ट्रिंग-ट्रिंग, एक रिक्शा भेज दो

Dainik Jagran, 18th June, 2008 (Front Page), Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda Edition
अमृत सचदेवा
फाजिल्का : मोबाइल सेवाओं, बैंकों, रेलवे इत्यादि के कॉल सेंटरों के बाद अब यदि कोई आपसे कहे कि रिक्शा बुलाने के लिए कॉल सेंटर शुरू किया जा रहा है, तो बड़ा आश्चर्य होगा। शायद आप उसकी बात को पहले-पहल मानेंगे भी नहीं, लेकिन यह सच है। ग्लोबल वार्मिग कम करने के क्षेत्र में पहले ही नाम कमा चुका फिरोजपुर जिले का फाजिल्का शहर अब रिक्शा बुलाने के लिए कॉल सेंटर खोलने वाला देश का पहला शहर बनने जा रहा है। इस कॉल सेंटर से दुपहिया व चौपहिया वाहनों में ईधन की खपत से फैलने वाली ग्लोबल वार्मिग को कम करने में मदद मिलेगी। रिक्शा कॉल सेंटर की शुरुआत दो दिन बाद 20 जून से की जा रही है। ग्लोबल वार्मिग इस समय पूरे विश्व के लिए एक बड़ी समस्या बनी हुई है। दुनिया के हर देश द्वारा लाख प्रयासों के बावजूद ग्लोबल वार्मिग कम करने के प्रयास सफल नहीं हो पा रहे हैं। पर फाजिल्का की ग्रेजुएट वेलफेयर एसोसिएशन एक ऐसी संस्था है, जो सौ देशों की सदस्यता वाले चेक गणराज्य के कार फ्री नेटवर्क के साथ जुड़कर ग्लोबल वार्मिग कम करने में नित नया प्रयास कर रही है। पहले एसोसिएशन के सदस्यों के प्रयासों से शहर के उच्च व मध्यवर्गीय लोगों ने कार पर चलना छोड़कर व साइकिल अपनाकर ग्लोबल वार्मिग कम करने की दिशा में प्रभावी कदम उठाया था। नतीजतन व‌र्ल्ड कार फ्री नेटवर्क ने फाजिल्का को दुनिया का सबसे कम कारों के प्रयोग वाला शहर घोषित कर ग्लोबल वार्मिग कम करने में सहयोगी बताया था। अब एसोसिएशन के संरक्षक आईआईटी, रूढ़की के प्रो. भूपिंदर सिंह व युवा इंजीनियर नवदीप असीजा के प्रयासों से फाजिल्का में रिक्शा बुलाने के लिए पांच कॉल सेंटर शुरू किए जा रहे हैं। असीजा ने बताया कि फाजिल्का में करीब 500 लोग रिक्शा चलाते हैं, लेकिन हर घर में दुपहिया व चौपहिया वाहन की लालसा के चलते रिक्शा चालकों का काम बहुत कम हो गया है। शहर में किसी काम से निकलने वाले व्यक्ति को ज्यादा से ज्यादा तीन किलोमीटर दूर जाना होता है। अब तक रिक्शा आसानी से और वाजिब किराए पर उपलब्ध न होने के चलते लोग दुपहिया वाहन या कार से कहीं आने-जाने में रोजाना 900 लीटर पेट्रोल खपा देते हैं। इस प्रकार पेट्रोल जलने से प्रतिदिन 14 हजार किलो शुद्ध हवा खराब होती है, जो ग्लोबल वार्मिग का कारण बनती है। असीजा के अनुसार, रिक्शा कॉल सर्विस 20 जून शाम छह बजे लांच होगी। फाजिल्का में रिक्शा सर्विस को इस तरह से तैयार किया गया है, जैसे दिल्ली में दो-दो मिनट बाद मेट्रो ट्रेन की सर्विस मिलती है। इसी तह फाजिल्का में एक कॉल करने पर दो मिनट के भीतर रिक्शा घर के बाहर तैयार खड़ा मिलेगा। यह सुविधा लागू करने के लिए फाजिल्का को पांच जोन उत्तरी, पूर्वी, दक्षिणी, पश्चिमी व मध्य में बांटा गया है। हर जोन पर एक फोन उपलब्ध करवाया गया है, जिसे अटेंड करने के बाद ऑपरेटर ज्यादा से ज्यादा आधा किलोमीटर दूर से रिक्शा बुलाने वाले के पास दो मिनट के भीतर रिक्शा भेज देगा। मोटे तौर पर हर 1500 घरों के लिए एक रिक्शा सेंटर उपलब्ध होगा। यह सुविधा मिलने से महिलाओं, खासकर बुजुर्गो को कहीं काम पर आने-जाने में एक लोकल कॉल पर सामान्य किराये पर रिक्शा उपलब्ध हो जाएगा। इस योजना में फाजिल्का रिक्शा यूनियन को साथ लिया गया है।

