In a shocking case, Tamil Nadu Police has arrested a woman from Gudiyattam in Vellore for allegedly chopping of the genital of her husband after an argument over extra-marital affair.
Police said, the woman identified as Sarasu, a 30-year-old mother of four took the extreme step on Thursday night.
The couple had been married for 14 years, but they were living separated for nearly a year. Earlier this month they had come together on the request of their eldest son who had just turned 13 years old.
Even though they were living together, the couple used to fight accusing the other person of having extramarital affair.
On Thursday night, the police said they were fighting well into the night.
The quarrel continued till 2am on Thursday and he went to sleep. Around 3am, Sarasu brought a sharp knife from the kitchen and cut off her husband's penis and left the house with the chopped off part, said special sub-inspector of police A Krishnamoorthy.
The husband, identified as Jagadeesan was taken to a local hospital by his neighbours after they heard him crying with pain.
Police arrested Sarasu while she was on her way to her parents house and recovered the chopped-off part from her purse.
Jagadeesan who was later referred to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital has undergone a surgery and according to the doctors he is 'out of danger'.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Tourism, Travel, Hospitality, Conservation: News,Stories And Experiences From Allover The World
Showing posts with label Tourism In India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tourism In India. Show all posts
Friday, 21 July 2017
INDIA: Trains Serve Contaminated Food, Unpurified Water, Rats And Cockroaches Found On Trains
A joint audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Railways has revealed alarming facts: contaminated and recycled food, unpurified water direct from taps and other edibles unfit for consumption is being served on trains and stations.
Rats and cockroaches were found in many of the 80 trains and 74 stations audited.
Proper menus and bills aren't being issued to passengers either.
While basics suffer, railways focuses on luxuries
This report comes a month after the railways introduced luxury food items from Domino's, KFC, McDonalds and more on select trains and stations.
It's not just food it is working on. In May, it announced it will launch a content-on-demand service to let passengers stream movies and TV shows while travelling.
But luxury has to come after basic services are made ideal.
A Comptroller and Auditor General audit report on the catering services in the Indian Railways, to be tabled in Parliament on Friday, has observed that food articles unsuitable for human consumption, contaminated foodstuff, recycled foodstuff, packaged and bottled items past their shelf life and unauthorised brands of water bottles were offered for sale at stations.
The audit has found fault with frequent changes in catering policy of the railways that have created a state of uncertainty in management of catering services provided to the passengers. An inspection has revealed cleanliness and hygiene are not being maintained, bills are not being given for the food items served in mobile units in trains, besides several deficiencies in food quality.
During the joint inspection of the CAG team and the railways at selected 74 stations and 80 trains, the audit noticed that cleanliness and hygiene were not being maintained at catering units at stations and in trains.
Un-purified water straight from tap was used in preparation of beverages, waste bins were not found covered, not emptied regularly and not washed, food stuff were not covered to protect them from flies, insects and dust, rats and cockroaches were found in trains etc," the audit observed.
Neither were bills provided to passengers for food items served in trains, nor printed menu cards with tariff for the list of items sold in the mobile units were available with waiters and catering managers in any of the trains inspected.
Food stuff served was less than the prescribed quantity, unapproved packaged drinking water was sold,the report has said and pointed out that prices of food articles sold in railway premises was significantly higher than the open market.
A Comptroller and Auditor General audit report on the catering services in the Indian Railways, to be tabled in Parliament on Friday, has observed that food articles unsuitable for human consumption, contaminated foodstuff, recycled foodstuff, packaged and bottled items past their shelf life and unauthorised brands of water bottles were offered for sale at stations.
Articles unsuitable for human consumption, contaminated foodstuff, recycled foodstuff, shelf life expired packaged and bottled items, unauthorised brands of water bottles, etc., were offered for sale on stations, CAG noted.
The report says the mess has been created due to frequent policy changes and the failure of the Indian Railways to take effective steps to bridge the gap to provide necessary infrastructure in terms of base kitchens, static catering units, and automatic vending machines etc.
Blueprint for provision of catering services was not prepared in seven Zonal Railways. The policy of progressive switch over from gas burners to electric power equipment in pantry cars to avoid the occurrence of fire accidents in trains was not followed while manufacturing the pantry cars in Integral Coach Factory, Perambur,the report said.
Earlier this year, catering scam in Indian Railways had made headlines where items as small as curd had been bought at inflated prices.
Now, another malpractice going on in various trains have surfaced, where food is being served at an inflated price. Neelabh Khanikar, through social media, has brought another malpractice to the light.
Bareilly resident, Khanikar, was travelling from Duliajan to Dimapur on the New Tinsukia Rajendra Nagar Patna Express with his family, when he bought two plates of egg biryani.
Khanikar paid Rs 80 for each plate of biryani, but he grew suspicious and went to the pantry is asked for the menu. There, he found that actual price of one plate egg biriyani was Rs 63 instead of charged Rs 80.
Khanikar asked the person concerned why was he charged more than the given price. Since Khanikar was recording video of his conversation, no one spoke anything.
Khanikar was asked to stop recording and talk, but he refused, saying that he will bring the matter to the notice of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
The officials say that they had overcharged by mistake, and didn’t realise the actual price of the food, finally agreeing to return the extra money to him.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Rats and cockroaches were found in many of the 80 trains and 74 stations audited.
Proper menus and bills aren't being issued to passengers either.
While basics suffer, railways focuses on luxuries
This report comes a month after the railways introduced luxury food items from Domino's, KFC, McDonalds and more on select trains and stations.
It's not just food it is working on. In May, it announced it will launch a content-on-demand service to let passengers stream movies and TV shows while travelling.
But luxury has to come after basic services are made ideal.
A Comptroller and Auditor General audit report on the catering services in the Indian Railways, to be tabled in Parliament on Friday, has observed that food articles unsuitable for human consumption, contaminated foodstuff, recycled foodstuff, packaged and bottled items past their shelf life and unauthorised brands of water bottles were offered for sale at stations.
The audit has found fault with frequent changes in catering policy of the railways that have created a state of uncertainty in management of catering services provided to the passengers. An inspection has revealed cleanliness and hygiene are not being maintained, bills are not being given for the food items served in mobile units in trains, besides several deficiencies in food quality.
During the joint inspection of the CAG team and the railways at selected 74 stations and 80 trains, the audit noticed that cleanliness and hygiene were not being maintained at catering units at stations and in trains.
Un-purified water straight from tap was used in preparation of beverages, waste bins were not found covered, not emptied regularly and not washed, food stuff were not covered to protect them from flies, insects and dust, rats and cockroaches were found in trains etc," the audit observed.
Neither were bills provided to passengers for food items served in trains, nor printed menu cards with tariff for the list of items sold in the mobile units were available with waiters and catering managers in any of the trains inspected.
Food stuff served was less than the prescribed quantity, unapproved packaged drinking water was sold,the report has said and pointed out that prices of food articles sold in railway premises was significantly higher than the open market.
A Comptroller and Auditor General audit report on the catering services in the Indian Railways, to be tabled in Parliament on Friday, has observed that food articles unsuitable for human consumption, contaminated foodstuff, recycled foodstuff, packaged and bottled items past their shelf life and unauthorised brands of water bottles were offered for sale at stations.
