Concrete Action likely

After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern over unregulated tourism posing threat to tigers, a seceratary level meet is scheduled next week between the Tourism and Environment Ministry to take stock of the situation. "Though tourism is a state subject, booming tourist activity is being noticed around the wildlife habitat and it is time some concrete actions are taken in this regard. "Environment and Tourism secretaries Vijay Sharma and Sujeet Banerjee will represent their respective ministries among other officials in this regard," a senior official of the National Tiger Consrvation Authority said. The meeting comes in the wake of the Prime Minister writing to Chief Ministers of three tiger-bearing states namely Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to put a check on mushrooming luxury resorts as well as to notify buffer areas around the habitat of big cats to mitigate man-animal conflict. "The meeting will discuss steps within the Centre's jurisdiction to streamline tourism in all the reserves, particularly in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) in Uttarakhand where wildlife is facing problems resulting from uncontrolled human activities in the adjoining 77 tourist lodges," the official said. He referred to a recent survey by the Tourism Ministry which pointed out that a maximum of 600 persons are allowed in a day to enter the CTR area. Tourist lodges provide boarding and lodging facility to 3,197 visitors. "About 70 per cent of visitors arriving in these lodges aren't here to visit the park but but for attending dance parties and other recreational activities which create noise and light pollution, particularly during night that causes stress to wildlife," the survey pointed out. Garbage is also dumped in the area without scientific management, it said.

Other issues on the agenda of the meeting will be eco-tourism, in which states would be given incentives to declare eco-sensitive zones around wildlife habitat as required by the law to prevent damage to the fragile ecology.

Worried over the increased commercial activities around sanctuaries (39 tiger reserve and 663 protected areas), Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh recently said the states have been advised against unregulated tourism, which is as much a threat to tiger population as poaching and poisoning. Four big cats have died in the past two months in the Corbett Tiger Reserve due to poaching and poisoning.

According to officials, 16 tigers have been killed so far since January this year while 66 died last year. Meanwhile, school students in Uttarakhand took out a rally in Nainital to create awareness about the dwindling number of tigers in the country and to save the forest areas. Carrying placards and raising slogans, the students marched through the streets of Ramnagar in the state's Nainital district.

The rally was organised under the aegis of a non-charitable trust, the Corbett Foundation, which is committed to preserving the wildlife in the famed Jim Corbett National Park. The students also painted their faces with yellow colours with black stripes like that of a tiger. "We want to convey the message - please save the tigers, which are fast dwindling so that our future generation can see the species. We feel sad that we could not see the dinosaurs, which are now extinct and that is the reason why we want to save the tigers," said Nirmala Panth, a student.

Harender Bargeli, Deputy Director of Corbett Foundation, said that if children are made aware, they could help in conserving the environment and wildlife. "Our main aim to involve these children was since children are our future, if they are aware and if they take the initiative to save the forest wildlife then we can save many animals like tigers, elephants.," said Bargeli. Poaching and loss of habitat have caused the number of tigers to plunge to an alarming rate in India. Conservationists say the trade in skin and bones is booming to countries such as China, which has banned the use of tiger parts in medicine but where everything from fur to whiskers to eyeballs to bones, are still used.

Fire, fire burning bright…

Spring has laid carpet for summer in the Queen of the Hills; the scent of the wild flowers has sent invitation for joviality to the exotic birds, butterflies and insects. It is mating and nesting time for most of them. The lure of love in the mountains has begun drawing tourists from plains to the haven of romance, Mussoorie.

Everything was going perfectly alright barring the disaster beyond repair; the fire in the Bhilaru-Toneta forest, which is on from April 27, 2010 has engulfed a large area. A brief spell of shower has also failed to control the raging fire. It is indeed sad to see the young oak trees beneath the canopy, which takes 50 to 60 years to attain adulthood, have been charred in the forest which is the source of the major water supply to the town as oak is the prime preserver of the ground water, leave alone the countless wild habitats which included mammals, reptiles, insects, birds and their eggs and young ones that succumbed to the flames.

The annual 'mandatory ritual' of forest fire is mostly celebrated by the ignorant section of people of the villages surrounding Mussoorie. This bunch of orthodox people set fire to the already endangered forests. Most of these people are cattle herders who want a speedy growth of hay in the forest, for their cattle, which they believe is possible only after setting the dry grassland on fire. Other contributors toward the forest fire are the farmers who set the weeds on their fields on fire in preparation for the next crop, a practice which is on in Bahman Gaon fields these days.

And a very common reason is dumping of cigarettes stubs which retains the burning tobacco for long. Each year any of the above actions put the future of the forest and its flora fauna in dilemma. The fire shown to a single blade of grass turns violent within a few minutes and engulfs the whole of the forest destroying every single living creature with it. The avifauna can fly for refuge but their eggs and young ones along with mammals and reptiles on the ground get roasted. Most of these friends from the wild are already on the verge of extinction.

On the other hand, the horrible smoke hovering over the town of Mussoorie has dangerously raised the temperature and has overpowered the mesmerizing fragrance of creepy roses which are in full bloom these days. And to garnish with some toppings, the cleaning crew of the Nagar Paalika Parishad Mussoorie pollute the aromatic roads of Mussoorie with small fires which they set to whatever they sweep aside. The fresh aroma of pollination and that of the perfumes of finery is being polluted by the foul smelling smoke suspending over the mall road.

Tourists can be seen covering their nose with handkerchief walking on the otherwise quiet roads of Mussoorie, which is extremely busy these days with speeding and honking vehicles of the fire and forest departments. Recently, the Gaddi Khana dumb yard was on fire for several days and is still smoking. The DFO Mussoorie is out of town attending some forest convocation; however the former DFO A.K. Banerjee commented speaking to Mussoorie Plus, "The only solution I perceive is awareness campaigns and vigilance by the administration, both on the van panchaayat and the state level. The Wynberg Allen School's private forest is a praiseworthy example from where there hasn't been a single report of forest fire". Thankfully, the Forest Departments Crew Station in-charge Balbir Singh Rawat with his seven member team accompanied by Kirpal Singh and his allies from the Rukmani Niwas Camel's Back road have been able to combat the Bhilaru-Toneta fire to a very little extent using age-old methods in the time of globalization and sophistications. And this is not the end, the forest fires, god forbids, are very likely to reoccur in the near future. Nobody seems to bother about nothing, and soon, there will be nothing left. For the past few years it hasn't been snowing the way it used to.

Deforestation and illegal construction is in the full swing.

Coming Soon: Mussoorie-Doon ropeway

This initiative will reduce the travel time between the two cities to 30 minutes

In a bid to boost tourism sector in the state, the Uttarakhand government has decided to connect inaccessible areas, including famous Hindu shrines of Kedarnath and Yamunotri, with ropeways. Officials said the ropeways will help pilgrims and tourists visit most of the remote places which they cannot travel now due to arduous trek. For instance, the pilgrims have to undertake an arduous trek of 14 km to reach Kedarnath shrine (3,584 metre), cradled in the Garhwal Himalayas. A similar distance has to be covered by foot to visit Yamunotri shrine in Uttarkashi district. Some of the famous routes for the ropeways include Rishikesh-Neelkanth, Rambara-Kedarnath, Binsar Road-Kasardevi (Almora), Snow-view zoo at Nainital and Muni-Ki-Reti- Narendranagar. Mussoorie-Dehradun ropeway will reduce the travel time between the two places to just 30 minutes. The state tourism department is proposing altogether 17 ropeways at different places to strengthen infrastructure facilities. Bidding process for several of these ropeways has already started. New ropeways will be exempted from the payment of entertainment tax for a period of five years from commencement, says a tourism department progress report for the year 2009-10. For this purpose, the tourism department has roped in Uttarkhand Infrastructure Project Company (UIPC) Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between the state government and IL&FS besides U-DEC, a state government enterprise, to prepare DPRs of these projects and invite the developers.

The state government is also trying to develop George Everest Estate in Mussoorie as a hub for eco-tourism through the ropeway project where an investment of Rs 700-800 crore is proposed. The new project will be a gondola-type ropeway which will have the carrying capacity of taking 1,100 passengers per hour, the officials said, adding there would be 3-4 points where the cable car would halt for three-four minutes.

The officials said that at the halting points, the department has proposed to build amusement parks and budget hotels.

