January 2023 - Page 42 of 60 - Lokmarg

After Joshimath, Houses In Tehri Garhwal Develop Cracks

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

After Joshimath, Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal is also facing land subsidence, and locals, in fear of landslides, urged the government on Wednesday to take cognizance of the issue and take necessary action.

Landslides are happening in the villages adjacent to Tehri lake and cracks have increased in the houses above and near the Chamba Tunnel, putting over a half dozen families in danger, informed local people.

Under the All-Weather Project, a 440-meter-long tunnel has been constructed in Chamba and after the construction of the tunnel, cracks started appearing in the houses of Chamba Main Market.

“The cracks started appearing since the construction of the tunnel began. Several surveys took place but no action was taken. We had tenants living here but we made them vacate in 2019. We demand that the govt takes measures here just like they did for Joshimath,” said Deepak Tiwari, a local affected by the subsidence.

“Our home was affected when the tunnel was only 3 to 4 meters. The sewerage system has also stopped working since then. We renovated the house and bathrooms but the new construction is also facing cracks and subsidence,” said another local Dinesh Prasad Kotiyal whose house is near the Chamba Tunnel.

Another local affected in the Badoni area said, “A huge calamity is looming but we don’t understand what the authorities are waiting for.”

Meanwhile, sudden cracks in a few houses in the Kanwariganj area of Aligarh have caused panic among locals.

“For the last several days, cracks have appeared in some of our houses due to which we are forced to live in panic. We have also complained about it but the Municipal Corporation authorities are not taking any concrete action and are only giving assurance. We are afraid that the houses may collapse,” a local, Shashi said.

According to the locals, a pipeline was laid by the government under the Smart City scheme, which is now reportedly leaking, leading to the development of cracks. (ANI)

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U’khand Announces Rs 1.5L Interim Relief For Joshimath

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday announced Rs 1.5 lakh interim relief to affected families who have been shifted to safer locations after land subsidence in Joshimath led to houses and establishments developing cracks.

“Each family will be given immediate interim assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh. Apart from the two hotel buildings which are marked ‘unsafe’, no other building is being demolished. Till now, cracks have been noticed in 723 buildings,” the Secretary to Uttarakhand chief minister R Meenakshi Sundaram said today.
Cracks have appeared in 723 buildings in Joshimath town of Uttarakhand which has been affected by land subsidence and so far 131 families have been shifted to safer locations, according to the district administration.

“We are in touch with local representatives and asked them to bring it to our notice if new cracks appear. 131 families have been shifted to relief centres,” District Magistrate, Chamoli, Himanshu Khurana told ANI.

The district magistrate said that a central team will survey the damage to properties due to the land subsidence and suggest a way forward while coordinating with the local administration in relief and rescue efforts.

“A team of scientists from IIT Roorkee has been asked to inspect the buildings of the affected Bahuguna Nagar of Karnprayag where cracks were reported,” Khurana had said.

Today, RM Sundaram the Secretary to Uttarakhand chief minister along with the district administration held a meeting with the people whose houses have suffered damages.

A good thing is that water leakage near Jaypee Company is decreasing and it reached 250 LPM last evening. After January 7 no new cracks have developed and the old cracks have not increased. Two buildings that are unsafe need to be demolished and we appeal to the people to support us,” the secretary to the Uttarakhand chief minister said.

Locals in Joshimath on Tuesday protested against National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) demanding its withdrawal from the state.

District officials have asked people to vacate homes and other establishments that have been identified for demolition which have developed cracks and have been identified as “unsafe”. These buildings have all been marked with red ‘X’ marks.

Two hotels- Hotel Malari Inn and Hotel Mount View- have been marked for demolition and the process of dismantling that was supposed to begin on Tuesday evening was stopped after protests by the owner of Malari Inn and some locals. The protestors demanded compensation as per the rates listed under the Badrinath Dham redevelopment master plan.

Teams of the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) had been roped in to supervise the demolition process with personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on stand-by.

Speaking to ANI, Thakur Singh Rana, the owner of Hotel Malari Inn said, “My son stays in France. I can move there. But I am sitting in protest instead in solidarity with fellow (Joshimath) residents.”

His wife said, “We need to be compensated as those affected by the ongoing Badrinath redevelopment work. We are even prepared to sit out in the freezing cold till our demand is met.”

