Palampur’s traffic woes: two intersections merit urgent attention

I spoke about the Palampur bypass (or: how to misuse a facility!) last week. This has made me turn my thoughts on another dimension to the traffic woes faced by a Palampurwalla almost on a daily basis. One noteworthy ‘trouble spot’ is the area in the vicinity of the Fire Brigade Office (near hotel Tea-Bud) on the narrow but beautiful road that meanders from the town to Lohna/Bundla/ Saurabh Van Vihar… with a lovely view of the tea gardens and deodars to greet you on the way. Since there is a DAV Public School and KLB DAV Girls’ college in close proximity approached by a road-diversion near the Fire Brigade office, vehicles of all descriptions deployed to ferry the school children are parked on each and every vacant area around that intersection.  Even huge army trucks and big buses are parked by the roadside, thereby constricting the road. And mind you, these monoliths get parked in the morning at the time of school opening hours and stay so until the last school bell. And the picture that presents itself at the peak hours i.e. at 9 AM (school opening time) and 3 PM (school closing time) is one of utter chaos. Wary and wise residents, usually avoid taking this road during these hours. Whenever I have done so, I have had my heart in the mouth, caught in a messy jam. But then there can be emergencies and unforeseen situations when you have no choice but to drive through that road at the busy hour. Well, in that case, you will be lucky if you don’t get caught in a jam resulting from the ensuing melee.

 Can something be done to remove this man-made bottleneck and de-clog this area? Could these heavy vehicles which remain stationed there from morning till afternoon be parked away somewhere else and arrive there only at the school closing time? Can not a traffic cop(s) be deployed here (and also at the point near the St. Paul School) both at the school opening and closing time (just about half an hour’s job) to regulate traffic and thereby ensure a smoother passage for other/all vehicles? We would welcome it and put our hands together for the authorities if proper steps are taken to facilitate proper traffic flow in the aforementioned part of this very important link road of Palampur.

Another jarring stretch starts from Ram Chowk right up to the Santoshi mata mandir chowk and even further ahead through the main Ghughar market. The road at Ram chowk is narrow, crowded and perpetually pot-holed.  What makes it much worse is the vehicle parking along most of its right flank. In fact it is a regular, inescapable feature of this part of the road. There are 2-wheelers, jeeps, tractors, cars parked there without any check or concern about the inconvenience caused to the passing vehicles. And when a bus is passing through with an odd vehicle parked on the other side as well, your driving skills as well as patience to thread your way smoothly through are put to a severe test.  Cannot something be done about it? Surely, the vehicles that are routinely parked - seemingly on a permanent basis - can be asked to move away. The road can be rid of the pits and pot holes. And again a cop can monitor and regulate the traffic at the Ram chowk intersection. Surely suchlike measures if brought into effect by the local authorities would go a long way in improving the situation and mitigating our traffic woes to a considerable extent. Again we, the residents, would give them a big hand and applaud them for remedying the situation.

  Can't the army bus  be parked away from the road?

                             *

हुई लाल बत्ती गुल तो क्या ?

क्यों  होते  हो  इतने  खुश मेरे  भाई 'ग़र  लाल  बत्ती  हो गयी है, आज  हमारी   गुल,

हमारी शानोशौकत, बंगला , भत्ते , वीआईपी स्टेटस तो  है तब भी सलामत बिलकुल।

हम  मन  वचन  और  करम  से  अब  भी  रहेंगे वीआईपी, सुन लो आज   मेरे भाई,

चप्पल  मारें, धमकाएं  या उड़ानें  रुकवाएं  हम, कानून  की  ऐसी कम तैसी मेरे भाई।

हम  ठहरे  एमएलए/ /एमपी या  अफ़सर  मेरे भाई , क्यों करते हो बहस लड़ाई,

आप लोग  हैं  आम सी  जनता, थोड़ा   फर्क़   तो  समझो  और जानो  मेरे  भाई?

झूठे  वादों,/ मसल्ल / मनी   पावर और  धर्म/जाति के  नारों  से अगला चुनाव भी  जीतेंगे हम,

तब फिर अन्य  नहीं, अपने बेटा/बेटी/घरवालों को  ही  यह  मज़ेदार   बागडोर  सौंपेंगे हम।

इस पावर  का  नशा, ख़ुमार , तो लगता है बहुत  अनूठा,  बहुत सुखदायी,

क्यों  न फिर  यह  चले  पुश्त-दर-पुश्त, यह  लाज़बाब पेशा  मेरे  भाई?

