Regional

Chennai, Nov 15 (IANS) With heavy rains continuing to pummel several parts of Tamil Nadu, vegetable prices have soared in almost all areas of the state.

Market watchers told IANS that the prices will further go up in days to come as production has taken a hit in almost all the areas of the state.

Tomatoes and shallots have become costlier in Madurai and Chennai Koyambedu markets, the two prominent vegetable markets of the state. Tomato that cost Rs 100 per crate of 15 kg a week before is now being sold at more than Rs 250 per crate.

Shallots is costing Rs 110 per kg in Madurai and Koyamdedu markets while it was trading at Rs 90 a week ago. The high demand for these two products and short of these vegetables have led to soaring prices in the market.

In the prominent vegetable markets of Madurai, Salem, Tiruchi, Coimbatore, and Koyambedu in Chennai, the prices of vegetables have increased by 20 to 30 per cent as the rains have led to the vegetables being destroyed. Transportation is another issue faced by the farmers in the state.

R. Anpusamy, a tomato wholesaler at Koyambedu market in Chennai told IANS, "The rising prices of vegetables is due to more demands and less production. The heavy rains in many parts of the state have led to less production of vegetables but the demand for these vegetables is high and hence the prices of these vegetables have increased. Government must intervene and reduce the prices and if not, it will be death bell to the vegetable traders."

Krishnasamy, a trader at Koyambedu market said, "On Monday, there is a 40 per cent reduction in the arrival of vegetables in the market including tomatoes, shallots, brinjal, ladies finger, carrot, and onion. The shortage of supply is due to the heavy rains that are pounding most areas of Tamil Nadu where cultivation is taking place."

Another factor that is affecting the functioning of the Koyambedu market is the arrival of trucks from parts of the state. This, according to the vegetable vendors of Koyambedu has led to short supply of most of the vegetables and hence prices have shot up.

Ahmad Masthan, a truck owner, told IANS said, "With most of the roads turning muddy and slippery and blocked, it is difficult for transporting vegetables from remote villages to the markets in cities, including Madurai and Chennai. The difficulty in transportation has led to huge quantity of vegetables becoming perished at source itself."

Koyambedu Vegetable dealer Adbul Moideen also said that the price of almost all vegetables has increased by a minimum of 40 per cent and that it was difficult for traders and dealers to continue with the business.

--IANS
aal/shb/

Lucknow, Nov 15 (IANS) Hotel Levana Suites in Lucknow, where a fire had broken out on September 5 claiming four lives, will be demolished next month.

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) court (non-judicial) has issued a notice to the owners of the hotel on charges of illegal construction, asking them to raze the building located on Madan Mohan Malviya Marg themselves by December 9, failing which the Authority would do the needful and realise the cost from the owners.

On September 9, the high court had taken suo motu cognizance of the September 5 fire incident at the hotel that claimed four lives.

As many as 19 people were also injured after a massive blaze on the third floor of the hotel, where nearly 30 people were present at the time of the accident.

A division bench of Justices Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Saurabh Srivastava directed the LDA, the fire department and the state government to file proper replies about the steps taken to prevent fire incidents in commercial establishments.

The team probing the incident found that the map of the hotel was not passed and it was operating illegally without converting the land use to commercial use.

Family members of the four deceased -- Gurnoor Anand, Sahiba Kaur, Bobby Aman Ghazi and Sarvika Singh -- had demanded action against the hotel owner.

LDA vice-chairman Indramani Tripathi said: "If a building is constructed without the map, the Development Authority has the right to send a demolition notice to the building owner. If there is no response to the notice, the Authority can demolish the property."

However, Sumer Agarwal, one of the owners of Levana Suites, contradicted claims of the Authority, saying" "We have submitted all papers related to the hotel to the LDA court. The map is approved with an LDA stamp on it."

