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Aug 2004 Floods due to lake spill hit Himachal tourism Rampur (Himachal Pradesh): Tourism in Himachal Pradesh has been adversely affected following scare of massive flooding by the bursting of an artificial lake in China. China has said the artificial lake formed in Tibet late last month after a landslide blocked the Pareechu River, a tributary of the River Sutlej that also flows into India, is in danger of bursting its banks. Tourism industry, the mainstay of the hilly state's economy, has been badly hit following the flood threat. Private buses and taxi owners are sitting idle and the hotels and restaurants wear a deserted look. Vidya Sagar Sharma, a hotel owner in Rampur town, said that tourists are cancelling bookings in fear of the flood. "The business has been adversely afffected due to flood scare so people are not at all coming here. Tourists are calling from lower areas to ask about the floods and say when the flood threat is over then we will come. So there is nobody in the rooms, no work in restaurant or bars," he said. Marketplaces are deserted as shopkeepers lament over the lack of business. "Our business has almost finished because there is no supply and no buyers also," said Prakash Chand, a shop owner. The fear of the Tibet lake bursting has forced the evacuation of 3000 people from downstream villages in Himachal Pradesh and shutdown of a major power plant. While Beijing has maintained that the risk of flash floods from the remote lake remains high, worries in New Delhi about an imminent disaster have declined after initial fears of widespread destruction. India had initially feared flash floods would submerge at least eight villages in the valley. Another 350 villages were expected to be partially flooded. Au 20,2004 Unesco may
declare Golden Temple a World Heritage site (Go
to Top) Amritsar: The Government of India has recommended to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to include Amritsar's Golden Temple in the World Heritage List. Professor Enam-ul-Haque of Unesco visited the temple on Monday evening to make his assessment. He will forward his recommendation, based on historical, cultural and architectural factors, to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)/Unesco after two weeks. "I am here on behalf of UNESCO to study the papers on the Golden Temple and the Harmandir Sahib," he said. Dr. Haque, the founder and Director-General of the Bangladesh National Museum and formerly Bangladesh Secretary for Culture is now the chairman and academic director of Unesco. The ICOMOS advises Unesco on the nomination of new monuments and sites to the World Heritage List and prescribes high standards for their preservation, restoration and management. On
the benefits that would accrue if a monument or a site were included
in the list, he said they would be preserved better than before. Last
year, the Department of Culture in the Union Ministry of Tourism and
Culture had submitted a three-volume dossier for the heritage site status
for the Golden Temple with Unesco. Gurmeet Rai, director, Cultural Resource
Conservation Initiative, a firm that is providing technical assistance
to the SGPC on conservation, told ANI that the three volumes were prepared
by experts, planners, historians, architects . The first volume contained
the prescribed format of Unesco while second and third volumes dealt
with the management plan and articles by historians. She said the dossier
descrbies the nomination of world heritage site staus for the Golden
Temple on three criterias- architectural uniqueness, continuing heritage
community and piece of outstanding literary work. She said they were
preparing a conservation plan of the Golden Temple which would be ready
in the next six to eight months. The plans include traffic management
and parking, building regulations and height control, garbage collection
and disposal , revenue generation through tourism . The vanishing Sikh
school of painting was another cause of worry, she added. Goa Opposition seeks ban on sea bathing during monsoon (Go to Top) Panaji:
With its golden beaches and swaying palms, Goa is the preferred
tourist destination for many. But this year alone, as many as 43 persons
have lost their lives by drowning in the rough seas, prompting the state's
opposition members to demand a ban on sea bathing during the monsoons.
"They go to swim and a lot of people die during the monsoon...I have
told the government to enact a law saying that it is dangerous to the
life of people, it should be treated as suicide...If the people go into
the water, it would be treated as suicide, and that will deter them.
If you deter them so that there will be no deaths. Goa is getting a
bad name because of these deaths," Angelo Fernandes, an opposition leader,
said. Authorities on the other hand are cautious about imposing such
a ban, fearing that it might lead to a drop in the tourist influx. "You
can swim even in the monsoons. There is nothing wrong in that, provided
you are well equipped. We are looking at developing sports during monsoons.
