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Pollution levels go through the roof this Diwali
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Thieves make mockery of security plans on Diwali
All set for UK royals' visit tomorrow
Four-day Mussoorie Writers' Festival from November 7
St Francis College delegates apprised of Rangoli significance
43 cadets clear NDA exam
Dehradun's Sarthak crowned inaugural 'Junior MasterChef'
HCA defeat Star Eleven by 24 runs
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Pollution levels go through the roof this Diwali
Dehradun, November 4 Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) remained above the permissible levels. The respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) was recorded three times above the danger level at some places. The maximum SO2 level at Clock Tower was 29.61 (micrograms per meter cube), followed by 28.47 on Rajpur Road and 28.28 at Nehru Colony. The maximum NO2 pollution was measured at Nehru Colony with 34.29. The NO2 level at Clock Tower and Rajpur Road remained at 33.21 and 32.47, respectively. The Nehru Colony area remained the most polluted as far as the RSPM
level is concerned. It was measured at 397.96 at Nehru Colony, followed by 244.27 Rajpur Road and 227.03 Clock Tower. Notably, 100 RSPM is the standard level and anything above that is considered dangerous for human beings. Eighty (micrograms per meter cube) is the standard level for SO2 and NO2. The noise pollution level also crossed all limits on Sunday evening. Krishan Nagar Chowk recorded the maximum noise pollution (80 decibel), followed by Saharanpur Chowk
(78 decibel). Notably, the safe limit of noise pollution in residential areas is 55 decibel and in silent zones like hospitals, it is 45 decibel.
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Gala celebrations with a difference
Dehradun, November 4 “When we realised that Diwali was round the corner, we decided to do something special for the slum dwellers for whose interest we have been working for the past almost two years,” remarked Abhinav Bhatia, one of the regular MAD members. The group made frequent visits to Bihari Basti located at Raipur Road so as to involve the children residing in those slum areas in their gala Diwali activity. The plan was to explain to the schoolchildren of the slum area the significance of Diwali as a festival of lights, the homecoming of Lord Ram and why such a festival need not be an occasion for pollution but an opportunity to celebrate the victory of good over evil. “When we visited the slum areas, we noticed that the schoolchildren were not fully aware of some of the basic aspects of the Indian society. They did not know the significance of August 15 or January 26. The goal of MADdians was to sensitise at least the poor schoolchildren about the relevance of the festival of lights,” explained Saurav Joshi, a Graphic Era student and a MAD member. The idea of the campaign was not just to organise a lecture for the slum children but also to ensure that they learnt the values MAD wished them to inculcate. In pursuance of this objective, the group organised a writing competition in which they asked everybody present to pen ten sentences on what they had learnt from the Diwali lecture and to draw what they conceptualised as a true Diwali festival. With just moderate motivation, almost 50 students were ready with a script on Diwali and with posters about the same. “We were sure of such a solid participation because of our frequent activities in the Raipur Road Basti. The students as well as their parents trust us now and we are glad that we managed to organise such a constructive and forward-looking activity. The light of knowledge must transcend the darkness of ignorance not just for us but also for our less fortunate Doonites,” said Soumya Sharma, an active MADdian and a Class VIII student of Convent of Jesus and
Mary school. The scripts and the posters were collected by MAD on Diwali and the winners were felicitated with extra chocolates and sweets. Saving their pocket money contributions, MAD members purchased adequate amount of sweets, candles and diyas for the children living in slums and distributed these to them on Diwali. The group is regular with its weekly activities since its inception in June 2011 and urges all Doonites to participate in the same.
