Experts concerned over hazards of auto emission
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
An executive council meeting of Combustion Institute – India Section (CIIS) was organised in University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) here today to discuss planning for the national seminar to be held in UPES next year along with ‘Dr VK Saraswat Endowment Lecture’ on Saturday in UPES.

PK Pandey, secretary of CIIS, in his introduction, told the audience that Dr Saraswat is one of the key scientists in development of the first indigenous surface-to-surface missiles called Prithvi. He was the project director of Prithvi at DRDO and later became Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. He has been Chief Scientific Adviser to Minister of Defence, Government of India and is recipient of the Padma Bhushan.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr Saraswat encouraged students to regularly attend seminars and academic forums in order to widen their horizons and think beyond carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions. He laid stress on indigenisation in the field and improvement in efficiency of Photo-voltaic cells. He shared that since two-third of India’s energy requirements are met by thermal energy from coal, innovations need to be done to improve as far as the current under-utilisation of low grade coal available in abundance in our country is concerned, to bring down the import burden.

Prof DP Mishra from IIT, Kanpur, in his address, shared his research and thoughts on fire/safety and fire hazards. Dr SK Singhal, Chief Scientist from IIP, Dehradun, shared his concerns on the health hazards triggered by the high volume of nano particles in vehicle exhaust emissions. He explained that while talking about pollution and health hazards caused by exhaust gases from vehicles, we focus only on the chemical nature of gases, namely Sulphur dioxide, Carbon monoxide etc, but we never talk about the aspect of particulate matter volume and size, which is the root cause of health hazards.

He talked about the advanced engines developed in some of the first-world countries in which the volume and size of particulate matter in the exhaust emissions have been taken into consideration. Two companies, Caterpillar and Nissan, have already deployed these engines in their select models.

The endowment lecture was attended by students from B Tech (Aerospace Engg), B Tech (Mechanical Engg), B Tech (Avionics Engg) & M Tech (Computational Fluid Dynamics) along with faculty and staff of UPES.

The Combustion Institute (CI) is a non-profit professional international body which provides a platform to the professionals, researchers and academicians in the domain of combustion and propulsion studies.

Looking ahead
Dr SK Singhal, Chief Scientist from IIP, Dehradun, talked about the advanced engines developed in some of the first-world countries in which the volume and size of particulate matter in the exhaust emissions have been taken into consideration

Shri Kedarnath Shrine
‘Journey on foot would have given Cabinet ministers a better idea’
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 1
While a Cabinet meeting was organised at Shri Kedarnath shrine by Uttarakhand government on November 20, Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Ajay Bhatt has suggested that instead of taking the aerial route, Cabinet Ministers should have made it on foot in order to know about the tough conditions on the Kedarnath shrine link routes better.

Bhatt, during a brief halt in the city, cited the poor condition of roads leading to the Shri Kedarnath shrine, despite close to one-and-a-half years having elapsed since the flash floods occurred in Kedar valley.

Doubting the seriousness of Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s decision to hold the Cabinet meeting at the Kedarnath shrine, Bhatt said all ministers made it to the meeting via helicopters, while the common pilgrim visits the revered shrine on foot, treading approximately 24 km of mountainous terrain.

“There is a clear difference between visiting Shri Kedarnath shrine by air and on foot. The condition of the makeshift path from Son Prayag-Gaurikund is quite risky; having a viable route should be a priority. Cabinet ministers are possibly not aware of the situation in the hills, which is why the winter Char Dham pilgrimage was announced by Chief Minister Harish Rawat in haste,” he said.

“When summer Char Dham pilgrimage to Shri Badrinath, Shri Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines along with Shri Hemkund Sahib has got affected since the flash floods, how can pilgrims be drawn to the winter Char Dham pilgrimage without proper arrangements?” questioned Ajay Bhatt, also a legislator from Ranikhet Assembly.

While Bhatt accepted that the Shri Kedarnath Temple premises has been renovated, he said the roads leading to this revered shrine need to be reconstructed fully.

On yog guru Baba Ramdev praising Congress CM Harish Rawat, Bhatt said it is his personal opinion. He is a saint and ‘no BJP spokesperson’, he added.

