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July 2004
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Sniffer dogs for Amarnath Yatra security

          Pahalgam (J-K): Security was strengthened in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday ahead of the Amarnath Yatra. Elaborate and extensive security arrangements were made by the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). As a security measure, sniffer dogs are being used to locate any possible landmine or bombs. Armed security personnel line up the journey route that will take pilgrims through five base camps before they reach the Amarnath cave shrine. RPS Malik, a senior official of the BSF, said that elaborate security arrangements have been made for the pilgrims visiting the shrine. "We are carrying out checking with the help of our sniffer dogs, DSMD, HMMD and bomb disposal. We are also checking the roads and the stretch near it to ensure that there is no landmine laid. We check the surrounding areas also to ensure that there is no threat of a militant attack on pilgrims," he said.

          Pilgrims said they were satisfied with the security arrangements. "This time the security is very good. Every time we face problems due to the security but this time we do not have unwanted checks. Where it is necessary there only are the pickets. It should be the same every year," Shashi Bhushan, a pilgrim. "The arrangement is good. Though there is checking but we are not feeling scared to trek to the Amarnath shrine. We are feeling secured," said Renu, another pilgrim. Meanwhile, J.K. Sinha, CRPF IG, said security has been tightened following the spurt in violence last week. "This time we have 16 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and five companies of Border Security Force. The arrangements are the same. Only we will tighten the security because of the recent spurt in militant attack. We have asked our officers to be more responsible in their routine work. Officers of all levels from commanders to deputy commanders, joint commanders, all are being involved. More supervision and involvement is required from the officers," he said.
July 13, 2004

Punjab police launch manhunt for British girl's killer (Go to Top)

          Mohali (Punjab): Punjab police said today that they have launched a manhunt for a British Indian truck driver accused of raping and murdering a 17-year old British girl last year. Maninderpal Singh Kohli, a Sikh migrant settled in Southampton, had allegedly abducted Hannah Claire Foster when she was returning from school. He raped and later strangulated her to death. British police say Kohli fled to India after the crime came to light and could have sought the help of his family who live in Mohali, a small township on the outskirts of Chandigarh. Foster's parents, Hillary and Trevor, are in India to appeal to the public for help in catching their daughter's killer. Punjab Police, who are under immense diplomatic pressure to crack the case, said they had questioned Singh's relatives but it was unlikely that they were harbouring him.

           "So far, after questioning his (the suspect's) relatives, we have not come to the conclusion that are they are actually giving shelter to him. So the only thing we have come to know is that his mother is quite sick and his brother is in Punjab police and is willing to give all the cooperation to Punjab police. He has also been questioned by us but nothing new has come up," area superintendent of police, Rakesh Aggarwal said. Aggarwal added that Kohli might have changed his identity and escaped to southern India or to Nepal. "As of now there are no pointers towards his presence in Punjab. Maybe, if he is India, he may be at some other place, which is distant to Punjab because our police is concerned and most of the officers know that this person is wanted. So, he may be in the south side of India or he may have fled away from India to Nepal," Aggarwal said. A group of British police officers will also visit the state in the coming weeks.
July 13, 2004

Alphonsos, Safedas the preferred choice of Londoners  (Go to Top)

          Malda (West Bengal): Curry and spice are out and don't seem to fascinate the Londoner as it once used to. The preferred choice for denizens of the `City on Thames' now are Alphonsos and Safedas, that too from Malda in West Bengal. Mango orchard owners are jubilant over the lucrative demand for their produce from the United Kingdom. With a coverage of almost 25,000 hectares, Malda is one of the largest producers of mangoes in the state, and maybe in the country too. Exporters are, however, worried that the mango yield this year will not match expectation, which in turn could make a dent in their exports. "There are no fruits this time, it's only one-fourth production.Some years the production is good and some years it is not. Our mangoes are sent to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and even London," said Niranjan Choudhary, a mango grower. Sailen Sarkar, West Bengal's Food Processing and Horticulture Minister, said that he expected the crop to be better next year. "This is the first consignment to London from this pack house, but now the season is over. This year it was on trial basis. The exporter has told us that the next time, it will be bigger shot. I expect that next time, the export will be better," said Sarkar. India contributes nearly 60 percent of the world's total mango production. The Gulf region accounts for around 70 percent of the exports and Europe the rest. Mangoes are grown in around 2.5 million hectares of land in India. India exports about 30,000 tons of mangoes every year to nearly 40 countries, including Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Canada, but its share in the world mango market is under 15 per cent. July 13, 2004

Anthropods invade village as locals migrate (Go to Top)

          Dhari (Gujarat): Millions of tiny anthropods have literally invaded the Dhari village in Gujarat forcing the terrified villagers to migrate to other places. Roads, houses, even water pipes, every inch of the tiny Dhari village in Gujarat is swarming with the blood-red animals. Their presence is so enormous that many of the locals have had to quit work just to take care of their families and children. Creeping all over, they fall into their food, crawl into ears of little children causing excruciating pain and are making life miserable for livestock. Though harmless to humans, as they do not bite or affect vegetation, their massive numbers and the foul smell they generate is forcing people to abandon homes and leave. Locals say they have tried using pesticides but to no avail. "Medicines of any sort have been ineffective. They are all over the place. They fall into the food that we cook and eat, we cannot do anywork because of them. Childeren are specially scared, at time while sleeping they get inside our ears," Jayesh Sabaliya, a villager, said. "I cannot go to my work because I have to take care of my child and my wife, they are scared of the insects. Due to these insects we are being forced to shift from here. We cannot do any work," Kishan, another villager, added. District authorities say though such insects are common during the rains and despite their life span being extremely short, only seven to eight days, the massive turnout has made it an epidemic problem.

          They say kerosene had been somewhat effective in killing them and close to 700 litres of it has already been sprayed across the region but results have been slow. "They gain huge numbers during monsoons as their life cycle is only seven to eight days. Pesticides will not be effective, kerosene is the only way to kill them," G.R Varodariya, the Block Development Officer, said. People are digging roads on the outskirts of their villages and filling it with water to prevent anthropods from entering. Arthropods include an incredibly diverse group of taxa such as insects, crustaceans, scorpian, spiders and centipedes. There are far more species of arthropods than species in all other phyla combined. Members of this phylum have been responsible for the most devastating plagues and famines mankind has known, yet they are essential for our existence, directly or indirectly providing us with food, clothing, medicines, and protection from harmful organisms.
July 11, 2004

Security beefed up for prestigious Amarnath Yatra