फाजिल्का को मिलेगा पूरे साल नहरी पानी

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_4569629.html
Jun 23, 09:42 pm
फाजिल्का : जमीनी पानी में फ्लोराइड की मात्रा अधिक होने व नहरी पानी छह माह मिलने के चलते दशकों से पेयजल किल्लत झेलते आ रहे फाजिल्कावासियों को अब एक साल के भीतर नहरी पानी परियोजना से पूरा साल नहरी पानी उपलब्ध होगा। भाजपा जिलाध्यक्ष महिंदर प्रताप धींगड़ा व मंडल अध्यक्ष सतीश सेतिया ने बताया कि अकाली-भाजपा गठबंधन ने अपने पूर्व कार्यकाल में नहरी पानी परियोजना तैयार करवाई थी। उसके तहत बार्डर रोड वाटर व‌र्क्स बनकर तैयार है, जिसे पूर्व की कांग्रेस सरकार ने नहीं संभाला और लोग पांच साल शुद्ध नहरी पानी को तरसते रहे। अब जब अकाली-भाजपा सरकार सत्ता में आ गई है। इसलिए नहरी पानी परियोजना को छह मासी नहर से काटकर नई बनाई गई न्यू वजीदपुरा माइनर से पूरा साल पानी दिया जाएगा। यह प्रोजेक्ट एक साल के भीतर पूरा हो जाएगा।

Fazilka ECOCAB Project Launched

Dear All,
It gives me immense pleasure to announce that, we have successfully launched the “Dial-a-Rickshaw” facility in Fazilka. We have named it as “ECOCABS”. At present cycle rickshaws are fulfilling the demand of public transport system of our small city Fazilka.

In the last couple of years, we observed the change of modal share in the total trip distribution by personalized motorized mode of transportation instead of our conventional rickshaw. Primarily because of two reasons; inaccessibility of cycle rickshaws and quality of rickshaws. Fazilka, where average trip length is shorter than 3km, it is very easy to promote cycle based public transport system. Narrow street design of Fazilka city encourages the use of cycle based public transport system. As a part of value addition to existing cycle rickshaw project; serving city’s transportation need from last 60 years, we decided to launch “ECOCABS”. Now cycle rickshaws in Fazilka are available on phone call away. It’s our own metro, but on rubber tyres. We have divided the city into five zones, mainly North, South, East, West and Central and started Rickshaw Call centre in each Zone. This zoning was based upon the number of household served. All these locations are near to residential areas of Fazilka city. Now with a phone call, rickshaw is available at your doorstep within five minutes. You all are cordially invited to experience our Rapid Rickshaw Transit system. Residents of Fazilka are very excited about this service. Our Ecocab project is just not only supporting the livelihood of 500 families who are depended on cycle rickshaw but with this pedal power we are saving an estimated 900 liter of fuel and 14000kg fresh air on daily basis. It’s first of its kind citizen effort to control the oil consumption and minimize the effect of global warming on this planet.

World carefree network is associated with for this noble cause. Thanks to Media without them it was not possible to make this project as big success. I am sending you the URL of all leading Print and Electronic Media channels, who covered our ECOCAB launch. Come and enjoy the difference.

Asian Age
http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/radio-rickshaws-launched.aspx

Video of Ecocab on CNN
http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/67507/now-dialarickshaw-for-a-greener-environment.html

The Statesman
http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:_GLz-FHAkHkJ:www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php%3Fclid%3D2%26theme%3D%26usrsess%3D1%26id%3D209173+Fazilka+Rickshaw&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=in

CNN IBN
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/now-dialarickshaw-for-a-greener-environment/67507-3.html?xml

Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Chandigarh/Radio-ricks_to_ecosystem_rescue/articleshow/3139367.cms

The Tribune
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080619/punjab1.htm#10

All India Radio and Doordarshan

Newstin
http://www.newstin.com/tag/us/63922620
The India Post
http://www.theindiapost.com/?p=2742
Our Fazilka Website
http://lovefazilka.esmartweb.com/ecocab.htm

Fazilka ke Prehri : A Short movie on Asafwala War Memorial Fazilka

A Tribute to 1971 India Pakistan War Heroes- Sulemanki Sector Fazilka

a short movie title " Fazilka Ke Prehri", a tribute by Fazilka people to its defenders (67th Infantry), who fought bravely in 1971 India Pakistan War in Sulemanki sector (Fazilka). Fazilka people built Asafwala War Memorial in the memory of all brave soldiers of 67th Infantry Brigade, who laid down their life to save Fazilka against enemy attack. Please do visit this living temple of Fazilka whenever you visit Fazilka next time.
यह यादगार उन शहीदों के याद में बनाई गई है जिन्होंने 1971 के भारत पाकिस्तान युद्ध में गुर्मिखेरा, सुलेमानकी क्षेत्र (फाजिल्का) में देश के लिए लड़ते हुए वीरगति की प्राप्ति की You tube link of "Fazilka ke Prehri Movie" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1GyIoO8gSw