Chief Secretary inaugurates Rajpur Nature Festival
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary N Ravishankar today inaugurated the Rajpur Nature Festival at the Christian Retreat and Study Center, Shahenshahi Ashram Chowk, Rajpur.

Ravishankar on the occasion unveiled an orientation map of Rajpur on the starting point of the Rajpur-Jharipani trail. Ravishankar also viewed the exhibition of rare photographs of Rajpur set up by Lokesh Ohri. The Chief Secretary distributed prizes to the winners of the poster competition held in the seven local schools on the theme “Clean Rajpur Green Rajpur.” In his brief address, Ravishankar lauded the efforts of the Forest Department in supporting the initiative of the Rajpur community in a participatory manner.

Earlier in the day, Digvijay Singh Khati, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand, led the first batch on the Rajpur-Jharipani trail. Around 200 visitors hiked on the trail in two batches with assistance from the ITBP and WWF. Dr Dhananjai Mohan, Dr Raman Kumar and Suniti Bhushan Dutta led three groups of 20 each for birdwatching, while Sanjay Sondhi led one group of 20 for butterfly watching and Lokesh Ohri led two groups 30 each for Rajpur heritage walks. The turnout for the various walks was very enthusiastic and included a large number of foreigners from many nationalities.

The day concluded with a cultural programme that included mono acts directed by Sujata Paul and Tibetan musical performances by Zhidey Khangsar and a brilliant violin recital by Robert Cres from Austria who enthralled the audience with his gypsy jazz.

The Rajpur Nature Festival has been organised by the ecotourism wing of the Forest Department in partnership with the Rajpur Community Initiative to promote Rajpur as an ecotourism destination and motivate hiking between Rajpur and Mussoorie.

Jails ill-equipped to handle mentally ill
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
Every now and then undertrials and convicts serving time in prison display symptoms of common mental disorders but these go unnoticed in the absence of permanent appointment of psychiatrists for prisons in Uttarakhand.

Since the creation of the state, the Department of Home has not been able to give a policy push, whereby full time psychiatrists could be employed exclusively in the service of the jail inmates. Instead, it continues to have a sharing arrangement of visiting doctors with the Department of Health.

All the jails in the state rely on medical recommendation on the basis of which psychiatrists are called in from State Mental Health Institute (Selaqui), Haldwani Medical College and Srinagar Medical College. But this arrangement seems to have come unstuck. According to information, in most of the jails in Uttarakhand, the visiting psychiatrists have not made rounds in the last six months. At present, 10 prisoners have been identified with various psychiatric problems in Haridwar jail alone, awaiting treatment.

The Haridwar jail authorities had made a request for the service of a psychiatrist in the months of May and October, but they allege the visits did not materialise.

“As of now the Provincial Medical and Health Services (PMHS) cadre has only two psychiatrists posted with the State Mental Health Institute, who divide time between attending patients at the institute and also visit the Haridwar and Sudhowala jails, while the other jails in the region are served by the two medical colleges. Despite the shortage of psychiatrists, one cannot accuse us of negligence,” said Dr BS Rawat, CMS, Selaqui Institute.

During a recent inspection of jails by the Principal Secretary, Home, MH Khan, the presence of a large number of mentally ill patients was also brought to light.

“Prisoners have a very high incidence of mental health problems, in particular neurotic disorders, in comparison to the general population. As such regular examination by psychiatrists is recommended,” said Dr JS Bisht, Secretary, State Mental Authority.

According to norms, the psychiatrists have to be posted at the district and circle levels so that they could make regular visits. But the Department of Home has failed to put into practice this arrangement.

Traders oppose Chakrata Road re-development plan

Dehradun, November 1
The Prantiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal has opposed the Chakrata Road Redevelopment Plan in Dehradun terming it as a government ploy to uproot the area shopkeepers.

Mandal president Anil Goyal said the traders across Uttarakhand would not accept the harassment of the Chakrata Road shopkeepers, who had contributed to the development of the region.

