Ideal State: a goal Page 4 -...

Ideal State:Hooda sets a goal

Page 4

June 2011, Vol 25, Issue 6, Rs 15

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

5th June

Start planting trees todaySave tomorrow

HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

PATRON-IN-CHIEF

Bhupinder Singh Hooda

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dr K K Khandelwal

CHIEF EDITOR

Shiv Raman Gaur

CONSULTING EDITOR

Parveen K Modi

MANAGING EDITOR

M S Yadav

NEWS BUREAU

Ruchi Sharma

Swati Sethi

COPY DESK

Shweta Vashishta

LAYOUT

Sunil Kumar

ILLUSTRATOR

Gurpreet Singh

PHOTOGRAPHER

Randeep Singh

PHOTO SUPPORT

Tek Chand Arora

Gopal Singh

Karam Singh

Neeraj Chopra

Gauri Shankar

Jasmer Singh

VOL 25, ISSUE 6, JUNE 2011

Edited and published for the Haryana government by

Shiv Raman Gaur, IAS, Director, Information, Public

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E D I TO R I A L

Pollution, they say, is to environment what fire is to ahaystack. While the latter burns a haystack down to ashes,

its quantum or quantity notwithstanding, the former chokesthe environment, resulting in slow death for all livingorganisms. Environment, quintessentially, means theaggregate of both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living)things that surround an organism, and factors that have abearing on its growth. These include light, temperature, water,atmospheric gases and all surrounding living species.

Change in environment is natural. So is the ability of anyorganism to adjust to the change, though adjustability variesin pace and degree from one organism to another. But, theinexorable truth remains that no living organism has infinitecapacity to adjust to the change in environment. It is limitedby the tolerance level, which, when reached, causesenvironmental stress. The entire movement against pollutioncenters around limiting the change in environment to less thanthe stress level, and refraining from such activities as tend toaccentuate the change.

June 5, the World Environment Day, assumes addedimportance this year. For, it is for the first time that India willbe playing host to the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme which has named our country for "embracing theprocess of a transition to a green economy."

Nature lovers and activists, the world over, are engaged inspreading the message that environment be protected tobequeath to the posterity a safe and habitable planet. Theircampaign revolves around reducing the consumption of fossilfuels; containing and cleaning up all sorts of pollution,including air and water; stress on the use of clean, alternativesources of energy with minimal carbon emissions; judiciousand sustainable use of water, land, and other scarce resources;and, last if not the least, preservation of the existing butendangered species and protection of biodiversity.

Making common cause, the Haryana Government haslaunched an all-out offensive on pollution and its agents.Sniffing the ground for making an assessment of the situation,one finds evidence that the campaign has begun to tell.Satisfied with the corrective and remedial measures taken bythe Haryana State Pollution Control Board, the CentralGovernment has revoked the ban on new units in Faridabadand Panipat; plastic articles like cups and plates have beenbanned; and polluting industries have been made to installanti-pollution devices.

In this issue of Haryana Review, we have turned thespotlight on the campaign against pollution, featuring all thatis being done by the state government to beat down themonster of pollution. Besides our regular features andcolumns, we have an interview with the Chief Minister, MrBhupinder Singh Hooda, where he unfolds his vision ofmaking Haryana an ‘Ideal State’. g

Beating down the monster of pollution

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2 HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011CONTENTS

INTERVIEWIdeal State: Hooda sets a goalHaving put the economy in the high-growth orbit, we are workingto make Haryana an Ideal State, the Chief Minister, Mr BhupinderSingh Hooda, tells Haryana Review in an exclusive interview

P 4COVER STORYIt’s pollution @ combat with govtVarious wings of the Haryana Government have jumped into thebattle against pollution, and for the environment

p 9Measures and whip begin to tellPollution is well under control in Haryana, says EnvironmentMinister, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav

p 12

Going green- the Haryana way p 18

Roping in people to preserve wildlife p 21

A holistic approach p 24

The green power route p 26

Better watch your carbon footprints p 28

Pradushan mein sudhar kebaad, eb sarkar ne Faridabad

aur Panipat mein nayekarkhane lagane par

pratibandh hata diya hai

Bhai, yo tokamal ho gayo!Eb to saaf hawake saath rozgar

bhi milenge.

Readers may send their comments [email protected] or to SCO 23, First Floor,

Sector 7-C, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh - 160 019

HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011 3CONTENTS

GUEST COLUMN

The past, present and future of panchayats p 50

SPORTS

Annu Raj does it p 52Boxer Vijender gets floored p 53

ART AND CULTURE

Fading art of frescoes p 54

LAST PAGE

Heart attack and drinking warm water p 56

SPECIAL REPORT

Gearing up for summerFewer power blues p 30Lesser water woes p 32

PHOTO FEATURE

Summer singes one and all p 34

EDUCATION

Technical education throws up avenues p 42

REPORT

Raising people’s legal awareness quotient p 45

NEWS IN CAPSULE

The month that was p 46

FEATURE

The hands that care p 48

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INTERVIEW HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 20114

INTERVIEW 5HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

Post-Anna Hazare fast, voices arebeing raised that the institution ofLokayukta should be given morepowers. The Haryana Lokayukta, MrJustice Pritam Pal (Retd), hassuggested that on the pattern ofMaharashtra, Karnataka andRajasthan, provision should bemade in the Haryana LokayuktaAct, 2002, for taking suo motucognizance of any irregularity. Howdo you react to this demand?

Let me tell you that the Lokayukta is fullyempowered to look into matters pertainingto all public servants in Haryana. So far asthe demand for more powers is concerned,

Lok Pal Bill is being drafted by the CentralGovernment in consultation with civilsociety. As and when broad contours of thedraft bill are available, we shall take a callon what can be done to improve thefunctioning of the institution of Lokayuktain Haryana.

How do you rate the economy ofHaryana?

The economy is resurgent, industry isbooming, and investment is on the upswing.Having successfully encountered financialstress in 2008-09 and 2009-10, Haryana’seconomy has started showing signs ofresurgence, and begun to mature. The GrossState Domestic Product (GSDP) is making a

Ideal state:Hooda

sets a goal

Looking into the future-Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder SinghHooda

The economy is resurgent, industry is booming, andinvestment is on the upswing. Haryana has made rapidstrides in the last six years. “Having placed the state inthe high-growth orbit, we are now well on way to makingHaryana an ‘Ideal State’,” the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, told Parveen K. Modi,Consulting Editor of Haryana Review, in a free-wheelinginterview, touching various subjects Mr Hooda reeled offfacts and figures to substantiate what he said. Confidenceoozing from his words, a modest-looking Mr Hooda gaveall credit for the development to the hard-working peopleof the state. Here go excerpts from the interview:

HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

sure and steady ascent. While theGSDP is estimated to have grown by9.9 per cent in real terms in 2009-10,the per capita income went up by anestimated 8.2 per cent. According toadvance estimates, the GSDP atconstant prices is likely to grow at 9per cent in 2010-11, and per capitaincome at 7.2 per cent. The industry isdoing well and more investment,including FDI, is coming to Haryana.

In fact, Haryana has emerged as thecynosure of all investing eyes, bothdomestic and global. The presence ofmulti-national companies like Suzuki,Honda, Mitsubishi, Nestle, SmithklinBeechem, Hollister, Harvel, JCB,Carrier Aircon, to name a few,underscores the point. The recententry of US-based hiking bike majorHarley Davidson into Haryana is yetanother feather in our cap.

In 2005, when our governmentassumed office for the first term,Haryana ranked 14th in terms of percapita investment. According to theCentre for Monitoring IndianEconomy (CMIE) report of 2007,Haryana ranked number one on thisaccount. During the last six years,Haryana has attracted investmentworth Rs 53,000 crore, and an

additional investment of more than Rs1 lakh crore is in pipeline. And let meshare with you that according to anASSOCHAM study, Haryana achieved70 per cent implementation rate ofpledged investments during theeconomic slowdown of 2008-09, aheadof states like Gujarat, Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu, Karnataka etc.

The provisional data of Census2011 shows that things mayhave improved but the sexratio remains skewed, andcauses concern. Any comments?Let me put the record straight.According to Census 2011 figures,there are 877 females for every 1,000males in Haryana, the highest since

1901, and the 0-6 child sex ratio hasimproved in 16 out of the 21 districts ofthe state. The child sex ratio hasimproved by 11 points to 830 girls forevery 1,000 boys; from 819 in lastCensus. Let me tell you that Haryanaranks among the seven states in thecountry which have recorded increasein the child sex ratio. Besides, theliteracy rate has gone up to 76.64 percent, and the decadal growth rate hascome down. There is scope forimprovement and the stategovernment is taking concretemeasures to ensure that the situationimproves further.

What steps you plan to take tomake people shed the biasagainst the girl child?

Decidedly, the bias against the girlchild remains an area of concern. Wehave done a lot but lot more remains tobe done to make people shed this bias.We should launch a mass movement togenerate public awareness on thiscritical issue, and NGOs must beinvolved in this effort. Committed tosafeguarding the interests of the girlchild, we plan to undertake acomprehensive review of all policiesand fasten the nuts and bolts of thedelivery mechanism in each case. I feelthat greater awareness, coupled withgovernmental efforts, would surelybring about the desired results.Luckily, a couple of recent incidents,including “KuanPujan” on the birthof a girl child, augur well for the state.“Kuan Pujan” is generally done on thebirth of a male child.

Let me assure you that the stategovernment is committed topromoting the cause of the girl child.We are doing all for the girl child, rightfrom birth to schooling, marriage andher settlement, in life. It will be apt tosay that the state plays foster parentfor the girl child, a fact which hasbeen publicised and made known to all.

Committed to safeguarding the interests of thegirl child, we plan to undertake a comprehensivereview of all policies and fasten the nuts andbolts of the delivery mechanism in each case. Ifeel that greater awareness, coupled withgovernmental efforts, would surely bring aboutthe desired results.

INTERVIEW 7HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

What, in your view, are themain achievements of yourgovernment in the last sixyears? Haryana has made rapid strides in thelast six years, the credit for whichgoes to the people of the state. I cansay with reasonable pride that havingplaced the state in high-growth orbit,we are now well on way to makingHaryana an ‘Ideal State’ in all spheresof development. Still, if you want meto list our main achievements, I wouldlike to mention the following:

First and foremost, soon aftercoming to power in 2005, we restoredthe rule of law, provided a transparentand responsive administration and,better still, restored people’s faith inthe administration. A framework ofgovernance was put in place whichfacilitated development with focus oninclusive growth of all sections ofsociety, and, all parts of the state,without any political vendetta. Visiblegrowth, combined with credibleperformance and responsivegovernance, got us fresh mandate.

We succeeded in turning the focuson ‘Aam Aadmi’ by providingminimum basic amenities to thedeprived, and the marginalised. Thestate government scripted andimplemented a slew of people-centricpolicies and programmes to reach outto all sections of the society withwelfare measures. May it be farmers,traders, freedom fighters, governmentemployees, pensioners, senior citizens,widows, dwarfs or eunuchs, allsegments of the society have benefitedfrom our policies. So much so, some ofour policies, especially the landacquisition and rehabilitation policy,have been commended by the CentralGovernment as a model to be followedby other states.

Besides, we made significantstrides on power front. Between 1999

and 2005, while only 724.4 MWs hadbeen added to the state’s generationcapacity, we have added 1,643 MWs tothe capacity during the last five years

or so, against the commitment of 5,000MWs.

Haryana has grown in thesporting field and made itspresence felt on the globalcanvas, but you have neverpublicly taken credit for it.Why? Thanks for the compliment! I amproud of Haryana's talented and hard-working players. They accounted forabout one-third of the medals won bythe country in the Commonwealth andAsian Games. At Ranchi NationalGames, the state bagged third position

We succeeded in turning the focus on ‘Aam Aadmi’by providing minimum basic amenities to thedeprived. The state govt implemented a slew ofpeople-centric policies to reach out to all sections ofthe society with welfare measures. May it be farmers,traders, freedom fighters, government employees,pensioners, senior citizens, widows, dwarfs oreunuchs, all have benefited from our policies.

INTERVIEW HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 20118

after Services and Manipur. At theNational Rural Tournaments,organised by the Central Government,we were overall runners-up afterTamil Nadu. What’s more, the statehas come first in under 16 nationalPYKKA tournament. If you look atthe state's size and population, it'sindeed incredible performance.

So far as taking credit isconcerned, our job is to perform, andit is for the people of the state to giveus the credit. We got credit for ourpeople-centric policies andprogrammes in the 2009 elections,and, I am sure, people will give uscredit for all that the stategovernment is doing, in the nextelections.

Under 'You give us medals andwe'll secure your future'campaign, what kind ofsecurity is being provided toplayers.The objective of the campaign is tofree our players from all kinds ofworries and insecurities, and makethem concentrate on upscaling theirskills and raising them to globalstandards. The campaign spanseducation to settlement in life. Wehave reserved three per cent seats foradmission in educational institutions,and three per cent government jobs,for outstanding sportspersons.Sporting success in big-ticket eventslike Olympics, Asiad andCommonwealth, attracts mind-boggling cash awards, big enough tochange lives overnight. Let me sharewith you that we have inducted adozen of champion players as DSPsand given away over Rs 23 crore worthcash awards in the last five years. Notonly this, the villages of medalwinners are also given special grantfor development.

Can you outline broadcontours of your policy onPublic-Private Partnership

(PPP). Which major projectshave been planned under it?

The PPP policy, designed to fast-trackgrowth, seeks to create an enablingenvironment for private sectorparticipation in expanding andupgrading infrastructure in the state.The policy has an institutionalframework under which we have aCabinet Committee on Infrastructurechaired by the chief minister. It takesdecision on PPP projects havingconcession period of more than 10years, or involving an investment ofmore than Rs 25 crore, on therecommendation of the Committee ofSecretaries on Infrastructure (CoSI).There is another committee ofsecretaries which considers andapproves projects having concessionperiod up to 10 years or involvinginvestment of up to Rs 25 crore. Atpresent, 18 PPP projects, involving anestimated cost of Rs 58,308.75 crore,are under implementation.

How do you sum up the gainsof your visit to Israel? Howwill it help the farmers andgrowers of Haryana?

Decidedly, the visit was a stepforward. It will give a definitive boostto agriculture and horticulture inHaryana, and benefit the farmersimmensely. The long-term gains ofthe visit will, I am sure, change theface of agriculture and horticulturein the state, and help a lot in waterconservation. We are getting the latestIsraeli technology which will boostboth production and productivity infarms, as well as in orchards.

We have also sought from Israel

know-how to make brackish waterusable for farming; and their drip andsprinkler irrigation system whichwill enable the farmers to irrigatemore areas with less water. Hot on theheels of our visit, the stategovernment has decided to set upeleven more Centres of Excellence onthe pattern of the Centre ofExcellence for Vegetables, set up withthe co-operation of Israel, atGharounda in Karnal. Besides, aWorking Group has been constitutedin co-operation with Israel to reviewthe present status of agriculture inHaryana, and draw an action plan. Itwill suggest ways and means ofstepping up agricultural production.In fact, there is lot to learn from theexperiences of Israel. Despite the factthat large parts of the country aresandy, its farmers have increasedagricultural production, and 60 percent of their horticultural produce isbeing exported.

Gurgaon is reckoned as theManhattan of India. Have youchalked out any time-boundplan to address the civic issuesGurgaon faces?Yes, we are addressing the issuesGurgaon faces. These mainly concernroads, water supply and seweragelines. The Municipal Corporation,Gurgaon, has chalked out a time-bound plan to resolve issues related tocivic amenities. It has taken up a Rs22.88-crore project. Work is apace, andthe water supply project is expected tobe completed by December 31, 2012.

Besides, the MC has scripted a planto lay sewerage lines in some coloniesat a cost of Rs 9.09 crore. We arestudying the plan. The target forcompletion of this project is alsoDecember 31, 2012. Repair andrenovation of roads shall be taken upalong with water supply and seweragelines at a tentative cost of about Rs 80crore. A Rs 347-crore Master Plan for37 villages falling under MC has alsobeen prepared, and work in somevillages has already been taken up. g

Our job is to perform, and it is for the people ofthe state to give us the credit. We got credit forour people-centric policies and programmes in the2009 elections, and, I am sure, people will giveus credit for all that the state government isdoing, in the next elections.

In fact, there is lot to learn from the experiencesof Israel. Despite the fact that large parts of thecountry are sandy, its farmers have increasedagricultural production, and 60 per cent of theirhorticultural produce is being exported.

COVER STORY 9HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

C R Rathee

Combating and containing pollutionbeing its primary concern, the

Haryana Government, led by MrBhupinder Singh Hooda, hasformulated several policies andprogrammes which promoteinstallation of anti-pollution devices,and impose penalties on the defiantand errant industries. Committed toensuring pollution-free environment,the Haryana Government is firing onall cylinders. All wings anddepartments are chipping in with stepsin their respective domains to combatpollution, making it virtually pollution@ combat with government. Of course,industry being the main source ofpollution, the Industries Departmentremains in the forefront of this battlewhich spans the rural-urban divide. Noless keen and consistent efforts arebeing made by one and all to promotethe environment.