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Thieves make mockery of security plans on Diwali
Dehradun, November 4 Gusain, his wife and daughter were sleeping at that time. The miscreants entered the house after breaking open the main door. The miscreants also allegedly thrashed Gusain and his family members when they woke up after hearing a commotion. They later locked them in a the washroom and decamped with Rs 3 lakh in cash and other valuable items. The injured were admitted to Indresh Hospital, where the condition of Virendra Gusain is stated to be critical. His wife and daughter were discharged after the
first aid. Patel Nagar police station in charge MP Saini said special teams had been formed to solve the case. In another incident reported from Bhimawala in the Vikasnagar area on Saturday night, four miscreants broke into the house of one Puneet Kumar and beat up family members with batons, rendering them unconscious. They allegedly decamped with cash, jewellery and other valuables from the house. At the time of the incident, Puneet, his wife Jyoti, mother Sampoorna Devi and his brother Pradeep Kumar were present in the house. According to the police, the burglars also tried to commit a theft in the adjacent house, but they could not break open the door.
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Leopard captured, released in forest
Dehradun, November 4 According to FRI Range Officer Vijay Kumar, the female leopard was caught in one of the traps laid down on the intervening night of November 2 and 3. The trap was laid near bungalow No 9 after several complaints of its sighting by the inhabitants of the area. Security officials immediately informed the public information officer about the catch to secretary, public information officer; Director, FRI, and the Wildlife Department. The team from Malsi Wildlife Department took the leopard in its custody and released it in the nearby forest. Director FRI Dr PP Bhojvaid, Registrar Sashikar Samant, Information officer Dr KP Singh and other senior officials were present during the exercise. Sashikar Samant said the leopard had been devouring the stray dogs in the area. Fearing attacks on the pets as well, the residents had been demanding that the animal be caught without any delay. Samant said during the capture and release, no injury was caused to the animal. He said in the past the leopards that were not even man-eaters were killed by villagers, sometimes in the most cruel fashion.
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All set for UK royals' visit tomorrow
Dehradun, November 4 IGP (Law & Order) Ram Singh Meena presided over the meeting, which was attended by DIG, Garhwal, Amit Sinha and SSP, Dehradun, Kewal Khuranna. During the meeting, SSP Kewal Khuranna directed police personnel to remain vigil and follow all instructions. The SSP said tight security arrangements would be in place on all routes going towards the Forest Research Institute (FRI) and the Indian Military Academy
(IMA). — TNS
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Four-day Mussoorie Writers' Festival from November 7
Mussoorie, November 4 Well-known writers, namely William Dalrymple, I.Allan Sealey and Mamang Desai, will be delivering lectures during the festival. A special series of talks on outdoor education will feature John Gans, executive director, National Outdoor Leadership School, Mark Vermeal, VP for safety with Outward Bound USA, and Prof Simon Beames of Edinburgh University. Mountaineering legend Krzysztof Wielicki, known for his first winter ascent of Mount Everest in 1980, first one-day ascent of the Broad peak (8,000 m) in 1984, climbing the Manslu peak from new routes in 1984 and 1992, first winter ascent of the Kanchenjunga peak in 1986, first winter ascent of Lhotse (solo) in December and scaling the Shishapangma peak by new route on the south face solo in just 24 hours, will give a presentation on “Polish winter exploration in the Himalayas". Other eminent mountaineers include Daniele Nardi, Dawa Steven Sherpa and Freddie Wilkinson. Omair Ahmad, author of “The Kingdom at the Centre of the World: Journeys into Bhutan”, a work on political history, and “Jimmy the Terrorist” that was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize will also grace the occasion. DR Purohit, English Professor at HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand, and founding director of the Centre for Folk Performing Art and Culture, will be showcasing a scene from Garhwali Mahabharata play titled “Chakravyuh” at Silverton ground on November 10. The festival includes the performance of "Vintage Rock ‘n Roll" from the Highlands of Shillong, an exhibition of Tibetan Tangkha paintings by artists from Kathmandu and a Pandavlila performance by folk artists from Uttarakhand. Woodstock will also be organising the second Mussoorie half marathon on November 10. The founder of the mountain festival, Stephen Alter, said the objective of the festival was to bring experts on mountains under one roof and share their experience with the people and students of the town, so that they are enriched and become more aware about the fragile environment.