Maha Kumbh concludes

A sea of pilgrims converged here on the last day of the Maha Kumbh on April 27 to take a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Vaisakh Aadhimaas that marks the end of one of the largest religious gatherings in the world - the Maha Kumbh. On Vaisakh Aadhimaas, which is the last full moon of the Maha Kumbh Mela that began Jan 14, nearly 10 lakh devotees participated in the religious fair. "As per reports reaching us, around 7 lakh devotees had taken a holy dip till noon Wednesday. Another 3 lakh devotees had participated in the religious gathering till midnight," an official of the Mela Organising Committee told.

While almost all the banks along the Ganga river remained abuzz with activity, Brahmakund or Har-ki-Pauri, which is deemed the most revered bank, drew the maximum devotees, who offered payers and conducted other rituals after taking the holy dip. Unlike the past when the Brahmakund was reserved for members of various akhadas (sects), there were no such restrictions this time and devotees were allowed take a holy dip there.

"Earlier, on important bathing days, particularly the four Shahi Snans (royal bath), the Brahmakund was reserved from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the religious sects. But, with no restrictions imposed on Wednesday, devotees started converging at the Brahmakund since midnight for the holy dip," the official said.

According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that taking a dip in the Ganga, particularly during the Maha Kumbh, purifies people of sin and paves the way for the attainment of salvation. Haridwar is one of the four places where a drop of the nectar of immortality or 'amrit' fell from the pitcher or 'kumbh' when Garuda, the divine bird of Lord Vishnu, was spiriting it away from the demons after a pitched battle. Since then, Haridwar along with Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain, have been celebrating the Kumbh Mela.

Of faith and fear

P.S. Chauhan investigates the reasons behind these frequent stampedes

Recent stampede which claimed several lives has instilled a sense of fear amongst devotees. As a matter of fact stampedes have become a part of all the fairs, which Haridwar hosts each year. Leave alone Kumbh. History has it that the city has witnessed some heartrending accidents in the past as well. As many as 17 devotees were crushed to death in a stampede at Har-ki-Pauri on Somvati Amavasya on July 17, 1966, while 50 pilgrims lost their lives in a stampede at Pant Dweep, near Har-ki-Pauri during Kumbh on April, 14, 1986. Twenty-two pilgrims died in a stampede at Gau Ghat, near Shatabdi Bridge, on Somvati Amavasya on July 15, 1996. History has repeated itself during the on-going Kumbh too. Tragedy struck when a cavalcade of cars of a Mahamandleshwar of Juna Akhara crushed some pilgrims to death. Panic stricken devotees ran for their lives and in this run for life railing of the bridge near Birla Ghat, collapsed and dozens of devotees fell down into the fast flowing river. The mela administration has confirmed seven casualties, while the sources say that the number of deaths is high. Dead bodies are being brought for post mortem at the district hospital everyday. Many of the deceased still remain unidentified. Hundreds of devotees are reported to be missing. The state government has ordered a magisterial probe, while most of the political and social outfits are demanding a judicial enquiry into the accident. Praveen Jha, a prominent priest of the Ganga Sabha, suggests that due to swelling number of pilgrims there is an urgent need of expansion of Har-ki-Pauri. At present only 30-40 thousand pilgrims can bathe at Har-Ki-Pauri at one time. The Kumbh mela Officer, Anand Vardhan says that they had planned to expand the ghats of Har-ki-Pauri this time. "But the owners of the structures, which were to be affected, went to the court and the plan could not be executed," says the Kumbh mela officer.

However, Kaushal Shikhola, another prominent priest says that Har-ki-Pauri expansion will not serve the purpose. The holy ghats of Har-ki-Pauri should be thrown open to all pilgrims during all the snans. During the Shahi Snans, Brahm Kund, Har-ki-Pauri remains reserved for most of the day for the sadhus and the mahants. As a result millions of the devotees get only a limited time for bath and there is a melee among the devotees to reach the sanctum sanctorum, resulting in accidents and stampedes.

"The public is supreme. There should be Jan Snan (bath for common men) instead of Shahi Snan (royal bath for sadhus). The sadhus may also bathe along with the common people at Har-ki-Pauri," opines Shikhola. Echoing the same sentiments, Durga Shankar Bhati, a social activist of Bhopatwala, says that the practice of Shahi Snans, preceded by the royal processions of the sadhus, riding on the horses or seated in their chariots and cars or walking on foot, brandishing swords and tridents are fraught with possibilities of accidents and stampedes. "The days of royalty are over. All these practices are hang overs of the middle ages of display of glory and glamour and have become obsolete now," says Bhati. The eye witnesses say that during the last Shahi Snan also the wheeling of swords by Naga Sanyasis created panic among the devotees, resulting in the stampede. The Kumbh mela D.I.G., Alok Sharma admits that during the Shahi Snans the behaviour of many sadhus is highly arrogant. "They need to realise that nobody is above the law," says Sharma. "When the big industrialists and the political big wigs can walk on foot for bath then why can't the mahants and the mandleshwars do the same," asks Rakesh Sharma Rakesh, a well-known scholar and artist of Kankhal.

It has been preached time and again by the mela administration and even by some saints that the snan at any ghat in the mela area during the auspicious days is as beneficial. However, when people see the mahants and the mandleshwars, whom they revere, taking snan only at Brahm Kund, they also scramble, even at the risk of their lives, to take the dip of redemption at Har-ki-Pauri. This time, Shankaracharya Swaroopanand and Shankaracharya Adhokshanand took a good initiative by taking snan at Neel Dhara instead of at Har-ki-Pauri. If the sadhus and mahants start taking snan at other ghats, the devotees may also follow their example and the tremendous pressure of devotees on Har-ki-Pauri may be eased.

Besides this, as suggested by different commissions of enquiry in the past, the mela area should be rid of encroachments. The mela administration started anti-encroachment drive, but later on it had to be given up, obviously under the pressure of the politicians. The entire city is choking with encroachments and illegal constructions. The situation is further worsened as there is no flyover and underpass in the city. All the highways to and from the city are so narrow that traffic management and crowd control during melas of vast magnitude pose a problem beyond the imagination even to the best police forces of the world.

Environment Notes

Anti-poaching operations on

Forest officials of Uttarakhand have started an anti-poaching operation to curb illegal hunting of animals. As water sources in Uttarakhand forests dry up with the onset of summer, animals are forced to move beyond the forest boundaries thus becoming vulnerable to poaching. Extra patrols have been arranged to detect barbed wires that are used to capture wild animals by poachers.

"We patrol every range of the forest to catch poachers. We also look in those places where there are some people living. We also look for barbed fencing which are laid for animals," said L.S. Martolia, Range Officer, Tarai Central Forest Division. According to the forest authorities, poaching increases in summer as animal skins dry up faster. Forest officials say they are using the available infrastructure effectively. "We look after those animals that come to the outer part of the forest for water, and get caught by the poachers. Our main aim is to find the barbed wire laid for animals. We even train our officers for doing a more efficient job. We will also use metal detectors and sniffer dogs to stop poaching," said Dr Parag Madhuker, Divisional Forest Officer of the Tarai Central Forest Division. Meanwhile, reports reaching the state capital suggest that despite preventive steps being taken by the authorities, poaching continues in Jim Corbett National Park. Ramnagar district shares about 30 kilometres boundary with the park and 90 kilometres of villages adjoin it. Therefore, there is more activity of the locals in this forest area.

"The staff there is more focused on production and protection of forests. They are focused on these two things. Somewhere or the other, the percentage of locals visiting their forest region is more than ours. Our forests are not that affected by the general public coming and going as the adjoining forests are. There is a lot of pressure from the locals there," said Umesh Chandra Tiwari, Park Warden of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Forest officials say they are using the available infrastructure effectively. "In accordance with all these things, we make protection plans and we get a result according to that. This is definitely a challenging job," said P.K. Patra, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Ramnagar. Patra claimed that they have successfully handled many poaching cases and many people have been prosecuted.

Leopard found dead, another injures man

A leopard was found dead near the Rajaji National Park while another spotted cat injured a man in Pauri district of Uttarakhand. Official sources said the carcass of a three-year-old leopard was noticed in a river by residents of Banjarewala area near Rajaji park on Wednesday. They informed forest officials and a post-mortem would be conducted to know the cause of death. In another incident, a man Rampal Singh was injured in a leopard attack at Baskot village of Pauri district. He has been admitted to a nearby hospital where his condition is stated to be out of danger, the sources said.

