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June, 2005
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Tourists evacuated from Himachal Pradesh

     Rampur/Surendra Nagar/Jammu: Air Force helicopters continue to evacuate stranded tourists from Himachal Pradesh, which has been hit by the flash floods due to bursting of Sutlej river. No deaths have been reported but dozens of homes, roads and bridges have been washed away. Thousands of people have fled their homes after the breach, which local scientists say, may have been caused by a swollen lake in neighbouring China. The water level has receded and officials said the "worst could have been over". The army has moved into the mountainous region since the Sutlej river rose on Sunday, moving an estimated 5,000 people to safe houses on higher ground besides restoring road and telecom links. Officials said their priority was to evacuate tourists stranded at places cut off by road. "There are over 300 tourists stranded, we have evacuated about 100 people since yesterday and very soon the job would be completed," said D.K. Rattan, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Rampur. Officials suspect an artificial lake in neighboring Tibet, which was formed last year after a landslide blocked the Pareechu river, a tributary of the Sutlej, could have breached resulting in the sudden gush of water and are awaiting confirmation from satellite imagery. There has been no comment from Chinese authorities, however.

     Last year, authorities evacuated about 3,000 people from downstream villages in Himachal Pradesh on fears that the lake would burst its banks. But that did not happen. Meanwhile, the flood alert issued in some parts of Gujarat remains operative and the army has been asked to remain on standby as river water levels in the southern part of the state continue to rise alarmingly after four days of incessant rains. Thirty-seven people have died so far, while 30,000 people have been evacuated. Road and rail services also remain disrupted. Many rivers are said to be in spate and several low-lying areas have been flooded. In Surendra Nagar district, several villages were flooded, at least two villages with about a population of 2,000, were cut off as the Vasal river overflowed a dam. "All our houses have been flooded, everything has been washed away. Where do I go now?" said Man Singh Dodia, a resident of Saila village. Several people took shelter in government schools. "There was heavy rain and our houses were washed away. About 40- 50 people took shelter in the school for a day," said Janki Ben, local resident. In Jammu and Kashmir also, the authorities have issued a flood alert with the Chenab river in spate. According to officials, the water level in the river has suddenly risen following rapid melting of snow due to extremely hot temperatures for nearly a week. The river on Wednesday recorded a water discharge of 108,000 cusecs, the maximum in 25 years. "The water has not crossed the danger mark but we have asked our officials to continuously monitor the water level and have also warned the people living on the banks of the river," said G.A. Qureshi, district collector, Doda. India's southwest monsoon has spread to about three-quarters of the country, including New Delhi. The monsoon might cover the rest of India in a week if the wind and cloud system remained strong, weather officials say. The monsoons, though crucial to agriculture and eagerly awaited as the rains wet the parched earth after three months of unrelenting sun, also prove to be a bane as downpour often causes floods in western, eastern and northern plains.
-June 30, 2005

IAF choppers airlift stranded tourists in Himachal  (Go to Top)
by Ramesh Ranjan

     Rampur: Indian Air Force choppers today airlifted about 120 stranded people from Sangla (230 km from Shimla) in Kinnaur district, which has been completely cut off from the mainland. The choppers undertook nearly 13 sorties from Rampur helipad to Sangla and Kalpa (Rekong Peo), which is the district headquarter of Kinnaur district. Many tourists are still stranded in Sangla as the choppers could not operate in the afternoon due to cloud formation. People, who could make it to Rampur, the last major town before Kinnaur district connected with the motorable road, were very happy. "We were stranded there for last three days. So we are very happy to be safe now. In the beginning, there was some sort of panic but later it subsided as the authorities swung into action. But the road and telephone connections are completely cut off. The basis problem in that area is of the breaking of the communication lines," said Meenakshi Yadav, SSP, Gurgaon (Haryana), who had gone there to enjoy holidays with her husband Nitin Yadav, Additional DC, Rewadi (Haryana). The state administration claimed of making its best efforts to evacuate people from cut-off areas. "We have evacuated around 120 people so far on yesterday and today. Air Force choppers are undertaking sorties and there is no problem of essential commodities," said D. K. Ratan, SDM, Rampur.

     Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today announced a three-pronged strategy for immediate, intermediate and permanent relief in flood-hit areas of Kinnaur district. Claiming that the worst of the "Parechhu nightmare" seemed to be over and relief and reconstruction works to be the top priority now, he said that immediate relief envisaged steps to be taken in next three four days, intermediate relief meant steps in next six months while permanent relief would address problems like providing alternate roads and infrastructure to meet any future challenge due to floods and natural calamities. "Rebuilding of the infrastructure like roads and bridges and evacuation of stranded persons would be accorded top priority and a three-pronged strategy would be evolved to provide immediate, intermediate and permanent relief," Patil told reporters. Earlier, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Patil and State Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today made an aerial survey of the area. District officials of the Kinnaur district briefed them about the latest situation in Rekong Peo. According to the sources, the water flow in Satluj river was normal now. But the administration has not withdrawn the high alert. The floodwaters may have receded, but the fear in the people of this area of being attacked by a sudden flashflood can never recede till appropriate mechanism is worked out to tackle such type of situations.
-June 29, 2005

