Bailey bridge built over Alaknanda at Gobind Ghat
Helps horses, mules, other animals stuck for a month
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 21
The Chamoli district authorities in Uttarakhand have finally succeeded in coming up with a bailey bridge over Alaknanda river at Gobind Ghat, providing a big respite to the large number of horses and mules that have been stranded on the other side of the river for past one month.

After much efforts, Border Roads Organisation officials yesterday managed to construct the bailey bridge over the ferocious Alaknanda.

District Magistrate of Chamoli SA Murugeshan said the bailey bridge has helped a large number of horses, mules and other livestock in crossing over the river. He said a total of 900 horses and mules and their owners, numbering 250, had started returning to Gobind Ghat.

On the other hand, People For Animals Uttarakhand Chapter member secretary Gauri Maulekhi has expressed concern over the slow pace of work in rescuing mules, horses and other livestock stranded at a number of places.

“Bridges are required more desperately than ever. With every passing day, the chances of survival of these precious livestock is becoming bleak and the citizens of Uttarakhand are losing their chance to get back on their feet,” said Maulekhi, who has visited the disaster-hit areas of the state.

She said a large number of horses, mules and other livestock were still stranded in Kedarnath and other disaster-hit parts of the state.

She yet again said that at least 1 per cent of the relief amount being provided by the Centre must be spent on veterinary clinics and night shelters for livestock in the hills.

Meanwhile, after the successful construction of a bailey bridge on the Alaknanda, District Magistrate Chamoli, Murugeshan said all subdivisional magistrates have been directed to provide foodgrains to the disaster-affected villages and maintain transparency in the conduct of relief works.

Murugeshan also held that the survey of all damaged houses must be done speedily so that compensation is allotted at the earliest.

He ordered Border Roads Organisation and Public Works Department officials to repair the roads at the earliest.

He asked the Education Department to ensure that those affected by the disaster are not deprived of education. DM Chamoli said every student studying in government schools at Tharali, Joshimath, Narayanbagad and Deval in the disaster-hit blocks of Chamoli would be provided with Rs 500 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

On the drinking water facility, the DM called for making alternative arrangements at places where the drinking water pipeline has been damaged. He ordered for frequent quality checks on drinking water.

He asked the power authorities to keep additional transformers in their stores so that transformers damaged due to rains could be replaced.

Khanduri thanks BRO for bridge

Dehradun, July 21
Former Chief Minister BC Khanduri has expressed gratitude to Border Roads Organisation (BRO) over construction of a bailey bridge in Govindghat in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand that will help to rescue a large number of stranded animals.

Khanduri himself was a former General of Engineer corps had urged BRO who visited Govindghat on July 17 and met BRO commander Col Nilesh and urged him for speedy construction of bailey bridge in Govindghat.

He then visited the tehsil complex in Joshimath, where owners of mules and horses had been staging an indefinite stir and assured to take up the matter at highest levels.

Khanduri said bailey bridge would help rescue large number of stranded horses, mules and other livestock. Meanwhile, Owner association of horses and mules President Naresh Sanwal, along with other office bearers Raghunath Singh and Bhaktavar Singh Pangtey have expressed gratitude to former Chief Minister BC Khanduri for his efforts toward ensuring timely construction of bailey bridge. —TNS 

Uttarakhand the challenge ahead
Big power projects have harmed people: Bisht
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, July 21
Noted social activist from the Himalayan region and president of the Uttarakhand Lok Vahini Dr Shamsher Singh Bisht thinks that the state has failed as a power state as big hydroelectric projects installed here have caused more loss to the people and the nation than gain.

Bisht said the entire policy of development after the creation of Uttarakhand as a new state in 2000 was flawed. The state was billed as a “power state” and the development policy had shown dreams that power projects would bring prosperity.

“If benefits were worth Rs 1 billion, losses to the region crossed Rs 10 billion mark after the policy was adopted,” said Bisht.

He said unless the state adopted a policy of building smaller hydropower projects of one megawatt and sold power by linking it to the grid, the real aim of making Uttarakhand a ‘power state’ could not be achieved nor the hill ecology could be saved. “A policy to harness power through smaller projects will bring stability and prosperity,” said Bisht.

