Dehradun, 31 July 2005

An extensive wildlife census carried out in 12 national parks and sanctuaries across Uttaranchal has shed some light on the tiger population in the state.

The census was carried out by 2290 teams all over the state.

According to the latest figures, the tiger population has dwindled from 251 to 241 in the past four years.

Geographical limits

State’s Forest Minister Nav Prabhat blames the estimates on the roaming cats whose territory might exceed geographical limits of the state.

“Our staff counts tigers according to the protected territory or zone in which they roam. Sometimes, tigers as well as elephants cross onto non-protected zones,” he said.

“We will first put the count of both these zones together and then cross check the figures of the tiger population along the Uttar Pradesh border and will then know the exact standing of tiger figures,” the minister added.

Breeding tigresses

For the first time, a census of breeding tigress was done and 18 healthy tigresses were located and yet there has been a nominal increase in tiger population.

“In the first place it is a very difficult job to spot a breeding tigress as it is extra shy and the cubs are extra shy and that is why we can’t get to those tigresses all the time,” said Srikant Chandola, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttaranchal.

“But these are the tigresses that have been seen and whose the plaster cards been taken for the same and so we stand any verification that these tigress exists in our state,” he added.

The Forest Ministry hopes that with Spatial Mapping of Tigers that will be start from November, this year will give an accurate increased estimate of big cats present in Uttaranchal.

News Source: http://www.ndtv.com

Outlook India, July 25, 2005

The impact of shrinking ice cover over the Himalayas is not something which should worry only future generations. If there are reduced discharges in some rivers, at other places mountain springs which supply drinking water to villages are drying up. At the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which operates the Bhakra Hydel Project on the rivers Sutlej and Beas, chairman Rakesh Nath told Outlook that they are concerned over the way discharges have reduced in the last 20 years or so.

The Uttaranchal Jal Vidyut Nigam (UJVN) operates a number of hydel projects on the Yamuna and Ganga rivers systems. Says chairman and managing director Avadh B. Giri, “It’s high time we looked at shrinking glaciers as a water resources problem and not merely an environment issue. There has been a significant long-term reduction in the discharges of Uttaranchal rivers and we need to take drastic steps to remedy this.” A chain of small power houses on the Yamuna meant to generate about 550 mw power are operating at one-third the capacity in non-monsoon months due to less flows. Authorities are now planning to increase the Yamuna flows on these power houses by building a storage dam on the Tons river (a tributary of the Yamuna) so that stored water from the Tons can augment the Yamuna channel.

Even the Ganga, which is in a more comfortable position than the other Uttaranchal rivers (it is fed by more than 250 glaciers) registers extremely low discharge of about 5,000 cusecs at Rishikesh in the lean season. And though its monsoon flow varies between 3 lakh to 4 lakh cusecs, this is down from the monsoon highs of around 5 lakh to six lakh cusecs in the ’70s.

In the Uttaranchal hills, several small spring-fed rivers like the Kosi, Gaggal, Western Ram Ganga and Gaula are fast drying up. A recent study by the Kumaon University noted that discharge in the Kosi has gone down from 790 l/sec in 1992 to 196 l/sec in 2004. An Uttaranchal Jal Sansthan survey on mountain springs used for rural water supply schemes, found that in 805 out of 4,719 springs surveyed, the water had reduced by more than 50 per cent.

News Source: http://www.outlookindia.com

Dehradun, 22 July 2005

Aptech may be making news in the stock market. But in Uttaranchal, the company is coming under scrutiny yet again.

After running into a title dispute two years ago, Aptech had made a strong comeback by bagging a major contract in Uttaranchal for providing computer education to students at low cost.

Subsequently, the state government signed an MoU with the company to provide computer education at Rs 350 per month per student in 57 degree colleges with computer training being made compulsory in all the 16 polytechnics.

And now, the government has suddenly realised that the Aptech course had failed to provide desirable results as far as computer education in Uttaranchal was concerned. Currently, nearly 2,500 students are taking Aptech courses under the project “shikhar”.

When contacted, Uttaranchal Technical Education Minister Hira Singh Bist confirmed the government was gathering information regarding the lapses in the education.

“All the principals of these polytechnics are of the view that students have failed to pick up computer education through Aptech courses,” Bist said.

Aptech had run into rough weather hours before the signing the MoU with the state government after Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), a Hyderabad-based central government computer company, claimed it had quoted much lower rates in the bidding process, and the contract finally went to Aptech in most of the districts.

The ECIL rate was Rs 162 per month. Prior to coming to Uttaranchal, Aptech had also run into a title dispute.

