Controversial General Singh a liability for Modi

                        General Singh a liability for Narendera Modi

                                                 SP Sharma

The controversial General VK Singh is bound to prove a liability for the prime ministerial candidate of BJP Narendera Modi with whom he has recently shared the dais in public functions.

Singh, who was habitual of giving controversial statement even when he was heading the Indian military, has now stirred a serious debate by accusing of several ministers of Jammu and Kashmir of receiving secret funds from the army. The controversy has refused to die although Singh has later on tried to change his statement.

The "dictatorial" attitude of Singh would certainly affect Modi's image incase he did not immediately distance himself from the power hungry retired army chief.

The lust for power was displayed by Singh when he initially shared the dais with Anna Hazare and thereafter with Arvind Kejriwal before finally landing in the lap of Modi.

A section of political observers claim that Modi himself possesses traits of a dictator and does not relish his opposition. The fate of the BJP leaders not toeing his line in Gujarat was a glaring example of his behavior.

Singh's statement has virtually united leaders of all political parties who cutting across the party lines were up in arms against him. The coming session of the state assembly is expected to be dominated by this episode.

The ruling National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and several Congress and PDP leaders have criticized the former army chief's statement. They have demanded that Singh should disclose the names of those who were paid the secret fund.

It is worth mentioning that the army is spending about Rs.40 crores annually in J&K on its "Sadbhavana" project under which school children from the far flung Muslim dominated areas, Muslim religious leaders and senior citizens are taken out on conducted tours to various parts of the country with the aim to give them an exposure of the development in the country.

Spending of the secret fund that flowed into J&K through various security and intelligence agencies during the past 23 years of terrorism is a matter of investigation. The centre reportedly provided hundreds of crore rupees as secret fund to these agencies to counter the Pakistan backed terrorism.

Observers feel that any high level enquiry on the matter might prove futile as the secret fund is generally unaccountable and identity of the beneficiaries is maintained as a secret. However, Singh's statement has provided ample ammunition to the politicians to indulge in mud-slinging during the coming assembly elections.        

Melting glaciers threaten floods in Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand

The Tribune

May 26, 2001

Melting glaciers a flood threat
S. P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25
The melting glaciers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal have rung alarm bells among environmentalists. They fear this might result in unprecedented floods and thereafter acute water scarcity in the plains.

The Bara Shigri glacier in Himachal Pradesh and the Pindari glacier in Uttaranchal are shrinking at an alarming rate of about 36 metres and 135 metres per year, studies have revealed.

The deep cracks in the Chhota Shigri glacier of Himachal indicate that it was receding. Studies indicate that it was shrinking by 6.7 metres per year and the Trilokinath glacier was receding by 15.4 metres.

The 26-km-long Gangotri glacier in Uttaranchal was shrinking by about 18 metres a year. Regular visitors to the area point out that it was receding at an alarming rate. Similar was the fate of the Milam glacier which was shedding about 13 metres of snow every year.

The size of the Bara Shigri glacier reduced by 650 metres between 1997-1995, while the Trilokinath glacier got reduced by 400 metres between 1969 to 1995.

Despite a severe winter in 1997, the 5-km-long Dokriani Bamak glacier in Himachal Pradesh shrunk by 20 metres, while its average melting rate had been 16.5 metres a year. The glacier might soon vanish in case it continued to melt.

Studies have indicated that almost all 335 glaciers in the Sutlej, Beas and Spiti basins were receding. These have created artificial lakes which might cause floods in the lowlying areas. The volume of water in the lake created due to melting of the Gepang Gath glacier increased to 8.46 cubic metres in 1998 against 7.56 cubic metres in 1990. The size of the lake has also increased to 0.47 sq. km in 1998 from 0.27 sq. km in 1976.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tribune

February 18, 2001

Melting glaciers threaten floods
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, February 17
Unprecedented melting of glaciers and formation of artificial lakes in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh has created a threat of flashfloods in the low lying areas.

According to an official study through remote sensing, almost all 335 glaciers in the Sutlej, Beas and Spiti basins are receding probably because of global warming.

