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Leprosy awareness camp organized by Himalayan Hospital

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Doiwala, Dr Y S Bisht, Medical Superintendent in Himalayan Hospital organized  a camp at 10:30 am near Sapera Basti in PEN India School. 30th January is observed as World Leprosy Day across the globe. Specialists from Himalayan Hospital Skin Department and second yearMBBS students spread awareness about the symptoms and treatment of leprosy. Dr Y S Bisht said, “people who came to the camp will be provided free registration for treatment in Himalayan Hospital.

Himalayan Hospital skin specialist Dr Rashmi Jindal and Dr Payal Chauhan said, “leprosy is a contagious disease that is caused by the infection of Mycobacterium leprae which is a slow dividing bacterium. Two common types are tuberculoid and lepromatous, the latter being more harmful. Lepromatous leprosy causes large lumps and bumps, commonly referred to as nodules in medical terms.”

Dr Nancy Bhardwaj and Dr Robin Chugh added, “Pain in the eyes and legs, Skin lesions, numbness in hands, feet, arms and legs, muscle weakness, severe disfigurement and disabilities are some of the basic symptoms of leprosy.”

Dr Prakash Keshaviah, the Patron of PEN India Foundation said, “India has the highest number of leprosy patients globally and such awareness camps will prove beneficial in achieving the aim of WHO in eradicating leprosy.” Mr Anoop Rawat, the chairperson of the Foundation and Mr Santosh Budakoti, the Director of the Foundation, welcomed the SRHU medical superintendent Dr YS Bisht and his team and thanked them for their  their initiative of providing free treatment to those who came to the camp.

Love in the time of snowflakes

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Tania Saili
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Rudraprayag, Stories of valor and bravery of men in uniform fill up the hills and vales of Uttarakhand but here’s an endearing tale.

25th January 2019 was set as a wedding date months in advance. Rajnish Kurmachali, an army jawan from Trijuginarayan was to marry Shikha of Makku Math.

It was all going as planned. Or at least that is what everybody thought up until the time, the heavens opened up with the season’s heaviest snowfall. But not one for disappointments, the young man wasn’t going to let the weather god’s stand in his way.

The baraat – the groom and his entourage – set out on a walk of six kilometers near Makku Math where the wedding was to take place. Dressed in their besties, the groom and his close relatives took things in their stride and walked all the way.

Wearing an off-white sherwani with a maroon stole thrown his shoulders, the groom with his uncles, aunts, sisters and their children in tow, defied the weather gods with just shawls, jackets and the odd umbrella. They punctuated this procession with many a selfie along the snow-quilted path. Of course the wedding formalities and rituals were observed before the young couple trudged back to where their cars were stranded. What more than, a touch of snow in your face could be a perfect beginning of a lasting relationship.

Talking to us over the phone from Punjab, a coy Shikha told team Newspost: “So much preparation went to waste, but that was God’s will! ” Rajnish feels it was worth the effort: ‘And my bride is so sweet!’ he adds.

At the day’s end, those who can walk between waltzing snowflakes are singularly blessed by the Gods of Devbhoomi. Here we have Shikha and Rajnish Kurmachali who make that saying come alive in hills of Uttarakhand.

Our 70th Republic Day with a twist

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Tania Saili
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Dehradun:  In the once-upon-a-time days,  Dehradun was a town for retired people –  a place for grey heads and green hedges. The only crowd one saw was during the Jhanda ka mela, Dushera Mela or when the Gemini or Apollo Circus put up their tents in Parade Ground.  Fast Forward to today to find the new resurgent India on the march in one of the many malls, that dot the valley of the Doon.

National holidays help. One needs to see it to believe it. People across all ages flock to celebrate India’s 70th Republic Day at the ‘Mall’ to end up with a lighter wallet.  Families arrive in droves to shop, some to window-shop, few to watch a movie or just to grab a quick bite before heading home or elsewhere.

The ITBP band rocks to the beat of patriotic songs, against the backdrop of  those who come visiting. Beyond the tokenism of the tri-colour painted on cheeks; tri-colour badges sitting pretty on winter wear and tri-colour balloons floating around, is all that sets Republic Day celebrations at the Mall apart from the weekend footfall.