He was of the opinion that there was a need to change the entire concept of construction in the hill state and it should be in consonance with the nature of the Himalayas. He said after the creation of Uttarakhand the successive state governments failed to prevent people from settling on riverbanks while the old Himalayan wisdom was to make houses on river ridges and have agricultural fields on the slopes. “Earlier when continuous rains for a week used to generate water springs from hill slopes. But nowadays instead of springs rains lead to landslides and damage to hill slopes,” said Bisht. “These are indications of the weakening Himalayas which successive planners of the hill state have ignored,” he added.

Bisht said after the China war in 1962 the pace of construction of roads increased manifold in the region. This caused a heavy damage to hill slopes as thousands of tonnes of dynamites were used in the construction of roads. “Every year landslides occur on the Dharchula to Tawaghat road as dynamite blasts have made hills hollow in these parts,” he said.

Bhatt said even tourism, which is being publicised as the biggest bread earner of the hill people, had been excessive and beyond the sanctity of mountains. The successive state governments tried to develop tourism on the lines of that in Thailand. “The Thailand model of tourism in Uttarakhand has led to loss of more lives in the Kedarnath tragedy. Had the governments not promoted religious tourism with an aim to attract more tourists the casualty in the natural calamity would have been less as then only religious people would have visited the Char Dhams,” said Bisht.

He added sensitivity towards the environment of the region had decreased after the creation of Uttarakhand. “The number of contractors and petty contractors supported by politicians has swelled after the creation of the state than was in Uttar Pradesh. Politicians and the contractors in order to make big money got several roads sanctioned under various state and central schemes. While the state government should have developed track routes in the hills, it instead used dynamites to make roads,” he said.

Bisht said people living in the border area of the state were being compelled to migrate from their traditional homes as the state government had failed to provide them basic facilities.

“People are bound to migrate from villages situated in remote places along the border if they do not get teachers in schools, doctors in hospitals and money for their cash crops. The policy of not providing basic facilities in remote villages has led to migration of 12 lakh people from 10 districts of the state to Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar districts in the last 12 years,” said Bisht.

He added every act of the state should focus on the fragile ecology of the region. “If the government really wants to reconstruct the state for the coming generation and build a unique identity, it will have to give the top priority to ecology and allow only limited number of tourists based on the carrying capacity of the hills. In building a new Uttarakhand there should be no compromise with the ecological concerns as these form the basic tenets of the future identity of the state,” said Bisht.

Uttarakhand the challenge ahead
Uncontrolled power projects increased scale of disaster: Shiva
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 21
Dr Vandana Shiva is an environment activist and physicist of repute. She founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE) in Dehradun in 1982, emphasising on biodiversity conservation and protecting people’s rights from threats to their livelihoods. She runs her organisation “Navdanya” in Dehradun, that is spread in 45 acres. It is a network of seed keepers and organic producers spread across 16 states of the country. “Navdanya” supports local farmers help conserve crops and plants that are on the verge of extinction and make them available through direct marketing.

Perturbed over the rain-triggered disaster in Uttarakhand, Dr Shiva holds non-sustainable development policy by the state responsible for the disaster and calls for a check on rampant construction of hydropower projects in the region. “The transformation of dev bhoomi into “urja pradesh” based on uncontrolled construction of hydroelectric projects has had a major impact on increasing the scale of the disaster by rendering the mountain slopes vulnerable to landslides and raising the river beds through dumping of waste from construction of dams and tunnels on the riverbed”, Dr Vandana Shiva points out. “Such policies and programmes are ill suited to the fragile and ecologically sensitive Himalayas. The rampant construction of hydro power projects needs to be checked”, she said. The government should, instead, prefer micro-hydel projects for its energy needs, which are more environment friendly.

She said most of the road widening in hills which has triggered uncontrolled landslides has been done to facilitate the movement of heavy equipments and earth-moving machinery for the construction of dams and hydro-electric projects. “It is not to serve the local communities. Mobility needs to be defined by the needs of local communities who have to live in the mountains and not for the construction lobby, which does not bear the ecological costs of the damage they have caused,” she said.

