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July 2004
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Fuel slump in Tripura as floods snap road links

          Agartala: Tripura faces an acute oil shortage after floods and landslides have snapped road links connecting the state to other parts of the country. Incessant rains have delayed repair work of National Highway 44, the lifeline of the state. Road and rail links to Assam have also been damaged and landslides have left hundreds of vehicles carrying fuel and other perishable items stranded on the highway. As a result the price of fuel and other essential commodities have skyrocketed. "We are finding it tough to continue our regular activities like going to office or sending our children to school due to the shortage of petrol. The auto service has also been affected and they are charging us more," claimed Subhash Das, a resident.

          Taxi drivers say they are being forced to buy fuel at almost double the normal rate. "We are forced to fill petrol at the price of 50 or 60 rupees per liter from the black market, as we cannot waste time standing in long queues to get the government permit for fuel from filling centers. So, we are charging a little more than the actual fare from the passengers. But they are not ready to pay that," said Animesh Dutta, a three-wheeler driver. Authorities have admitted that they are rationing the release of fuel by allotting special permits. "About more than a meter of water is on National Highway 44 between Pathargandi and Churaibari. So, even if the vehicles have crossed Shonapur, they are now at Patharkandi. They are not able to proceed to Tripura, that is the problem. As precautionary measure, initially we have started rationing fuel. This is only for petrol and diesel. Other essential commodities, there is no problem," said Banamali Sinha, the Commissioner for Food and Civil Supplies, in the state.
July 22, 2004

Badrinath pilgrimage resumes (Go to Top)

          Vishnuprayag (Uttaranchal): Hindus resumed pilgrimage to Badrinath shrine on Tuesday after roads blocked by landslides were cleared. The strategic roads at Lambargh and Joshimath, leading to the shrine, were opened on Monday. The roads had been devastated by cloudbursts and heavy rains about two weeks ago, leaving over 5000 pilgrims stranded. At least 18 people were killed when a busload of pilgrims was swept off the damaged road into a swollen river. Inclement weather and landslides had blocked the arterial highway, and the pilgrimage had been stopped for over 20 days. Army and paramilitary forces had to rush to help in the rescue operations. Pilgrims were allowed to walk through the tunnel being constructed at Vishnuprayag. "We are coming through the terminal. Only light vehicles are allowed. We were short of food," said Ram Swarup, a bus driver. However, pilgrims complained that allowing light vehicles through the tunnel could lead to accidents. "If they have allowed people to start their pilgrimage on foot then light vehicles should not be allowed as this leads to suffocation in the tunnel," said Soumaya Joshi, a pilgrim. Authorities said that work was on round-the-clock to open the traffic for all vehicles as soon as possible. "From both the sides, that is, from down stream and upstream side work is on. The work starts at 6 a.m. and goes on till evening. We are hopeful of opening the route for light vehicles by August 9," said Anil Joshi, the commander of Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
July 20, 2004

Uttaranchal CM re-opens strategic tunnel for Badrinath shrine (Go to Top)

Lambargh Marg (Uttaranchal): In a welcome move for pilgrims headed for the Badrinath shrine, Uttaranchal Chief Minister Narain Dutt Tiwari on Monday declared open the strategic roads at Lambargh and Joshimath, leading to the shrine. The roads had been devastated by cloudbursts and heavy rains about two weeks ago, leaving over 5000 pilgrims stranded. At least 18 people were killed when a busload of pilgrims was swept off the damaged road into a swollen river. Inclement weather and landslides had blocked the arterial highway, and the pilgrimage had been stopped for over 20 days. Army and paramilitary forces had to rush to help in the rescue operations. On the occasion, Tiwari also announced financial aid to reconstruct the damaged roads in the area. "The landslides have damaged the roads near the Joshimath area. We have set aside one crore for repairing and renovation of the roads in that area," said the CM. Badrinath shrine is considered as one of the most sacred centres of Hindu pilgrimage, situated in the lofty Himalayas at a height of 10,248 feet above sea level. The route to Badrinath is one of the most arduous due to the hilly terrain, curves and cliffs.
July 19, 2004

BSF deploys 5 more battalions along Amarnath route (Go to Top)

         Srinagar: In an effort to make the Amarnath pilgrimage even more safe for the devotees, the BSF has deployed five battalions along the two routes leading to the shrine. Besides deploying battalions along the Chandanwari and Baltal routes, the BSF is also maintaining a constant vigil and conducting specific raids along the yatra routes and carrying out specific checks for improvised explosive devices with the help of sniffer dogs and equipment to prevent the occurrence of any untoward incident, a BSF Spokesman said. He added that the personnel deployed along the yatra route were also extending medical facilities to the pilgrims who become ill. The BSF has put up as many as 12 medical camps supervised by equal number of doctors, pharmacists and 27 paramedical staff. In addition to medicines worth six lakh rupees made available at these camps, the BSF has also placed mobile ambulances at Baltal, Chandanwari, Pahalgam and Khannabal for the convenience of the yatris.
July 18, 2004