Articles unsuitable for human consumption, contaminated foodstuff, recycled foodstuff, shelf life expired packaged and bottled items, unauthorised brands of water bottles, etc., were offered for sale on stations, CAG noted.
The report says the mess has been created due to frequent policy changes and the failure of the Indian Railways to take effective steps to bridge the gap to provide necessary infrastructure in terms of base kitchens, static catering units, and automatic vending machines etc.
Blueprint for provision of catering services was not prepared in seven Zonal Railways. The policy of progressive switch over from gas burners to electric power equipment in pantry cars to avoid the occurrence of fire accidents in trains was not followed while manufacturing the pantry cars in Integral Coach Factory, Perambur,the report said.
Earlier this year, catering scam in Indian Railways had made headlines where items as small as curd had been bought at inflated prices.
Now, another malpractice going on in various trains have surfaced, where food is being served at an inflated price. Neelabh Khanikar, through social media, has brought another malpractice to the light.
Bareilly resident, Khanikar, was travelling from Duliajan to Dimapur on the New Tinsukia Rajendra Nagar Patna Express with his family, when he bought two plates of egg biryani.
Khanikar paid Rs 80 for each plate of biryani, but he grew suspicious and went to the pantry is asked for the menu. There, he found that actual price of one plate egg biriyani was Rs 63 instead of charged Rs 80.
Khanikar asked the person concerned why was he charged more than the given price. Since Khanikar was recording video of his conversation, no one spoke anything.
Khanikar was asked to stop recording and talk, but he refused, saying that he will bring the matter to the notice of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
The officials say that they had overcharged by mistake, and didn’t realise the actual price of the food, finally agreeing to return the extra money to him.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Monday, 17 July 2017
INDIA: 16 Tourist Pilgrims Dead, 27 Injured In Bus Accident
At least 16 Hindu pilgrims were killed and 27 others injured Sunday after a bus carrying them skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.
The accident took place in Ramban district, about 107 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
This afternoon a pilgrim bus skidded off the road and fell into Nashrana Nallah on Srinagar Jammu highway, a police spokesman said.
At least 16 pilgrims were killed on spot, while 19 are seriously injured and eight others have suffered minor injuries.
Following the accident police and locals rushed to the spot to carry out rescue work and retrieve bodies.
The critical ones have been airlifted to Jammu, while as others with minor injuries have been referred to the nearest hospitals.
The annual pilgrimage to Hindi shrine of Amarnath began on June 29. More than 100,000 pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the cave shrine perched high in the Himalayas.
Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused by overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.
Rescuers transfer the injured near the site where a bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Ramban district, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 16, 2017.
At least 16 Hindu pilgrims were killed and 27 others injured Sunday after a bus carrying them skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
The accident took place in Ramban district, about 107 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
This afternoon a pilgrim bus skidded off the road and fell into Nashrana Nallah on Srinagar Jammu highway, a police spokesman said.
At least 16 pilgrims were killed on spot, while 19 are seriously injured and eight others have suffered minor injuries.
Following the accident police and locals rushed to the spot to carry out rescue work and retrieve bodies.
The critical ones have been airlifted to Jammu, while as others with minor injuries have been referred to the nearest hospitals.
The annual pilgrimage to Hindi shrine of Amarnath began on June 29. More than 100,000 pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the cave shrine perched high in the Himalayas.
Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused by overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.
Rescuers transfer the injured near the site where a bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Ramban district, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 16, 2017.
At least 16 Hindu pilgrims were killed and 27 others injured Sunday after a bus carrying them skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Monday, 10 July 2017
INDIA: World Heritage Ahmedabad To Boost Tourism
The world heritage tag to Ahmedabad will help in promoting tourism and giving a boost to the local economy by creating more employment opportunities, Gujarat Urban Development minister said today.
A day after UNSECO inscribed Ahmedabad as India's first World Heritage City at a meeting at Krakwo in Poland, Minister of State for Urban Development Shankar Chaudhary said, "It is a matter of pride for us all.
With this, we have to become even more responsible towards preserving the city and keeping our areas clean as many tourists from outside the state and country will come here".
The guardian minister for Ahmedabad said that keeping the city clean was now the combined responsibility.
The tag will help promote tourism and employment. It will give major boost to hospitality sector. It is an opportunity to boost local economy, he said.
The government, he said, will develop a circuit which will join all heritage structures not just in Ahmedabad but also in areas around the city like Adalaj ni Vav in Gandhinagar, so that tourists visiting here could get to see a lot of other historic marvels.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the tag has now put the city on the global map and it will help boost tourism.
"I would like to thank everybody who worked to achieve this. Because of the heritage city tag, Ahmedabad will now shine on the world map. It will emerge as an important centre for tourism," Rupani told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.
Leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela called for those who hold "fundamentalist views" regarding the old city to shun such views.
"This is an opportunity for those who hold fundamentalist views regarding the heritage city to shun such views and work to build the city. I would request the Ahemdabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the state government to ensure that they work to preserve the city and not let encroachment destroy it," he said.
Mayor Gautam Shah said the AMC will frame a roadmap by consulting citizens, scholars and leaders from the ruling and the opposition parties on how to develop the heritage city.
"We will consult all stakeholders including citizens, scholars and political parties and create a roadmap on how to develop the city," Shah told reporters.
The UNESCO had yesterday accorded historic city of Ahmedabad as world heritage site, making it the first city to get the honour.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
A day after UNSECO inscribed Ahmedabad as India's first World Heritage City at a meeting at Krakwo in Poland, Minister of State for Urban Development Shankar Chaudhary said, "It is a matter of pride for us all.
With this, we have to become even more responsible towards preserving the city and keeping our areas clean as many tourists from outside the state and country will come here".
The guardian minister for Ahmedabad said that keeping the city clean was now the combined responsibility.
The tag will help promote tourism and employment. It will give major boost to hospitality sector. It is an opportunity to boost local economy, he said.
The government, he said, will develop a circuit which will join all heritage structures not just in Ahmedabad but also in areas around the city like Adalaj ni Vav in Gandhinagar, so that tourists visiting here could get to see a lot of other historic marvels.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the tag has now put the city on the global map and it will help boost tourism.
"I would like to thank everybody who worked to achieve this. Because of the heritage city tag, Ahmedabad will now shine on the world map. It will emerge as an important centre for tourism," Rupani told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.
Leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela called for those who hold "fundamentalist views" regarding the old city to shun such views.
"This is an opportunity for those who hold fundamentalist views regarding the heritage city to shun such views and work to build the city. I would request the Ahemdabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the state government to ensure that they work to preserve the city and not let encroachment destroy it," he said.
Mayor Gautam Shah said the AMC will frame a roadmap by consulting citizens, scholars and leaders from the ruling and the opposition parties on how to develop the heritage city.
"We will consult all stakeholders including citizens, scholars and political parties and create a roadmap on how to develop the city," Shah told reporters.
