Pithoragarh, 27 May 2007

The hilly region of Uttarakhand is all set to witness the rush of pilgrims and traders with both Kailash Mansarovar yatra and Indo-Tibet trade resuming from June 1.

A total of 16 batches comprising 45 pilgrims each have been selected for the arduous Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage this year.

“The first batch would begin its journey on June one from New Delhi and last batch would complete its pilgrimage on September 27,” said D K Pandey, tourist officer of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, the nodal agency for the yatra.

The 865-km-long journey passes through the beautiful but tough mountain route including an arduous trek of 70 kms from Mangati onwards. There are five points – Gala, Bundi, Gunji, Kalapani and Nabhidang – on Indian side where the pilgrims would spend nights during the journey.

After entering into Tibet through Lipulekh pass (16,500 ft), pilgrims would be staying in various camps at Taklakot, Kugu, Zaidi, Parkha, Hore, Dera Phuk, Darchain and Zongzairbu before arriving at the Mansarovar lake, situated at 14,862 ft with a circumference of 90 km.

Mount Kailash, considered as an abode of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and Mansarovar, said to have been created by Brahma, are situated in Tibet.

The pilgrimage resumed in 1981 after a gap of 22 years following the infamous 1962 Indo-China war.

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

23 May 2007

In the first week of May, 200-odd Van Gujjar families started moving towards their summer homes in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. They had been stranded around Vikasnagar near Dehradun before a response to a right to information application revealed that Uttaranchal’s forest department had rescinded an earlier decision to bar Van Gujjars from entering their summer homes in the state. It’s a temporary respite though. Uttaranchal’s forest department has made it clear that it will not allow Van Gujjars to enter the state’s forest next year.

Van Gujjars are traditional migrants, practising transhumance—moving up with their livestock herds into the higher reaches of the Himalaya during summers and coming down to the Shivalik in Uttar Pradesh in winters.

Their summer home falls in the Govind National Park (gnp) in Uttarkashi district—the temporary permission allows them to enter the adjacent Govind Wildlife Sanctuary (gws). G S Pandey, director of Rajaji National Park, who also has charge of gnp, says: “This year we are giving permission to these families who come from Uttar Pradesh to go to gws. This will not be so next year.”

Praveen Kaushal ‘Manto’, director of the Society for Promotion of Himalayan Indigenous Activities, a Dehradun-based ngo working for the Van Gujjars, which filed the right to information application, says that the permission letter is dated April 25, 2007. But the Van Gujjars knew nothing of this until April 30, when Kaushal received a response to his application.

Conflict this year
“In the Shivalik, the Van Gujjars pay a ‘lopping tax’ and they pay a ‘grazing tax’ in gws. After paying these taxes they are given permits—a legally admissible document. This is a record of rights—since 1937 at least,” says Kaushal. The 12 Van Gujjar families which were allocated permits in 1937 have multiplied to about 100 nuclear units. The number of permits remains 12 though.

This year in April, when the 12 permit holders (100-odd nuclear families) went to the park authorities for permission (as they do every year), they were denied. “When we were leaving for the Shivaliks this year, the forest officers made us give it to them in writing that we won’t come back. But where do we go, unless alternative arrangements are made,” asks Ulfa, a Van Gujjar.

As a result of a rumour, about 100 other families who go to gws also stopped dead in their tracks. “Being stranded with livestock in the mountains is not a very pleasant proposition for us since we move with all our belongings in tow,” says Roshan, another Van Gujjar.

As a result of the delay in getting permission, the Van Gujjars ran out of fodder that they move with. “I had to buy fodder from a village here. As our fodder demands went up, so did the prices. I just paid Rs 1,000 for four sacks of fodder, which will last for two feedings for the cattle,” says Ulfa. “The buffaloes suffered miscarriages and the calves—and our kids—fell sick. We are not used to the heat and cannot survive in it,” the Gujjars say collectively.

Fight for survival
A June 2003 permanent order of the principal chief conservator of forests, Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand), said that Van Gujjars go through a lot of trouble arranging for permission, but the process should be made easy for them.

But in September 2006, came a superseding order, which made the Van Gujjars sign documents saying they would not come back to gnp. Park officials say that the pressure on forest has increased with the original 12 permit holding families multiplying into 100-odd nuclear units.

At present the state has no plans to resettle Van Gujjars, says Pandey. “One has to settle them slowly, they have no skills or specialisations—not even as labourers,” says Kaushal. He contends that no law bans rights just because the dependents also go to another state. But the order of the chief wildlife warden clearly states that the Van Gujjars will be made to give it in writing that they will not return next year. The chief wildlife warden of the state was not available for comment.

