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November 3, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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Machine that chops
straw, saves environment
Ludhiana, November 2 The chopping machine is the first of its kind that has been developed in the region. The management of stubble is the biggest problem in the harvest of paddy. The incorporation of stubble is a time-consuming and difficult task, so, farmers prefer to burn the straw in the fields, posing a threat to the environment and the health of the soil. The smog that recently engulfed the region was the result of the burning of straw only. The tractor-operated chopping machine has been developed by the Department of Farm Power and Machinery in collaboration with Dashmesh Mechanical Works of Amargarh. The machine harvests the straw and chops it into little pieces for spreading in the field in a single operation. The chopped and spread stubble is buried by using traditional disc harrows in two operations and decayed after irrigation. Then, wheat sowing is carried out as usual. According to Dr I.K. Garg, Head of the Department of Farm Power and Machinery, the machine shall cost about Rs 25,000 and cover about eight to 10 acres by using a 40 hp tractor. It is expected to replace the existing stubble shaver. He said the machine would be further simplified to reduce its cost. Dr Garg said it was for the first time that this type of technology for handling rice stubble by chopping had been developed by the PAU. He said that the incorporation of stubble by using this machine was simpler and more time-saving than practiced methods, as it chopped straw in a single operation. He said rice was cultivated on 2.4 million hectares in the state and about 80 per cent of the area under paddy cultivation was machine harvested by combines, leaving behind an enormous quantity of organic matter that was difficult to manage. Dr Garg said the incorporation of combine-harvested straw required at least 6 to 7 operations and involved an expenditure of Rs 600 to Rs 700 per acre. The efficiency of commonly available land-preparatory implements like offset disc harrow and rotavators was low in spread-straw conditions. Dr Garg said this was an inefficient method and farmers were burning 19.6 million tonnes of straw every year. The burning of paddy straw not only polluted the environment, but also caused a loss of rich organic matter. As per the estimates, paddy straw worth crores of rupees is burnt every year and 38.5 lakh tonnes of organic carbon, 59,000 tonnes of nitrogen, 2,000 tonnes of phosphorous and 34,000 tonnes of potassium is also lost.
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Awards for PAU
scientists Ludhiana, November 2 Prof Nils Largerlof Award has been bestowed on the research team comprising of Dr A.S. Nanda, Dr G.R. Pangaonkar, Dr G.S. Dhaliwal and Dr Jagir Singh for the best research work published in the year 2000. Dr Prahlad Singh, the reproduction scientist, won Dr R.D. Sharma Award for best research work done in the field of veterinary obstetrics. The award has been instituted by ISSAR after the name of Dr R.D. Sharma, former Additional Director of Research (Vet. and Animal Sciences), PAU, for his life long contribution to the science of obstetrics. Dr Prahlad Singh also won the Best Paper Award for his research on “In Vitro Maturation of buffalo ocytes.” Dr Ajeet Kumar won the Best Outstanding Young Scientist Award for his research on improving conception rate in crossbred cows. |
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Priyanka adjudged
best painter Ludhiana, November 2 Students from over 20 schools participated in the contest. In the paiting contest, students were divided into two categories. In the first
category, Priyanka Kalsi from DAV Public School bagged the first prize, followed by Sheenam from Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School. Karambir from Kundan Vidya Mandir was declared third. In the second category, all three prizes were clinched by the KVM students. Navrrop Kaur, Neha Katyal and Anupama Gupta got the first, second and third prizes, respectively. In the third category, Varinder Kaur from the Government College for Women was declared first, followed by Ginny from Saraswati Public School and Pooja Chaudhary, again from the same school. In the fancy dress competition, Arshpal, who acted like Lord Krishna, stood first in the below five-year category. Khushi was declared second for acting like a Japanese girl. Sagar Bhati won the third prize for mimicking Swami Vivekanand. Consolation prize went to Meharpreet, who acted like a nurse. In the second category, Dhruv stood first for acting like a judo boy, Manjot Kaur was declared second for acting like a Nihang and Nivia Arora won the third prize for mimicking a chakuwali. In the dance contest, Anmoldeep Kaur, Pooja and Sukhmani Kaur were declared first, second and third, respectively, in the first category. Among the contestants of the second category, Arwinder Singh and Malika Jaswal were declared first and second, respectively. Ravjot stood first and Sanjeev Dhingra won the second prize in the third category. In ek minute contest, Manpreet Singh was declared winner and Gagan Nagpal was declared the runner-up. In antakshri, the team led by Monika Sharma and Pawandeep was declared winner. The runner-up team included Daljit Kaur and Jasmeet Kaur. |
