MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

Uttarakhand-Recharge yr pocket by Water recharging             
       
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Water Harvesting is the current topic with Uttarakhand Government. But the Water recharging programme is more important in view of the fact that water recharging may be able to enhance the underground water table. Hence both the programmes need to be interlinked. The technique to recharge water is as old as the Indian civilization. I remember that there used to be ponds on the village tops or in the plain land during my childhood. The ponds, known as Khal, Pokhar, and Chuptyaul used to be maintained by the villagers. These ponds used to be found on soft and slippery red soil terrain.  Potters used to make resin pots and other utensils from this red soil. These ponds used to be the favourite dipping (plummeting plunging sinking) place for the buffaloes. In the meanwhile the Govt. under its Malaria Eradication Programme motivated the people to close down the ponds so that Malaria is eradicated completely. The reasoning was that Mosquitoes breed in still water. The Malaria Department publicized a Gandhian slogan – Machhar rehenga per Malaria nahin rahega. Mosquitoes will live, but malaria will not. Thus the ponds or pokhars were covered with soil thus became almost extinct.
 
            To recharge water contour trenches on hillside slopes below 45 degree may be useful. Above 45 degree trenches might cause soil erosion.  The length of the trenches may be 4-5 feet and 2,3 feet wide with a depth of 1-2 feet. The westerners have long back adopted ‘earning through water recharging’ concept. For the purpose Ponds or small lakes measuring 10 Meter or above with a width of 5 M and above and depth of l M to 1.5 M as per site conditions may be constructed. Fisheries production in these ponds may fetch at least 4 to 5,000 rupees per month. The Government may encourage the youth to cultivate fisheries by providing cheap loans or subsidy. Thus water conservation can recharge the purse or the pocket of the youth and side-by-side may provide sumptuous food to the family members.

Uttarakhand-Recharge yr pocket by Water recharging             
       
.
 
Water Harvesting is the current topic with Uttarakhand Government. But the Water recharging programme is more important in view of the fact that water recharging may be able to enhance the underground water table. Hence both the programmes need to be interlinked. The technique to recharge water is as old as the Indian civilization. I remember that there used to be ponds on the village tops or in the plain land during my childhood. The ponds, known as Khal, Pokhar, and Chuptyaul used to be maintained by the villagers. These ponds used to be found on soft and slippery red soil terrain.  Potters used to make resin pots and other utensils from this red soil. These ponds used to be the favourite dipping (plummeting plunging sinking) place for the buffaloes. In the meanwhile the Govt. under its Malaria Eradication Programme motivated the people to close down the ponds so that Malaria is eradicated completely. The reasoning was that Mosquitoes breed in still water. The Malaria Department publicized a Gandhian slogan – Machhar rehenga per Malaria nahin rahega. Mosquitoes will live, but malaria will not. Thus the ponds or pokhars were covered with soil thus became almost extinct.
 
            To recharge water contour trenches on hillside slopes below 45 degree may be useful. Above 45 degree trenches might cause soil erosion.  The length of the trenches may be 4-5 feet and 2,3 feet wide with a depth of 1-2 feet. The westerners have long back adopted ‘earning through water recharging’ concept. For the purpose Ponds or small lakes measuring 10 Meter or above with a width of 5 M and above and depth of l M to 1.5 M as per site conditions may be constructed. Fisheries production in these ponds may fetch at least 4 to 5,000 rupees per month. The Government may encourage the youth to cultivate fisheries by providing cheap loans or subsidy. Thus water conservation can recharge the purse or the pocket of the youth and side-by-side may provide sumptuous food to the family members.

Very good information sir about water harvesting.