पंजाबियों के स्वागत के कायल हुए बस अग्निकांड में बचे नवविवाहित जोड़े

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_4456784.html
May 18, 01:07 am
फाजिल्का : गुजरात के शहर अहमदाबाद से बस में सवार होकर हनीमून टूर पर निकले 16 नवविवाहित जोड़ों की किस्मत अच्छी थी कि शनिवार को फाजिल्का के थेह कलंदर गांव के निकट बस के साइलेंसर गर्म होने से बस के जलकर राख होने के बाद भी वे सकुशल बच गए। लेकिन इस घटना के बाद इस घटना से डरे-सहमे नवविवाहित जोड़ों को गांववासियों ने जो अपनापन दिया उससे वे अभिभूत हो गए और यह कहने से नहीं चूके कि पंजाब के लोगों की शान ही कुछ और है।
प्रत्यक्षदर्शियों के मुताबिक जलकर राख हुई बस के सभी जोड़े व अन्य यात्री आनन-फानन में सकुशल बस से तो उतर गए, लेकिन वे इतने सहम गए थे कि उन्हे उस समय कुछ सूझ नहीं रहा था। इतने में हादसे की सूचना पाकर मौके पर पहुंचे थेह कलंदर गांव के लोगों ने उन्हे संभाला और गुरुद्वारा साहिब ले जाकर उनकी आवभगत की। सरपंच जगसीर सिंह, गुरुद्वारा प्रबंधक कमेटी के प्रधान जगदेव सिंह, कोषाध्यक्ष दर्शन सिंह व गांव के युवक सुखजीत उर्फ काका ने अपने खर्च पर हनीमून जोड़ों के खाने-पीने का इंतजाम किया। यहां तक कि उन्हे उनका पसंदीदा गुजराती नाश्ता 'पोहा' व अन्य भोजन बनाकर भी परोसा। हनीमून जोड़ों ने भी उनका तहदिल से आभार जताया और कहा, ''हम इस हादसे और गांव के लोगों के प्यार को ताउम्र नहीं भुला पाएंगे।''हादसे के कारण अब हनीमून जोड़ों की ट्रिप का आखिरी स्टेशन अमृतसर होगा। वहां श्री हरिमंदिर साहिब के दर्शन कर सभी जोड़े वाहेगुरु का शुक्रिया अदा करेगे। वैसे अहमदाबाद से चले इन सभी जोड़ों को अंबा जी टेंपल जोधपुर होते हुए अमृतसर होकर शिमला, कुल्लू-मनाली और पिंक सिटी जयपुर होकर वापस अहमदाबाद पहुंचना था। डा. हैसिस-सुमितिया मैमन , राहुल-भावना वर्दिया (उदयपुर), पटेल विशाल-वर्षा (अहमदाबाद), धवल बिपिन भाई शाह-येशा (वडोदरा), नीलेश-कृष्णा संगुपरिया (राजकोट), जयमीन-ज्योति भादूवाला (वडोदरा), अमित-अमीषा माखेसाना (जूनागढ़), रोहित-मिताली रूपापोरा (राजकोट), हिसैन-सेजल रूपापोरा (राजकोट), धेवट-मीसा सौलंकी (राजकोट), अभिषेक-अवनी वोहरा (भुज, कच्छ), किंजल भाई-हिना ठक्कर (पाटन), आशुतोष-जीवन ज्योति पटेल, (वडोदरा), बस ड्राइवर संजय भाई, मैनेजर यूनुस भाई और खानसामे सहित लगभग 35 लोग बस में सवार थे।

FAZILKA ECOCABS : Fazilka's Own Public Transport System : Coming Soon

FAZILKA ECOCABS : Fazilka's Own Public Transport System : Coming Soon
हम फाजिल्का रिक्शा यूनियन आपका फाजिल्का पधारने पर हार्दिक स्वागत करते है हम फाजिल्का साइकिल रिक्शा यूनियन फाजिल्का की सेवा में पिछले 40 वर्षो से कार्यरत है. हम हर रोज औसतन 900 लीटर इंधन अथवा 14000 किलो शुद्ध हवा बचा कर फाजिल्का के वातावरण को शुद्ध रखते है आइये आप भी हमारे इस प्रयास में भागीदार बने और दुनिया में बढ़ रहे ग्लोबल वार्मिंग ke प्रकोप को कम करने में सहायक बने जल्द ही हम आपके पास एक नए रूप में आ रहे है

GAIL to build $7.6bn pipeline

State-run GAIL India Ltd will be part of a consortium that will be building the $7.6 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline by 2015.
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=36464
Unlike the rival pipeline from Iran, the 1,680 kilometer long pipeline from Dauletabad gas field in Turkmenistan will be built and operated by a consortium of national oil companies from the four countries, a top official said here.
India last week formally joined the US-backed project to meet its growing energy needs.
The rival Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline is to be built by the three nations separately — Iran is to build the section of the pipeline that fall in its territory, while Pakistan will construct the 1,035-km length from Iran-Pakistan border to Pakistan-India border. India will lay the line from its border with Pakistan to the consumption centre. But, TAPI would be constructed by a consortium.
"A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be floated for the purpose, with a strong likelihood of international companies joining in laying and operation of the pipeline," he said.
The Steering Committee meeting of TAPI project, called by the project sponsor Asian Development Bank in Islamabad last week, endorsed GAIL's participation in the consortium.
TAPI pipeline will run from the Dauletabad gas field in Turkmenistan to Afghanistan. From there it will be constructed alongside the highway running from Herat to Kandahar and then through Quetta and Multan in Pakistan. The final destination of the pipeline will be the Indian town of Fazilka, near the border between Pakistan and India.
The pipeline will transport 100 million standard cubic metre per day of gas from the Dauletabad gas field, of which India's share is likely to be 60 million standard cubic metre.