Govt unlikely to consider ultra mega hydro projects

The government may not consider high capacity hydro power projects on the lines of coal-based ultra mega power projects as they are unviable to execute due to difficult terrain. "Hydro power projects based on competitive bidding route are not a feasible option because of the geological surprises in the execution of hydro projects," a power ministry official said. The Ministry of Power had earlier envisaged setting up high capacity hydro projects of about 2,000 MW on the pattern of coal-based ultra mega power projects of 4,000 MW capacity. The tariff based competitive bidding route is not really workable in case of hydro power projects as it would be difficult to ascertain the levelised tariff in hydel projects, he said. "Geological surprises would make it difficult to ascertain the tariff from the projects and therefore would be difficult," he added. In the year 2008, the Power Ministry mooted the idea of setting up high capacity or ultra mega hydro projects of 2,000 MW in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand under tariff-based international competitive bidding route. The total hydro power potential in the country stands at about 1,50,000 MW, according to Central Electricity Authority data. The current installed power generation capacity in the country is over 1,57,000 MW, of which more than 36,000 MW is hydro

Strawberry cultivation gets boost

Strawberry cultivation gets a boost in Uttarakhand's Chajji district as weather suits the cultivation of a variety of strawberries from Holland. The test cultivation of Holland strawberries conducted in a poly house at Chajji Floriculture Park recently gave a good yield. Horticulture experts believe that production of Holland strawberries would be beneficial for the state farmers. "One, the size of the fruit is big; second, the height of the strawberry plant is unique and there is more fruiting on the plants of Holland strawberry," said Sanjay Sinha, technical advisor at Chajji Floriculture Park. The production of Holland strawberries would reap rich dividends as compared to other varieties. "If the proper way is followed for the cultivation, the plants of Holland strawberry give more fruit. The basic difference between Holland cultivation and other varieties is that farmers can reap three crops in a year compared to one crop a year in other varieties," said Vinod Kumar, an agriculture expert at Chajji Floriculture Park. The state Horticulture Department is planning to make Uttarakhand a hub for strawberry production and has scheduled training sessions for farmers in the state.

State at a glance

Govt employee held on graft charges

A government employee was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 3,000 at Harbartpur area of the district. Sub-Station Operator of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Dhirendra Kumar was arrested by a vigilance team for accepting the bribe on a complaint by Irshad Hassan. Hasan had alleged that Kumar was demanding the bribe for settling his electricity bill.

In another case, a special CBI court awarded a three-year sentence to Atmaram, the then Upper Divisional Clerk in Employees Provident Fund, for accepting bribe from a person named Kaliram for sanctioning loan to him. Holding him guilty, Special CBI Judge Narendra Dutt also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on Atmaram. Atmaram was arrested for accepting bribe of Rs 1,000 from Kaliram in August 2003.

Mayor gets BJP support over hoarding policy

The ruling BJP has backed Dehra Dun Mayor Vinod Chamoli who has drawn flak from the party-led Uttarakhand government over new hoarding policy of the Municipal Corporation in Dehra Dun. "Mayor Vinod Chamoli is working as per the aspirations of people and the policy and there is no issue between him and the government (regarding new hoarding policy)," Uttarakhand BJP President Bishan Singh Chufal told reporters. The removal of "illegal" hoardings by the municipal corporation had invited criticism from the state government, which said the corporation cannot draft a new policy or change the existing policy without the government approval. Uttarakhand Media Advisory Committee chairman Devendra Bhasin had expressed surprise over the campaign launched by the municipal corporation to clean the city stating that Mayor Chamoli did not even consult the government officials before removing the "illegal" government hoardings. In this regard, Chufal said Chamoli and the government had already sorted out their differences and now there is no issue between them.

Rs 5,892.86 cr credit potential in state

Uttarakhand has a credit potential of Rs 5,892.86 crore, with a substantial requirement in agriculture and other sectors, according to an estimate by NABARD. As per the estimates prepared by the NABARD, out of the total credit potential, Rs 1,700.24 crore is for crop loans, Rs 886.28 crore for long-term investments in the agriculture sector, Rs 1,159.98 crore for the non-farm sector, including agro and food processing, and Rs 2,147.26 crore for other priority sectors, the Chief General Manager of NABARD's regional office, Prasant Das, told reporters. Highlighting the achievements of NABARD in Uttarakhand, Das said a loan of Rs 220.54 crore was provided to the state government against the target of Rs 150 crore in the 2009-10 fiscal for creation of rural infrastructure under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). He said various projects amounting to Rs 426.18 crore were also sanctioned during the year. Some of the important sectors under which projects have been sanctioned include rural roads (250 projects), minor irrigation (128), rural bridge construction (53) and mini-hydel (4 projects), he said. Das said NABARD has so far sanctioned Rs 1,191.43 crore and disbursed Rs 850.40 crore under the RIDF in the state. A total length of 3,274 km of roads has been created so far, besides 787 metres of bridges, for connecting 3,357 villages in the state, he said.

Tragic end to a budding life

Thirteen-year-old Shruti was fatally injured during the Run for Life when a branch fell on her, injuring many others

Anjali Nauriyal

A terrible tragedy took place when during the Run for Life, organised for school children on Sunday by the Eco Watch Society, in association with Diabetes Foundation of India. A loosened tree branch fell on students participating in the run. Shruti, a 13-year-old student of Class X of Children's Academy, died when the branch fell on her while many others were injured, receiving fractures and injuries. The injured included Akriti of Seven Oaks, Simran of Children's Academy, Aman Saini of Scholar's Home and also Akriti's father R.S. Pal, who was running along with the children.

The vicious trend in Doon of killing trees by pouring chemicals into their roots and making them hollow, has taken on dangerous proportions. Any one who wants to kill a tree just has to use some chemical to stunt its growth and then wait for the tree to fall on its own. The department of electricity, too, chops down branches that may be touching overhanging electricity wires with its representatives working on moving vehicles. They hardly bother to cross check if the braches may be partially uncut and loosely hanging still. Of late in Doon more and more trees are falling on unsuspecting people. Some time ago, a tree fell on some scooterists on Sahastradhara Road. Last month a hollow tree just caught fire on Chakrata Road and could have set a huge fire had the overhanging electricity wires caught fire. This tree, too, was probably destroyed by vested interests. But the tragic incident on Sunday has come as a warning bell.

Admin should have done more

All was going as per the plan and Mahakumbh was heading for a peaceful and accident free finale, but the incident of stampede during last Shahi Snan has jolted one and all. While some are of the view that this incident is a blemish on Haridwar's image, while some believe that such incidents are a part of grand fairs. KARUNA VERMA engages some youngsters as they speak on the issue.

Buck stops at admin

Though this stampede would not affect city's image, but it has certainly put a question mark on the tall claims of administration. Had administration been proactive this sad incident could have been averted. - Preeti

Culprits must be punished

For sure, accidents like stampede would blot Haridwar's image. To make sure that such accidents do not occur in future, an investigation should be launched and culprits must be punished. - Deepali Tyagi

Investigate the incident

Such incidents are bound to happen if all necessary security measure are not in place. Administration should have done shown little farsightedness, more so during Kumbh.

- Hari Om

Managing crowd tough task

It is true that like these accidents would mar city's image. True, managing such a large gathering of devotees is tough task. But in challenges lie opportunities.

Jal Singh

Must avoid such tragedies

Indeed, it is a sad incident and no one can justify the loss of lives. Such incidents should be averted in future, only then Haridwar would be able to emerge as a must visit destination for one and all. - vandna

Muslims soothe pains of Hindu devotees

Prashant Sood

The Kumbh Mela with its swirling crowds can be as physically daunting as it is spiritually fulfilling. But soothing the aches and pains of pilgrims, mostly Hindus, has been a group of Muslims who have been organising medical camps in Haridwar. Azim Mir Khan is among the many doctors who has tended to devotees. "We attended to around 2,000 people in two days," said Khan, who was part of a camp set by the Sir Syed Forum, an alumni group of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) that believes in fostering unity and brotherhood among communities.

He said people came with problems like vomiting, stomach ailments, body aches, joint pains, dehydration and hypertension. "We kept a good stock of emergency medicines and those relating to fungal infections. We also sourced some medicines locally," Khan told. The camp set up at the Sati Kund temple in Kankhal near here coincided with Baisakhi and Mesh Sakranti - two of the most auspicious days for taking a bath in the Ganga during the Kumbh Mela. As pilgrims had to walk long distances to reach the bathing ghats on April 14-15, the doctors at the camp had their hands full. The forum organised two similar camps on the national highway leading to Haridwar.

