News from Marwar

NEW DELHI: It used to be a dry and arid land legume grown by poor farmers on marginal lands in Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Till a few years back, it sold for as low as Rs 1,000 a quintal. Eaten either at home by farmers (some may remember it as guar ki phalli) or sold off for export to be used as a binding and thickening agent in edible products like ice creams, it sells now for anything between Rs 10,000- Rs 30,000 a quintal. The reason: it has become an essential lubricant for the multibillion shale oil and gas drilling where its used for the 'fracking' process.

The result is a frenzy that is connecting traders from Houston to Jodhpur and turning the obscure plant grown mostly on wastelands into a much sought after commodity. The rising prices and short supply is making farmers and business groups push for more acreage.

India produces 80% of the global guar crop with Pakistan and the US following a distant second and third though all are trying to increase acreage of the bean. Because it is a rainfed crop with relatively little organized market, upscaling production has not been a smooth process.

The demand for gum extracted from the guar seed or cluster bean as it is known in English has shot up so high on the commodities market that the regulator, Forward Markets Commission, has had to step in once to halt futures trade in illegal transactions. Nothing has stopped the bull run though.

The boom, however, could be temporary as the shale oil and gas industry in the US, which is already worth $30 billion, is furiously looking for alternatives as prices of guar skyrocket. In the meanwhile, there is a gold rush to make the most of the demand. Industry insiders suggest that for every rupee a trader invests at the local level - say at centres like Jodhpur or better still in the villages where marginal farmers are growing it - he could earn more than Rs 100.

There are established exporters who have been supplying guar for the food industry for years and then there are the guar cowboys running to the arid zone even in soaring temperatures to get a share of the pie.

The controversial shale oil drilling in the US (the green brigade is set against it) is seen as the future of the fossil fuel driven world and the marginal small farmers in distant Jhunjhunu and Jodhpur in Rajasthan have become a part of that lucrative future.

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The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested two persons for smuggling ?opium? into the city and seized 5 Kilograms of fine quality of Opium Milk (purest form) from their possession having valueabout Rs. 2.5 lacs open market. Name of the persons are Om prakash and Pramod. The opium was being brought from Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Sanjay Kumar Jain, DCP Crime branch said that information was received in SIT/Crime Branch that one Ompraksh, resident of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is smuggling opium in Azadpur Sabzi Mandi. A trap was laid at Adarsh Nagar Railway Station and Omprakash and his associate Pramod were apprehended at about 7:30 PM with 5 Kgs of ?opium milk? and seized from their possession.
During investigation it was found that Ompraksh runs a small general departmental store in his native Village Khokhri, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He had met Pramod of Hissar at Jajiwal Dhora Bishnoi Mandir at Jodhpur about a month ago. Ompraksh told him about his opium supply. Pramod promised him to find customers in Delhi and Haryana. Omprakash had come to Adarsh Nagar, Railway Station to deliver 5 kilograms of opium milk to Pramod who was supposed to further deliver it to their contacts in Azadpur Mandi. The value of 5 kilograms of opium milk in the open market is about Rs. 2.5 lacs. A case, under appropriate sections of the NDPS Act was registered for the same.

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AMC has short-listed four companies for its highly ambitious project of providing 24x7 water supply to the city. The civic body will take the final decision after analysing technologies used by these companies. Ahmedabad’s topography, dual water supply policy, increasing number of real estate projects, illegal water connections and high percentage of water loss pose a heavy challenge before the civic body in realising its dream of providing continuous water supply to the city.
AMC is carrying out a pilot project in Jodhpur ward at the cost of around Rs25 crore. The pilot project will cover a population of around 1 lakh residents in areas falling within the command areas of eight overhead water tanks in this ward. The civic body had proposed this project in the budget for financial year 2011-’12. While the project may seem impressive as a proposal, implementation will be an uphill task.