Haryana ranks among the first fewstates in the country to haveformulated an integrated industrialpolicy which spells sops for the non-polluting industry, and discouragessuch units as are consideredprejudicial to the environment.Elucidating and analyzing theindustrial policy purely from thestandpoint of pollution, Mr RandeepSingh Surjewala, Industry Minister,told Haryana Review that the stategovernment was discouraging settingup of polluting industrial units in theresidential areas.

The industries which have beenincluded in the ‘restrictive list’, are:cigars and cigarettes, induction arcfurnaces with more than 0.6 MTcapacity, soft drinks / aerated waterand packaged drinking water, locatedin areas notified as dark zones forwater availability.

The others include stone crushers,washeries, screening plants, sugarindustry within urbanised limits oftowns, and outside the catchment areaof sugarcane, copper smelter and zincsmelter, dyes and dye-intermediaries,tanneries, secondary processing of ironand steel, manufacturing of CR sheetsand galvanised sheets and castings,incandescent electric bulbs andfluorescent bulbs/tubes.

Mr Surjewala disclosed that inkeeping with the suggestions made bytrade and industry in the state, the roleof the Haryana State Pollution ControlBoard (HSPCB) was being streamlinedto improve, optimise and upgrade thescope and quality of its activities. All

this is being done to ensure thatbusiness is carried out after strictenvironmental compliance andsufficient checks and balances are builtinto the administrative apparatus toprevent misuse of any discretionarypowers.

Besides, Mr Surjewala said, moreprivate labs would be identified andauthorised to facilitate testing of waterand air samples. Electronic filing ofapplications for obtaining no objectioncertificate (NOC), consent for waterand air pollution would beimplemented in a time–bound manner.Besides, as suggested by Mr P K Jain,founder-President of the GurgaonChamber of of Commerce & Industry(GCCI ), the present consent andsample fee structure would bereviewed. The NOC /consent would berequired only in respect of industrieswhich fall in the list of identifiedpolluting industries.

MANAGING SMOKE AND ASH

Another air-pollutant is the smoke andash emitted by coal-based thermalpower plants located in Faridabad,Panipat, Jharli (Jhajjar) andYamunanagar. The Haryana PowerGeneration Corporation Limited(HPGCL) has installed equipment suchas water-sprinklers, at its thermalplants. The ash, emitted by the plants,is stabilised in the powerhousecomplex itself; and the stabilised ash isutilised to prepare blocks of bricks byadding cement and some other material

With a view to preventing water

IT’S POLLUTION @ COMBAT

Various wings and departments of the Haryana Government havejumped into the battle against pollution, and for the environment

Haryana ranks among thefirst few states in the

country to have formulatedan integrated industrialpolicy which spells sops

for the non-pollutingindustry, and discourages

such units as areconsidered prejudicial to

the environment

WITH GOVT

pollution, all municipal committees oftowns whose domestic waste flows intothe Yamuna river and its tributaries inHaryana, have been directed to installtreatment plants under the multi-million Yamuna Action Plan (YAP).Many have already done the needful.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST BURNING OF STUBS IN FARMS

On the farm front, deputycommissioners have been issued strictinstructions not to allow farmers toburn the stubs of various crops afterharvesting as it is prejudicial to theenvironment.

The recently constituted HaryanaState Environment Protection Council(HSEPC), headed by the Governor, MrJagan Nath Pahadia, has decided tocreate a chain of eco-sensitive zones(ESZs) around the protected areas/National Park (Sultanpur Lake, nearGurgaon), wildlife sanctuaries,historical monuments, and perennialwater bodies, to prevent damage to theenvironment due to the pollutioncaused by industry, real estate or

tourist resorts in the vicinity of ESZs. The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder

Singh Hooda, who is vice-chairman ofthe HSEPC, has desired that the masterplan for each ESZ should be prepared,and, at least 10-km belt around thecontrolled area be declared as protectedarea.

The Haryana State Pollution ControlBoard (HSPCB) has made it obligatoryon all polluting industries ,includingthe garment manufacturers, tanneries,sanitaryware units, malt-makers,potteries, breweries and brick-kilns, toinstall smoke and ash emittingchimneys of a particular height, andtreat and solidify the emissions bysprinklers. The stone-crushers too havebeen directed to install sprinklers.

The coal-based thermal powerhouses are required to treat andsolidify the emissions before thetreated ash is transported to thenotified dumping place. It may berecalled that only a few years ago, thethen deputy commissioner of Jhajjarordered closure of export-orientedleather garment units in the Industrial

Estate of Dulina ,following reports thatthese units were discharging untreatedeffluents in a nearby drain and thatsome cattle fell ill after consumingwater from this drain.

The Union Environment Minister,Mr Jairam Ramesh, recently patted theHaryana Chief Minister for making itobligatory on the polluting industry toget their emissions and effluentsassessed under the ‘environmentimpact assessment’ scheme. TheHSPCB has prepared a roaster ofconsultants/ firms and institutions toperiodically carry out environmentaudit of the polluting industry.

Haryana is perhaps the only state tohave identified ‘eco –sensitive zones’(ESZs) and has agreed, in principle, toconstitute a Green Tribunal and adviseheads of educational instuitutins to for‘eco-clubs.’

Equally keen and consistentmeasures are being taken to promotethe environment. The ForestDepartment has been actively engagedin increasing the forest cover in thestate. Impressed by the enthusiasm of

Pollution caused by burning of the residue after harvesting

foresters and the people of Haryanaevincing keen interest in the GreenMovement, the European Unionsanctioned the ‘Aravalli AfforestationProject (AAP) to help provide a tree-topto the Aravalli Ranges in Gurgaon,Faridabad, Palwal, Mewat and Bhiwanidistricts.

Simultaneously, the ForestDepartment has launched a sand dunestabilisation and raising of shelterbelts programme to check the Haryana-ward march of the Rajasthan Desert.Capt Ajay Singh Yadav (Rtd), Forest,Environment, Finance and IrrigationMinister, has asked field functionariesof the Irrigation Department to getshady trees planted along the canals.

On his part, Mr Surjewala has askedengineers and others to plant andnurture trees along the roads, and inopen spaces, in both industrial andurban estates. The HSEPC is toyingwith the idea of setting up a GreenTribunal on the lines of the NationalGreen Tribunal and environmentcourts. Committed to protecting theenvironment and ecology, the

Education Minister, Mrs Geeta Bhukal,has asked heads of all schools andcolleges to motivate the students toform ‘eco-clubs’, and ensure that theyplant and nurture trees in thecompounds of educational institutions.The state government plans to organiseinter-eco-club competitions at schooland college level, and institute prizesfor those adjudged best. Physicaleducation teachers would be in-chargeof the eco-clubs.

SHADY TREES ALONG BANKS OFPONDS IN VILLAGES

Similarly, village panchayats have beenadvised to plant and grow grooves ofshady trees on the banks of ponds sothat the elders could squat under theshade, enjoy their hooka, and playcards. Shady and ornamental treesshould also be planted on the premisesof temples and gurudwaras, aroundvillage wells and chaupals.

The Urban Local Bodies Minister,Mr Gopal Kanda, has desired themunicipal councils to arrange ‘treeguards’ and give these to the resident

welfare associations (RWAs ) for use inthe streets where the residents willplant and nurture tress. The HaryanaUrban Development Authority (HUDA)is already doing this job.

The year 2011 being the “WaterConservation Year, ” the ChiefMinister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda,is keen on clubbing the celebrationswith Van Mahotsava and integratingall functions with environmentawareness. The Forest Department willsupply plants for these functions.

The Tourism and TransportMinister, O P Jain, has asked thegeneral managers of depots of theHaryana Roadways to keep a vigilanteye on the functioning of the“Pollution Check Centres”.

Meanwhile, the real estatedevelopers in Gurgaon have introduceda new concept of ‘walk to work’ for theexecutives of MNCs that have theircorporate offices in Gurgaon and theirexecutives are residing in the nearbycolonies/ sectors. g

The writer is an educationist, analystand a veteran journalist

COVER STORY- Environment HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201112

Looking over the shoulders, doyou think Haryana has donewell to protect theenvironment?

It gives me satisfaction to tell you thatour concerted efforts to provide a cleanand pollution-free environment to thepeople of the state are bearing fruit.The Haryana State Pollution ControlBoard (HSPCB) has taken effectivemeasures for controlling water and airpollution. As many as 9,239 pollutioncontrol devices have been installed byvarious industries in the state. Besides,nine Common Effluent TreatmentPlants (CETPs) and 29 Sewage

Treatment Plants (STPs) have beeninstalled for the treatment of effluentsfrom industrial clusters and sewageeffluent generated by various towns.Resultantly, the quality of water inriver Yamuna on the Haryana-Delhiborder remains well within thepermissible limits.

What’s more, plans have beenformulated for management of specialcategories of waste, such as hazardouswaste, bio-medical waste, plastic carrybags, which has helped bring down thepollution level in the state. Thanks toall these measures taken by the board,the overall environment in the statehas improved significantly.

Plastic is dangerous for humanand environmental health, yetindiscriminate use of plasticcontinues which is a cause ofconcern. What steps are beingtaken to arrest this trend?

The Haryana Government has imposeda complete ban on the manufacture anduse of plastic articles like cups, plates,tumblers, spoons, forks and straws, onthe precincts of religious places likeMata Mansa Devi Temple atPanchkula, Mata Sheetla Devi Temple,Gurgaon, religious towns ofKurukshetra and Thanesar andenvironmentally sensitive areas like

Plastic cups, plates and spoons, like poly carrybags, are passé in Haryana. A large number of

common effluent treatment and sewage treatmentplants have been set up in different parts of thestate. Whip has been cracked on the errant andthe defiant, and polluting industries which havebeen made to install 9,239 pollution controldevices. Acting swift and fast on the action takenreport submitted by the Haryana State PollutionControl Board, the Union Environment Ministryhas revoked the ban on new units in the hithertoout-of-bounds districts of Panipat and Faridabad.This and a lot more makes the HaryanaEnvironment and Finance Minister, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, pat himself on theback. “Pollution is well under control in the state,and we are making concerted and consciousefforts to provide a clean and pollution-freeenvironment to the citizens of Haryana”, CaptYadav told Shweta Vashishta of HaryanaReview in an exclusive interview. Here go theexcerpts:

Measures and whipbegin to tell Pollution is well under control in Haryana, says Capt Yadav


Morni Hills, national parks andwildlife sanctuaries. We had earlierbanned the manufacture, stock,distribution, sale and usage of plasticcarry bags. Besides the HSPCB, otherauthorities like DCs, ADCs, SDMs,Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars, XENPublic Health etc, have been notified intheir respective jurisdiction, foreffective implementation of thenotification. We have requested thegovernments of neighbouring states ofDelhi, UP and Rajasthan to stop thesupply of plastic carry bags toHaryana.

With a view to sensitising thegeneral public about the harmfuleffects of plastic carry bags, weorganise extensive awarenessprogrammes in all districts byinvolving eco-clubs, the districtadministration, and other stakeholders.Cloth and jute bags were distributed onthe World Environment Day last year,i.e. June 5, 2010, at all districtheadquarters, to discourage the use ofplastic carry bags, and spread a

positive message among the masses.The Central Government hasprohibited the use of plastic materialsin sachets for the sale of gutka, tobaccoand pan masala. An action plan hasbeen prepared to ensure its effectiveimplementation.

Regular checks are conducted by theHSPCB officers and challans are issuedagainst the violators of thenotification. In 2009-2010, 837 challanswere issued and in 2010-2011, 3,777challans have been issued. Closureorders have been issued against fourunits manufacturing plastic carry bags.

Has the state government comeup with any new policies orschemes as a part of its actionplan to control pollution inHaryana?Yes, we have taken a number ofinitiatives to clean up the environment.Fifteen monitoring stations have beenset up under the National WaterMonitoring Programme (NWMP) for

quarterly monitoring of the Yamunaand Ghaggar rivers. A plan has beenprepared for setting up 30 ambient airquality stations which will ensuremonitoring of ambient air quality inall districts. We have already procuredequipment for continuous onlinemonitoring stations for three towns,namely Panchkula, Gurgaon andRohtak, which are likely to be set upsoon.

The HSPCB has issued a policynotification for Consent Management,under which, powers have beendelegated to district-level committeesfor grant of consent to establish andconsent to operate units, havinginvestment of up to Rs 10 crore, exceptunits covered under the EnvironmentalImpact Assessment Notification.Procedure for grant of consent hasbeen simplified and necessaryinformation has been displayed on thewebsite of the board to expedite theclearance process.

Also, we have made a proposal forstrengthening the technical, scientific,

Status of challans after imposition of complete ban (January 3 , 2011)District Total January February March

Challans

2010-11 Manuf Stockist Vendor Total Manufac Stockist Vendor Total Manufac Stockist Vendor Total Grand Total

31.12.10 acturer turer turer

Rewari 34 0 4 36 40 0 5 15 20 0 0 40 40 134Mewat 20 0 1 27 28 0 0 8 8 0 1 14 15 71Mahendragarh 14 0 0 32 32 0 0 17 17 0 1 30 31 94Yamunanagar 20 0 0 32 32 0 7 10 17 0 0 19 19 88Kurukshetra 40 0 1 19 20 0 0 0 0 0 5 70 75 135Karnal 16 0 0 52 52 0 0 0 0 0 3 53 56 124Panchkula 17 0 0 65 65 0 0 0 0 0 0 75 75 157Ambala 60 0 0 30 30 0 0 7 7 0 0 7 7 104Kaithal 27 0 0 25 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 70 70 122Panipat 29 0 0 39 39 0 0 95 95 0 1 136 137 300Jind 42 0 0 11 11 0 0 22 22 0 1 30 31 106Sonipat 101 0 13 94 107 0 4 11 15 0 6 34 40 263Faridabad 0 0 0 53 53 0 0 14 14 0 0 100 100 167Faridabad 23 0 0 68 68 0 0 2 2 0 0 33 33 126Palwal 93 0 0 378 378 0 0 25 25 0 0 197 197 693Gurgaon 44 0 0 66 66 0 0 40 40 0 4 165 169 319Hisar 10 0 0 8 8 0 0 6 6 0 0 30 30 54Bhiwani 20 0 0 63 63 0 4 20 24 0 0 81 81 188Fatehabad 68 0 0 12 12 0 0 6 6 0 0 20 20 106Sirsa 42 0 0 25 25 0 0 5 5 0 0 24 24 96Rohtak 46 0 0 40 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 54 54 140Jhajjar 95 0 4 58 62 0 0 9 9 0 5 28 33 199Total 861 0 23 1175 1256 0 20 312 323 0 27 1310 1337 3777


administrative and legal manpowerbesides opening of the district-levelregional offices. These offices will keeptabs on the polluting industries,undertake awareness programmes, andspread environment education.Another proposal for strengthening theexisting laboratories and opening offour new laboratories at Yamunanagar,Sonipat, Panipat and Bahadurgarh hasbeen sent to the CPCB.

Besides, steps are also being takenfor preparing a comprehensive IT-enabled portal for online processing ofNOCs and other industrial relatedapplications. The CPCB has alreadyundertaken preparation of commonsoftware for all the state boards on acost-sharing basis.

The Central Government haslifted the ban on new units inFaridabad and Panipat on thestrength of the report submittedby the Haryana State PollutionControl Board. Can you sharewith us some highlights of thereport?Of course! Faridabad and Panipattowns had been declared criticallypolluted industrial clusters by the

Union Ministry of Environment andForests, on the basis of a joint studycarried out by the Central PollutionControl Board (CPCB) and IIT, Delhi.Restriction was imposed on setting upof new units and expansion of theexisting projects in these criticallypolluted industrial clusters. The CPCBasked the state government and theHSPCB to prepare an action plan forabatement of pollution in theseclusters. Accordingly, we preparedshort-term and long-term action plansfor both towns giving target dates forcompletion of various activities. Theseincluded regular monitoring ofEffluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) andair pollution control devices,performance monitoring of SewageTreatment Plants (STPs) and CommonEffluent Treatment Plants (CETPs),recycling of treated effluents, andadoption of clean technology etc. Theaction plans were submitted to theCPCB.

This was followed up with aconsolidated action taken report,including the action taken by variousgovernment agencies, prepared by theHSPCB and submitted to the CPCB,laced with the request that themoratorium be lifted. Satisfied, the

Union Ministry of Environment andForests came round and lifted themoratorium on setting up of newprojects in Faridabad and Panipatindustrial clusters.

Lifting of the ban seeminglydenotes improvement in thesituation from the standpoint ofpollution. How do you plan toensure that things do not goback to square one?We are fully conscious of the need toensure that things do not go back tosquare one. We are keeping regulartabs on polluting units, and carry outsurprise checks to ensure that theyhave installed pollution control devices,and that these are in working order.Also, we are monitoring the operationof STPs and CETPs set up by thePublic Health EngineeringDepartment, HUDA, HSIIDC etc.Besides, 17 categories of highlypolluting industries have been directedto set up continuous online monitoringstations to ensure compliance ofstandards of air emissions, and keep aconstant vigil on such units. Onlinemonitoring stations will also be set upat inter-state points in Palla and


Badarpur villages on river Yamuna toascertain the level of pollution.