Apollo’s e-telemedicine run on low cost finds takers in small towns

The technology enables Apollo doctors to view ‘live diagnosis’
Megha Mann
Ludhiana, June 4
THE newly-launched low-cost e-telemedicine project of Satguru Pratap Singh Apollo Hospitals has found takers in small towns such as Fazilka and Doraha. The low cost technology enables experts at Apollo to view live diagnosis such as ECG, TMT and x-rays with minimal investment on behalf of other medical institutes seeking their service.
According to a statement issued here, this technology enables patients to have on-the-spot opinion of experts free of cost, and also ensures delivery of quality medical facilities in small towns.
“Deriving information from ECG is not everybody’s cup of tea. Earlier, the doctors used to first get ECG xeroxed, paste it in pieces on a paper and then fax it. This was a tiresome procedure, and a facsimile copy of ECG gave only a static status. By using this software, doctors can monitor live ECG and the change in modulations that occur by seconds, thereby giving a clearer picture of the defect,” said Manager Marketing Sunil Mehta, who has been instrumental in developing this software.
The usual telemedicine installation requires Rs 50 to Rs 60 lakh, whereas this technique just requires an internet broadband connection and a digital ECG machine. Presently, the EDP (electronic data processing) department of the hospital is laying emphasis on having a tie-up with those institutes that have digital ECG and TMT machines that facilitate easy and immediate transfer of data.
The hospital has a tie-up with Sachdeva Hospital and Jassi Hospital in Fazilka. Talks are on with Sidhu Hospital, Doraha and Ranjeet Hospital, Rara Sahib in this regard. Instead of using the traditional V-sat method, the hospital is relying on this software to have a major breakthrough in providing telemedicine services. The EDP department is headed by Balihar Singh, and its chief officer is Dr SP Singh.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=239574

A forgotten form of soil regeneration takes root again

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/a-forgotten-form-of-soil-regeneration-takes-root-again_10037445.html
By Ranjana Narayan
Faridkot (Punjab), April 13 (IANS) Vinod Jyani, a farmer of Punjab’s Fazilka district, is a happy man. His paddy crop this year has been very good, without much fertiliser or water being used - thanks to mulching, an age-old system of soil regeneration that has almost gone out of use. Jyani, who grows wheat, paddy, millet, corn, sugarcane and fruits in his 140-acre farm, had begun to despair when he found the yield falling over the past several years. Continuous use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides had made the soil lose its nutrients, as is the case with most farm land in Punjab.
Then he learnt of natural farming techniques - not using chemicals but only biological ingredients like cow dung or cow urine - and of mulching to regenerate the soil.
Jyani tried mulching - covering the soil with a layer of dried leaves or hay to let the soil microbes multiply - on one acre on which he grew paddy.
The result had him elated.
“I got a good paddy crop this year and what’s more, with 50 percent less water, which is a necessary requirement for growing rice. I plan to do grow paddy in five-six acres this year after mulching the soil,” Jyani told IANS.
Explaining the method, Jyani said he would spread the mulch made of dried leaves, grass or crop residue in the field a week after transplanting the paddy saplings from the nurseries.
“This covering prevents the soil moisture from evaporating, helping me save on water. It also makes the soil microbes thrive, which are necessary for the soil to get back its nutrients.”
Jyani is using the technique in his fruit orchards too. He covers the base of the fruit trees with biomass made of crop residue.
“Another big advantage of mulching is that it does not allow weeds to grow. The mulching cuts off the sunlight to the weeds.”
Jyani decided to take to natural farming after being convinced by the Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a non-government organisation based in Faridkot, which is working towards ecologically sustainable methods of agriculture.
KVM head Umendra Dutt told IANS: “Mulching is an age-old technique that went out of use after the Green Revolution (in the 1970s). Farmers were told to burn the crop residues instead of using it to spread on the soil. This burning only leads to pollution and the ash does not benefit the soil in any way.”
According to Dutt, crops “don’t need water but moisture”. “Mulching helps reduce use of water, keeping only enough moisture in the soil for the crops.”
Irrigation can lead to “glut of water in the soil, thereby spoiling the soil oxidation process”.
P.L. Gautam, deputy director general of crop science at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), told IANS that mulching had gone out of use in large farms due to mechanised farming.
However, he agreed that it was the most cost-effective technique for soil regeneration. “The crop residues used for mulching also act as humus for the soil. It is by and large a useful method for conserving water. The soil gets recharged.”
One way, said Gautam, was through ‘plastic mulching’, spreading large plastic sheets on the field, which gave the same benefits.
However, according to Dutt, this method is not as useful as natural mulching because it cuts off the oxygen supply to the soil - a vital ingredient for soil oxidation.
Now other farmers in Fazilka and parts of Punjab are opting for mulching, though in small areas first, said Jyani. “It needs two-three years for the soil to begin regenerating itself through mulching. Therefore farmers cannot afford to do it on all their land, even though they find it very useful.
“The government should give a subsidy, like they do for fertiliser, to farmers who opt for natural farming in order to tide over the initial years during the transition,” he said.

