Junagadh District police stations - CCTV cameras in Saurashtra

Rajkot District police have installed high resolution closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, which also have night vision capability, in all the police stations under their jurisdiction to keep an eye on the officials and also the accused in the lock ups.

As per Latest Interviews who is Superintendent of police Premvir SinghRajkot rural said that, “The CCTV cameras have been installed in all the 21 police stations in the district.

"There are three CCTV cameras in a police station -- at the offices of police inspector (PI) and police station officer (PSO) and the lock-up."

"This will facilitate remote base monitoring system in each police station helping even the PSO and the PI to keep an eye on the accused."

The CCTV cameras at the police stations are connected to the DSP's office.

These will help the SP to monitor the happenings in each police station in the district.

"The basic idea is not distrust of the police officials, but to ensure they behave nicely with complainants and maintain discipline always. Past experiences suggest that this has helped a lot in improving discipline among the officials.''

"There have been many complaints about police officers' reluctance to lodge first information reports (FIRs) and also allegations of misbehavior against them. The CCTV cameras to a great extent will solve this issue and will be helpful to the police officers as well as the common people."

"We will cover all the police stations in Jamnagar and Surendranagar in a phased manner. The project is being implemented on public-private partnership (PPP) model.''

"CCTV cameras will be also installed on main entry points, major traffic junctions, vital installations, markets and crowded places in the towns of Rajkot, Jamnagar and Surendranagar districts.''

As of now, the CCTV cameras are installed at the police stations in Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Porbandar districts in Junagadh Police range.

Asiatic Lions Conservation - at Wankaner Rajkot District News Gujarat India

Gujarat State Government has identified an area near Wankaner City in Rajkot district for relocation of lions from the Gir National Park.

The area near Wankaner is the second area identified by the state government after Bardo Dungar in Porbandar district for the Asiatic Lions gene pool project which aims to guard against the threat of an epidemic that can wipe out the entire population of lions in Gir.

Gir is the last abode of Asiatic lions where there are an estimated number of 360 lions. The Gujarat forest department would conduct a fresh census later this month.

"We have identified vast area of land near Wankaner for conservation of lions," Gujatat State forest minister Mangubhai Patel told the state Assembly recently.

The state government said they have identified this land for long-term conservation of lions. They have also planned to make drinking water available in the area and construct check dams, the minister informed the House.

“Land identified in Wankaner will be used for gene pool project to maintain gene diversity of lions," Chief wildlife conservator Pradeep Khanna said.

However, the officials of state forest department said long-term plan is to relocate some lions in the area which has been prepared as an exclusive zone for them.

A recently released report of task force for lion conservation said lion population has been brought back from the brink of extinction after almost a century of conservation effort.

"The issues of genetic bottlenecking, genetic depression and catastrophic extinction have been discussed in general terms for a long time among the conservationists from the point of view of single population of any endangered species," it said.

A few studies have shown that the present lion population in Gir does not suffer from any inbreeding related genetic depression. A population viability health analysis carried out some time ago showed that the probability of catastrophic extinction was extremely low, the report said.

This does not brook complacency on the conservation front. On the contrary, the government has stepped up its vigilance regarding conservation of germ-plasm, the report said.
The area identified in Wankaner will be used as a part of this project in the intitial state and some lions will be relocated as a part of project, officials said.

The state government is fighting a legal battle in the Supreme Court against translocation of Gir lions in Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh.

Rajkot Junagadh City Sorath News Saurashtra Gujarat India

Rajkot college director wins national award.

Ayaz Khan I Babi, the director of Rajkumar College, Rajkot City, has been conferred with the Guruvar Award 2009 for lifetime achievement. Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal recently presented the award to Khan in New Delhi. The award carries prize money of Rs 10 lakh.

Khan, who belongs to the princely family of Parvin Babi from Panjod (Junagadh District), did not apply for the award, but his former students ensured that he got 62,000 nominations. Khan’s students include slain Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Ashok Kamte and Kenyan cricketer Hitesh Modi among others.

Guruvar Award is a Vareky Gems Foundation initiative that has started from this year. Four teachers from four zones of the country have been selected for four categories of the award. The Guruvar award is given for lifetime achievement, outstanding Indian teacher, young teacher and teacher for children with special needs.

Junagadh District Saurastra Monsoon Samachar

Dams in Saurastra, Kutch dry up Dams across Saurastra and Kutch are drying up fast with rains getting delayed.

The first week of July has passed but most dams in the region are empty as there is no inflow of rain water. According to government sources, on an average there is only 11.17 per cent water stored in 131 schemes across the Saurastra.

In Kutch district, there are 20 schemes in all, which have an average 4.72 per cent water of total capacity.

"Absence of inflow of fresh water in all these dams is a major concern. Apart from coastal villages, major parts of Saurastra and Kutch are yet to get good rain," said a government official. "31 dams in Rajkot district are only 7.3 per cent full. If there is no fresh influx, coming days will be worse for people, as the city is already facing drinking water crisis," he added.

The delayed rain has affected pre-monsoon crops and forced farmers to go for other crops. According to Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority's official data, as on July 7, Surendranagar District received 9.86 per cent of its total annual rainfall, Bhavnagar and Kutch districts have got 10.47 per cent and 13.20 per cent respectively.

Porbandar and Junagadh districts were comparatively better off having received 43.96 and 29.44 per cent of their annual rainfall respectively.

Junagadh District Monsoon Rainfall News

Much-awaited showers bring relief to people in city.

The much-awaited showers on Friday brought some relief from the scorching heat. It was cloudy for most part of the day before the city got rain in the afternoon. The city has been reeling under water crisis since June. The showers have raised the hopes of the people, particularly farmers of a satisfactory monsoon.

Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority's July 3 data says Rajkot district, barring Morbi and Lodhika talukas, has so far received 6.71 per cent of its annual rainfall. Morbi and Lodhika have remained dry. Many parts of Saurashtra namely Khambha (22 mm), Mangrol (25 mm), Junagadh City (16 mm), Mendarda (50 mm), Gariadhar (12 mm), Jamkandorna (21 mm), Padadhari (73 mm) and Dhoraji (15 mm) have recorded rains in past two days. The showers have raised the hopes of the farmers who now are optimistic about the survival of their crops, sources said.

Junagadh District Monsoon Varsad Samachar

Rain hits Saurastra region, road traffic in Junagadh affected.

Rajkot/Ahmadabad (PTI) Road traffic in Junagadh district have been affected following an incessant rain in Saurastra region during the last 24 hours.

The road traffic of Veraval-Talala, Una-Dolasa and Gadu-Chorwad in Junagadh district have been affected and local authorities were busy clearing the road, said Junagadh district collector Ashwini Kumar.

The roads were blocked following rain with heavy wind that uprooted many trees in the district, officials said.

Sutrapada (175 mm), Veraval (149 mm) and Mangrol (145 mm) talukas in Junagadh received highest rainfall in the last 24 hours, officials from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Kodinar also recorded 90 mm rainfall they added. Low lying areas in Junagadh were inundated with water and people have been warned to be careful, Mr. Kumar said adding the situation is under control and there was no need to evacuate the people living in low lying areas.

Jamnagar district also received considerable amount of rain owing to the depression in the Arabian Sea.

Kalyanpur taluka recorded 67 mm rainfall, while Jamnagar and Bhanvad received 48 mm, and Khambhalia got 45 mm rainfall.