Forest fires: department prepares new project
By Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, May 18 — Even as the summer months, which often witness forest fires are only half way through, forests in Haryana this year have become a virtual 'tinder box' as ravaging fires have so far destroyed several hundred hectares of forest area.

The forest officials say in the past 10 years the loss had never been on such a scale due to the prolonged dry spell. So far at least 187 incidents of major and minor forest fires have been reported mainly from the Shivalik ranges, falling in Yamunanagar, Ambala and Panchkula districts. Even the Inspector-General of Forests in the Ministry of Environment has expressed concern over the forests fires in the state.

Though the loss in about 3200 hectares of forest area when compared to the neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh , where several thousand hectares of forests have been gutted in the raging fires, may be on a lesser level the officials of the State Forest Department admit that the level of preparedness to control such fires has to be strengthened.

The last time when ranging fires destroyed forest area in Haryana on a large scale was during 1988-89 when fire broke out in 1831 hectares of forest area in 36 separate cases. As compared to it only 1254 hectares of forest was damaged during the financial year 1995-96.

Taking into account this year's incidents of forest fires which has damaged over 3200 hectares of area in the Shivalik ranges, the officials lament that there were meagre funds and inadequate infrastructure at their disposal to combat forest fires. For example around Rs 2.75 lakh was available with the department during the financial year 1998-99, while for the financial year 1999-2000 around Rs 3.50 lakh has been earmarked for fire fighting measures.

Anticipating such catastrophe in the future, the Forest Department has forwarded an ambitious Rs 5 crore project to prevent, detect and control forest fires to the State Government. The project, to be implemented over a period of five years, would be sent to the Ministry of Environment for funding.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Haryana, Mr Banarsi Dass, said the main aim was to protect and preserve the natural forests of chir, sal, khair and bamboos and the wildlife sustained by the forests. It had also been proposed to use modern fire-fighting equipment and to educate the locals about the damage caused by forest fires. Involvement of the local population by constituting fire-fighting squads was also planned, he added.

Around Rs 2.40 crore has been sought under the recurring costs on account of creating and maintaining fire lines, employing fire watchers, holding awareness camps for the local population , training of the forest staff and for research and development. Under the non-recurring cost head Rs 2.50 crore has been earmarked for construction of fire observation towers, purchasing of fire tenders, vehicles, water tankers and jeeps. Stress has also been put on equipping the forest staff with mobile wireless sets and for procuring fire fighting equipment.

LPG trucks pose traffic hazard
From Our Correspondent

LALRU, May 18 — Haphazard parking of trucks, loaded with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, along the Chandigarh-Delhi National Highway, has become a traffic hazard and a threat to public life here.

The trucks remain parked on the roadside, near the bottling plant of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, for many days. The LPG cylinders are also allegedly sold at a premium here.

The residents alleged that with the help of some devices, truck drivers refilled empty cylinders by pilfering gas from other cylinders. This practice had become common among truck drivers here, they alleged.

Shopkeepers of the market complain that illegal manual refilling of gas cylinders may cause a major disaster at any time. They complained that haphazard parking of trucks on the roadside added to road congestion which might cause accidents.

Though the subdivision has a LPG bottling plant, residents of this area have to buy gas cylinders at black market prices from these truck drivers, in the absence of a gas agency. The consumers have to approach various gas agencies in Rajpura, Ambala, Chandigarh and Panchkula for gas connections.

Mr Balwinder Singh, Manager of the plant, was not available for comments. Another official, who did not disclose his identity, said that their responsibilities ended when a truck loaded with cylinders crossed the gate. "It is the job of the administration to check the irregularities afterwards," he added.

Mr Sher Singh Sidhu, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, said that strict action would be taken against the defaulters as this was a serious issue.

No check on corridor encroachments
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 18--In the absence of formulation of any clear- cut anti-encroachment policy by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), encroachments on public land are increasing rapidly with each passing day.

A random survey of different sectors by TNS today showed that apart from the encroachments in the corridors of the shopping complexes and outside the houses on the road berms, encroachers were now eyeing areas such as the parking lots and other open spaces.

this is despite claims by the civic body that it had been carrying out regular drives to remove encroachments from the public land. Apparently in the absence of any follow-up action, the situation is back to square one as the encroachers are back with a vengeance.