--IANS
amita/ksk/

Panaji, Nov 15 (IANS) The Congress is set to file the disqualification petition against eight MLAs who, in September, "merged" the Goa Congress Legislature Party into BJP.

On September 14, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldesai, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes "merged" with the BJP, reducing Congress to three MLA's in 40 members assembly House. Since then there were speculations that along with Kamat other two MLAs will be inducted in the cabinet. However, BJP's Goa in-charge C.T. Ravi, who was in Goa on October 14 to attend the party meetings, had rejected any of such plans.

The Opposition in the state have alleged that these rebel MLAs are quiet without demanding for positions as "they have been paid huge money".

Speaking to IANS on Monday, Amit Patkar, president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, said that "these MLAs were paid huge money by BJP to switch party and some were assured about cabinet berth, but there is some confusion between them".

"Very next day, after these 8 MLAs had joined BJP, we had told how they were paid money to embrace (the BJP). Some of them were also assured to be given ministerial berth. But there is infight and confusion within the BJP about whom to be dropped to accomodate the new entrants. This is the reason why these 8 MLAs are quiet without demanding any positions," Patkar claimed.

He said that Congress will file disqualification petition against these eight MLAs this week.

Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira, also an advocate, said "we were looking for certain elements and material, which is why filing of petition is delayed".

Ferreira said that the Congress will fight to make sure that such kind of unprincipled defections don't take place.

Goa Forward Party President and MLA Vijai Sardesai recently alleged that these rebel MLAs have not got positions in the cabinet as they were 'purchased'. "They were purchased by the BJP, because of that they can't demand for any positions. This is their state today," Sardesai had said.

When contacted Goa BJP President Sadanand Tanavade to know his reaction over Sardesai's allegation and reshuffle issue, the former refused to speak over it.

Digvijay Velingkar, General Secretary of Goa unit Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that these eight Congress rebels will not dare to demand any positions fearing action. "Most of them are involved in various scams including mining. They have been given huge money (while joining). Hence, they fear of an action from BJP, if they demand positions," Velingkar claimed.

Meanwhile, two individual disqualification petitions against eight MLAs who had switched to the BJP, have been filed before Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on November 11.

Tawadkar, speaking to IANS, confirmed that the petitions filed by former AICC secretary Girish Chodankar and one Dominic Noronha have been received by his office. "They have submitted the disqualification petitions," he said.

--IANS
sbk/sha

Lucknow, Nov 15 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh Basic Education department has issued orders stopping the salary of 1,028 principals in Amethi district who have failed to achieve cent per cent Aadhaar enrolment and Aadhaar authentication of students.

Amethi's basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Sangita Singh stated that during review, it was found that in 1,028 schools, the Aadhaar enrolment and authentication was below 95 per cent , which is unacceptable.

"We are just following departmental instructions. And it is happening in all districts where 100 per cent compliance is not done," said Singh.

According to the order which has gone viral on social media, Aadhaar enrolment and Aadhar authentication of students on Prerna portal is one of the highest priorities of the state government and is among the 100-day action plan of Yogi 2.0.

The BSA further stated that the director general school education (DGSE) had set July 5 as the deadline for achieving 100 per cent Aadhaar enrolment and Aadhar authentication of students.

In her order, the BSA said that the status of Aadhaar enrolment is being continuously done at government level, and the report shows an unsatisfactory performance of most blocks in Amethi.

Warning the principals, the BSA has set November 17 as the deadline to achieve 100 per cent Aadhaar authentication of children enrolled in their schools, failing which strict disciplinary action will be taken against them.

--IANS
amita/sha

Aizawl, Nov 14 (IANS) At least 15 people were feared dead when a large portion of a stone quarry collapsed and fell on them at Maudarh in Mizoram's Hnahthial district on Monday, officials said.

An official of the Mizoram Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department said that a huge portion of a stone quarry of a private company suddenly collapsed when the workers were working in the stone pit.

No bodies could be retrieved till late Monday night even as rescue operations by various agencies were underway.