Stressing on the importance of protecting forests for ensuring a better future to Uttarakhand, Dr Vandana Shiva argued that the Himalayan forests are the protectors of the country. “The rain disaster should not be used to undo the ban on logging introduced in 1981 to ensure that forests protect the mountains from landslides and floods. The recent announcement on forest clearances made by the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests can have dangerous repercussions”, she said. She added that if need be, there should be no diversion of forest lands without the consent of the local village body.

Favouring the regulation of pilgrims of the char dham yatra, Dr Vandana Shiva stressed on a check on mass tourism. She said turning the char dham yatra into mass tourism only increased the vulnerability to death and destruction in the recent disaster. “Certainly, the spirit of the pilgrimage should be rejuvenated, but the five-star culture should be kept away from the pilgrimage,” she said. “Large-scale big hotels are coming up in eco-sensitive areas at the behest of the construction lobby and under political patronage. This needs to be curbed or a rain disaster like the recent one could repeat in future,” she said.

She also held that even if tourism is to be promoted, it should be ecological tourism that should be driven by local communities, not by the construction and building lobby.

Referring to the failure of the disaster mechanism in the state, she said the political leaderships in Uttarakhand have given least emphasis on developing an effective disaster-countering mechanism that is inclusive of the local people as any disaster mechanism will only be successful if it ensures adequate participation of the local villagers.

On the creation of livelihood opportunities to the disaster-affected villagers, Dr Shiva said instead of promoting hydro projects and mass tourism, agriculture, horticulture and, in particular, herb culture should be encouraged in the hill regions. She said cultivation of medicinal plants, apart from being environment friendly, will boost the region’s economy.

She said better connectivity is needed in far-flung villages that have been totally cut off after the tragedy. She said while relief is coming in abundance on roadside villages, the far off villages have been completely devoid of such materials.

On the future works of rehabilitation, Dr Vandana Shiva, emphasised that rehabilitation should be based on sustainability and appropriate to the fragility of mountain ecosystems and needs of mountain communities. She said all rehabilitation needs to be planned by the affected communities to ensure fair, just, sustainable and corruption-free rehabilitation. “The people of Uttarakhand reject the model of using the disaster to create new opportunities for the greed and corruption that have sown the seeds of the disaster. We do not accept a contractor-driven, corporate-driven and corrupt politician-driven 'rehabilitation' which steals our natural and financial resources”, Dr Shiva observed.

Been born and brought up in Uttarakhand and a Doonite, Dr Vandana Shiva was identified as an "environmental hero" by Time Magazine in 2003. She also received the Right Livelihood Award in 1993.

Uttarakhand faces risk of major quake

Hyderabad: Already reeling under the impact of devastating floods, Uttarakhand faces the risk of a major earthquake hitting the region in future. According to seismic imaging and modelling studies conducted by the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), a massive earthquake of 8 or more on the Richter scale could hit the Kumaon-Garhwal region of the Himalayas in future though the precise timing cannot be predicted with the present technology. — TNS

Five entry points for registration of Kanwariyas in Haridwar
Tribune News Service

A woman gives final touches to a decorated Kanwar. Tribune photos: Rameshwar Gaur

Haridwar, July 21
A high-level meeting of the inter-state police and administrative officers held at CCR Tower in Haridwar today decided to start registration of Kanwariyas for the upcoming Kanwar mela. As it would be done for the first time, respective states would ensure registration of Kanwariyas.

If some Kanwariyas enter Uttarakhand without registration, they would be registered at five entry points in Haridwar district — Chidiyapur, Santarshah, Dhanauri, Jagjeetpur and the city railway station.

Photographs of the Kanwariyas for registration would be clicked and CCTV cameras installed there would film the entire process of the entry and registration of the pilgrims at these five points.

The use of music systems and loudspeakers would be prohibited and the authorities of the districts through which Kanwariyas pass had been directed to ensure that the ban was strictly implemented.

Kanwariyas would also be barred from carrying hard wooden sticks, hockey sticks, bats and rods with them. It had been observed in the recent past that some deviant Kanwariyas indulge in violence and create tension.

Commissioner, Moradabad, Shiv Shankar Singh assured the meeting that the Uttar Pradesh government would coordinate with the Uttarakhand government to ensure peaceful completion of the pilgrimage. He added that power supply, health, water and other amenities would be provided to Kanwariyas on the pilgrimage route.

