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Sambalpur: The authorities of Hirakud dam in Sambalpur district on Sunday released the season's first floodwater after sounding an alert to the districts in downstream of river Mahanadi, officials said. The season's first flood water was released after a traditional puja. The sluice gate number 7 was first opened as done every year, chief engineer S K Behera told reporters. He said that at least 20 such gates were opened by 6 pm on Sunday. The chief engineer said the decision to release floodwater was taken to manage the rising water level in the reservoir following incessant rain and increased inflow from upstream areas of Chhattisgarh. Though the authorities opened eight gates in the first phase by 12 noon, later it was decided to open more such gates to discharge flood water. While the inflow into the reservoir was about 2.50 lakh cusec, the outflow stands at 3.36 lakh cusec, an official release said. The full reservoir level (FRL) of Hirakud dam was 630 feet and the present water level stands at 610.04 feet, the official said. The rising water level in the Mahanadi river system was also attributed to the opening of 46 gates of the Kalma barrage in Chhattisgarh on Thursday, the official said. Meanwhile, 13 districts in the downstream of Mahanadi, including Cuttack, were alerted and advised to caution people not to go near the river when the flood water is passing through the river. The people in riverside areas were cautioned through loud speaker prohibiting them from entering the river, an official said. Cuttack Collector Dattatreya Bhausaheb Shinde said the district administration has taken all possible measures to receive the season's first floodwaters from the Hirakud reservoir which is likely to reach the Mundali barrage on Monday night.
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
Patna: With water levels already fluctuating in key rivers and forecasts warning of heavy rain upstream in Nepal, Bihar is on alert for potential flood-like conditions in the Kosi and Gandak basins starting Friday. Officials have warned that the situation could worsen quickly, especially as the region heads into a wetter-than-average monsoon season.On Thursday afternoon, water discharge through the Birpur barrage on the Kosi stood at 78,660 cusecs, a drop from 87,140 cusecs on Wednesday and 1.04 lakh cusecs on Tuesday, indicating unstable flow patterns. The Gandak, too, has seen considerable v ...Read More >
Heavy rains have triggered an orange alert in five Kerala districts, leading to rising river levels and flooding. Consequently, dam shutters are being opened across the state, including Banasura Sagar and Moozhiyar. Authorities are also preparing for the potential opening of the Mullaperiyar dam, managed by Tamil Nadu, prompting evacuations in vulnerable areas of Idukki district.Heavy rains lashed various parts of Kerala with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an orange alert in fi ...Read More >
Ponda: With the cabinet approving augmentation of the water treatment plant situated on the hill at Gawaliwada, Panchawadi, state govt is mulling raising the height of Mhaisal reservoir. The existing height of the reservoir is 26m and govt wishes to raise it by another half metre or one metre to increase storage, said minister for water resources Subhash Shirodkar.The 230-m-long dam's full reservoir level is 26m, with a total live storage of 436.8 hectare metres. The water treatment plant at Gawaliwada fetches water of around 10-18 million litres per day (MLD).Considering the rising demand for ...Read More >
Kochi: Edison Babu's neighbours in Muvattupuzha knew him as the quiet engineer who had returned home during the pandemic. The 35-year-old former auto industry professional seemed to lead an unremarkable life in this sleepy Kerala suburb, occasionally visiting the local post office with packages: nothing unusual for someone running what appeared to be a small online business. What they didn't know was that their mild-mannered neighbour had built India's most sophisticated darknet drug empire, one that relied heavily on the very government postal service that was meant to serve the community. ...Read More >
Hyderabad: After making a detailed presentation on the Polavaram (Godavari)-Banakacharla link project to MLAs, MPs and elected representatives to counter the criticism of BRS, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy is now preparing a similar briefing on the controversial Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). Sources said Uttam Kumar Reddy would deliver a comprehensive presentation covering the technical, financial and structural aspects of KLIS. The timing aligns with the expected submission of the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission's report on the condition of the three KLIS barrages by th ...Read More >
Raipur, Jun 7 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Saturday that he discussed two proposed irrigation projects in the state with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Delhi and sought the Centre's nod for them. Sai, who returned to Raipur in the morning, said the PM assured that he would consider the two projects - Bodhghat and Indravati-Mahanadi interlinking work. Crucial for the development of the Bastar region, where Naxalites are retreating, they have been proposed for implementation as national projects, he said. "I met PM Modi ji in Delhi on Friday and sh ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar has written a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, criticising General Education Minister V Sivankutty for walking out of a function held at Raj Bhavan on June 19. The Governor described the incident as a breach of protocol and an insult to the constitutional office. The letter, dated June 26, refers to an awards ceremony for the Bharat Scouts and Guides, where Sivankutty -- who also serves as President of the Association's Kerala chapter -- objected to the presence of a garlanded portrait of Bharat Mata on the stage, ...Read More >
