Reviving soil, water conservation
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 22 — The Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute has been successful in reducing the annual siltation coming from the catchment area into the Sukhna Lake from 141 tonnes per hectare to 14 tonnes per hectare. The task was taken up under the Integrated Watershed Development Programme. The construction of an earthen micro-dam and adoption of soil conservation are its main constituents.

The regional centre of the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute (CSWCRT) has been doing a commendable job since its formation in 1956 in conservation of soil, water and forests in the Shivalik foothills and economic development of farmers in the area. It also gives technical guidelines and consultancy to the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.

The centre has been dealing with the problems in soil and water conservation in the Shivalik foothills, covering about three million hectares. The main problem in the Shivaliks is that of soil erosion through water and the soil being vulnerable due to uneven topography and fragile nature of the Shivalik foothills. Indiscriminate removal of vegetation and grazing by animals also play a role in soil degradation. In some places, the annual soil erosion is 500 to 600 tonnes per hectare.

The erosion has resulted in siltation of reservoirs, widening of chos and sand and silt rendering agricultural fields unfit for cultivation. Recurring floods, droughts and depletion of ground water pose threat to farmers.

The centre took up a research programme in soil erosion and conservation of water resources through rain water harvesting and construction of earthen micro-dams. The success of the Sukho Majra project encouraged the centre to start the Rel Majra and Bunga projects in Punjab and Haryana, respectively.

These projects gave a boost to agricultural production and provided irrigation from rain water. They provided catchment areas with vegetation. farmers got fuel and fodder. These micro-dams enhanced the economic status of the rural community.

Under the Integrated Wasteland Development Programme, the centre started a Bhagwasi Aganpur project near Dera bassi, where 550 hectares of wasteland (including panchayat land) was selected for development. villagers were trained to become self-reliant. tools were given to carpenters and shoe-makers free of cost under the project funded by the Ministry of Rural Development. Sewing and embroidery machines and carpet-making machines were also provided.

The project turned wasteland into agricultural land and land levelling and contour binding increased crop production. The ground water was recharged. Construction of check dams and increase in vegetation cover helped in making land fit for cultivation.

The centre also started an "introduction of kisan nursery" project near Dera Bassi. Under this project, the farmers were given seedlings and technical assistance to grow poplar trees and after one year, these plants would be purchased by the centre. In this way, the farmers would get money for their plants and the centre would get the plant on rates cheaper than the market rates.

The centre has also been growing khair plants, bhabbar grass, guava, kinnow, amla, trees for timber and cereal crops in its research farmhouse covering 750 acres in the Mansa Devi complex. Before the acquisition of this farmhouse in 1956, soil erosion was 150 tonnes per hectare per year, resulting in disruption of drainage and communication system and degradation of soil.

The head of the centre, Dr R.K. Aggarwal, said: "Our experience has shown that whatever development programmes we undertake should be through people's participation based on their needs. This helps in better utilisation of funds and success of the project."

Ray of hope for leprosy patients
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 22 — Gone are the days when a large number of people had doubts about the curabilty of leprosy.

The Chandi Khusth Ashram, in Sector 47 houses 150 persons, out of which only 60 are patients and the rest 90 are their relatives. The patients have come from various parts of the country. They have been either abandoned by their families or they have left their homes on their own in the fear of earning disrespect of their dear ones because of the disease.The society of the ashram was formed in 1973.

The patients living in the ashram spend their time by either remembering good days or waiting for some donor. Most of these residents are jobless either due to permanent disabilities caused by the disease or simply due to the non-acceptance by society.

Mr Kara Reedy who has come from Andhra Pradesh says that he always waits for fruits and sweets. He said he could not work due to permanent disability and had to survive on about Rs 300-400 which he receives from the ashram society.

The ashram secretary, Mr K. Krishna, narrates his story and says that he had left his family, fearing his disease might affect the marriage of his sister. He said the residents of the ashram had started a small business but it had failed due to its non-acceptance by society.

On the other hand Lient-Col Dr Uma Vasudev, Medical Officer of mobile leprosy treatment unit, General Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh, criticised the purpose of the institute. She said this institute had ruined the very purpose of rehabilitation.

Dr Uma presented a data mentioning that out of 204 registered patients in the city only four were beggars. She said the rehabilitation programme had helped various leprosy patients to rehabilitate in society. She said under the programme sponsored by WHO, medicines are distributed among patients free of cost.