One Online Ambient Air QualityStation is operating in Faridabad sinceOctober, 2010, and is providing data tothe CPCB. An Integrated MunicipalSolid Waste Management facility hasalso been set up in Bandhwari villagefor treatment and safe disposal of themunicipal solid waste of Gurgaon andFaridabad. Individual ETPs and airpollution control devices have alsobeen installed for the pollutingindustries in Faridabad and Panipat toensure compliance of standards.Stringent action is taken against theerrant and defiant units.

The state government hasformulated a policy for shifting thepotentially polluting textile/dyeingunits from non-conforming areas to theapproved Industrial Estate in Sector-29,Part-II, Panipat. A Common EffluentTreatment Plant has been set up for thetreatment of industrial effluentgenerated from these units. Strictaction, including closure, is taken ifany unit is found not conforming to thestandards.

In all, 661 units have been orderedclosed in the state due to non-compliance of the pollution norms upto March 31, 2011. Out of these, 549units are still lying closed.Yamunanagar district tops the list with142 units.

Last year, the government haddeclared to set up solid wastemanagement plants in all citiesand towns of Haryana. Howmuch progress has been madeon this front?Two sites have already been developedat Sirsa and Ambala for solid wastemanagement under a 100 per centcentrally-sponsored scheme. A plantof 600 TPD capacity for disposal andtreatment of municipal solid wastefor Faridabad and Gurgaon towns hasbeen completed and working sinceDecember 1, 2010. Three integratedsolid waste management sites areunder execution in Rohtak, Karnal-Indri-Ghraunda and Yamunanagar-Jagadhri.

At present, there are 78municipalities comprising eightmunicipal corporations, 15 municipalcouncils and 55 municipal committeesin Haryana. For these urban localbodies, it has been estimated that

capital cost of about Rs 1,200 crorewould be required for setting up theinfrastructure. Since massive outlayis required, and the state governmentand local bodies do not have sufficientresources, the Central governmenthas been helping us under its twoschemes, namely Jawaharlal NehruNational Urban Renewal Mission andUrban Infrastructure DevelopmentScheme for Small and Medium Towns.

The state government proposes toconstruct sanitary landfills andcompost plants for disposal of themunicipal solid waste by grouping 2-3towns with bigger towns in thevicinity where land is available. Thethe Urban Local Bodies Departmenthas identified 19 urban centres(covering 38 towns) in Haryana fordisposal of the municipal solid waste.M/s A2Z Infrastructure Limited hasoffered to set up solid wastemanagement treatment plants in 38cities for door-to-door collection,transportation and treatment. But thestate government is yet to take a finaldecision.

Industrial effluents and airpollution caused by industriespose a serious threat to theenvironment. How do you planto address the issue? Havesome units been fined orotherwise penalised?According to the provisions of thepolicy notification for ConsentManagement, every polluting industryis required to install effluent treatmentplants and air pollution control devices.The HSPCB constantly monitors thequality of effluents and air emissionsdischarged by polluting industries andtakes stringent action against thedefaulting units. More than 90 per centof polluting industries have installedadequate ETPs and air pollutioncontrol devices and the remaining arein the process of doing the needful.

We do not allow any polluting unit tooperate without requisite pollutioncontrol devices and issue closureorders as and when any violationoccurs. During the year 2010-11, wehave issued closure orders against 639

Closure status for 201011 ( As on 31.03.2011)Name of Name of No. of No. of No. of units the Region the District Closure orders closure order still lying

revoked/ closedsuspended

Yamunanagar Karnal 2 1 1Kurukshetra 1 1 0Yamuna Nagar 142 11 131

Dharuhera Rewari 6 3 3Mohindergarh 4 0 4Mewat 11 7 2

Gurgaon Gurgaon 22 5 17Panipat Jind 4 2 2

Panipat 76 19 57Sonipat Sonipat 8 5 3Bahadurgarh Rohtak 10 3 7

Jhajjar 39 9 30Balabhgarh Palwal 6 0 6Panchkula Panchkula 105 1 104

Ambala 55 1 54Kaithal 0 0 0

Hisar Bhiwani 111 16 95Hisar 4 0 4Sirsa 0 0 0Fatehabad 0 0 0

Faridabad Faridabad 55 26 29661 110 549


units under the provisions of theWater/Air Acts. Besides, we havelaunched prosecution action against 151industries in the Special EnvironmentCourts at Faridabad and Kurukshetra.

Any special plan for storage anddisposal of hazardous wastesproduced by certain industries?

A common Treatment, Storage andDisposal Facility (TSDF) has been

constructed at Pali village in FaridabadDistrict in order to facilitate safedisposal of hazardous waste. It isestimated that 29,559 MT hazardouswaste is generated annually by 1,646units in the state. Having becomeoperational, the TSDF has beenreceiving hazardous waste since July,2009. It will serve for the next 20 years.The HSPCB has linked the disposal ofhazardous waste with the ConsentManagement to ensure its safe disposal

in Common TSDF, and each unit willhave to enter into an agreement withthe operator company for disposal ofthe hazardous waste.

The bio-medical waste ishazardous, toxic and can turnlethal because of its highpotential for transmission ofdiseases. What has been donein this regard?

There are 2,064 hospitals/clinicscovered under the Bio-Medical WasteManagement Rules in the state whichgenerate about 1,833 MT of bio-medical waste per year. Governmenthospitals generate major chunk ofbio-medical waste. Common bio-medical waste treatment and disposalfacilities are needed for governmenthospitals. The HSPCB has issuedauthorisation to seven serviceproviders which have already set up

common facility for collection,transportation, treatment anddisposal of bio-medical waste fromvarious hospitals, nursing homes andclinics. These service providers areoperating in Karnal, Ambala,Panchkula, Jind, Gurgaon, Hisar andRohtak.

We are keeping a constant vigil onmajor hospitals and service providersfor ensuring scientific disposal of bio-medical waste. Prosecution noticeshave been issued against ten non-complying hospitals. Besides,prosecution action has been initiatedagainst one service provider underthe provisions of the Environment(Protection) Act, 1986.

The burning of wheatstubble/paddy straw isharmful for the environment.Have any steps been taken toprevent the farmers fromdoing so, and put a penalty onthe errant and defiantelements?Burning of agricultural residue andwaste in the fields poses a majorenvironmental hazard, causing airpollution and resulting in respiratorydiseases and other health problems.Under section 19 (5) of the Air(Prevention & Control of Pollution)Act, 1981, the state government hasprohibited the burning of wheatstubble and paddy straw. On thedirections of the Punjab & HaryanaHigh Court, the state government hasconstituted a high-powered committeewhich under the chairmanship of the

chief secretary. Consisting offinancial commissioners andprincipal secretaries of concerneddepartments, it will monitor theprogress of the measures taken byvarious departments for curbing themenace of burning of wheat stubbleand paddy straw.

We have submitted an action planto the court. The HSPCB hasundertaken extensive awarenessprogrammes in all 119 blocks of thestate to create awareness among thefarmers regarding the harmful effectsof burning of wheat stubble andpaddy straw. An amount of Rs 55 lakhhas been spent on this. The board hasalso filed prosecution cases against 13violators as a deterrent measure.

For creating awareness againstpollution, posters are displayed atprominent places in villages /panchayat samitis; radio jingles arerelayed on AIR Chandigarh, Rohtak,Kurukshetra and Hisar (FM) in locallanguage to convey the message moreeffectively, and a telecast from HisarDoordarshan Kendra during KrishiDarshan is relayed. A shortdocumentary film is also beingprepared by the National FilmDevelopment Corporation (NFDC)Delhi on the subject.

A scheme of giving awards forthree best performing blocks in eachdistrict has been circulated to alldeputy commissioners forimplementation in 2011 to encouragethe use of machines such as happy-seeder, rotavator, bailer etc anddiscourage the burning of wheatstubble/paddy straw in the fields. g


Effluent Treatment Plant atMaruti in Gurgaon


Ruchi Sharma

Realising fullwell that forests cover isvital for humanity, ecology and

posterity, the Haryana Government haslaunched an aggressive go greencampaign to increase the area underforest and tree cover from 6.8 per cent(FSI Report 2009) to 10 per cent, and 20per cent eventually, in a phased manner.The National Forest policy lays downthat at least 33 per cent of the totalgeographical area of the countryshould be brought under forest and treecover. With a view to coming closer tothe goal of the National Forest Policy,the Haryana Forest Department, underthe guidance of the Chief Minister, MrBhupinder Singh Hooda, formulatedState Forest Policy in 2006, one of thefew states in India to have done so.

Efforts of the state governmentnotwithstanding, the current forest andtree cover in Haryana is close to 7 percent. The total forest area in the stateaggregates 1,59,400 hectares while thearea under tree cover comes to 1,40,900hectares. Although Haryana is a forest-deficient state, yet it is leading in agroforestry. The state supplies wood tosuch forest-rich states as Himachal,J&K, West Bengal, Karnataka andothers.

EXPANDING THE GREEN COVER

With a view to making up for the forestdeficit, the Haryana Government andthe State Forest Department is engagedin countless number of activities andhave launched several schemes toretain and expand its valuable greencover. Raising plantation forests oncommunity lands and agro forests onfarm lands, form part of theirstrategies.

The forest cover is divided into three

categories-- very dense forest,moderately dense forest and openforest. The total area under forest andtree cover is 3,00,300 hectares whichconstitutes 6.8 per cent of the state’stotal geographical area. The forestcover is 3.61 per cent and tree cover is3.19 per cent.

Density wise details of forest andtree cover in the state:Forest Cover in hectares

(ha)Very dense forest (canopy density over 70%) 2,700 Moderately dense forest (canopy density between 40% and 70%) 46,300 Open forest (canopy density between 10% and 40%) 1,10,400 Total Forest Cover 1,59,400 Tree Cover 1,40,900 Total Forest and Tree cover 3,00,300 Percentage of state’s geographical area under forest and tree cover 6.80%(3.61%+ 3.19%)

In order to enlarge the forest and treecover many activities and schemes havebeen undertaken by the Haryana ForestDepartment. Major activities includemanagement and protection of forests,afforestation on government forestlands and other wastelands,development of herbal parks, soil andwater conservation, includingconstruction of water harvesting

Going green-the Haryana wayThe Haryana Government has launched anaggressive campaign to increase the area underforest and tree cover from 6.8 per cent to 10 per cent,and to 20 per cent eventually, in a phased manner

structures, development of eco-tourism,forestry research and seed developmentand harvesting of wood and itsutilisation.

The present government hassucceeded in bringing panchayat lands,community lands and farm lands underforest cover through state plan schemes,centrally sponsored schemes andexternally assisted projects. Since 2005,when Mr Hooda first took the reins ofthe government, till January 2011, atotal area of 1,22,332 hectares has beenbrought under plantation, 1,188.72 lakhplants have been planted and 1,662.37lakh plants have been distributed. Atotal expenditure of Rs 16,269.24 lakhhas been incurred which includesstate’s share of Rs 6,090.24 lakh on Planside and Rs 10,061.83 lakh on Non-Planside.

THE AGROFORESTRY OPTION

Agroforestry is emerging as a populardiversification and resourceconservation option among thefarmers. It is vital for wood productionand increasing the forest and tree cover.With a view to encouraging the practiceof agroforestry on farm lands, highquality seedlings of Eucalyptus, Poplarand other tree species are beingproduced at Clonal Propagation Centre,Seonthi, Kurukshetra. Under thescheme, emphasis is laid on raisingplants of commercial value of clonalEucalyptus and planting them onfarmers’ land to enhance income oftree-growing farmers. The scheme alsoprovides for incentives to farmers forevery surviving plant during secondand third year of plantation.

In order to promote agroforestry inthe state, there is no restriction onfelling of eucalyptus and poplar trees,the most widely grown tree species onfarms lands. In addition, there are notransit rules for transportation of woodand no permits are required by woodtraders for trading in these species.Yamunanagar has the biggest woodmarket where over 500 plywood andveneer industries have come upcarrying out business worth Rs 1,000crore annually.

Annual harvesting of wood fromgovernment forests in the state is to thetune of 1.50 lakhs standing cubicmetres. The species generally harvestedare Eucalyptus, Kikar, Shisham,Tortilis, Khair and some miscellaneousspecies. The tree species are harvestedat different rotation age. Rotation age



for Eucalyptus, Kikar and Shisham are10, 16 and 45 years, respectively. Khairis harvested when the trees cross thediameter of 30 cms. Most of the fellinginvolves dead and dry trees. The woodharvested from government forests ismade into logs, pulp wood/ boiler-sizewood and smaller fuel wood, andbrought to sale depots, where it is soldthrough open auctions.

There are two departmentalfurniture workshops located atYamunanagar and Karnal. TheHaryana Government has declared theForest Department as an approvedsource for supply of furniture andother wood products to governmentdepartments. The annual turnover ofwood products from these governmentworkshops is to the tune of Rs 2 crore.

FORESTRY RESEARCH

Keeping in mind the limited forest areain the state, genetic improvement ofplanting stock and seeds is being doneto increase the productivity of forests.Therefore, clonal propagation facilitieshave been provided at Seonthi inKurukshetra and in near future, moresuch facilities are to be developed atother research centres. For expansionof research activities, seed orchardshave been set up and trees have beenidentified for collection of improvedseeds. To give boost to agroforestryactivities, site-specific andeconomically viable agroforestrymodels are advised to the farmers.Seed collection and processing facilitieshave been set up at Pinjore to ensurebetter germination of forestry seeds.

Since 2005, the number of herbalparks has been increased from just one

to 28. Earlier, there was only one herbalpark at Chuharpur village inYamunanagar. Now with the stategovernment’s efforts, herbal parks havebeen set up in every district to generateawareness about traditional herbalmedicines and encourage farmers fordiversification of agriculture bypromoting cultivation of medicinalplants.

TOURISM PERSPECTIVE

The state government is not onlyemphasising on increasing forest andtree cover but is also promoting eco-tourism, wherever it is possible. Eco-tourism is being developed in Kalesarprotected area. The activities includedevelopment of nature camp sites nearKalesar, nature trails, extension offorest rest houses at Kalesar andDarpur, extension of Herbal Park atChuharpur, development of facilities ofSarswati Udgam Sthal at Adi Badri andconstruction of adequate water bodiesat appropriate locations. In Morni hills,Pinjore and at Sultanpur National Park,tourist facilities are being developed.

The Forest Department is pioneer ininitiation of the concept of Joint ForestManagement and CommunityParticipation with active involvementof people in order to reverse theprocess of degradation and depletion ofnatural resources viz soil, water, forestsand wildlife. The world famousSukhomajri project was started in theShiwaliks of Haryana, which showedthe way for sustainable management ofnatural resources. Sukhomajri modelwas replicated in all the forestry andsoil conservation projects that followedlater within and outside the state.

Community participationhas been a very importantcomponent in HaryanaCommunity Forestry Projectand Integrated NaturalResource Management andPoverty Reduction Projectfunded by European Union andJICA, respectively. In order tomake people aware and supportthe project, village forestcommittees have been formed.Self-help groups’ constitution isanother important part of theproject. It enhances the stakeand capability of people,especially women, to raise theirincome levels and help insustainable management ofnatural resources. Over 1,700

village forest committees and 1,000 self-help groups have been constituted.

Strips of forests along road, rail andcanals have been declared as protectedforests in the state. The farmers havingtheir fields along these strip forestssuffer from crop losses. With a view toproviding relief to such farmers andprotection of these strip forests, theForest Department made treeapportionment rules in 1987, wherebythe trees standing in the last one or tworows up to 10 feet distance from fieldboundaries are shared 50 per cent withthe farmers. This process of sharinghas proved to be highly successful injoint management of strip forests.

Jagdish Chander, the ChiefConservator of Forest, Panchkulasays, “The Haryana ForestDepartment has initiated a new steptowards preservation of forest wealth.Under which recently a Women Cellhas been created to ensure the involvewomen in protecting environment andforests. Thus, women Range Officers,Dy. Rangers, Foresters and ForestGuards would be used to strengthenwomen Self Help Groups constitutedby Forest Department. We all knowthat women are main users of theforest resources and therefore, theirparticipation is must. This step willcertainly help in improving our forestwealth.”

Committed to bringing the schemesto a successful conclusion, the ForestDepartment conducts regular trainingprogrammes for the staff to enablethem to hone their skills in forestrymanagement. Needless to emphasise,the endeavours of the government arebound to bear fruits. g

The shahtoot plantation at Pinjore


Ruchi Sharma

Its undiluted commitment to preserveand promote the state’s rich and

diverse wealth of fauna, has made theHaryana Government think out of boxand rope in people whose involvementand indulgence is vital to the success ofany scheme. It has launched a uniquescheme under which the animal loversare invited to adopt animals and birdsin zoos and deer parks of Haryana. Andthe scheme seems to have caught thefancy of the people who have begun toqueue in to adopt animals and birds.

Haryana’s rich and diverse wealth offauna which includes, black buck,nilgai, panther, fox, jackal, wild dog,sambhar, chital and birds likekingfisher, grey francolin (teetar), black

francolin (kala teetar), graylag goose,bar-headed goose, brahminy duck. Thedegrading environment and poaching ofanimals and birds can lead to theextinction of endangered species andsome of them have even becomeextinct. If this callous attitude ofpeople towards environment continues,then the day is not far when thesespecies would only be found inphotographs.

