Kanwar mela police did a commendable job: DGP
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, July 26
On the successful completion of the annual Shravan Kanwar pilgrimage, BS Sidhu, Director General of Police, congratulated the policemen for the smooth conduct of the fair in Haridwar.

During a function at the Prem Nagar ashram mega convention hall, the DGP said despite the paucity of policemen and resources, the force did a commendable job in controlling record 2.65 crore devotees (kanwariyas).

The DGP also felicitated the policemen. Amit Sinha, Deputy Inspector General, Garhwal, said the expertise and experience of senior police officials proved handy in managing the affairs at the fair.

District Magistrate DS Pandiyan termed the 2014 fair as a major challenge for the administration as due to the Assembly bypolls at Someshwar, Dharchula and Doiwala, they didn’t have the requisite police force.

Dr Sadanand Datte, Senior Superintendent of Police, Haridwar, said better coordination and communication between the cops helped in ensuring proper security at the fair. SSP Datte said the change in the traffic plan at an appropriate time prevented traffic jams at the National Highway-58.

Ex-Kanwar Mela police in-charge Dr Kiran Lal Shah said the use of the Bairagi camp and Pantdeep mela land as base camps for dak kanwars proved vital in ensuring smooth passage of traffic on the city roads and the NH-58.

Provincial Armed Constabulary Commandant Arun Mohan Joshi, SP (City) Dr Surjeet Singh Pawar, SP (Rural) Parmendra Dobhal, circle officers Chandra Mohan Negi and Rajesh Bhatt, CO, Champawat, Jodh Ram Joshi and SHO Mahesh Joshi were also present at the function.

Doctor felicitated for services during Kanwar fair

Haridwar: Indian Red Cross Society secretary Haridwar unit Naresh Chaudhari has been felicitated for his services during Kanwar fair by mela administration.

Chaudhari led a team of Red Cross medical staff and volunteers during the Kanwar fair, providing free medical aid to the Kanwariyas who thronged Uttarakhand in the fortnight-long Kanwar fair from July 13-25.

The Red Cross team treated and provided medical care to more than 1200 Kanwariyas in Haridwar.

DM Senthyl Pendiyan today, while appreciating the efforts of Red Cross volunteers,said that under the able guidance of Dr Naresh Chaudhari, a large number of Kanwariyas were treated and cured.

Pendiyan said that other social organisations too should pitch in to lend their services during Kanwar fair as now every year a rise in the number of Kanwariyas is being witnessed in crores.

Dr Naresh Chaudhari had saved a woman Kanwariya’s life by taking her in his ambulance from Shankaracharya square on July 24 for medical aid.

Sheela, wife of Satyawan, a resident of village Kaldi,Tohana, Fatehabad district of Uttar Pradesh, had come to Haridwar for Kanwar pilgrimage. Her life was saved due to prompt medical aid provided by doctors owing to immediate response by Dr Chaudhari.

On July 19 near Bahadrabad, a wounded married couple Jaipal and Rameshwari Devi, lying unconscious on the road hit by a speeding unknown vehicle, were also ferried by Dr Chaudhari for medical aid.

DM Pendiyan added that on coming August 15 district administration will felicitate Dr Naresh Chaudhari for his social responsibility and prompt medical aid provided during Kanwar fair.

Notably, for the last few years he has been actively involved in the district with various social causes.These include carrying out polio awareness drive, AIDS awareness drive, tree plantation drive, environment conservation drive to popularise Uttarakhand culture.

Former President Abul Kalam had also felicitated Dr Chaudhari in 2007 for successfully hosting International Scout Convention in Haridwar as organising committee chairperson.

Governor Aziz Qureshi and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna acknowledging rescue-relief efforts of Chaudhari during last year’s flash floods in Haridwar, had also felicitated him with a citation and a certificate.

Chorabari glacier facing threat of global warming 
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 26
Chorabari glacier, that shot into limelight after being attributed to be the cause behind last year’s devastating floods at Kedarnath, like other central Himalayan glaciers, is also among the victims of global warming. Facing recession, the glacier has lost around 344 metres of its length between1962 to 2012, with also its frontal area getting shrunk by 1 per cent within the same period.

This was revealed in the recent study done by Centre for Glaciology of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun. Chorabari glacier that falls in the Mandakini river basin is a tributary of Alaknanda river. This very Alaknanda river joins Bhagirathi at Deoprayag to form the holy Ganga. The WIHGs Centre for Glaciology has been closely monitoring Chorabari glacier for long. The Chorabari glacier in the study has been monitored in terms of changes both in its length and frontal area known as snout for period between 1962 and 2012.

