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GHAZIABAD
Rajkumari Tankha
■ rtankha@hindustantimes.com
From a polluted and toxic
Ghaziabad to a pollution-free
Ghaziabad, not just in terms of
airandwaterpollutionbutalso
the food. Sounds strangely
impossible?
Well, it won’t if you come to
know that a silent revolution is
on in this NCR town and that
a research foundation is work-
ing not just to sell organic food
but also educate people about
the benefit of eating organic
products.
“We want to turn this city
into an organic city,” says Sunil
Kumar of M. R. Morarka GDC
Rural Research Foundation.
The foundation is working
with over two lakh farmers in
more than 12 states. It is not
justteachingthemorganicfarm-
ing but also buying their pro-
duce.
For the members of the pub-
lic, the foundation holds com-
munitymeetingseducatingpeo-
pleaboutthedifferencebetween
organic and inorganic food.
“We have made an attempt
tolinkorganicfarmerswithend
users to ensure a fair price for
thegrowersandeasyavailability
at reasonable prices for con-
sumers,” says Kumar.
“As a result, the retail price
of an organically grown agri-
cultural product is just about
five to 10 per cent higher as
compared to the one that is
grownusingpesticidesandfer-
tilisers,” he adds.
The foundation is selling its
organic products at a number
of outlets in the city such as
Bikaner Sweets, Khadi Gram
Udyog, etc, besides hospitals.
“We have also tied up with
YashodaHospitaltoserveorgan-
ic food to its patients. We are
providingtheingredients,”says
Kumar.
“In Delhi too we are supply-
ing to Andhra Bhawan, India
Habitat Centre, Uttar Pradesh
House, Arunachal House etc.
By the end of this year, we will
be selling through 100 outlets,”
he adds.
Theireffortshavebornefruit.
People are slowly turning to
eating healthy food.
“I have been using organic
rice and spices for over four
months now and my family is
hooked to it,” says Kusum
Sharma of Sahibabad.
“Significantly, only a small
amount of organic spices is
enough for making snacks as
comparedtoinorganicallygrown
spices,” she adds.
“The response to our prod-
ucts made from organic ingre-
dients is really good. We have
beenusingtheorganicallygrown
spicessincethreemonths.There
is a dedicated section which
wantsonlythese,”saysPradeep
Saxena of Bikano.
“These products are more
closetonature.Theirprolonged
use will definitely lead to bet-
ter health,” says Dr H. P. Singh
of Yashoda Hospital.
Chanchal Mukherjee
■ chanchal.mukherjee@hindustantimes.com
Honk,screech,crash...welcome
to the nightmare that is the
Maharajpurborder.Aboutlakhs
of people and vehicles clog the
importantDelhi-UttarPradesh
(UP) border, a pitiable stretch
at the best of times.
The once wide stretch has
turnedintoadingynarrowstrip
byautos,roadwaysbuses,rick-
shaw pullers and illegal shops.
The volume of commuters has
increased manifold ever since
the Anand Vihar railway sta-
tionandtheMetroStationcame
up in the area.
As it is, there is a lot of traf-
ficchaosattheMajarajpurbor-
derandnowavacantlandnear
the Pacific Mall is being used
astheKaushambiBusTerminal
withoutanypropertrafficman-
agement. It is ironical that two
police booths, one of the Delhi
Police and other its UP coun-
terpart,aresituatedatthesame
pointbutillegalshopsarebeing
run rampantly here.
ILLEGAL SHOPS
More than 50 illegal shops –
vendors selling clothes, paan-
wallas, fruits and eateries have
been running from both sides
of the road. These people have
totallyoccupiedtheservicelane,
whichisoutofboundsforpedes-
trian or vehicular movement.
SaysNaveenKumar,aresident
of Vishwakarma Nagar, “The
countdown has begun for the
CommonwealthGamesinDelhi
but the authorities have not
been able to make a concrete
policy against encroachers so
far.”
AUTO STAND
Thereareillegalautostands
on three sides of the intersec-
tion. Scores of autos remain
parked haphazardly on either
side of the road. Lakhs of com-
mutersfromotherstatescome
here by train, interstate buses
and the Metro.