While one was held on April 12-13 at Purkazi, 53 km from Haridwar, another was held on March 15-16 (coinciding with the second royal bath) at Bhumanand Teerth Charitable Hospital, about seven kilometres from the holy city. "The forum's decision to take this small step of holding medical camps is in keeping with the views and teachings of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and his followers, who believed in joint participation in all social and religious functions to foster unity and harmony," said Syed Hussain Waheed, convenor of the forum. "We believe that it is the common people who pay the price of social and religious tensions and it is they who must take the initiative to strengthen national unity," he said. The devotees were all praise for the effort by the AMU alumni, saying the initiative would foster a sense of unity and brotherhood among the two communities. Rajesh Singh, a resident of Jhijora near Jhansi, said he felt relieved after getting medicines for the pain in his hands and legs. Jai Prakash Gupta from Kolkata who got some medicine for the blisters on his feet, said such camps were the need of the hour. "They increase love and respect between communities and foster the feeling of brotherhood," Gupta said.

Swami Mahamandelshawar Harish Chandra Maharaj, a Hindu saint who was invited by the forum to the Sati Kund temple camp to distribute juice cans among devotees, also lauded the effort. "Such camps create a feeling of unity," he said and added that serving people does not need any religious sanction. Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest religious gatherings on the banks of the Ganga river, with the number of pilgrims this year expected to total around four million since the first day on January 14 till the time it concludes on April 28. The auspicious days of the Shahi Snan or royal baths usually draw hundreds of thousands of devotees.

It's not tough to be soft

The Uttarakhand police force has shown that nothing’s impossible with the right kind of training even as their polite behaviour in maintaining order is being appreciated by everyone. Are Commonwealth Games officials listening?

Nandita Sengupta

It is a mammoth event that requires constant administrative intervention. And the 16,000-strong police force has demonstrated that policing can be done with care, courtesy, Gandhian grace and to great effect at the ongoing Mahakumbh 2010.

That a sense of the occasion - the presence of devotees everywhere - has much to do with this remarkable makeover in police behaviour is obvious. But, that alone doesn't explain it all. These tough men and women have been trained hard to be gentle. They have undergone the kind of training that doesn't give way under pressure of a 14-hour-long duty and milling crowds that run into lakhs.

At the Mahakumbh, the Uttarakhand force, whose average age is 27 years, policemen address each devotee as uncle/aunty, baba, and ma. And there are not the usual prefixes or suffixes to these terms of endearments.

The restraint on display in holy city is the result of thorough behavioural training that started in May last year. The total strength of 16,000 security personnel is dominated by Uttarakhand police, mostly smart young men and women. But the force also has personnel from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, mounted police from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. There are also men from the paramilitary of CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP, RAF and Rajasthan Home Guards too.

These policemen came from different work cultures and situations. The CRPF companies, for instance, came in straight from fighting Naxals, says DIG Alok Sharma, the man behind Mahakumbh's security set-up. ''We told them there are no adversaries here; it's not an anti-insurgency area. It's just a big crowd of pilgrims from all over India, and our business is to handle them with care,'' says Sharma.

The security at the Kumbh is budgeted at Rs.50 crore, and 80 per cent of it goes into the allowances of the personnel. ''There are forces from other states, so we pay their DA,'' says Sharma, adding, "The remaining 20 per cent goes into barricading, building tent colonies, publicity material, feeding horses and dogs and various other small expenditures.''

''However, the emphasis is on training. I coached six trainers. I designed the syllabus. The course focused on behaviour, good manners and thorough knowledge of Haridwar's culture, layout and related issues,'' says Sharma with evident pride. The DIG's dictum was: ''A pilgrim might be the 50,000th guy for you, but for him, you are the first policeman he's approached. So respect that.''

Confidence is another hallmark of the force. ''I'm from a small thana. I didn't know I could do it. I've never seen so many people at one place,'' says constable Mamta Rana. ''I thought they won't listen to me if I'm nice. But we were told, 'Hath jorke, duty point pe rehna, chahe rickshaw-walla, chahe MP'. (With folded hands, hold your ground, be it a rickshaw-puller or an MP.)''

And to her delight and life-long learning, she has discovered that time after time, the pilgrims yielded. The Kumbh season demands four months of policing, a long haul by any count; What keeps the 16,000 going are two other factors - de-stress activities and frequent debriefing sessions. After every few days, and after every main snan (bathing ritual), all officers meet for detailed debriefing. Sharing feedback and being simply heard out go a long way in not only plugging lacunae, but also venting pent-up emotions among the forces.

The personnel also have access to several sports and cultural activities, ranging from volleyball tournaments to kite-flying competitions, from discussions to community dinners.

Another important aspect of the training was to make the policemen familiar about Haridwar as a majority of pilgrims need directions. So it was ensured that every policeman knows what is where, from major ashrams to chowks, from dharamshalas to temples, akharas and street names.

To make things slightly simpler, the Kumbh area, which spreads over a 132-sq km demarcated region, has been zoned into 10 mega areas and 32 sectors, each with a thana. The number of devotees visiting Haridwar is quite impressive: on a lean day, 10 lakhs; on Shahi Snan days, between 55 and 70 lakh. The milling crowds are soft targets, which is why it's all the more important to ensure constant vigil, movement of traffic, and cleanliness as part of security drill.

The smooth operation by the police personnel during the Mahakumbh can be lesson for policing during the Commonwealth Games (CWG) that starts in October. In fact, it may not be a bad idea at all to hire some of this smart police force trained here, whose temperamental stability and linguistic restraint would act as a lesson and positive influence on the hardened city cops. If nothing else, the trainer of the Kumbh force could be asked to train the police for the games.

Clearly, be it the forging of a morally superior police force or the planning and allocation of resources for the management of what is one of the biggest shows on earth, the Commonwealth Games could do with the Uttarakhand experience. We have tried force and failed. Maybe, it's time to give courtesy a chance?

Respect your inner most

Deeksha or initiation awakens us and unites us with our own self

Make your life an adventure, take a pilgrimage from you to yourself. We talk of attaining liberation and establishing world peace but we forget that it begins with our inner journey. Liberation is an adventure within. A common problem of boredom is found amongst most of the youngsters these days; they are always waiting for someone. I extol you to meet the woman in yourself, that ever shining atma (soul). Our Swabhav (nature) always wants to meet the Swaroop (inner real self). Do not suppress it, let it project itself. Ananda or bliss is in the soul.

Respect your inner most. One who cannot respect the inner self cannot respect the outer world as well. Change your entire thinking process and you will be able to communicate with your inner self, building a positive environment around you. Till date you have been used and exploited by your confused mind. You have not developed the awareness of your being yourself. Only you are thinking about your personalities, your egos and being in this world, with full of physical entertainment and worldly achievements, that is why so far you are not satisfied and you can’t satisfy yourself the way you are living in this world. The ecstasy of the healing energy of Deeksha (initiation) allows us the freedom to choose grace in all things; therefore, overriding any illusion that we have created which makes us believe, we are separate from source or self and so incomplete. Life’ blueprint suggests that success is priceless. Nothing succeeds like success. We can unleash our genetic potential now and can enrich our lives by delving deeply into our essential natures. We have dormant superhuman qualities that are waiting to be stimulated.

This esoteric science of stimulation or deeksha is very precise and efficient which can help you overcome the major and delicate turning points that stands before you today. A human being with 100% activation of two strand DNA, plus ten additional strands using ten percent of his brain to become a multi-dimensional being with psychic, telepathic, and manifestation abilities beyond anything we have ever dreamed of, curtail the ageing process and actually start to rejuvenate to look and feel young is the original divine blueprint what man used to be. DNA is the blueprint of life and it is located in every cell of our body. Research shows that we are currently using only three percent of our current two strand DNA. Hence, we are sick, unhappy, stressed out, create wars, have difficulty experiencing love, and at times totally aloof in this universe. Just wake up and look to yourself and look into yourself and walk on the pilgrimage of you and yourself.

(As told to Geeta Anandi)

Success story

One success story that Anne worked on in India was at Garli in HP. It is a tiny village of 3000 inhabitants nestling in the Kangra valley about 450 kms from Delhi. "We were asked by the Friends of Garli to work on their village. Before starting our work, we first talked and listened to the local people. People have many ideas and we feel it is important to listen and then translate them into action on ground. Sustainable development is what we need to look at as it comes from the people. Friends of Garli have set up a committee with younger people as members to look into sustainable development of their village," he informs.

Garli today stands as an example of which Feenstra is proud. It is a heritage village in Kangra valley, Himachal Pradesh. Thanks to the efforts of the society, Friends of Garli, and Arch i, a Delhi-based non-profit architecture group of which Anne is an integral part, Garli today has got its due recognition.

