Police warns kin of missing pilgrims against frauds
Dehradun, July 7
The Uttarakhand Police has appealed to those coming to the state in search of their family members or relatives, who went missing in the rain disaster, not to fall in trap of fraudsters.

Follow national building code for reconstruction: Experts
Dehradun, July 7
Engineering and safety experts have stressed upon the need to strictly adhere to the national building code (NBC) during the reconstruction and recovery programmes in Uttarakhand to reduce future risks.

UN team to assess impact of disaster
Pithoragarh, July 7
A three-member rapid assessment team from the United Nations Organisation (UNO) has reached the district to assess the impact of the disaster on human life. The team will assess the conditions post-disaster in villages of Dharchula and Munsiyari subdivisions. It will later submit a report to the state government.

Will not let BJP defame state govt, says Cong
Dehradun, July 7
Uttarakhand Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said here today that the party would not allow the BJP to succeed in its attempt to defame the state government. Addressing mediapersons, Dhirendra criticised the BJP for organising protests in Pithoragarh against the touring State Congress president and Disaster Management Minister Yashpal Arya.

Building bylaws violation case detected
Dehradun, July 7
A case of violation of building bylaws has been detected. According to a complaint lodged with Rajpur Thana, Dehradun, Arvind Chowdhary, a resident of Shipra Vihar, Rajpur Road, purchased a house from Shivrani at Shipra Vihar. Shortly after the purchase of the house, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) served a notice on Arvind for unlawful construction.

Dehradun, July 7
Canals built by the Irrigation Department have been heavily damaged in the flash floods that ravaged the state last month. Around 521 canals in Kumaon and 1,455 in Garhwal (total 1,976 canals) were damaged in the state. The damage has been evaluated at Rs 182.29 crore in Garhwal and Rs 37.31 crore in Kumaon.

BK Tamta, head of the department, said “The canals built by the Irrigation Department have been badly damaged in the flash floods. We have incurred damage amounting to Rs 67.68 crore in Uttarkashi, Rs 31.40 crore in Dehradun, Rs 30.30 crore damage in Rudraprayag, damage of Rs 22.63 crore in Tehri, Rs 16 crore damage in Pithoragarh and damage of Rs 12.49 crore in Chamoli.”

Tamta said with the destruction of canals, water entered houses in these areas and damaged property as well as crops.

To contain the after effects of the damage, he had ordered for temporary wire crates in Uttarkashi, he added. Besides this, retailing walls were being constructed at many places. He said stud or sacks full of mud and stones were also placed around the damaged parts of the canals. He said the employees were facing a tough task removing the deposited slush with JCBs before installing these structures.

While comparing the damage magnitude, he gave credit to the department for lesser damage in Badrinath. “There was always anticipation of glaciers flowing down from the mountains and devastating Badrinath temple. So the Irrigation Department created stud protection which contained the damage in Badrinath. But no such fear was ever expressed for Kedarnath, so any such precautions were not taken, hence the damage took place at such a surprising level,” Tamta said.

“We are preparing an action plan to deal with such a situation in Kedar valley in the future,” he added.

The Irrigation Department has been slammed for making embankments around rivers, encouraging settlement of slum colonies through illegal encroachment and further spurring damage to life and property. Responding to these accusations,

Tamta said, “It is actually the other way round. When people settle down around rivers, only then our department builds embankment to provide them safety. Not only on the banks of rivers, people even construct houses inside the flow area, when rivers dry up partially during summers”.

He said, “Then we are asked by politicians departments to build embankments. When the flow of the river resumes in rainy season, it does not get enough space to flow and hence jumps over its banks and destroys life and property, like it did this year.” 

Dehradun, July 7
Uttarakhand BJP president Teerath Singh Rawat has accused the State Congress government of being an utter failure in providing relief to the victims.

Addressing a press conference in Haridwar today, he said family members of those missing in the disaster were not being provided with any information. He said the state government has failed to provide exact figures of causalities.

He alleged that the last rites of the deceased were not being conducted properly and there were cases of half burnt bodies. He accused the state government of being insensitive towards the sentiments of people.

He said the BJP on July 16 will organise prayer meetings across the country for the peace of the departed souls.