ILLEGAL SELLERS
As you enter from the UP
side, you will find illegal shops
selling clothes. They operate
from one side of the pavement
and service lane.
Says Sandeep Bhardwaj, a
resident of East Delhi, “If one
is coming from Preet Vihar to
VaishaliorKaushambi,ittakes
hardly 5 or 10 minutes to reach
AnandViharbuttoreachone's
destinationnearby;itmaytake
another 20 to 30 minutes. The
authorities should take strict
action against these people.”
Says Satish Chandra, Circle
Officer, UP Police, “The
GhaziabadNagarNigamislook-
ing after the auto stands, so
legally, we can’t remove them
from the site. But we are going
to launch a drive against illegal
shops near the border.”
O. P. Sagar, ACP (Traffic),
EastDelhi,refusedtocomment
on the issue.
helpline
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION
DM Ghaziabad
0120-2820106, 0120-2824416
Chief Development Officer
0120-2750605
Income Tax Office
0120-2714144
Passport office 0120-2721779
POLICE
SSP Ghaziabad
0120-2821120, 0120-2820758
SP City 0120-2734015
Sahibabad 0120-2630691
Kavi Nagar 0120-2711843
Link Road 0120-2770310
Indirapuram 0120-2275858
Loni 0120-2600097
SP Traffic 0120-2969520
GDA
Vice Chairman GDA 0120-2791114
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
Municipal Commissioner
0120-2791418-518
Senior Health Officer 0120-2791518
Mayor 0120-2791210
Deputy Mayor 0120-2791518
HOSPITALS
MMG District Hospital
0120-2730038
Santosh Hospital 0120-2741777
Narinder Mohan Hospital
0120-2940506
Max Balaji, Patparganj
43033333, 40554055
Metro Hospital, Preet Vihar
011-22520480, 22460000
Shanti Mukund
011-22371928, 22371930
Deepak Memorial
011-22155555, 22151522
Hedgewar Hospital, Karkardooma
011-22305151, 22301149
AMBULANCE
CATS 011-22054170
FIRE
City Control Room 0120-2734906
Control Room Kotwali
0120-2732099
District Control Room
0120-2766898
Sahibabad 0120-2630811
TELEPHONE
SDO Telephone 0120-2626000
ELECTRICITY
Complaints 0120-2629039
Maharajpur 0120-2770116
ROADWAYS
Regional Manager UP Transport
0120-2790955
Roadways Anand Vihar
011-22152431
Roadways ISBT 011-23860290
Roadways Scindia House
011-23317445
Roadways Bikaner House
011-23383469
Think organicThink organic
A foundation is helping farmers produce healthy foodgrains and spices
Encroachments and vendors add to
the chaos at Maharajpur border
It has no toxic chemicals
and is free of adulteration.
Organic food is free from
the potent cocktail of fer-
tilisers, pesticides, insecti-
cides and other chemicals
that go into growing con-
ventional produce. Even
the chemical methods of
preservation are not
allowed to be used during
storage, thus making
organic food safer and
also healthier. Besides,
organic food farming is
known to be entirely envi-
ronment-friendly.
Health experts say that
organic food is natural
and pure, highly nutri-
tious, has a superior taste
and is entirely safe. It has
abundant Vitamin C. Raw
organic food also cleanses
the blood stream by elimi-
nating toxic wastes.
Benefits of organic food
■ Organic food is available at some outlets in the city.
■ Ingredients are being provided to Yashoda Hospital to make organic food for patients. SAKIB ALI / HT PHOTOS
We have made
an attempt to link
organic farmers with
end users to ensure a
fair price for growers.
SUN I L M O RA R K A ,
M. R. Morarka,
GDC Rural Research
Foundation
These products
are more close to
nature. Their
prolonged use will
definitely lead to
better health.
D R H . P. S I N G H ,
Yashoda Hospital
■ Vendors selling clothes and sundry other items thrive on the pavements.
■ There is no traffic order at the Maharajpur border due to illegal auto stands that block the right of way. SUSHIL KUMAR / HT PHOTOS
The GNN is looking
after the auto stands,
so legally we can’t
remove them for the site.
But we will launch a drive
against illegal shops.
S AT I S H C H A N D RA ,
Circle Officer, UP Police