The overwhelming variety of buildings stuns the viewer at first glance, says Feenstra, adding, "What is even more striking is the sheer density of buildings worth seeing. The styles of architecture vary from colonial, Kangra, Islamic and even Rajput or Portuguese!" Feenstra is proud to have been associated with the restoration of this village and to present it to rest of India as an example. "The need of the hour is to increase consciousness about built environment. Effort should be to use local building material. With local material and contemporary architecture we can do amazing things," concludes Feenstra.

Heritage of restoration

Renowned architect Anne Feenstra says that hill states like Uttarakhand need specific plans to restore their heritage properties before it becomes too late....

Anjali Nauriyal

He divides his time between India and Afghanistan as per climatic conditions. In Afghanistan, he has worked on the restoration of Visitor's Centre, Pamir National Park. Recently he was in the city to take part in a workshop organised by the Forest Department of Uttarakhand on the development of infrastructure for forestry, environment and eco-tourism. Anne Feenstra is a Dutch architect, who is currently touring in India, mainly lecturing at the Indian School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. He established Arch i as a platform to promote respect for culture and community participation in architecture. He especially spoke in the context of Uttarakhand.

Referring to present day architectural blunders, he states "While teaching, I came across this huge gap between the daily reality vis-à-vis built environment and what is actually being taught by smart professors to very good students. I found that the ground reality was very harsh. For example, if we look at the concept of shopping malls in India, I feel it is more appropriate for Disneyland rather than for society. When my parents were here, I took them to a place that was designed in the shape of a train in Faridabad and it was most uncomfortable. Had it been a cartoon land or children's world, we would have enjoyed it surely. Our architecture today has to look at the comfort level of all categories of visitors."

For Uttarakhand what Anne is proposing is research architecture. "In Uttarakhand some homework needs to be done. I have been to Almora and Kasauni and was struck by the natural beauty. The state is astoundingly beautiful but also very vulnerable. Uttarakhand should go for green eco tourism in a big way. I strongly feel that Uttarakhand should be very careful with its natural beauty and in this the Forest Department has to play a very large role. Not only has the state to preserve, but also has to deal with a huge incoming population that can enjoy its beauty without spoiling it," he says.

Having visited Asan Barrage in Doon, he is able to appreciate its natural import and value. But on the other side, he says, he was shocked to see crushing of stones not far away from the Barrage, on the Himachal side. "This is what I would call criminal behaviour. I don't think this kind of destruction will fit in any criminal law. States like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh (HP) should be really taking care of things they possess," points out Feenstra, who has a couple of suggestions for some picnic spots in Doon.

"Lacchiwala could be made a much better place," he suggests, adding, "It was not good to see the trees painted in read band along the entrance to Lacchiwala. To make the surroundings beautiful, flower beds could have been made around them. The place has a small auditorium that is not being used. I suggest that the place should be used for the kids to enjoy. It can be given more of an educational role and an interpretation centre developed."

Feenstra says that his is a non-profit organisation that aims at sensitising people to make architecture more eco and human friendly. "Instead of working with commercial players who are project hungry, we always go to places to interact with the local people and see if there is space for dialogue. Whatever plans are made, there has to be interaction with local bodies, Panchayats, etc., to make it a success," he avers. Feenstra is exploring the idea of taking up two villages for research in Uttarakhand. "There is a need for setting up interpretation centres in many places such as Nanda Devi Biosphere," he adds.

Hi-tech system to monitor tigers in Corbett

With the tiger population dwindling in the country, the Indian government has launched a hi-tech monitoring system to ensure transparency in tiger protection in the country. The system 'M-Stripes', launched by the environment ministry, is a collaboration between the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Zoological Society of London. The GPS-based system will provide patrolling protocols, recording wildlife crimes and ecological monitoring. It is also a customised software for storage, analysis, retrieval and reporting of data related to tiger monitoring.

Under the system, the forest guard would have to daily fill in information about area patrolled and number of tigers spotted. The information will be passed by the beat officer to forest range officer, followed by division officer to state government and the NTCA. "The system will bring more transparency in tiger monitoring and will strengthen the anti-poaching drive. We know that till now lot of patrolling data presented by forest officials was doctored but the system will put a hold on it," environment minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters. As a pilot initiative, it is proposed to implement the system within two months at six tiger reserves - Corbett in Uttarakhand, Ranthambhore in Rajasthan, Kanha in Madhya Pradesh, Bhadra in Karnataka, Anamalai in Tamil Nadu and Nagarjunasagar Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh.

"The system will provide forecasting of detrimental events like poaching or habitat degradation and, thus, will provide scope for timely safeguards. We will soon extend the system to other 33 tiger reserves in the country," Y.V. Jhala of WII said. The Zoological Society of London successfully implemented the project in Kenya and Nepal. "The system has helped in checking poaching activities in forests in Nepal and Kenya. The system can be used for monitoring other wildlife animals also," said Raj Amin of the Zoological Society of London. There has been a sharp decline in the number of tigers in India, with only 1,411 of them left, according to official estimates.

Women turn into guardians of the mountains

Dinesh Pant

Though the issue of 'Women Empowerment' has become a buzzword in elite circles and among various political parties, the actual plight of the women in rural parts of the country seems yet to be thoroughly understood. A visit to Uttarakhand's Pitthorgarh district would indicate the status of women in the social life of rural India and the myriad roles that women perform. They protect not only their families but also the community and the environment The difficult mountain terrain and the cold climate mean a harsh life for its people.

To take an example, meet Gaura Devi, an illiterate woman from Ranai village in Garhwal. In 1973, she began spreading the message of saving forests by visiting virtually every house of her and neighbouring villages. During her visit she would tell: "We will survive if the forest is saved, and the forest is saved only when we are united. Forest is our employment, our 'Mayeka' or, mother's home, our life." Gaura Devi's impassioned plea had an effect. It not only flowered into the famous 'Chipko Andolan', a movement in which women would hug trees to prevent their felling by contractors commissioned by the government.

Not only did they stop this mindless destruction of forests, women undertook reforestation in areas, which were denuded. Garhwal has since seen a large number of Mahila Mangal Dal who have taken up this cause. Thalisaind, Dabsoli, Tangsa, Khula to name a few. One of these groups comprising women of Bacher village under Chamoli district came into direct confrontation with local mafia that was involved in illegal felling of trees. Trucks loaded with wood were waylaid by these women emboldened enough to question the contractors directly.

"This forest belongs to us. Who are you to take the wood?" remained their refrain. The stellar work of Mahila Mangal Dal was recognized by the government and it was presented with the 'Indira Priyadarshini Vruksha Mitra' award in 1984 by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Yet it is not accolades or prizes which drive these women but a fundamental belief in sustaining and augmenting the natural resources which they view as integral to a life of peace and plenty.

Prema Devi of Upradi village, Uttarkashi, could not bear to see the surrounding forests being denuded. She began a one-woman crusade, which gradually gained momentum. Today these women have the motivation and resilience to take on the forest mafia operating in the region. In village Tangsa, in the same Janpad, it was quite different. Here, unlike Bacher village, there were no trees to protect. The land was denuded, barren and life was difficult.

Women here decided to begin a movement to plant fruit trees outside the village. In a few years the area went through a transformation with abundant greenery and an end to the problems of fuel and fodder. Today the fruit-bearing trees provide economic sustainability to many. Here in Tangsa village, through collective action, the women had effectively become protectors of their land, water and forests.

The spirit of these women seems to resound across the mountainous region. And the issues they have taken on, are critical to the region i.e. mining. In 1977, women of Kheerakot, Almora have raised a powerful cry against the mining for soapstone that was reducing their entire village to a dust-bowl. A powerful lobby that these women were pitted against, they were threatened, coerced and alternately offered incentives or 'baits' to make them quit. Yet all this came to naught in the face of an unflinching belief, which united these women. Finally, in 1982, the government was forced to shut down mining activities that was a triumph of the indomitable spirit these women showed.

All over Uttarakhand, such movements have spontaneously risen but in a sense they go beyond being location-specific events. They reflect an underlying belief running like a common thread through the women in the region. Their efforts, at individual levels and through collective action are really attempts to bring back into society, into the environment, the harmony and respect for natural resources which is a crying need today not only in this mountainous region but across the country.

These women living in villages, near forests, in tiny hamlets all over the hilly terrain are far from being tutored formally in principles of science, ecology, economy or social behaviour. Yet they represent a voice of reason, sanity and harmony in the region.

Whatever they are doing today in the public space reflects a wisdom, an understanding of core principles on which a society can live in harmony with the environment. This is what needs to be respected and nurtured and tuned to the benefit of not only the entire community but also the environment, which if we will protect, will protect and nourish us.