Dr Uma said the programme lacked in the facility of a mini-hospital. She said a mini-hospital should be opened at the Chandi Khusth Ashram so that the patients who need regular treatment could be benefited. She said if a hospital is opened in the city, the disease could be eradicated easily.

AWHO flat owners an unhappy lot
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, June 22 — Residents of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) flats in Phase 2 here are an unhappy lot with neither the Municipal Council nor the AWHO interested in redressing their grievances. In fact, the complex is at present “nobody’s baby” and they feel like neglected orphans.

Possession of 64 flats was given in 1990 and the construction of 39 others was completed in 1995. So far, charge of the complex has not been given to the civic body.

Residents are sore that they have to get their problems solved through funds collected on their own or at the “personal level” through the municipal councillor or the President of the council. Work is got done as an obligation and not as a matter of right.

Brig S. S. Bal (retd), President of the Army Welfare Housing Cooperative Maintenance Society, said one of the hitches in handing over the charge to the civic body was the unauthorised modifications in the buildings carried out by residents. In two cases of serious rule violation, ground floor residents had encroached upon a small stretch of road in the complex, turning the area into their private lawns.

He said the adjoining Madanpur village was a big nuisance. A boundary wall had been built to cut off the complex but villagers had broken the wall at a few points from where sullage and rain water flowed in.

The filth coming in from the village sometimes choked the sewerage creating additional problems. There was urgent need to have proper drainage in that village. Further, there was a water point near the Phase 2 water reservoir where women from the village washed clothes and to which men brought buffaloes, creating a nuisance. When residents of the flats objected, the women often retaliated using abusive language.

Mr Kulbir Singh, Secretary of the society, said even the streetlights had to be kept functional by the society on its own. The items required had to be purchased through its own funds and an electrician called to do the job. Junior officials of the state electricity board had also to be “paid” to keep the streetlight system in order.

Col C. S. Sohal, a resident, argued that the flat owners were paying charges like octroi and sewerage cess but still could not avail themselves of various facilities available to residents elsewhere in the town. He said there was no safai karamchari of the Municipal Council for the complex and flat owners had to make arrangements on their own to remove wild growth and clean the roads.

Reading room fails to attract readers
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 22 — Situated at a corner in the lawns of the Leisure Valley, Sector 10, this structure is usually mistaken for a canteen. Only on stepping onto the premises, one's imagination transforms from an eating place to the literary world of newspapers and magazines.

To promote reading habits among the citizens of Chandigarh, a novel step was taken in 1977 by opening a reading room in the green belt of Chandigarh. Keeping in view the location and picturesque surroundings it can undoubtedly be called the ''readers' paradise''. Unfortunately, this reading room fails to attract avid the readers it ought to.

Initially a number of senior citizens and students of DAV College used to spend hours together, but gradually the place lost its charm amongst its regular readers. Presently on an average only 10 to 12 persons visit the place. During a visit to the reading room a solitary reader was spotted flipping through the newspapers. Enquiries revealed that the reading room subscribes to around 20 popular journals and newspapers. He was all praise as far as the location of the library and accessibility of reading material were concerned. But he repeatedly complained about the lack of basic facilities like drinking water and toilets at an approachable distance.

''To drink water we have to walk down to the other side of the valley which is very tiring in this scorching heat. Probably this is the reason why the library keeps the public at bay, especially during summers,'' he said. Besides this, there is no provision of coolers to fight the heat away, he complained on condition of anonymity.

The very purpose of the reading room is being defeated due to the indifferent attitude of the authorities. It is losing its importance because of improper advertising and a proper approach road. There are no signs showing directions towards the the library. Many passers-by were found to be unaware of the presence of an exclusive reading room in their vicinity. Although the reading room stands distinct yet efforts have to made to entice readers to enter its domain by putting banners and also on the remaining three walls of this edifice facing the road. Apart from this, there is a requirement of a pucca path leading to the library.

The concept is commendable but needs a regular boosting by the authorities. Similar projects will prove beneficial and popular if spread to other areas of the green belt — Fragrance Garden and Terrace Garden located in Sectors 36 and 33, respectively.

Hostel losing character
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 22 — The laxity on the part of the authorities has made pitiable the state of International Hostel in Sector 15, which houses students of Government College, Sector 46, the Government College of Arts, Sector 10, and some of the medicos of the PGI.

The hostel, which was meant for foreign students, now gives way to students of the colleges, lacks in maintenance and cleanliness. The hostel has been surrounded by unwanted bushes such as congress grass and other shrubs which give shelter to infectious flies, insects and even snakes.

