House 'encroaching' portion of stepwell in Sambhal partly demolished by owner following notice
Sambhal (UP), Jan 11: A house, which allegedly encroached a portion of a nearly 150-year-old stepwell found recently in Chandausi area of Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district, was partly demolished by its owner last night following a notice by municipal authorities, an official said on Saturday.
Executive Officer of Chandausi Nagar Palika Parishad, Krishna Kumar Sonkar, said since the excavation has been going on, it came to light that the house was encroaching the stepwell on its side. A notice was given to a woman named Gulnaz (wife of Yusuf Saifi), resident of Laxman Ganj, and they are demolishing it themselves.
"They were given a notice and they are demolishing it on their own. If we had demolished it with JCB, there would have been more damage. Yesterday, the district magistrate explained to them that only a part has to be removed, the rest will be left," he said.
Gulnaz said she is sad her house is going away.
"I was given a notice to vacate the house within 24 hours. I had talked to the DM. He asked us to register a case against those who sold us the land."
District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya, who had come to inspect the ancient stepwell last night, told reporters that some cracks were found inside the well and it was filled with debris.
There was excessive weight and keeping in view the possibility of rain in future, a shed will be constructed over it, he said.
By marking the entire land, the encroachment which is coming under its purview is also being removed, he said, adding there is a conservation area above the reservoir and the stepwell and no construction of any kind can be done at such places.
The stepwell, approximately 150 years old and covering an area of 400 sq m, was unearthed during excavation in the Laxman Ganj area of Chandausi in Sambhal district.
Excavation at the site began on December 21, Sonkar said.
District Magistrate Pensiya had earlier said the site was previously registered as a pond. The well's upper floor is made of bricks, while the second and third floors are of marble. The structure also features four rooms and a well.
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