The UNESCO had yesterday accorded historic city of Ahmedabad as world heritage site, making it the first city to get the honour.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Monday, 3 July 2017
INDIA: Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh Mocked For Peeing In Public
A government minister of India was mocked on social media for urinating in public despite the prime minister's flagship public hygiene drive as pictures of the embarrassing incident were splashed over front pages today.
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh relieved himself against a school wall guarded by his security guards carrying automatic weapons.
Union minister peed in open, sparking a row on social media and along with rivals printed grainy images of the 67-year-old minister standing next to a wall.
The picture was taken in Singh's constituency in Bihar state.
Indian internet users mocked the minister and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Here, the national agriculture minister inaugurating an irrigation scheme in a drought affected region amidst tight security, Rashtriya Janata Dal, a regional political party, quipped as it tweeted the pictures.
The minister also made a contribution to 'Clean India Mission'," the post announced.
'Clean India' is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship programmes to improve public hygiene and cleanliness and encourage people to use public toilets.
Proud to have an agricultural minister like Radha Mohan Singh who waters the grass himself, Santosh Bharadwaj tweeted.
Superb. Proud to have an Agricultural Minister like #Radhamohansingh who waters the grass himself !! pic.twitter.com/tkvNJ4LOyK
— Santosh Bharadwaj (@santo_bharadwaj) June 29, 2017
But Singh's relatives and friends criticised the media for publishing the pictures.
Urinating is a natural biological obligation of a human being, so why are such things highlighted to create a controversy?
Are urinals available everywhere?" Sujit Kumar Singh, his son-in-law, asked.
The minister has made no comment.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh relieved himself against a school wall guarded by his security guards carrying automatic weapons.
Union minister peed in open, sparking a row on social media and along with rivals printed grainy images of the 67-year-old minister standing next to a wall.
The picture was taken in Singh's constituency in Bihar state.
Indian internet users mocked the minister and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Here, the national agriculture minister inaugurating an irrigation scheme in a drought affected region amidst tight security, Rashtriya Janata Dal, a regional political party, quipped as it tweeted the pictures.
The minister also made a contribution to 'Clean India Mission'," the post announced.
'Clean India' is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship programmes to improve public hygiene and cleanliness and encourage people to use public toilets.
Proud to have an agricultural minister like Radha Mohan Singh who waters the grass himself, Santosh Bharadwaj tweeted.
Superb. Proud to have an Agricultural Minister like #Radhamohansingh who waters the grass himself !! pic.twitter.com/tkvNJ4LOyK
— Santosh Bharadwaj (@santo_bharadwaj) June 29, 2017
But Singh's relatives and friends criticised the media for publishing the pictures.
Urinating is a natural biological obligation of a human being, so why are such things highlighted to create a controversy?
Are urinals available everywhere?" Sujit Kumar Singh, his son-in-law, asked.
The minister has made no comment.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Tuesday, 27 June 2017
INDIA: Eid Joy Turns To Sorrow In Chandrapur
Seven-year-old Sharmin Akhter was looking frequently at the path stretching before her house at Latabar village in Chandrapur union of the district, waiting to see her father come with her Eid gifts.
Then the air of festivity changed into mourning as her grandmother Aklima Begum and neighbours began wailing on receiving the news of death of 16 people, of the union, in a road accident early yesterday. Two of the victims were Aklima's two sons including Sharmin's father Saddam Islam.
Sharmin might not have realised what she had lost, but she burst into tears watching elders mourn and cry.
My father told me he had bought new clothes for me. He told me I would wear the new clothes during Eid, said Sharmin, only daughter of Saddam, at her home in Latabar village.
Thirty-five people, mostly low-income people and day labourers, from three villages Batrish Hazari, Latabar and Balapara of the union in Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat met one of the worst road accidents in recent times as they were going home on a cement-laden truck.
The truck skidded off the Dhaka-Rangpur highway at Pirganj of Rangpur around 4:30am, leaving 11 people dead on the spot and 13 others injured, said Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of Pirganj Police Station. Later, five others succumbed to injuries.
All the victims used to work in Gazipur.
Jahangir Alam, Union Parishad chairman of Chandrapur, said death of so many people from the same union took away the joy of celebrating Eid.
Those, who were lucky, who escaped death, told me the accident took place because the driver was driving with sleepy eyes.
The truck driver, Nazim Uddin, who also hails from the same union, managed to flee after the accident.
Meanwhile, at her home, Aklima, 46, was passing out, as she learnt her two sons Saddam, 28, and Alamgir Hossain, 25, would never return to her.
Our sons told me they were coming home and they would bring clothes as Eid gifts. Now, forget clothes, my sons are no more,Aklima cried out. Her daughters-in-law Sharifa Begum and Khadiza Begum survived the accident luckily.
Like Aklima, Mizanur Rahman and Mahfuza Begum of Batrish Hazari village, were grieving as their son Maznu Miah, 22, was killed in the accident.
I talked to Maznu over the phone at around 11:00pm on Friday. He told me he would have sehri with us, Mizanur said.
Maznu, who had been working at a garment factory in Dhaka since 2010, had a plan to buy a piece of land with his savings after Eid.
Now, everything is over, Mizanur said.
Of our two sons, the elder one lives separately. We were dependent on Maznu, said Maznu's mother Mahfuza Begum.
We didn't lose our son only, but also our dream, hope, shelter. We don't know how to survive without our son Maznu, she sobbed.
Rubel Islam, 28, of Batrish Hazari village, also saw his hope and dreams shattered after losing his father Kohinur Islam, 48, to the accident.
His father had wanted to return to the village, leaving his job in a garment factory, to open a grocery shop.
Today, he is no more, he said,And my mother is injured. I don't know what is in her fate as she is in a critical condition,said Rubel with tears.
Contacted, truck owner Abdul Karim of Chandrapur said the truck driver was responsible for the accident. I didn't permit him to carry passengers.
Then the air of festivity changed into mourning as her grandmother Aklima Begum and neighbours began wailing on receiving the news of death of 16 people, of the union, in a road accident early yesterday. Two of the victims were Aklima's two sons including Sharmin's father Saddam Islam.
Sharmin might not have realised what she had lost, but she burst into tears watching elders mourn and cry.
My father told me he had bought new clothes for me. He told me I would wear the new clothes during Eid, said Sharmin, only daughter of Saddam, at her home in Latabar village.
Thirty-five people, mostly low-income people and day labourers, from three villages Batrish Hazari, Latabar and Balapara of the union in Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat met one of the worst road accidents in recent times as they were going home on a cement-laden truck.
The truck skidded off the Dhaka-Rangpur highway at Pirganj of Rangpur around 4:30am, leaving 11 people dead on the spot and 13 others injured, said Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of Pirganj Police Station. Later, five others succumbed to injuries.
All the victims used to work in Gazipur.
Jahangir Alam, Union Parishad chairman of Chandrapur, said death of so many people from the same union took away the joy of celebrating Eid.
Those, who were lucky, who escaped death, told me the accident took place because the driver was driving with sleepy eyes.
The truck driver, Nazim Uddin, who also hails from the same union, managed to flee after the accident.
Meanwhile, at her home, Aklima, 46, was passing out, as she learnt her two sons Saddam, 28, and Alamgir Hossain, 25, would never return to her.