Knowing full well that government’seffort alone cannot help in conservingthe wildlife, the government hasdecided to make the general peopleparty to its efforts to achieve the end.Slowly but steadily, the animal adoptionscheme is catching the fancy of people.The list of people who have taken upthe responsibility of an animal by

adopting it includes, Captain AjaySingh Yadav, Minister for Finance,Irrigation and Forest & Environment,Mr Naveen Jindal (MP, Kurukshetra),Dr Parvez Ahmed, Principal ChiefConservator of Forests, Sh C RJotriwal, Additional Principal ChiefConservator of Forests, Dr S S Jattan,Additional Principal Chief Conservatorof Forests, Mr Raj Kumar Sapra,Additional Principal Chief Conservatorof Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden,and many private people -- owner ofLiberty showroom at Karnal, a collegeprofessor from Karnal etc.

Captain Yadav who is the firstperson in Haryana to adopt an animalby paying an amount of Rs 22,500 forone year, said "Under the innovativescheme of adopting animals and birds

Roping in people topreserve wildlife The Haryana Government’s novel scheme to rope in people to adoptanimals and birds in zoos to preserve and promote its wildlifetreasure, has caught the fancy of animal lovers


launched in Haryana, I have adopted ablack buck in Pipli Zoo so that othersget inspiration and willingly comeforward to adopt animals and birds."

Raj Kumar Sapra, IFS Chief WildlifeWarden, Panchkula, said, “It is a smallstep which will help in a big way inwildlife conservation. One cancontribute by adopting animalsthrough providing feed for themmonthly or annually. The adoption ofanimals by any person of the societywill not only show his/her love orfascination for wildlife conservationbut will also inspire others to follow thesuit.”

RICH WILDLIFE

Haryana has scarce natural forest buthas a variety of wildlife species owingto its location and climatic, edaphic andtopographic variation. Its uniquelocation makes it a station of manymigratory birds. Out of the total 1,250odd bird species reported in the Indiansubcontinent, about 450 are reported tospend time here.

Water birds from Europe and Siberiacome in winters and stop near smallponds, lakes and canals. Seeking escapefrom the harsh winters, some birds likeblack bulbuls, blue whistling thrush,red billed, blue magpie and others routeto Shivalik hills surrounding Haryana.Various types of ducks and geese canbe seen in the ponds and lakes of thestate throughout the winter.

The state is not very rich inmammals; among other importantspecies are goral, a wild goat species,chinkara, hog deer, barking deer,leopards and poisonous snakes.

Wildlife management holds specialmeaning in deficient forests ofHaryana. About 20 per cent of theforest area is under Protected Areanetwork. By implementing theprovisions of the Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972, the State Forest Departmentis making endeavours to protectwildlife inside and outside forests. TheWildlife Wing of the department ismanaging and developing nationalparks, wildlife sanctuaries and zoos andconserving the endangered species ofchinkara, pheasant, peacock andvulture at the breeding centers in thestate.

For ex-situ and in-situ conservationof wild fauna there are two NationalParks -- Kalesar National Park inYamunanagar and Sultanpur NationalPark in Gurgaon -- and eight Wildlife

Sanctuaries -- Kalesar WildlifeSanctuary in Yamunanagar,Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary inJhajjar, Bir Shikargah WildlifeSanctuary in Panchkula, ChhilchhilaWildlife Sanctuary in Kurukshetra,Khaparwas Wildlife Sanctuary inJhajjar, Nahar Wildlife Sanctuary inRewari, Abubshehar Wildlife Sanctuaryin Sirsa and Khol-Hi-Raitan WildlifeSanctuary in Panchkula. Also there aretwo conservation reserves -- Bir BaraBan Conservation Reserve in Jind andSaraswati Conservation Reserve inKaithal. National parks, wildlifesanctuaries and conservation reservescover an area of 33,018 hectares underprotected areas. Irrespective of thecategory of fauna, the level ofprotection in the national parks andwildlife sanctuaries is at par with any

other protected area in the country.There are two mini zoos at Rohtak

and Pipli which have tigers, leopards,hippopotamuses, bears, crocodiles,gharials, deers, birds and monkeys. Allthese zoos are being expanded. Thereare two deer parks at Meham and Hisar.An open bird safari has beenestablished at Barwala near Panchkulaover an area of 250 hectares wherevisitors can go for bird watching.

Looking at the decreasing number ofsome endangered species, steps arebeing taken for the reproduction ofthese species. Thus breeding centreshave been opened up. ChinkaraBreeding Centre at Kairu in Bhiwanihas about 110 animals. As many as 50Chinkaras were released in the wild inthe year 2004. Pheasant BreedingCentre is situated in Morni. There are

How to adopt an animalOne may adopt any animal by following the procedure of selecting ananimal or bird in a zoo, and the period of support. The rate of adoptionof animals and birds ranges from Rs 600 to Rs 3,60,000 per year andRs 50 to Rs 30,000 per month. The scheme is not restricted to adoptingonly one animal. One can adopt as many animals and birds in the zoosand deer parks of the state. The privileges one enjoysg Adopter’s name is suitably displayed on a board.g He or she will be allowed free entry pass for his family or for five

persons to visit the zoo 12 times in a year. g Adopter is issued 'Certificate of Adoption'. At various celebrations,

the adopter will be invited as a special guest.


93 birds in the centre. The breedingsuccess was moderate, till now. Thisyear, 95 chicks have hatched. Apeacock and chinkara breeding centrehas been set up in Rewari. A provisionof Rs 55 lakh has been made duringthis year to start the work.

Vultures have a great role inkeeping the environment clean. Theyare scavenger birds who live on eatingcarcasses of dead animals and thuscleanse environment exposed toinfections and diseases. Theirdecreasing number is worrisome.Haryana reacted to the crisis well intime and came out with first centre ofits kind in Asia. The ForestDepartment in collaboration withBombay Natural History Society(BNHS) set up a Vulture Conservationand Breeding Centre near Pinjore toconserve and rehabilitate vultures.Continuous efforts are bearing fruitsnow. Two chicks were born in 2008 andfour chicks were born in 2009. Theyare in a healthy condition.

SOLUTION TO WILDLIFE TROUBLES

The first week of October is celebratedevery year as Wildlife Week. To spreadawareness among people, wildlifeconservation camps are held andinformation regarding nature ofconservation is imparted to school andcollege children. Paintingcompetitions and eco-quizzes arearranged in the state to create publicawareness.

The problem of Nilgai has alwaysbeen in news. In 1996, Government ofHaryana decided to allow killing of theNilgai under relevant section ofWildlife Protection Act, 1972. DistrictForest Officer is empowered to issuethe necessary license for killing, onapplication of farmers. The killedanimals are the property of thegovernment.

Increasing population of monkeysposes problems for villagers and citydwellers. Such monkeys are permittedto be trapped and translocated to theappropriate habitat.

Deaths and disability caused due toattack of wild animals is compensated.For the death of adult Rs 30,000 andminor Rs 20,000 is paid ascompensation. While for the disabilitycaused compensation of Rs 15,000 andRs 10,000 are paid. For the casualty ofcow Rs 8,000; bull Rs 12,000; buffalo,camel, horse Rs 1,500; calf Rs 6,000;and goat or sheep Rs 3,000.

The Forest Department, incollaboration with Bombay Natural

History Society (BNHS), has set up aVulture Conservation and BreedingCentre near Pinjore to conserve andrehabilitate vultures. This is the firstcentre of its kind in Asia. AMemorandum of Understanding wassigned on May 2, 2006 between BNHSand the Forest Department.

This project was initiated in August2001, and for the first five years, thisproject was funded by DarwinInitiative for the Survival of Species ofUK Government. Currently, theactivities are supported by funds givenby Royal Society for Protection ofBirds, London, to BNHS. The period ofthis project is up to September 2019.

The centre was set up to find out thecauses of mortality in vultures andsuggest measures to recover thevulture population. Continuous effortsare bearing fruits now. There are a totalof 134 birds at the centre, of which 56are Oriental white-backed vultures, 58long-billed vultures, 18 slender-billedvultures and two Himalayan Griffons.

Till 2010, four slender-billed, eightOriental white-backed and three long-billed vultures have successfullyhatched and fledged, in captivity, here.The founder stock was collected fromvarious states of the country viz.Assam, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The reintroduction of the threespecies of resident Gyps, Orientalwhite-backed vulture, long-billedvulture and slender-billed vulture willbegin only after 2015. The birds will be

released in flocks of not less than 20birds. Most of the birds will be captivebred at the centre but a few (5%), willalso be wild caught adult birds. Thewild caught adult birds know the tricksof survival in wild environment andwill act as guide birds to the captivebred birds. The areas where the birdswill be released will be monitored fromat least a year before and it would bemade sure that no diclofenac is used inthe radius of 100 km of the releasedsites. The released site will be close tothe centre or close to a place wherevultures are present in good numbers.All release birds will be satellite taggedand will be monitored till at least theystart breeding in the wild.

The centre has successfullyimplemented the technique of doubleclutching by inducing the pairs to layagain by removing the first clutch. Theeggs removed are incubated inincubators. The birds lay again inabout three weeks’ time. Till 2011, 7eggs of Oriental white-backed vultureand 7 eggs of long-billed vulture havebeen successfully hatched inincubators. Meloxicam as a vulturesafe alternative drug to diclofenac wassuccessfully tested at the centre

The objective of the centre is toestablish a founder population of 25pairs each of the three species ofvultures, and produce a population ofat least 200 birds of each species in 15years to reintroduce into the wild. Forthis, complete infrastructure,laboratory equipments and veterinaryand care is there to support the vulturepopulation. g

Pinjore vulture centre breeds numbers


Swati Sethi

The mounting environmentalproblems are causing concern and

scare, not only in India but the worldover. The country’s population whichhas increased from 300 million in 1947to more than 1.2 billion, and the fast-paced economic development havejoined hands to put unbearable strainon the environment, infrastructureand the country’s fast depletingnatural resources. Resultantly, themenace of industrial pollution, soilerosion, deforestation, excessiveindustrialisation and urbanisation, aswell as land degradation, have cometo plague one and all.

As the world has begun to come togrips with the environmental issues,Haryana too has adopted a holisticapproach to keeping the environmentfree from water, air and soundpollution.There are 4,189 industrial units

covered under the Water Act, 1974 and7,936 units covered under the Air Act,1981. These units are dischargingeffluents and air emissions. All theseunits have installed requisite EffluentTreatment Plants and Air PollutionControl Devices.

CONSENT MECHANISM

The pollution caused by industrialunits is being supervised throughconsent mechanism by conductinginspections and collection of samplesof effluents and air emissions.Besides industries, there are 78towns, of which 66 towns have beenprovided with sewage facilities. Outof 1,135 million litres per day (MLD)of sewage effluent generated fromthese towns, 461 MLD of sewage istreated. For remaining towns, thePublic Health EngineeringDepartment has been directed toprovide Sewage Treatment Plants.

The Haryana State Pollution

Control Board has taken many stepsto control the water / air pollution inthe state. These are:-g Setting up of 15 monitoring

stations under National WaterMonitoring Programme (NWMP)for quarterly monitoring of waterquality of river Yamuna / Ghaggar.

g Setting up of continuous onlineambient air quality monitoringstation at Faridabad which wascommissioned in October, 2010. Theambient air quality data ofrespirable particulate matter,sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogenparameters received from thisstation is being sent to the CentralPollution Control Board and to thestate headquarters of the HSPCB.The Board has already procuredequipment for continuous onlinemonitoring stations for threetowns, namely Panchkula,Gurgaon and Rohtak. These arelikely to be set up soon. These will

A holistic approachHaryana takes on the monsters of air, water and sound pollution


monitor the quality of ambient airof these towns.

g There is a plan for setting up of 30ambient air quality stations inHaryana which will ensuremonitoring of ambient air qualityin all the districts.

g A proposal has been prepared forstrengthening of its technical,scientific, administrative and legalmanpower and opening of districtlevel regional offices to have abetter check over the pollutingindustries and for undertakingawareness programmes andenvironment managementeducation.

g A proposal has also been preparedfor strengthening of existing fourlaboratories of the Board andopening of four new laboratories atYamunanagar, Sonipat, Panipatand Bahadurgarh.

g Extensive awareness programmeshave been undertaken in all the 119

blocks for sensitising the farmersabout the harmful effects ofburning of wheat stubble andpaddy straw in open fields.

g Common Effluent TreatmentPlants have been set up at Panipat,Gurgaon, Faridabad, Kundli,Murthal, Barhi, Rai, Jind andManesar. For treatment of sewageeffluent, sewage treatment plantshave been set up in 29 towns underYamuna Action Plan and stateschemes.

g Faridabad and Panipat towns weredeclared critically pollutedindustrial clusters by the UnionMinistry of Environment andForests on the basis of a jointstudy carried out by the CentralPollution Control Board (CPCB)and IIT, Delhi. Faridabad wasplaced at 18th position and Panipatwas placed at 37th position.Restriction was imposed onexpansion for setting up of newprojects in the areas notified underthese critically polluted industrialclusters. Action plans forabatement of pollution forFaridabad and Panipat towns wereprepared in consultation withvarious departments of districtadministration. Short term andlong term action plans wereprepared for both the towns givingtarget dates for completion ofvarious activities such as regularmonitoring of Effluent TreatmentPlants, Air Pollution ControlDevices, Sewage Treatment Plants,Common Effluent TreatmentPlants (CETPs), recycling oftreated effluent, on-line monitoringof pollution control devices bylarge and medium industries,control of vehicular pollution,adoption of clean technology etc.Based on these action plans, theUnion Ministry of Environmentand Forests has lifted themoratorium on setting up of newindustries in these two towns.

g Various laws regulating pollutioncaused by bio-medical waste,hazardous waste, solid waste, useof plastic etc are also being

effectively implemented in thestate.

CATCHING THE ERRANT

The Haryana State Pollution ControlBoard has taken various steps tocheck water and air pollution causedby industries. Every polluting unit inthe state is required to set uppollution control devices such asEffluent Treatment Plants and AirPollution Control Devices forcontrolling water and air pollution upto the required standards. In case anyindustrial unit fails to comply withpollution norms laid down by theboard, stringent action such asclosure / prosecution is taken againstthe defaulter. During the year 2010-11,as many as 661 units were closed bythe Board under the provisions of theWater / Air Acts.

The Board has formulated a policyof giving an opportunity to pollutingunits by obtaining a bank guarantee,affidavit etc and time ranging from 2to 6 months is given for compliance. Ifthe unit fails to comply, the bankguarantee is forfeited besides closureaction.

CHECKING SOUND POLLUTION

The Haryana Government hasentrusted the duty of regulation ofnoise pollution in the industrialsector to the HSPCB. The industrialunits have been directed by HSPCB toprovide acoustic enclosures on thesources of noise like diesel generatorsets. The noise pollution generated incommercial/ residential areas hasbeen entrusted to the concerned sub-divisional magistrate. The DeputySuperintendent of Police has beenmade the prescribed authority forcontrol of noise pollution from thevehicles.

The state government has also setup eco-clubs under National GreenCorps Scheme. During the year 2005-06, 2,850 eco-clubs were set up and thenumber rose to 5,000 in 2010. Variousawareness camps and workshops arealso held to sensitise young studentsregarding the relevance of eco-Clubs.g

In case any industrial unit fails to comply withpollution norms laid down by the board, stringentaction such as closure / prosecution is takenagainst the defaulter


Haryana Review Bureau

The depleting fossil fuel stocks, andmore importantly, the combustion

of fossil fuels, especially those based onoil and coal, letting out carbon dioxideconcentration into the atmosphere—the main cause of global warming---have made people turn to sources ofgreen or renewable energy. Needless toemphasise, renewable energy is calledgreen as it causes no pollution and isvital to protecting the environment

Keeping pace with times, theHaryana Government has installednumerous renewable energy-basedpower generation plants with a totalcapacity of 128 MW. An additionalcapacity of 3.15 MW was added in 2010-11. The Haryana Renewable Energy

Development Agency (HAREDA) iscontinuously in pursuit of harnessingthe renewable and energy conservationpotential of the state. The measurestaken have resulted in total energysaving of about 165 MW in 2009-10.

NATIONAL AWARD

Haryana is credited with many path-breaking initiatives in the field ofrenewable energy and energyconservation and the same have beenrecognised by the Central Government.The state was awarded three NationalAwards by the President of India onthe occasion of the Silver JubileeFunction of the Union Ministry ofNew and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Itis the only state in the country whichhas been awarded the Best State’s

National Award for its excellentperformance in the field of energyconservation for two consecutive yearsin a row -- 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The state has added renewableenergy power projects of 49.36 MWwith an investment of Rs 339 crore in2009-10. It is the highest ever capacityadded in a single year. Further,renewable energy- based powerprojects of a total 230 MW capacitywith a total private investment ofabout Rs 1,170 crore are in variousstages of installation.