Wind surfing is one and we can also have water skiing. I think it will
take some time," said Mathany Saldana, Goa's Minister for Tourism. Asked
for their reaction to the move, some tourists said they would be disappointed
if the ban was imposed. "Our main aim is to see the beach and if it
is cancelled then there will be nothing to come here for," said Sanjay. Kolkata grinds to a halt on second day of petrol pump strike (Go to Top) Kolkata:
Normal life was thrown out of gear in Kolkata on Wednesday, the
second day of the strike by petrol pump owners demanding a cut in cess.
The strike followed as talks between the West Bengal government and
pump owners broke down on Monday. Commuters had a hard time travelling
with over 2,200 filling stations shut. "We are not getting petrol anywhere
as all of them are closed. Buses and taxis are charging more. It is
difficult to get taxis and buses also," said Rajan Ghosh, a resident.
Taxi driver Dev said: "We will run the taxi as long as this fuel lasts.
Otherwise I will have to pull it to garrage." The petrol pump owners
want the state government to reduce cess on oil fuel after state-run
companies hiked petrol prices by about six percent and diesel by about
five percent. The hike, which came into effect this month, came on top
of a steep hike early last month on fuel prices including cooking gas.
The Petrol Pump Dealers' Association has called for a meeting on August
13 to decide on their future strategy. Bus strike throws life out of gear in Mumbai (Go to Top) Mumbai:
Normal life here was affected on Wednesday after buses went off
the roads following a strike by employees. They were joined by the municipal
corporation employees who run civic services including water supply,
sewage and garbage disposal. More than 170,000 employees of Bombay Electric
Supply and Transport (BEST), which distributes power and operates bus
services in the city, and Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) are protesting
against a cut in their salaries. The strike has brought additional pressure
on the city's electric trains, which are now running jam-packed. Schools,
colleges and offices are the worst hit by the strike. Residents say
they are having a lot of problems in commuting. "I have been waiting
for the past 45 minutes but no bus came. Secondly, I have a spinal problem
so I cannot drive my vehicle so I will have to return," said Rajesh,
a commuter. Pankaj Bhole, another commuter, said: "I feel that the BMC
and BEST should behave responsibly. They should think about the public
inconvenience." Meanwhile, the BMC has appealed to all the employees
to either join back on duty or face stern action. Petrol pumps in W.Bengal go on three-day strike (Go to Top) Kolkata:
Petrol pump owners across West Bengal commenced a three-day strike
from Tuesday, demanding a cut in hiked petrol and diesel prices. Normal
life was disrupted as over 2,200 filling stations downed their shutters.
Pump owners whose talks with the state government broke down on Monday,
said the strike is in the interest of consumers. "We must think for
the consumers but in future it is better for the customers if petrol
price will rise. But it will be better for them if through this we can
ask the government to withdraw cess," said Jaydeb Sarkar, General Secretary
of the West Bengal Petrol Pump Dealers' Association. "We have problems
in commuting. But, now we have had to get three days' petrol filled
in advance, which is very difficult for us," said Ranjit Chatterjee,
a commuter. The Petrol Pump Dealers' Association has called for a meeting
on August 13 to decide on their future strategy. Tagore museum reopens (Go to Top) Shantiniketan: Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's museum here re-opened to a packed house on Saturday, four months after it was closed due to a shocking theft of his Nobel medal. The gold medal, alongwith Tagore's pocket watch, his father's gold ring and some other items were stolen on March 25 from the museum located in a university at Shantiniketan, 150 km from Kolkata. The reopening of "Uttarayan" coincided with Tagore's 63rd death anniversary and hundreds poured in to revisit their most celebrated author. "I feel delighted and I think it is a feeling of everyone on knowing that the whole thing has again opened. Practically, I have a question in mind why it was closed for the people, it (the thef) was a laxity on the part of the administration, the government," said Soumya Dev Basu, a visitor to the museum. Meanwhile, the CBI has also launched an inquiry into the theft. A German firm has, meanwhile, offered to make a replica of the Nobel medal and send it to the museum by October. "After losing the Nobel, may be temporarily, as I believe, the tourists who will be here will be disappointed. But we are trying our level best to satisfy them," Arnitabha Choudhry, the museum's public relations officer said. Aug 8, 2004 Vaishno Devi yatra resumes (Go to Top) Katra:
Pilgrims trekking to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra today resumed
their journey after a day's halt. At least 11 people, mostly porters,
were killed on Friday when the house they were sleeping in on the mountainous
route, was washed away. Long queues of pilgrims were seen in Katra town
despite heavy rains that lashed the town for the third consecutive day
today. Rohit Kansal, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Vaishno
Devi shrine, said the blockage on the 13-kilometre route was cleared.