जहां 25 साल से नहीं आई पुलिस

Mar 20, 10:38 am
फाजिल्का [पंजाब] [अमृत सचदेवा]। धन व बल से चुनाव जीतने के बाद पुलिस के जरिए अपने विरोधियों से रंजिश निकालने के मौजूदा माहौल से हटकर फाजिल्का में एक ऐसा भी गांव है जहां चुनावी रंजिश तो दूर, किसी आम झगड़े में भी पुलिस की कोई दखल नहीं है। सच तो यह है कि झगड़े फसाद में पुलिस का गांव आना ही वर्जित है। यहां चुनाव की जगह सर्वसम्मति से सरपंच के चुनाव को वरीयता दी जाती है।
अपवाद स्वरूप कभी चुनाव कराना भी पड़ता है तो चुने हुए सरपंच का कार्यकाल इतना बेहतर होता है कि अगली बार उसी के नाम पर गांववाले एकमत हो जाते हैं। गौरतलब यह है कि गांव चाननवाला में पिछले 25 साल से एक ही परिवार का वर्चस्व रहा है। इस परिवार की पंचायत मामलों में बेहतर समझ और प्रदर्शन का ही सबब है कि गांववासी उन पर पूरा भरोसा करते हैं। बीते ढाई दशक से इसी परिवार का कोई न कोई सदस्य यहां का सरपंच बनता चला आ रहा है। कमोवेश इस बार भी ऐसी ही स्थिति है। जिसके चलते चाननवाला में चुनाव की जगह सर्वसम्मति की कवायद शुरू हो गई है। आगामी चुनाव में भी यह परंपरा कायम रहने के आसार हैं। गांव के सर्वसम्मति से चुने गए सरपंच भाई देवेंद्र सिंह सावनसुखा 15 वर्ष से सरपंच है। उन्होंने 'दैनिक जागरण' को बताया कि वह पहले दो बार चुनाव जीतकर सरपंच बने थे और उनके गांव के प्रति किए कार्यो को देखते हुए ग्रामीणों ने तीसरी बार सर्वसम्मति से सरपंच बना दिया। इससे पहले उनके चाचा शेखर चंद सोनावत गांव के सरपंच थे। मगर तब गांव चाननवाला की पंचायत अलग नहीं थी, बल्कि गांव मुठियांवाली के साथ सामूहिक पंचायत थी। गांव चाननवाला की आबादी करीब पौने दो हजार है, जिसमें लगभग 700 मतदाता है।
उन्होंने बताया कि इस दौरान गांव में कभी किसी विवाद में पुलिस नहीं बुलाई गई। गांव में औसवाल बनिया, राय सिख, जट सिख, छींबा, धानक आदि बिरादरियों के लोग प्रेमपूर्वक रहते है। बीते वर्ष पंजाब कृषि यूनिवर्सिटी द्वारा करवाए मुकाबलों में गांव के फलों को 21 पुरस्कार मिले है।
उन्होंने बताया कि पिछली बार सर्वसम्मति से पंचायत बनाने पर सरकार की तरफ से दो लाख रुपये पुरस्कार मिला था। जिसे प्राइमरी स्कूल व पंचायत घर पर खर्च किया गया है। इस बार भी ग्रामीणों और उनकी खुद की यही इच्छा है कि पंचायत का गठन सर्वसम्मति से हो।
http://www.1bharat.com/newsmchr/?p_source_id=1&p_link_id=95054&p_link_type=news_art&lang=hi

Cars and Marriages are Made in Heaven

There was a time when one out of a hundred marriages used to end in a divorce, in India. That was back then. Recent findings show that divorce rates in India have been rising alarmingly. In the capital city of India, Delhi, the divorce rates have literally doubled over the past five years. In one of the most hi-tech cities of India, like Chandigarh and Bangalore, the divorce rates have tripled in the last 3-4 years. These are pretty shocking statistics, given the fact that India used to be one of the most traditional countries with one of the lowest divorce rates in the world. This dangerous trend coincides with an increase of money in market and motorized vehicles on the roads.