District Magistrate, Haridwar, Nidhi Pandey informed the meeting that patchwork on damaged portions the Kanwar yatra stretch was going on and it would be fully ready before the yatra commences. The stretch had been cleaned and basic amenities had been provided on the yatra route.

DIG Sanjay Gunjiyal said maintaining law and order was their priority and the police would deal strictly with any untoward situation.

DIG, Garhwal, Amit Sinha said 14 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, two of the Rapid Action Force and a company of the Indian Tibetan Border Police would be deployed to ensure peaceful completion of the yatra.

Sinha said the Uttarakhand Police had sought six additional companies of the Rapid Action Force, which specialises in handling mob violence.

SSP, Haridwar, Rajeev Swaroop gave a power-point presentation on policing, route diversion and traffic plan.

Top police officers and bureaucrats of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and New Delhi attended the meeting that was presided over by Commissioner, Garhwal division, Subardhan. District Magistrate, Dehradun, VVRC Purushottam; District Magistrate, Tehri, Nitish Jha; District Magistrate, Bijnore, Ajay Deep Singh; District Magistrate, Muzzafarnagar, Surendra Singh; DIG, Saharanpur, DC Mishra; DIG, Meerut, K Satya Narayan; SP, Tehri, Janmay Jay Khanduri; SP, Pauri, Vimla Gunjiyal; SSP, Muzaffarnagar, Manjil Saini; ASP, Bijnore, Rajesh Kumar; nodal officer of the Kanwar mela and ADM, Administrative, Anand Srivastava; SP, Rural, Ajay Singh; SP, Haridwar City, JS Bhandari and other police and administration officials of the four states were present at the meeting.

MLA visits Mal Devta area, orders repair of roads
Ajay Ramola

MLA, Mussoorie, Ganesh Joshi inspects a road damaged due to heavy rains in the Mal Devta region. A Tribune photograph

Mussoorie, July 21
The MLA, Mussoorie, Ganesh Joshi, yesterday visited areas around Mal Devta, which suffered damage due to incessant rains recently, and directed the officials concerned to begin repair of roads and the restoration work without delay.

Joshi visited the affected areas at Kyara, Simyari, Bhagdwari Khal, Sarkhet, Phuletu, Ghantuka Sera, Timliman Singh, Mal devta etc to asses the damage caused to roads and houses due to rains.

Dehradun diary
Will Rs 1,000 crore interim relief be used properly?

The natural disaster of cloudburst and floods last month has shattered the entire Uttarakhand state, with massive damage to life and property. While thousands of pilgrims and tourists died in the catastrophe at Kedaranath, the lives of local people have also changed forever after the natural disaster. Women have lost their menfolk who used to do various jobs at Kedarnath and en route to earn their livelihood. The farmers of the four worst affected districts have lost their agricultural lands, causing a crisis for the village economies. The state has suffered immense damage as roads, bridges, water supply and power lines have been damaged or completely washed away.

The state government has estimated that the damage would be more than Rs 13,000 crore. The central government has already given Rs 1,000 crore to the state government as interim relief. A central government team comprising officials from various departments had visited the worst affected areas to assess the damage on the ground. It was hoped that the Prime Minister would be granting more aid to the state government. A cabinet sub-committee of senior union ministers has also been formed to oversee the reconstruction work in the state.

The World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have pledged huge amounts for the re-construction works in the state. That amount would be in the shape of 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan.

However, the million dollar question is whether the huge amount of money that would come to the state for reconstruction activity would be utilised properly. The state, during its 13 years of existence, has the alleged dubious distinction of siphoning off government funds by the contractor-politician nexus. There have even been allegations that the earlier loans given by the World Bank and other such agencies for watershed development were misutilised. The state also has a dismal record of punishing corrupt officials.

Interestingly, the state has allegedly inherited the corrupt bureaucratic system of the mother state of Uttar Pradesh and most of the officials come from the corrupt system. Before the disaster of June 16-17, state Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had created a flutter by stating that Uttarakhand is one of the most corrupt states in the country. Many experts feel that the quality of the works done during the past 13 years after the formation of the state has been below par — whether it is roads, bridges, public buildings or other public utility works. Most of the newly developed roads and bridges were washed away in the natural disaster.

