The release of national guidelines for the management of landslides and avalanches by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, which was prepared by the National Disaster Management Authority on June 23, has again highlighted the recurring problems of landslides in the entire Himalayan region of the country.

Malpa, Ukkhimath, Uttarkashi and the recent Tawaghat landslides in Pitthoragarh in Uttarakhand are a grim reminder of the increasing pressure of developmental needs of the people and the fragility of the Himalayan mountains. [more]

RANIKHET – From this Himalayan town about 380 kilometers from Delhi, my first view of mystical Nandi Devi was one of those velvet-cloaked, sledge-hammer moments in life that softly stuns the senses and leaves one wordless.

Golden early morning sunlight lit the snow-capped 7,800-meter peak, India’s highest, as Nanda Devi glowed with strength, stillness, purity, silence – an awe-inspiring sight in the crisp mountain air. Tourist guides in Seventh Heaven and other next-life holiday paradises may not have many prettier sights to sell. [more]

After spending two years in jail on the charges of being a Naxalite, Binayak Sen is a happy man today, as the Apex Court had issued orders granting him bail.

But, in Uttarakhand, Parshant Rahi, a former journalist, is still languishing in jail on similar charges.

His 27-year-old daughter Shikha Rahi, an assistant director in Mumbai, is fighting a similar situation, as her father Prashant Rahi, referred to as Uttarakhand’s “Binayak Sen”, is still languishing in Haridwar Jail.

A former correspondent with one of the well-established national English daily, Rahi has been under arrest since December 21, 2007 on the charges of leading a Maoist movement in the state.

Shikha Rahi, an assistant director of Taare Zameen Par, is fighting a lone battle as she is still waiting for her father’s plea to be heard. [more]

Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service, Dehradun, May 28

The number of litchi orchards in downtown Dehradun have witnessed a steady decline over the years, solely due to unceasing construction activity in the region. Once the pride of the Doon Valley, litchi orchards in the city may soon be extinct with the region witnessing large-scale felling of green litchi trees to pave way for apartments, a new trend in Dehradun in recent times.

The construction companies, often under the patronage of the high and mighty, target litchi orchards as there is barely any land available for their projects. [more]

The election results in Haridwar constituency have revealed that voters have totally rejected the “hill versus plain” issue, forcing the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party to rethink upon the issue that paid them rich dividends during 2004 polls. [more]

Villagers of Kumaon, disappointed with their elected representatives for failure to provide them water, roads and electricity, boycotted the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. The EVMs installed in their polling booths did not register a single vote.

The villagers of Sumgarh in Bageshwar district were disappointed with the construction of a tunnel in their village by a hydro-electric company. They say the company had not kept its promise to provide handsome compensation for the land acquired and jobs to local youths.

“When the company began work, it promised us not only good compensation for our land but jobs as well,” said Surendra Singh Koranga, organiser of the Sangharsh Samiti, Banse. “But when 80 per cent of work on the tunnel was completed and our water sources had run dry, neither the company nor any government official came to hold talks with us,” said Koranga. Hence, the villagers decided to boycott the elections. [more]

Anmol Jain
Tribune News Service
Mussoorie, May, 14

Forest officials blame villagers for the recent spread of forest fires in Uttarakhand causing devastation in large areas.

However, the role played by the people of Uttarakhand in conserving, protecting and nurturing the forests can’t be questioned. Hundreds of sacred groves are protected by the people as a matter of faith.

The death of nine persons while trying to douse forest fires in the past month point to the efforts of the common man to protect their forests.

In Garhwal and Kumaon numerous large and small patches of forests are protected and preserved as “sacred groves” by communities. Villagers, through “divine sanction” are stopped from harming any vegetation in these groves. Such groves have been thriving since centuries. [more]

Although both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the two main parties in Uttarakhand, are targeting each other for not improving the economic health of the hill state, politics on the real developmental issues is yet to pick up momentum despite the Lok Sabha elections are on.

Uttarakhand, which has five Lok Sabha seats, will go to polls on May 13, the last phase of the ongoing general elections. But with just a few days left, the two parties are not giving much importance to the core developmental issues like hydel projects, roads, flyovers, industries and rail and air connectivity. In other words, the election is being fought mainly on rural and social issues. [more]

This summer, water may become a scarce commodity for the people of Uttarakhand. Due to poor management of water resources, haphazard growth and erratic rain several areas are already reeling under acute water shortage.

The problem may be aggravated in months to come. As many as 92 urban and 395 rural areas in the state are likely to face the heat. In all, 487 areas are in the red and in most, taps may run dry this summer.

The Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan has prepared a survey on the areas likely to face water shortage. In Dehradun, the urban areas that may face water scarcity are 40 and those in rural areas 125.

The rising gap in demand and supply is proving a problem and the government has taken several measures to handle it. In the last five years, water supply has been increased by 40 mld. The demand fluctuates to 275 mld in the summer months. [more]

Behind the ever-smiling face of Garhwali women lies steely resolve and hard work. From discharging her duties at home to participating in social movements, the women are the main cogs in the wheel driving the state of Uttarakhand.

However, the route to empowerment of women has not been without its fair share of upheavals. Caught in the vicious circle of expectations from a traditional society and their own desire to reach for the stars, these women in the hills have been miserably let down by a society that still does not allow them the freedom to shape their lives, control resources and access basic facilities.

The demand for control on ‘jungle, zamin and pani’ is as old as the hills and women activists have been front-runners in launching movements to save the forests and water resources. [more]