According to Harman Sidhu, President of Arrive Safe, Chandigarh based NGO working in the area of safe mobility and access through better transportation policies and planning, “Indian urban lives are moving at a high RPM[1] rate because of the increase in personalized motor vehicle use for commuting”. Commuting distances have been increased three-fold by virtue of wrong transportation policies in the last few decades; the meager and inefficient public transport system has made walking and cycling in urban areas unsafe. This daily unsafe commute has generated high stress levels in the population.
Our visionless urban planners believe that the numbers of vehicles on the roads are an indicator of the degree of development with country. Flyovers and expressways are the buzz words within corridors of power today. More road crash fatalities, crime on roads and road rages in our daily lives are source of the symptoms of the high stress levels in our urban life.
Rationale
Financial independence followed by temperamental and attitudinal problems are the key reasons for divorces[2]. The first investment after attaining financial independence in a family is the desire of ownership for a private motor vehicle. This is primarily because our urban planners and road engineers with their wrong planning and policies have added to the problem. This is a never ending loop; migrations of more and more people to the city followed by a never ending increase of personalized vehicles continue to this day. Even after constructing hi-tech expressways and flyovers, urban traffic is going to face complex problems because transport infrastructure has certain expansion limits and capacities. Transportation in urban cities in India are made more complex because we have heterogeneous traffic, mixed land use, unplanned traffic policies, and no holistic approach to public transport. Increased average trip length forces people to spend more time and money on roads and less with their families. This leads to high stress levels in urban life followed by temperamental issues which leads to disintegration of family life.
International Scenario[3]
Analyzing the international trends in personal relationships in highly motorized/high income developed counties it was found that 51% of women in America were living without their husbands. Four out of 10 marriages in UK end in divorce. Since a decade, divorce rates, while still fluctuating, have shown an upward trend in Australia. In China, the divorce rate is escalating at a rate of 21.2%. Although the overall divorce rate in china is still lower than in Europe or the US, but the long-term trend is tending upwards. 80% of marriages in Russia end up in divorce.
Our Indian Metro Scenario
Delhi[4]
New Delhi leads with the highest number of divorces in the country, with more than 8,000-9,000 cases every year. The number has almost doubled[5] of last four years, according to data compiled from various State courts and the Crime Records Bureau.
Registered private vehicles increased by almost 100% growth in comparison to base year vehicle population in 1999. The number of private registered vehicles increases from 197181 to 244040. The modal share of cars in this increase is in the order of 22 to 25%.
Mumbai
The registered vehicle population of Mumbai was 15.03 lakh as on March 2007; in 1999 it was 8 lakh this account an average increase of 82 thousand motorized vehicles per year.
Study conducted by Mr Ajay Kumar Singh & Dr. R K Sinha of International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai[6], revealed that there was 56% increase in the divorce rate till 2001 in Mumbai. Since 2002, the number of divorce petitions filed in the special family court in Mumbai was 20929. The situation in Thane is worse, where 23993 divorce petitions were filed during the same period. The figure is alarming as the total number of marriages that were registered in places taken together from 2002 to 2007 was 104287[7]. Jump of almost 50 per cent in the number of divorce cases filed over 2002.
Pune[8]
According to Mr Vinay Borikar, principal judge at the family courts, Pune, “ During 2006, there were an average of 150 divorce cases a month but the number went up to approximately 240 cases a month during 2007 indicating an compounding increase of 160%.
In the old days Pune was a bicycle city. The registered motorized four wheelers for March 2006 were 179252; this year the registered motorized four wheeler vehicles increased to 211768 indicating an increase of 132%[9].
Chandigarh[10]
In 1997, 216 cases of divorce were filed by residents in the district courts in the 2005 the number touched 1000. This is almost a five fold increase. During the same period the motorized vehicle population increased from a total of 326,278 to 547,225 with an estimated growth of 100% per year.
Conclusion
The trends of the four Indian cities mentioned above, there is an unexpected degree of disintegration in the social structure of our cities. Personalized vehicle growth is proportionate to the divorce rate. International trends of highly motorized/high income developed nations show similar trends. All major transportation related infrastructure schemes are promoted in terms of travel time saving by the promoters, who increased the commuting distances in the first place by relocating while communities from the city to the suburbs.
We need to take stock of our urban structure holistically and plan not only for today but all our future generation’s tomorrow.

Divorce rate and Global Warming[11]
Already proven that divorce is bad for the environment and contributing a lot to global warming; as it leads to more households with fewer people and greater consumption of water and energy, says a study published in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, United States.
In the U.S. in 2005, divorced households consumed an extra 73 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water. Thirty-eight million extra rooms required heating and lighting that same year, costing $6.9 billion in additional utility costs, plus a further $3.6 billion for water, and other costs such as land use.
The study concluded that a married household uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household because people watch the same television, share air conditioning and heat, and use the same refrigerator.

References
[1] Revolution Per Minutes
[2] Singh, Ajay Kumar Singh & Sinha (Dr) R K (2005) “Growing Incidence of Divorce in Indian Cities: A Study of Mumbai, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India
[3] http://pooja.instablogs.com/entry/is-marriage-a-dying-institution/
[4] http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070717/main2.htm
[5]http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi_Times/Whatmakes_Delhi_the_divorce_capital/articleshow/2253106.cms [6] http://iussp2005.princeton.edu/download.aspx?submissionId=50689
[7] http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jan262008/national2008012648685.asp
[8] http://www.medindia.net/news/Divorce-Rates-Shooting-Up-in-Pune-in-Western-India-31612-1.htm
[9] http://pune360.com/News/2007/05/07/pune-gets-into-fast-lane-to-don-city-of-cars-mantle/
[10] http://chandigarh.nic.in/owin.htm?id="http://chdtransport.gov.in/chk_reg.asp"
[11] http://www.desmogblog.com/soaring-divorce-rates-cited-as-factor-in-global-warming-environmental-stress

Fazilka : A Forgotten Form Of Soil Regeneration Takes Root Again

 

Vinod Jyani, a farmer of Punjab's Fazilka district, is a happy man. His paddy crop this year has been very good, without much fertiliser or water being used - thanks to mulching, an age-old system of soil regeneration that has almost gone out of use.

Jyani, who grows wheat, paddy, millet, corn, sugarcane and fruits in his 140-acre farm, had begun to despair when he found the yield falling over the past several years. Continuous use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides had made the soil lose its nutrients, as is the case with most farm land in Punjab.

Then he learnt of natural farming techniques - not using chemicals but only biological ingredients like cow dung or cow urine - and of mulching to regenerate the soil.