“We are gathering all information related to Aptech since the company is making Rs 1 crore profit from Uttaranchal every year,” Bist said.

When asked whether the government was mulling to scrap the contract with Aptech, Bist said a decision in this regard would be taken at the highest level.

The objective of the project is to impart “world class” and “job oriented” IT education to students of these degree colleges.

Significantly, Aptech had bagged the contract in 11 out of the 13 districts of the state for providing computer education while for only two districts, Hardwar and Udham Singh Nagar, the contract went to ECIL.

News Source: http://www.business-standard.com

Dehradun, 22 July 2005

Uttaranchal government has signed an agreement with Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) for building 400 mw Bhaironghati hydel project on the river Bhagirathi in the state.

A memorandum of understanding was signed in this regard last evening in the presence of Chief Minister N D Tiwari, Power Secretary N Ravishanker said.

Under the agreement, the CCC would provide loan of Rs 2000 crore to Uttaranchal Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) through Power Finance Corporation (PFC) for building the project in Uttarankashi district.

CCC would also provide expertise in hydro power, planning, design engineering, project management, technical supervision and latest equipments required for the project, Ravishanker said.

Speaking on the occasion, Tiwari reiterated his government’s commitment to exploit the hydro power resource so as to put the state on firm footing

News Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Dehradun, July 16, 2005

The World Heritage Site (WHS) status for the Valley of Flowers in Chamoli has come after years of hard work by the forest officials.

The valley was discovered in the 1930s by an Englishman but it was a woman Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer from the North-east, Jyotsna Sitling, who rescued it. First, she worked tirelessly with the locals to clear the 87-tonne garbage from the buffer zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere near the valley. This led to regeneration of some flowers which were considered extinct.

After this, she worked with the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and submitted the valley’s claim to the WHS status, in January 2004. Her work was recognised when a screening committee of International Conservation Union (ICU) visited the valley in October 2004. The committee went back impressed.

“I am relieved that the dream which we shared with the local community of Nanda Devi Reserve (NDR) has been fulfilled,” said Jyotsna, a former director of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve who now works as the project director of Livelihood Improvement Project for the Himalayas.

“The new heritage status would put the valley on the world tourist map and help Uttaranchal attract tourists from around the globe,” Uttaranchal Chief Wildlife Warden S.K. Chandola said.

Out of six natural World Heritage Sites in India, Uttaranchal now has two — the second being Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve of which the Valley of Flowers is a part.

The valley had remained unknown to the outside world till 1938. An English traveller, Frank Smith, discovered it 1931 during his attempt to scale Mount Kamet.

Situated in the upper Himalayan ridges at a height of 3,200 to 6,675m over 87.5 sqkm in Chamoli, it has 521 varieties of flowering plants. Of these, six are not found anywhere else.

Six more valleys

The forest officials are buoyed by the discovery of other valleys with diverse flora and fauna. “We have identified six more valleys of flowers in the region,” A.K. Banerjee, a former deputy director of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, said. The state government is cataloguing the plants in these valleys.

News Source: http://news.webindia123.com

Chamoli (Uttaranchal), July 15, 2005

Situated in the upper reaches of Bhyundar Ganga (Laxman Ganga river) in the state’s Chamoli district, ‘Valley of Flowers’ is spread over 87.5 square kilometers.

A glacial corridor located at an altitude of between 3,250 mt and 6,750 mt, above sea level, the valley is a carpet of wildflowers during the monsoons.

Established as one of the country’s smallest national parks in 1982 with the aim of protecting the catchment area of the Pushpavati River, steep valley which leads to Hemkunt Sahib.

The Park starts from Ghangharia passes the snowclad peak of Ratban Parvat and heads towards kunt Khal and Nar Parvat. The flower blooming period starts lasts mid July to mid August. Almost 300 species of wild flowers bloom here.

The valley’s most popular flowers are the Himalayan blue poppy, uncommon varieties of primula and orchids which bloom during June, impatiens, potentillas, and campanulas which paint the valley pink, red, and purple during July and August.

Most of these flowers have medicinal values too. There is an abundance of Asmanda as well.

From October onward, the valley is snow bound for about five months.

Traditionally, the Valley of Flowers is used by shepherds to allow their flock to graze.

References of this colouful and eye catching valley, are found in ancient Indian History and literatures. Legend has it that this vally had valueable ‘Sanjeevani’ herb which Hanuman picked up and brought to Lanka to revive an injured Lakshman.

But due to its near inaccessible approach, the valley disappeared from the tourist map until in 1931 when Franksmith, a British mountaineer, having lost his way while returning from successful expendition to Mt. Kamat, discovered valley. (ANI)

Related Links: Valley of Flowers Photo Gallery