Goyal said they would go on an agitation if the state government did not stop harassing these shopkeepers. The political conspiracy which started with the proposal of widening of the Chakrata Road two years ago, now threatens to rendering 25,000 area persons without livelihood, he added. — TNS

Child rights panel summons DG, Health
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has summoned the Director General, Health, for failing to facilitate the treatment of a nine-year-old schoolgirl hailing from a village in Pithoragarh under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bal Karyakram (RSBK) despite recommendations by the commission.

Taking strong exception to the lackadaisical attitude of the department, the commission has summoned the DG to appear before it on November 10. The schoolgirl belongs to a poor family with her father unable to foot the bills. The girl had lost her eyesight while undergoing treatment for brain tumour.

As the RSBK programme has been especially started to provide financial assistance to schoolchildren suffering from serious ailments, the SCPCR, after coming to know about the plight of the girl, had written a letter to the CMS of Pithoragarh District Hospital to get in touch with DG health.

However, more than three months have elapsed since then and the child has not been provided treatment. “Despite recommendations by the SCPCR, the child has not been given treatment. We have been told that the DG has not been able to make proper communication in connection with the course of action. As such, the schoolgirl has not been able to get access to the treatment,” said Ajay Setia, chairman of the commission.

Gobindpuri ward bypoll: Triangular contest likely
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 1
A triangular close contest is being witnessed in ward number 22 (Gobindpuri) ward byelection, which is slated for November 19.

The Congress has fielded Ajay Singh Negi for the bypoll, replacing its previous candidate Mridul Kaushik, while the BJP has named Vandana Gupta, widow of former ward councillor Jagesh Kumar Gupta, whose untimely death led to this byelection.

A BJP activist Sachin Beniwal has also filed his nomination as an Independent, which would surely affect the BJP candidate’s prospects.

Two other Independent candidates, Abhitesh Gupta and Sachin Chaudhari, have contributed to making this contest more interesting, with all candidates claiming support of the voters in Gobindpuri ward.

Ajay Singh Negi is being backed by former legislator Ambrish Kumar, former municipal chairperson Satpal Brahmachari, city Congress president OP Chauhan fully, which has upped his election campaign.

Infighting within the BJP is affecting the party workers’’ morale as Beniwal has refused to withdraw his nomination, alleging factionism and favouritism within the city unit. He said he was contesting the election to pave way for development and would represent youth.

Vandana Gupta, citing development work of his late husband, is optimistic that voters would again repose faith in Gupta family, as they have provided water, road, electricity and cleanliness in Gobindpuri ward.

As many as 4,633 voters are in Gobindpuri ward, with 2,238 women voters and 2,403 male voters to cast their votes for this byelection on November 19.

Delightful performance by children of St Jude’s
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
It was a warm sunny day, a perfect day for the primary students to exhibit their colourful costumes and display their skills at the 13th primary school annual sports day of St Jude’s School here today. It was heartening to see every child’s family coming to witness this delightful performance and encouraging the children.

Young and old, all enjoyed the very unique items like textile designing by class II, ‘’Iski topi uske sar’’ by play group, ‘’A sale at Pacific Mall’’ by class II etc. To see the little children of play group perform to a jazzy beat, Zumba Fitness by nursery, Pyramids (simple) mixed with classes KG – II, robot drill by class I and karate by classes I and II filled the hearts of every mother and father with pride. They encouraged their children and congratulated the teachers for all their hard work. The little class V students helped the teachers in cheering up the students and making them march smartly to every event. It was a proud day for all present. Appreciation was shown by the chief guest C. Gupta, Principal, Modus Academy, Tilak Road, Dehradun, who mentioned it was a treat she had never witnessed before.

CITU: Centre has failed to make new recruitments

Dehradun, November 1
CITU general secretary Virendra Bhandari has accused the Central Government of intentionally putting a ban on new recruitment in Central Government offices.

Addressing a press conference in Dehradun today, Virendra Bhandari said large scale employees were retiring every year from Central Government offices and accused the Centre of failing to go for recruitment to fill these new vacancies.