With a view to meeting the ever-increasing power demands, a budget ofRs 4,962.06 crore has been allocated forrenewable energy sector during 2011-12which is Rs 713.44 crore higher thanthe amount allocated last year. This

The green power route The state government has turned to renewable sources of energy tomeet the growing power needs of people and reduce pollution

Tapping solar power


includes Rs 1,636.80 crore on Plan sideand Rs 3,325.26 crore on Non-Plan side.

HAREDA has been promotingvarious Solar Photovoltaic (SPV)devices to meet energy requirements ofremote, un-electrified and power-starved regions through solar lanterns,solar home lighting systems, solarpower packs, solar street lightingsystems and remote villageelectrification.

HAREDA has implemented first-of-its-kind special project for installationof SPV Street Lighting in villageshaving 50 per cent or more SCpopulation. So far, 313 villages in 13districts, namely Ambala, Panchkula,Yamunanagar, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Kaithal,Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonipat, Jind,Bhiwani, Faridabad and Gurgaon, havebeen covered by installing 3,936 SPVStreet Lighting Systems. This hasimproved the quality of life of thepeople in villages.

A special project has beenimplemented for providing 5,635 SPVHome Lighting Systems (Model-III) in11 villages in cluster mode in Hisardistrict. Out of the total project cost ofRs 599 lakh, Union MNRE has provided

Rs 270.48 lakh and the state hasprovided Rs 75 lakh.

During the year 2010-11, 987 streetlighting systems were installed invillages having more than 50 per centSC population in Jind, Faridabad,Gurgaon and Bhiwani at a total cost ofRs 187.53 lakh with the financialsupport of Rs 92.77 lakh from theWelfare of SC and BC Department,Haryana and grant of Rs 94.75 lakhfrom Union MNRE.

SOLAR WATER HEATING SYSTEM

The Haryana Government has adopteda proactive approach to promote SolarWater Heating Technology. It has madethe installation of solar water heatingsystems mandatory in processindustries, hotels, hospitals andnursing homes, group housingsocieties and residential houses whichare built on plots of size 500 sq yds andabove in the municipal and HUDAcontrolled areas. A bunch of incentivesare being offered to increase marketpenetration of solar water heatingtechnology.

During 2009-10, solar water heatingsystems of 3.47 lakh litres capacity

were installed. This was the highestcapacity installed in a year and wasabout 66 per cent more than thatinstalled in 2008-09. During 2011-12,solar water heating systems of 6 lakhlitre capacity are proposed to beinstalled in the state. One 45 KW solarpower plant at Haryana Raj Bhawanand ten 4.5 KW solar power plants eachat ten district collectorate offices havebeen installed with a total cost of Rs 2crore.

In view of the scarcity ofconventional electricity power in thestate and to have a check on carbonpollution in the environment,HAREDA has got sanctioned a specialproject from the Union MNRE forinstallation of 6,660 SPV StreetLighting Systems in 333 villages ofSirsa district by taking 20 SPV StreetLighting Systems per village. Out ofthe total cost of Rs 12.65 crore, theMNRE is providing Rs 3.79 crore andbalance Rs 8.85 crore shall be borne bythe district administration of Sirsa.

BUDGETARY SUPPORT

A total number of 5,000 SPV HomeLighting Systems (Model–III) are beingprovided to the individual users with astate budget of Rs 125 lakh. Thissystem consists of 37 Watt Solar PVpanel, 12 Volt 40 AH battery, a chargecontroller, one 9 Watt CFL and 1 DCFan 20 Watt. Total cost of this system isabout Rs 10,630. The state governmentis providing subsidy at the rate of Rs2,500 per system and remaining Rs8,130 is to be borne by the user.

Haryana is one of the first few statesin the country to have created andnotified the State Energy ConservationFund under the Energy ConservationAct, 2001. A LED street lighting demoproject with a cost of Rs 70.16 lakhprovided by Bureau of EnergyEfficiency, Union Power Ministry, isbeing implemented in Kalka MunicipalCommittee. The Bureau has providedan amount of Rs 15 lakh to replaceincandescent lamps of Shimla Molanavillage in Panipat district with LEDlamps. A budget of Rs 15.32 crore wasearmarked in 2010-2011, out of whichan expenditure of Rs 14.24 crore hasbeen incurred to promote the variousrenewable and energy conservationactivities.

The pioneering steps adopted by thegovernment for harnessing therenewable energy will surely augmentthe state energy potential. g


Sonali Narang

Life on the earth began 4,000 millionyears ago. Since then, it has

exhibited extraordinary changes in itsclimate and the living beings that liveon earth. It has always witnessedstrange natural phenomena. But now,it seems that our planet is beingtransformed not on account of naturalevents but due to the actions ofhuman beings. The nature we seearound us has taken millions of yearsto develop into the present contour ofmountains, hills, plains, lakes, rivers,seas, beaches, air above and plants

below with the living world of animalsaround us. This beautiful inheritedwealth has been abused and spoiled byman since centuries.

Human acts like reckless cutting offorests, unmindful dumping ofindustrial and chemical wastes andexcessive use of fertilisers andpesticides have lead to rise in thelevels of carbon dioxide and otherpollutants in the environment, therebycausing “global warming"— thebiggest challenge before us. Theproblem of global warming whichplagues all nations alike is a hot topicof debate at every forum. According to

scientists, the root cause of globalwarming is the increase in the amountof carbon dioxide in the atmospherewhich results in the rise in the earth’stemperature.

The big question today is, "How tosave our mother earth from globalwarming?" If we think that it is onlythe government which has to get inthe action mode to save ourenvironment, then it is high time wechange our thinking. Governmentdoes have a major role to play in thisregard, but we all, too, have to do ourbit for the environment to make adifference. We should recognise andunderstand the repercussions of ouractions on the environment and mustreform our acts individually andcollectively, nationally andinternationally.

CUTTING DOWN DEMAND

A careful analysis shows us thatgovernment always responds to thepeople’s need, and it is the people’sneed that drives industry to produce aparticular good. We all have to play animportant role in reducing ourdemand of such goods which causepollution. This would put the toppolluting factories and governmentsout of business.

The world has more than enoughresources to feed twice as many peopleas we have now. Billions of rupees arespent on war machinery and themilitary, and tons of good food getswasted in western societies each day.People in Iraq and other Middle Eastcountries have more weapons thanthey have food to feed their ownpeople. Many African dictators spendmore than half their national incomeon war implements than they do ininvesting in their own people. Wheredo we place our priorities? When will

Better watch yourcarbon footprints!The state government may have a major role to play in the fight againstclimate change, but our little steps can make no small difference


we stop looking to governments and dowhat we can to erase this growingmenace?

At global level, nation states aretrying to reach an agreement whichcan be helpful in reducing greenhousegas emissions. But in order to savethis world from global warming, wehave to work on the personal level aswell. There is an immediate need tochange our way of living. By followingsome simple steps, we can contributein the fight against climate change.These all steps are so simple that wecan easily follow them during oureveryday life.

If each of us plants one little tree, itwill amount to a great deal ofafforestation and a healthierenvironment. Increasing the use ofbicycles or making a habit to walkdown short distances can contribute tothe reduction of air pollution. Try tominimise the use of vehicles and payheed to their maintenence; clean theirexhaust pipes and keep the pollutionthey cause under strict control.

Look at the gadgets you use athome. Are all of them necessary? Do

you maintain them well and use themefficiently? Turn off the ACs as alsothe lights and fans in unused rooms.Make sure to switch off the lights, thetelevision or radio systems before youleave the house. Remember to switchoff your computer when no one isusing it. Did you know that yourrefrigerator and water heatersconsume a lot of power? A careful useof these gadgets is a good way to savethe electricity. Use CFC-free products.

PREVENTING WASTAGE OF WATER

One of the most importantconstituents of the environment iswater. Preventing the wastage ofwater and curbing water pollution isone of our primary duties. Turn offthe taps; do not let the bucketsoverflow. Do not dump garbage down astorm drain. It is very important notto pollute water bodies.

It is said that recycling is one of thebest measures of saving theenvironment. Buy the products thatyou can reuse. Try to use renewablesources of energy. Lessen the use ofrubber and plastic. Instead, use paper

bags and cardboard containers. Even asimple habit of buying in bulk cansave a lot of packaging material, thuscontributing to saving theenvironment. When in office, printonly when it is absolutely necessary.Printing every soft copy leads to aheavy wastage of paper. Use emailsinstead of paper correspondence. Donot use disposable cups when you havean option of using the ceramic ones.Avoid excessive use of airconditioners in the office.

We all must minimise the use ofanimal products, which involve theirkilling. Animal fur and ivory are someof the excessively used products thatare gradually leading to the extinctionof the animals that provide them.

SMALL STEP, BIG LEAP

A small step by each of us can make ahuge leap towards saving theenvironment. The late MichaelJackson in his song says, "If you wantto make the world a better place...justlook on the man in the mirror...andmake a change". The world must takea serious look on how we use what wehave and stop the blame game. Wemust watch our own carbon footprintsand see how much individually we arecontributing to climate change. Wherewe put our rubbish, do we recycle, howmuch paper we use each day in ouroffices, how much electricity we use,when we use the car instead ofwalking or taking the bus, and the listgoes on. When the next generation willlook back at us, they will scream andsay, “Why could you not take a stepforward and do something?” We mustteach our kids the importance ofwalking; take a bus instead of drivingeverywhere. This may not be much inthe big idea of things, but it's apositive start so that their future canbe filled with hope.

To conclude, "Let every individualand institution now think and act as aresponsible trustee of Earth, seekingchoices in ecology, economics andethics that will provide a sustainablefuture, eliminate pollution, povertyand violence, awaken the wonder oflife and foster peaceful progress in thehuman adventure."— John McConnell,founder of International Earth Day. g

The writer is Research Scholar at theCentre for the Study of Geopolitics,

Department of Political Science,Panjab University, Chandigarh

What we can do?n Each one plant one.n Increase the use of bicycles.n Make a habit to walk down short distances.n Minimise the use of vehicles and pay heed to their maintenance.n Turn off the ACs as also the lights and fans in unused rooms. n Make sure to switch off the lights, the television or radio systems

before you leave the house. n Remember to switch off your computer when no one is using it. n Use CFC-free products.n Turn off the taps; do not let the buckets overflow. n Do not dump garbage down a storm drain.n Do not pollute water bodies.n Recycling is one of the best measures of saving the environment. Buy

the products that you can reuse.n Try to use renewable sources of energy. n Lessen the use of rubber and plastic. Instead, use paper bags and

cardboard containers. n Buy in bulk to save a lot of packaging material.n When in office, print only when it is absolutely necessary. n Use emails instead of paper correspondence. n Do not use disposable cups when you have an option of using the

ceramic ones.n Avoid excessive use of air conditioners in the office.n Minimise the use of animal products, which involve their killing.

SPECIAL REPORT HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201130

Swati Sethi

Summers are always a crucialperiod for the power utilities in

Haryana, as there is a considerablehike in the demand for electricity.While the demand in the domesticsector increases due to the use of air-conditioners and coolers, moreelectricity is needed in theagriculture sector to facilitateplantation of paddy. The HaryanaGovernment has taken adequate stepsthis time to meet the challenge.

The consumers in Haryana will getbetter power supply this summer. Thegovernment has made allarrangements for giving powersupply for 20 to 22 hours a day to theindustries and urban domesticconsumers, and for 12 to 14 hours tothe rural domestic consumers. It hasbeen planned to give supply totubewells for eight hours a day withthe start of paddy plantation. Thepresent schedule of power supply is20 hours for urban domesticconsumers, 16 hours for industries, 12hours for rural domestic consumersand 8 hours for tubewells.

According to the projected loaddemand, about 4,400 MW is requiredduring May. For this, power has beenarranged from various sources--about 2,300 MW from state’sgeneration, about 1,800 MW fromshare in the central pool, 250 MWfrom banking with Western Bengal,150 MW from LANCO and 50 MWfrom banking with Uttrakhand.During the first fortnight of June, therequirement is projected at 4,500 MW-5,000 MW, for which, 2,300 MW wouldbe available from Haryana’sgeneration, 1,800 MW from CentralPool, 150 MW from LANCO, 250 MWfrom West Bengal and 155 MW will beavailable from banking with J&K.

The load demand projection for thesecond half of June is 5,500 MW- 6,000MW against which proper

arrangements has been made. ForJuly, about 1300 MW would bearranged through bankingarrangements. The utilities hasalready planned to procure about1,200 MW through banking in Augustand about 900 MW power inSeptember to ensure adequatepower for the agriculture sector.

The aim of HaryanaGovernment is to provide adequateand quality power supply to all theconsumers. Haryana

was the first state in the country toachieve 100 per cent ruralelectrification in 1970. The stategovernment has taken many concreteinitiatives to add generation capacityof 5,000 MW with commensurateinvestments in transmission and

Fewer power blues Gearing up for summer

SPECIAL REPORT 31HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

distribution. Due to the efforts of Hooda

Government, in terms of power beingsupplied to the consumers in thestate, presently on an average dailybasis, 879.32 lakh units of power isbeing supplied against 578 lakh unitsin 2004-05. The state government isalso determined to make the statepower surplus by 2012 and takingmany initiatives for this. Tremendousprogress has been made in enhancingthe power generation capacity of thestate. During the period from 1999 to2005, only 724.4 MW was added to theown generation capacity of Haryana,whereas, during the five years oftenure of Hooda Government, thestate has already added 1,643 MW.

At present, the total installedcapacity available to the state is5,997.8 MW which includes 3,230.5MW from state’s own stations and2,767.3 MW from state’s share incentral generating stations andindependent power producers.

DAILY POWER SUPPLY

Rapid industrialisation andurbanisation has resulted in increasein power demand. More than 879.32lakh units of power are beingsupplied daily, of which 382.67 lakhunits goes to rural area, 315.6 lakhunits to urban/mix urban and 181.05lakh units are supplied to industries.The state government is committed toincreasing the production of

electricity in the state and supplyinghigh quality cost-effective power toconsumers of all categories bystrengthening the transmission anddistribution network.

Haryana is emerging as a hub offast-paced industrial activity,including the highest number ofspecial economic zones (SEZs) and ahot destination of investment, bothdomestic and foreign. Thegovernment is making efforts toensure that industries receiveuninterrupted power supply ofstandard voltage. While the statecould only generate 4,000 MWcapacity in the last 40 years, thegovernment aims to add 5,000 MWmore by 2012.

Against the demand of 8,761 MW atpresent, the state has an installed andcontracted power generation capacityof 5,807.83 MW. Out of this, the stategets only 3,230.5 MW from its owngenerating stations, 875 MW from itsshare in the joint projects of BhakraBeas Management Board andInderprastha Thermal Station and1,566.33 MW as share from centralgeneration projects.

MEETING THE SHORTFALL

In order to meet the shortfall, poweris also being arranged throughbilateral power purchase agreementsfrom within and outside the region.The state would have a generationcapacity of up to 6,500 MW by nextyear and would be self-reliant inpower.

Various projects to improve thepower position have been taken up inthe district. A new 220 KV substationis coming up in Ferozepur Jhirka.Two 33 KV substations have beenupgraded to 66 KV. An amount of Rs89 lakh has been spent on bifurcationof Sarai Feeder. The capacity ofKhaika and Mohammadpur Feedershas been increased so as to ensuresufficient power supply to theagriculture sector. As many as 11,310BPL families have been providedconnections under Rajiv GandhiElectrification Plan.

“Our government has a Rs 4,569-crore plan to construct 182 new powersubstations and augment capacity of105 existing substations during thenext 36 months. The government hasalready spent Rs 2,589 crore in thelast six years to strengthen thetransmission and distribution system

Panipat Thermal Power Station

SPECIAL REPORT HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201132

Ruchi Sharma

In summer, when the sun beats downmercilessly on the earth, living

species, both humans and animals, lookfor the elixir of life. But water fallsshort even for the animals to quenchtheir thirst. The heat of summer bringsin its wake water woes; there isshortage of drinking water, may be dueto inadequate supply or low pressure.The state government gears up everyyear to deal with the problem, this yearbeing no exception. The HaryanaGovernment has taken up a number ofschemes to augment water supply intowns and villages.

The water availability in the state is135 litres per capita daily and this yearits demand is expected to grow by 10 percent in summers. Thus, the State PublicHealth Engineering Department haspulled up its socks in advance to meetthe increased water demand throughtubewells, canals and tankers. It is alsomaking preparations for addressingwater grievances and checking anycontamination of drinking water.

The state government is all set withits action plan to overcome the watertroubles. Wherever the water table hasgone down, suitable arrangements havebeen for lowering of pipes. Estimatesfor standby pumping sets have been

sanctioned to prevent failure ofschemes. Generators have beenarranged for supplying drinking waterat the time of low or insufficientelectricity voltage. For resolving theproblem of voltage fluctuations in peaksummer season, schemes for providingstabilisers have been approved fororiginal water works. A standby team,including chargeman and electrician,has been kept ready to answer anyurgent and emergency call.

