Unexpected rains across North India have devastated the Ravana effigy market, leaving artisans facing significant financial losses as their creations are damaged beyond repair. They appeal for government assistance.
Forty-one Border Road Organisation labourers working to clear snow near the high altitude border village of Mana in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district were trapped under an avalanche on Friday.
The bodies of the last four of the trapped labourers were pulled out from the site of the avalanche-hit Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Chamoli on Sunday, taking the death toll to eight as authorities ended the nearly 60-hour rescue operation.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) is on high alert after a Liberian vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off the Kerala coast. While no calcium carbide containers have washed ashore yet, a thin layer of oil spill has been detected. The KPCB is working to contain the spill and prevent it from reaching the shore, but rough conditions at sea have hampered efforts to spray dispersants. The board is also taking steps to prevent the oil from reaching the Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes.
Finance ministers of states demanded an increase in allocation under 50-year interest-free loan scheme, while fiscally stressed states like Punjab and Kerala pitched for a special package and borrowing flexibility, sources said on Friday. In a pre-budget meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, states have also urged for higher borrowing limits to support fiscal activities, besides additional funds for Jal Jeevan Mission.
To defend their Asia Cup title, India must improve catching and find a steady middle order. Friday's dead rubber is a good chance to try these out.
Drawing lessons from security protocols of Parliament, the state is working closely with agencies like the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd to design a multi-layered safety mechanism.
The driver of a Bengaluru-bound bus that caught fire in Andhra Pradesh, killing 20 people, is in police custody. He is accused of fleeing the scene after the collision.
'Poverty eradication is a continuous process. There is no full stop to it.'
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's sudden resignation after only a year in office has thrown Japan into political turmoil, raising doubts about how the country will handle economic and regional challenges, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
'When global politics has some intervention on the core software one uses, and if you are cut off from your own data in critical workflows, sovereignty is no longer optional. It becomes a necessity.'
Mock drills were conducted on Saturday in states and Union territories adjoining the western border -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- to enhance wartime emergency preparedness and response capabilities, officials said.
'...they always address problems superficially, never tackling root causes.' 'Currently, the policy response will focus on immediate relief -- getting people to safety, providing facilities, clearing debris.' 'This is necessary, but once immediate relief operations end, everything returns to 'normal' without addressing underlying vulnerabilities.'
Legislators of the opposition BJD in Odisha sprinkled 'Ganga Jal' in the state Assembly, alleging that the House had been "spiritually polluted" by the entry of policemen. The incident follows a protest by Congress members demanding a House Committee to probe crimes against women, which led to police intervention and the eviction of Congress MLAs from the Assembly. BJD members claim the police action was unprecedented and brought shame to Odisha. The Speaker denounced the act, while the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister asserted the House's inherent purity. The opposition also alleged that police prevented BJD MLAs from leaving the assembly premises on the following day.
The rain and flood situation in northeastern states remained grim on Tuesday, with lakhs people affected in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur, even as the meteorological department predicted more rain in several parts of the region.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday attributed early arrival of the southwest monsoon and heavy rainfall in a short span for the inundation of low-lying areas in Mumbai, which disrupted road and railway traffic.
Delhi witnessed one of the biggest coordinated mock drills on Wednesday, when disaster management agencies checked the alertness and preparedness of various other agencies. The drills were conducted in several places, including at six Metro stations, across the national capital by the National Disaster Management Authority and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority at 11.30 am. The drill's motive was to check the preparedness of the agencies in the event of a major quake.
As many as 48 NDRF and SDRF teams are extending relief while 197 medical camps have been set up.
The coastal areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are expected to experience the "kallakkadal phenomenon" on January 15 night, causing rough waves and a possible sea surge. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued an alert, advising coastal residents to move to safer locations and avoid venturing into the sea.
Houses in low lying areas of Kerala were flooded in the heavy rains, while the accompanying strong winds uprooted trees, damaged homes and caused power disruptions, throwing normal way of life into disarray across the state.
Poor land-use planning, indiscriminate approvals of building plans and the absence of disaster-risk assessment in urban design have resulted in what experts term concentrated concretization, predisposing cities to disaster risks
eeraj Chopra endured a nightmarish outing at the World Championships' men's javelin throw finals to end a disappointing eighth at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The Delhi High Court has dropped charges against 70 Indian nationals accused of housing foreign attendees of Tablighi Jamaat congregation in March 2020 allegedly in violation of COVID-19 norms, citing lack of evidence.
Relatives of patients admitted to the ICU recounted harrowing experiences as smoke engulfed the ward, exposing critical lapses in safety measures.
Rescue efforts to reach eight people trapped inside a partially collapsed tunnel in Telangana have been intensified with an increased deployment of personnel and equipment. Scientists from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) have located four of the trapped workers using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The damaged conveyor belt is expected to be repaired by Monday, allowing for easier removal of debris. The Chief Minister is scheduled to visit the site and hold a review meeting with officials. The condition of the four located workers is said to be grim.
Pixxel has raised $95 million in funding and with the company's commercial Firefly satellites up in orbit selling data globally 'we know and seen what it takes to make this business work.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a devastating cloudburst in Kishtwar district that claimed 60 lives and injured over 100. Abdullah expressed condolences and assured assistance, while also questioning potential administrative lapses.
Indian Space Research Organisation's 101st mission from Sriharikota, an earth observation satellite onboard the agency's trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, could not be accomplished on Sunday following a pressure issue in the third stage of the launch vehicle, the space agency said.
The Parliament session is set to start today, with various issues slated to be discussed, including the Waqf Act (Amendment) Bill.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told PTI that the accident took place above the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility due to bad weather.
Heavy rains in Maharashtra's Nanded district have left five people missing and several others stranded. Rescue operations are underway with NDRF, military, and police teams coordinating efforts.
The labourers, who are said to be of Nepali origin, were engaged in the construction of a hotel.
Terming it a "very sorry state of affairs", the apex court said the state was just trying to find some excuse or the other.
The India meteorological department said heatwave conditions will persist for at least two more days.
A GLOF occurred in parts of Lhonak Lake, leading to a rapid rise in water levels with very high velocities downstream along the Teesta River Basin in the early hours of October 4. This resulted in severe damage in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts.
Landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rain have devastated villages in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, leaving many feared trapped and injured. Rescue operations are underway.
Following a devastating fire at a Jaipur hospital that killed six, an official claims he warned authorities about safety issues prior to the incident, but no action was taken. Relatives allege negligence and abandonment by hospital staff during the fire.
"This entire period is highly sensitive in terms of law and order, healthcare, sanitation, education, and disaster management. Hence, all related departments and district administrations must work with coordination and accountability," Adityanath said, according to an official statement.
'This tragedy will not be the last -- you shall witness another tomorrow, perhaps another the day after, and increasingly more.'
Local residents have stressed that land acquisition for rehabilitation must be completed promptly, as it has been delayed after estate owners challenged it in the Kerala high court.
