Month: August 2024

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is on a three-day state visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received his Vietnam counterpart at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The two leaders shared a warm hug as they greeted each other. He then inspected a Guard of Honour by the combined defence services.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, and Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal were present on the occasion.

PM Modi and Pham Minh Chinh met officials from the delegations of the two nations.

On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who arrived in India, on Tuesday. During the meeting, the Vietnamese PM expressed gratitude and thanked India for the warm reception.

“I want to thank you for your time, seeing me this afternoon. I want to thank you for your efforts in arranging my visit to India with such short notice and a very tight schedule. I would like to thank the two foreign ministries for making the best preparations for this visit,” Pham Minh Chinh said.

Further, Chinh also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his win in the third consecutive term and termed this a ‘historic victory.’

“I would like to thank India for the warm reception accorded to me during my stay in India. It is a vivid testament to the importance that India places on its relations with Vietnam. I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Modi’s re-election for the third consecutive term. This is a historic victory.” Chinh said.

In response, Jaishankar expressed pleasure and stated that Chinh is one of the earliest visitors after the elections and that the government has taken over in its third term, adding, “It’s a very special privilege to receive him.”

Further, Jaishankar conveyed his condolences for the death of Secretary General Niren Fu-Chang.

“I would, Excellency, also take the opportunity to convey my condolences on the loss of the Secretary-General, General Secretary, and Excellency Niren Fu-Chang. We were represented on the occasion of his funeral by the National Security Advisor. The prime minister himself expressed his deep sorrow. We will convey that to you in person,” said Jaishankar.

“Senior members of the cabinet, as well as the head of our party, have signed the condolence book, underscoring how close our relations are,” Jaishanakar added.

Highlighting India-Vietnam relations, Jaishankar expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to review bilateral relations and discuss strategic trends in the region.

“Your visit allows us to review our bilateral relations, and also to assess the strategic trends in our region. I know the Prime Minister looks forward very much to his discussions regarding both subjects with you. And I would today, of course,” said Jaishankar

“And again, I assure you that we have prepared very, very well for this visit. There will be, I think, 10 agreements, and three announcements, and we will be taking steps that will certainly set the course for the further development of our relations,” he added.

The Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, welcomed the Vietnamese PM at the airport on Tuesday. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said the visit of the Vietnamese PM will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

“Warm welcome to PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam as he arrives in New Delhi on a state visit. Received by MoS @PmargheritaBJP at the airport. India & Vietnam share civilizational links and a longstanding friendship based on mutual trust. The visit will further strengthen our comprehensive strategic partnership,” Jaiswal posted on X.

In a earlier press release, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, “India and Vietnam have age-old historical and civilizational ties, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of Prime Minister to Vietnam in September 2016. India considers Vietnam as a key pillar of its Act East Policy and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision.” (ANI)

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Amid the heavy downpours and cloudburst in the state, several roads were washed out in Rudraprayag on Thursday due to river erosion and hill cracking, leading to trouble for travellers and commuters.

The Rudraprayag Police of Uttarakhand took to their social media X account on Thursday and issued a warning to all the residents and commuters to limit their movements near the Sonprayag main market as a large part of the road was washed out due to river erosion and hill cracking.

The post by the police read, “Travel Updates–This is to inform you that due to the heavy rain last night, about 1 km ahead of Sonprayag main market, a large part of the road has been washed out due to river erosion and hill cracking. At present, any kind of pedestrian movement is not possible here.”

Additionally, the Rudrapryag Police also alerted all pilgrims in the Rudraprayag district to be safe and postpone their Kedarnath Dham Yatra, keeping in mind the conditions of the motor road and the footpaths beyond Sonprayag.

The post made by the police read, “All the pilgrims who have reached Rudraprayag district should stay safe wherever they are and postpone their Kedarnath Dham Yatra for the time being. The condition of the motor road and footpath beyond Sonprayag is not good at all. Information regarding the road being fine and the journey being smooth will be sent separately.”

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami said that he has instructed the NDRF and SDRF teams to remain on high alert in areas affected by the heavy rain.

“Due to heavy rains last night across the state, there were reports of public life being affected in many places. Rescue teams carried out operations throughout the night and took people to safer places. I am in constant touch with the local administration and have instructed the NDRF and SDRF teams to remain on alert mode in the affected areas. Relief and rescue operations are being conducted in Rambada, Bhimbali, Jakhaniyali and other most affected areas. I am taking information about the actual situation by talking to the administration as well as local public representatives. I have instructed the local administration to assess the damage and ensure immediate action. The safety of every resident of the state and the devotees and tourists coming from other states is our priority, for which our entire team is working diligently. All of you are requested to travel only after taking information about the weather and conditions,” the Chief Minister said in a post on x.

