
PVTG hamlet in Gumla to get first pucca road soon
1
2
Gumla: Residents of Gamhaarpat, a remote tribal hamlet in Narma panchayat in Netarhat plateau, will finally have access to road. Previously the residents in this once LWE affected region traversed dense forests on foot, a practice continuing since their ancestors settled here centuries ago.
The absence of proper roads had hindered development work in this settlement, home to 35 families of Birjiya, a PVTG and Nagesia tribe.
Recently, a group of tribal from here had met with Karn Satyarthi, who served as Gumla deputy commissioner till couple of days back, at his office to demand a pucca road. Learning about the woes, he immediately issued the directives. On May 26, team of engineers and officials served the area and prepared a plan of building 1.86km PCC road, which was finally approve before Satyarthi's transfer.
Along with the road, residents also demanded water, electricity and irrigation facilities.
Engineer Blacius Lakra of rural works department (RWD), which prepared the detailed project report, told TOI, "We have now applied for no objection certificate from the forest department as 700 meters of the project come under it. In a fortnight, tender will be floated."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
Our land is not for sale: Ratnagiri village stands up to urban buyers
Ratnagiri: The tiny village of Ambavali, nestled in Western Ghats of Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, has declared that its land not for sale — not to real estate agents, not to developers, not to 'outsiders'. The decision, born from a deep sense of betrayal and fear of displacement, is more than just a refusal to sell, it is a powerful act of self-preservation by a community determined to protect its legacy, land, and dignity at all costs. When TOI visited this village, 250km from Mumbai located in Mandangad tehsil with its 313 hectares of fertile land, it reflected a haven of mango orchards, cashew trees, paddy fields, and ragi fields. But beyond its natural beauty lay something far more precious-- its people's connection to their land. The gram panchayat's bold resolution was unanimously adopted in Dec 2023 during a village-wide meeting. The trigger was a govt announcement that the Ravas-Reddi Coastal Highway would pass close to the village. Within days, brokers, investors, and land agents began flocking to Ambavli, offering villagers large sums of money for their land. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo At first, some were tempted. One man sold his patch of land for ₹2 lakh. But what followed shook the village to its core. "We later found out that the same land was sold again for over Rs one crore," village sarpanch Mahendra Ratate said. "We felt cheated. That's when we realised we had to act before it was too late." The pain of that deception quickly turned into resolve. The gram sabha was called immediately. Families living in cities took time off work to return home. What followed was an emotional yet unanimous decision -- no villager would sell an inch of land to 'outsiders' ever again. Today, a weatherproof signboard greets all visitors at the entrance of the village. which reads: "No land within or outside Ambavli, owned by a village resident, shall be sold to outsiders. Any attempt to do so will be considered a violation of this decision. Outsiders are advised not to engage in land dealings here. The village will not be responsible for any losses incurred due to fraudulent transactions. Brokers misleading villagers will also be held accountable. " The message echoes throughout the village — on its walls, trees, and farm gates. It's not just a notice, it's a manifesto. Only 150 people, mostly senior citizens, currently reside in the village. The rest — the youth — have migrated to Mumbai, Pune, and other cities for work. And yet, their roots remain deeply planted in Ambavali. Sandesh Dhavade, a 40-year-old farmer, speaks of his inheritance with pride. "My grandfather built our house with his bare hands and preserved our land with what little he had. My father followed the same path. They gave us a legacy, not just property. It's my responsibility now to protect it, not sell it — no matter the offer." His words reflect the sentiment of many in the village. For them, the land is not a commodity but a sacred bond — with their ancestors, their identity, and the future of their children. As more rural regions fall prey to land grabs and unregulated development, water scarcity and ecological degradation are rising across Indian cities. Ambavali's residents are determined not to walk the same path. "Environmental concerns also drove our decision," the village notice explains. "Selling land to outsiders would risk depletion of our natural resources, especially water, and could create future emergencies. We are protecting our land for generations yet to come." This isn't a rejection of progress. The villagers insist they are not anti-development. Anant Ratate, another local, said, "We are not against roads, bridges, or any govt projects that follow the rules. What we are against is selling our homes to people who don't understand our soil, our needs, or our culture. If we do that, we will one day become guests in our village."


Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
Govt to train students in art of manuscript preservation
Panaji: Merging academic learning with heritage conservation, the state directorate of archives will soon launch an initiative to train history students in manuscriptology and palaeography to preserve the state's centuries-old documentary heritage. 'Spanning pre-Portuguese, Portuguese, and post-Liberation eras, the archives house a wealth of documents in diverse scripts and languages — from ancient Devanagari and Modi to Portuguese and Roman scripts — making it fertile ground for this initiative. The initiative will not only help conserve Goa's manuscript wealth, but also offer practical skill-building opportunities to students,' an archives official told TOI . As part of the National Education Policy (NEP), internships are now mandatory in college curricula, and the state archives department is turning this academic requirement into a unique opportunity for history students in Goa. The plan is to start the orientation and training of students by mid-Aug in this academic year. 'The department will equip students with these skills before involving them in real-time documentation and conservation efforts,' the official said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like See How Much You Can Save on Car Insurance Search7 Learn More Undo 'The initiative is linked to the Gyan Bharatam Mission, part of the Union culture ministry's National Mission for Manuscripts, which aims to preserve and digitise India's rich manuscript heritage. To facilitate this, state govt has already approved the establishment of the Goa State Mission for Manuscripts,' the official said. Under this mission, the archives department will launch an extensive statewide survey to identify manuscripts — some of which may be with private collectors and religious institutions across Goa. Once documented, these manuscripts will be conserved and digitised to make them accessible to future generations. TOI reported on June 18 that under this initiative, the department expects to find literary treasures such as correspondence that was once exchanged between neighbouring kings, freedom fighters, and texts that capture the essence of Goan life through the centuries.


Time of India
19 hours ago
- Time of India
Local faults lead to outages and tripping in Ghaziabad societies
Ghaziabad: Residents faced severe power disruptions over the weekend, with Siddharth Vihar Prateek Grand City experiencing a five-hour outage on Sunday. Golflinks Landcraft Township on NH9 endured a 20-hour power cut till Saturday due to local faults "The power supply was disrupted from 2am on Sunday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While the supply resumed around 7.20am, even after that, it kept tripping due to no changeover. In one tower, there was no fan or light in the lift, while for nearly 5 hours, a power backup supply was given, which cost Rs 22 per unit," NK Negi, a resident of Prateek Grand City at Siddharth Vihar, told TOI. The township has nearly 12,000 residents living in the complex across 3,000 units. The maintenance staff informed the residents via MyGate notification that the power supply from the Siddhartha Vihar substation failed at 2.10am early Sunday morning. "The supply was given to the society through a DG set at night. The UPPCL engineer was called at night, and he checked the fault in the line. A fault was later found in the substation line was checked, this took time in repairs," said the society estate manager's notice. The supply, which resumed around 7.20am kept tripping, and the power backup and changeover process continued until 7.40am. Later on Sunday, around 4pm, yet another outage occurred, this time, a shutdown notice was issued by the area substation. The notice issued by the estate manager of Prateek Grand City Siddharth Vihar stated that due to the UPPCL substation maintenance work on Sunday, the supply of the main grid will be disrupted . Similar was the situation in the Golflinks Landcraft Township on National Highway-9, Ghaziabad, where more than 4,000 families faced over 20 hours of outage.