‘ Land of Secular Theism’

P.S. Chauhan

The Tibetan spiritual guru, Dalai Lama, elevated the rituals and the ceremonies of the Kumbh at Haridwar to a philosophical level by bringing the message of compassion and non-violence. H.H.H. Dalai Lama was here for two days. On day one of his sojourn he was in Haridwar and the next day at Rishikesh. Tibetan spiritual guru, along with the Yoga Guru Swami Ram Dev, Swami Chidanand Muniji Maharaj, Ramesh Bhai Ojha and Morari Bapu, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, L.K. Advani amongst other released the Encylopaedia of Hinduism. He was the chief guest in the Sparsh Ganga movement launched by the state govt. to keep the Ganga pure and clean. He spoke on these vital issues:

Relationship with India- I am a true son of India. In my young age I learnt my spiritual lessons here. Wherever I go, I carry the message of the Indian philosophy. After I took political asylum in India, my body has been fed by the Indian food, while my mind and heart have been nourished by the Indian thoughts. The relationship of India and Tibet is that of guru and chela and that also a reliable one.

Indian spiritualism: Diversity and plurality of traditions is the hallmark of India's spirituality. Nowhere in the world there are so many diverse traditions co-existing with mutual respect. India has exemplified "secular theism". Even the non-believers, like Charvak, have been given here due recognition and respect. It is this liberality and respect for dissent which is the bedrock of the Indian democracy also. India's basic thought of tolerance and non-violence is most relevant in the contemporary society. The twentieth century has been a century of conflicts and violence, claiming millions of lives. The present century is to be one of peace and harmony, of resolution of conflicts and India's philosophy can be a beacon light to the entire humanity today.

Ganga: It is a special river. It is the centre of faith of the tens of millions of people. It is the duty of all of us to protect its purity and sanctity.

His message: Maintain calm and peace of mind. Hatred and anger ruffle the peace of mind, while faith and meditation help in acquiring the coveted state of mind which gives clear vision and elevates life.

All decked up

Administration is leaving nothing to chance as the countdown to the last Shahi Snan begins

P.S. Chauhan

State government and mela administration have pulled up their socks as the date of last Shahi Snan of the first Mahakumbh of the centuary approaches. So far nine snans of the Kumbh, including three Shahi Snans of the sant community, have been held smoothly. However, with the terror threat looming large on such huge religious congregations and expected hordes of devotees, mela administration is not taking any chance regarding the preparations for this biggest confluence of the humans held so far on the earth.

Dr. Prateek Mishrapuri, president Oriental Research Society, says that scriptures have it that the Kumbh is held at Haridwar when the timing of Jupiter's entry into zodiac Aquarius coincides with that of Sun's into Aries. This astronomical phenomenon, which occurs after every 12 years, is occurring on April 14 this year. It was at this particular conjunction of planets that drops of elixir from Amirt Kalash had trickled down into the Ganga at Brahm Kund, Har-Ki-Pauri. The snans of the Kumbh Parv held so far were only precursors to the grand peroration on April 14 when the main snan of the Kumbh and the last Shahi Snan will be held.

Legend has it that a dip on this most auspicious occasion sets a person free from the vicious cycle of birth and rebirth. The Kumbh Mela officer, Anand Vardhan, says that more than 10 millions pilgrims are likely to wend their way to the holy Ganga for the dip of redemption. For the main snan a multi-layer comprehensive security cover is being put in place throughout the mela area, by dividing it into 10 zones and 32 sectors. Mela D.I.G., Alok Sharma says that for the main snan of the Kumbh, 17,000 security personnel, including civil police and 20 companies of the P.A.C. from Uttarakhand and U.P. along with 60 companies of the paramilitary forces are deployed.

Besides that 220 highly trained commandos, armed with the most sophisticated weapons and equipments, to face any eventuality, are in place. Also, units of Jal police, fire extinguishers, anti-sabotage squads, sniffers and mounted police, have been deployed. Intelligence personnel, in civil dresses and saffron clothes of sadhus, have already mingled with devotees and sadhus to gather secret information. To keep a tab on anti-social elements, 125 CCTV have been installed at all the sensitive places and the video footages of these cameras along with the inputs provided by the intelligence agencies, are being constantly analyzed. As a part of the massive preparations for the main snan, the central government has also provided two helicopters, which will be in stand by at Sarsawa air station for aerial survillence of the sea of humanity.

Young Buzz: Environment over EMPLOYMENT

a number of hydro projects seem to have been shelved in the state. These projects, besides generating electricity, were expected to create jobs as well. With the scrapping of the projects there is a mixed feeling amongst youth as KARUNA VERMA engages them on the issue

Stop destroying nature

Before starting any such project its viability has to taken into the account. Electricity and jobs generated at the cost of environment are not needed.

Tanushri

Find other resources

For sure, there are various other ways to make our economy more robust. We should seek sustainable development.

Supriya Sharma

Myopic

vision

True, this project would have spelled prosperity for state. But the cost is high. Projects that damage nature should not be allowed.

Sunil Upadhaya

Rivers may

go dry

It is true that these water projects would have created a lot of opportunities. But on the hind side creation of so many dams will harm nature.

Vicky

Maintain eco balance

By the year 2030 many glaciers of the region may disappear. Say NO to all such projects, which thrive at the cost of environment.

Vidhi Nautiyal

Environment At A Glance

VHP seeks complete ban on Bhagirathi hydel projects

Buoyed by the central government's decision to scrap two hydel dams on Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand, VHP has demanded a complete ban on other such projects on the holy river, including NTPC's 600 MW Loharinag Pala. "To maintain the uninterrupted flow of the Bhagirathi river, it is necessary to ban all hydel projects," said VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia. VHP, which held its two-day "Dharma Sansad" at Haridwar, has also threatened to launch an agitation over the issue. "The Bhagirathi is the lifeline of India. We must maintain sanctity of the river," Togadia said. Significantly, VHP's statement came two days after senior BJP leader L K Advani, who was on a visit to Uttarakhand to participate in a clean Ganga campaign, also said in unequivocal terms that the sanctity of the Bhagirathi should be maintained at all cost suggesting a ban on hydel projects on the river. Nishank had earlier on an occasion described the Centre's decision to scrap the two hydel projects as "illegal and arbitrary" claiming only the Ganga River Basin Authority was authorised to take a final decision on the issue. At the centre of controversy are three hydel projects - NTPC's 600 MW Loharinag Pala, 480 MW Pala Maneri and 381 MW Bhairongathi ---which are being developed by the state-owned Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited.

Fire destroys forest tracts

A massive forest fire that broke out in the Kumaon Hills of Uttarakhand on Monday has destroyed vast stretches of forest. At the time of going to the press officials with the help of locals were engaged in controlling the fire. "Fire in mountain ranges disrupts normal life. Forest life, wild animals, medicine, flora and fauna have been destroyed in blaze. The rising smoke causes pollution and also raises temperature dramatically," said P.K. Patro, divisional forest officer, Tarai Range. The cause of this fire is yet to be ascertained.

Eco-friendly freedom from pests

Nainital farmers are adopting eco-friendly methods to get rid of pests by using insect trappers instead of chemical pesticides. They said that the use of the insect trapper has not only reduced their pesticide and labour expenditure, but also the use of strong chemicals in cultivation. The main advantage of this trapper is that it is more effective at night, as the light sliders attached to it attract the insects, which causes them to fall in a bucket of water and diesel and subsequently die. "The light traps that are used in the farms are very effective and we have learned that by using it we can control the pests without any expenditure. It saves our money and reduces the use of poison that we otherwise used in our fields," said Kundan Joshi, a farmer.

Fungus for growth of plants

Scientists of the College of Basic Science and Humanities in Uttarakhand have discovered a new fungus that helps in increasing the growth of plants. They have discovered this fungus after eight years of research. "This work was initiated almost eight years back when we were in search of different microbes, which could enhance the plant growth in much better way then existing ones. We started this work and covered 1000 kilometres area to take out the samples and isolated the microbes and finally came up with this fungus fusarium pallidoroseum and this we tested on chilly and potato," said Anil Sharma, a scientist. The new fungus is expected to yield better crops.

SCRIPTING SUCCESS STORY

By establishing new corporate benchmarks, Haridwar's very own Navratna BHEL is on its way to gain Maharatna status....

P.S. Chauhan

The BHEL plant of Haridwar, one of the leading units of the Navratna company among the public sector undertakings, has changed the skyline of Haridwar from a small religious town into a modern industrial centre. Since its inception 35 years ago, it has been scripting success story, by establishing new benchmarks in its turnover, profits, exports, work culture and social commitments.

