Automotive, said it would be a great impetus for bringing excellence in automotive engineering, adding that he would like to see the state as its hub.

Prof PK Khosla, Vice-Chancellor, Shoolini University, said “I proudly acknowledge this partnership, which will eventually culminate in the establishment of centre of excellence in automotive engineering”. He added, “This is a unique partnership that will make the university a lead centre for research and development in automotive engineering in the country”.

Prof Khosla also met Chief Minister PK Dhumal later and apprised him about the tie up between Anand group and Shoolini University.

Dhumal appreciated the initiative and said it was the right way for an education institution to grow.

While addressing the students, Saideep Ratnam, Dean, Anand University, Chandigarh, and also the chief guest, said students should make apt use of this opportunity which could add to their careers and immensely contribute in the progress of the company. 

Hamirpur, August 21
The Pinnacle Academy of Fashion Design, Hamirpur, on its annual day function organised here recently, held ‘Uttkarasha’, a fashion show in which dresses designed by students were displayed.

In the fashion show, top models from Chandigarh and different parts of Himachal Pradesh besides Hamirpur town displayed a variety of dresses on the ramp.

The show began with dresses based on the theme ‘glitz of Anarkali’ in which designs of the Mughal era were presented with a modern touch.

The second round of the fashion show, ‘frolic’, was devoted to Bollywood, while in the third round, ‘illusion’, based on a western theme, dresses with vertical and horizontal lines were showcased.

Little children also walked the ramp in ‘angels’ round’, getting instant appreciation from the audience. 

Sarees were displayed in ‘glimpse of Indian women’ round and Indian lehngas were displayed in the ‘golden era’ round. The traditional Himachali dresses were also displayed by the models besides embroidery, gowns and waste material designs etc.

The students of the academy also presented a cultural programme during this show.

Managing director of the academy Raman Sharma said, “This show was organised to display the dresses designed and prepared by our students during the past one year and the show was organised to provide them exposure.” “We are committed to promote fashion designing in its true sense and our faculty members and students had really been working hard with this aim in mind,” he added.

“Kala Tulika”, a three-day painting exhibition held at the Gaiety Theatre last week, (see photo) provided an opportunity to the art lovers to view the works of five upcoming artists.

Each artist focused on a particular theme and in all 35 works were on display. Neha Sharma, a freelance artist from Shimla, had the maximum nine painting on display. She had on the show two series of paintings, one depicting various human moods and the other on Kanha (Lord Krishna). The theme of another freelance artist, Bharati Sharma from Chandigarh, was “Anubhav” in which she presented different facets of life.

Meenakshi Sharma, an art teacher posted at Kendriya Vidyalaya Dharamsala, used a parrot to show how a mother cares for her children and the urge of human beings to fly. Another art teacher from Delhi, Shailesh Sharma, focused on the power of the male and female while Ashok Prabhakar, an artist from Meerut used horses as symbols of power.