According to sources, the hotel owners will meet the district magistrate to push for compensation.

“They will be dismantling these hotels for the safety of the 15-20 families still living here. Our houses have been destroyed,” said Manmohan Singh Rawat, a local. (ANI)

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Paris: Several Injured In Knife Attack At Central Railway Station

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

Several people were injured in a knife attack on Wednesday (local time) at the Paris Gare du Nord train station, reported CNN.

Police opened fire on a ‘dangerous person’, who injured travelers at one of Paris’ central railway stations, French rail operator Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF) tweeted.
Police confirmed that several people were wounded in the attack. Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin confirmed the attack, saying that the suspect was ‘neutralized’ by the police, reported DW News.

“The traffic is disrupted at the departure and arrival (areas) of Paris Nord. The police seem to have opened fire against a dangerous person who injured travellers at Gare du Nord,” SNCF tweeted.

Emergency services intervened and the attacker was shot dead, the SNCF tweeted, adding that while a security perimeter has been established but the station continues to operate normally.

Authorities did not state how many people were wounded, but French broadcaster BFM TV quoted the figure at 6.

The attack took place at the Gare du Nord station, a busy hub for commuters.

The incident has caused major delays in the movement of trains, according to the live departure board of SNCF, the state-owned railway company. (ANI)

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U'khand Successful Trial Of Delivering Medicines By Drone In Remotest Areas | Lokmarg

RRR’s ‘Naatu Naatu’ Was Shot Outside Residence Of Zelenskyy

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

Many may not be aware that RRR’s Naatu Naatu song, which won a Golden Globe trophy, has a special Ukrainian connection.

Yes, you read it right.
‘Naatu Naatu’ was shot in August 2021 in Ukraine and that too outside Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s official residence.

The track was filmed a few months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

During the promotion of ‘RRR’ in March 2022, the film’s director SS Rajamouli recalled shooting for the song in Ukraine and also expressed sadness over the Russian-Ukraine war.

“We had gone there to shoot some crucial scenes. When we were shooting, I had no idea about the issues that have now escalated into a war. It was only after I returned and looking at things now, did I understand the seriousness of the issue,” Rajamouli was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, Zelensky appeared virtually at the Golden Globe Awards to tell everyone that “there will be no third World War” as the tide turns in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, the Hill reported.

Zelensky highlighted the award show’s origins back in 1943, during World War II, and said Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion symbolizes “the struggle for the right of the new generations to know about the war only from movies.”

“The First World War claimed millions of lives. The Second World War claimed tens of millions of them. There will be no third World War. It is not a trilogy,” Zelensky said, promising that Ukraine “will stop the Russian aggression” with the help of the free world.

“The war in Ukraine is not over yet, but the tide is turning and it is already clear who will win… We will make it together with the whole free world and I hope that all of you will be with us on the victorious day the day of our victory,” Zelensky said.

Zelenskyy was introduced by actor-director Sean Penn, best known for his Academy Award-winning performances in 2003’s “Mystic River” and 2008’s “Milk.”

Zelenskyy’s Golden Globes appearance comes one week after the White House committed to sending USD 3.75 billion in military aid to Ukraine and adjacent NATO countries — the largest assistance package to date from the US amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Last year Zelensky made a surprise appearance at the Grammys appearing virtually from a bunker and continues to speak at public events advocating for his country in its fight against Russia. (ANI)

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U’khand Successful Trial Of Delivering Medicines By Drone In Remotest Areas

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

The Health Department of Uttarakhand has successfully completed the trial of drone technology to deliver medicines and vaccines in a time-bound manner.

To deliver medicines to remote areas of the state, the unique initiative by the health department to provide vaccines to the beneficiaries living in remote districts of the state through information technology proved successful in the shortest possible time.

Secretary Uttarakhand Medical Health and Medical Education Department R Rajesh Kumar said the vaccine dose was successfully delivered from Dehradun to the border district of Uttarkashi in just 40 minutes by the health department using drone technology.

Under the immunization program, 400 doses of Diphtheria Tetanus (DPT) and Penta have been delivered by drone to the Chief Medical Officer’s office, Uttarkashi. Normally it takes 5-6 hours by road.

Kumar said the road is used to deliver medicines or vaccines in the state, which takes a lot of time, and sometimes there is difficulty in delivering medicines due to disaster.

