By: SHIVANI
Yesterday I was at Kala Amb for some business. I hope most of you have heard of this place. The road leading to Kala Amb from Chandigarh has amazing scenery on the way — beautiful mountains, lush green vast spaces. The minute you reach the checkpost, the road vanishes. To my surprise, entire city has broken roads and a terrible bumpy ride begins.
What’s worse is the state of the industries. I spoke to a few industrialists there and a very different thought pattern emerged. Unlike Baddi, there is no corporate culture present in the city. They are not interested in welfare of either their workers or the city. They have put up huge nuts & bolt structure as factories, which can anytime be dismantled to close the business. This means that these people are not here for longer terms… probably till the tax holiday and the incentives are there. The day these incentives go off they will vanish too. And many have alreay packed their bags because they are not getting profits…
Unlike Kala Amb, Baddi has many corporates and huge factories with concrete structures. They are working hand in hand towards better infrastructure, power, labour and skill development. Because of their concerted efforts we see creation of NABBDA — Nalagarh Baddi Barotiwala Development Act. If one Kala Amb family owned, family run organisations realise the importance of voicing their concerns in an organised manner, the state would see balanced developement.
you are right even i belong to nahan and the place you
are talking about is in a pathetic condition. kalaamb comes under two states i.e himachal and haryana
a very important and popular temple”the bala sundri temple” comes in the route you were talking and every year thousands of people visit the temple becsuse of its relgigious importance. but no governmet takes initiatives for the place and it ios also a industrial place and IITT the enginering college is also on the way. the condition of the road is bad and people are suffering. so it was glad to know that atleast you raised the issue.
Hey, Interestingly ia m from Kala Amb, You see you have seen the place for a day where as the roads were recently made and re decked all over, Their are factories which have been since long time even before tax sops came in. The city is smaller and spread is unlike baddi. Its hillock which has been razed for industries thus disturbing the eco balance. Still in the night you will find this place to be cool and calm unlike baddi. There is no denying to the fact that baddi came much before and kala Amb is progressing but off course slower then expected.The Engineering College i.e IITT College of Engineering is one great thing, The law College, Umpteen Steel factories, Cylinder Factories and in general upliftment of this area.
The temple is also one major which needs govt help to give a facelift and given a major boost to industries. Lot of Corporates have come here due to Engineering College being here apart from good electricity and hospitality near by. Roads are definitly an issue as raised but surely the heart is where is matters most.
It shall be really a matter of immensely elevated rapture for Himachal government if it could deal with the latest traffic chaos at Kala Amb border where one has to wait indefinately sometimes stranded between long trollies.No doubt most of the enterpruners who come here to setup industrial infrastucture may turn to Uttaranchal after witnessing such scenes and see the pathetic conditions of the road.I fail to understand why even Ma Bala Sundari Temple Committee which has got ample of funds with it and where lakhs of devotees visit the shrine during navratras could take initative in repairing this patch and show the HPPWD the way.
Baddi is really flourishing
Like you, over the last few years, I have noticed a rapid deterioration of the Kala Amb (and more generally the factory/mining in Sirmour).
No one denies the need for job creation using industry promotion, including manufacturing. What I have failed to understand is though, the obvious lack of any long term plan for this new “subsidy” lead factory relocation from the other states. Incidentally we seem to have not learnt any lessons from the past. In the early 90’s when the insurgency was at its heights in Punjab the first wave of factories relocated to Paonta-Dhaula Kuan belt. While there are some success stories from that period, most factories having maximized their subsidy were shut and were declared “sick units”. Now this new relocation drive, which in my understanding is lead by, one, subsidy on taxes and two, forced closure of indusial areas by judiciary – particularly in and around Delhi – for urban environmental concerns.
Anyone who has lived in Sirmour for past decade or so will relate to the increased industrial pollution that these units and the absolute environmental damage they have done to the hills, water sources and agricultural land with their indiscriminate construction work (the same also applies to the indiscriminate mining of lime stone, thanks for the closure of the industry in neighboring Dehradun).
Its time to take some action – any one interested?
nice seach on the kalamb but bit more research is to be done to show the bad side of the place.the increased crime due to immigrant labour.the insecurity in the place.
hi….
i am planning to get my brother admitted in IITT, kala amb.
just wanted to know if it has proper facilities and placements.
if anyone knows more about this college, kindly help me.
Comments are closed.