इसीलिए कहता हूँ फिर, ग़म  नहीं मेरे  भाई,  'गर हुई  हमारी  लाल बत्ती  अभी गुल,

कानून मरोड़, निकालेंगे तोड़: रहेगी बजती सदा  हमारी, पावर की यह ढोल/बिगुल।

                                                                      

                                                                            *

Quotes of the week

Every Indian is a VIP, beacon culture should have gone long ago

                 - PM Modi

Prayers anywhere shouldn't disturb others

                 - Javed Akhtar

We make peace with our enemies not our friends

                  - A character in serial Game of thrones (season 5)

Why can't women live in peace in this country?

                   - Supreme court

महिला को प्रेम के लिए मजबूर नहीं कर सकते 

                    - Supreme court

                                                 *

Random headlines

Thousands rally in global march for science

                     - ToI

Tree spotted on mars, claims alien hunter

                     - Deccan Chronicle

Most habitable planets may lack dry land

                     - Deccan Herald

India's killer heatwaves claim 4620 deaths in last 4 years

                     - Deccan Herald

Bihar: Two-year-old child charged with molesting 35-year old woman

                     - Deccan Herald

6 lakh litres of blood wasted in five years due to lack of coordination between blood banks and hospitals

                      - EC

Triund camp (Dharamsala) in thge foothills of Dhauladhar facing hikers' littering menace: Waste Warriors

                     - Him Vani

Men crack sexist jokes to reaffirm their masculinity:study

                     - Deccan Herald

Strawberries may help fight breast cancer

                     - Deccan Herald

Take a bite: dark chocolate can protect brain  from ageing

                     - NDTV

Mindfulness meditation may boost mood in women:study

                     - Deccan Herald

                                         ***

         

The Palampur bypass

We all know only too well how badly our Palampur town is heaving and groaning under the weight of ever-burgeoning traffic. It is a nightmare to drive through the main bazaar and the very thought of having to pass through it makes you suddenly jittery and tense. And if you have been able to do your day’s market errand with your vehicle and body/limb intact, you heave a sigh of relief and count yourself lucky. Well, to be fair, not just Palampur, but almost each of our cities and towns has, likewise, turned into a congested, crowded, noisy, ugly maze, quite hazardous to drive through. Therefore all the Palampurwallas rejoiced with relief when a few years back, a bypass stretching from near the Forest Rest House (FRH) and joining the main road near the IPH Rest House was upgraded and put into use to regulate/divert traffic. It was indeed a commendable and a  bold initiative by the then SDM and the DC, Kangra, with active support from the political leadership of the town in the face of stiff resistance by certain sections. Thus the long sought after answer to usher in a one-way-traffic regimen in the Palampur town became a welcome reality.  At once the traffic pressure was eased. Now the 4-wheelers were to pass through the main bazaar in one direction from North to South- towards Maranda. Vehicles coming from the opposite direction were to take the diversion from the IPH rest house- the bypass that is. Though the two-wheelers were exempted from this regulation – I wonder why – the relief and ease of driving through the bazaar resulting from this was palpably obvious. Effective monitoring made the flow of traffic a smooth affair. But can we…can we Indians…stay constrained within the confines of law and regulation for long? As strict monitoring relaxed, people intending to go towards Maranda side started using the bypass from the ‘no-entry’ point (near the FRH) as a convenient short-cut to avoid the hassle of driving through the bazaar, caring too hoots for the new stipulation. And now? Now it is a free-for-all kind of situation for vehicles of all descriptions. Flouters merrily drive through the bypass from the wrong side with brazen impunity, creating traffic jams even on this road! I have myself seen with shock and horror (and even been caught in a jam) city’s advocates, university professors and the other elite of the town shamelessly passing by...and with a straight face.My friend Dr R G Sud suffering the same fate as I did has this to say:

Entering the bypass, one is shocked to see all kinds of vehicles coming from the opposite (restricted side). The bypass is fast becoming a nuisance for an honest, law-abiding citizen. The menace will become more alarming and needs to be nipped right now. The other day it took me more than half an hour to negotiate this small stretch which normally takes 5 -7 minutes.

I am not here with just a problem but a solution too. 
The local civil administration should:

1.   Put a bigger signboard than the one now in existence.

2.  Should deploy traffic cops at the entry point. He/she should turn away the intending transgressors with a warning not to repeat to avoid penalty next time.