In fact, anti-encroachment drives of the corporation seem to be only "money-minting" exercises with the result that the encroachers are back after paying the fines. And in a majority of cases, the information about the drives is leaked in advance defeating their very purpose.

A drive down the Dakshin Marg showed that encroachers, mostly migrant labour, have virtually gobbled up prime land worth lakhs of rupees. Temporary structures along the road were increasing rapidly and they were a serious of nuisance, alleged residents.

Mr Hukam Singh, a resident of Sector 21, alleged that they were a serious health hazard as they bathed and defecated in the open near residential area. Repeated representations to the authorities have failed to elicit any response, he complained.

Similarly, the encroachment drive in the motor markets of Sector 27 and 28 seems to have been left midway.

The mechanics are back with a bang. They have even started encroaching upon the land near army houses in Sector 28-D with the result that the residents have started raising their boundary walls to escape the nuisance created by mechanics .

The situation in the Sector 21 scooter market is no different. The parking area and the back of the market, opposite the residential area has been encroached upon by the mechanics.

Not only that, shopkeepers along Madhya Marg in Sector 8, in a representation to the Chandigarh Administration, complained of encroachments in the varandahs by beggars and the labour working in the sector. Also, encroachments on the back by hotel owners in Sector 35 continues unabated.

In fact, an unauthorised structure near the the Rose Club in Sector 16, which was removed sometimes back, has sprung up again. This is despite the fact that senior officials of the civic body live in the sector.

Rooms, staff shortage, plague city schools
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 18 — Majority of ordinary government schools in the city are plagued with problems of shortage of staff, rooms and other infrastructure facilities like drinking water.

A visit to some of the schools today revealed the plight of the students, particularly in summers. In the absence of adequate classrooms in Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Sector 23, students have to take their lessons under the trees, in the scorching heat. Classes were alos held in the verandah, laboratory and library. As a result, students are not able to use library and laboratory facilties. The shortage of staff was also reported in this school which has a strength of nearly 1000 students. Students of senior classes said that a major part of the day was wasted in free periods due to shortage of teachers, which later would affect their results.

The situation is no better in Government High School, Sector 38-B, where students of Class II were found sitting on the floor right at the school entrance. This indicates that the school does not have sufficient arrangement to accommodate 800 students. The low height of the school wall is also adding to their woes as often, students cross it to bunk the school and indulge in unwanted activities outside.

The adjacent Government Model High School in Sector 38 is plagued with the problem of water shortage. A visit to the school revealed that both pitchers and the tank were without water, only a few hours after the school had opened. Parents of some students alleged that their children were falling sick since they did not get drinking water in school, especially in this heat. Here too, the number of rooms is not enough to meet the requirement and often, classes have to be either combined or arranged in the open.

In Government High School, Sector 24, too, teachers and students have to do without drinking water these days. The Principal, Mrs Kuldip Kaur said that if the afternoon water supply was restored, it would not only solve the drinking-water problem, but also help the school maintain clean toilets.

While Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, happens to be the oldest school in the city, it is still without a proper boundary wall. Abundant growth of congress grass can be found both inside and outside these schools.

The District Education Officer (DEO), Mr Brahmjit Kalia, when acquainted with some of these problems, said that instructions had already been sent to all school heads that they should purchase sufficient number of pitchers. They could use the money from the Red Cross and amalgamated funds. In case of any emergency, they cold use the services of water tankers to get their tanks filled. Regarding the shortage of rooms in some of the schools, he said that but for a few schools, others were running a double shift to overcome it.

Rehabilitation project faces further delay
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 18 — The rehabilitation of mechanics in the city by the Chandigarh Administraion will be delayed as the tenders for completing an abandoned complex in Sector 38 were finalised and floated yesterday.

The project had been abandoned midway by the company which had undertaken the work and action was initiated against it. On verification by the Chandigarh Housing Board authorities, it was found out that only 15 per cent of the work had been completed. The contract was subsequently cancelled.

