History in Tauru block of Mewat District

These monuments i think are from the lodhi and tuglaq periods. Some conservation efforts are on but from the upkeep as well as cow dung cakes inside the monuments i got a feeling the locals do not own this history. in fact there is a school running right infront of these monuments and a PHC or primary health center nearby.

No wonder they say " those who forget history are condemned to repeat it". we claim we have a long and rich history but we neither own nor take care of this history.

Haryana and its police

This is the map given on the haryana police website http://haryanapolice.gov.in/districtmap.asp when i checked today.

if we were to believe haryana police and please note that Mr C.M, Haryana has has only 19 districts.

The mission of the haryana police is "to help the common man". However in the the absence of basic updated information i don't think it is possible.

the basic idea of internet is make current information available to all. Websites are a window of you to the world. If from the window i see a house in disorder than i am sure the house is not in order.

Safai Karamcharis and the state of cleanliness in gurgaon city

Sulabh International has been given the contract for cleanliness in large parts of gurgaon city. As per the contract signed between H.U.D.A and Sulabh international, the organisation after sweeping the streets will pickup solid waste to be disposed off at a predetermined place as designated or instructed by H.U.D.A or haryana urban development authority. I am not aware if contracts have been signed with other authorities or agencies in gurgaon by sulabh international.

The contract signed with H.U.D.A also carries a clause that the solid waste will not be burnt and has to be disposed off. In case solid waste is burnt a penalty will be charged. (Here in the above photos you can see sulabh safai karamcharis smoking while garbage is burning. The karamcharis can be identified with the blue overall with Sulabh written across the back)

With the tolerance levels exhibited by both our administrators and citizens solid waste is regularly burnt irrespective of the fact both residents of gurgaon and the sweeper staff are aware of the environmental and health effects of burning garbage. The status quo remains as nobody wants to bell the cat. The residents are too lazy to object with a large number of residents encouraging the sweepers to burn garbage whereas the sweepers are too lazy to pick up and dispose garbage and in the absence of anybody objecting are too happy to burn garbage and laze around.

If the solution for cleanliness of the city is by burning garbage and if a large number of residents feel no problem in burning garbage and in fact burn garbage themselves then why does the district administration waste so much money (what i heard is that the sulabh contract was worth over 70lacs) in hiring a cleaning agency. let everybody fend for themselves, clean the place and burn the garbage. At least that money can be diverted into some better use.

MOONSTRUCK!

Yes, we can!

After the American elections a lot has been said, discussed and written with respect to India. A lot of people have lamented the state of affairs in India and wishfully wondered when will we have our own Obama - the one who will provide us hope and a message for change.

My reply to all such people is to read today’s newspapers: “INDIA TOUCHES THE MOON”. The 35-kg Moon Impact Probe touched the lunar surface at 8.31 pm on 14 November 2008. A true gift to the children of the world with Children’s Day being celebrated in India.
For the uninitiated, this is truly an inspirational and momentous moment for mankind. India did it right the first time – not a mean feat even by the best standards. This is from a nation categorized as ‘developing’ with the highest number of malnourished children in the world; a nation that was deprived of technology as some countries felt the world was being threatened due to our atomic testing. This is from a nation of immeasurable diversity – diversity that, some feel, poses a threat to the nation’s growth, and these people would rather every Indian follow a single religion and way of life. With all its encumbrances, the nation has been able to send Chandrayaan-1 through an astronomical distance of over 3 lac km. A number of people have been involved through its various stages – scientists, engineers, technicians, teachers, motivators, programmers, operators, invisible people plus one ex-President – people who lost sleep due to nervousness, people who lent support to the sleepless to forge on! Together, they could!

We are a nation so steeped in history... A lot of the young I have interacted with say they feel proud of the achievements in history. On the other hand, they are cynical about the present and are unwilling to lend a hand to creating their own history. A lot of them simple state they are proud without knowing exactly what gives them this lofty feeling – perhaps, the ‘proud’ feeling is handed down as cultural heritage. Well to all of them out there, let this be a day when the world says if anything is possible in the world, it is here in India! This is an event that makes every Indian proud.