Enumerating the achievements of the Heavy Electricals Equipments Plant (HEEP), the major unit of the BHEL, Haridwar, during the financial year 2009-10, the executive director of the unit, D.K. Mody, said that the unit achieved the highest ever turnover of Rs. 3218 crores during this year, which marked an increase of 12% over that of the preceding year. The unit's profit before tax rose to Rs. 535 crores, which registered an impressive increase of 18% over that of the previous year. "The Central Foundary Forge Plant (CFFP), the second unit of the BHEL, Haridwar, which caters to the requirements of castings and forgings, crossed Rs. 303 crores mark in turnover during this fiscal," said Arun Singhal, the general manager in-charge of the CFFP. The BHEL is now targeting to increase its annual manufacturing capacity to 13,020 MW by 2012 by an estimated investment of Rs1,000 crores on expansion and upgradation of its technology. On account of the quality of its equipments and of its after sales service, the BHEL has consolidated its position in the international market, pushing back even China.

The Pollution Control Research Institute (PCRI) of the BHEL is contributing in the area of pollution control and environmental studies in the country in a big way. Currently, the PCRI is engaged in assessing the pollution levels in the Ganga during the on-going Kumbh at Haridwar.

Fulfilling its responsibility as corporate citizen, the BHEL, Haridwar is rendering yeoman's services in providing education and health care in the adjoining villages and the Ladies Club of the plant has substantially contributed to women empowerment in the locality. A great feather in the cap of this world class company is the accolades winning spree of its employees, which testifies to the excellent work culture in the plant. Last year four of its employees won the coveted Prime Minister's Shram Awards. So far, 25 employees of the plant have won Prime Minister's Shram Awards, while 158 have been honoured with the prestigious Vishwakarma Awards, the highest number among all the public sector undertakings in the country. With this excellent track record, the plant is now eyeing the Maharatna status among the public sector undertakings and is also targeting the Demming Award, the world's highest award for quality excellence.

Saving Ganga!

Haridwar hosted Dharma Adesh for the preservation of the river

By Anjali Nauriyal

It was one of the biggest congregations that met at Haridwar on the 7th of April, to take decisive steps about preserving the sanctity of the Holy Ganga. The meet was presided over by the two revered Shankaracharyas representing three of the four Peets that give the Hindus their identity - of Dwarka, Joshimath and Puri.

Amongst the participating organisations were Tarun Bharat Sangh, Ganga Jal Biradari, Ganga Sewa Abhiyan, Matri Sadan amongst others. Others present on the occasion were Supreme Court lawyer and celebrated environmentalist and Magsaysay awardee MC Mehta, GD Agarwal, Madhu Kishwar fierce women's activist of Manushi fame, Rajendra Singh the man who changed the water starved landscape of many a villages in Rajasthan apart from many others.

The government was represented by Water Resource Minister Pawan Bansal, who promised to carry the message to the government. After hours of brain storming by several representatives of the Sant Samaj and leading environmentalists, certain imperatives emerged for the preservation of the Ganga. A representative put it succinctly when he said "Hum Ne Ganga Ke Liye Dharma Adesh Desh ko Dilaya hai."

With the consensus of all present on the occasion a Ganga Maha Sangh was constituted which has assigned the task of coordinating and monitoring all Ganga related issues. An order has also been passed by the Shankaracharyas that included five points in the main apart from other allied ones. The first was that the Avarilta or the ecological flow of the Ganga should be maintained at all times and at any cost. All construction work on this holy river should be halted with immediate effect. “Ganga is the collective heritage of the Rajya, Samaj and the Sants and so all should combine their efforts for its preservation. Ganga se Amrit (Water) aur Sewer (Poison) ko alag karna hai. Kumbh ke Manthan se yeh hota hai. It has to be understood that the ecology of the Himalayas is inextricably conected with the purity and sanctity of the Ganga and so if the Himalayas have to survive then the Ganga has to survive. And this has to be done minus any developmental activities in the hills, without any displacement of soil or habitation, distress caused to man, woman, animals and plants. Indigenous knowledge systems have to be revived.”

These were the voices which came off this conference. It was strongly felt by the congregation that it is the duty of the government to remove all encroachments on the Banks of the Ganga.

Elaborating on scarcity of water and surplus water Rajendra Singh avers "Those who do not understand the character of water, for them both scarcity and surplus are is the nature of a crisis. Learn to preserve and use rain water. Expressing his views Madhu Kishwar said "What we are witnessing today is the death of a once glorious civilization. One gets a feeling that one is living amidst the ruins of a civilization. Just think that a river that was once much revered and worshipped has become an open sewage today."

"The Shankaracharyas of the three Peeths have announced that central and state government should immediately close down the dams which are under construction on the Bhagirathi, Mandakini and the Alaknanada. We welcome this move," added MC Mehta. These dams are destructive in nature and will cause irreparable damage to mother Ganga and the ecology of the Himalayas. The Ganga will be diverted for many kilometres resulting in the disappearance of the Bhagirathi. This act of the GOI and the state government is against the culture and the religious faith of millions of Indians. These are the people who worship the river and have innate faith in it. The construction activity on the dams is resulting in the drying up of the natural springs and this is going to cause serious water scarcity for the people living in the villages along these rivers. Even the army is facing a lot of problem because they have to carry water for many kilometres.

“Taking natural resources will no longer be tolerated. The ground water is depleting at an alarming rate and ultimately the entire civilization will be affected. Ganga should not be treated as a vote bank, is what the Shankaracharyas have advised the government. Time to act is now.”

Heal yourself holistically

V. N. Mittal

Rising costs of conventional medical treatment and increasing stress levels every where, have pushed the demand for alternative healing modalities such as yoga, meditation, tai chi and qigong. Reiki, shiatsu, quantum touch, acupressure, and reflexology, are some of the other alternative energy healing options that are being explored to alleviate various ailments.

Rei-Ki (pronounced as Ray-Key) is a Japanese word which means universal life force energy; Rei signifies universal and Ki the life force energy also known as Chi in Chinese, or Prana in India. It can be defined "as an art of tapping into unlimited supply of life force energy from the cosmos and dispensing it through our hands [palms] to provide necessary healing to ourselves or to others". It not only helps heal yourself but also others. This property of Reiki sets it apart from other therapies. It can also provide distant healing in an equally effective manner even to people not in direct contact with the therapist. It works and heals by harmonizing and balancing the body energy in more ways than one. As Reiki is transmitted by placing hands near or above the body in specific positions or patterns, it reactivates and realigns our chakras [energy centres].

Chakras correspond to the endocrine glands and are the energy vortices that keep on spinning all the time to enable the glands to secrete hormones. They serve as a vehicle of Reiki and facilitate it to clear the energy pathways [the Naris, or meridians] of the negative energy. This restores unobstructed and free flow of life force energy [chi] through the energy centres and activates the self-healing process.

As Reiki connects the body energy to the universal life force energy having very high vibration frequency, the vibration frequency of the cells is raised to healthy levels through the process of entrainment. Also, Reiki is known to balance the Yin and Yang forces believed to be the cause of diseased state in a body.

The ability to source Reiki has to be acquired through a process known as initiation or attunement carried by a Reiki Master. The healing ability of the practitioner is raised manifold through the process. The process reactivates and realigns the energy centres [chakras] and enables the practitioner to acquire healing ability and acquire a perpetual connection to Reiki. It has three levels, can be learnt by anybody and no educational qualifications are required. The first level introduces you to the principles, development, body and hand positions for dispensing Reiki, etc. In the second degree, symbols and distant Reiki techniques are taught. The third level, which is more advanced, has two parts --the first part attunes you to the Master symbol and trains you to be a Master practitioner and the second part makes you the Reiki Master Teacher. In second part you are taught the technique of how to attune other people. Our body possesses an inbuilt mechanism to heal itself. The hands especially have immense healing capability. The innate healing power of the hands has also been highlighted in Atharva Veda.

Once you are attuned, you can source Reiki at will. The healing energy starts flowing through your hands as and when desired. Just by intent and affirmation, you can instantly connect to Reiki and give treatment to yourself or to the client by placing your hands on the body at the specific positions, with clothes on. The Reiki treatment feels warm to some people and cold or even tingling to others. The overall effect is relaxing. Its benefits are not confined to people in direct contact with the therapist but also it can be projected to provide healing to those in distant places. Reiki makes a bridge between the sender and the receiver. The receiver may be a person, animal, plant, object, place, event, situation, or a happening. Reiki complements and blends well with all healing modalities. It is now being used as a complementary therapy for treatment of common, acute and even chronic ailments in many hospitals all over the world. It is highly effective in combating stress and depression and works like a prophylactic in warding off future ailments. Simply by focusing and dispensing Reiki to a person or an object, place, event or a situation, the blockages get cleared and flow of energy balanced. People have used Reiki for programming their job interviews, successful presentations and goal manifesting.