Digha: Hoteliers in West Bengal's Digha have experienced a 20 per cent surge in occupancy as travellers in large numbers are thronging the seaside town since the opening of the Jagannath temple in April, an official said Friday. Around 90 per cent of the boarders are coming for a two-day stay in hotels to visit the town and offer puja to Lord Jagannath in the new temple, Digha Hoteliers Association joint secretary Bipradas Chatterjee told PTI. "Since the opening of the Jagannath temple in April this year, the room occupancy in all hotels has increased by 20 per cent on average. Most of the v ...Read More >
Digha, Jun 27 (PTI) Hoteliers in West Bengal's Digha have experienced a 20 per cent surge in occupancy as travellers in large numbers are thronging the seaside town since the opening of the Jagannath temple in April, an official said on Friday. Around 90 per cent of the boarders are coming for a two-day stay in hotels to visit the town and offer puja to Lord Jagannath in the new temple, Digha Hoteliers Association joint secretary Bipradas Chatterjee told PTI. "Since the opening of the Jagannath temple in April this year, the room occupancy in all hotels has increased by 20 per cent on averag ...Read More >
VISAKHAPATNAM: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar inaugurated Andhra Pradesh's first Super ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) compliant building at Sagar Nagar in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Terming it a landmark in sustainable infrastructure, he emphasised the government's commitment to energy efficiency and green design in public facilities. The facility will serve as a national-level training hub for power sector staff. He urged power utilities to expedite 20 lakh rooftop solar connections, targeting 10,000 in each Assembly segment. He reaffirmed nine-hour uninterrupted power for agri ...Read More >
Goa: TV actor couple Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma have found themselves in the legal hotseat after the Goa Police filed a FIR against the couple for allegedly abducting and extorting money from Bengali filmmaker Shyam Sunder Dey, officials said on Saturday. An FIR was first filed at Panache police station in Kolkata on June 12 based on a complaint by Dey's wife, Malabika, against the actor couple. However, since the alleged incident took place in North Goa, the case was later transferred to the Calangute Police, a police official told PTI. As per the FIR, the accused seized the victim's two ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said the state govt was consistently working to provide better resources to the doctors and quality healthcare services to the citizens.He mentioned that medical colleges were being established in every district.While there were only six medical colleges in 2014, the number has now increased to 15, and nine new colleges are under construction. As a result, MBBS seats in the state increased from 700 in 2014 to 2,185, at present. The state govt aims to increase the MBBS seats to over 3,400 by 2029, said Saini.The CM was addressing a ...Read More >
Jaipur: Police in Didwana have stepped up their probe into a cross-border smuggling case in which they arrested two arms and drug smugglers on June 27 for supplying Austrian Glock and Chinese Norinco pistols. It has emerged that the case has links to a massive Rs 300-crore heroin consignment seized by Punjab's Amritsar police near the India-Pakistan border in Barmer on June 30. Canada-based Joben Kaler was identified as the main overseas handler of the heroin consignment. Didwana-Kuchaman police had arrested Mohammad Ilyas from Khunkhuna and Amarjeet Singh Takhar, alias Prince, from Jalandhar ...Read More >
Jhansi: A family in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, has become the centre of a shocking case involving extramarital affairs, gold theft, and murder. Police have uncovered the alleged conspiracy behind the murder of 60-year-old Sushila Devi.The probe led to the arrest of her younger daughter-in-law, Pooja Jatav, along with Pooja's sister, Kamla. Both women are currently in judicial custody. On Tuesday night, police nabbed Kamla's boyfriend, Anil Verma -- who had been absconding since the killing. Verma was shot in the leg by the police during a police encounter. The incident occurred on the morning of ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: The State Task Force (STF) of the excise department on Saturday seized 21.3 kg of ganja worth Rs 10.7 lakh in twin operations and arrested three traffickers.STF team leader Nandyala Anji Reddy said the contraband was sourced from Odisha. In the first raid, the team searched the residence of a suspect named Rohan Singh in Dhoolpet. Initial sweeps drew a blank until officers inspected the puja room, where 10.9 kg of ganja wrapped in newspapers was found concealed behind framed portraits of deities. Rohan Singh and his associate Yashwant were arrested. Their associate, Rohit of Dhoolpe ...Read More >