Chandrayaan is not just about a probe landing on the moon - it is about hope, ability to surmount challenges and change for the better. We have our own Obamas here within us and for once, we don’t need to stand on the sidelines cheering for somebody else but our own.

Gurgaon city transport woes

here are some pictures of the gurgaon main bus stand. these are pictures saying a 1000 words. i am adding a few more.

i am told that there is a proposal to demolish it and make a mall cum modern bus stand. WHEN ? nobody knows. meanwhile we the people continue to bear this. the interesting aspect of this is nobody seems to care. neither the drivers/conductors of the busses, neither the daily commuters nor anybody in the adminstration. No toilets, so what, the walls are always there. no drainage, so what, bricks are there to put and walk on. no lighting, so what we shall walk in the dark. What can we all do? there would be one day when divine intervention shall happen and we shall collective come out of the dark.

water security for gurgaon

An interesting press release from the public relations department Haryana caught my eye regarding water security in gurgaon.

“ The Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners of both Gurgaon and Jhajjar districts to ensure that water supply in Gurgaon water channel be not disrupted. He asked the Gurgaon DC to prepare a contingency plan for meeting out the water crisis, in case the channel was breached as it was done in last March and Gurgaon faced a severe water crisis.
The Deputy Commissioner Gurgaon apprised the Chief Secretary that the water treatment plant at Basai was being augmented by HUDA at the cost of Rs. 13.84 crore and the work would be completed by February next year. After the augmentation, the Basai plant will able to treat 60 MGD raw water. However the water storage capacity today is sufficient for four days. An additional water works was proposed on 133 acre land of village Chandu-Budhera, costing Rs. 86 crore. The process of acquiring land for this new water works was going on. After the completion of this water works the storage capacity would be enhanced to ten days. Also a NCR Channel was under construction at a cost of Rs. 322 crore from which Gurgaon would get 800 Cusec of water plus a Rs.. 65 crore project was also prepared for providing canal based drinking water in Sohna.

So what is the cost of the above PROPOSED works rs 13.84cr for augmentation + rs 86 cr for additional water works + rs 322 cr for ncr channel + rs 65 cr for canal from sohna = Rs 486.84 cr.

1. does rs 486.84 cr provide a water security? I don’t think so
2. where does water come for the additional water works? From the gurgaon canal which comes from jhajjar district which was breeched by villagers this march, so there is no security surely.
3. where does ncr canal get the water? 800cusec is the rate of flow, what quantity of water is assured and where will it be treated is not known. And if 800 cusec is the rate of flow would this canal not supply water to other areas besides gurgaon?
4. where is the water coming from sohna? Mewat district does not have water and is just 20kms from sohna and we are getting a canal to gurgaon.

If somebody in the system tried a little common sense then with 1/10th the cost we can harvest a huge amount of rain water. ( rough calculations tell me that 34million cum of rainwater goes via sewage into the najafgarh drain from gurgaon). We can even harvest the najafgarh flood plain or the najafgarh jheel.(part of this lies inside gurgaon district).

But then government works on grandiose schemes and proposals. Common sense is not a very valued item as it does not raise eyebrows or fills pockets as rs 486.84 cr does.

Gurgaon District Transport Woes

as per gross state domestic product estimated for the year 2004 by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation haryana was number 13 right after punjab and delhi out of 35 including union territories.

haryana claims that gurgaon is number one in terms of software export. photos of glass covered multistorey buildings are splashed across newspapers and websites singing praises about development in gurgaon.

a simple story about transport, a need so basic for people, to be able to go from one place to another is narrated in these pictures. Do i need to say more????????