CANAL WATER

For poor availability of canal water, thematter would be urgently taken up withlocal counterpart of Irrigation

Lesser water woes

by constructing 252 new substationsand augmenting the capacity of 456old substations. Thus, the totalnumber of substations has increasedto 692 in the state. The governmenterected 3,504-km long transmissionlines to connect the new substations.To strengthen the distributionsystem, the government constructed41,285-km power distribution linesduring this period,” said ChiefMinister Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Apart from making addition ofpower generating capacity in thestate by setting up new powergenerating projects, it is necessary toaugment capacity of thetransmission and distribution systemso as to transmit and distribute thegenerated electricity at propervoltage and through an unstressedsystem of adequate capacity, headded.

Presently, there are three thermalplants and one hydel power plantworking in the state and two areunder implementation. WesternYamuna Canal Hydel Electric Plant,Yamunanagar, with a total capacity of62.4 MW, Deen Bandhu Chhotu RamThermal Power Plant, Yamunanagar,with a total capacity of 600 MW,Panipat Thermal Power Station witha total capacity of 1,367.8 MW andRajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant,Hisar, with a total capacity of 1,200MW, are the working plants. Thesehave a total generation capacity of3,230.5 MW.

Apart from these projects, twothermal power plants, 3X500 MWIndira Gandhi Super Thermal PowerProject (IGSTPP), Jhajjar and 1,320MW Mahatma Gandhi ThermalPower Project in Jhajjar, are underimplementation.

FUTURE PROJECTS

The future projects are 1,500 MW gas-based project at Faridabad, 660 MWcapacity additional super criticalthermal unit at Yamunanagar, as anextension of 2x300 MW DCRTPP,Yamunanagar, 2,800 MW (4x700 MW)nuclear power plant in DistrictFatehabad near Gorakhpur villageand coal block at Mara-to-Mahan inMP with estimated coal reserves of956 million tonnes, allocated jointlyto Haryana Power GenerationCorporation Limited (HPGCL) andDelhi Government.

For the 2, 800 MW nuclear power

plant to be set up at Gorakhpurvillage in District Fatehabad, pre-project work has been started by theNuclear Power Corporation of IndiaLimited for setting up two units of700 MW each in the first phase. Forupgradation of the transmissionnetwork in the state, Rs 4,209.05 croreis being spent to add 96 substations of66 KV and above during 2009-10 and2010-11.

The HPGCL has an ambitious planto add sufficient power generationcapacity in the state in order tobridge the gap between demand andsupply. Power shall be availableunder various power purchaseagreements – 97.50 MW (2008-09); 655MW (2009-10); 875.10 MW (2010-11) and2,440.10 MW (2011-12). By 2012-13,Haryana will be power-surplus state.Against the demand of 12,828 MW, thestate would be able to produce a totalcapacity of 13,591.33 MW. g

Our government has a Rs 4,569-crore plan to construct 182 newpower substations and augment capacity of 105 existing substationsduring the next 36 months. The government has already spent Rs2,589 crore in the last six years to strengthen the transmission anddistribution system by constructing 252 new substations andaugmenting the capacity of 456 old substations. Thus, the totalnumber of substations has increased to 692 in the state. Thegovernment erected 3,504-km long transmission lines to connect thenew substations. To strengthen the distribution system, the governmentconstructed 41,285-km power distribution lines during this period.

-Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda,Chief Minister

SPECIAL REPORT 33HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

Department, and if not resolved, thesame shall be brought to the notice ofhigher authorities as well as districtadministration. Proper coordinationhas been made with the ElectricityDepartment for the availability ofpower and the voltage. All the chemicalshave been stored in advance to meet thepeak demand required at the waterworks. All the machineries andequipment are being geared up to makethem in perfect working order. In case ofan extreme urgency or any suddenfailure of raw water system, tankersshall only be used.

Control Room For the summer season, a control

room has been set up to attend to thecomplaints coming up regarding waterand sewerage in the division office.Persons on the roster are deputed tonote the complaints and pass on thesame to the concerned officer orofficials on mobile or telephone andalso in writing. A proper record for thecomplaints received is beingmaintained on complaint register.

Close watch on distribution system In order to check drinking water

supplies for potability, special care isbeing taken during summer season. It isbeing ensured that the water supplied is

disinfected or chlorinated and defectivechlorinators are being repaired.Suitable arrangements have also beenmade to supply sufficient quantities ofbleaching powder, sodium hypochlorite,chlorine gas etc in advance. Testing ofwater samples are being doneindependently at the division/subdivision level and also jointly with theHealth Department.

Any complaints regardingcontamination of drinking watersupply system are dealt on priority.Field teams consisting of field staff,junior engineers and sub divisionalengineers have been constituted forconducting surveillance andrectification of unhygienic waterconnections.

The Public Health EngineeringDepartment has issued clearinstructions that works for expansion,boosting stations, tubewells or newworks have to be commissionedimmediately. All new pipelines ordistribution systems laid should also becompleted and commissionedimmediately wherever work is inprogress. The department is all set inadvance to mitigate the water woes andensure that people have a comfortablesummer this time. g

The Public Health EngineeringMinister, Mrs Kiran Choudhary, hasdirected officers to work diligentlyand with enthusiasm for the noblecause of ensuring drinking watersupply to the people of the state,

especially during the ensuingsummer months. The Ministerpointed out that pendency of

electricity connections had mounted,resulting in delay in commissioningof a large number of public health

installations, vital for ensuring watersupply. “As summer season is

approaching fast, the people of thestate must be benefitted by

releasing electricity connections toall public health installations on a

war-footing. The field officers shouldbe in touch with their counterparts

for reducing the pendency of powerconnections”, she said. The Minister

asked officers to gear up theirmachinery and draw up a

contingency plan to bring succor tothe masses.

Summer less thirsty now

PHOTO FEATURE HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201134

PHOTO FEATURE 35HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

Quenching the thirst

Summer singesone and allPhoto feature by Randeep Singh


Taking the plunge


Enjoying the splash


Beating the heat


Having siesta in water

EDUCATION HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201142

Swati Sethi

With the new academic sessionabout to begin soon, students as

well as their parents are in a dilemmaover which course they should choose.With a plethora of courses beingoffered by colleges, universities,deemed universities and othereducational institutions, students and

their parents find themselves in a fixregarding the right course for them.

Any course or type of education israted on the basis of what kind of joband how soon one is able to get a jobafter its completion. Looked at fromthis angle, technical and vocationalcourses get maximum votes, as thesefetch jobs immediately. It is true thatthese programmes are designed to

provide career oriented preparation,which is otherwise absent in the schooland college academics. But, what isimportant is choosing the right coursekeeping in mind with one's interestsand ultimate aim in life.

Technical Education covers coursesand programmes in Engineering,Technology, Management,Architecture, Town Planning,

Technical educationthrows up avenues A plethora of technical and vocational courses is being offered in thestate; all that the students need to do is to make the right choice

EDUCATION 43HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

Pharmacy, Applied Arts & Crafts, HotelManagement & Catering Technology,Polytechnics and various diplomacourses. Here are a few coursesavailable to the students with theirimportance and the careeropportunities available aftercompletion of these courses.

MANAGEMENT

Business management is today one ofthe most sought-after careers. Foraspirants in the employment market,this has opened unlimitedopportunities in diverse spheres withthe promise of rewards in the form ofgood remuneration, status and scopefor professional and personal growth.Courses are being offered in thefollowing streams:n Personal Management or Human

Resources Developmentn Financen Production and Operationn Sales and Marketing

n Management Information Systems

There are also some special areas forwork in business management i.e. aparticular type of businessmanagement.n International Management - deals in

all areas of international trade andbusiness.

n Operational Research - usesmathematical analysis for solvingfinancial and production problems.

n Technology Management -specialises in all aspects oftechnology, including financing andmarketing.

n Management Consultancy -responsible for identifying andcorrecting problems concerningcompany policies, procedures andmethods.

n Public System Management – dealswith management of publicenterprises, non-governmentorganisations and cooperatives.

n Hospital Management – deals withthe efficient running of hospitalsand healthcare organisations.

n Hotel Management - concentrates onall aspects of hospitality and hoteladministration.

n Leisure & Event Management –deals with the management ofleisure-related activities, clubs,parks and events.

COMPUTERS, IT & ENGINEERING

Of late, computers have become partand parcel of our daily life. Computershave lot of scope ranging from dataentry operator to software engineer,from web designing to web developingand so on. Several diploma as well asundergraduate and postgraduatecourses are offered in computers and ITby noted institutions as well as otherprivate institutes.MCA: Master of ComputerApplications (MCA) is a three-year (sixsemesters) professional master's degreein computer science awarded in India.The course was designed to meet thegrowing demand for qualifiedprofessionals in the field ofInformation Technology (computersoftware). It is a postgraduate coursethat can be taken up after obtaining aBachelor's Degree. Most MCA institutesaccept students having mathematics asa subject either in high school (11th and12th standards), or in graduation. Theyalso require a minimum of 50 per centmarks in graduation.

Engineering is one of the mostpreferred career options after 10+2.Students can go for various degreecourses like B.Tech, B.E, B.Arch whichare offered by various notedengineering colleges.

TECHNICAL INSTITUTES ANDPOLYTECHNICS IN HARYANA

The Department of TechnicalEducation, Haryana is providingvarious professional courses to thestudents. By opening technicalinstitutes throughout the state,including in villages, the stategovernment is providing betteropportunities to the students. At thetime of inception of Haryana, therewere only six polytechnics and oneengineering college in the state. Whenthe Congress government came intopower in 2004-05, there were 146institutes with an annual intake of24,154 students. Now the situation hastotally changed. Currently there are 141engineering, 157 MBA, 54 MCA, 32 BPharma colleges, five HotelManagement and Catering Technologyinstitutes, six Architecture and 151diploma institutes in Haryana. Thesecolleges have an annual intake of1,24,705 students. The state has alsostrengthened some of the institutes bygiving them the status of universities.Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisarhas been converted into GuruJambheshwar University of Scienceand Technology, Hisar. CR College ofEngineering has been converted intoDeenbandhu Chottu Ram University ofScience and Technology in 2006. TheYMCA Institute of Engineering,Faridabad has been upgraded to auniversity in 2009 by an Act and hasbeen functioning since December 2009.At present, the state has three technicaluniversities.

DEEMED UNIVERSITIES

In Haryana, three deemed universitieshave also been established which caterto the need and demand of technicaleducation in the state. These are MMUniversity at Mullana, Ambala, ManavRachna International University atFaridabad and Lingayat University atFaridabad.

The state government is alsoemphasising on polytechnic education.Presently, there are 163 polytechnicinstitutes running in the state. Theeligibility for entering polytechnics is10th class pass. The subjects taught in

EDUCATION HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201144

Vocational education is one of themost powerful means for

empowering women with knowledge,skill and self-confidence. It is one ofthe essential ingredients for thedevelopment of any nation. It isnatural that if energy and time isinvested in vocational work, theultimate reward is self-confidence,economic empowerment and successin various fields.

The ratio of financiallyindependent women is increasing inurban areas where the educationallevel, surrounding environment andmarket exposure has improvedsignificantly. However, the ruralwomen still need better guidance,healthy vocational environment,market exposure and opportunity touse their talent. University GrantsCommission (UGC) had sanctioned amajor project to Hindu Girls’ College,Jagadhri, entitled "Achieve- ASalutary Outcome of Earning WhileLearning- A Path towards Women'sEconomic Empowerment throughHome Science”. Dr Ujjwal Sharma,Principal of the college is the Patronand Ms Usha Dua, Retd AssociateProfessor is the PrincipalInvestigator of this project. Theproject has successfully completed itsthree months.

The study areas under this projectare Hindu Girls’ College, Jagadhari;

Civil Lines, Jagadhari; Amadalpurand Buria villages in Yamunanagar;Dhanora and Lahar Majra inKurukshetra district, and Karnal andits surrounding villages.

In order to prepare theparticipants for starting their ownbusiness, females are encouraged todesign earthenware products fromclay i.e. candle stand, flower pots,door and garden pots, lamp shades,show pieces and traditional andmodern artistic items for differentevents like wedding parties, birthdayparties and candle light dinners.Outlets named ‘Old into New’ havebeen opened in which femalesdecorate old earthen candle stands,doors and garden pots. An exhibitioncum sale of wedding items i.e-baskets, bowls, wedding thal, weddingand ring ceremony tray, was alsoorganised for imparting theknowledge of new trends in themarket. This kind of exposure isproviding a platform to the ruralwomen for becoming economicallyindependent.

Under the project, computertraining is being imparted to womento keep them updated with the latesttechnology. Chandni, a student ofB.Hsc.-II Year, Hindu Girls’ Collegehas been selected for impartingcomputer knowledge to the females ofthis project. g

A successful threemonths’ journey

Dr Ujjwal Sharma, Principal, Hindu Girls’ College, Jagadhari, admiringthe creations of students

polytechnic institutes are vast such ascomputer engineering, chemicalengineering, automobile engineering,fashion designing, masscommunication, interior decorationetc.

Many scholarships are given to thestudents by the state government.These scholarships range from Rs20,000 to Rs 1 lakh to toppers and toPhD researchers the state provides Rs18,000 per month. A scheme namedPartibha Samman Samaroh forhonouring the meritorious studentsof Haryana has been started. Underthis scheme, incentives are given tothe students by Haryana StateCounselling Society, such as cashprize of Rs 51,000 to students forsecuring top 10 positions in AIEEE,IIT, GATE, CAT; a cash prize of Rs 1lakh to the candidates who rank firstat the All India Level; a cash prize ofRs 21,000 each to the first threeposition holders in each branch ofDiploma Examination conducted byHaryana State Board of Technicaleducation and a cash prize of Rs21,000 each to the first three positionholders in Diploma Entrance Test(DET) Examination conducted in thestate of Haryana.

INNOVATIVE SCHEME

An innovative scheme ‘Earn whileyou learn’ has been started by thestate government in which studentsare paid Rs 30 per hour and studentsare permitted to work for maximumeight hours per week. The studentscan thus earn maximum Rs 960 permonth while pursuing studies. Themain objective of this scheme is toprepare them better for taking up jobsin future. Under this scheme studentsare given work in laboratories,library and account office.

The government has started manywelfare schemes for girls, ScheduledCaste and physically handicappedstudents. For encouraging girls topursue technical education, 25 percent seats are reserved for them. Acash award of Rs 5,100 is given toevery girl topper. For the rural youthin the state who are governmentschool toppers, a seat has beenreserved in each institute. Forphysically handicapped students, 75seats each have been reserved in threepolytechnics i.e. BPS MahilaPolytechnic, Khanpur, Governmentpolytechnic at Hisar and Sirsa. g

Haryana Review Bureau

Haryana has added another first toits credit. The non-descript village

of Firojpur Namak in Mewat Districtnow boasts of the country’s first legalaid clinic. The National Legal ServicesAuthority (NLSA) which has decided toopen legal aid clinics in the rural areasof the country to educate the massesabout their legal rights, chose FirojpurNamak to make a beginning. It is inthis village of Mewat that the country’sfirst legal aid clinic has beeninaugurated by Mr Justice AltamasKabir, Judge of the Supreme Court ofIndia.

Mr Justice Kabir, who is alsoExecutive Chairman of NLSA, alsoaddressed the state-level functionorganised jointly by Haryana StateLegal Services Authority (HALSA) andthe Haryana Government, aimed atlaunching a ‘Campaign for a developedMewat-A HALSA initiative’. TheHaryana Chief Minister, Mr BhupinderSingh Hooda, was the Guest of Honourat the function.

Mr Justice Kabir disclosed thatNALSA had sanctioned second mobilevan this year for spreading legalawareness in this region. NALSA hasfirmed up plans to open legal aidclinics in very village of the country,and, in case a village is inhabited byonly a few persons, the clinic would beopened for a cluster of villages. Anyperson having legal problem can visit

the clinic for seeking legal aid andconsultancy, free of cost.

Co-operation of prominent people ofthe village would be sought inspreading legal awareness and theseprominent people would be called Para-Legal Volunteers. This year, NALSAwould focus on the rights of children,and ensure that children, who areconsidered “voiceless”, get their rights.Mr Justice Kabir said that the rights ofpeople would be printed in smallfolders or pamphlets which would bedistributed among the people. Such anexperiment has already been started inKerala, and now it was beingexperimented in Himachal Pradesh, he added.

CLINIC COST RS 10 LAKH

The country’s first legal aid clinic inthe village of Firojpur Namak has beenconstructed by HALSA at the cost of Rs10 lakh. An advocate will be deputeddaily from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and hewill be assisted by two para-legalvolunteers, hailing from same village.The advocate would remain on duty atthe clinic for a week. Supreme CourtJudge and Chairman of the NationalCommittee for Para Legal Training andLegal Aid Activities, Mr Justice PSathashivam, gave away certificates tothe volunteers nominated for districtMewat at the function.

Mr Justice Kabir released theAction Plan of the campaign entitled‘Developed Mewat- an Initiative’ and

also administered the oath to thepeople present on the occasion thatthey would make their childrencivilized citizens of the country byeducating them, and that they wouldnot deprive their daughters of going toschool so that they might rise high inindividual and social development.

Earlier, while highlighting theworks done by the present CongressGovernment in Mewat district, theChief Minister requested the Punjaband Haryana High Court Judge, MrJustice A K Goel, to update the data ofMewat District, made available to him.