The study shows significant reduction in the Chorabari’s glacier area. The WIGH scientists attribute this increased retreat rate of the glacier as a direct consequence of global warming.

The glacier has lost 1 per cent of its frontal area and 344 metres of its length from 1962 till 2012. Between 1962 and 2003, the glacier significantly lost about 262 metres length.

Interestingly, snout’s history of Chorabari glacier exhibited two distinct patterns. Initially a slow retreat took place from 1962 to 1990, but a slightly accelerated retreat was recorded from 1990 to 2012. The glacier showed continuous retreat and no advancement has been reported since 1962.

An increase in maximum and minimum temperatures was also found in Great Himalayan Region between 1988 to 2008. This increase in temperature was accompanied by decreasing trends in precipitation and a reduction in total seasonal snowfall. These all could have been the factors behind retreat of Chorabari glacier.

Nevertheless, WIHG scientists point out that while recession is taking place in Chorabari glacier, it’s rate of recession is certainly slow compared to other glaciers in the region.

GPS data and Survey of India toposheet were used to obtain the changes in morphology and size of glaciers. It is noteworthy the glaciers of the Himalayan region have been so far not well documented because of inaccessibility of the area and poor meteorological and hydrological data.

WIHG’s Centre for Glaciology team led by DP Dobhal comprised Manish Mehta, Kapil Kesarwani, Bhanu Pratap, Amit Kumar and Akshya Verma as its members, who were part of the study team.

DAV college teachers to mark attendance electronically
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 26
After the High Court directions regarding increasing the standard of education in the colleges, DAV PG College management has given directions to the head of departments and teachers to register their attendance twice in a day and to ensure 5 hours of stay in the college on each working day.

Devendra Bhasin, Principal of DAV PG College said biometric machines would be installed in the college before August 1 and teachers would mark their attendance electronically through the machine.

The principal of the DAV PG College has asked the college staff to strictly follow the orders of the High Court.

The principal also said colleges would provide the status report to the government regarding steps taken to implement the court orders. 

60 participate in legal awareness camp 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 26
The Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) and the District Legal Service Authority jointly organised one-day legal awareness camp at Naya Gaon, Sewalakhurd, here today.

The camp was attended by more than 60 persons, including villagers and law interns from different universities of India. The purpose of the camp was to spread awareness on free legal aid and various laws useful in day-to-day life.

Dharmender Kumar Singh, Civil Judge, Secretary, District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) explained the villagers, functioning of 
District Legal Service Authority and provision of free legal aid.

The next session was on consumer rights by Narender Tripathi, master trainer RLEK followed by a session on domestic violence by RLEK’s trainer Dolly Joshi with law intern Chhavi.

The camp had more women participation than men. Participants were given insight on the legal procedures by Omar Khan of RLEK’s legal team and DLSA’s secretary.

Arvind Sharma, master trainer RLEK while thanking the villagers and other participants informed that the camp was organised with the initiative of law interns from universities around India.

Chhavi, Unnati, Mansi, Radha, Shivam from Galgotias University, Greater Noida and Aman from VIPS IP University, New Delhi were among the main intern organizers. Social worker Rajiv Puri also attended the camp.

Block pramukh elections today

Dehradun, July 26
The Uttarakhand BJP has decided to back Madhu Chauhan as the party candidate for the post of Dehradun zila panchayat. In all eight candidates have been declared as BJP for the various posts of zila panchyat for which elections would be held on August 5.

At the same time the party has also cleared the name of Subhash Sharma for the post of vice chairman from the district.Meanwhile, voting for electing block pramukhs will take place tomorrow in the state. The voting and counting of votes will be held at the headquarters of blocks. The results will be declared on the same day. — TNS

Food officer collects samples of cold drink infested with ants 
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, July 26
The food, safety and standard officer, Rachna Lal, responding to the news item titled “Ants found in soft drink bottle in Mussoorie,” collected samples of several soft drink bottles in Mussoorie yesterday.

However, citing leakage as the main reason she refrained from collecting samples from the bottle that was found infested with ants, allegedly on Thursday.

Rachna Lal said that she was taking the sample of other sealed bottles of same batch, as the content could be same, hence, helping in proving the case.

She further said that if the presence of ants in the soft drink bottles were found true, then punitive action would be taken against the said company.

She also inspected Hotel Midtown and found that the owners were running the kitchen without any authorisation. She directed the owner to get the kitchen registered under the food, safety and standards law immediately.

The Tribune had highlighted the matter where a shopkeeper had noticed ants floating in the carbonated soft drink bottle of Mango Slice in Mussoorie on Thursday.