A government employee, on condition of anonymity, has disclosed that there is only one "safai karamchari" for the upkeep of the hostel which houses around 300 students. There is not even a single gardener to remove the unwanted things from the premises of the hostel. He adds that the absence of bins has added to the worries of the hostelers.

The condition of toilets and lavatories is deplorable as most of them are having broken doors and non-working flushes. Water supply to this hostel is insufficient to meet the requirements. Stagnant water at the entrance of the hostel forces inmates to wade through it. The lavatories and toilets emit bad odour, making it almost impossible for the inhabitants to use them.

The members of the Indian baseball team, who have been lodged in this hostel, have their own tale to tell. One of the team members, on condition of anonymity, alleges: "Though we are going to represent India in the Third Asia Cup in baseball, the indifferent attitude of the officials concerned has created hardships for us. Neither the flushes in the toilets work nor is there an ample supply of water." He further alleged that they had not been provided beds and the food served by the mess contractor was neither hygienic nor tasty.

Several windows are without panes. The parking lot of the hostel cries for proper maintenance and light arrangements.

Though the hostel comprises around 70 rooms, there is neither a provision of a doctor nor even a first aid box. The hostel is not having any telephone facility.

When asked about the medical facilities, an attendant of the hostel said:"Whenever the hostelers and the staff require medical assistance, they consult the medicos of the PGI residing on the top floor of the hostel."

Despite the fact that the hostelers, except the medicos of the PGI, vacated the rooms in the second week of May, neither any repair work nor white-washing of the premises has been done so far.

College of Arts cries for attention
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 22 — The College of Arts, which polishes the talent of budding artists of the region, cries for attention.

Although the Administration has started the renovation work, its slow pace and early arrival of monsoon have made things difficult before the beginning of the new session.

Mr Surinder Singh, who had come from Jind to submit his daughter's admission form, said that he was surprised to see the landscaping of the college here. He said that he had visited various art colleges and wondered how an artist could create in such an environment.

Wild plants have grown all over the college campus. Even the few sculptures installed on the campus are covered with plants.

The college also lacked the facility of a proper parking lot.

A student commented that every year they paid a certain amount along with the fee for the parking but for the past couple of years she had not seen any use of the funds.

Another serious problem which the students faced is that of a proper sick room. The sick room presented a pathetic condition. The bed which lay in a temporary and partially covered cabin was full of dust. Empty cardboard boxes were stored under the bed. There is no proper lighting facility in the room. A student said that she had never seen any first-aid box or any medicine in the college. Perhaaps the room had not been opened for years, she pointed out.

A student of applied arts stream said that as the number of students admitted was more, the students often faced problems in displaying their advertisements and exhibitions. She said that for a class of 15 students only one compressor was available and that too generally remained out of order.

Senior faculty members agreed that there were problems, but said they were helpless.

The college does not have a regular principal and even most of its teachers are ad hoc employees.

Another problem which the students faced is that of a canteen. The canteen has been closed due to a case pending in court for the past four years.

Drain causes stench, slush
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 22 — The open drain that passes through various army transit camps near the airport is a source of harassment and misery for the men who stay in the camps and the families of personnel who are posted here. Nobody from the civic authorities has got the drain cleaned.

The drain is an outlet for all sewer water and other waste matter from Behlana village and its surrounding colonies. While all the units located on either side of the drain keep all obstacles free, the solid waste, particularly polythene bags, accumulate near the outlets and block the flow of water.

Mr Vikram Singh Parmar, Officer Commanding, Himank Air Despatch Company, says the stench is all pervading, with a major part of the drain passing through his unit. " Given the amount of waste thrown by the villagers in the drain, our best efforts to have it cleaned everyday come to naught. It seems that the household waste is also thrown in the drain," he adds.

The problem has aggravated with the onset of pre-monsoon showers. The nullah overflows and the dirty water enters the houses. Temporary bundhs had to be constructed to keep the water out. Some of the goods got damaged in the process, he says.

"All efforts to have the drain cleaned have been in vain. I talked to the sarpanch about the matter but he expressed his inability to do anything. Numerous complaints to the civic authorities have been to no avail. My predecessors had been taking up the matter but nothing was done," he adds.

The drain, after passing through this unit, runs parallel to the stockyard of the air force. The area downstream is also affected in the absence of non-cleaning of the drain.