On Wednesday the CM spoke to the Disaster Management Secretary over the phone and obtained information on the areas affected by heavy rains and relief and rescue operations. He also urged residents of the state to leave their homes only when necessary.

Earlier today, two people were found dead and one was injured after a trio went missing following a cloudburst at Jakhanyali in the Ghansali area of Tehri Garhwal district. The deceased were identified as Bhanu Prasad (50) and Anita Devi (45).

A spokesperson from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said that after receiving information about three people missing due to a cloudburst last night at Jakhanyali in the Ghansali area of Tehri, the SDRF team searched the area. (ANI)

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to assess the situation following a cloudburst that caused significant disruption in Shimla, Mandi and Kullu districts. The Union Home Minister assured the Chief Minister of providing central assistance and the support of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sukhu held a meeting with officials regarding search and rescue operations following the cloudburst in the state, where more than 50 people are missing and two bodies have been recovered so far.

“We held a meeting here. The cloudburst incident took place around 4:40 a.m. Around 50 people are missing. 2 bodies have been recovered. Heavy rain is expected in the next 36 hours. The DC, SDRF, and NDRF teams have reached the spot. I have also spoken to the Union Home Minister,” said CM Sukhu.

Taking to the social media platform X, the Chief Minister wrote, “Very sad news has been received about more than 50 people missing due to a cloudburst in Rampur tehsil of Shimla, Padhar tehsil of Mandi district and Jaon, Nirmand villages of Kullu. Teams of NDRF, SDRF, Police, Home Guard and Fire Services are engaged in relief, search and rescue operations. The local administration has been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations smoothly. I am in touch with the officials and monitoring the relief and rescue operations. The state government is committed to providing all possible assistance.”

Notably, the water level in the Beas River has increased due to heavy rains in the region.

Mandi police, in a press release, stated that during the heavy rainfall last night, a cloudburst was reported in Village Rajban near Terang, under the jurisdiction of Police Post Tikkan in Police Sub Division Padhar. Due to the cloudburst, two houses were completely washed away and one was partially damaged.

According to a release from the district administration in Mandi, due to the heavy rains, the water levels of the Beas River have increased. This has caused silting and due to this, the gates of the Pandoh Dam have been opened. Water and silt from the Pandhod dam will be released as well. The administration appealed to residents to not venture near the river.

Former Himachal Pradesh CM and State LoP Jairam Thakur said, “I have just spoken to the CM and got the information that more than 50 people are missing, and one person has lost his life… It won’t be right if I start blaming the government, but I think that the damage we suffered last year, I think the preparation in that regard hasn’t been done to prevent such conditions. The damage that was caused is yet to be restored, but the state govt is working. I have talked to our party president and Health Minister JP Nadda. NDRF teams are working there.”(ANI)

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At least 10 people have died and the concrete bridge and footbridge on the Kedarnath route have been damaged, following heavy rain in the area informed Uttarakhand State Disaster Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman on Thursday.

“All the routes of Chardham are open, only the footpath in Kedarnath has been obstructed. 100 other routes are obstructed; efforts are being made continuously to open them” the Chief secretary said.

Earlier on Thursday Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the disaster-affected areas. The Chief Minister held a review meeting with officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre to assess the situation of rescue and relief operations in areas affected by heavy rainfall.

During the meeting, CM Dhami said that rescue teams had been active throughout the night, relocating people to safety due to the impact of the rains.

“We received information about the disruption of life in many areas across the state. Consequently, rescue teams worked through the night to move people to safer locations,” he said

The Chief Minister assured that he is maintaining constant communication with the local administration. He instructed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams to remain on high alert in the affected regions.

“I have directed officials to assist those affected by the heavy rainfall and to relocate individuals endangered by rising rivers and drains to safer places. Everyone has been instructed to stay vigilant,” CM Dhami said after the meeting.

He also mentioned that relief and rescue operations are ongoing in severely affected areas such as Rambada, Bhimbali, and Jakhaniyali.

The Chief Minister directed that all officers should keep in mind that whatever funds are required for evacuating people from sensitive areas to safe places, relief and rescue operations, reconstruction and rehabilitation from a security point of view, will be sanctioned by the government immediately. All the District Magistrates were directed to coordinate at the local level and take immediate action upon receiving information about any disaster, giving priority to the safety of the public without any laxity.

Earlier, the Uttarakhand government also issued a safety advisory for Chardham Yatra pilgrims amid forecasts of heavy rainfall across the state. Authorities have appealed to devotees to delay their journeys until weather conditions improve and to remain in safe locations.

DGP Abhinav Kumar has urged pilgrims and devotees to be cautious and to start their journey only after breaks. He emphasized the importance of staying in safe places and following local authorities’ instructions.

“The Meteorological Department has issued an alert for heavy rain in most districts of Uttarakhand. Your safety is our priority,” the DGP said. (ANI)

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