Floral tributes paid to Kargil martyrs 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 26
Rich tributes were paid to the martyrs on the occasion of Kargil Divas at Gandhi Park-based war memorial today.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat, accompanied with Ex-Servicemen Welfare Minister Harak Singh Rawat and Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi, paid floral tributes to the martyrs. Addressing the gathering, Rawat said on behalf of state, he salute the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation. “Our soldiers always remained at the forefront during the wars against China and Pakistan.

The state government has started many welfare schemes for the defence personnel and their dependents,” he added.

Later, the Chief Minister honoured 93-year-old Leela Devi, mother of Maha Vir Chakra recipient Jaswant Singh Rawat, famously known as Baba Jaswant Singh of the Fourth Garhwal Rifles Infantry Regiment.

During the final phase of the Indo-China War in 1962, Jaswant Singh chose to guard his post despite the orders to vacate it. He managed to keep the enemy at bay for almost three days. Helped by two local girls Sela and Nura, Jaswant Singh remained at his post at an altitude of 10,000 feet. For his valour, the Indian Government conferred the Maha Vir Chakra on him posthumously.

The veer naaris and other family members of the Kargil war martyrs were also honoured during the function.

Those present at the function were Mayor Vinod chamoli, Lt Gen (retd) TPS Rawat , Lt Gen (retd) OP Kaushik and Brigadier (retd) AN Bahuguna.

Students neglected 

• Nearly 64 girl students of Government Girls’ Inter-College, Rajpur Road, and MKP Inter-College had to wait for almost two hours under the sun, waiting for Chief Minister Harish Rawat. Holding the Tricolour in their hands, they were not allowed to move from their spots even for the water. Ironically, the chief guest and his entourage didn’t bother to get down from their car to meet the girls 

Health Dept moots changes in illness assistance scheme 

Dehradun, July 26
To reach out to seriously ill patients, the Department of Health is planning to bring changes in the Uttarakhand State Illness Assistance Fund scheme so that the needy patients falling under the Above Poverty Line (APL) category could avail the scheme.

As of now, the patients belonging to the BPL category can avail the maximum financial assistance of Rs 1.15 lakh for undergoing treatment at 12 Central government hospitals.

The department is trying to rationalise the scheme so that the persons belonging to the APL category could be covered under the scheme. “The proposal is being discussed at several levels as the APL categorisation has been undertaken by the Department of Rural Department. We will have to see if the non-creamy layer in the APL category can be categorised,” a senior official of the department said.

Some other changes have also been proposed to broaden the definition of illness so that the persons requiring minimum assistance of Rs 30,000 could avail the scheme.

Under the scheme, the persons requiring spinal or major vascular surgery, bone-marrow transplantation, cornea plasty kidney transplantation, surgery for the treatment of brain tumour and HIV patients can avail financial assistance up to Rs 1.15 lakh. The payment is made directly to the hospital. — TNS 

War widows honoured in Pithoragarh 
Tribune reporters

Pithoragarh, July 26
The Kargil war heroes were remembered and war widows were honoured on the occasion of the Kargil Shaurya Divas in the district today.

To mark the day, a programme was held at the Shahid Smarak near Chandak. Pithoragarh District Magistrate SC Semwal and SP Roshan Lal Sharma, along with other district-level officials and families of the war widows, participated in the programme.

The District Magistrate honoured four war widows and said the nation was proud of the sacrifice made by the martyrs in Kargil 15 years ago.

The Sarthak Prayas Samiti, a NGO working for environment conservation and the development of villages, held a plantation drive on the occasion. Hundreds of saplings were planted at Chandak Hill near the town.

Samiti observes Vijay Divas

Dehradun: Netaji Sangarsh Samiti observed Kargil Vijay Divas here today.Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi, who was the chief guest, said the sacrifices of Kargil martyrs would be remembered for a long time. Samiti president Arvind Kumar Gupta said the nation would always be indebted towards the Kargil matrys. 

Govt fails to vacate stay

Dehradun, July 26
After the Nainital High Court’s stay on reservation in jobs for dependents of freedom fighters in March 2014, the legal cell of the Uttarakhand Government has failed to take any steps to vacate the stay.

The lackadaisical approach of the government has led to denial of reservation for the dependents of freedom fighters. “The irresponsible behaviour of the Uttarakhand Government was evident when the legal cell failed to present the government’s point of view on the issue. Now, four montkhs have passed and no efforts have been made to vacate the stay. This is disrespect to our freedom fighters,” said Ravinder Jugran, BJP leader. — TNS