Public spirited citizens fear that huge funds coming to the state for reconstruction would provide an opportunity to the politician-bureaucrat-contractor nexus to make money. They feel that the central government should monitor the funds released to the state as Uttarakhand has a dismal past record of curbing corruption. Even the institution of Lokayukta set up by the previous Congress regime of ND Tewari has remained ineffective in curbing or having any impact on corruption.

The strong Lokayukta Bill brought by former chief minister B.C.Khanduri has been awaiting the consent of the President of India. Present Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had stated that he would like to dilute some of the provisions of the bill, like takingthe judiciary out of the purview of the bill brought by Khanduri. The Bill would cover not only all government or semi-government officials of the state and lower judiciary but also the chief minister, former chief ministers, all ministers, MLAs and public servants. The lokayukta will be independent of the government for investigations and prosecution of corrupt persons as per the bill. However, for the past 16 months of Congress rule, nothing has been done to bring out the Bill.

— S.M.A. Kazmi 

Memorial to martyrs inaugurated 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 21
Former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank inaugurated a memorial to martyrs belonging to the Nehru Gram region at the Nehru Gram chowk here today. The memorial comprises names of the martyrs from the 1962 war with China to the 1999 Kargil War belonging to Nathanpur, Badripur, Nawada and Nehru Gram villages.

These include martyrs from the Army, the Navy, the Indian Air Force and paramilitary forces.

Nishank recalled the sacrifices made by the people of Uttarakhand in safeguarding the country. He said the nation would always remain indebted to these warriors.

Dehradun district panchayat member Subhash Bhatt said the memorial would inspire the youth to join the defence forces.

“It will also make people understand the value of independence,” he said. A large number of BJP leaders and villagers were present at the function. 

Uttarakhand to raise six SDRF companies near Jollygrant, says CM
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 21
The Uttarakhand government would raise six companies of State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) in a phased manner with its headquarters near Jollygrant, here. A total of 30 acres of land would be allocated near Jollygrant for the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF). Initially, two companies of SDRF would be raised taking people from the state police, India Reserve Battalion (IRB), Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and state fire services.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, here today.

Uttarakhand Chief secretary Subhash Kumar, Director General of Police Satyavrat and other senior state government officials attended the meeting.

Chief Minister Bahuguna said there was an urgent need for such a force in the state. He directed that 30 acres land between Jollygrant and Rishikesh would be provided to house the force.

He said necessary equipment would be provided from disaster management funds to the force and if need be the help of central government would also be taken.

"The issue would be raised in the forthcoming meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," he added.

Bahuguna said the able bodied persons from police and other forces would be sent to SDRF and the resultant vacancies would be filled so that unemployed youth get jobs. 

NHPC incurs losses of over Rs 121 crore
Tribune News Service

Pithoragarh, July 21
Out of a total loss of over Rs 350 crore to infrastructure in Munsiyari and Dharchula sub divisions of the district in last month's rain fury, NHPC incurred highest loss of over Rs 121 crore as its 280 megawatt Dhauliganga hydro electric plant was fully washed away by river Gori and has closed for production.

The project also suffered infrastructural loss in real estate as 65 blocks had also been washed by the river.

Releasing first hand data of the total losses to government department, the Pithoragarh Disaster Management Department released the figures today and said the NHPC loss was followed by the Border Roads Organsiation (BRO), which incurred a loss worth Rs 65.13 crore according to the primary survey.

“The loss suffered by NHPC and BRO, was followed by the Micro Hydroelectric Department as several mini electricity projects run by the department were washed away by water fury,” said Pithoragarh District Magistrate Dr Neeraj Khairwal.

According to the District Magistrate, state PWD and PMGRY roads in Dharchula and Munsiyari regions suffered a loss of Rs 42.17 crore, while central PWD projects suffered a loss of Rs 4 crore.

“The loss of infrastructure was followed by loss to various state departments, ITBP and Army which suffered an infra loss of over Rs 30 crore in the fury,” said the DM, adding that the figures of actual losses may rise after the complete survey report comes to the administration.