It is the endeavor of the Health Department that there should not be any delay in the distribution of medicines and medicines and vaccines should be available on time in all medical units and in such places and villages where there is no road facility, he added.

In the near future, the facility of drone technology will prove to be a milestone in delivering first aid medicines and other materials on time in case of accident, disaster, or any other critical situation, he said.

“We will maintain the availability of vaccine in all the medical units of the state so that the vaccination of the eligible beneficiaries is easy,” Kumar said. (ANI)

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Mumbai’s Dhirubhai Ambani School Gets Bomb Threat Call

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

A threat call was received at Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai on Tuesday in which the unknown caller threatened to blow up the school.

According to Mumbai Police, a call was received at 4:30 pm on the landline of the school. The caller claimed to have planted a time bomb at the school. After this, the caller disconnected.
Soon after, the school informed the local police.

Based on the school’s complaint, a case was registered against the unknown caller under sections 505 (1) (B) and 506 of the IPC at BKC police station.

Police have started an investigation.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police said it has traced the caller and will arrest the accused soon.

In October last year, a threat call was received at HN Reliance Foundation Hospital during which the unknown caller threatened to blow up the hospital and issued death threats to the Ambani family. (ANI)

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India Reports 171 New COVID Cases In the Last 24 Hours

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

India reported 171 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

With this, the country’s active caseload stands at 2,342.
According to the health ministry, a total of 4,41,47,322 people have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic, of which 148 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours.

The active cases comprise 0.01 percent of the total infections and the recovery rate stands at 98.8 percent.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.09 percent while the weekly positivity was at 0.11 percent, the ministry said.

The country conducted 1,80,926 tests in the last 24 hours and so far a total of 91.25 crore tests have been done.

Under the nationwide vaccination drive, more than 220.15 crore vaccine doses have been administered to eligible people across the country. In the last 24 hours, around 44,397 doses were administered.

220.15 crore Total Vaccine doses (95.14 cr Second Dose and 22.44 cr Precaution Dose) have been administered under Nationwide Vaccination Drive.

Meanwhile, the testing of the sewage samples has not identified any new variant of COVID, a top health expert said on Tuesday.

“The sewage sampling is being done and there also we are not getting any indication that either a new variant is here or there is a possibility of the upsurge of cases in the coming days or weeks,” Chairman of COVID-19 working group NTAGI, Dr. NK Arora told ANI.

The official said that India has maintained to be in a “reasonably comfortable position” during the last 12 months.

“Our genomic surveillance system has identified almost 300 plus sub-variants of Omicron and they are spread all over the place. From time to time a certain sub-lineage becomes dominant. But the important point is that throughout the years we did not have any massive increase or surge in hospitalizations or deaths,” he said.

On Monday Union Health Ministry also said that “Sentinel sequencing of 324 COVID Positive Samples reveals the presence of all Omicron Variants in the Community. No mortality or rise in transmission was reported in areas where these variants were detected”. (ANI)

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Fans Of Ajith, Vijay Upset As Their Film Release Clashes

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

A huge ruckus erupted outside a movie theatre in Tamil Nadu’s Koyambedu as excited fans of Tollywood actors Ajith Kumar and Thalapathy Vijay came to blows at Chennai’s popular Rohini Theatre post midnight on Wednesday.

The fans of the two superstars of the South had gathered in large numbers to watch Ajith Kumar’s ‘Thunivu’ and Vijay’s ‘Varisu’ and both were released on the same day after eight years.

Amid the ruckus, the fans tore off and shredded the movie posters of the two superstars. Vijay’s fans tore the movie posters of Ajith’s ‘Thunivu’ while the fans of the latter ripped the ‘Varisu’ posters.

A video from outside the movie theatre went viral showing the two sets of fans damaging hoardings at several locations. The police said it even resorted to a mild baton charge to remove the feuding fans.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Bharath Kumar, an Ajith fan, succumbed to injuries after he jumped from a slow-moving lorry in a moment of excitement around the release of ‘Thunivu’, on Poonamallee highways near the Rohini theatre, the police informed.

“Bharath Kumar, a fan of actor Ajith Kumar, who jumped in excitement from a slow-moving lorry succumbed to injuries on Poonamallee highways near Rohini theatre, Chennai. Case registered. He had come to watch #Thunivu film’s 1 am show at the theatre,” Koyembedu police said in a tweet.