Our sons told me they were coming home and they would bring clothes as Eid gifts. Now, forget clothes, my sons are no more,Aklima cried out. Her daughters-in-law Sharifa Begum and Khadiza Begum survived the accident luckily.
Like Aklima, Mizanur Rahman and Mahfuza Begum of Batrish Hazari village, were grieving as their son Maznu Miah, 22, was killed in the accident.
I talked to Maznu over the phone at around 11:00pm on Friday. He told me he would have sehri with us, Mizanur said.
Maznu, who had been working at a garment factory in Dhaka since 2010, had a plan to buy a piece of land with his savings after Eid.
Now, everything is over, Mizanur said.
Of our two sons, the elder one lives separately. We were dependent on Maznu, said Maznu's mother Mahfuza Begum.
We didn't lose our son only, but also our dream, hope, shelter. We don't know how to survive without our son Maznu, she sobbed.
Rubel Islam, 28, of Batrish Hazari village, also saw his hope and dreams shattered after losing his father Kohinur Islam, 48, to the accident.
His father had wanted to return to the village, leaving his job in a garment factory, to open a grocery shop.
Today, he is no more, he said,And my mother is injured. I don't know what is in her fate as she is in a critical condition,said Rubel with tears.
Contacted, truck owner Abdul Karim of Chandrapur said the truck driver was responsible for the accident. I didn't permit him to carry passengers.
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
INDIA: 8 Injured Including Policemen In Cow Slaughter Inncident
At least eight people, including five policemen, were injured last week after a group of people resorted to stone-pelting when a police team raided some houses on an input of cow slaughter at Sherpur village making it the second incident of stone pelting in Uttar Pradesh.
Two cops were injured after a group of people allegedly resorted to stone-pelting when a police team raided their house on information of cow slaughter at Chaparasi village in Muzaffarnagar.
Acting on specific information that cow slaughter was being carried out at a house in Chaparasi village in the district, police conducted raids there last evening.
They seized meat and skin from the house following which about nine occupants of the house allegedly pelted stones at them from the terrace, SP city Ombir Singh said.
Tarik Waseem and Bhishember Singh were injured in the incident, he said, adding that police has registered a case against the accused and efforts are on to nab them. One of the accused was held by the police but later freed by the other accused.
Security has been tightened and extra police deployed as a precautionary measure.
This is the second incident of stone-pelting on the police in Muzaffarnagar. At least eight persons, including five policemen, were injured last week after a group of people resorted to stone-pelting when a police team raided some houses on information of cow slaughter at Sherpur village.
The controversial central notification banning sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter was on Wednesday challenged in the Supreme Court which said it would hear the matter on June 15.
The matter was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Deepak Gupta for an early hearing. The petitioner contended that the provisions in the notification were unconstitutional as they violated the fundamental rights including freedom of conscience and religion and right to livelihood.
The plea claimed that the government notification issued last month was "against the freedom of religious practice to sacrifice the animals" and imposing a ban on slaughter of animals for food violates the right to food, privacy and personal liberty guaranteed to a citizen under the Constitution.
It claimed that states like Kerala, West Bengal, Tripura and Karnataka have said that they would not implement the Centre's ban as it would impact the livelihood of those involved in this business.
It is also to be noted that slaughtering of animals for food, the foods and culinary made out of such animal flesh and offering sacrifice of animals is a part of cultural identity of such communities, which is protected from any legislative or executive encroachment under Article 29 of the Constitution of India which is not been subjected to any restriction by the framers of the Constitution, the petitioner, Hyderabad- based Mohammed Abdul Faheem Qureshi, said in his plea.
Complete ban of sale or purchase or re-sale of animals would cast a huge economic burden on the farmers, cattle traders who find it difficult to feed their children today, it said. They would be also required to feed the cattle as it was an offence under Act of 1960 (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act) to starve an animal or failure to maintain it and would also give way for cow vigilantes to harass farmers and cattle traders under the blessing of the impugned regulations, said the petition filed through advocate Sanobar Ali Qureshi.
The plea further said the 1960 Act was not enacted by Parliament to prohibit or restrict any act of slaughter of animals for food or for religious sacrifice or the sale of animals for it.
It has sought the apex court's direction to declare these rules of Prevention Of Cruelty To Animal (Regulation Of Live Stocks, Markets) Rules and Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (Care And Maintenance Of Case Property Animals) as ultra vires and unconstitutional.
The impugned provisions are imposing an absolute ban on slaughtering of animals in the country directly affecting the employment of the butchers and their trade, the plea said. It is depriving the citizens food of their choice and is in violation of the right to livelihood under Article 21 of the Constitution and also inconsistent and violative of section 28 of the parent Act, the plea said.
Two cops were injured after a group of people allegedly resorted to stone-pelting when a police team raided their house on information of cow slaughter at Chaparasi village in Muzaffarnagar.
Acting on specific information that cow slaughter was being carried out at a house in Chaparasi village in the district, police conducted raids there last evening.
They seized meat and skin from the house following which about nine occupants of the house allegedly pelted stones at them from the terrace, SP city Ombir Singh said.
Tarik Waseem and Bhishember Singh were injured in the incident, he said, adding that police has registered a case against the accused and efforts are on to nab them. One of the accused was held by the police but later freed by the other accused.
Security has been tightened and extra police deployed as a precautionary measure.
This is the second incident of stone-pelting on the police in Muzaffarnagar. At least eight persons, including five policemen, were injured last week after a group of people resorted to stone-pelting when a police team raided some houses on information of cow slaughter at Sherpur village.
The controversial central notification banning sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter was on Wednesday challenged in the Supreme Court which said it would hear the matter on June 15.
The matter was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Deepak Gupta for an early hearing. The petitioner contended that the provisions in the notification were unconstitutional as they violated the fundamental rights including freedom of conscience and religion and right to livelihood.
The plea claimed that the government notification issued last month was "against the freedom of religious practice to sacrifice the animals" and imposing a ban on slaughter of animals for food violates the right to food, privacy and personal liberty guaranteed to a citizen under the Constitution.
It claimed that states like Kerala, West Bengal, Tripura and Karnataka have said that they would not implement the Centre's ban as it would impact the livelihood of those involved in this business.
It is also to be noted that slaughtering of animals for food, the foods and culinary made out of such animal flesh and offering sacrifice of animals is a part of cultural identity of such communities, which is protected from any legislative or executive encroachment under Article 29 of the Constitution of India which is not been subjected to any restriction by the framers of the Constitution, the petitioner, Hyderabad- based Mohammed Abdul Faheem Qureshi, said in his plea.
Complete ban of sale or purchase or re-sale of animals would cast a huge economic burden on the farmers, cattle traders who find it difficult to feed their children today, it said. They would be also required to feed the cattle as it was an offence under Act of 1960 (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act) to starve an animal or failure to maintain it and would also give way for cow vigilantes to harass farmers and cattle traders under the blessing of the impugned regulations, said the petition filed through advocate Sanobar Ali Qureshi.
The plea further said the 1960 Act was not enacted by Parliament to prohibit or restrict any act of slaughter of animals for food or for religious sacrifice or the sale of animals for it.