Haridwar BJP MLA, Madan Kaushik, said the assistance being provided by the Centre to the state was very less. He said even relief material being provided to the victims was very miniscule. He also alleged that the BJP leaders were not being allowed to visit disaster-hit areas.

Haridwar Mayor, Manoj Garg and District Haridwar president Kuldeep Gupta were also present at the press conference.

Dehradun, July 7
The Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly and senior BJP leader Ajay Bhatt has expressed concern over black marketeering of relief material meant for disaster-hit districts of the state.

In a statement issue here today, Bhatt said in the aftermath of the tragedy, locals neither have any shelter nor food and the state government was yet to provide any relief to them. He asserted that the relief material particularly edible items were rotting at a number of places in Dehradun and the state government was doing little to ensure that it reaches the affected people in time. He alleged that large scale irregularities were taking place in the distribution of relief.

Bhatt said while the entire country was donating generously, the state government looks little committed to work for the relief. "The state Congress-led government is only giving a bad name to the state," he pointed out.

He even accused the Congress of putting its frontal organisation's name on several of relief material kits, which was highly deplorable.

Dehradun, July 7
Engineering and safety experts have stressed upon the need to strictly adhere to the national building code (NBC) during the reconstruction and recovery programmes in Uttarakhand to reduce future risks.

Pradeep Chaturvedi, former chairman, Safety and Quality Forum, Institute of Engineers, said, “In order to reduce future risks, recovery programmes should integrate risk reduction measures and construction should be carried out at a higher standard to withstand natural disasters. The NBC has a full section of guidelines on construction in hills. Earlier, all constructions in hills in Uttarakhand had been done ignoring the National Building Code”.

“The level of disaster preparedness is a major factor in reducing risk during natural disasters for which both structural and non-structural measures are required . Structural measures such as the construction of protective works or alterations designed to diminish the vulnerability of elements at risk and non-structural measures such as regulating land use and building codes can all reduce the impact of the disaster. Such mitigation measures should be integrated with the normal development activities to withstand the natural forces," Chaturvedi said.

“Some of the guidelines for hills include no house located closer than one mt to another house, no house located closer than 10 mt to a steep slope, no house built on a landfill or on the edge of a slope known to have been levelled and buildings be located on the south slope of a hill or mountain for better exposure to solar radiation,” said Chaturvedi.

“The houses are required to be constructed on partially sloping land made available by cutting and filling. It will be necessary to protect the house by building retaining walls or breast walls to avoid landslides at the time of earthquakes or heavy rains,” said Yatinder Pal Singh Suri, president, IIT-Kharagpur Alumni Association.

Pithoragarh, July 7
A three-member rapid assessment team from the United Nations Organisation (UNO) has reached the district to assess the impact of the disaster on human life. The team will assess the conditions post-disaster in villages of Dharchula and Munsiyari subdivisions. It will later submit a report to the state government.

“The UN in collaboration with the Government of India has sent teams to all disaster-hit districts of the state to assess the impact of the calamity on education, health and livelihood,” said Ravikant, leader of the team.

Ravikant said their team had been given the task of assessing the follow up of diseases and hygiene and the state of malnutrition among children in the villages. They would also assess the condition of newborn babies.

“The teams, which have been sent to villages in Dharchula and Munsiyari, will assess the indexes in long term perspectives,” added Ravikant.

Dehradun, July 7
Uttarakhand Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said here today that the party would not allow the BJP to succeed in its attempt to defame the state government. Addressing mediapersons, Dhirendra criticised the BJP for organising protests in Pithoragarh against the touring State Congress president and Disaster Management Minister Yashpal Arya.

He said although the protesting people had not come with their party flags and banners, everybody knew that the protests were sponsored by the BJP to defame the Congress-led state government.

Dhirendra said the state government as well as the Congress was committed to serving the people and it would not allow the BJP to divert its attention from providing succour to the affected population.

He also criticised the BJP for bringing the issue of Ram Temple again into focus. He said people would not be befooled by the BJP's gimmicks.

Dhirendra said Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Congress president Yashpal Arya were working vigorously for the welfare of the aggrieved people.

He thanked the Central government for bringing an ordinance on the Food Security Bill and said it would help in looking after the food security of over 81 crore people.

Meanwhile, state Congress general secretary Vijay Sarasvat thanked party workers for visiting remote villages and extending support to the calamity-hit people.