Nikka Kasana, a young Van Gujjar put the state of affairs in perspective: “Confrontation has been deferred, but only till we have to move up again.”

News Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in

Dehra Dun, 22 May 2007

Sagar Enterprise, a company founded by the late Bollywood producer Ramanand Sagar, is planning to set up a multipurpose film city in Uttarakhand with an investment of Rs 250 crore.

Prem Sagar, the head of Sagar Enterprise, met Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Prakash Pant during the weekend and said the company would submit a project report to the government on the investment proposal.

Sagar Enterprise is already developing a film city in Vadodara in Gujarat.

Sagar told Pant that his company would like to set up the film city somewhere along the river Ganga but has not identified land so far. “It could be either Rishikesh or Haridwar,” Pant said.

Sagar said the company was looking for 100 acres for the film city, which will be the first such in the hill state. Pant said the government wants such proposals to come to Uttarakhand because it can give a boost to tourism also.

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

Dehradun, 21 May 2007

There is no immediate threat to Badrinath Temple, one of the holiest Hindu temples located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand from cracks appearing on the snow-capped Neelkanth mountain overlooking it.

A team on scientists from Geological Survey of India and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology that visited the temple on Sunday has ruled out any danger to the shrine and the adjoining township from the cracks.

Following reports of cracks appearing on Neelkanth by some Char Dham Yatra pilgrims to the district administration, the Uttarakhand government had asked a team of experts from the two institutes to study the situation.

“Although the team was unable to conduct an aerial survey due to inclement weather, they were able to see some cracks on the mountain through their binoculars,” said Dr. PC Nawani, Director, Geological Survey of India.

He added that although the exact nature of the cracks can be determined after a proper aerial survey, there is no immediate threat of avalanches damaging the popular shrine or the Badrinath township.

“Preliminary observation suggests that due to the distance of the cracks from the temple and the condition of the slope on Neelkanth, they pose no danger to Badrinath temple and surrounding areas,” said Nawani.

Since no aerial sortie can be undertaken soon to determine the exact nature of the cracks, the team comprising Harish Bahuguna, BM Gairola, KS Bisht and Vikram Gupta is expected to return to Badrinath in future for another look.

Meanwhile, considering the importance of the issue, Geological Survey of India is planning to ask the Uttarakhand government to conduct a regular monitoring of the cracks by studying high-resolution satellite imagery.

“As it is difficult to carry out aerial surveys frequently, the exact position of the glaciers and the crevices located in them can be known by looking at satellite images at regular intervals,” said Nawani.

Located at an altitute of 3133 metres above sea level, the Badrinath Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8 th century is one of the four prominent places of worship for Hindus.

Every year lakhs of pilgrims from within the country and abroad visit the shrine during the six months from May to November when its portals are closed for a six-month winter break. Last year 7.41 lakh devotees had visited Badrinath.

Hotels in Badrinath
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Uttarkashi: Asia’s tallest tree uprooted in squall

Dehradun, 9 May 2007

A 60.65-metre pine tree believed to be the tallest in Asia was uprooted in a thunder squall in Uttarkashi district Tuesday.

The 217-old tree was situated in Tonse forest division in the district and was being treated by the Forest Research Institute (FRI) as it had become weak and old, officials said.

“It is very sad that the tallest tree of Asia has been uprooted,” said B S Barfal, the Chief Conservator of Uttarakhand.

Scientists at FRI also described it as “a big loss”.

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

13 May 2007

The nine-day trek for Mansarovar yatra pilgrims at the icy altitudes of the Himalayas is to get smoother and shorter.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is planning to build a 75.5-km road between Ghatiabagarh and Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand before the yatra hits the last leg in Tibet.

According to sources, the road will be built in two phases. The first phase, a 19-km stretch from Ghatiabagarh to Budhi, is expected to take three years to complete. The 56.5-km second phase, from Budhi to Lipulekh, the last point of
the journey on the Indian side, is likely to be completed by 2011.

While Tibet already has a road up to Mansarovar, the Ghatiabagarh-Lipulekh route on the Indian side is considered to be the most difficult part of the yatra, which is undertaken between June and September every year. The stretch has witnessed several accidents like the August 1998 Malpa tragedy, which claimed many lives.

The sources said the BRO has christened its plan ‘Deepak Project’, which is estimated to cost Rs 634 crore. BRO will build eight helipads along the route, which lies in altitudes ranging from 7,000 feet to 16,000 feet to transport equipment.

According to the sources, the road will be one of the most challenging works ever undertaken by the BRO, which will have to build 11 bridges in the high altitude terrain.

BRO has already submitted a proposal to the Uttarakhand government for acquisition of about 181.3 hectares of land for the road and the helipads. The work on the road is expected to start sometime this year, the sources said.

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