Uttarakhand the challenge ahead
Nishank: Himalayan policy for balanced growth long overdue
The Tribune series on what needs to be done to rebuild the state
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, a former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, has said a comprehensive Himalayan policy was the need of the hour for the entire Himalayan region of the country to strike a balance between environment concerns and development needs.

Nishank, who was the first politician of the state to reach Kedarnath on June 18 much before the operations to evacuate stranded pilgrims started, believes that a balanced approach of development in the Himalayan region could lead to sustainable development.

About the natural disaster that hit the state last month, Nishank said instead of shortcomings in the administrative infrastructure in dealing with such natural disasters it was the timid response of the state government that led to a large number of deaths.

He said being a Chief Minister of the state he had advocated a separate Himalayan policy for the hill states at one of the meetings of the National Development Council (NDC) chaired by the Prime Minister.

“I had even advocated that a Himalayan mountain force should be formed in the state but nobody took it seriously. My vision was to have such a force in our border state to cater not only to the security needs of the state and the country but also to help in conservation of the environment and providing assistance in the times of natural disasters,” he added.

Nishank said the formation of a Himalayan mountain force would have gone a long way in the proper management and development of the Himalayas.

On the developmental model of the state, Nishank said personally he was against the construction of bigger dams in the Himalayas. “I am for smaller hydroelectric projects that are eco-friendly and beneficial to the local population. Such projects do not disturb large areas and there is no displacement of local population,” he said.

The former Chief Minister reacted to the proposal of the state government to raise its own disaster relief force on the lines of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) saying during his tenure he had pleaded with the Central government to house NDRF battalions in Uttarakhand, which is most disaster-prone state in the country. “We are having floods, landslides, avalanches and earthquakes at regular intervals and NDRF personnel take enough time to land at the disaster-affected areas from New Delhi,” he said.

He added that besides such dedicated forces to deal with disasters, there was a need to train the local people and equip them to deal with such situations. “I had started a programme with the help of the Red Cross to train people at the district, block and gram panchayat levels in disaster mitigation and equipping them with necessary gadgets. They are the first responders and the affected persons and they need to be trained and equipped. The ex-servicemen, Yuvak Mangal Dals and the Mahila Mangal Dals should be activated and trained at the village level,” he said.

Asked About encroachments at the Char Dhams, Nishank said during his tenure as Chief Minister he did try to remove encroachments there. “I put a complete ban on construction at the Char Dhams and made proposals for the improvement of facilities at these places. I tried to remove all buildings around Badrinath for the better upkeep of the shrine. For Gangotri, I had plans to have a new Gangotri to ease congestion. For Yamunotri, I had proposed a ropeway,” he said.

On the issue of early warning systems to predict weather, Nishank said Doppler radars should be installed immediately in the state that give real-time warnings about cloud cover.

On the issue of environment protection, he said the local people should be involved as they are stakeholders. “We have 12,000 van panchayats with each having 20 to 25 voluntary members. Such a large force should be used for the protection of forests and having afforestation programmes. The state and its people had remained always in the forefront to protect the environment and do not need any advice from outside,” he said.

He said with 66 per cent of the state land under forests, the people of Uttarakhand had shown to the world a thing or two about environment protection. “I had asked the Prime Minister to grant Uttarakhand Rs 5,000 crore as Green Bonus every year for protecting the environment of the country and the sub-continent. There is a need for a serious debate on the issue as alternative environment-friendly employment avenues for the local population have to made,” he added.

Nishank claimed that he had initiated the move to have a Glaciology Research Institute in the state to study glaciers and to work for the protection of these icy bodies. “Moreover, I started the Sparsh Ganga Abhiyan and involved the youth of the state for better management of the Ganga and its tributaries, making it completely pollution free. The other aim was the removal of encroachments from the natural flow of all rivers and streams of the state,” he said. 

Thousands stranded on Tanakpur-Tawaghat highway for 2 days
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, July 12
Thousands of passengers remained stranded on both sides of the road on Tanakpur-Tawaghat highway for the past two days. The connectivity to Pithoragarh district headquarter and Champawat had been blocked because of a massive land slide in Sukhidhank and Chalthi near Champawat district headquarter and in a Ghat, 30 km from Pithoragarh district headquarter.

“We are trying to open the road by evening so that transportation could be resumed,” said a BRO officer.

Normal business in both the towns remained paralysed as trucks supplying daily need goods could not reach the market.

“Trucks carrying relief material to the disaster-hit areas of Dharchula and Munsiyari were also stranded on Tanakpur road,” said a district administration official.