It's monsoon and building collapse season in India  (Go to Top)
by Ashok Dixit/Sutirtha Sanyal

     New Delhi: The onset of the monsoon season in India maybe a welcome relief for many, particularly for those living in the north during the peak summer months of April through June, but these rains do also have a delibitating effect on buildings, specifically those shoddily constructed high-rises in metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Nagpur and Ahmedabad. In the last four days, two buildings have collapsed -- one in Mumbai and the other in Nagpur -- claiming 12 innocent lives -- four in Mumbai and eight in Nagpur. On Tuesday, a four-storeyed building collapsed in Nagpur's south Untkhana area, a day after it caught fire following a a short circuit. Last Saturday (June 25) a a residential building in Mumbai, India's commercial capital, collapsed after torrential rains. On June 12, two persons were killed and an equal number injured when an under construction building collapsed in Rohini in West Delhi. The helplessness of the local authorities can be gauged from the fact that of the 18 people trapped in the Nagpur debris, eight innocents died for want of immediate action and poor construction.

     In Mumbai, four people died and four were severely injured, while three were still reported as being trapped and not reachable because rescue efforts were thwarted by the heavy rains and poor access. Surely the authorities must know very well by now that the monsoons are a regular feature. This, therefore, begs the question: Are norms for the construction of buildings in India being followed at all? Do the municipal authorities in any city or metro have the requisite political will or backing to crack down on the errant builder mafia. As of this moment, apparently not , because there are regular reports of tragedies relating to some building collapse or the other taking place year in and year out, or a buidling collapse just waiting to take place, and the builder mafia continuing to rule the roost and getting away scot free after engaging in underhand dealings. What does the average fireman or municipal official do in such instances. He just throws his hands up in resignation. Take the example of Nagpur police inspector, S.K.Sardar, who said that the fire may have been brought under control, but what was the reason for the building to collapse is anyone's guess. "After getting the fire under control, our men went inside, but the building collapsed. We don't know why it happened. So a lot of people got trapped inside," says Sardar AN.Siddiqui, a senior official of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, adds weakly that the rescue work is still in progress, and he hopes to rescue two more people. But what of the rest? He has no immediate answers, but in almost bizarre fashion says cranes are on the way, almost 48 hours after the collapse. What does a civil engineer, the individual usually associated with building projects, have to say about all this.

     Jishu Nath, a civil engineer, revealed that as far as New Delhi was concerned, most of the buildings had 'load bearing walls'. "Technically, buildings should have a column structure, otherwise a reinforced wall structure. In Delhi, most of the buildings are constructed on brick work, where the building's entire load is transferred to the wall, rather than the foundation. In case of heavy rain, the ground gets weak, and the wall shifts, resulting in the building collapsing on all fours," he said He further said the builders are also to blame for this rampant malpractice. "Builders do not provide a proper plinth to the buildings. As a result, buildings have very weak foundations. Foundation should be reinforced. After all, the entire strength of the building depends on the foundation," he added.
-June 29, 2005

Vaishno Devi pilgrimage hit by porters strike (Go to Top)

     Katra (Jammu and Kashmir): A flash strike by porters and owners of ponies along the route leading to the Vaishno Devi shrine has affected the progress of over 15,000 pilgrims, who having been making their way up from the town of Katra. Progress along the slippery Trikuta Hills trek has stopped because of the indefinite strike by about 10,000 porters and pony owners since Sunday. They have stopped work in protest against a state government decision to allow choppers and battery car services in the area. However, the state government has said that their decision to bring in battery car services is logical as pilgrims have little time or energy to head for the shrine on ponies. It said that both systems could be accomodated. The pilgrimage is said to be a huge money spinner, as over 25 lakh pilgrims have already completed the trip to the shrine this year.
-June 27, 2005

Rath Yatra - the Lord takes a bath in Puri  (Go to Top)

     Puri (Orissa): Thousands of devotees and tourists witnessed the ritual bath of the idols of Hindu deities in Puri on Wednesday. This annual ritual is conducted ahead of the world famous Rath Yatra (chariot festival) dedicated to the Lord Jagannath.The ten- day chariot festival, which begins from July 8, is being celebrated for the last 10 centuries. Amid the blowing of conches and beating of the cymbals, the giant limbless wooden images of three deities - Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra - were taken out of the temple and given bath by priests of the temple. The priests performed the ceremonial bath "Snanpurnima" also called "Shahi snan" or royal bath, consisting of one hundred and eight pitchers of herbal aromatic water, on the three deities draped in colourful traditional gear. Devotees and tourists witnessed the ceremony, one of country's biggest mass religious events. "This is one of the biggest celebrations we have for Lord Jagannath. It is said that we have 13 festivals in 12 months, and "snanpurnima" is our biggest festival. The idol of Lord Jagannath is taken out and bathed."Snanpurima" is very important for us as after this ritual, we cannot see the lord for 15 days," said Brinda, a devotee.