Jyani tried mulching - covering the soil with a layer of dried leaves or hay to let the soil microbes multiply - on one acre on which he grew paddy.

The result had him elated.

'I got a good paddy crop this year and what's more, with 50 percent less water, which is a necessary requirement for growing rice. I plan to do grow paddy in five-six acres this year after mulching the soil,' Jyani told IANS.

Explaining the method, Jyani said he would spread the mulch made of dried leaves, grass or crop residue in the field a week after transplanting the paddy saplings from the nurseries.

'This covering prevents the soil moisture from evaporating, helping me save on water. It also makes the soil microbes thrive, which are necessary for the soil to get back its nutrients.'

Jyani is using the technique in his fruit orchards too. He covers the base of the fruit trees with biomass made of crop residue.

'Another big advantage of mulching is that it does not allow weeds to grow. The mulching cuts off the sunlight to the weeds.'

Jyani decided to take to natural farming after being convinced by the Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a non-government organisation based in Faridkot, which is working towards ecologically sustainable methods of agriculture.

KVM head Umendra Dutt told IANS: 'Mulching is an age-old technique that went out of use after the Green Revolution (in the 1970s). Farmers were told to burn the crop residues instead of using it to spread on the soil. This burning only leads to pollution and the ash does not benefit the soil in any way.'

According to Dutt, crops 'don't need water but moisture'. 'Mulching helps reduce use of water, keeping only enough moisture in the soil for the crops.'

Irrigation can lead to 'glut of water in the soil, thereby spoiling the soil oxidation process'.

P.L. Gautam, deputy director general of crop science at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), told IANS that mulching had gone out of use in large farms due to mechanised farming.

However, he agreed that it was the most cost-effective technique for soil regeneration. 'The crop residues used for mulching also act as humus for the soil. It is by and large a useful method for conserving water. The soil gets recharged.'

One way, said Gautam, was through 'plastic mulching', spreading large plastic sheets on the field, which gave the same benefits.

However, according to Dutt, this method is not as useful as natural mulching because it cuts off the oxygen supply to the soil - a vital ingredient for soil oxidation.

Now other farmers in Fazilka and parts of Punjab are opting for mulching, though in small areas first, said Jyani. 'It needs two-three years for the soil to begin regenerating itself through mulching. Therefore farmers cannot afford to do it on all their land, even though they find it very useful.

'The government should give a subsidy, like they do for fertiliser, to farmers who opt for natural farming in order to tide over the initial years during the transition,' he said.
 

TAPI pipeline from Dauletabad to Fazilka; Talks on IPI project on April 25

1,680 km pipeline planned from TurkmenistanU.S. encouraging India and Pakistan to import gas
India to join Turkmenistan pipeline project, says Deora

1,680 km pipeline planned from Turkmenistan U.S. encouraging India and Pakistan to import gas

NEW DELHI: Seeking to work aggressively to secure its aim of energy security, India has decided to formally join the strategic U.S.-backed $3.5 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project this week.Before leaving for Pakistan on Tuesday afternoon, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Murli Deora told journalists here that the Indian delegation was going to Pakistan to sign the agreement for the TAPI pipeline at the invitation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The Steering Committee of the TAPI pipeline is meeting in Islamabad on April 23-24. This will witness India formally joining the project; Mr. Deora said.Besides signing the Project Heads of Agreement, the four nations would also ink a Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement for the pipeline that is sponsored by the ADB.The U.S., which had opposed the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline, is encouraging India and Pakistan to import gas from Turkmenistan for their growing needs.The 1,680-km pipeline from Turkmenistan will transport 100 million standard cubic metres per day of gas from the Dauletabad gas field, of which India share is likely to be 60 mscmd.Mr. Deora said that on April 25 he would hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart to resolve the transit fee issue that had been impeding the IPI project progress. ;It will be different when the Minister takes up the topic. We expect some resolution; he said.
The rival TAPI line will run from the Dauletabad gas field in Turkmenistan to Afghanistan. From there it will be constructed alongside the highway running from Herat to Kandahar, and then through Quetta and Multan in Pakistan. The final destination of the pipeline will be the Indian town of Fazilka, near the border with Pakistan.$3.5 billion project.
The pipeline will be 1,420 mm in diameter with a capacity of 33 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas annually. The cost of the project is estimated at $3.5 billion at the 2005 cost level.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/23/stories/2008042355491200.htm

Malwa Region Water Management Programme will save an estimated 49.5 billion liter of fresh Water for the year 2008-09 in the region used for irrigatio

Water—A key to Second Green Revolution
“Malwa Region Water Management Programme” by Zamindara Farmsolutions

Mark Twain at the start of the 21st century once said ‘Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting over," his gloomy view on the water side of the equation later has been endorsed by United Nation in 1999 when Mr. Klaus Toepfer, Director-General of the United Nations Environment Programme said “A future war over water is a distinct possibility”. But Progressive farmer of Fazilka believe to turn down this statement by adopting state of the art irrigation practice to improve yield with minimal use and without wasting water.
First Green Revolution overcame the problems of low yields, pests and lack of scientific farming practices to make India self sufficient in terms of food grain. The second Green Revolution will have to overcome a far tougher problem- the shortage of water.