If you are looking for a fly in the ointment then it is that everybody is lost in the world of their mobile devices. My honest advice, do not bother to dress-up or dress-down, everyone is so glued to their mobile screen that they don’t even look where they are walking, let alone admire or berate your look.

Today, as India celebrates its 70th Republic Day, our Malls are witness to a proud nation as it marches into a brighter tomorrow.

Most Men Come Home Strangers

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Tania Saili
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Dehradun, Returning to Aasan was like a second homecoming. Here in 2005 for an assignment and a decade and half later I was back again, to relive the magic of the serene wetlands teeming with migratory birds.

Sprawled over 1 & a half km at the foothills of Chakrata range this is India’s first Wetland Conservation Reserve. There is this constant buzzing of birds and on close inspection one finds the rarest of birds at the Aasan barrage.

Over the years, the lake has become the winter stopover for about 150 species of migratory birds which start arriving here from October every year.

For serious birders, an experience with one particular species may become forever memorable. And for me a pair of the endangered Pallas Fish Eagle or the Pallas sea eagle or band-tailed fish eagle has been a personal favourite.

When I first came here, I remember the magnificent pair nesting on top of a palash or flame-in-the-forest tree. The pair waltzed in perfect harmony against the blue winter sky weaving a magic spell, and I was hooked for life!

Eagerly I enquire about them. They point out to the solitary male on a patchy bush thrush wetland, soaking in the sun. On asking about his partner, the locals fill me in, “Two years ago, the female passed away and since then the male has left his nest and made one of these patchy wetlands his home.”

At 2 feet tall he is as handsome as before but now a lonely sight. He hasn’t left the Aasan since his mate passed away. In spring when it warms up, he goes off to the nearby mountains, but with no other Pallas Eagle in the area his search for company looks grim.

 

 

As I leave, the lines of the poet Thomas Gray ring in my ears:

‘For many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And waste its sweetness in the desert air.’

CM Trivendra honour families of freedom fighters

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Dehradun, Chief Minister Mr. Trivendra Singh Rawat and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mr. Premchand Aggarwal honoured the families of the freedom fighters at Thano on Thursday.

On this occasion, families of 12 freedom fighters who were part of the freedom movement, were honoured. Among those honoured include dependents of Hari Singh Solanki, Kishan Singh, Bhuria Singh, Buddhi Prakash, Pancham Singh Krishali, Dev Narayan, Sainpal Singh Bhidola, Padam Singh Solanki, Surat Singh Chauhan, Gaurish Verma, Bankelal Garg and Madan Singh Rawat.

Chief Minister said, “ Thano is an area associated with the memories of our freedom fighters, who contributed significantly to the country’s independence. The freedom fighters are source of our inspiration. Their sacrifice and contribution to the nation’s freedom will inspire our new generation and we will go ahead with the inspiration from the courage of these freedom fighters, whenever the need to protect the country arises.”

To cherish the memories of the freedom fighters, Chief Minister asked to send a proposal for the renovation of the water tank and school in the Thano. He said that the Thano and Raipur hospitals have been given to AIIMS. In these hospitals, health facilities will be provided by AIIMS Rishikesh. Proposals have been sent to AIIMS Rishikesh to start services in these hospitals. Two assistants are being soon recruited in AIIMS, who will give information about health related facilities to patients.

Chief Minister added that for development in the area like electricity, water, roads etc, proposals should be sent through the area’s public representatives which would be resolved soon. Chief Minister said that a 300-bed maternity hospital will be opened in Harrawala and its foundation stone will be laid soon.

Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mr. Premchand Aggarwal spoke on the occasion saying, “ freedom fighters have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country and it is our responsibility to solve the problems of their families.  It is also our duty to respect these brave fighters and the principles and devotion of these brave soldiers will always remain inspirational.”

Tourists choke Mussoorie

By
Tania Saili
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2

Dehradun: Hardly had the snow settled in Mussoorie and its adjoining areas when in a few hours, thousands of tourists in cars and bikes have managed to clog the 33 km road to the hill-station.