Citing an example of ordnance factories, Bhandari said nearly half of the staff in these factories is expected to retire by 2016 and thus there was an urgent need to induct new staff. He accused the Centre of promoting outsourcing of jobs rather than going for new recruitment. “Outsourcing only leads to harassment of employees,” Bhandari pointed out.

He accused the Centre of trying to promote big industries and multinationals. — TNS

Oriole House lift Welham Girls School Champions Trophy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
Oriole House lifted the Champion of Champions trophy during the annual sports day of Welham Girls School here yesterday.

In the inter-house athletics event, Woodpecker House bagged the first position in the sub-junior section followed by Oriole House. In the senior section, Flycatcher House bagged the top spot followed by Bulbul House. Oriole House bagged the top spot in the junior section with Hoopoe House was adjudged runners-up.

Prakriti Gupta was adjudged best athlete in the sub-junior section. In the junior section, the title was given jointly to Pritha Singh and Prerna Kejriwal. Gauri Gupta and Shruti Kaul shared were jointly declared winners in the senior section.

Prerna Kejriwal won the 2.5 km road race while Dhruva Shukla stood first in 5 km road race. The Marching Cup was given to Woodpecker House while the Sporting Cup went to Bulbul House.

Adventure Challenge Cup from Nov 4

The South Western Command Adventure Challenge Cup 2014-15 will be organised from November 4 to 7 at the Army Aqua Nodal Centre (White Water Rafting) at Raiwala near Haridwar by Red Eagle Division of the Indian Army. The aim of the event is to build up the spirit of adventure among troops of the Sapta Shakti Command of Indian Army.

The competitions are being held to select the best talent for Army Adventure Challenge Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Raiwala (Uttarakhand) later this year. The competition is a triathlon in which each team is required to complete three events - mountain cycling covering a distance of 12 kms, hill running 11 kms and river rafting 16 kms. Nine teams from the Command will take part in the most prestigious adventure contest of the Indian Army.

Water sports has great potential in region: CM
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
Chief Minister Harish Rawat inaugurated the second day of Governor’s Gold Cup Sailing Regatta at the Boat House Club, Nainital, today. He also released a souvenir on the occasion.

The Chief Minister congratulated the regatta organising committee and said water sports had a great potential in the region. He added that sailing was an identity of Nainital and organised twice a year.

He also made an appeal to hotel owners, tourist department and boat house club to come ahead and participate in it. Such organisations uplift the image of Nainital and also encourage locals to participate. This will also boost tourism. He said like Nainital, water sports would also be organised in Tehri lake and draw the attention of tourists worldwide.

He appealed the Tourism and Forest Department as well as the local think tanks to search for new tourist destinations besides Naini lake.

“Uttarakhand has huge potential for eco tourism. The Forest Department has been given the responsibility to boost eco tourism with the help of tourism department. Eco tourism will ensure tourism all around the year. Work is on at full pace in this direction.

Present on the occasion were MLA Sarita Arya, Shyam Narayn, DIG GS Martoliya, DM Akshat Gupta, SSP Vimmi Sachdeva and other officers.

Doon Strikers win by 7 wickets
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 1
Doon Strikers and Uttarakhand Police won their matches in the ongoing Nazar Khan Memorial 3rd Youth Cup Cricket Tournament played at the Rangers College ground here today.

In the first match, Doon Strikers beat Subhadra Academy by 7 wickets. Batting first, Subhadra Academy scored 164 runs for the loss of all wickets. Doon Strikers easily chased the target losing just 3 wickets.

In another match, Uttarakhand Police won its match against Children’s Academy by 85 runs. Batting first, Uttarakhand Police scored 185 runs but the Children’s Academy team got all out for 100 runs and thus lost the match by 85 runs.

Sex racket busted, 7 arrested

Pithoragarh, November 1
The anti-human trafficking cell of the Kumaon police arrested six girls and a woman with her two daughters for allegedly running a sex racket at Ramnagar here today.

The arrested woman claimed that she was district president of the BJP minority cell in the US Nagar district, the police said at Ramnagar.

According to DL Verma, in charge of the anti-human trafficking cell, the operation to nab the gang began two months ago when the SSP gave instructions to check if any suspected activities were being run by some people connected through mobile numbers. — OC