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July, 2005
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Security beefed up at Gangotri shrine in Uttaranchal
by Ashish Goel

     Gangotri (Uttaranchal): Authorities have beefed up security extensively in Gangotri, the origin of the Ganges, following reports of threat of terrorist attacks at religious places. Millions of Hindu pilgrims from all over the country converge on the banks of river Ganges every year at Gangotri, the spiritual source of country's most sacred river. The Uttaranchal state police have increased frisking of suspected people and have detained few in the last three weeks. "The step taken by the government to beef up security is commendable. The security forces are not letting any suspected person inside the temple premises. This is a good step. But we want that the forces should be increased," said Dinesh Chandra Semwal, chief priest of the temple. Police said they have deployed over 2,000 personnel for the safe conduct of the festival, especially after a recent terror attack at a disputed religious site in northern India earlier this month."We have increased the police force in Gangotri. Along with PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary), civil police has also been deployed. Metal detectors have been installed and frisking has increased. We are quite alert," said G.S.Martolia, Superintendent of Police, Gangotri. On July 5 police killed five gunmen who attacked a disputed religious site in neighbouring Ayodhya, where a makeshift temple of Lord Ram was built over a 16th-century mosque that was torn down by a violent mob in 1992. Police say the attack was the handiwork of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Gangotri is tucked in the Garhwal Himalayas at an elevation of 3048 metres. According to Hindu mythology, Ganges, the stream of life, was granted as a reward for king Bhagirath's severe penance, and the river is worshipped as a deity. The physical source of the river is Gaumukh, 18 kilometres southeast of Gangotri, along the Gangotri glacier. Melting glaciers give rise to Ganges and Yamuna rivers. For thousands of years, pilgrims, saints and mystics come here to meditate and pray. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit the 18th century Hindu Lord Shiva temple in Gangotri every year.
-July 29, 2005

Railway travellers to enjoy AC comfort at sleeper cost (Go to Top)

     New Delhi: In order to provide maximum convenience and satisfaction to passengers, Indian Railway is contemplating a plan to allow the passengers having sleeper class ticket to travel in Air Conditioned (AC) coaches if they remain vacant. "The scheme for upgradation of passengers, against the vacant accommodation available in Upper Class is under examination consistent with provision of the Railways Act, 1989," said R Velu, Minister of State for Railways in a written reply to Lok Sabha today. However, he said that the scheme is still under consideration and the implementation schedule would be decided after the approval of the scheme.
-July 28, 2005

Goa's famous beaches hit by tarballs (Go to Top)
by Devraj

     Mobor Beach (Goa): Rain soaked virgin beaches of Goa are facing a serious threat with big black tarballs or waste oil lumps sticking to the shores and acting as a deterrent to all those who venture out on the idyllic white sands Goan beaches. The popular Mobor beach, which houses several resorts on its shores, has turned black due to tarballs, which have surfaced following heavy rains over the past few days. The tarballs have been washed ashore by furious waves following heavy rains, posing an environmental hazard. These tarballs are actually waste oil and lubricants, clandestinely dumped into the sea by big ships, tankers and ocean liners- a practice which is otherwise banned. When the sun comes out, these tarballs melt due to heat and the oil oozes into the sand, destroying the tiny life forms on the beach. New tarballs appearing on a beach is an indication of an oil spill. The beach, which is usually abuzz with tourist activity, today lies deserted. The tar balls were first spotted on Monday (July 25) by staff members of a five star resort but the next morning, the entire beach opposite the hotel wore a black look, as the waves washed ashore huge quantities of tarballs. "I saw that the entire beach was fully covered with tarballs. We got our staff worker to clean it but still do not know what to do. This is for the first time there is such a huge presence of tarballs. It used to be there but in less number," said Shaji, beach incharge of the Leela resort.

    Though tarballs in small quantity are washed ashore every year, this year the quantity is so huge. The suspicion is that some big ship dumped the oil near the shore. In March, there was a major oil spill in the sea but it had been contained by the Coast Guard. Normally remnants of dismantled beach shacks and plastic and other non-biodegradable wastes litter on the beaches, this new occurrence of this effluent is a matter of serious concern for the authorities. Officials ruled out an oil spill but said the state pollution board would investigate the surfacing of an unusually large amount of tarballs. "During rainy season it comes out because of the waves and it remains there. There is no oil spill. Since it has come in such large quantity, we will refer it to the pollution control board and get their help," said J.B . Singh, District Magistrate, South Goa. Almost same situation prevails on the beaches for many kilometres including Benaulim, Colva and Betul.
-July 27, 2005

Cloudburst in Rudraprayag kills four people (Go to Top)

     Rudraprayag (Uttaranchal): A cloudburst that unleashed heavy rains and flash floods triggering landslide here has left four people missing and nine critically injured. Mudslide triggered by the cloudburst has flattened nearly a dozen homes the district, 150 kilometres northwest of Dehradun. Heavy rains over the past few days has been the cause of the cloudburst. The incident has caused havoc in the area. Efforts are on to clear the debris. Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) together with the local administration are involved in the relief work. But the extent of the incident is making the relief work all the more difficult. "Locals are not able to tell us properly that where can be the missing people. We are trying our best but we have achieved no success so far," said K K Minhas, Assistant Commandent, ITBP. "This was a cloudburst and debris in large amount of debris enter the houses. We emptied the houses with the help of process of water flushing but the dead bodies were not there. So now we are searching the fields and other agricultural area for missing people," said U B Choubey, District Magistrate, Rudraprayag. Chief Minister of Uttaranchal N D Tiwari has announced an ex gratia of 50,000 rupees for the families of dead people.
-July 23, 2005