Some passengers changed their route and boarded the vehicles which were going via Almora to Haldwani.

“We have to reach Delhi by July 13 to attend an interview in a school. Therefore, we are diverting our route from Tanakpur via Almora to Haldwani,” said Ajay Singh, a stranded passenger in Ghat.

ITBP operations to continue

The Indo-Tibeten Border Police (ITBP) will not call off its 20-day-long relief and rescue operation in Darma and Johar valleys until all villages and hamlets of these valleys get connected with track and horse routes, an ITBP officer said here today.

“We have connected 20 hamlets of Darma valley from the last village of Bedang to the first village of Sobla,'' said Ranbir Singh, an ITBP commandant, who is in charge of the operation.

According to the ITBP officer, the force had already connected 18 villages of Darma valley with the main road and with each other. Now ration supply to these villages has been restored and the residents can now interact with each other.”

In the coming two days, rest of the villages will also be linked with the main road if the weather gets clear there,” said the ITBP officer.

According to ITBP sources, the evacuation of more than 1,000 stranded persons from the Darma valley could be possible only after the ITBP made routes enabling these scattered people gather at on place. “This made landing of choppers possible to drop rations at one place in the Darma valley from where the villagers from various hamlets could carry these to their homes,” said the ITBP commandant.

Dhruv copters prove their worth in flood-hit areas
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 12
The advanced light helicopter (ALH), or Dhruv, has proved to be a workhorse during the recent rescue operations launched in flood-hit Uttarkhand by the Indian Air Force and the Army Aviation.

The twin-engined helicopter, which is powered by engines designed by Turbomeca of France, is produced by Bangalore-based Public Sector Undertaking the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Ministry of Defence owns HAL and Defence Minister AK Antony wants rapid indigenisation and has been pushing HAL on several projects. 

Following the June 16-17 floods in Uttarakhand, the ALH was in such demand that the IAF was asked to pull out the Sarang display team that flies the ALH and rush it for flood operations. The Sarang team is based in South India. The Army aviation which also flies the ALH was rushed in from airbases like Pathankot.

The helicopters made hundreds of sorties in the high risk zones overcoming strong winds, visibility and with virtually no space for landing on high terrains. HAL teams were positioned at Deharadun and Delhi to ensure logistic support for the rescue operations. Dhruv, which can carry 16 passengers, was the star performer. On many occasions, due to incessant rain pilots could only use Dhruv as it was unsafe for other copters to land. Dhruv helicopters flew for nearly 630 hours during the operations based in the defence sector. These copters not only rescue stranded pilgrims, they were also used in effectively dropping paratroopers and in supply of food and medicines. “We are proud of it,” said Dr RK Tyagi, Chairman of HAL. The indigenised helicopters pressed into service by the Army and the Air Force in flood-hit areas had proved their mettle, Tyagi added.

Besides the IAF and the Army, the ALH is used by the Navy and the Coast Guard. The non-military version of Dhruv has been certified by the DG, Civil Aviation, and delivered to ONGC, Government of Jharkand and the BSF.

The advanced technology features incorporated in the design of Dhruv include hinge-less main rotor and bearing-less tail rotor, integrated dynamic system encompassing main gear box and upper controls in a single housing, better powered Shakti engines that can make it fly till Siachen glacier, an integrated display system (glass cockpit), a crashworthy bottom structure, landing gear, crew seat and fuel tanks with self-sealing capability.

The Dhurv is also armed with advanced avionics that include communication, navigation and surveillance and electrical mission systems. “All this makes Dhruv a versatile multi-mission, multi-role helicopter capable of operating in all-weather and extreme climate conditions ensuring high degree of reliability and survivability,” HAL claimed today.

160 donate blood at ONGC camp 
Tribune News service

Dehradun, July 12
The massive flash floods in Uttarakhand had resulted in numerous deaths, leaving many injured. ONGC had extended its support by donating Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

Choppers and medical teams were also sent to the affected areas. But even today, the injured are waiting for medical care.

Responding to the demand, ONGC conducted a blood donation camp with IMA Blood Bank, Uttarakhand, in ONGC hospital to support the increasing need of blood here today.

All the collected units will be supplied free of cost without any replacement to the needy victims. A large number of ONGC staff, CISF and ONGC’s graduate trainees, came forward to donate for the noble cause.

DG Health Services Dr YC Sharma, was the guest on the occasion. He saluted the spirit of all the donors. ACMO Pathologist Dr PK Mathur, made it convenient for all the donors and smoothened the process of camp.

