Haryana news
CSE report says Gurugram almost living hell
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Gurugram with its teeming population, water crisis and pollution needs sustainable measures that need to be put into action.
The Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) has warned that Gurugram will be a victim to haphazard and unplanned development on several fronts.
In its report, Gurugram: A framework of sustainable development, the CSE takes down the unbridled chaos that is Gurugram.
The study says the sleepy town metastasized into the Millennium City over some 12 years. It began with a population of 870,539 in 2001 which touched 1,514,085 in 2011. The current population is estimated to be close to 2.5 million and is expected to grow to 4.3 million by 2020.
Along with the rising population, the strain on water resources is telling. Pollution and mobility problems have turned the city into clouds of smog atop skyscrapers and grid-locked traffic.
On the water crisis, the increase in population and the inability to meet demand has worsened the crisis, the report says. Gurugram gets its water from the Yamuna’s Tajewala headworks near Yamunanagar. “Though the supply system is built to carry about 245 million litres a day (MLD) at its head at Kakaroi village, about 50 per cent of this water is lost through evaporation and diversion to villages and a township en route,” the report says, adding the supply barely meets 30 percent of the city’s needs. The rest is met by groundwater. A substantial number of these also have piped water connections.
Further, the groundwater level has fallen considerably. According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the water level in Gurugram has dropped from 43 m bgl in 2003 to 51 m bgl in 2006. Unchecked use of groundwater in the city has resulted in water table falling at a rate of 1-3 metres a year. According to the groundwater cell of the Agricultural Department, between 2005 and 2014, the water table has dropped by 74 per cent.
The report said, “According to a study by CSE, Gurugram has lost around 137 of its water bodies. It is projected that rejuvenation of some of the key water bodies and ponds can help Gurugram meet about 50 per cent of its water needs. The Ghata Jheel alone has the potential of storing 12 billion litres – but only if its catchment is treated and encroachment is prevented. Village ponds can hold another 90 million litres. If a part of Aravalli is protected as a water sanctuary, it can harness yet another 21.6 billion litres. Such measures can contribute significantly to local water security in Gurugram.”
If groundwater is being over-exploited, can a sewage mess be far behind? The city which is riding high on flush toilet systems and water-intensive discharge pathways for excreta has become a source of water pollution and contamination, with serious risks to public health and water bodies. Unconnected to sewage networks or lines, the faecal sludge from these areas is usually physically disposed by dumping on land or into water bodies, causing more contamination.
The residents’ welfare associations of Gurugram say the city generates 260 million litres a day of sewage while the government estimate is exactly half of that at 129.6 MLD.
The full report makes for interesting reading and suggests sustainable ways out of the chaotic mess. And can be accessed here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Haryana news
Nuh: Haryana on high alert, schools, colleges, banks closed for Sobha Yatra today
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar denied permission for the procession.
Weeks after Haryana witnessed violence that erupted from the Sobha Yatra, the state is put on high alert with heavy security arrangements in place after the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat called for a Sobha Yatra on Monday. Reportedly, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar denied permission for the procession.
Despite being denied permission, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday asserted that Braj Mandal Sobha Yatra would be peacefully organised. VHP leader Alok Kumar remarked that no issues related to law and order would arise. The district administration enforced Section 144, appealing to the public to avoid any kind of movement in Nuh. Furthermore, all educational institutes, including schools and colleges, and banks in the district will remain closed.
The Shav Jatiya Mahapanchayat on August 13 called to resume the Brij Mandal Sobha Yatra on August 28. Speaking about the matter, Haryana chief minister noted that since there was a law and order situation during the Yatra last month and now it is the responsibility of the government to maintain law and order, that is why the permission to carry out the yatra was not given. The state government has also suspended mobile internet services from August 26 to August 28.
Speaking to ANI, VHP leader stated that they know G20 is going to start, so they will shorten the Yatra. However, they will not leave it and complete it tomorrow. He added that the government is there to maintain law and order so that people can organise their religious events peacefully and safely.
As per police spokesperson in Nuh, 1900 Haryana police personnel and 24 companies of parliamentary forces have been deployed. In addition, all entry points to the district have been barricaded and the roads leading to Malhar temple have also been closed. Nonetheless, the traffic on the KMP Expressway and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will continue normally.
Haryana news
Haryana clashes: Police stop Congress delegation from visiting violence-hit Nuh citing prohibitions
The police cited prohibitions under Section 144 CrPC that are in place and security concerns while stopping the leaders from visiting the violence-hit areas.
A nine-member delegation of senior Haryana Congress leaders, who were visiting the violence-hit areas in Nuh was stopped by the police on Tuesday near Rewasan village, according to reports. The police cited prohibitions under Section 144 CrPC that are in place and security concerns while stopping the leaders from visiting the violence-hit areas.
The nine-member delegation included Congress MP Deepender Hooda and the party’s state unit chief Udai Bhan, who was leading the team. Speaking to the media, Deepender Hooda said that they wanted to meet victims of the violence and appeal for peace. He added that their delegation wants to visit Nuh City, Nalhar Mandir, and markets. He mentioned that they want to speak to everyone affected in the violence. The Congress MP asserted that there is a lot of police deployment in the area. He remarked that if the police deployment had been done earlier, there would not have been the clashes.
A four-member delegation of Communist Party of India (CPI) was earlier stopped on August 5. The delegation included CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam, CPI general secretary Amarjeet Kaur, party MP Sandosh Kumar P, and party leader Dariyav Singh Kashyap was also stopped by the police who stated the same reasons.
As far as reports are concerned, massive violence erupted in Haryana’s Nuh district on July 31 allegedly over an attempt to avert a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession, in which six people lost their lives. The violence soon spread to Gurugram and other parts of the state. According to the Haryana government, nearly 156 people have been detained and 56 First Information Reports have been lodged as yet in connection with the violence and rioting in Nuh district. On the other hand, Haryana’s District Public Relations Officer (DPRO) on Monday affirmed that normal life has been restored in the violence-hit areas.
Haryana news
Nuh violence: Gurugram residents urge authorities to provide security to Muslim migrant workers | Watch video
Authorities in Nuh bulldozed some 250 shanties allegedly built on the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) land on Thursday morning.
Recently, a video of a Gurugram resident pleading authorities to provide security to Muslim migrant workers has gone viral across the social media platforms. The communal clashes that erupted in Nuh, Mewat, on Monday and spilled over in Gurugram has forced the Muslim migrant workers to leave their jobs.
In the viral video, Kiran Kapoor, RWA president of Tulip Orange in Sector 70, complained that the operations of the residential area have been affected as the migrant workers decided to leave the city amid the clashes in the northern state.
She stated that the workers are afraid to work and live in the city. She added that there is no one to clean the towers and the premises. The RWA president added that the basements and common areas have not been cleaned since the past two days.
According to reports, authorities in Nuh bulldozed some 250 shanties allegedly built on the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) land on Thursday morning. An official asserted that the occupants of the shanties were illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who were earlier living in Assam and the shanties.
The decision followed as the violence claimed the lives of at least six people, including two home guards and a cleric. Nuh Deputy Commissioner Prashant Panwar declined that the demolition was associated with the violence and that it was part of a normal process of clearing encroachments.
The violence began after a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was allegedly attacked on Monday. As the clashes continued to spread, mobs allegedly burned down shops of Muslims in the area. Nearly 141 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
Hindu organisations took out a protest march against the Nuh violence in Gurugram’s Pataudi area on Friday and summoned for a bandh. Markets of Pataudi, Jatauli and Bhora Kalan remained shut for the violence.