Biggest ever project taken by any individual to save 49.5 billion litre of fresh water in Punjab
Intense use of water and depleting water tables have created a situation where even advanced states like Punjab are finding that the lack of water is now the main impediment to the second Green Revolution. Current irrigation practices are based on flood irrigation whereby the farmer uses Canal/ Tube Well water to flood the plot to be irrigated. This practice is flawed because (a) The uneven level of plots means that large quantities of water and power are wasted and (b) All plants are flooded with water rather than being given water according to their requirement. This alternate wetting and drying with a fixed irrigation interval, irrespective of soil type and climatic demand resulting in over or under irrigation under different soil and weather situations. Here it is important to note that about half of the total fresh water used for irrigation in Asia is used for rice production because of flood irrigation methods[1].

Vikram Ahuja, a progressive farmer and Director, Zamindara Farmsolutions (ZFS) from the region on the launch of “Malwa Region Water Management Programme” quoted “an estimated India’s total landmass under cultivation is varying from 45-48%; food demand has increased significantly with the increase of population. We need to look into some value addition techniques in our existing crop and irrigation pattern to increase productivity, which should be economical for the farmers and best in Indian, and for Malwa region context best is Water Management”.

ZFS, India’s first ISO- 9000 certified agricultural services company, is adopting a science driven approach to help solve the problem. ZFS’s commitment to farming goes beyond profits and it is building active collaborations between agricultural universities, equipment suppliers and farmers. In terms of saving to the farmers are;

• 
  
  25% higher yield


• 
  
  Lower expenditure on fuel/energy in pumping out water

It is based upon their state of the art, agriculture automation process;
(a) Use sophisticated Laser guided instruments for leveling - Preliminary research indicates that each centimeter level gap removed per acre can save upto 10,000 liters of water. Assuming an average gap of 10 cm this translates into a saving of 1,00,000 liters of water per acre. Multiply that by the 30 irrigation’s required for a rice crop and the potential saving could be 3 million liters (30,00,000) litres per acre per rice crop.

(b) Use of Scheduling Soil Metric Potential (SMP) based irrigation can yield a saving of upto 3,00,000 liters of water per acre.

Combining the two could yield a best case of figure of saving 33,00,000 litres per acre per year. ZFS is attempting to cover 15,000 acres this year- if it achieves its targets the water savings would be phenomenal.
Detailed Calculation
(A) Estimated water saving due to LLL per centimeter/per acre on each irrigation = 10000 liters
Average minimum level gap is 10 centimeters
Water Saving 10000 x 10 = 1, 00,000 liters/ one acre/each irrigation
(Minimum number of times irrigation is required on rice field = 30)
Water saving on one acre for only one crop = 30, 00,000 litres
ZFS will laser level targeted 15000 acres this season
15,000 x 30, 00,000 = 450, 00000000 litres

(B) Estimated additional water saving through’ Scheduling soil metric potential based irrigation SMP
Water savings thro’ above (tensiometer) per acre = 3, 00,000 litres
15000 Acres x 3, 00,000 = 4500000000 (B)
(A+B)(Total water saving on 15000 acres = 495, 00000000 liters (49.5 Billion)

This significant saving will help the Malwa belt of Punjab to fight against global warming.
Zamindara Farmsolutions seriously took the recent warming by United Nations about the Ug-99 wheat virus. This fungus virus is capable of wreaking havoc to wheat production by destroying entire fields. The virus, if it reaches Pakistan, could easily reach here in Fazilka, as wheat fields in the Pakistani Punjab are separated barely by a few yards from Indian wheat fields in districts like Ferozepur Amritsar, and Gurdaspur that lie on the Indo-Pak border. ZFS after taking expertise opinion from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, also planning to start campaign to spread awareness about Ug-99 wheat virus to the farmers. “For us our country’s food security is our prime concern and this is a right time to take all initial measures” said Vikram Ahuja.

The border state abounds in wheat fields and is one of the largest wheat producing districts in the state and country.
[1] Kukal, S. S., Hira, G. S., Sidhu, A. S. (2006) Soil matric potential-based irrigation scheduling to rice (Oryza sativa)., Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141 004, Punjab, India, Irrigation Science, 2005 (Vol. 23) (No. 4) 153-159

Fazilka and Layallpur Clock Towers

Both the clock towers were placed at the city center connected by four /eight markets roads in Fazilka and Lyallpur (Now known as Faislabad) respectively. Bird's-eye view of both the clock tower looks like the Union Jack i.e. national flag of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Both the cities Fazilka and Lyallpur came into existence between 1840-1880. Historical evidance says both city centre were designed by Captain Poham Young, to imitate the Union Flag with eight/four roads radiating from a large clock tower in the centre to main separate markets. Layallpur Clock Tower was built by the British Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, Sir Charles James Lyall for whom it was originally named Lyallpur. Fazilka Clock Tower was built by famous philanthropist of Fazilka Late Mr. Ram Narayan Pediwal

Fazilka clock tower is the tallest clock tower in the North India (Height 95 feet appox.). Here it is important to note that Fazilka Clock Tower is the first of its kind of Brick Masonry multistoried Building in built in Punjab. (est. 1939). Picture of Fazilka Clock Tower is placed in Picture gallery of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Chandigarh