3. Later, strict penalty should be imposed on any and every one without    exception, and a stiffer one on habitual offenders.

Apt suggestions, these. And the ball is now in our SDM’s and policewallas’ court. Though I would add further that the citizenry should lend a helping hand too by acting and behaving responsibly and showing deference for the law and regulation. We should also not hesitate to politely point out, protest and object to such kind of violations whenever and wherever we can.

Let’s abide by the law. Let’s make our Palampur clean, green, beautiful. 
Today,  the 22nd April, by the way, is the 'Earth Day'. Let's all resolve to make it happen.

Showing scant regard for the regulation, the vehicles drive past the BSNL building 

                          *

                                                

Quotes of the week

Era of strategic patience is over

         - US VP Mike Pence to North Korea

Is pre-censorship of films useless in internet era

         - Supreme court to the govt (ToI)

Don't want to hear the Azaan at dawn, nor do I want to hear a Chikni Chameli tuned Ganesh Aarti at dusk.Ban all loudspeakering of religion(sic)

         - Aligarh movie maker Apurva Asrani (The Tribune)

                                                  *

Random news headlines

Climate change is impacting all living beings
          (The Hans India)

Staff leaves ATM van doors open, bikers flee with Rs.27 lakh

          (ET)

3-month old questioned by US embassy over "terror ties": reports

          (NDTV)

New camera may capture distant images without long lens 

          (The IE)

'Crystal clear footage of multiple UFOs' filmed by man driving through desert

           (Express.co.uk)

Married couple struggling to conceive discover they are twins

           (NDTV)

NASA just snapped the first photos of a new crack in one of Greenland's largest glaciers

           (Stuff.co.nz)

Genetic counselling crucial to curb 'bleeding disorder' (haemophilia)

           (ToI)

Wearbale sweat sensor could help diagnose diseases like cystic fibrosis, diabetes

           (HT)

Coping with bad bosses may boost happiness:study

            (DH)

Iraqi boy with eight limbs gets a new life

            (ToI)

Tourist influx triggers chaos in Dharamsala
            (HT) 

Illegal constructions go on in McLeodganj heritage zone
            (The Tribune)

                        ***

           

                                                     

Is Palampur braced up for the summer rush?

More often than not, spring – like all good things in life – is elusive, fleeting and fickle. This time a surprise spell of rain, hail and storm early in the first week of April proved even a bigger spoilsport. And now, the mercury is already hurrying to shoot up north.  Our plains have begun to sizzle under the unremitting, remorselessly hot sun. Heat waves will soon become the order of the day. The misery, hardship and even deaths caused by the soaring temperatures will hog the headlines. Most of the people will be forced to stay indoors in the cosy comfort of fans and ACs but power cuts and outages will only compound their summer woes. Therefore the citywallas with disposable incomes will start looking forward to making it to the cool hills of Himachal, Uttrakhand, J&K and other Himalayan regions. We will see a sudden influx of summer tourists in our own town Palampur too. Of course, Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Dharamsala/McLeodganj are more popular haunts but with traffic congestion, pollution, power and water shortages and other allied problems that afflict the most favoured resorts, a sizeable chunk of them does spill over to places like Palampur which, even otherwise, has its own unique attractions for the tourist.

But the point that I want to home in on is: are we - the administration, the authorities, the people in seats of power and responsibility, and even the citizenry – braced up for the summer rush? Have we made contingency plans and arrangements to handle the sudden increase in the traffic load? Have we made provisions – even if temporary – for enough parking lots for the vehicles that would bring in the tourists to avoid choking of our roads and open spaces…or whatever little is left of them? Have we geared up the traffic personnel to regulate the traffic with more alacrity and firmness without being rude to the visitors? Have we identified the hot spots these city-revellers would descend on to cool themselves? Neugal café and Saurabh Van Vihar will attract them in hordes. The Neugal khad will be the another favourite haunt where they will let their hair down, drink beer and colas and fruit juices , plunge themselves in the shallow pools of its refreshingly cool waters, eat snacks and leave behind  all kinds of plastics and tetra packs on its sandy banks(see the photos below, courtesy Dr R G Sud). Similarly, there are several invitingly shady, pine-studded patches of green abetting the Palampur-Nagri-Dharamsala road and lovely spots alongside the Neugal khud and small streams where picnickers - both local and from outside - love to frolic about, drink and eat. Have we made plans to have a task force – maybe of student-volunteers or unemployed youth to be deployed at such places to have the refuge and the leftovers removed? Or, have we thought of ways (hand bills for instance),  to politely instruct our guests (who are of course welcome) to please do enjoy and beat the heat any which way but don’t litter the places where you opt to unwind yourselves; please don’t park the vehicles anywhere you like but at the anointed spots only? And, have we thought of affixing (temporary) signboards at the favourite and vulnerable places with messages not to litter the area; to carry the leftovers back to their places of stay for their proper disposal? Have we roped in the local NGOs for their help and support in making this summer’s tourist season a thumping, resounding and a ‘green’ success?