Amarnath pilgrims vouch for safety (Go to Top)
by Bilal Butt

     Srinagar: Hindu pilgrims currently on their way to the revered cave shrine of Amarnath have vouched for the safety of the route, saying they are happy with the security arrangements, especially in the wake of the recent terror attacks in various parts of the country, including Kashmir. Thousands of pilgrims, chanting religious hymns, have been trekking towards the sacred shrine that houses an ice stalagmite regarded as a symbol of Lord Shiva. Thousands of security personnel have been deployed along the 30- mile-long mountain track, which takes pilgrims along icy streams, glacier-fed lakes and snow-covered mountain passes. In the past, the two-month long pilgrimage has been targeted by extremists, but in the last two years, the event has passed off without incident. Pilgrims, too, are a contented lot. "People are scared of coming to Kashmir, but it's very nice here.There is heavy security here, police and army are providing us adequate security and there is nothing to fear about," said Anirudh Sharma, a pilgrim. Renu Mahajan, another pilgrim said: "The arrangement here is very good, food and shelter is provided by army. I like the arrangements here so I come here every year."

    Following the terrorist attack in Ayodhya security has been tightened for the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. Usually, pilgrims for the yatra are thoroughly frisked and their luggage checked, apart from a large number of guards. The authorities aren't taking any chances and besides a three-tier security cover, modern surveillance gadgets are being used to ensure an incident free Yatra. K. Srinivasan, Director General of the paramilitary Border Security Force, said adequate security is being provided for the pilgrims safety. "This year route security is our main task. For the pilgrims who come from Baltal we provide them security. IED (improvised explosive device) checking, frisking, aggressive patrolling is being done. We have a dog squad also. We have deployed 32 companies. Even medical teams with 12 doctors have been deployed," he told reporters after offering prayers at the cave shrine. So far about 125,000 pilgrims have visited the shrine. Amaranth stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet (3,888 metres) above sea level, 141 kilometres (88 miles) from Srinagar.
-July 21, 2005

Foreigners rescued from floods in Himachal's Kinnaur  (Go to Top)

     Kinnaur (Himchal Pradesh): The Indian Air Force (IAF) began a chopper service to evacuate tribals marooned in the Kinnaur valley today after the region was cut off by flash floods. Heavy rains have continued to lash Himachal Pradesh state, bringing life to a standstill and cutting off Kinnaur from the rest of the country. Air Force officials said they supplied essential commodities to those marooned in the upper reaches of the valley. "Initially our task was to evacuate the tourists from the Kinnaur district, foreign as well as Indian. We have evacuated 70 foreign tourists and 1500 Indian tourists. After this particular operation we are now concentrating on supplying essentials like fresh vegetables here," said Squadron Leader Manish Patel. Meanwhile, heavy rains for over a week in neighbouring Uttaranchal have increased the threat of landslides and road blockades, an annual feature during the monsoons. Most of the rivers, including the main Ganges are flowing above the danger level and parts of the highways have been damaged. Many villagers say they have been displaced due to three days of continuous rainfall, which has washed away houses in the area. Villagers say despite repeated requests, they have not received help from the government. "We have shifted to safer areas now. We have left our villages because of landslides. Our homes have been destroyed. But the authorities are not doing anything for us despite knowing everything," said Surender Singh, a villager. Shanti Thakur, another villager said the residents were planning an agitation against the government for allowing projects that upset the fauna and flora, causing environmental hazards. "If we interfere with the nature, this will happen. We are starting an agitation against the provincial authorities," she said. Meanwhile, the authorities say they have sounded a red alert in Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts, as they fear landslides in the coming days. "Those villages who are in the danger zone have been identified and authorities have been told about that," said P.S. Bisht, a local legislator. The Pana-Maneri hydropower plant has been closed due to heavy rains, which is expected to cause major power shortage in the area.
-July 13, 2005

Pilgrimage to Amarnath cave shrine resumes (Go to Top)

     Jammu: The pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir Himalayas resumed on Wednesday from the twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal after the weather showed signs of improvement. Official sources contacted here confirmed that a small batch of pilgrims had started moving from the Nuwan Base Camp in Pahalgam towards the 3,880 metre high holy cave this morning. Pilgrims camping at Baltal left for the shrine in the afternoon, the sources added. On Tuesday, both routes were declared off limits because of the slippery conditions caused by heavy rains in the area. Pilgrims, however, were not allowed to proceed from the base camp located at the Maulana Azad Memorial Stadium in Jammu towards the cave shrine. No fresh pilgrims were allowed to undertake the journey from Jammu to Srinagar today to avoid overcrowding of base camps at Nunwan and Baltal, the sources said. Meanwhile, the sources said nearly 1.25 Lakh pilgrims have paid homage to the naturally formed Shivlingam since the pilgrimage commenced on June 21. Of them, as many as 1.18 lakh pilgrims have returned home.
-July 13, 2005

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