Save Uttarakhand’s dying cities: Governor

Uttarakhand governor Dr Aziz Qureshi, a nature lover and environment conservationist at heart, is alarmed at the pace at which the natural beauty, flora and fauna of the three famous cities of the mountain state of Uttarakhand are deteriorating. He has called upon all authorities and people concerned to gear themselves up for “saving these dying cities.”

In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer at the Raj Bhawan here , the governor said there could be a possibility of having a combined Master Plan for the three cities. “Whatever way it is planned, these cities deserve to be protected. A lot of damage has already been done but whatever we can regain, we must work towards it and ensure that the damage stops right here,” said Dr Qureshi who remembers how beautiful Dehradun was when he once came here as a young boy to meet his uncle who was posted here as an army officer.

“I felt as if I had been transported into a fairy land. It was summer and lichi trees were in full bloom all around the place. All I could see was the bright red colour of the lichis and I was really fascinated by it. I had never seen lichis on trees before that and it was a wondrous experience for me,” he recalled nostalgically. “Now all we can see are tall buildings.”

Coming back to the present, he said it was a sad state of affairs now and the valley was under tremendous strain. “When I was at Nainital during the summers, I ensured that the citizens and administration come together to deliberate on the urgent need for saving the lake city from being ruined further.”

He met several eminent intellectuals of Nainital along with administrative officials and discussions were held on the pollution illegal construction, the condition of the Naini lake, parking problems and uncontrolled traffic.

The governor said all possible efforts on the administrative level were being made to save the unique beauty of Nainital, but active support of all citizens was needed.

“I have revived the Sharadotsav (Autumn Festival). It will be held at Nainital in October and  in  November in Mussoorie. In Nainital, it will coincide with and be linked to the International  Governor’s Invitation Golf Tournament which we are going to start this year,” he said.

“It is time for people of Dehradun and Mussoorie to also come forward and unitedly voice their concerns about these cities,” said the governor.

Regarding the progress on various fronts in the State, Dr Qureshi said that the State was fortunate to have a Chief Minister like Vijay Bahuguna and a chief secretary like Alok Jain. “They are both sincere and mean business. They are straightforward and committed to the development of the State. However, things are lacking at the lower level and implementation in the field is not done sincerely. Grants-in-aid from the Central Government must reach the victims of disasters properly.”

“More commitment is required on the part of people who implement the decisions of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary. Only then can the State realise its potential,” he added. He said that excellence in higher education was another sphere which he was focused upon. “I had a meeting with the vice-chancellors of the various universities and one of the decisions taken was that we would have an inter-university cultural and sports meet in February 2013.”

“Value-based education, also employment oriented, is the need of the hour,” he added. “Also, there should be no exploitation of teachers.’

As far as the Char Dham Yatra is concerned, the Governor said that he had stressed the need for a combined Master Plan for the development of the four famous shrines. “The development plan should be modeled on Tirupati which I believe is the best in the world.” He said that there should be a single board that should plan for all the four shrines together.

He said Piran Kaliyar and Hemkund Sahib should also be developed in order to make the pilgrimages better for people.

Asked about the Supreme Court judgement that has temporarily banned tourism in core areas of tiger reserves, the Governor said that he had written to the Prime Minister as well as the Chief Minister regarding the fact that many peoples’ employment would be affected and also, in the absence of tourists, poachers would have easy access to the reserves.”

Dr Qureshi is perhaps the most accessible Governor the State has ever had. He is willing to meet as many people as possible and hear them out patiently, and then make every possible effort to resolve their problems and issues. As he says, with a smile, “Raj Bhawan is no longer a foreign land for the people.”