The threat from these artificial lakes is not immediate, but could cause much damage incase these burst anytime.

In all, 164 deglaciated valleys covering an area of 133 sq. km have been mapped in the Sutlej basin where the total area under glaciers and permanent snow fields is estimated to be 2696 sq. km.

The Barashigri glacier in Lahaul-Spiti is receding at an alarming rate of 10 metres a year. This is the second largest glacier in the world.

Three artificial lakes have been created on the hills on top of the strategic Pangi valley road which are threatening it in case these burst and their waters came down swirling. Such lakes are considered unsafe as these contain a sufficient quantity of water for causing floods downstream. Rupturing of moraine dammed lakes can cause floods in the valleys.

The volume of the lake in the Gepang Gath glacier in the Chandra basin was estimated to be 4.86 million cubic metres in 1976 and it increased to 7.56 million cubic metres in 1990 and 8.46 million cubic metres in 1998.

Environmentalists have warned that the low lying areas might be devastated by flashfloods in case the process of melting of glaciers continued in the present manner.

The study indicates that the aerial size of the lake created by the Gepang Gath glacier was 0.27 sq. km in 1976 which increased to 0.47 sq. km in 1998.

Through remote sensing, 38 moraine dammed lakes have been mapped in the Beas and Sutlej basins, of which 14 are in the state.

Bursting of any of these lakes could cause significant damage to life, property and roads.

Scientists have suggested that in order to assess the hazards from these lakes, it is very important to study all these lakes in detail.

This will help in making the assessment of possible hazards and to suggest measures to avoid floods due to bursting of moraine dammed lakes.

The size of the lake near another glacier was 0.30 sq. km in 1972 and has now grown to 1.22 sq. km.

Another glacial lake on the Sissu Nullah was 0.27 sq. km in 1976 and it increased to 0.47 sq.km in 1998.

The recent flashflood in the Sutlej,which claimed about 170 lives,is feared to have been caused either due to a cloud burst or breach of lake in the upper reaches.

The Manali and Kulu areas suffered widespread damage due to a flashflood in the Beas and its tributaries a few years ago when the headquarters of the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), which predicts such disasters, was itself devastated.

 

 

Shocked due to the devastation caused by a flash flood in Leh, elderly women of the area in a rehabilitation camp.

2. A woman sits in distress.

3. A displaced man with prayer wheel in his hand sits outside a tent waiting for help.

Weak-kneed policy of India towards China

While China is busy grabbing Indian territory in the frontier region of Ladakh, the Indian government continues to pursue an open arm policy towards China in Punjab and other states where Chinese workers are undertaking various projects that would help their country's economic growth. The two Chinese workers of a thermal power project in the exclusive picture are seen relishing their traditional cuisine at Banawali in the Mansa district that is considered the backwaters of Punjab. 

Chinese were during the BJP regime assigned the job of constructing strategic roads in the areas of Himachal Pradesh adjoining the Chinese occupied region of Tibet. This helped the Chinese gather the ground level information regarding the road network in the region.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the 19 kms deep incursions by China in Ladakh as a local affair. Similarly, the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had during the 1962 Chinese invasion tried to downplay the incident by saying that the Chinese have occupied our territory where not a single blade of grass grows.   

The British era letter box in Shimla

This is a British era letter box in Shimla (India). The top resembles the crown of the Queen.   

Sun clock at the Christ Church, Shimla

Not many visitors to Shimla are aware of the magnificent sun clock at the entrance of the residence of the pastor of the Christ Church at the Ridge. The clock showed accurate day and night time with the rays of sun and moon, more accurate than your wrist watch, till a few years ago when new constructions were strictly banned in the area. However, due to installation of high voltage street lights and constructions around, the sun and moon rays to the clock have got blocked but the piece of art continues to remind the old world charm to the visitors. This picture was shot by me in March 2013 when I re-visited Shimla after a couple of years.

My father Mr.BP Sharma with the First President of India Dr.Rajendera Prasad