I am sure with a little imagination, application of mind, the will to deliver, political support, team work, motivation and active participation of all the Palampurwallas, all this is quite doable. But will it indeed happen?  Well, your guess is as good as mine.

 Having rollicking fun in the Neugal's waters and banks...littering both! (The photo was clicked by Dr R G Sud from the Neugal  bridge on the Palmpur-Nagri road)

                                                     
                            *

Road-digging yet again!

Can you believe it? While Palampur is exulting in the exuberance of spring right now, and the tourist season is approaching fast, some of the roads are being dug up yet again. The road from the SSB chowk towards Ghughar and also towards the Neugal café have been targeted to begin with and it seems it will extend further gradually. And the modus operandi is the same as before: no display boards to inform about the work, the contractor, duration, purpose etc. Forget about deploying some one  to regulate the traffic on the affected stretches. If the job prolongs for weeks, what a way to greet and welcome the tourist!

                                                       *

Quotes of the week

Political parties should be made accountable for poll promises

                 - CJI, Justice J S Khehar (DH)

जब होगा तो पता चल जायेगा
                   - Sonia Gandhi on Rahul as Cong President (OneIndia)

In our films romance starts with eve-teasing

                - Maneka Gandhi (DH)

Polygamy is not a religious practice

                - Govt to the Supreme court (The Hindu)

I'm glad that women are speaking up

                 - Kangana Ranaut

  

                                                       *

Random headlines

Large asteroid to buzz past Earth on April 19:NASA

                       (DH)

Samples suggest there is life in the Mariana Trench ( deepest part of the ocean)
                        (Daily Mail)

World's fattest woman halves her 78 st weight in just one month
                         (Daily Star)

Telengana, TN reel under severe heatwave
                         (DH)

Chattishgarh TV anchor reads out (and keeps her composure)  breaking news of her husband's death in car accident

                         (HT)
Two men repairing borewell buried alive
                         (DH)

New system alerts drivers to cows on road

                         (The Hindu)


Two billion people around the world drink contaminated water:WHO 
                         (HT)

Talking about depression is half the treatment done: doctors

                         (The Hindu)

Childhood cancer cases up by 13 per cent over two decades:WHO
                         (DH)

British women drink most when pregnant: survey
                         (DH)

                                                       ***

        

Park? Why not? But...

Can any Palampurwalla be averse to the idea of a new park for the town? I am sure, not. Particularly in these terrible times when the nature’s soothing green is being rapidly usurped by the ugly grey all around. Therefore when a proposal to this effect became news some months past, the land earmarked (near the DAV Public School), and it even became a work-in-progress, it was greeted by us all as a welcome development. There was nothing but praise on our lips for Shri Shanta Kumar, our honourable MP, for being the progenitor of the idea and the fund provider for its execution from his MPLADS. With glee we learnt that the park, named Nandan Park, would be a model of sorts with a running/walking track, WCs and a small cafeteria. What a gaping void would this park fill!

But alerted by a friend of mine about the present shape of things when I passed by the site the other day, I was in for a shock. Except for an odd bench or two, it looks bleak and rather Godforsaken. And horrors of horrors, the elegant deodars that the site is studded with, seem to be vanishing from there. A few of them have their big trunks debarked while others have simply dried up and become mere skeletons.  I wonder how? Is it some mysterious disease that has afflicted them? Or is it a clever but sinister anthropogenic stratagem being employed (to strip them off their bark, eventually leading to their  drying up) so as to make the way for their ultimate removal without raising the hackles of the environmentalists and the NGOs?  If it is some disease, then why only the trees within the confines of the park boundaries have fallen victim to it? Why not in the adjoining areas where the deodars abound? It is a matter which needs proper investigation, action and redress.