It has sought the apex court's direction to declare these rules of Prevention Of Cruelty To Animal (Regulation Of Live Stocks, Markets) Rules and Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (Care And Maintenance Of Case Property Animals) as ultra vires and unconstitutional.
The impugned provisions are imposing an absolute ban on slaughtering of animals in the country directly affecting the employment of the butchers and their trade, the plea said. It is depriving the citizens food of their choice and is in violation of the right to livelihood under Article 21 of the Constitution and also inconsistent and violative of section 28 of the parent Act, the plea said.
Sunday, 28 May 2017
INDIA: Jet Airways Introduces Third Non-stop Mumbai-London Heathrow Effective October 29, 2017,
Continuing its commitment of providing guests with greater choice, convenience and further strengthening its global footprint, Jet Airways - India’s full-service, premier international airline, today announced the introduction of its third, non-stop, daily service between Mumbai and London Heathrow.
Effective October 29, 2017, and as part of the airline’s forthcoming winter schedule, the new daytime service - 9W 116 will depart from Mumbai at 0905hrs to arrive in London Heathrow at 1335hrs (local time).
On its return, the planned departure for 9W 115 from London Heathrow is at 1530hrs (local time), arriving in Mumbai at 0555hrs, giving guests a head start to their day in India’s economic capital should they wish to make a stopover, be it for business or for leisure.
The new flight will boost Jet Airways’ passenger and cargo capacity between India and the United Kingdom by almost 33 percent, allowing the airline to capitalize on the growing round-the-year demand being witnessed from EU and non-EU countries to India and other emerging economies in the region, on the back of fast expanding relationships in the areas of trade, commerce, tourism, culture, and, education.
The third frequency enhances onward connectivity over London Heathrow to North America with partners Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic.
Jet Airways will now offer improved connection time and 13 destinations over London Heathrow to North America including Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Washington (Virginia).
Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said, “Jet Airways is delighted to offer a third non-stop service between Mumbai and London Heathrow.
The new frequency will enable us to offer our guests seamless connectivity, choice and convenience with partners Delta Air Lines and Virgin
Atlantic over London Heathrow with a single baggage drop and through check-in. Our world-class experience together with our signature Indian hospitality, makes us stand apart from the competition.” Jet Airways, nominated by TripAdvisor as “India’s Best Airline1” will deploy the biggest aircraft in its fleet – Boeing 777-300ER, offering a three-class configuration that includes the airline’s award-winning ‘First Class’ private suites, 180° lie-flat beds for Business travelers as well as comfortable and ergonomic designed Economy seating, on the new frequency.
Guests will also be able to choose from a carefully-curated menu of delectable international cuisine and experience our cutting-edge in-flight entertainment system, all delivered with the airline’s trademark touch of warm and endearing Indian hospitality.
The new addition will also expand cargo capacity and promote greater access, right from India, SAARC and ASEAN region to London Heathrow facilitating carriage of commodities such as perishables, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, garments & fabrics, seasonal flowers, packaged foods, specialized medical equipment and supplies.
Effective October 29, 2017, and as part of the airline’s forthcoming winter schedule, the new daytime service - 9W 116 will depart from Mumbai at 0905hrs to arrive in London Heathrow at 1335hrs (local time).
On its return, the planned departure for 9W 115 from London Heathrow is at 1530hrs (local time), arriving in Mumbai at 0555hrs, giving guests a head start to their day in India’s economic capital should they wish to make a stopover, be it for business or for leisure.
The new flight will boost Jet Airways’ passenger and cargo capacity between India and the United Kingdom by almost 33 percent, allowing the airline to capitalize on the growing round-the-year demand being witnessed from EU and non-EU countries to India and other emerging economies in the region, on the back of fast expanding relationships in the areas of trade, commerce, tourism, culture, and, education.
The third frequency enhances onward connectivity over London Heathrow to North America with partners Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic.
Jet Airways will now offer improved connection time and 13 destinations over London Heathrow to North America including Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Washington (Virginia).
Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said, “Jet Airways is delighted to offer a third non-stop service between Mumbai and London Heathrow.
The new frequency will enable us to offer our guests seamless connectivity, choice and convenience with partners Delta Air Lines and Virgin
Atlantic over London Heathrow with a single baggage drop and through check-in. Our world-class experience together with our signature Indian hospitality, makes us stand apart from the competition.” Jet Airways, nominated by TripAdvisor as “India’s Best Airline1” will deploy the biggest aircraft in its fleet – Boeing 777-300ER, offering a three-class configuration that includes the airline’s award-winning ‘First Class’ private suites, 180° lie-flat beds for Business travelers as well as comfortable and ergonomic designed Economy seating, on the new frequency.
Guests will also be able to choose from a carefully-curated menu of delectable international cuisine and experience our cutting-edge in-flight entertainment system, all delivered with the airline’s trademark touch of warm and endearing Indian hospitality.
The new addition will also expand cargo capacity and promote greater access, right from India, SAARC and ASEAN region to London Heathrow facilitating carriage of commodities such as perishables, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, garments & fabrics, seasonal flowers, packaged foods, specialized medical equipment and supplies.
Monday, 22 May 2017
INDIA: Valley Of Flowers National Park
Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park, located in West Himalaya, in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear,snow leopard,musk deer,brown bear, red fox, and blue sheep.
Birds found in the park include Himalayan monal pheasant and other high altitude birds.At 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east.
Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of 87.50 km2 and it is about 8 km long and 2 km wide.Both parks are encompassed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (223,674 ha) which is further surrounded by a buffer zone (5,148.57 km2). This Reserve is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.
The Valley of Flowers is a high-altitude Himalayan valley that has long been acknowledged by renowned mountaineers, botanists, and in literature. It has been recognized internationally for over a century and is referenced in the Hindu religion. Local people have visited the valley since ancient times.
Indian yogis (Yogesh Mota) are known to have visited the valley for meditation.The Valley of Flowers has many different colourful flowers, taking on various shades of colours as time progressed.The valley was declared a national park in 1982 and now it is a World Heritage Site.
The Valley of Flowers has gained importance as a region containing a diversity of alpine flora, representative of the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows ecoregion. The rich diversity of species reflects the valley's location within a transition zone between the Zanskar and Great Himalayas ranges to the north and south, respectively, and between the Eastern Himalaya and Western Himalaya flora.
A number of plant species are considered threatened. Several have not been recorded outside of Uttarakhand. Two have not been recorded in Nanda Devi National Park. The diversity of threatened species of medicinal plants is higher than has been recorded in other Indian Himalayan protected areas.
The entire Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve lies within the Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA). The Valley of Flowers National Park is the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Seven restricted-range bird species are endemic to this part of the EBA.
The Valley of Flowers is nestled in the upper expanses of Bhyundar Ganga near Joshimath in Garhwal region. The lower reaches of Bhyundar Ganga near Gobindghat are known as Bhyundar Valley. The Valley of Flowers is in the Pushpawati valley 23 km north-northwest of Nanda Devi Park, It lies between 30° 41' to 30° 48'N and 79° 33' to 79° 46'E.