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St Francis College delegates apprised of Rangoli significance
Dehradun, November 4 The school organised friendly games for the staff and students of St Francis College. The participation of the students and staff was overwhelming. The winners were awarded certificates. The delegates visited Buddha Monastery, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, and toured Forest Pathology Museum. They visited Rishikesh also known as the Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas. A Rangoli workshop for St Francis College delegates was organised. The delegates were briefed about the significance of Rangoli. The students made captivating designs with sparkling colours. They enjoyed river rafting along with trekking to Siva Temple, Musssoorie. Earlier, school Principal Veena Singh and Vice Principal Julie Dowling and Administrator Sanjeev Agarwal along with the members of the staff and students welcomed the guest students and the staff in the traditional Indian manner when they arrived. The students were given farewell with conclusion of the exchange
programme today.
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43 cadets clear NDA exam
Dehradun, November 4
The candidates, who cleared the exams, would appear for the Services Selection Board interview, which would be held at different centres in the country. For the first three years, the candidates would be trained at the NDA and in the fourth year, they would be chosen in one of the forces, namely army, navy and air-force. Nearly 464 cadets from the Sainik School fraternity joined the NDA till July 2013. Sainik School, Ghorakhal, also had the honour of winning the 'Raksha Mantri's trophy' for sending the largest number of cadets to the NDA i.e. seven times since 2000.
— TNS
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Dehradun's Sarthak crowned inaugural 'Junior MasterChef'
Mumbai, November 4 For the finale, Sarthak competed against Lucknow's Sakshi Tripathi and Mumbai's Emanuel. Their last mission was 'swaad wahi, soch nayi' (same taste, different thought). Judged by Vikas Khanna, Surjan Singh Jolly and Kunal Kapoor, the show went on air Aug 17 on
Star Plus. A special panel of five judges was also called to taste the final dish of the three finalists. The panelists were small screen actress Neelu Waghela ("Bhabho" in "Diya Aur Baati Hum"), choreographer Terence Lewis, "Masterchef Season 3" winner Ripudaman Handa, "Masterchef 3" contestant Khoku Patra and Chef Sabby. All eight judges gave marks to the top three for their dishes. Sarthak obtained the highest marks. A golden chef coat, a Rs.20 lakh scholarship and Rs.1 lakh from Kotak added to the sweetness of his victory. Sakshi, the first runner-up took home a scholarship of Rs.10 lakh. Emanuel received a scholarship of Rs.5 lakh. The 11-week series started with 10 participants from all over the country. It showcased the cooking abilities of children between the ages of eight and twelve. Comedian Kapil Sharma hosted the grand finale. The three finalists made a grand entry in the show by grooving to some hit tracks like "Radha" and "Besharam". They also received Diwali presents from the judges and medals, courtesy Amul. The evening also saw an entertaining act by "India's Dancing Superstar" winner MJ5. Their performance was followed by Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha entering the show with the golden chef coat. The actress was there to promote her upcoming film "Bullett Raja". She also grooved a few steps to the song "Tamanche pe disco". Celebrity couple dance reality show "Nach Baliye 6" contestant Ridhi Dogra and her husband, actor Raqesh Bapat, jived to "Badtameez dil" from superhit movie "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani", "Gulabi" from "Shuddh Desi Romance" and "Meri aashiqui" from
"Aashiqui 2". — IANS
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HCA defeat Star Eleven by 24 runs
Dehradun, November 4 HCA chose to bat first and scored 124 runs in 20 over with a major contribution of Vijay and Digar. Both scored 23 runs. Star Eleven had a bad start with both the openers getting out early. The middle order also did not provide any momentum to the innings with the whole team getting out cheaply at 106 runs. Rakesh remained the highest scorer after scoring 19 runs for Star Eleven.
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Wills Youth, Nehrugram enter final
Dehradun, November 4 In the second match, the host Nehrugram Football Club trounced Balaji Boys 3-0. Akash opened the goal tally in the 15th minute with Gagan chipping in with the second goal in the 25th minute. Akash scored the third goal in the 55th minute and won the match for his team. The title match will be played on November 6.
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