Listing out the number of workstaken up by the state government forthe development of Mewat District, MrHooda said that since 2005, the stategovernment had prepared projectsworth Rs 2,200 crore, and a sum of Rs1,100 crore had already been spent onthese projects. Work on the RajivGandhi Rainywell Scheme forproviding drinking water in 500villages of Mewat District is apace.Work on setting up of a Rs 700-croremedical college in the name of martyrHasan Khan Mewati is also inprogress.

Mr Justice Altamas Kabir and MrHooda, along with other judges of theSupreme Court and the Punjab andHaryana High Court, flagged off thelegal awareness mobile van whichwould be deputed in villages foreducating the masses about their legal rights. g

Raising people’s legalawareness quotientFirojpur Namak village of Mewat boasts of country’s first legal aid clinic

Mr Justice Altamas Kabir (third from right), Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, at the launch of the HALSA initiative at Nuh, in Mewat

NEWS IN CAPSULE HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201146

Hooda gets a pat on the backfrom Israeli Minister

The Israeli Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Minister, Mrs Orit Noked,has put a pat on the back of the HaryanaChief Minister, Mr Bhupinder SinghHooda. Lauding his visionary approachand leadership, Mrs Noked said that“behind every successful enterprisethere is a person.” She praised the ChiefMinister for the interest taken by himfor the betterment of the farmingcommunity, and improvement in theiragricultural production as well as theirincome.

“For this, I thank the Chief Minister,Mr. Hooda, as you really care for thefarmers of Haryana”. Mrs Noked wasspeaking to media persons after hermeeting with Mr Hooda at the Centre ofExcellence for Vegetable at Gharaundain Karnal District, the first such centreunder Indo-Israel collaboration, whichshe visited early May

Impressed, Mrs Noked described it as‘wonderful work’ done at the centre, andsaid, “I feel as if I am in Israel”. I will telleverybody that co-operation withHaryana has been a success, and I willalso tell about it to the UnionAgriculture Minister, Mr. Sharad Pawar,about what the Haryana Chief Ministerhas achieved in Gharaunda”, she

quipped.Mr Hooda disclosed that apart from

the 12 centres being set up for vegetableproduction, the state government wouldoffer 65 per cent subsidy to the farmersfor setting up poly houses over 4.5 lakhsquare metres.

Another first: all pensions will now go into account

Haryana is all setto add anotherfeather to itsornate cap thisJune. It willbecome the firststate in thecountry todirectly depositall kinds of socialpensions in the

bank accounts of beneficiaries throughthe Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)System. This was made known at ameeting held under the chairpersonshipof the Haryana Chief Secretary, MrsUrvashi Gulati, the other day.

In fact, the work on disbursement ofpension under the EBT systemcommenced in 16 districts from April,2011 with banks like ICICI, UBI, AXIS,OBC, Corporation and HDFC beingassigned these districts. The other bankswould commence EBT disbursements in

the remaining districts from June, 2011.Representatives of banks concernedwould visit each village to open accountsof the beneficiaries and pensions wouldbe directly credited to their accounts.

Mrs Gulati stressed the need forintegrating the bank accounts of thebeneficiaries with the website data. “TheEBT system would be very effective andfacilitate the beneficiaries besidescleaning up the bogus beneficiaries. It isa great initiative which needs co-operation of the banks involved to makeit a success”, Mrs Gulati said

HPSC gets new chief

The Haryana Public ServiceCommission (HPSC) has a newchairman in Lt- Gen (Retd) D.P. Vats,former Director and Commandant,Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC),Pune. The Haryana Governor, MrJagannath Pahadia, administered himthe oath of office and secrecy in thepresence of the Chief Minister, Mr.Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Dr Vats was born on April 16, 1950, inthe village of Thurana in Hisar District.A graduate of Pt. B D Sharma PGIMS,Rohtak, he was commissioned into theIndian Army in August, 1975. He did hisMS (Ophthalmology) from AFMC, Pune,in 1982 and received training in AnteriorSegment Surgery at AIIMS, New Delhi,in 1992 and in Eye Banking at LV PrasadEye Institute, Hyderabad in 1998.

Lt Gen D.P. Vats was decorated withParam Vishist Seva Medal in 2011, SenaMedal in 2003, Vishist Seva Medal in1999, COAS Commendation Cards in1996, 2005 and 2008 and GOC in C (WC)Commendation Card in 2001 forexceptionally meritorious service andcontribution towards patient care.

Now, mid-day meal for girlstudents in Classes 9 to 12The Haryana Government has decidedto launch a pilot project on mid-day mealprogramme for all girl students,studying in Class 9 to 12 in governmentschools, in six districts of the state.Presently, mid-day meal is provided to allboys and girls studying in governmentprimary and middle schools on schooldays, all over the state.

The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and visiting Israeli MK Minister ofAgriculture, Mrs Orit Noked, share a point at the Centre of Excellence forVegetables at Gharaunda in Karnal

THE MONTH THAT WAS

NEWS IN CAPSULE 47HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

The decision to launch the pilotproject was taken at a meeting of theState Level Steering-cum-MonitoringCommittee of the Mid-day MealProgramme, held under thechairpersonship of the Haryana ChiefSecretary, Mrs Urvashi Gulati, heretoday. The six districts which would becovered under the project includeAmbala, Yamunanagar, Kaithal, Hisar,Rohtak and Rewari.

Book brings out the poet in IASofficer Dheera Khandelwal That able IAS officers can make goodpoets too was proved the other day whenthe Haryana Governor, Mr JagannathPahadia, released ‘Mukhar Maun’, abook of poems by Haryana IAS officer,Mrs Dheera Khandelwal.Congratulating Mrs Khandelwal, MrPahadia said, “The poems in the booksum up her feelings, fantasies andemotions. She is not only a capable andefficient administrator but also asensitive poetess, who has tried to lendvoice to the feelings of the weak and thehelpless”.

Explaining the use of the word‘Honourable’ for Mrs Khandelwal in hisspeech, Mr Pahadia said that althoughshe was younger to him and abureaucrat, yet he was using the prefix‘Hon’ble’ for her because of thesentiments expressed by her in herpoetry. He complimented her for takingout time for doing creative literary workdespite her busy schedule.

Dedicating her writings to her father,Mr Triveni Prasad, and mother, Mrs RajLaxmi, Mrs Khandelwal said that‘Mukhar Maun’ was her first workcomprising 74 poems, published by S. Chand and Company. She has made amodest attempt at giving expression towoman’s emotions in a simple and easyflowing language through her poems.

Describing Jai Shankar Prashad,Dinkar, Nirala and Harivansh RaiBachchan as her ideals, she said that thebook contained poems written by herduring the last 20 years. “My father’sdiary and his poems inspired me to putmy pen to paper and these poems reflecther spontaneous feelings andsentiments”, she added.

Speaking on the occasion, the ChiefSecretary, Mrs Urvashi Gulati, said thatshe had a deep attachment with MrsKhandelwal and was proud of her work.Referring to some lines in her poem onfemale foeticide, ‘Nanhi Si Jaan, Kude Ke

Dher Par Kar Rahi, Maa Ki Pahchaan’,Mrs Gulati said that her poems wereimpressive, and touched such issues aswere important for the society.

Creativity with the lensawardedThe Haryana Tourism, in associationwith the Haryana Census, organisedan all India Photography competitionto celebrate the spirit of “People ofIndia”. All Indian nationals wereinvited to participate in thephotography competition which washeld to mark the 15th Census of India –Census 2011.

The theme of the competition was‘TO BE A WOMAN’ and contestantswere required to capture the essence ofbeing a woman in India. The detailsregarding where and when thephotograph was taken and what it

shows were also required to besubmitted with the entries.

There was an encouraging responseto the competition and more than 100entries were received from all overIndia. A panel of judges chose theprize winning entries out of theentries received. Mr Harvinder Singhof Chandigarh won first prize of Rs50,000 for his entry with the theme “Wehave won- we have won”, Mr MaheshGarg of Mohali won second prize of Rs30,000 for his entry “Parda”, and MrHimanshu Mahajan of Chandigarhwon the third prize of Rs 20,000 for hisentry “Enlightened creativity”. Fiveconsolation prizes of Rs 5,000 eachwere also given to Mr Pawan KumarKaushal (Kurukshetra), Mr AshokKumar Roy (New Delhi), Mr DalbirSingh (Kurukshetra), Mr Ravi Prakash(Kurukshetra) and Ms Shalini Pandey(District Gorakhpur, UP). g

Haryana Governor, Mr Jagannath Pahadia, releasing ‘Mukhar Maun’, a book ofpoems by Haryana IAS officer, Mrs Dheera Khandelwal

Entry that won the first prize

FEATURE HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201148

Anjana Datta

Anganwari workers of Haryana havereason to cheer as the state

government has gone full steam aheadto honour them by raising theirmonthly honorarium from Rs 3,000 toRs 5,000 and from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 forthe Anganwari helpers, thus makingthem the highest paid health workers inthe country.

As the nation races towards the sign-post ‘Health for All’, the Haryanagovernment led by Mr Bhupinder SinghHooda reiterates its commitment toprovide healthcare facilities to its ruralfolk. The recent hike in the monthlyhonorarium of the Anganwari workers(AWWs) of the state is a step in theright direction to upgrade the status ofthese health guides who assist thegovernment in providing the ruralunder-privileged women with basic

health services.Carrying the health message to

villages, AWWs demonstrate how they,with the co-operation of thegovernment, can deliver rural healthservices in the best possible manner.Selected under the Integrated ChildDevelopment Services (ICDS) Schemeinitiated by the government of India in1975, they are the grassroot workerswho are trained to make the ruralwomen aware of the services beingprovided by the government and helpthem fully utilise the same. For this,they have to go from house to house todeliver their services of supplementarynutrition, immunisation, health check-up, referral services, non-formal pre-school education, health and nutritioneducation and messages in anintegrated manner to targeted children,pregnant and nursing mothers andother rural women.

Anganwari workers perform myriadtasks to reduce infant and maternalmortality rate. They also educate therural women about the necessity ofpersonal and public hygiene to preventthe spread of any kind of disease in thearea which can be one of the majorcauses of infant deaths. Births anddeaths are registered by them,deliveries conducted and cases arereferred to government hospitalwhenever the situation demands.

AWWs also perform a number oftasks unconnected with the ICDS.Sometimes they are required to conductsurveys for various departments, formself-help groups of women, supportSarva Shiksha Abhiyan, encouragesmall savings, create awareness aboutAIDS, TB and other social evils likedowry and child marriage etc, anddetect bogus ration cards, besides doingother mundane tasks from time to time.

The hands that careThe Haryana Government has raised the monthly honorarium ofAnganwari workers in an acknowledgement of the health servicesrendered by them to rural women and children

Anganwari workers teaching the tiny tots

FEATURE 49HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

There is no denying that AWWs havecome a long way in educating the ruralfolk about healthcare. They havesucceeded in giving quantitative andqualitative health services to the ruralpoor and illiterate women. Where thedoctors have failed to reach, they havebeen of great help. Being part of therural community, they are moresensitive to the local problems. Theyhave a natural ability to pass on theirskills to the rural women to take care oftheir health and their children in abetter way. And, they have succeeded intheir goal to a large extent. According toMs Venita Mehta, Child DevelopmentProject Officer, Pinjore, “Rural womenhave now become more aware of theirhealth as well as of their children. Theyare taking more interest in the healthservices being provided to them by thegovernment.”

The present generation mothers aremore educated and willing to acquire allthe healthcare services for theirchildren, unlike their mothers ormothers-in-law. “Initially, we couldrarely find any visiting mother orchildren to Anganwari centres. But nowthe mothers come along with theirchildren to avail themselves of all thefacilities provided by us,” she adds.

The credit for this goes to theAnganwari workers who are totallydevoted to their work and are doing afine job for motivating the rural women.Some women really love this job andenjoy doing their work. “Earlier wecould hardly find any Anganwariworker. But now the situation is totallydifferent,” maintains Ms Mehta.

The workers engaged in the effortfeel they should be better looked after.Airing these sentiments, SantoshRawal, leader of Anganwari workers,Haryana Chapter, puts across ruefully,“Even a government peon is drawingmore salary than us, and is suitably

rewarded with all retirement benefits.On the contrary, we get nothing.”However, she is very thankful that thegovernment has been very sympatheticto their demands.

The Haryana Government’s recentdecision to hike the monthlyhonorarium of the AWWs, besidesgiving them Rs 100 per month foruniform, merits attention because ofthe clear-headed healthcare objectivesset by the Hooda government and itssheer energy that has gone intoachieving the task. Also, the stategovernment gives the ‘Best AnganwariWorker Award’ every year to reward theAWWs for their good work. This year onthe occasion of International Women’sDay on March 8, three Anganwariworkers were awarded -- Sushma Guptaof Kurukshetra, Saroj Bala ofFatehabad and Santosh Rani ofBhiwani.

CM ASSURES ALL HELP

Describing the Anganwari workers as‘Yashoda’, the foster mother of LordKrishna, Mr Hooda, says, “There isspecial need to impart moral values tothe children of illiterate parents so as tobuild up their character.” The chiefminister has also assured help toAnganwari workers regarding theirlong term pending request of transfer

after their marriage, provided avacancy exists.

In order to strengthen theinfrastructure of the existingAnganwari centres, the chief ministerfurther promised them that his regimewould provide them with betterfacilities like gas connection, 12 litre-gascookers, metallic bins etc. More so, thestate government has sanctioned a sumof Rs 15.80 crore for the colourfulfurniture of all the Anganwari centresin the state and another Rs 1 crore tomake them more attractive for thechildren.

According to Geeta Bhukkal,Minister for Women and ChildDevelopment, Haryana, a sum of Rs5,000 is being given to each Anganwaricentre in the state to buy swings andtoys for the children in a phasedmanner.

With a view to encouraging the ruralwomen, ‘Best Mother Award’ has beeninstituted. Sports meets are also heldfrom time to time where the ruralwomen participate in large numbers.At present, there are 17,444 Anganwaricentres in the state covering 10.20 lakhchildren from 0-6 years of age and 2.82lakh pregnant and nursing mothers andthis number is still increasing day byday. In order to meet the growingdemand of the work of Anganwaricentres, the plan is afoot to recruit moreAnganwari workers in the state.

In its bid to extend healthcare to itsrural folk, the state government isdetermined to give quantitative andqualitative health services to the under-privileged section of women in therural areas. For this, a silent revolutionis slowly but surely taking place inHaryana, thanks to the Hoodagovernment which is determined tomake the Rural Health Mission a realityin the state. g

The writer is a freelance journalist

Rural women at a sports meet

There is no denying thefact that AWWs havecome a long way in

educating the rural folkabout healthcare. Wherethe doctors have failed

to reach, they have been of great help

GUEST COLUMN HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201150

Amar Nath Wadehra & Randeep Wadehra

“Local Self-Government is, and mustbe, the basis of any true system ofdemocracy”

– Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

There are about 2.5 lakh PanchayatiRaj Institutions (PRIs) covering

almost the entire rural population ofthe country. Given this huge number,one cannot help wondering at the vastspread and history of this grassrootdemocratic phenomenon which isunique to our country. Let us notforget that PRIs are the most enduringand biggest tool of self-governance,based on the principle ofdecentralisation, in the history ofmankind.

The institution of panchayat mayhave attracted national focus inrecent times but it existed even in theVedic era. In fact, throughout India’shistory, whatever might have beenthe forms of government, panchayatsat the village level providedconsistent means of self-governancethrough samitis and sabhas. Eachvillage panchayat used to be a part ofa group of seven to ten similarvillage panchayats that managedassorted portfolios, includingdefence, tax collection, development,law and order etc.

During the Mauryan period, forexample, the gama (village) andnigama (town) formed the basic unitsof governance for rural and urbanareas, respectively. Each of these hada headman who administered on thebasis of due authority from the king.Tax collection, justice and otherportfolios of local importance weremanaged by the headman and hiscolleagues who were either appointedby the king or elected by localvillagers/townspeople.

Although India may never havebeen a single political entity beforethe British Raj, yet there were strong

traditions of democratic anddecentralised governance common toall villages and towns throughout theIndian subcontinent. During themedieval period, the panchayatsystem almost went to seed as theMughal rulers believed in highlycentralised form of administration.Therefore, these units, which onceformed a part of the government,began to function without any help orauthority from Delhi; but stillmanaged to run the village affairs to asignificant extent. However, the role of

panchayats during this period becamemore social than administrative. Thisability to adapt to changing politicalrealities has stood the institution ofpanchayat in good stead duringvarious upheavals that visited Indiaover the millennia. It also played avital role in preserving the essence ofthe Indian society. Therefore, whenduring the Mughal rule thepanchayats were replaced with thezamindari and kotwali systems ofgovernance, these did not disappearbut resorted to low profile socially

The past, present andfuture of panchayats

GUEST COLUMN 51HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

relevant activities that kept the basicsocietal units – the Indian village andfamily – intact.

With the arrival of the British, thepanchayati system began to beresuscitated. For instance, when LordRipon became the Viceroy of India,he made notable contribution to thedevelopment of local government inthe country. In 1882, he created smalladministrative units in order to makelocal governance more efficient.Moreover, to ensure popularparticipation in the management oflocal affairs he put into place aneffective election process. No wonderLord Ripon is considered to be thefounding father of urban localgovernment. The rural areasremained largely ignored – thanks tothe continuation of the zamindariand ryotwari systems –butpanchayats remained active, albeit ina limited way.