"The pilgrimage is going on well. There is no blockage now. The pilgrims
are now moving smoothly, they are all safe," said Kansal. Pilgrims were
undaunted by the heavy rains and Friday's tragedy. "We have come here
with full faith. The goddess will take care of us. What has to happen
will happen, it's our luck. We have faith that the goddess will take
of us all the way to the shrine and back safely," said Ramesh Ranawat.
Pilgrims get stranded along Badrinath route (Go to Top) Enroute
to Badrinath temple: A landslide here has left several hundred pilgrims
stranded on the route to Badrinath temple. Pilgrims bound for the temple
and neighbouring Hemkund Sahib shrine of the Sikhs were stuck on the
way after landslides triggered by heavy rains washed away a stretch
of a mountain highway, late on Thursday (August5) night. Inclement weather
had earlier disrupted the pilgrimage for several days, and the route
was opened recently. "We were to visit Hemkunth Sahib shrine..it has
been four-five days since we have been driving. But now, we have come
to know that the road has been blocked due to landslides. So we will
have to take another route which is very long," said Deepjyot Singh,
a pilgrim. "All the pilgrims are stranded here on this stretch. It rained
heavily here in the night," said Baba Narender Singh Granthi, another
pilgrim. Meanwhile, the local authorities have started rescue operations
to open the road, which has been blocked by boulders. Badrinath, located
at a height of 10,248 feet, is one of Hindus' holiest sites. A 20 km
trek off the way leads to neighbouring Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara located
at slightly higher altitude than Badrinath. Foreigners welcome Delhi tourist police force (Go to Top) New
Delhi: Nearly five months after an Australian woman was murdered
after her arrival here, police today launched a special force to guard
tourists, a move welcomed by them. Teams of "Tourist Police" led by
English-speaking inspectors will be stationed at historic spots like
the 17th century Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque,
as well as at railway stations, the airports, which are where foreign
visitors are mostly visible. "This is mainly for the safety and assistance
of foreign tourists, so that we can assist them during any problems.
Such a service has been launched in all areas where there is a high
movement of tourists," said Narender Singh, a Delhi tourist police sup-inspector.
The tourist police will facilitate foreign visitors in hiring transport,
accommodation and giving them tourist related information. Apart from
this, a wing of Delhi police would also ensure their safety and well
being. The plan to set up the force was mooted after 59-year-old Emilie
Griggs was murdered by the driver of the taxi she took at Delhi airport
in March. The city has one of the highest crime rates in the country
and there has been a sharp rise in the number of rapes reported in the
capital in the last few years. "I think it will be very helpful. Since
we have been here, different people have approached us. Before that,
we have been led the wrong way, and knowing that there is somebody with
us, we can give that person a piece of mind when we know it will be
monitored as well," said Michael, a British tourist. "I think it is
a good thing that you have someone to approach in a foreign country.
One can approach the locals, but it is more reassuring if one can approach
the police where they give you first hand information," opined Thai
tourist Yana. The popular coastal states of Goa and Kerala already have
dedicated forces to help tourists, but Delhi, which received almost
a third of the almost three million foreign tourists who visited India
last year, has lagged behind until now. |
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