Try it for fun, pleasure and confidence building in the following situations:

Quitting bad habits e.g. smoking / over-eating / obesity; purifying water/liquids, enriching food, cleansing and charging rooms in your house/hotel with positive energy; self-protection from negative energies in crowded locations e.g. train compartments, cinema halls; improving relationships with spouse/ bosses/ juniors in the office; augmenting the effect of medicine capsules/ tablets; sealing the house from negative energies/ burglaries; And in lots of many other situations; possibilities are tremendous.

However, always remember that Reiki is best used as a complementary therapy and the advice of your doctor should be adhered to before making any life style changes.

Of mountain, man and mother tongue

In an exclusive interview with HP, Namita Gokhale talks about things that are close to her heart...

Anjali Nauriyal

Namita Gokhale is a well-known name in the literary firmament. Her first novel Paro: Dreams of Passion created quite a stir by its bold theme and is said to have "pioneered the sexually frank genre which made Shobha De famous." This book is a satire on Delhi's upper class and has been described as witty and genuinely irreverent by none other than the master of wit, Khushwant Singh. Her other popular books include the names of Gods Graves and Grand Mother and A Himalayan Love Story. In Doon to be part of the literary festival, she is the main force behind this initiative that is earning a place in the heart of the city's intelligentsia. In an exclusive confab with TOD, she talks about things that are dear to her heart.

"Through this festival, I want to go back and look and relook at the trans-Himalayan identity. I may be a Kumaoni. But it's just not my Kumaon, but it's my Nepal, my Bhutan, and so on. The entire Himalayan range has huge energies and we have to look at them. Personally I just love the landscape of this mighty mountain range," states Gokhale.

Despite the love that she professes, she says that she cannot help but feel a sense of great shock when she looks at the Himalayas. "We have degraded the mountains so much! Recently I went to Bhutan and was pleasantly surprised to see that the land is not degraded. It has remained just as it should have remained. But this is not the case elsewhere. And this should be an important issue with any Uttarakhandi and any environmentalist. Our air, water, quality of life, etc., have been all defiled, especially the environment that can sustain pure thought," she avers.

Gokhale says that like Blake she believes that great things are done when men and mountains meet and not by jostling in the streets. "This festival is also about language and how language is being flattened in particular places. All these need to be looked at by all of us. All said and done, there is very high rate of literary activity in Uttarakhand that I feel very proud of. And one purpose behind this festivity is the gut feeling that we can all do something that can change the life of the people for the better," says the author.

Gokhale, who was the force behind the highly successful Jaipur Literary Festival, pronounces, "We are organizing the Bhutan Literary Festival in May. All these mountains emanate real voices and the idea is to listen and let people speak in their dialect. The oral tradition is in real danger in a society that has been essentially oral. When we lose something that has been an integral part of our heritage, we lose infinite riches. Our mother tongue is endangered and if we lose our roots, we lose all accumulated heritage. Problem with oral is that it has to be transmitted and I hope this festival is a step in that direction," she concludes on a positive note.

Speaking Tree: The cardinal importance of faith in human life

Dr. Pranav Pandya

Faith is one of those foundational principles of human life which enable a person to evolve spiritually. Without faith, one cannot attain happiness even though s/he may have succeeded materialistically. Faith is the basis of happiness. Faith makes life joyful. Normally, human beings fear death because it means transition to an unknown realm. Loneliness is the cause of fear. To the extent faith in our true immutable self is strengthened, the fear of death recedes. A person living in an uninhabited, desolate place, with faith and trust in the dwelling divinity, loves the cosmos and interacts with it as manifestation of the all pervading self-spirit of which he himself is a spark. One feels oneself as a part of the infinite cosmos. The happiness one experiences through this faith filled vision flows from deepest recesses of the inner being, which is one with The Cosmic Being. From this happiness emerges the joy of atma jnana - the realisation that man's true identity is the soul that resides within the body and not the body itself. Faith has the power to make any object lovable and a source of joy. Faith makes a sculpture carved in a stone worthy of being worshipped as a living deity. There is a famous story in the epic Mahabharata of a lowcaste boy called Eklavya. He wished to learn the art of archery from Dronacharya. Since Dronacharya accepted only the princes as his disciples, he refused to teach Eklavya. This did not discourage Eklavya. He made an idol of Dronacharya, gained inspiration from it as his guru and learned the art of archery to such perfection that even Guru Dronacharya was amazed by his mastery. In the modern times also, we find examples of people who, on the basis of faith, achieved wondrous success. One of the most notable examples is of Helen Keller, whose legacy inspires people even today. Helen was a deaf-dumb-blind American woman, whose faith in her capability to learn, speak and study was stimulated by her teacher Anne Sullivan Macy. She later went on to earn a university degree and scores of national and international awards.

Ancient seers, gurus, sages and teachers used to first assess the level of faith of their disciples/students before initiating them into the profound teachings of Brahma vidya. If the disciples/students did not meet a certain criteria of faith, secret knowledge was not imparted to them. Incidents relating to this fact are aplenty in scriptures. Faith is also the basis of love towards one's family members, religion, culture, nation and humanity. Students have faith in their teachers. When we go shopping, we have faith in the quality of products we buy. We receive respect when we express our faith in others; this enhances our inner sense of happiness and well-being. In spirituality, faith is considered a fundamental attribute of nobility and occupies a prominent place in every religion. Faith has been the basis of all-round progress of human beings. Therefore, we must cultivate faith in the basic goodness of the Divine Dispensation.

(The writer is head of All World Gayatri Pariwar, Shantikunj Haridwar and Chancellor of Dev Sanskriti University, Haridwar.)

Swiss notes on Indian wealth

Swiss musician Rittener Olivier, who has been learning various Indian instruments since 1997, can't stop gushing over the vastness of Indian classical music...

Anjali Nauriyal Rajpur

Rittener Olivier is a Swiss national who visits India frequently to learn Sarangi from his Indian Guru in Varanasi. A compositor on piano, he lives in Lozana; composes his own music and can play almost all Indian musical instruments with ease, including the Vichitra Veena and the sitar.

While in India Olivier makes it a point to be in Doon for sometime, to be with his guru behen and because he finds the environmental appeal of the place most inspiring.

He informs that he began playing the piano at the age of six after learning from one of the greatest of teachers, Madame Mekula Mekulasuva. He first came to India in '97 after he attended a concert in '96 in Lozana by Dr Gopala Shankara Misra, a professor at Banaras University.

"I heard him play the Veena and was overwhelmed by his music. Later I wrote to him expressing my intension to visit India. He readily agreed and in that trip I stayed in the country for six months, just trying to learn the Vichitra Veena."

Before long Olivier began taking Drupad lessons from his Guru Ritwik Sanyal in the university in Varanasi and that got him hooked on to Indian music and instruments.

How easy or difficult was it to learn Indian Instruments? "One cannot say. When you learn Indian classical music, the guru plays and the disciple reproduces. Of course, it helps if you have an ear for music. One should have the capacity to catch and play. By attentively listening to the guru playing, one can learn a lot. Thereafter one needs to put in dedicated effort," he reveals. After the untimely demise of his guru, Olivier stopped learning the Vichitra Veena and concentrated instead on Indian classical music, and that's when he fell in love with Indian instruments. This accomplished player of many instruments asserts that he never tries to find concerts for himself, but does enjoy playing when people ask him to or on certain India related functions in his country. "For me it is very important to practice and learn and transmit," he quips. What appeals to him about the Vichitra Veena is its sound quality and the fact that it is an instrument with immense possibilities.

Olivier started learning the Sarangi in '98. "I found the sound of the Sarangi very beautiful and began learning from Pandit Santosh Kumar Misra. In the beginning I took one month's lesson from him. Thereafter as I had to finish university in Lozana for six years, I could not come back. In 2004, I returned and now will be in Varanasi for sometime just practising the Sarangi. In Switzerland it is never easy to practice," he says. In all the time that Olivier learnt and played the Indian instruments, he never stopped playing the piano. All along he has also been composing. "Actually I really started composing in '90. Composing is a gift. When you are composing, it's not something you decide you will compose. It is in actuality a response to a certain inner state. By composing one connects and goes deep into oneself," he adds on a philosophical note.

"Indian culture appeals to me," states Olivier, adding, "I have intellectual interest in the Hindu tradition. "