The Valley is 20 km northwest of Nanda Devi National Park across the wide valley of the Bhyundar Ganga. It is one of two hanging valleys lying at the head of the Bhyundar valley,the other being the shorter Hemkund valley which runs parallel some 10 km south. It runs east-west approximately 15 km by an average of 6 km wide, in the basin of the Pushpawati river, a small tributary flowing from the Tipra glacier which descends from Gauri Parbat in the east.
The area lies on the Zanskar range of the Himalayas with the highest point in the national park being Gauri parbat at 6,719 m above sea level.
1862: The Pushpawati valley was discovered by Col. Edmund Smyth;
1931: The valley visited by the climber Frank S. Smythe who wrote a book publicising the "Valley of Flowers";
1934: The upper Nanda Devi Sanctuary was reached and described by mountaineers Eric Shipton & Bill Tilman;
1936: Mountaineers Bill Tilman & Noel Odell climbed Nanda Devi;
1939: The basin established as the Nanda Devi Game Sanctuary by Government Order 1493/XIV- 28 of 7/01;
1962: Border disputes closed the area to traffic, altering the local economy;
1974-82: The sanctuary was opened to mountaineering, but the ensuing degradation led to its closure to all users;
1980: The park was established as Sanjay Gandhi National Park by Notification 3912/ XIV 3-35-80; grazing and mountaineering stopped;
1980: The Valley of Flowers was declared a national park by Government Order 4278/XIV-3-66-80 under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, for the conservation of its flora;
1982: The park was renamed Nanda Devi National Park;
1988: The Nanda Devi National Biosphere Reserve established (223,674 ha) with the national park as core zone (62,462 ha) and a 514,857 ha buffer area surrounding both sites; restrictions were imposed on the rights of nearby villagers;
2000: The Biosphere Reserve extended by the government to 586,069 ha and the Valley of Flowers National Park was added as the second core zone (62,462 ha+ 8,750 ha, totalling core areas of 71,212 ha);
2004: The two core zones and buffer zone designated a UNESCO MAB reserve.
The park is administered by the Uttarakhand State Forestry Department, the national Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. There is no settlement in the national park and grazing in the area has been banned since 1983. The park is open only during summer from June to October and it is covered by heavy snow for the rest of the year.
Being an inner Himalayan valley, the Nanda Devi Basin has a distinctive microclimate. Conditions are generally dry with low annual precipitation, but there is heavy monsoon rainfall from late June to early September. Prevailing mist and low cloud during the monsoon keeps the soil moist, hence the vegetation is lusher than is usual in the drier inner Himalayan valleys.
From mid April to June temperatures are moderate to cool (19 °C maximum). The Valley of Flowers also has the microclimate of an enclosed inner Himalayan valley, and is shielded from the full impact of the southwest summer monsoon by the Greater Himalaya range to its south. There is often dense fog and rain especially during the late summer monsoon.
Both Basin and Valley are usually snow-bound for six to seven months between late October and late March, the snow accumulating deeper and at lower altitudes on the shadowed southern than on the northern side of the valleys.
Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 17 km (10.5 mi). The nearest major town is Joshimath in Garhwal, which has convenient road connections from Haridwar and Dehradun, both about 270 km (168 mi) from Joshimath. From Delhi, one can take the train to Haridwar and then travel by bus to Govindghat via Rishikesh.Govindghat is approximately 24 km before another important destination of Badrinath. It is also possible to drive from Delhi to Govindghat, a distance of about 500 km.
Govindghat is a small place close to Joshimath (around one hour distance), where the trek begins. From Gobindghat, shared taxis up to 4 km and then a trek of less than 11 km (8.6 mi) brings trekkers to Ghangaria, a small settlement located about 3 km (about 2 mi) from the valley. One can also hire a porter, mule or helicopter to reach Ghangaria.
The trek from Gobindghat to Ghangaria is common to the Sikh Temple at Hemkund and a trekker is likely to find many Sikh pilgrims on the route.As one nears Ghangaria one is greeted by fields of perfumed wild flowers, wild rose bushes and wild strawberries by the sides of the path. The visitors to Valley of Flowers need to get a permit from Forest Department, at Ghangaria and the permit is valid for three days and visiting and trekking is allowed only during day time.
As visitors are not allowed to stay inside the National park, accommodation can be obtained at Gangaria.Best time to visit is between late July and early September, when the valley is full of flowers, just after the outbreak of monsoon.
The valley has three sub-alpine between 3,200m and 3,500m which is the limit for trees, lower alpine between 3,500m and 3,700m, and higher alpine above 3,700m. The habitats include valley bottom, river bed, small forests, meadows, eroded, scrubby and stable slopes, moraine, plateau, bogs, stone desert and caves. The lower surrounding hills in the buffer zone are thickly forested.
The Forest Research Institute in 1992 recorded 600 species of angiosperms and 30 pteridophytes in the valley and surroundings, discovering 58 new records for the valley of which 4 were new for Himalayan state. Of these plants, 5 out of 6 species globally threatened are not found in Nanda Devi National Park or elsewhere in Uttarakhand: Aconitum falconeri, A. balfouri, Himalayan maple (Acer caesium), the blue Himalayan poppy (Meconopsis aculeata) and Saussurea atkinsoni.
Kala classified 31 species of rare and endangered categories within the national park in 1998. Further his studies report that the dominant family in Valley of Flowers is Asteraceae with 62 species.45 medicinal plants are used by local villagers and several species, such as Saussurea obvallata (brahmakamal) are collected as religious offerings to goddesses Nanda Devi and Sunanda Devi.The site is designated a Centre of Plant Diversity.
Characteristic of the sub-alpine zone are high altitude forests which help to retain moisture and snow and support a large number of floral and faunal communities. It is dominated by the uncommon Himalayan maple Acer caesium (VU), west Himalayan fir Abies pindrow, Himalayan white birch Betula utilis, and Rhododendron campanulatum with Himalayan yew Taxus wallichiana, Syringa emodi and Sorbus lanata.
Some of the common herbs are Arisaema jacquemontii, Boschniakia himalaica, Corydalis cashmeriana, Polemonium caerulium, Polygonum polystachyum (a rampant tall weed), Impatiens sulcata, Geranium wallichianum, Galium aparine, Morina longifolia, Inula grandiflora, Nomochoris oxypetala, Anemone rivularis, Pedicularis pectinata, P. bicornuta, Primula denticulate and Trillidium govanianum.In trampled areas where past livestock congregated, Himalayan knotweed Polygonum polystachium is a rampant weed.
The density of wild animals in the valley is not high, but all the animals found are rare or endangered. A total 13 species of mammals are recorded for the park by CP Kala and its vicinity although only he sighted 9 species directly: northern plains grey langur Semnopithecus entellus, flying squirrel Petaurista petaurista, Himalayan black bear Ursus thibetanus (VU), red fox Vulpes vulpes, Himalayan weasel Mustela sibirica, and Himalayan yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula, Himalayan goral Naemorhedus goral, Himalayan musk deer Moschus leucogaster, Indian chevrotain Moschiola indica, Himalayan thar Hemitragus jemlahicus (VU) and serow Capricornis sumatraensis (VU).