तेज सिंह गुंज्याल, धारचूला: तहसील मुख्यालय से लगभग 35 किमी दूर स्थित खार उडियार यानि मौत की गुफा इन दिनों खासी चर्चा में है। गुफा के भीतर तथा उसके आसपास क्षेत्र में जहरीली गैस और बहने वाला तरल पदार्थ अभी भी रहस्य बना हुआ है। प्रशासन ने भू- वैज्ञानिकों से जांच कराने के बाद ही रहस्य से परदा हटने की सम्भावना जताई है। तहसील के तल्ला दारमा क्षेत्र के सुवा गांव के निकट स्थित रहस्यमयी गुफा एक बार फिर सुर्खियों में आ गयी है। अतीत में इस गुफा से हुए नुकसान को देखते हुए ग्रामीणों ने इसे बंद कर दिया था। इस बीच गुफा के प्रवेश द्वार पर बनाई गयी दीवार क्षतिग्रस्त हो गयी। गुफा का मुंह खुलने से जंगल में गये कुछ जानवर इसकी चपेट में आकर मरने लगे। एक सप्ताह पूर्व ग्रामीणों को इसका पता चला तो उन्होंने इसकी सूचना पटवारी को दी। पटवारी ने गुफा तक पहुंच कर अपनी रिपोर्ट तहसील प्रशासन को सौंपी। पटवारी की रिपोर्ट पर तहसीलदार ने गुफा के पास स्थिति का जायजा लिया। उन्होंने यहां जहरीली गैस या किसी पदार्थ के होने की आशंका जताते हुए जिलाधिकारी से इसकी भू- वैज्ञानिकों से जांच कराने की संस्तुति की है। जिला प्रशासन ने भू-वैज्ञानिक जांच के लिए शासन को लिखा है। इधर गुफा के पास पहुंचने वाले पशु- पक्षियों के मरने का सिलसिला जारी है। लोग यहां पहुंच कर अपने स्तर से परीक्षण कर रहे हैं। गुफा के पास मशाल जलाते ही बुझ जा रही है। गुफा से लेकर धौलीगंगा नदी किनारे तक लाल रंग का चमकदार तरल पदार्थ बह रहा है, जिससे किसी भी समय हादसे की आशंका बनी हुई है। स्थानीय ग्रामीणों ने तत्काल इसकी जांच कर गुफा को बंद कराने की मांग की है।  

‘Birth pangs’ of a new Car

   Today if we want to purchase a Car, we can simply visit a Car Show Room and walk out with a Car. But two decades back, it was not so. There was a time when the delivery of a Car or Scooter used to take months and sometimes years. In fact during the period when Vespa Scooter was floated in the market usually people jocularly used to ask whether the Scooter has been booked for the Son or the Grand-Son. The waiting period was in years. Even in 1995 when I wanted to purchase a Car, the waiting period was at least 6-7 months. I booked a Car after depositing the full cost of the Car. The delivery of my Car was delayed beyond 7 months. I wrote a letter to the Maruti dealer in light vein. The letter dated 9 October, 2008 did have some effect and I got the delivery of the Car in October, 1995 itself i.e. exactly after 9 months. I am reproducing the letter just to share the thoughts with Mera Pahar, as under:

   It was that fateful day that I got a Maruti Car 800 CC (red colour) booked with M/S Kavisa Udyog, Bareilly on the 28th January, 1995. The Booking No. 10059 coincided with the favourable numbers which so far I feel and take them to be lucky. My Car Number is 2059; Phone No. being 2259 and so on. I felt that I am the luckiest man of India to have the 59 suffix to the booking number. I was told that the delivery would take 6-7 months.

   Back to Ranikhet, I was pondering how the delivery period could be 6-7 months. A normal delivery means 9 months. My presumption, now I feel, was correct. Today exactly after 8 months and 12 days, i.e. in the ninth month, I am anxious of course my family members joining me, and we feel we have no option but to expect a delivery – a full time normal delivery. While going to the market, to the Club and to the brother Officers and Public, I was faced with one question – When do I expect the ‘delivery’ of my Car; and I had no option but to thank them for the concern which they are bestowing upon me on the delivery of the third car – the first being the Ambassador and the second being the Premier Padmini.

   Recently I posed a question to my Astro-palmist friend as to when should I expect the delivery of the Car? Is it definitely going to be a normal full time delivery, i.e. roughly 9 months, or it could be slightly pre-mature, so that D.N. Barola is ready for the ‘birth pangs’ and the resultant consequences. After all these days a delivery costs extra money and during this period the cost may escalate thereby justifying the pros and cons of a pre-mature or post-mature delivery.

   In the 56th year of D.N.Barola’s life history, an event, a rather somewhat risky (?) event is going to take place. My family friends join me in my thoughts and we all are expecting that Maruti Udyog will see to it that the risks are not grave. I am sure Maruti Udyog will rise to the occasion and will spare no stone unturned in granting an expeditious and smooth delivery of the ‘prized collection’ of the brand new ‘historical’ red Maruti Car, thereby sharing the moments of ecstasy with me and my friends.