If this park is to come up at the expense of removing trees and that too such invaluable ones as the deodars which lend surreal charm and serenity to the area, then, I dare say, we are perhaps better off without having one. Who would want yet another concrete monstrosity in the name of a park? If the park is to be developed, it must be done imaginatively and thoughtfully, keeping the aesthetics in mind and with minimal damage or destruction of the existing flora at the site. For that matter, 'Kanwar Sita Ram Park' adjoining the Municipality office, just opposite the judicial complex/courts, is a case in example. Though modest in size, no tree has been cut and this park looks  attractive, inviting and vibrant with the tall and big deodars adding to its green aura and aesthetic appeal. Personally, I hold the deodars sacred, saintly and divine, standing tall and erect as if in calm contemplation of the universe. Therefore (for me) cutting or removing them, for whatever reason, is sinful, unbearable and unpardonable.

I can only hope and pray that those who have been entrusted with the job of developing this park are given a strict, clear and well-defined list of ‘dos and don’ts’, and specifically asked to preserve each and every tree, the deodars in particular. I humbly and respectfully request Shri Shanta Kumar, who has a stake in this venture, to kindly ensure that the park becomes a 'green' asset to this town rather than a crying shame in the name of a park. I urge Shri Brij Behari Lal Butail, hon'ble Speaker of our Vidhan Sabha, too to prevail upon the 'park-developers' not to cut down or remove the deodars under any excuse or justification whatsoever.

            

The deodars at the new Park site: 'barked off 'or drying up

Green and vibrant :Kanwar Sita Ram Park

                         *
Nation shamed; the MP celebrates

The nation is shocked while Ravindra Gaikwad, the Shiv Sena MP celebrates the revoking of ban on flying imposed by Air India. This was done at the behest of the government and by explicit orders from the Civil Aviation Ministry- obviously under the arm-twisting of the BJP by its ally, the Shiv Sena. In other words this implies that a lawmaker can misbehave and slap the staff, create ruckus, delay flights and even jeopardise the safety of other air passengers but he is above law. What a bad precedent this ‘parliamentary pardon’ given to this Shiv Sena MP purely out of political considerations sets for the country. What a poor picture of India it presents before the world. How demoralising it is for the aam aadmi and the airlines. The utterly inexcusable slipper-beating of an elderly Air India staffer by this arrogant, remorseless MP and then a big boast about it before the press afterwards, is a matter of national shame. Arm of law should have been swift and firm in dealing with this lawmaker-turned-law breaker. But no, here he is having gone scot free.

I have signed a petition initiated by an activist Shailesh Gandhi through change.org and shared it with my friends on Facebook, meant to be sent to the PM asking him to not let this MP get away with his act of gross misconduct and let the law catch up with him. I urge all my friends to please sign the petition and share it further with their friends. Let’s not be fence-sitters any longer to such kind of brazenness.

                                                                            

                        *

Quotes of the week

Internal beauty is more important than external beauty

             - The Dalai Lama

Don't blame EVMs for defeat

             -  EC to Kejriwal

Romeo loved just one lady, while Krishna was a legendary Eve teaser

              - Lawyer-social activist Prashant Bhushan

Indian cricketers' salary of Rs 2 crore is "peanuts"

              - Ravi Shastri (NDTVSports.com)

                        *

      

 Random news headlines

Nitish (Bihar CM) urges PM to impose total liquor ban across country

                   -Deccan Herald

IISc (Bengalore) best institution in the country

                       -Deccan Herald

AAP govt abused power in allotment of official residences: Shunglu panel
                    -Deccan Chronicle
Priyanka Chopra voted world's second most beautiful woman

                  -The Indian Express

After cigarettes and gutkha, Yogi Adityanath govt bans jeans, T-shirt in UP colleges

                              -Zee News

Nuclear power most viable source as others depleting:scientists

                     -Deccan Herald

Greenland's  coastal glaciers and icecaps have officially melted past the point of no return

                     -malaysiandigest.com

With 30 crore patients, depression now no.1 reason for ill-health:WHO

                    -Times of India

Laziness may be contagious:study

                     -Deccan Herald

Chronic irritation due to ill-fitting dentures may cause oral cancer

                     -Business Standard

India among top 4 in death by smoking
                       -ToI

                       ***