Tag Archives: Sambalpur News
Gudvelipadar’s copper snake business in a slump
At one point in past decades, the artisans of Gudvelipadar in Boudh district earned handsomely from selling Silver Filigree. Later, when the demand for these ornaments came down, clever artisans started making ‘Copper Snakes’, and found their safety net around it.
Over the years, Gudvelipadar has earned a name for itself for the copper snakes made here.
About 30 villagers along with their families are engaged in this trade. These silversmith families are not the only ones in the village who earn their livelihood from selling these items; there also are people — trained by these artisan families — doing brisk business.
But this craft, like many other traditional ones, is facing severe headwinds.
“Sometimes the cops harass us. We have license to procure raw materials like acid, brass and copper sheets. We get these raw materials from Rengali area in Sambalpur district. Yet at times the cops catch us and we have to cough up some money to avoid getting entangled in their concocted plots,” says an artisan, wishing not to be named.
Some other artisans joined him to narrate the issues they are facing these days.
According to them, their present business is also passing through the same situation they once experienced during the collapse of silver filigree period.
“The golden period of our copper snake business is over. We are no longer earning what we used to make in earlier days,” some said.
They have ascribed the slump in their business to the change of people’s mindset due to rapid ingression of western culture.
“It is Lord Shiva believers who constitute our main customer group. They buy copper snakes from us to offer them at Shiva temples. They do so when their wishes are granted. But the present generation is largely influenced by western culture. Some of them hardly visit these shrines, let alone wishing to offer copper snakes to Lord Shiva upon fulfillment of their wishes,” said a village elder.
The entire process starting from putting copper sheets in fire to make it flexible till a finished product takes time as well as needs engagement of whole family members.
“The price these products are fetching these days is not satisfactory as compared to the labour put together,” they alleged.
The copper snakes manufactured by the artisans here have found places in several Shiva temples including the Lingaraj temple of Bhubaneswar. However, pride alone is unlikely to fill their stomachs. The state government should come forward to bail out this traditional art form which seems to be on the verge of extinction.
ECoR conducted a trial of 2KM long train in Sambalpur Division
DMR Sambalpur called the 2KM long train as Python Rake, comprised 147 wagons, three guard vans and four engines. The first rake of 45 flat wagons, and the second and the third rakes of 51 wagons each, were loaded with containers bound for Visakhapatnam port.
Two kilometres. That is the length of a new train which went on its first trial run in Odisha. With the aim of minimising man power and making path utilisation more economic, the East Coast Railway combined three rakes (a group of freight wagons or passenger coaches coupled together) into a single train, running it between Godbhaga and Balangir Stations in Sambalpur Railway Division.
@RailMinIndia @gmeastcoastrly @agm_ecor @eastcoastrail @drmwat_ecor @DRMKhurdaroad Historic moment for SBP Div, PYTHON Rake running https://t.co/f9uB3259Ri improve mobility over NI section of DJX and KHPL, 3 rakes were amalgamated and run as single rake between GBQ AND LSX 82 km pic.twitter.com/DX3XTiDear
— DRM Sambalpur (@drmsambalpur) February 25, 2019
Watching a freight train of average length rumble past is often an unending experience (especially if you are waiting at a level-crossing). So imagine watching a train almost three times as long.
East Coast Railway(ECoR) ran three goods train rakes with a length of about 2000 meters on a trail basis for the first time for economic path utilization with less man power.
BJP Chief Amit Shah Visiting Sambalpur tomorrow
With the general elections a few months ahead and as BJP national president Amit Shah has set ‘Mission Odisha 120 seats’, he has been touring the State frequently and accordingly, his Sambalpur visit has been slated for tomorrow.
While the Odisha unit BJP rank and file is in an upbeat mood, Congress and BJD today termed his repeated visits sans any impact on the voters. As per the Odisha unit BJP Media Cell press note, BJP national president Amit Shah is visiting Odisha tomorrow (February 15).