Pic Courtesy: Nikhil Aggarwal

It began yesterday early morning even as the first flake danced to the ground and over thousand vehicles snaked their way to this colonial-era hill station. Folks carrying babies as little as one year olds to people in their late seventies – came in droves, all charged up to get a feel of the ‘Real Thing!’

Tipping point or carrying capacity arrived around four p.m. when the local administration had to step in for the safety of visitors by curtailing entry at Kothal Gate. Elsewhere too, on numerous occasions, this strategy of limiting entry has worked very well.

Pic Courtesy: Mussoorie Police

SHO Mussoorie Bhavna Kainthola has had a busy day on her hands. She and her team worked late into the morning, unclogging roads and by-lanes through the length and breadth of the town. Talking to Newspost she said: “Thus far there have been no untoward incident. We pray that all visitors go return home safely. Perhaps we might need to arm the force with spades someday to clear roads,” she added on a lighter note.

As for local residents, the enthusiasm of tourists to ensure their vehicle goes where angels will fear to tread is fraught with danger. Nikhil Agarwal tells us: “There are cars stranded all over town. It’s pure mayhem. Tourists refuse to walk and enjoy themselves. They insist on driving and have no clue how dangerous it is for all concerned.

It’s vehicles, inching bumper to bumper late into the night from and to Mussoorie which are modern day curse. The waltz of the snowflakes is once in a lifetime experience but it comes with its own peril and dangers for those who refuse to dance in harmony with the forces of nature.

Roorkee gets a thumbs-up in Gati’s Swachh Survekshan 2019 Report

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Dehradun, Gati Foundation, a Dehradun based research and policy think-tank, working on the issues of waste management and sustainable urbanization, has released a report on the ongoing Swachh Survekshan. The nationwide cleanliness survey is being organized since 2015 under the aegis of Swachh Bharat Mission by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India (GoI). The survey began on 4 Jan and will end on 31 Jan, in all the cities/towns of India.

The report discusses the new methodology and marking scheme of 2019 in comparison with earlier versions of the competition. This year’s competition is of total 5000 marks while the earlier competitions have been restricted to a total of 4000 marks. The scoring of the competition is based on three old components viz. service level progress, direct observation, citizen participation and one new component i.e. third party certification based on star ratings and protocol. All these four scoring components are of 1250 marks each.

The Founder Chairperson of Gati Foundation, Anoop Nautiyal said “Citizen Engagement remains a key area of concern as several ULBs are lagging behind in terms of encouraging public to participate in this nationwide competition aimed at promoting cleanliness and citizen participation.”

Commenting on the star ratings for the cities, Nautiyal welcomed the start of the new component and said that this will propel ULBS to take sustainable measures to improve their sanitation and waste practices. He added that cities will need to invest in resources and engage with citizens deeply if the ULBS in Uttarakhand were to aim for higher ratings in the future.

As per the findings of the research conducted by Gati Foundation, Dehradun has been an under-performer in the last two versions of Swachh Survekshan so far. However, the capital city saw a slight improvement in its ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2018 as compared to 2017. City secured 316th rank in Swachh Survekshan 2017, while it moved up 59 slots to reach 257th rank in 2018. The best performing city of Uttarakhand has been Roorkee which was ranked 218th in 2017 and moved to 158th in Swachh Survekshan 2018.

“There is a lot of scope for improvement for ULBs in this entire exercise. The ULBs in Uttarakhand can learn a lot from ULBs of different cities in India. In depth study and understanding of the competition can bring positive results both for the city leadership and citizens of Uttarakhand” said Rishabh Shrivastava, Policy Analyst with Gati Foundation.

The study also revealed that large numbers of citizens in many ULBS are not aware of Swachhata Mobile Application which was launched by MoHUA for promoting the objectives of the competition. As per the data available on the Swachhata City Analytics dashboard, Roorkee is once again leading the state with 208 marks.  However, there remains a number of ULBs who have still not initiated the awareness drives with respect to downloading of Swachhata Mobile App, which can reflect in the final markings of the cities. Also, efforts to perform better in the competition must be pursued by the concerned ULB throughout the year, instead of activating the city leadership and administrative staff before few months of the competition, recommended the study.

