An appeal to start Guru ka Langar ( Community kitchen) in Uttarakhand flood affected areas

Urgent need of community kitchens and tents in flood affected areas  

The immediate relief that the victims of the flood affected areas both of other states and of locals  requires is food and water and safe place to stay. The best method that the religious organisations, NGOs and Cooperate houses and also all those who have enough resources of income to help can start community kitchen in Uttarakhand. The guru ka langar  the community kitchen will help thousands of people  who have been stranded in different places. It is very painful to see people crying and in much terrible situation in the absence of proper meal and water and in the absence of proper place to stay. Community kitchen can do great help to people who have suffered from floods. In addition to it, supply of tents and also errection of make shift houses will  provide immediate relief for the victims of the floods both locals and also for pilgirms.  

God bless all 

Kiran Deep  

An Open letter to PM and Haryana, Delhi, UP CMs

                Yamuna Flood--Wake up call

                            By Kiran Deep

Overflow of Yamuna has been causing much damage in the low lying areas of Haryana, UP and Delhi for years, however neither the central government nor the affected states have any solution to control the overflow of Yamuna. To much apathy, all are   helpless. The reason is that there is no dam in the upstream of Yamuna in Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand that can store and control the heavy flow of the river. The Hathnikund barrage which is situated in Yamunanagar district on the border of Himachal and Uttarakhand can only channelise river water. The Haryana government has been claiming for years that it had discussed the issue with Delhi and UP governments and things will be finalise soon in this regard. However these remain mare statements only and nothing concrete came out so far.   

The situation is serious and it requires attention of the Prime Minister, Haryana, Delhi, UP CMs. There is urgent need to find some solution to control Yamuna water to avoid floods in the low-lying areas situated along Yamuna in Haryana, UP and Delhi.

The situation is deteriorated in the low lying areas of Haryana after 8.06 lakh cusecs water was discharged from the Hathnikund barrage on Monday which has caused much damage in around 150 villages of Haryana and also of Saharanpur of UP so far and will also hit low lying areas of Delhi late night today and tomorrow. Many villagers have become homeless and did have food to eat, have no availability to water, electricity in Haryana. All credit goes to the concerned states and central government’s inability to understand the pain and suffering of the villagers living all along Yamuna in Haryana, UP and Delhi.

This is not first time, that the floods had caused much damages, almost every alternate year, the people of living in the low lying areas have to face similar. Earlier the water level of Yamuna was recorded 7.44 lakh cusecs in 2010, and it had caused damages in over 100 villages in Haryana and many persons had lost their lives. Besides Haryana, low lying area of the UP and Delhi, had also suffered losses. Similarly in 1978, the water level of Yamuna was recorded 7 lakh cusecs which had caused much damage in Haryana, UP and also in Delhi. Whenever the catchments areas of the river had witnessed heavy rainfall in the previous years, it led to the overflow of the Yamuna and damages, especially in 1988, 1995, 1998. In addition to it, the water level of the Yamuna at the Hathnikund barrage had reached 4.25 lakh cusecs (over flood point) in 2008 and also in 2009 due to heavy rainfall.

                  Why there is need to construct Dam

There is need to construct Dam on the upstream of Yamuna as the water level of the Yamuna depends on the inflow of seasonal rivulets and tributaries of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which converges in the Yamuna at the Hathnikund barrage. The water received at the Hathnikund barrage is released into two canals, Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) for Delhi and Eastern Yamuna Canal (EYC) from the barrage for UP, and also in downstream of the Yamuna for Haryana as per the shares. The Hathnikund barrage has 18 floodgates to channelise the water in downstream. The mini flood is declared after the water level of the Yamuna crosses 70,000 cusecs at the Hathnikund barrage, while flood is declared when the water level crosses 3-lakh cusecs mark. If the water level of the Yamuna crosses 70,000 cusecs mark, then officials of the barrage even stop the release of water into the WYC and the EYC as the heavy flow of the Yamuna carries sand and stone that can choke the canal system. Then, all water received at the barrage is released into the downstream of the barrage in the Yamuna. Then, the overflow of water, through Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat, after three days reaches Delhi. The Hathnikund barrage can only channelise river water. So to control the flow of Yamuna, there is need of Dam.  

                                            EOM

Flood in Yamuna --Man made disaster or natural disaster?

 Illegal, unscientific mining responsible for floods 

                                   

By Kiran Deep

Yamuna today recorded highest ever water flow in it that is 8.06 lakh cusecs registered  at Hathni Kund barrage situated in Yamunanagar of Haryana at 6 am. The water released in Yamuna from Hathni Kund barrage after passing through the districts include Yamunananagar, Panipat, Karnal, Sonepat, will reach Delhi after 72 hours. As a result Yamuna will continue to play havoc in the next two days in state and also in Delhi. The situation will further deteriorate if the rainfall continue in the catchment area of Yamuna and also in Haryana and in Delhi. The reason for the rise in the water level of Yamuna is heavy rainfall in its catchment areas in Himachal Pardesh and Uttarakhand. The overflow of Yamuna has caused damages over 50 villages maximum in Yamunanagar district and also in Panipat and Karnal districts of Haryana so for. However rather than blaming the nature, it’s the state government who is responsible for much damages. As Yamuna passing through Haryana has been exploited by the mining mafia unabated for the past many years.  In the absence of any strong political will, the unscientific mining of the sand  and stone has virtually broken the backbone of Yamuna. To much apathy, the villagers had raised the issue of unscientific mining of sand and stone; however lack of political will nothing concrete has happened so far.

The use of JCB machines to dig out sand and stone illegally and unscientific manners has   destroyed the water holding capacity of the river as a result whenever there is heavy flow of water in Yamuna, it will cause breaches. Unfortunately mining of sand and stone has been continue along the Yamuna and other seasonal rivulets Som and Pathrala of Yamunanagar and other districts of Haryana along Yamuna for years. The unscientific mining at a depth of 10 to 60 feet in the river and also on land in villages situated on the banks of Yamuna had remained checked.

Surprisingly in the absence of proper check by the Haryana and Uttar Pardesh government, a large number of stone crushers are still functioning both sides of Yamuna. Even one can easily evaluate the extend of the damages continue to be caused to Yamuna from the number of vehicles carrying sand and stone can easily be seen all along Yamuna. Even the mining of sand and stone continue in the prohibited area along Kalesar park of Yamunanagar.

Earlier in 1978 when the Yamuna water was recorded highest 7 lakh cusecs had caused many damages in Haryana, Uttar Pardesh and Delhi. Similarly in 2010, the water level of Yamuna was recorded 7.44 lakh cusecs and had caused much damages in 100 villages of Haryana and also of UP and low lying areas of Delhi.

 EOM