After landing at Jharsuguda Veer Surendra Sai Airport, he will head towards Sambalpur. There he will have the darshan of Maa Samaleswari and then pay floral tribute to Veer Surendra Sai at Jail Chhak. In the afternoon, he will address the party workers at a meeting organized in the field near the Sambalpur Jay Guru Mandir.In his media reactions, senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said, “The poll environment has been a bit hot earlier this time.
The top leaders of all the parties have become vibrant and have focused on Odisha.”He commented, “The ruling party of Odisha perhaps carries the impression that this time they are going to lose the battle. Rest of the parties are of the impression that this is a state that would shape their future prospect.” “Let the people’s impression about Amit Shah fade first. I have witnessed what happened in their meeting in Bolangir. Tried a lot but couldn’t gather people for the meeting,” he lampooned.BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra reacted, “When the election approaches, the leaders of the national parties remember Odisha.
It is solely meant for election campaign. In the recent past, their visits have had no impact and will also have no impact.” “Now the big question of the people of Odisha is on the political tourism of those national leaders. When the election comes, Shri Rahul Gandhi remembers Odisha after three and half years. Similar is the case of Shri Amit Shah. Except speeches, both Congress and BJP have done nothing for Odisha. Naveen Babu was, is and will be with the people of Odisha,” he remarked.
Mission Green Mahanadi kicks off in Odisha
In a bid to rejuvenate Mahanadi, Tel and Ib rivers and increase recharge capacity by massive plantation, the State Government kicked off ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ here on the occasion of World Environment Day on Tuesday.The mission, which was launched on the banks of Mahanadi, will be implemented jointly by the departments of Forest, Horticulture and Watershed Development.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Sambalpur Sanjeet Kumar said under the mission, a green belt having a width of 1 km will be created on both sides of Mahanadi beginning from the place where the river enters Odisha till Paradip where it merges with the Bay of Bengal.
The plantation will be undertaken over 75,760 hectare (ha) of Government land besides 47,470 ha of private land. Two crore saplings, including fruit-bearing trees, will be planted on both sides of the river during 2018-19 fiscal, he informed.
Kumar said plantation will be carried out on the bunds of paddy and vegetable fields. Saplings of fruit-bearing trees, which do not have bad impact on crops, will also be grown on the bunds, he said. Growing of fruit-bearing trees, including mango, jamun, guava, and jackfruit in private land will be encouraged.
Moreover, two ‘Ban Doot’ will be identified in each village along Mahanadi river who will educate villagers about the mission. This apart, ‘Mahanadi Sevaks’ will also be identified who will encourage villagers to plant trees, Kumar revealed.
The DFO further said identification of land to undertake plantation activity is top on priority. The land will be identified with proper coordination with the district administration. Apart from Mahanadi, plantation will also be carried out along Tel and Ib rivers. Both are tributaries of Mahanadi.
A specially designed vehicle ‘Sabuja Mahanadi Sachetana Rath’ was also flagged off on the occasion. The vehicle will move in villages along the river till July 5 to create awareness among people. Saplings were also planted on the median of Ring Road along Mahanadi and the premises of Sambalpur Circle Jail and District Judge Court here.
Among others, Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi, Agriculture Secretary Saurabh Garg, RCCF, Sambalpur OP Singh, Collector Samarth Verma and SP Sanjeev Arora were present.
Minor rape survivor ends life in Sambalpur
A minor girl, who was allegedly gang-raped by six persons in Sambalpur’s Sasan police jurisdiction, committed suicide by hanging herself on Wednesday.
The minor girl hanged herself in her room while other family members were away. She was gang-raped by six persons May 2. All the six accused in the case were arrested and languishing in jail.
She might have lost her mental balance after going through the ordeal and took the extreme step, sources said.
On the other hand, in view of the sensitivity of the case, the police concluded the investigation process and filed the charge-sheet against the accused in the court within 15 days. However, the suicide of the survivor has shocked one and all.
According to sources, the accused persons had forcibly taken the girl and gang-raped her on May 2. She was rescued in a critical condition.
After the arrest of the accused, their medical examinations were conducted which confirmed the rape. As the case was filed under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the charge-sheet was filed in 15 days for speedy trial of the case.