Under the rehabilitation project 431 booths and shop-cum-flats were to be constructed in Sectors 38 and 48. While the Sector 38 project was completed by the board in November, the latter is likely to be completed at the end of this year.

Sources said the allotment process had run aground with the mechanics' associations alleging that the rates being charged for the sites were too high. The process of shortlisting genuine claimants was also alleged by these associations to be "unfair and arbitrary".

Even though the administration is losing money on account of the non-allotment of the shops, nothing can be done until the process of fixing the prices is finalised. The rates reportedly demanded by the administration were Rs 11 lakh for booths and Rs 17 lakh for shop-cum-flats, which were not accepted by mechanics.

Another reason for the delay is that the mechanics do not want to shift from their present sites as they are located in developed centrally located markets.. Both markets were located in far corners of the city and at fair distance from the present ones, the sources added.

On the other hand, Mr Joginder Singh, a former Chairman of the Motor Mechanics Welfare Association, refuted the allegation of hampering the process. He said that the prices were too high and mechanics did not have the means to buy the sites at exorbitant market rates.

The rates should be brought down to more realistic levels. Meetings were held with senior officials of the administration in this context, but to no avail. The last meeting was held with Dr G. Vajralingam, the then Finance Secretary, who initially agreed to consider lowering the rates and scheduled a series of meetings so that the issue could be solved once and for all.

His sudden transfer stalled the parleys. There had been no progress for the past three months. A meeting in this context with the Adviser had been reportedly postponed a few days ago, Mr Singh said.

Regarding the outcome of a fresh survey carried out to determine the number of mechanics in the city by the Estate Office, he said the findings of the previous survey and the present one differed a lot. While the previous one had quoted the number of mechanics as 1,700, the present one placed it at 2,053. The number of mechanics quoted in earlier surveys was 1,307, he said.

Even as the present impasse continues, the worst sufferers are those who live in areas which have maximum concentration of mechanics, like Sectors 21, 27 and 28. A major anti-encroachment drive in this context was carried out in Sector 28. But, in view of the protest by the mechanics and charges of harassment by the shortlisted claimants, it had to be suspended and things were back to square one.

Panchkula judicial complex ready
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, May 18 — The local courts are expected to start its functioning from a newly constructed judicial complex in Sector 1 here by the first week of July. Presently the courts are functioning from a congested space in the Sector 8 market here.

The two storeyed judicial complex, which would be inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, on May 20 has been constructed in a record period of over 11 months at a cost of about Rs 2.30 crore. The Governor of Haryana, Mr Mahabir Prasad, had laid the foundation stone of the complex in July last year.

According to information available, the building — to which two more floors can be added — has been designed to accommodate a fullfledged district and sessions court. On the ground floor space has been provided for the District and Sessions Judge, the Additional District and Sessions Judge, the Civil Judge (Senior Division) a library, a bar room, a malkhana, a strong room, lock-up rooms, toilet blocks and a parking lot.

On the first floor accommodation has been provided for five lower courts, a naib court, a record room, toilet blocks and a staff room. Three staircases, including an independent staircase for the judicial officers, have been provided.

A separate dual carriageway, linking the judicial complex with the Panchkula — Naraingarh road, has been constructed from near the local Government College. Officials say that the dual carriageway would provide an alternative road to the mini-secretariat.

Besides, provision for a lift has also been made. It may be pertinent to mention here that the Chief Minister while inaugurating the mini-secretariat in April last year had pointed out that lifts should be provided in public offices, especially for the benefit of the handicapped and the aged.

Meanwhile, the district administration has written to the Registrar, Punjab and Haryana High Court, through the Financial Commissioner, Administration and Justice, Haryana, about the completion of the judicial complex. The High Court in turn would write to the District and Sessions Judge, Ambala, who would then intimate the judicial officers in the local courts to shift to the judicial complex. The entire exercise is expected to be completed by the first week of July.

In a separate development the District Bar Association today met officials of the district administration regarding the availability of land to accommodate cabins of lawyers. Officials of the PWD (B and R) said a big chunk of land behind the judicial complex was being levelled.