The tahr is common, the serow, goral, musk deer and bharal, blue sheep are rare.The common leopard Panthera pardus is reported from lower parts of the valley closer to the villages. Local people have also reported evidence of brown bear Ursus arctos and bharal or blue sheep Pseudois nayaur. A recent faunal survey in October 2004 has established the presence of snow leopard Panthera uncia (EN) in the national park.
The area is within the West Himalayan Endemic Bird Area but there have been no surveys specific to the Valley. 114 species were seen in 1993 in Nanda Devi Park.
Species frequently seen in the valley include lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus, Himalayan vulture Gyps himalayensis, yellow billed and red billed choughs Pyrrhocorax graculus and P. pyrrhocorax, koklass pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha, the nationally listed Himalayan monal pheasant Lophophorus impejanus, found in rhododendron thickets, scaly-bellied and yellow-nape woodpeckers Picus squamatus and P. flavinucha, great and bluethroated barbets Megalaima virens and M. asiatica, snow pigeon Columba leuconota and spotted dove Stigmatopelia chinensis.
The area is relatively poor in reptiles: most often seen are the high altitude lizard Agama tuberculata, Himalayan ground skink Leiolopisma himalayana and Himalayan pit viper Gloydius himalayanus. Along with the flowers are wild bees and many species of butterfly which need to be more researched.
A few of the more evident species are lime butterfly Papilio demoleus demoleus, common yellow swallowtail Papilio machaon, common Mormon Papilio polytes romulus, spangle Papilio protenor protenor and common blue apollo Parnassius hardwickei.
The flora was surveyed and inventoried in 1987 by the Botanical Survey of India, in 1992 by the Forest Research Institute and in 1997 by the Wildlife Institute of India which found five species new to science. A research nursery and seed/rhizome/tuber bank for propagating rare plants and valuable medicinal herbs has been created at Musadhar near the entrance of the site.
Rare and valuable medicinal plants are the subject of special programs. These include Aconitum heterophyllum, A. falconeri, Arnebia benthamii, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Gymnadenia orchides, Megacarpaea polyandra, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Podophyllum haxandrum and Taxus wallichiana.
Research plots have been set up to determine the best way to control the spread of the tall Himalayan knotweed Polygonum polystachium without damaging other plants or the surface of the soil. A first annual survey was conducted in 2004 and will be repeated annually.
Flowers mostly orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies and anemones carpet the ground.Sub-alpine forests of birch and rhododendron cover parts of the park's area. A decade long study of Prof. C.P. Kala from 1993 onwards concludes that the Valley of Flowers endows with 520 species of higher plants (angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes), of these 498 are flowering plants.
The park has many species of medicinal plants including Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Aconitum violaceum, Polygonatum multiflorum, Fritillaria roylei and Podophyllum hexandrum.
Birds found in the park include Himalayan monal pheasant and other high altitude birds.At 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east.
Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of 87.50 km2 and it is about 8 km long and 2 km wide.Both parks are encompassed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (223,674 ha) which is further surrounded by a buffer zone (5,148.57 km2). This Reserve is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.
The Valley of Flowers is a high-altitude Himalayan valley that has long been acknowledged by renowned mountaineers, botanists, and in literature. It has been recognized internationally for over a century and is referenced in the Hindu religion. Local people have visited the valley since ancient times.
Indian yogis (Yogesh Mota) are known to have visited the valley for meditation.The Valley of Flowers has many different colourful flowers, taking on various shades of colours as time progressed.The valley was declared a national park in 1982 and now it is a World Heritage Site.
The Valley of Flowers has gained importance as a region containing a diversity of alpine flora, representative of the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows ecoregion. The rich diversity of species reflects the valley's location within a transition zone between the Zanskar and Great Himalayas ranges to the north and south, respectively, and between the Eastern Himalaya and Western Himalaya flora.
A number of plant species are considered threatened. Several have not been recorded outside of Uttarakhand. Two have not been recorded in Nanda Devi National Park. The diversity of threatened species of medicinal plants is higher than has been recorded in other Indian Himalayan protected areas.
The entire Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve lies within the Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA). The Valley of Flowers National Park is the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Seven restricted-range bird species are endemic to this part of the EBA.
The Valley of Flowers is nestled in the upper expanses of Bhyundar Ganga near Joshimath in Garhwal region. The lower reaches of Bhyundar Ganga near Gobindghat are known as Bhyundar Valley. The Valley of Flowers is in the Pushpawati valley 23 km north-northwest of Nanda Devi Park, It lies between 30° 41' to 30° 48'N and 79° 33' to 79° 46'E.
The Valley is 20 km northwest of Nanda Devi National Park across the wide valley of the Bhyundar Ganga. It is one of two hanging valleys lying at the head of the Bhyundar valley,the other being the shorter Hemkund valley which runs parallel some 10 km south. It runs east-west approximately 15 km by an average of 6 km wide, in the basin of the Pushpawati river, a small tributary flowing from the Tipra glacier which descends from Gauri Parbat in the east.
The area lies on the Zanskar range of the Himalayas with the highest point in the national park being Gauri parbat at 6,719 m above sea level.
1862: The Pushpawati valley was discovered by Col. Edmund Smyth;
1931: The valley visited by the climber Frank S. Smythe who wrote a book publicising the "Valley of Flowers";
1934: The upper Nanda Devi Sanctuary was reached and described by mountaineers Eric Shipton & Bill Tilman;
1936: Mountaineers Bill Tilman & Noel Odell climbed Nanda Devi;
1939: The basin established as the Nanda Devi Game Sanctuary by Government Order 1493/XIV- 28 of 7/01;
1962: Border disputes closed the area to traffic, altering the local economy;
1974-82: The sanctuary was opened to mountaineering, but the ensuing degradation led to its closure to all users;
1980: The park was established as Sanjay Gandhi National Park by Notification 3912/ XIV 3-35-80; grazing and mountaineering stopped;
1980: The Valley of Flowers was declared a national park by Government Order 4278/XIV-3-66-80 under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, for the conservation of its flora;
1982: The park was renamed Nanda Devi National Park;
1988: The Nanda Devi National Biosphere Reserve established (223,674 ha) with the national park as core zone (62,462 ha) and a 514,857 ha buffer area surrounding both sites; restrictions were imposed on the rights of nearby villagers;
2000: The Biosphere Reserve extended by the government to 586,069 ha and the Valley of Flowers National Park was added as the second core zone (62,462 ha+ 8,750 ha, totalling core areas of 71,212 ha);
2004: The two core zones and buffer zone designated a UNESCO MAB reserve.
The park is administered by the Uttarakhand State Forestry Department, the national Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. There is no settlement in the national park and grazing in the area has been banned since 1983. The park is open only during summer from June to October and it is covered by heavy snow for the rest of the year.
Being an inner Himalayan valley, the Nanda Devi Basin has a distinctive microclimate. Conditions are generally dry with low annual precipitation, but there is heavy monsoon rainfall from late June to early September. Prevailing mist and low cloud during the monsoon keeps the soil moist, hence the vegetation is lusher than is usual in the drier inner Himalayan valleys.
From mid April to June temperatures are moderate to cool (19 °C maximum). The Valley of Flowers also has the microclimate of an enclosed inner Himalayan valley, and is shielded from the full impact of the southwest summer monsoon by the Greater Himalaya range to its south. There is often dense fog and rain especially during the late summer monsoon.