Tourists make a beeline to enjoy Mussoorie’s snowfall

By
Tania Saili
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2
Pic Courtesy: Elena Wadehra

Post Manali, the Queen of Hills Mussoorie welcomed tourists to enjoy its white mantel of snowfall. After a long dry spell, Mussoorie residents were in for a pleasant surprise, the seasons first major snowfall kissed its ranges in the third week of January.

Though there was a snowfall in the hill-station around the 12th of December, but it did not set. But today was different. Snowfall since last night and within hours a thin mantel of snow covered Mussoorie and its surrounding areas.

Shop owners and hoteliers had something to cheer about as cash counters began ringing. Pundirji of Pundir Dhaba in Suakholi, tucked away in the busy Mussoorie-Dhanolti highway is a happy busy man. His sales of maggi, hot piping vegetarian thalis, paranthas followed by umpteen cups of tea have business rolling with tourists heading to Dhanolti to enjoy the snow, ‘this is good business. Tourists as well as local shopkeepers are enjoying the snowfall.’

For tourists, the snow-covered hills are a bonus especially over the weekend. Nalin Bahuguna, a resident of Kuwait was pleasantly surprised by the snow-covered hills when he woke up today morning, ‘I have returned to Mussoorie after thirty-four years. I remember a snow-fight with my cousins back then, but dint anticipate that it would snow especially with the sunshine that we witnessed over the past one week.’

Come rain or sunshine, the magic spell of Mussoorie continues to attract tourists all year round but this fresh snowfall definitely adds more icing to the cake.

Made in Dun: India’s First Horror Comedy Webseries

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Lucky Singh/Tania Saili
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Dehradun, Web-series are the next big thing online! And naturally Uttarakhand’s young talent, is not far from carving a niche in this genre of entertainment as well.

Abhishekh a.k.a ABRK, a second year student of Mass Communication from Graphic Era University is a well known rap-star who is now being credited for making India’s first Horror Comedy Web-Series ‘Darr Kaisa.’

If one was to search for Horror Comedy Web-series on any search engine, the first name to pop-up is ‘Darr Kaisa.’ An official trailer of the web-series was launched on the 12th of January on YouTube which was appreciated by one and all.

“I had thought of making a horror web-series with a twist. My friend Bharat Gupta who had done a course in film direction from Whistling Woods inspired me to write script for a horror web-series. While the script was written in 24 hours. The shoot took a week, four days of editing and finally three episodes are now ready to be aired,” ABRK tells us. The first episode of the web-series was telecast yesterday.

The series was shot late into the night in locations situated in Malsi, Indira Nagar, Anarwala in Dehradun.

“Shooting the web-series was no easy task,” ABRK adds, “our team comprised of students. We got no assistance from the State government which boosts of promoting art and cinema, it was very disheartening for all of us but we did not quit.“

Signing off ABRK states, “staying in Dehradun we have managed to make our presence felt nationally and its just a matter of time when we will make our mark internationally as well.” The conviction with which he says, am sure this isn’t the last we are hearing off ABRK and his achievements.

Crew that made it happen:

  • Director: Bharat Gupta
  • Starring: Sunit Verma, Puja Kanwar, Shubham Bhatt, Manoj Kumar, Purshottam Gupta  Producer: Krishna Dhyani and Ghanshyam Gupta.

187 Recruits join Garhwal rifles

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Lansdowne, On 19 Jan 2019, 187 recruits of the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre, after completing their 34 weeks of training, were attested in Naik Bhawani Dutt Joshi, Ashok Chakra Parade Ground at Lansdowne, Uttarakhand. The recruits were taken into the folds of Indian Army after administration of oath by the Reviewing Officer, Colonel Kuldeep Sirohi, Sena Medal, Director ECHS, Headquarters Uttarakhand Sub Area, Dehradun.

The Reviewing Officer after taking salute inspected the parade and addressed them. In his address to the young soldiers, the Reviewing Officer encouraged them to unflinchingly discharge their duties in the service and security of the nation. He praised the courage of these young soldiers for joining the Indian Army and also congratulated their families on this momentous occasion.

During the parade, Gold Medal was awarded to Riflemen Naresh Kumar who was adjudged as Best Recruit during the entire training. Medals were also distributed to other winners.

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