Disaster hit 532 villages: RSS report
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 21
As many as 532 villages have been affected due to the natural disaster that devastated Uttarakhand last month. About 2,015 houses have been completely destroyed while 971 houses have suffered partial damage in these villages. This was disclosed in a report on the natural disaster released by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) here today. RSS national functionary Suresh Rao Sadashiv Joshi, aka Bhaiyyaji, released the report.

Joshi said the state government needs to do a lot more to provide succor to the disaster-hit people. He added the RSS on its part was providing relief to the affected people.

He claimed that the RSS even rescued 4,115 persons from the disaster-hit areas. “The RSS will now start programmes for providing free education of the children of the disaster-hit families,” he added.

According to the report, 1,882 commercial buildings, 26 religious places and a large number of schools were damaged due to the natural disaster. It also disclosed that residents of 30 affected villages need to be shifted elsewhere immediately.

Joshi asked the state government to come up with a plan to deal with disaster-linked exigencies. He said hill areas should have a development model that was in consonance their topography and environment. RSS Uttarakhand leaders Lakshmi Prasad Jaiswal, Gopal Krishan Mittal and Chandrapal Singh Pundir were present on the occasion. 

List of missing persons not yet ready
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 21
It will take some time before family members of persons hailing from other states, who have gone missing due to the natural disaster, start receiving the ex-gratia amount. As of now, no state has provided any tentative list of missing persons which will then be tabulated by the state government for authentication.

“So far, we have not received any list from state governments. As soon a list of missing persons is provided to us we will process it for authentication. The ex-gratia amount will be disbursed among family members of missing persons (now presumed dead) hailing from different states,” said Bhaskaranand Joshi, Secretary, Disaster Management.

He said the government had released Rs 223 crore for disbursement to District Magistrates of all districts for the payment of ex-gratia relief and over Rs 250 crore had been received from the Central government for the purpose. 

Police team cremates 42 bodies at Rambara
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 21
The Uttarakhand Police has cremated 42 bodies at Rambara observing all traditional rituals. The police team had to camp at Rambara for two nights to accomplish the work.

According to police sources, a team of the Uttarakhand Police led by GS Martolia and assisted by mountaineers of the National Institute of Mountaineering reached the disaster-hit Rambara using ropes and other equipment. It was a highly risky operation but the committed team managed to brave all odds and cremated the bodies.

A large number of people died at Rambara, a township midway between Gaurikund and Kedarnath.

Forest dept responsible for disaster: Gaud
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, July 21
A young environmentalist from the region has alleged that the forest department is responsible for the recent natural disaster that led to damage of property and livestock in several villages in Thatyur Block in Tehri district.

Environmentalist Arun Gaud, has alleged that the disaster was induced to the nonchalant attitude of the forest department which allowed cutting of more than thousand trees in the name of repairing a drinking water pipeline project which was under taken by the Swajal scheme.

He said the forest department gave clearance to cut the trees from Chinan Gaon to Pujarmara Tok which led to a large scale devastation of the environment further damaging property and livestock here.

"The trees acts as a sponge during heavy rains. They soak excess water but by cutting the trees all the water rush toward the villages in the region thus resulting in devastation," added Gaud.

The officials of Swajal scheme said they were involved in new projects and had no role in the cutting of trees.

The DFO, Mussoorie division, Dheeraj Pandey, said the department had given permission to repair the pipeline and not to cut trees. If any anomalies were found in the work, the guilty would be penalised after investigation. 

65 mobile towers to come up soon

Pithoragarh, July 21
The 65 new mobile towers which had been approved earlier by ministry of communication for the four districts in Kumaon region, are to be commissioned soon by the BSNL. "The installation work of the towers which had been approved by the ministry a year ago, for the districts in Pithoragarh, Champawat, Almora and Bageshwar to give connectivity to the interior and remote border villages of the region, has been completed," said BSNL General Manager MP Yadav.

According to the GM, problems of radiation generation will be kept in mind before commissioning these towers and the residential areas will be kept at prescribed distance.

"With commissioning of these 65 towers new areas will be linked with mobile 
connectivity. Remote villages will be able to communicate from their homes," added Yadav.—OC