KUMAON REGIMENT CENTRE (KRC), RANIKHET



   The illustrious Kumaon Regiment neither had its home among the lush green hills of Kumaon nor was it known by this name till recent years. Some of its battalions have a history that goes back to the closing decades of the eighteenth century. Retracing that history we find that the Regiment was born far away in the Deccan, where some of its units were raised as part of the army of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Now Ranikhet, a small hill station located in the picturesque Himalayas, is the abode of the glorious Kumaon & Naga Regiment. The Regiment is a combination of one of the oldest, largest and youngest and one of the most decorated Battalions of the Indian Army. The Regiment has an enviable tally of gallantry awards bestowed upon the brave Offices and men of the Regiment in recognition of their selfless and dedicated service to the nation. India’s first Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the highest gallantry award was conferred upon Major Som Nath Sharma, posthumously, in 1947. Major Shaitan Singh was the second recipient of the PVC in 1962, against the Chinese aggression at Rezangla. Besides the two PVCs, the Regiment has to its credit four Ashok Chakras, l1 Maha Vir Chakras, one Padma Shri, eight Kirti Chakras, three Uttam Yudh Sewa Medals, one Arjuna Award besides a host of other awards.  Recently the Kumaon Regiment Centre hosted the 13th Re-Union of the Kumaon and 7th Re-Union of the Naga Regiment. The re-union is held in a cycle of four years along with Battalion Commander’s Conference. The Reunion has a special significance for any Regiment. It is an occasion wherein veterans of the Regiment get together to invigorate their ties with the Regiment.


   The Kumaon Regiment has its origin in the Nizam’s Contingent and its history dates back to the 18th Century. The Regiment thus has over two centuries of distinguished service in which eight generations of the British and at least ten generations of Indians have served this great family with utmost dedication and devotion. Before Independence, the units of the Regiment fought under the British in foreign and alien lands, which included Palestine, Egypt, Burma, Malaya, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Europe. In the post-independence period, our Battalions have operated in battlefields near and far such as J&K to include Ladakh and Siachen, Arunanchal Pradesh, Punjab Rajasthan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Korea, Congo, Gaza, South, Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea. On the 27 October, 1945, in recognition of the heroic deeds, the Regiment’s designation was changed from XIX Hyderabad Regiment to the Kumaon Regiment.   

   History tells that it is from Mohammad Salabat Khan’s corps that the present 4th and 5th Battalions of the Kumaon Regiment descended. Though most of the infantry regiments of the Nizam had British Officers, their number was limited to one or two in each. Towards the end of 1812, there was mutiny in two of the regiments; and the pressure of these events, the Nizam’s government was induced by the Resident (Mr. Russell) to sanction raising of two battalions of regular infantryman, to be equipped and disciplined like the Sepoys of the Company’s army. The two battalions, which came to be known as the 4 Russell-Brigade, were formed in March, 1813. Both battalions formed part of the Kumaon Regiment till April 15, 1952, when the first Battalion left the fold to join the newly raised Parachute Regiment. The 2nd Battalion continues to be a part of the Regiment. From its inception in 1788 the Regiment completed 200 years of glorious service to the Nation in 1988. The oldest Battalion of the Regiment 4 Kumaon celebrated it’s Bicentenary on 17 and 18 February, 1988 and General K. Sunderji, took the salute at an impressive parade. A special stamp was also released to commemorate the historical occasion. 

   It may also be mentioned here that the Kumaon Regiment is the only Regiment which has the unique proud privilege and distinction of having three Chief of Army Staff, namely Gen SM Srinagesh, Gen KS Thimayya and Gen TN Raina. At present Lt. General Satya Vir Singh Yadav is the Colonel of the Regiment and Brig. Bhupinder Singh is the Commandant of the KRC.

   Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India presented Colours to the one of its Regiment, 4 Kumaon on 7 April, 1961, thus it became the first Regiment of the Indian Army to get colours for its glorious deeds and unique performance both during peace and war. Latter   V.V.Giri, the then President of India also gave colours to the 14th Battalion of this Regiment.

.   It would be pertinent to mention that Indian Naval Ship (INS) Khanjar was affiliated with the Regiment in 1994.  These affiliations were formalised on 27 October 2007 with the signing of a charter between the Colonel Commandant of the Kumaon and Naga Regiments, Commandant of the Kumaon Regimental Centre, Brig Bhupinder Singh, Sqn Ldr Sahani of 7 Squadron and Lt cdr G Gurumurthy of INS Khanjar. This charter formalised the affiliation between the three institutions.  The charter lays down directives for training and interactions between the Kumaon Regiment, the 7 Squadron and INS Khanjar.   A Special Day Cover was also released on the occasion by the Army Postal Service. This in nut-shell is the story of the famous Kumaon Regiment.(D.N.Barola)

Gen Deepak Kapoor,
Army Chief