Here is the text of a press release from public relations office of haryana government. Ity reads " Chandigarh, Sept 5 - The Haryana Compulsory Registration of MarriagesAct, 2008 came into effect in the State from July 16, 2008 and theevery marriage solemnized in the State after this date irrespective ofcaste, religion or creed will have to be got registered compulsorily.The parties to a marriage shall prepare and sign a memorandum onprescribed form and deliver or send it by registered post induplicate to the Registrar of the Area concerned in which the marriagewas solemnized or the ordinary place of residence of the bride/herparents or the bridegroom/his parents within a period of 90 days fromthe date of marriage.The memorandum should be accompanied prescribed fee in the form ofcourt fee stamps and attested by the person prescribed for thispurpose. The Registrar concerned on being satisfied that there is noobjection to register the marriage, shall register the same within theprescribed period. If in the opinion of the Registrar, the marriage isnot fit for registration, he shall pass an order of refusal in writtenafter recording the reasons and send the duplicate copy thereof to theDistrict Registrar.The persons who were married prior to the date of commencement ofthis Act, may also get their marriage registered, if they areresidents of the State at the time of registration of the marriage,subject to the terms and conditions as mentioned in sub-sections (2),(3) and (4). The persons, who have married outside the State but areresidents of the State, may also get their marriage registered in theState as per provisions of sub-section (1), subject to the terms andconditions as mentioned in the sub-sections (2), (3) and (4). However,the marriage already registered outside the State will not beregistered again in the State.Any person aggrieved by the order of the Registrar refusing toregister the marriage to under sub-section (4) of section 7 may,within a period of 90 days from the date of receipt of such order,appeal to the District Registrar, who after giving an hearingopportunity to the party concerned, may pass an order confirming theorder of the Registrar or after recording the reasons in writing,direct the Registrar concerned to register the marriage or may passsuch orders as he may deem fit.Any person aggrieved by the order of the District Registrar refusingto register the marriage under section 8, may within a period of 90days from the date of receipt of such order, appeal to the ChiefRegistrar, who after giving an hearing opportunity to the partyconcerned, may pass an order confirming the order of the DistrictRegistrar or Registrar concerned or after recording the reasons inwriting, direct the District Registrar or Registrar concerned, as thecase may be to register the marriage or may pass such orders as he maydeem fit.The Registrar shall maintain a register of marriages solemnized inthe State. On receipt of the memorandum of marriage under section 7,the Registrar shall make a record of the same in the register.On registration of the marriage, the Registrar shall issue acertificate of marriage to the parties.The registration of marriages will mitigate the problem of Indianwomen trapped in fraudulent Overseas marriages. It will also mitigatethe problems of dowry, concealment of earlier existing marriages,marriages of convenience, etc. "

So in district gurgaon if i wish to marry and get it registered where do i go? I suppose the office of the district registrar. No who is the registrar? one way to do so is to check the official website of haryana http://haryana.gov.in/ . i am sure with the amount of money haryana spends in IT and their desire to make it an IT enabled state(remember gurgaon is the largest exporter of software in the country) . There is no information in the latest releases even though the law came into forec on July 16 2008 and a press release was released on Sept 5, 2008. I guess this should say it all. however i decided persist and i went into the official site of gurgaon district http://gurgaon.nic.in/ . The header says " where dreams are talking shape" but i could not find whom to get my marriage registered. So i guess the next best thing is to go to the mini secretariat and grope my way about . OR i may say well who care's . So much for laws and following it.

Powerful and the powerless

i always wonder about our immense capacities to take shit. we shall crib, we shall plead, beg and do everything but not take a problem staring us headlong and solve it. Sometimes i feel it has to do with our religion which has a very pacific effect on our lives and thoughts. but then what puts these thoughts in doubt is our aggression on the roads.

i have time and again repeated this to countless people, you can't change the culture of a place by ascribing names to it. so gurgaon has been reported in media as mellinium city, cyber city, bpo city etc. man how about first making it a city. gurgaon is nothing but a moffusal town(as british would have loved to call it) we neither have the mindset for a city nor the infrastructure.

i have seen offices of the district administration where the staff during rains put bricks and enter their offices as waterlogging is there. i have seen corporate offices which have water logging near their gates and they are all waiting for divine intervention, powerful individuals who crib for more powerful mediums to solve their problems. (interestingly to do rainwater harvesting in open areas all you require is to dig a shallow pit maybe 3ft deep and fill it with broken bricks or stones. any Individual/organisation can do it.)

wonder where the buck stops? and who has the power to do simple things?