Sunita Jain gets exemption for husband Ludhiana, November 2 Anil Jain, accused of murdering his brother, Sunil Jain, is at large, though he was denied bail by Mr Justice K.S. Grewal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on October 15. The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr A.K. Sharma, had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him on October 23. A case was registered against the accused on the statement of Rima Jain, wife of late Sunil Jain, at the police station of Division Number 5 on February 1, 2000, for trespassing the house of the complainant. Today, Anil Jain was to appear in the court in connection with this case. His wife filed an application, seeking that he be exempted from personal presence in the court, on the pretext that the accused is in a hospital in New Delhi for treatment. A medical certificate in support of this claim was also produced in the court and it was issued by one Dr Jasbir Singh of New Delhi. Sunita said he had got sick in New Delhi, where he had gone to pursue his bail case in the Supreme Court of India. Rima Jain opposed the plea of exemption and alleged that the accused had not appeared in the court to flout the orders of the High Court that had cancelled his bail. The Judge, after hearing the arguments, exempted the accused from personal presence in the court and took undertaking of his wife that he would be produced in the court in the next hearing. |
Workshop on winter fashion forecast for European markets Ludhiana, November 2 These views were expressed by fashion experts here yesterday at a seminar-cum-workshop on ‘Fashion forecast for autumn and winter 2002-03 collections’. The workshop was organised by the Apparel Export Promotion Council ( AEPC ) in association with the National Institute of Fashion and Technology ( NIFT), New Delhi. Asha Baxi of the NIFT, addressing the designers of about 40 leading hosiery exporting houses, said, “Four themes are governing the market, including “light”, “anarchy”, “sincerity” and “myths”. There is demand for pure aesthetics, lightness on classic and round base.” The designers should prepare designs for children’s wear, which could cover playful modernity with double faced fabric, she added. Daniel de Diesbach, another expert from Promostyl, Paris, was of the view that among the women customers, there was a demand for clothes, which could provide soft mood, tinged with nostalgia, poetry and simple authenticity. The exporters should also try to mix “primitivism” with dreaminess. The body — hugging tops with adjustable bottoms were expected to rule the teenagers’ market. Mr R.K. Singh, director, AEPC, later said that this was the seventh programme, which was aimed to provide information to the exporters regarding latest fashion trends in the foreign markets.
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Accepting success with modesty Ludhiana, November 2 Eighteen-year-old Sunidhi was here today in connection with her performance on the eve of Karva Chauth. She remains a down-to-earth girl without any airs of greatness about her. In an interaction with mediapersons here today, Sunidhi said she was grateful to her parents who had encouraged her. Her father, Mr Dushant Kumar Chauhan, manages her programmes. He accompanies her to all programmes and recordings. Sunidhi had started singing at the age of 11. She came into the limelight won she won the contest ‘Meri Awaz Suno’ on Doordarshan. Later she was spotted by Adesh Shrivastava at a show and signed her for a film. After that she never looked back. She has worked with many music directors. On an average she sings four songs a week and has at least two live public performances a month. “Performing live gives you a different experience. You are free and you sing for yourself while performing live”, she remarked. She would like to freak out with friends if she had time, but she does not miss it. She had to give up her studies after passing the class X examination. She plans to learn classical music. “No matter what would be your level of success and achievement is, there is always scope for learning and improvement”, she said modestly.
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Vinod Rathod regrets fall in music standards Ludhiana, November 2 Rathod, who is ranked among the top singers of the country, admits that modern days artistes do not mind compromising on the quality of the music they produce. But at the same time he says, ‘‘We should accept the life as it comes, we cannot live in the glory of the past’’. Talking to reporters here today, he also took a dig at the orthodox and traditional music directors like Naushad. He said,‘‘Naushad thinks in terms of past, a past that goes back to about 40 years’’. But he conceded that during the old days people worked hard. ‘‘The music directors would work hard and they would make the singers do the same and this aspect is lacking these days’’, he regretted. Probably having learnt from this shortcoming among most of the modern day singers, Rathod said, he ensured that he did riyaaz (practicing music) at least for 45 minutes to one hour daily. ‘‘Whether I am on recordings or on some public show, I do not break the routine of my riyaaz’’, he said. He said that he carried his tanpura always with him. This he has learnt from another great classical singer Parveen Sultana, who also carries her tanpura always with her, whether at home or abroad. Although Rathod has achieved great success, he still ensures rehearsals before singing for films. ‘‘This is very necessary to understand the situation and the character you are singing for’’, he explains, while adding, ‘‘otherwise I do not think you can do justice with the subject you are dealing in just 3 minutes’’. Rathod owes his success mainly to Laxmikant-Pyarelal. In fact, he says, any singer, who worked for the great duo, achieved great success and says ‘‘Laxmikant-Pyarelal have no parallel in the Indian film music and they have been undisputed rulers of the musical world during the last three decades’’. Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar are his ideals. He listens to their songs whenever he is free. He has a message for others that they should learn from these three great teachers. He points out, ‘‘It is only Lata Mangeshkar who can sing as melodiously at the age of 60 as she used to sing at the age of 20. It does not come for nothing, it demands sacrifice and commitment and Lata ji has sacrificed her life for the music’’. Rathod originally wanted to become a cricketer. But music was not alien to him. His father Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod was a classical singer having specialised in dhrupad. He is also a firm believer in Lord Shiva and attributes his success to Shiva. Last, but not least, his wife Prerna remains his lifelong inspiration.