Maintaining water pressure
Ahmedabad’s topography is highly uneven. As a result, it is very difficult to maintain enough pressure to supply water to citizens living in the farthest corners of the city. At present, AMC provides water supply for just two hours a day and yet receives several complaints about inadequate water supply in many areas.
“We have enough water resources, but the distribution network needs to be set right. AMC has taken many steps like changing pipelines and increasing water distribution centres but the problem persists in many areas,” said an AMC official. He also said that maintaining the water pressure will be an extremely difficult task. “What will the residents prefer—getting water with adequate pressure for just two hours daily or getting water all day at low pressure?” the official asked.
On the other hand, another official is of the view that people complain about low pressure as they get water for just two hours. “If people get water throughout the day, pressure will automatically improve, time will not be a constraint for water accumulation,” he suggested.
Higher percentage of leakages
Around 20-25% of the total water supply to the city goes waste due to leakages. The leakages may be in the pipelines or at the user end. “If the civic body wants to implement 24x7 water supply system in the city, it needs to bring down water loss to less than 15%,” said AMC officials.
Illegal water connections
Illegal water connections across the city also pose a grave problem. “Although it is very difficult to get the exact number of illegal water connections, 5-7% of the total connections are believed to be illegal,” said sources in the AMC. These illegal connections will also be a deterrent for the project.
Creating different zones
The AMC will have to divide the city into different zones based on types of buildings, activities and water usage. In commercial areas, maximum water supply is needed during office hours, while more hours of water supply will be needed in residential areas. Similarly, usage patterns are also different in high-rise, low-rise and slum areas. Generally, grey water quantity will be higher in high-end residential schemes compared to slum areas, but water wastage is likely to be more in the latter.

Political support and public acceptance
Po litical support will be a key factor in implementing this project. Water meters are a must for 24x7 water supply in the city. Without meters, it will be very difficult to carry out water and energy audit. Once water meters are installed, people will have to pay for water on the basis of usage. Till now people pay only water tax, which is not a direct charge. As a result, this project may witness protest from people in the initial phase. “Political support will be needed to convince people about the benefits of this project,” said officials.
Replacing water pipes
AMC will have to replace PVC pipes in new west zone with ductile iron pipes and set up more overhead water tanks in the city.
While it may seem a daunting task, once implemented, 24x7 water supply system will help save water which is a precious natural resource. It has been observed that water wastage comes down drastically when people have to pay for it. “In many residential societies, people have installed meters voluntarily.
The results show that water usage has gone down by more than 30% in these societies,” said officials. Moreover, people will not have to worry about water storage.

Jaipur: Former minister Mahipal Maderna, on August 9, 2011, ordered his aide Sahiram to “put an end to ANM’s episode forever”, after Bhanwari Devi allegedly refused to settle the matter in return for Rs 50 lakh, the Central Bureau of Investigation told a special court on Saturday.

The CBI submission came during the ongoing trial in ANM Bhanwari Devi abduction and killing case in the special sessions court (SC/ST) on Saturday. The agency claimed that former minister Mahipal Maderna (a key accused in the case) ordered his aide Sahiram, who served as the deputy zila pramukh of Jodhpur, to end her episode after Bhanwari reportedly declined to enter a monetary pact.

Senior public prosecutor SS Yadav and special public prosecutor Ashok Joshi, representing CBI in the case, submitted before the court that Maderna had sent Shahbuddin with Rs 10 lakh in cash and another cheque of Rs 40 lakh to the ANM on August 9, 2011 to settle the case in which she was allegedly holding a clandestinely shot video with the then minister.

CBI counselors told special judge (SC/ST) Anup Saxena that Bhanwari refused to call it a truce and returned the money, after which Maderna ordered Sahiram to put an end to the ANM's episode forever. Following Maderna's "instructions" Sahiram, Sohanlal Bishnoi and Shahabuddin plotted Bhanwari's elimination at Room no. 5 of Jodhpur's Circuit House, the CBI said.

The CBI also claimed that Sahiram had then confided in Maderna that Luni MLA Malkhan Singh (also a key accused in the case) and his sister Indra were also working in a "similar direction". With the CBI revealing this information, the special court postponed the case for next hearing on June 8.

Meanwhile, while hearing Maderna's plea to grant exemption from regular appearance before the court on health grounds, the special judge denied permission and put the ball in Jaipur Jail's court by ordering that the jail administration can take appropriate action by using its discretion. The court also dismissed the bail plea of Luni MLA Makhan Singh (lodged in Ajmer Jail).

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