More than 160 people donated blood. GM Medical Services Head Dr AK Goyal, supervised all the activities. Dr AK Jain, DGM(MS), Dr S Goel, DGM(MS), other doctors and paramedical staff supported from all fronts and made the blood donation camp a grand success.

All the donors were given refreshments, certificates and a memento.

CM to seek advice from Centre on relief for missing persons
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
Afraid that the amount to be disbursed as relief to the missing persons hailing from other states who would be presumed dead could unleash a war of one upmanship among BJP and Congress government-ruled states, the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has decided to seek clarification from the Central Government on the matter.

Speaking with reporters after the Cabinet meeting the Chief Minister said: “While we will be extending Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the persons hailing from Uttarakhand who went missing in the floods and would be presumed dead after July 15, the matter concerning the amount to be disbursed to missing persons hailing from other states and who would be presumed missing after July 15 will be discussed with the Central Government,’’ said Bahuguna.

A minister in the Uttarakhand government claimed that the BJP-ruled states were expected to jack up the relief amount to score political points. As of now the Uttarakhand government’s own share in the total relief of Rs 5 lakh (Central share, NDMA share and state government share) is Rs 1.5 lakh.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister announced said that the total number of missing persons from the state was 5748, out of which 924 persons were missing from Uttarakhand while the total number of missing persons from other states was 4824.

The highest number of missing persons are from Uttar Pradesh at 2098, from Madhya Pradesh 1035, from Rajasthan 863, from Maharasthra 183, from Gujarat 126 and around 118 children are still missing. 

Mother, child tracking system proving useful
Neena Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, July 12
The mother and child tracking system (MCTS) set up two-and-a-half-years ago by 108 Emergency Ambulance Service under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to ensure institutional deliveries is proving useful in the time of disaster when several villages are cut off and monitoring the state of expectant mothers is arduous.

During the normal course the 108 call centre advises the expectant mothers to undergo regular check-ups by keeping in touch with the Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANMs) and ASHA workers who advise them about the benefits of delivering at hospitals. But in the time of disaster other arrangements, too, have to be made. ''Now when several villages have been hit by the disaster, the call centre of 108 emergency ambulance service is also advising the expectant mothers to reach the hospital two-three days in advance of the due date and in case the villages are cut off, we are asking the ANMs to visit their homes and provide the services of a trained dai so that safe delivery could be undertaken even at home,'' said Piyush Singh, Director, National Rural Health Mission. In the districts of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh, around 877 expectant mothers are being carefully monitored by the Department of Health and so far the things have been under control.

The mother and child tracking system collects data from the National Rural Health Mission, which in turns gathers information from the ANMs and ASHA workers, who have all the information about expectant mothers. ''These days telephone calls are being made to expectant mothers and their kin to remain vigilant and call up 108 in case of emergency. All of them are advised to get themselves admitted in hospitals three to four days in advance as the weather could pack up any time and there are also chances of road blockades,'' said Manish Tinku, Uttarakhand head.

‘Centre giving foodgrains to state at rates higher than UP’
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
Former Chief Minister BC Khanduri has expressed surprise at the decision of the Centre to provide wheat and rice to Uttarakhand at a much higher rate than being given to Uttar Pradesh.

Khanduri in a statement issued here today said the Centre was providing wheat to Uttarakhand for Rs 20 per kg and rice for Rs 26 per kg while neighbouring Uttar Pradesh was being provided wheat for Rs 4.15 per kg and rice at the rate of Rs 5.65 per kg.

Khanduri said it was strange that while Uttarakhand was battling a natural disaster, the Centre was providing foodgrains to the state at much higher rates. He said the Centre similarly was providing kerosene oil to the state at the non-subsidised rate of Rs 55 per litre.

He added the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had been giving step-motherly treatment to Uttarakhand for long.

He said even in this hour of crisis instead of supporting Uttarakhand the Centre was completely ignoring the concerns of the state.

Khanduri also questioned the Food Security Bill asserting that the Centre was befooling the people as it had totally failed to provide foodgrains at a heap price.

He said though 25 days had passed since the disaster occurred a large number of villages were still cut off and had no sfoodgrains.

He said the villages where there was no provision of LPG cylinders or power, additional quota of kerosene oil should be given to the people.

DM visits Maldevta

Dehradun, July 12
Dehradun District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam today visited Maldevta on the outskirts of Dehradun and assessed damage caused to the Ghuttu Gandhak road in the rains.

Purshottam asked PWD officials to immediately start the repair work and sanctioned Rs 18 lakh for the Ghuttu Gandhak road. He directed for proper construction of embankments to ensure that the road did not cave in frequently.

Senior PWD official Praveen Baukhandi and a large number of villagers were present. — TNS