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said authorities cannot go against demolition orders issued by courts and stressed that displaced residents have been provided accommodation.Her words came in the wake of the recent Madrasi Camp demolition for which the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticised her. AAP has targeted Gupta, and alleged that the displaced Madrasi Camp residents were provided homes in faraway Narela, and those lack basic amenities.Attending an event to mark the construction of a Jan Sewa camp at a slum cluster in the Haiderpur area, Gupta told reporters: "In t ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The state government on Monday urged the Union jal shakti ministry to direct Andhra Pradesh to take up the required repairs to the Srisailam dam to ensure safety, and that AP be asked to not open the dam gates until the reservoir reached its full reservoir level at 885 feet. The Telangana government said water was being released through the two hydel power stations on both banks of the dam. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to perform special prayers and initiate the opening of some of the 12 crest gates on Tuesday morning at the dam, where the water l ...Read More >
New Delhi: ONGC's production trend is beginning to turn after eight straight years of fall as a key new field in KG Basin ramps up and the old Mumbai High asset arrests decline. ONGC's crude production rose 3% year-on-year in November to 53,804 tonnes per day (tpd) and the output growth so far in December has accelerated to 4.2% to 54,535 tpd, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The output was marginally higher in three of the first seven months this fiscal year but there is a cle ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday accorded approvals to a slew of industries. Among those are Krishnapatnam Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), which is set to establish a 350 MW Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Thamminapatnam and Mommidi villages of SPSR Nellore district with a Rs 1,225 crore investment, creating 575 jobs. Furthermore, the government also waived off a Rs 54 crore extension of time fee, contingent on project completion within two years as per the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. The government also allocated 22.80 acres at MPSEZ in N ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
Inflow into the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur increased to 80,984 cusecs on Saturday. Following an increase in inflow, the Water Resources Department (WRD) issued a flood warning to people living in low-lying areas on the banks of the River Cauvery. On Saturday, the dam's water level stood at 117.93 feet against its full capacity of 120 feet. The storage level stood at 90.20 TMC against its full capacity of 93.47 TMC. At 8 a.m., inflow into the dam increased to 73,452 cusecs from Friday's inflow o ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
HYDERABAD The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has ridiculed the argument of Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who had stated that it was not possible to lift water from Medigadda Barrage damaged due to the sinking of piers, and observed that it is not the barrage that had sunk but it is the willingness of the ruling party. Speaking at a party meeting here on Monday, former minister for irrigation T. Harish Rao accused Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy of waiting for 'auspicious' time to switch on the motors of Kalwakurthy, when Andhra Pradesh had already started drawing water from Pothireddypad ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a joint operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) have eliminated As'ad Abu Sharaiya, a senior leader of the Mujahideen terrorist organization in Gaza, and another terrorist, Mahmoud Muhammad Hamid Kuhail. According to the IDF, Abu Sharaiya was directly involved in the October 7, 2023, massacre, infiltrating Kibbutz Nir Oz, and was responsible for the abduction and murder of several Israeli citizens, including Shiri, Ariel, Kfir Bibas, and Nattapong Pinta. He also played a role in recruiting operatives for terror attacks against Israel and I ...Read More >
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 4 (ANI): Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday came down heavily on the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) over its pitch to reconsider the words 'secular and socialist' from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution while saying that it was 'all talk'. He dared and challenged RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale and top leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the centre to remove the words 'secular and socialist' from the Preamble. 'Days before, I heard that some RSS person said that we should remove Secular and Socialist words from ...Read More >
Pune: Hospitals in Pune have started reporting an increase in dengue cases among children following recent heavy rainfall and intermittent showers. Conditions are now ripe for mosquito breeding, experts said, as they warned citizens to ensure there's no waterlogging or stagnant pools near homes and offices. "Dengue is typically seen first in children as they often play outside," said Dr Sagar Lad, a senior neonatologist and pediatric intensivist at Jehangir Hospital and Sahyadri Hospital, Shastrinagar. Dr Lad said he's seen at least three children admitted for dengue this week, with all of the ...Read More >
Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 7 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered puja at the iconic Meenakshi Amman Temple in Tamil Nadu's Madurai on Sunday. In a post on X, Shah said, 'Fortunate to have offered puja at the iconic Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai today. Prayed, seeking the blessings of the Maa for the continued progress of the nation and well-being of our citizens.' Shah arrived in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, late Saturday evening. The state BJP leadership, including BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP Tamil Nadu President Nainar Nagendran, received him. Highlighting the NDA ...Read More >