Dehradun, July 7
In the wake of the natural disaster that hit several parts of the state, the members of DHAD, a social organisation, gave several suggestions to the government yesterday.

The suggestions included the shifting of the Department of Disaster Mitigation and Management to the areas where disasters keep occurring. They suggested to make the services available online so that the aid would be disbursed to the affected persons without any delay.

Addressing a press conference, Pradeep Kukreti of DHAD said while being located in Dehradun, the Department of Disaster Mitigation and Management was failing to serve the purpose.

“It should be located in the areas prone to disasters so that the rescue and the relief operations could be provided on time. But, like other things the centre too is located in Dehradun,” said Kukreti. He also urged the government to make the information about disbursing relief online so that there is no room for corrupt practices.

The other suggestions included providing temporary shelters to the affected people, establishing a network for carrying out a survey of the affected families and the disbursement of relief.

Dehradun, July 7
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) and the District Administration have failed to provide traders of fish market with a suitable location during the last six months.

The Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Harak Singh Rawat, had earlier told the shopkeepers that they would be relocated within 15 days. But, he was shifted to Guptkashi after flash floods, leaving the problem unsolved.

The Mukhya Nagar Adhikari, Ashok Kumar, had brought the matter to the DMC Board. “The newly elected board in DMC must decide on the matter. If the board clears the matter of relocation of the fish market to one of its vacant land in the city, then the proposal would be further sent to Secretary, Urban Development for clearance,” added Kumar.

The members of Kali Mata Mandir Smiti said if the market was not relocated in next 10 days, they would sit on dharna.

The shopkeepers of fish market had earlier urged the authorities for letting them shift in the vacant shops.

Fish seller Nadeem said the DMC shops had been vacant for many years. The place suited them as it was closer to their shops and they would be able to retain their clientele.

The Mayor refused the proposal saying that the shops were close to the DMC office, government hospital, district court, SSP and District Magistrate office.

Dehradun, July 7
The strike, led by the non-teaching staff of Dehradun MKP (PG) College entered its fifth day today. The non-teaching staff president, HS Rana, along with the members staged a dharna in the college and accused the college Principal.

“We have not got our salaries since May. It has become difficult for us to meet our needs," Rana said.

He alleged that the principal was not making any effort to ensure that they get their salaries in time.

Sarvjeet Singh and Member of Parliament (MP) Kanswal were also present in the dharna today.

Dehradun, July 7
Oxfam India has started its operations in Uttarakhand by providing dry food and blankets to the affected people in Guptkashi in Rudraprayag district through two of its local partners, Jan Vikas Sansthan and Himalayan Paryavaran Shiksha Sansthan.

Oxfam team is based and operating from Chirbatiya. It has already helped 510 families from 11 villages with food and water. It also provided 213 pilgrim families in 41 villages with same food and water package. It has set up a Medical camp in Sonprayag where 400 cases of Diarrhea were reported.

Zubin Zaman, Humanitarian Response Manager, Oxfam India said, “We have distributed ready to eat food to 1,200 people, including locals and pilgrims. This includes providing bottled drinking water and packets of dry food”,

Dehradun, July 7
In a major success, Dalanwala Police in assistance with Special Operation Group team has arrested the miscreant behind making ransom call to the Combined Medical Institute doctor.

The accused, who demanded ransom from a city doctor, arrested by Dehradun Police on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

Addressing a press conference here today, SP City, Dehradun, Jagdish Chandra disclosed that on the basis of inputs received through mobile call details electronic surveillance, Sachin Tyagi, a resident of Manglore, Haridwar was arrested late last night from Haridwar.

He disclosed that Sachin used fake ID to obtain a SIM, which he used in making the ransom call to the CMI doctor identifying himself as member of a notorious Rathi gang of West UP. On interrogation, Sachin informed the police that after making the call, he broke the SIM and threw it into the canal.

He also disclosed that he got the mobile number of CMI doctor through a prescription note, which he obtained from a stranger two months back.

It is noteworthy that Dr Rohit Arora received a ransom call on his mobile. The caller identified himself as a member of notorious western UP gang and sought Rs 50 lakh r and threatened to kill his family. The doctor subsequently reported the matter to the police.