Information on trees

This list is merely illustrative. You can choose any plant which you wish keeping in mind its purpose.
COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME
Amaltas Cassia fistula
Amla Emblica officinalis
Arjuna Terminalia arjuna
Australian Wattle Acacia nilotica
Babul Acacia auriculaeformis
Ber Zizyphus species
Bael Aegle marrnelos
Bara Ficus banghalensis
Casuarina Casuarina equisetifolia
Champa Michelia champaca
Citrus plants Citrus species.
Custard Apple (Sharifa) Annonasquamosa
Dhak Butea monosperma
Drumstick (Sajana) Moringa oleifera
Eucalyptus species Eucalyptus species
Gulmohar Delonix regia
Gular Ficus glomerata
Guava Psidium guajava
Jamun Eugenia jambolana
Jarul (Arjuna) Lagerstromia speciosa
Jungle Jalebi Inga dulicis
Kadam Anthocephalus chinensis
Kachnar Bauhunia variegata
Karanj Derris indica
Maharukha (Tree-Of-Heaven) Ailanthus excelsa
Mahua(Madhu) Madhucaindica
Mango Mangifera indica
Mulberry Morus alba
Nisuidee (Rattal) Vitexnedundo
Neem Azadirachta indica
Nim Melia azadirachta
Peepal Ficus religiosa
Popular Populous ciliates
Semul Bombax ceiba
Silver Oak Grevillea mimosaefolia
Sisam Dalbergia sissoo
Siris Albizia lebbeck
Sultanachampa Calliandra species
ORNAMENTAL TREE FOR ROAD SIDE PLANTATION
NAME FLOWERING COLOUR OF FLOWER
Kachnar species March-April White, Pink, Pink Red
Gulmohar May-June Reddish orange
Amaltas April-May Yellow
Nim April Lilac
Mandara (Erythrina indica) Feb-March Scarlet red
Silver oak March-April Yellow
Jacranda Mar-April Violet blue
Copper pod Sep-October Golden yellow
Karanja (Pongamia glabra) April-June Pink & White
Chameli (Pulmeria alba) May- April White
Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata)Feb-March Orange Yellow

TREE TO CHECK SOIL EROSION

COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME
Babul Acacia arabica
Casuarina Casuarina equsetifolia
Dendrocalamus strictus Vilati Babul
Ficus glomerata Gular
Vitex negundo Nisuidee

EVER GREEN TREES

VERNACULAR NAME BOTANICAL NAME
Devedaru Polyalthia longiflia
Imli Tamarindus indica
Nalichakunda Cassia sofera
Khandichampa Plumeria alba
Poolang Calophylum
Lamblatkan Kigalia pinnata
Putranjiva Putranjiva roxburghii
Habeli Thespesia
Sterculia Sterculia palmata
Jhaun casuarina equisetfoila
Silver oak Grewelia robusta

courtesy vigyanprasar.gov.in

the magnificient aravalis

i have seen heaven here on earth. it is told like the desert, the mountains talk. they show sadness, anger, joy and pure pride. over the last few months i have travelled to villages which are situated at the base of the aravalis.

when you desire by heart so you shall get. the rain was welcome and it broughtof the color green on the slopes of the aravalis. i did my bit, i carried seeds of papri and seemal plants and tried to replicate a seed dispersal animal. time will tell whether my endeavour would bear fruit or not.

here's for you to cherish
http://navtika2004.tripod.com/aravalis

Farruknagar Heritage site

an old saying goes like"those who forget history are condemn to repeat it" it can have multiple interpretations but i feel those who forget from where they come from are not worth remembering in the future.

our past and hertiage is something which we should be proud about and should go all out to see it is conserved in whatever way possible. i came across something in farrukhnagar, a tehsil of gurgaon, which for all to see.
http://navtika2004.tripod.com/farrukhnagar/