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Fine arts, music events mark youth festival Ludhiana, November 2 The contest was inaugurated by Mr Balkar Singh Sandhu, SSP, Jagraon. Students from over 10 colleges participated in shabad singing, group song, vaar singing, painting, rangoli and other fine arts events. Results: Shabad — GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sudhar (1), Sri Ganga Giri College, Raikot (2) and Lala Lajpat Rai DAV College, Jagraon (3). Individual prizes — Avneet Kaur, LR DAV College (1), Parminder Kaur, SGGJ College, Raikot (2) and Hapreet Kaur, Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan Khurd (3). Group singing: GHG Khalsa College (1), KCW, Sidhwan Khurd (2) and LR DAV College, Jagraon (3). Individual prize — Verinder Kaur, GHG College (1) and Mamta Sharma, LR DAV College (2). Vaar singing: Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan Khurd (1), SGGJ Girls College (2) and GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sudhar (3). Individual prizes — Amandeep Kaur, KCW, Sidhwan Khurd (1) and Karamjit Kaur, Guru Teg Bahadur National College, Dakha (2). Landscape: Gurdeep Singh, GTB National College, Dakha (1) Kalpana, GHG Khalsa College (2) and Karamjit Kaur, Guru Teg Bahadur National College, Dakha (3). Still life: Ravinder Singh, Government College, Karamsar (2), Parminder Kaur, KCW, Sidhwan Khurd (3). Drawing from life: Harjit Singh, GHG Khalsa College (2) and Jatinder Singh, Sumatti Government College of Science, Education and Research, Jagraon (3). Rangoli: Surinder Pal Kaur, Sumatti Government College of Science, Education and Research, Jagraon (1), Shveta Goel, SGGJ Girls’ College (2), Sumandeep Kaur, KCW, Sidhwan Khurd (3). Cartooning: Bhupinder Kaur, Sumatti Government College of Science, Education and Research, Jagraon (1), Indermohan Kaur, Sumatti Government College of Science, Education and Research, Jagraon (2), Honey Kumar, GTB National College, Dakha (3). Poster making: Jasveer Kaur, GHG Khalsa College (2) and Inderjeet Kaur, Sumatti Government College of Science, Education and Research, Jagraon (3). Collage making: Sapna, Sumatti Government College of Science, Education and Research, Jagraon (1), Amarjit Kaur, KCW, Sidhwan Khurd (2), Vibha Mishra, GHG Khalsa College (3). Clay modelling: Davinder Kaur, Sumatti Government College of Science, Education and Research, Jagraon (1) and Neetu, KCW, Sidhwan Khurd (2).
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A dance with ghosts and ghouls Ludhiana, November 2 Faint hearted would let out a scream. Then the black tunnel begins with skulls shimmering in an eerie way under uv lights. Faint lights emanating from skulls, as one guest said, were scary to begin with, but when one got used to it, one was filled with a sense of adventure and novelty and was ready for new delights that awaited the guests. The atmosphere was different from the run- of -the -mill parties. Dim lights of different psychadalic colours and different lights came out from carved pumpkins with scary looks cut in a Jack-O lantern shape and a candle in it glistened wickedly. The manner in ghoulish way heightened the ghostly atmosphere which is the fun part of the halloween to drive away spirits. The masks heightened the macabre effect of the party scene. On every table was a candle-lit ghostly pumpkin. On the walls were plastered scary figures of scorpions. A horror movie was being screened and those interested were watching the movie and shrieking at appropriate moments. Though the dress code was black, many guests decided to stand out by wearing different colours. Leela and her partner Raji said,’ “The ambience was unique. We let down our hair and freaked out wearing masks. The painted faces with colourful waiters added to the quaint charm of the party. And thank God people have begun to enjoy other kind of music besides Punjabi.”
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