     Mythology has it that Lord Jagannath and the two other deities fall sick after the bath, so they take rest and only appear two weeks later, during this chariot festival.After the sacred bath ceremony, the three deities led by Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Balaram are taken around in a procession around the town. The main ceremony of the ten-day event is the pulling of the three giant chariots by devotees. The journey is a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple where the idols of the deities rest for seven days before their return to the main temple. At the termination of the ceremony, the chariots are broken up and used to manufacture religious relics. Every year, new chariots are made. The Jagannath temple, about 60 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places for all Hindus. According to Hindu believers, Lord Jagannath is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, one of the trinity of the Hindu pantheon.The other two are Brahma, the Creator and Shiva, the Destroyer. A special bath of Jagannath takes place on the Purnima of Jyestha month (Devasnan Purnima), to commemorate the appearance day of Lord Jagannath. According to Skanda Purana when Raja Indradyumna installed the wooden deities, he arranged this bathing ceremony. This day is considered as the birthday of Lord Jagannath. Held in the full- moon day of the month of Jyesth, this festival is also simultaneously held in all other important temples in Puri. 'Niladri Mohadaya', a religious text written in Orissan (Oriya) records the rituals of the festival. Sriharsa in his 'Naisadhiya Charita' (XV.89) also refers to this festival of Purushottama. This bathing ceremony has a special significance.

     As this festival does not find mention in the early religious texts, it is believed to be a tribal ceremony. Lord Jagannath in His early form was being worshipped as Nilamadhava by a Savara chief called Viswabasu. The story is narrated in the drama--Jagannath Priyan Natakam. Till now it is the Daitas and Savars (tribals) who have the exclusive right to conduct the festival. The tribals called Saoras (of southern Orissa) still bathe their deities ceremonially on the last day of the month of Jyestha. For this they collect water from remote jungles where it remains untouched even by the shadow of the animals. On the previous day of Snana Yatra, the images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra along with the image of Sudarshana are ceremonially brought out from the sanctum in a procession to the snana-vedi (Bathing pandal). This special pandal in the temple precinct of Puri is called Snana Mandap. It is at such a height that visitors standing outside the temple also get a glimpse of the deities.
-June 23, 2005

Kerala pitches for enhancing backwater tourism (Go to Top)

     New Delhi: Seeking to enhance the potential of Kerala's backwater tourism, state Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today met the Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, T. R. Baalu and discussed ways in which the Centre and the state of Kerala could cooperate on the issue. The two leaders also reviewed the progress of various port and national highway development projects being implemented in Kerala. Chandy was accompanied by K. C. Venugopal, Kerala's Tourism Minister and Dr. K. S. Manoj, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Alappuzha. Chandy requested Baalu to activate the construction of the proposed General Cargo Terminal at Mullakal, which is to be set up by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). He suggested that the project be shifted to Pallathurathy to avoid adverse impact on backwater tourism in the area and the world renowned Nehru Trophy Boat Race of Alappuzha. Baalu directed the Chairman, IWAI to visit the area on July 1 along with Venugopal and Dr. Manoj and make appropriate recommendations after discussions with the state authorities.

    Kerala's palm-fringed backwaters are inland lakes connected by a network of canals. With 41 west-flowing rivers, the backwaters stretch to almost 1,900 kilometers. The backwater routes date back over the centuries and have been long used for all transportation needs, in particular trade in coconut, rubber, rice and spices. Today, these waterways link remote villages and islands to the mainland and nerve centers of the coastal area. The most interesting area in the backwaters is the Kuttanad region, called the rice bowl of Kerala. The area is probably the only place in the continent where farming is done below sea level, using a system of dykes and bunds. The largest backwater stretch is the Vembanad Lake, which opens out into the sea at the Kochi port and flows through three districts-Alappuzha, Kottayam and Kochi. The Ashtamudi Lake has eight 'arms' covering a major portion of Kollam district in the south, and is the second largest lake in the state. Alappuzha is one of the major centers for backwater boat trips. The intricate network of canals through this town has earned it the sobriquet "The Venice of the East". Small but long country boats are the taxies of the water. The coir workers present an interesting sight as they soak coconut fiber in pools, beat them and wind the strands on long spindles stretched between an endless lines of coconut trees.

      In this backwater town alone, 250 houseboats, 150 mechanised boats and 30 small boats operate for tourists. According to official figures, 17,261 foreigners visited the area in 2002 while it went up to 26,157 in 2003. Though official figures for 2004 have not been released yet, the number of visitors and revenue are bound to go up further. Baalu also informed Chandy about the progress of four-laning works in Kerala under National Highway Development Project Phase III, and added that preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) is in progress for the Thiruvananthapuram - Kerala-Tamil Nadu border section of National Highway 47. For the Mangalore - Edapally section of National Highway 17, preparation of DPR would start in 15 days and for the Charthalai " Thiruvananthapuram section of NH 47, DPR work would be awarded within 15 days, Baalu said. Chandy also proposed further development of the Sabrimala road to four-lane as a large number of pilgrims visit the place. Baalu said that the proposal could be discussed only after the state authorities obtain environmental clearance for the proposal.
-June 21, 2005

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