The Decentralisation Commission

of 1907, while transferring morepowers to the provinces did providefor some improvements in local self-government. But these did not go veryfar and essentially kept panchayatson periphery of the governmentalsuperstructure. Even when Indianpolitical parties won local/provincialelections and formed governments insuch provinces as the Punjab and theUnited Provinces etc, panchayatsremained peripheral to theiradministrative concerns. However,the Congress ministries formed invarious local bodies did help insetting off the process ofdemocratisation of panchayatiinstitutions. Gandhiji had great faithin the efficacy of panchayats asmeans of administration at thevillage level. As a votary ofPanchayati Raj, the Mahatma wantedit to play a far more significant role atthe social, administrative andpolitical levels than what had beenenvisaged till then.

TOOLS FOR DEVELOPMENT

After Independence, panchayatsbegan to get due attention. It wasrealised that these hoary institutionscan become effective tools forushering in developmental processesat the grassroots level. Although theBalwant Rai Mehta Committee hadenvisaged the “planning from below”concept as early as in 1957, yet it tookthe government quite a bit of time tofashion necessary micro-level systemsfor making panchayats viable vehiclesfor development. Before thishappened, several other committeesand working groups were formed thatlooked into several aspects of microlevel planning at the block level or thereasons for failures of the Panchayati Raj.

However, it was only in 1993 thatthe Constitutional Amendment Act,1992, was passed which facilitatedrevamping of the panchayats. The Actprovides for: (i) a three tier system ofPRIs - gram panchayat at the villagelevel, janapad panchayat at the blocklevel and zila panchayat at the districtlevel, with sufficient powers andfunctions contained in Schedule XI ofthe Act; (ii) establishing of StateElection Commission to ensure free,fair and timely elections after theexpiry of every 5 years, and (iii) thecreation of State Finance Commissionafter every 5 years to recommend

devolution of financial resources fromthe state government to local bodiesand also suggest measures forstrengthening their financial position.

As we all know, the rural localgovernment operates through zilapanchayats (parishads), talukapanchayats and village panchayats. Itis indeed gratifying that we have areadymade homegrown network ofinstitutions that can effectively beused for facilitating local self-governance. It sounds strange that thepowers that be are yet to tap theirpotential. The Constitution visualisespanchayats as institutions of self-governance. Yet, these find nosignificant status in the federalstructure of our polity; most of thefinancial powers and authorities to beendowed on panchayats have been leftat the discretion of concerned statelegislatures. Consequently, the powersand functions vested in PRIs varyfrom state to state. Moreover, toomuch interference by the stategovernment restricts the PRI’s scopefor functioning independently. Often,panchayats become vulnerable to thewhims of local MLAs and MPs. Thereis a need for insulating PRIs againstsuch interferences.

It would be much better if PRIs areintegrated into the overallgovernmental structure whileretaining their democratic essence.Thence could start the process ofempowerment. This may be done byallowing them to look after law andorder, tax collection, localdevelopment and various functions ofmunicipal nature like sanitation, localtransport etc. It is also worthconsidering that certain quasi judicialfunctions like settling of localdisputes of civil nature, arbitrationetc too are given to the PRIsuniformly throughout the country.While empowering the PRIs in thismanner, a system of checks andbalances too would need to be put inplace in order to ensure that theirextensive powers are used only for thebetterment of all in the villagewithout violating any of ourconstitutional acts and statutes.

What we have mentioned above isonly a broad outline. The detailswould need to be worked out with duedeliberation. g

Amar Nath Wadehra is a writer andRandeep Wadehra is a poet and

columnistA panchayat session in progress

SPORTS HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201152

Saurabh Duggal

The love for the sport left her with noother choice but to leave her

hometown Aligarh ten years ago and tosettle in Faridabad, a place 250 km away.Today, Annu Raj Singh’s decision andhard work have paid rich dividends, asshe has become the first-ever Indianwomen pistol shooter to earn anOlympic berth.

The 26-year-old shooter fired 486.6(389 + 97.6) points in the 10m Air Pistolto grab the silver medal in the ongoingthird World Cup of the year in FortBenning, USA, on May 17. And theshowing also got her a London Olympicberth.

The performance of 389 out of thebest possible of 400 in the qualifyinground of the World Cup was Annu Raj’sbest-ever performance in theinternational arena. Her earlier bestwas 386. Annu Raj became the fifthIndian shooter and the first women tobook a berth in the next year’squadrennial games.

“I am really happy for Annu and

today it seems that all the difficult timeswe had faced because of shifting fromAligarh to Faridabad was for ourbetterment. Now I want to see herwinning an Olympic medal,” said AnnuRaj’s mother Mera Singh. “It was her

target for this year to earn the Olympicquota and now as she has achieved herfirst target, she can fully concentrate onthe next year’s London Olympics’training,” she added.

Annu Raj, who is employed with AirIndia, had earlier won the team gold inthe 2010 Commonwealth Games andsilver (team) in the Asian Games heldlast year.

With no proper shooting range inAligarh, Annu Raj’s father Dr S PSingh, who is a former national levelshooter and a practicing dentist inAligarh, decided that her daughtershould shift her base to Faridabadbecause of its proximity to Karni SinghShooting Range. Annu Raj’s mother alsoshifted with her, so that she couldconcentrate solely on shooting. “Iwanted that Annu should devote herentire time to shooting and that’s why Ialso shifted with her to Faridabad.Whenever Annu is out for coachingcamps or for international outings Iusually go to Aligarh and for the rest ofthe time my husband stays alone,” saidMera Singh.

Annu Raj, who is supported byOlympic Gold Quest, picked up thesport in 1998 and in the year 2001, shemade her international debut in the thejunior section and then in 2004, shemade it to the senior’s squad. Sincethen, she is on and off part of thenational squad.

This year in February, sherepresented the state in the 34thNational Games held in Ranchi andgrabbed the top honours in both the10m air pistol and 25m sports pistol.

"After Sanjeev Rajput, Annu Raj hasbecome the second shooter fromHaryana to win an Olympic quota andthis in itself shows the growing statureof Haryana in shooting in the country,”said Deep Bhatia, Secretary General,Haryana State Rifle ShootingAssociation. “The score Annu Raj firedin the World Cup is a world class scoreand with this score she can for suremake it to the medal podium in the nextyear’s London Olympics,” he added.

Annu Raj does it Haryana’s Annu Raj shoots silver in World Cup, books Olympic berthand becomes the first-ever Indian woman pistol shooter to do so

Fact file Silver medal, 10m Air Pistol,ISSF World Cup, USA, 2011 Gold Medal, 10m Air Pistol(Team), Commonwealth Games,Delhi, 2010 Silver Medal, 10m Air Pistol(Team), Asian Games,Guangzhou, 2010 1 Gold and 2 Silver medals,Commonwealth ShootingChampionships, Delhi, 2010 Bronze Medal, 10m Air Pistol(Team) 3rd Asian Air GunChampionships, Doha, 2009

SPORTS 53HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

He is World No. 1 in hisweight category (75kg),

but now the ace boxerVijender Singh has becomeNo. 2 at home. The knockoutpunch was delivered byArchana, a software engineerfrom Delhi, on May 17, whenthe friend of four years tiedthe nuptial knot withVijender in the capital.

“I am really happy. It’s abeginning of a new life forboth of us,” said Vijender, 25,after the marriage. “It’s alove-cum-arranged marriage.I know Archana even beforepeople started treating me asa celebrity after the BeijingOlympics triumph. She isfrom a middle class familyand has always been a greatsupport for me. I first mether in Delhi through acommon friend and it tookoff from there,” he added.

The marriage was a dayaffair and both the familieskept it a low-key affair.Congress General Secretary,Rahul Gandhi, and CaptainSatish Sharma were some ofthe prominent politicians,who attended the wedding.

On May 18, Vijender’sfamily hosted a reception intheir native village, Kaluwasin Bhiwani.

“The entire village waswaiting to welcome the bride.In the beginning, rain playeda spoil sport and thereception party had to bedelayed by an hour. Later on,the couple went on the stageset for them to meet theguests,” said Vijender’s elderbrother Manoj Beniwal. g

The writer is a SeniorSports Journalist with

Hindustan Times

Boxer Vijendergets floored

ART AND CULTURE HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201154

Ranbir Singh

Avirtual renaissance in the field offine arts happened during the

period from 1880 to 1930 in the entireregion now called Haryana. It was allabout frescoes that were created inlarge numbers by local painters onhavelis, chaupals, religious edifices,memorial chhatris, masonry wells andother types of buildings such as aNauhra and Chitrashala (a rectangularchamber, the walls of which are used tocreate pictures depicting legends andcharacters known for historical,literary, scholarly, political, gallantdeeds and events that may co-exist withfoliage, flowers and other decorativeforms in addition to the geometricalpatterns) erected for particular motives.

Fresco art largely went unnoticed bythe historians and scholars of thosetimes and did not even find mention inofficial documents, revenue records andmemoirs. However, a scarce mentioncould be tracked down in Malcolm LyallDarling’s ‘The Punjab Peasant inProsperity and Debt’ (1925) from a largenumber of printed source materialsthat were searched as references.

The sheer numbers in which the

paintings were created, initially bywandering artists, and later by nativeartisans, is amazing. The fact that thepaintings existed in different parts ofthe state is a reality. The raw materialfor the frescoes came from local sourcesas far as possible but was also importedby the artists’ guilds from theneighbouring regions. Character andthe types of buildings were secular aswell as religious but the fancy forfrescoes was universal in thispredominantly agricultural land.

ASTONISHING SCALE

The scale on which the frescoes werecreated, is astonishing. Considering thefact that India was still under Britishsubjugation what appears moreremarkable is that how such anenormous activity could continue forseveral decades. The proportion ofresources gathered by the patrons tofacilitate painters to make it happen,was appreciable because it started as aprocess which led to the making ofhistory (its historical importance is yetto be fully assessed and documented ina scientific manner). As people tend toneglect their creative surroundings, it isimportant that the vestiges of art

history be conserved and restored,resources and physical environmentpermitting.

The substantial presence of frescoesin Punjab and Himachal Pradesh hadalready attracted such renownedscholars as Mahender Singh Randhawa,Mulk Raj Anand and Shiv S Kapur inthe 1950s and early 60s fordocumentation and preservation of thisheritage as cultural property. Thesecame to be later noticed and studiedalso by Prof B N Goswamy andKanwarjit Singh Kang. The frescoes inthe 48-kms perimeter of Kurukshetrawere documented in the early 1990s byShravan Kushwaha. Thereafter, a surgein the study of art history came to benoticed in recent times among membersof the teaching faculties ofDepartments of Fine Arts and studentsfor pursuing PhDs as a result of whichnumerous sites in Haryana werevisited.

TIME TAKES ITS TOLL

In the absence of an institutionalinitiative at the level of the state thatcould have provided adequate fundingand establish mechanisms, neither theheritage properties that harbouredfrescoes could be saved from the ravagesof time nor the valuable documentationdone by individuals could attractattention of the publishers on a scalethat came to be realised in respect ofRajasthan, Madhya Pradesh andGujarat. The universities, the tourismdepartment and dedicated individualscould have combined efforts to launchmulti-pronged strategies regardingfrescoes of Haryana at least twodecades ago. Regrettably, much precioustime has been lost. The situation can besalvaged only if a comprehensive planfor preservation of frescoes andconservation of cultural property isformulated and implemented within thenext five years on the analogy ofRajasthan (‘20-Year Perspective Plan forSustainable Tourism in Rajasthan’ hasbeen recently prepared as project reportby Ministry of Tourism, Art and

Fading art of frescoesThere is an urgent need to preserve the frescoes in Haryana whichonce embellished our havelis and chaupals, but are now vanishing

Hooka sharing- Chaupal in Balambha village

ART AND CULTURE 55HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 2011

Culture, Government of India). Haryana has numerous village

estates that abound in traditionallybuilt heritage structures embellishedwith frescoes. There are alleys in oldquarters of several towns and villagesof Haryana that have an array ofhavelis, built several decades or acentury ago, following traditionalIndian architectural styles, in additionto temples, memorial Chhatris,masonry wells and chaupals. Many ofthese sentinels of traditionalarchitectural heritage nowadays faceneglect as socio-economic conditionsof the society as well as the kinshipstructure has been transformed.

SAVING THE HERITAGE

To save these vestiges of lost heritageof art is not only an emotionalnecessity but also a cultural obligationfor Haryana if we have to hit uponnew opportunities of sustainableemployment by a process of re-discovering our glorious past. It maystart a grand activity for restoration ofcultural heritage that requiresmassive technical and monetaryinputs. Modification of mandate in theconcerned department of the stategovernment, re-orientation/re-appropriation of funds, capacitybuilding, amendment in urban lawsand enactment of new laws governingcultural properties in villages are afew of the numerous hindrances thathave to be overcome before anythingworthwhile could even be planned, lestaccomplished.

The only way out of this scrambleseems to be the mantra of public-private-partnership but the majordisadvantage of this system is that itshuts the doors for public and becomesa commercial proposition. Therefore,in order to make the traditionalapproach workable and affordable, it isnecessary that village and town levelheritage societies be promoted by thestate that may look after the juniorlevel heritage properties and put themon the educational map. The pre-requisites would be mapping andlisting of the cultural properties andpreparation of a policy documentbesides developing an effectivemechanism for monitoring asevidenced from similar efforts in a fewwestern European countries,particularly Switzerland.

The wall paintings or frescoes ofHaryana have never been used for

attracting tourists and enhancingincome of village Panchayats as a newsource of revenue. Time has comewhen bodies responsible fordeveloping educational material forschools and universities should thinkabout inclusion of chapters onfrescoes in the syllabus of variousclasses.

GATEWAY TO HISTORY

Frescoes can serve as authentic andsupplementary source that can makeus understand history in properperspective; they cover hundreds ofissues which are better represented inan illustrative manner. For examplethe legends of Radha-Krishna, Heer-Ranjha, Nihalde-Sultan, Padmini-RajaRatansen, Sheelade-Raja Risalu,Dhola-Marwan, Chauranginath inaddition to valorous tales of Jaimal-Fatta co-exist with local heroes and ascommon a character as a village levelSarangi playing Jogi or a sweeper.

The congregation of belles clad inbest traditional attire at village wellco-exist with a fresco done to depicttraditional oil pressing mill, Krishna

subduing Kaliya Nag and a farmer withhis plough and hoe going to fields, afight between sword masters, a quickbout by wrestlers and rows of soldiersand mounted cavalry. Hundreds ofevents and scenes from epics and theHindu pantheon had become subjectsof paintings that continued toentertain and educate the simplevillage and town folks of Haryana. Istill remember, when I was 12, I wasfascinated by a painting in a haveli inmy village that I used to regularly visitwhile going to the fields. I asked myelder uncle (Tau) about the theme ofthe painting. He told me that itdepicted Raja Mordhwaja and his wifeoffering to sacrifice their son to thehungry lion accompanying Krishnaand Arjuna under the garb of sadhus.

A large number of frescoes inHaryana have faded and damagedbeyond redemption and one feels greatanguish at the decay that ispreventable. Frescoes and geometricalpatterns created in Mughal era andstyle still survive in a few monumentslocated in remote corners of Haryana,which immediately need attention ofconservationists. g

The writer is Public Relations officer,Indian Council of Medical Research

(ICMR), Department of HealthResearch, Govt. of India

Panch Pandavas after facing defeat in agambling bout- Balak Ram Chhatri,Jagadhari

Haveli Maidayal Garg at Meham

LAST PAGE HARYANA REVIEW, JUNE 201156

Spend two minutes reading this and saveyour heart for years. This is not only

about the warm water after your meal,but about heart attacks.

The Chinese and Japanese drinkhot tea with their meals, not coldwater. Maybe, it is time we adopttheir drinking habit while eating.

If you love to take cold water/drink along with or after meals, it isfor you. You may be enjoying doingso. But remember, the cold water/drink will solidify the oily stuff youhave just consumed, and slow down the digestion.

Worse still, once this 'sludge' reacts withthe acid, it will break down and get absorbedin the intestine faster than thesolid food. It will line up theintestine, and very soon,turn into fats and lead tocancer. Hence, it is bestto drink hot soup orwarm water after a meal.

COMMONSYMPTOMS OFHEART ATTACK A serious note aboutheart attacks: Youshould know that notevery heart attacksymptom is going to bethe left arm hurting. Beaware of intense pain in thejaw line.

You may never have the first chest pain

during the courseof a heart attack.Nausea andintense sweatingare also commonsymptoms. About

60 per cent ofpeople who have a

heart attack whilethey are asleep do not

wake up. Pain in the jawcan wake you from a sound

sleep. Let's be careful and beaware. The more we know, the

better chance we could survive. g-A net pick

Heart attack anddrinking warm water

Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India

RNI No: 10412 Postal Regd No: CHD/123/2009-11Price: Rs 15

Sunflowers smile on summerPhotograph by Randeep Singh

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