Thunivu is H Vinoth-directed heist thriller, starring Ajith Kumar and Manju Warrier, John Kokken, Samuthirakani, and GM Sundar. It is produced by Boney Kapoor.

Vijay-starter ‘Varisu’, a family drama, stars Rashmika Mandanna, Prakash Raj, Khushbu, Prabhu, Yogi Babu, and Sangeetha.

‘Varisu’ is directed by Vamshi Paidipally and produced by Dil Raju. (ANI)

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Delhi Air Quality Remains In ‘Severe’ Category

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

The air quality of the national capital continued to be “severe” on Wednesday with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 421.

Already reeling under a cold wave since the beginning of the New Year, residents in the national capital on Wednesday woke up to another chilly and polluted morning.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the AQI recorded in the Lodhi Road area on Wednesday morning was 410. At Mathura Road, the AQI was 488 while at Pusa, it was recorded at 425. Air quality in the Delhi University area was also in the “Severe” category with AQI at 410.

The AQI around Delhi airport was 434 on Wednesday morning.

Safdarjung base station in the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 5.9 degrees Celsius this morning. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the visibility in the Palam area was recorded at 100 meters.

According to the weather forecaster IMD, Delhi experienced the third worst cold spell in the last 23 years and warned that from January 14 there will be a second spell of cold in the national capital.

Speaking to ANI, IMD scientist RK Jenamani said, “A cold spell means the number of days we experienced which is in the range of 5 to 6 days. A similar situation was there in the year 2006 when we had the lowest temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius. In 2013 also, we had a similar cold spell, and January 3-9 was the third worst cold spell in the last 23 years.”

IMD has also predicted rain, drizzle, and snowfall on January 12, and a second spell of cold spell on January 14.

Jenamani said that there will be light rain or drizzle in states like Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Western UP, and North Rajasthan.

“For the Himalayan states like Jammu and Kashmir mainly Kashmir, we expect heavy rain or snow on January 12. We expect rain or snowfall in Himachal and Uttarakhand between January 11-14,” he added.

Meanwhile, 10 flights scheduled to depart from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), were delayed today because of reduced visibility due to fog, according to airport sources.

Among the flight routes affected by the severe fog were Delhi-Shimla, Delhi-Kathmandu, Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Jaisalmer, Delhi-Bareilly, Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Varanasi, Delhi-Srinagar, Delhi-Jaipur, and Delhi-Guwahati, the sources said. (ANI)

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heavy rainfall in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

26 Trains Running Late Due To Fog: Northern Railway

By LokMarg 11th January 2023

Almost 26 trains were running late on Wednesday as severe fog engulfed many states of North India, affecting visibility.

According to officials of Northern Railway, Gorakhpur-Bathinda Gorakhdham Express, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus- Amritsar Express, Pratapgarh-Delhi Padmavat Express, and Dr. Ambedkar Nagar- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Malwa Superfast Express was running late by up to 2 hours.
While Barauni-New Delhi Clone Special, Katihar-Amritsar Express, Visakhapatnam-New Delhi Andhra Pradesh Express, and Jabalpur-Hazrat Nizamuddin Gondwana Express were running late by 3 hours.

The officials added that Darbhanga-New Delhi Clone Special, Gaya-New Delhi MahabodhiExpress, and Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express, were late by 4 hours.

Puri- New Delhi Purushottam Express, Azamgarh-Delhi Kaifiyaat Express, Kamakhya-Delhi Brahmaputra Mail, and Jaynagar-Amritsar Clone Special were also running late by 6 hours.

Darbhanga-New Delhi Bihar Samapark Kranti Express, Rewa -Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Express, Prayagraj-New Delhi Express, Rajendra Nagar Terminal- New Delhi Sampoorna Kranti Express, Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Ghazipur City-Anand Vihar Terminal Suhaildev Express, Rajgir-New Delhi Sharmjeevi Superfast Express, Hyderbad-Hazrat Nizamuddin Dakshin Express, MGR Chennai Central -New Delhi Grand Trunk Express, and Amritsar-Bilaspur Chhattisgarh Express are late by 1.15, 7, 2.45, 2.30, 10, 6.30, 1.45, 2.30, 3.30, 8.30 hours, respectively. (ANI)

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