Both Basin and Valley are usually snow-bound for six to seven months between late October and late March, the snow accumulating deeper and at lower altitudes on the shadowed southern than on the northern side of the valleys.
Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 17 km (10.5 mi). The nearest major town is Joshimath in Garhwal, which has convenient road connections from Haridwar and Dehradun, both about 270 km (168 mi) from Joshimath. From Delhi, one can take the train to Haridwar and then travel by bus to Govindghat via Rishikesh.Govindghat is approximately 24 km before another important destination of Badrinath. It is also possible to drive from Delhi to Govindghat, a distance of about 500 km.
Govindghat is a small place close to Joshimath (around one hour distance), where the trek begins. From Gobindghat, shared taxis up to 4 km and then a trek of less than 11 km (8.6 mi) brings trekkers to Ghangaria, a small settlement located about 3 km (about 2 mi) from the valley. One can also hire a porter, mule or helicopter to reach Ghangaria.
The trek from Gobindghat to Ghangaria is common to the Sikh Temple at Hemkund and a trekker is likely to find many Sikh pilgrims on the route.As one nears Ghangaria one is greeted by fields of perfumed wild flowers, wild rose bushes and wild strawberries by the sides of the path. The visitors to Valley of Flowers need to get a permit from Forest Department, at Ghangaria and the permit is valid for three days and visiting and trekking is allowed only during day time.
As visitors are not allowed to stay inside the National park, accommodation can be obtained at Gangaria.Best time to visit is between late July and early September, when the valley is full of flowers, just after the outbreak of monsoon.
The valley has three sub-alpine between 3,200m and 3,500m which is the limit for trees, lower alpine between 3,500m and 3,700m, and higher alpine above 3,700m. The habitats include valley bottom, river bed, small forests, meadows, eroded, scrubby and stable slopes, moraine, plateau, bogs, stone desert and caves. The lower surrounding hills in the buffer zone are thickly forested.
The Forest Research Institute in 1992 recorded 600 species of angiosperms and 30 pteridophytes in the valley and surroundings, discovering 58 new records for the valley of which 4 were new for Himalayan state. Of these plants, 5 out of 6 species globally threatened are not found in Nanda Devi National Park or elsewhere in Uttarakhand: Aconitum falconeri, A. balfouri, Himalayan maple (Acer caesium), the blue Himalayan poppy (Meconopsis aculeata) and Saussurea atkinsoni.
Kala classified 31 species of rare and endangered categories within the national park in 1998. Further his studies report that the dominant family in Valley of Flowers is Asteraceae with 62 species.45 medicinal plants are used by local villagers and several species, such as Saussurea obvallata (brahmakamal) are collected as religious offerings to goddesses Nanda Devi and Sunanda Devi.The site is designated a Centre of Plant Diversity.
Characteristic of the sub-alpine zone are high altitude forests which help to retain moisture and snow and support a large number of floral and faunal communities. It is dominated by the uncommon Himalayan maple Acer caesium (VU), west Himalayan fir Abies pindrow, Himalayan white birch Betula utilis, and Rhododendron campanulatum with Himalayan yew Taxus wallichiana, Syringa emodi and Sorbus lanata.
Some of the common herbs are Arisaema jacquemontii, Boschniakia himalaica, Corydalis cashmeriana, Polemonium caerulium, Polygonum polystachyum (a rampant tall weed), Impatiens sulcata, Geranium wallichianum, Galium aparine, Morina longifolia, Inula grandiflora, Nomochoris oxypetala, Anemone rivularis, Pedicularis pectinata, P. bicornuta, Primula denticulate and Trillidium govanianum.In trampled areas where past livestock congregated, Himalayan knotweed Polygonum polystachium is a rampant weed.
The density of wild animals in the valley is not high, but all the animals found are rare or endangered. A total 13 species of mammals are recorded for the park by CP Kala and its vicinity although only he sighted 9 species directly: northern plains grey langur Semnopithecus entellus, flying squirrel Petaurista petaurista, Himalayan black bear Ursus thibetanus (VU), red fox Vulpes vulpes, Himalayan weasel Mustela sibirica, and Himalayan yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula, Himalayan goral Naemorhedus goral, Himalayan musk deer Moschus leucogaster, Indian chevrotain Moschiola indica, Himalayan thar Hemitragus jemlahicus (VU) and serow Capricornis sumatraensis (VU).
The tahr is common, the serow, goral, musk deer and bharal, blue sheep are rare.The common leopard Panthera pardus is reported from lower parts of the valley closer to the villages. Local people have also reported evidence of brown bear Ursus arctos and bharal or blue sheep Pseudois nayaur. A recent faunal survey in October 2004 has established the presence of snow leopard Panthera uncia (EN) in the national park.
The area is within the West Himalayan Endemic Bird Area but there have been no surveys specific to the Valley. 114 species were seen in 1993 in Nanda Devi Park.
Species frequently seen in the valley include lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus, Himalayan vulture Gyps himalayensis, yellow billed and red billed choughs Pyrrhocorax graculus and P. pyrrhocorax, koklass pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha, the nationally listed Himalayan monal pheasant Lophophorus impejanus, found in rhododendron thickets, scaly-bellied and yellow-nape woodpeckers Picus squamatus and P. flavinucha, great and bluethroated barbets Megalaima virens and M. asiatica, snow pigeon Columba leuconota and spotted dove Stigmatopelia chinensis.
The area is relatively poor in reptiles: most often seen are the high altitude lizard Agama tuberculata, Himalayan ground skink Leiolopisma himalayana and Himalayan pit viper Gloydius himalayanus. Along with the flowers are wild bees and many species of butterfly which need to be more researched.
A few of the more evident species are lime butterfly Papilio demoleus demoleus, common yellow swallowtail Papilio machaon, common Mormon Papilio polytes romulus, spangle Papilio protenor protenor and common blue apollo Parnassius hardwickei.
The flora was surveyed and inventoried in 1987 by the Botanical Survey of India, in 1992 by the Forest Research Institute and in 1997 by the Wildlife Institute of India which found five species new to science. A research nursery and seed/rhizome/tuber bank for propagating rare plants and valuable medicinal herbs has been created at Musadhar near the entrance of the site.
Rare and valuable medicinal plants are the subject of special programs. These include Aconitum heterophyllum, A. falconeri, Arnebia benthamii, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Gymnadenia orchides, Megacarpaea polyandra, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Podophyllum haxandrum and Taxus wallichiana.
Research plots have been set up to determine the best way to control the spread of the tall Himalayan knotweed Polygonum polystachium without damaging other plants or the surface of the soil. A first annual survey was conducted in 2004 and will be repeated annually.
Flowers mostly orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies and anemones carpet the ground.Sub-alpine forests of birch and rhododendron cover parts of the park's area. A decade long study of Prof. C.P. Kala from 1993 onwards concludes that the Valley of Flowers endows with 520 species of higher plants (angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes), of these 498 are flowering plants.
The park has many species of medicinal plants including Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Aconitum violaceum, Polygonatum multiflorum, Fritillaria roylei and Podophyllum hexandrum.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)