According to some villagers of the area, the mishap had happened after the workers returned from their lunch break.

Hnahthial district's Additional Superintendent of Police Vijoy Gurung quoting a contractor who looks into the work at the quarry said that 12 people may have already died.

"However, the exact number of deaths would be known after the completion of the search and rescue operation," Gurung told IANS.

Meanwhile, the Disaster Management official said they are yet to get a detailed report from the Deputy Commissioner of the Hnahthial district but he was told that five excavators and other drilling machines have been buried in the quarry.

Another official said that the labourers are mostly from outside Mizoram.

The stone quarry, located about 160 km from Aizawl, has been operational for two-and-a-half years.

Disaster management officials, district administration, police and volunteers of Young Mizo Association immediately reached the spot after the collapse, and launched a rescue operation.

State Disaster Response Force, Mizoram Armed police personnel, Border Security Force and Assam Rifles troopers have been called to assist in the search and rescue operation.

A private company which is constructing a highway between Hnahthial and Dawn village collects stones from the quarry.

--IANS
sc/pgh

Shamli (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 13 (IANS) A man accused of raping a minor has been awarded a life sentence by the POCSO court in Shamli.

Additional district sessions judge (POCSO), Mumtaz Ali, also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the man.

In April this year, the accused, identified as Mohd Usman, 32, who worked as a mason, kidnapped the 16-year-old girl from her village when her parents were away and raped her for three days.

She later narrated her ordeal and the accused was arrested.

District government advocate Sanjay Chouhan said, "A case was registered against Mohd Usman under the relevant sections of IPC and POCSO Act at Kairana police station. With the strong support from police, we got justice in a short time and we are fully satisfied with the court's decision."

Shamli Superintendent of Police Abhishek told reporters, "This is the third such case in the district, in which due to prompt probe by the police, the accused has been handed punishment."

--IANS
amita/dpb

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 13 (IANS) A first of its kind paediatric endoscopic DCR surgery was performed in the oculoplastic camp on a four-year-old patient at an eye hospital in Prayagraj.

The surgery was performed by eye surgeon, cataract and retina specialist Dr Ashish Mitra and Dr Anuradha Iyer, an eye surgeon from Mumbai.

The team of these two surgeons performed the paediatric endoscopic DCR surgery, which was the cause of constant discharge and watering of the eye of the patient for a long time.

"The watering of the eye is a common symptom among newborn babies. Patients with recurrence of the symptoms are advised probing and syringing, but the percentage requiring surgery is very less," said Dr Mitra.

This child was advised for probing and syringing but a false passage was encountered during the procedure, therefore the decision to perform the endoscopic DCR surgery was taken and the tract was successfully created, he added.

Dr Mitra suggested that watering of the eye in newly born babies is common and it can be relieved by sac massage but if the symptoms persist or reoccur, an opinion from the eye specialist should be sought.

--IANS
amita/dpb

By Mohammed Shafeeq
Visakhapatnam, Nov 13 (IANS) Rising sea levels, increasing ocean temperature, monsoon extremes and cyclones are the impact of climate change for the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh.


While the long coastal line of the state in general faces the climate change issues, cities like Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Machilipatnam are particularly vulnerable.

According to scientists, abnormality of the cyclones is the result of global warming and climate change. Visakhapatnam, the biggest city in the state and the proposed state capital, has experienced eight severe cyclonic storms since 2014.

Vizag, as the port city is also known, was battered by very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud on October 12, 2014. For the first time in modern history, the city witnessed an unparalleled natural calamity.

With wind speed of 165 kmph during landfall, Hudhud caused widespread devastation in the city and other parts of north coastal Andhra killing 60 people and uprooting thousands of trees, electricity poles and destroying the civic infrastructure. It took weeks for normalcy to be restored in the city.

Experts are of the view that huge disparity in the temperature of the land and the ocean may lead to formation of many cyclonic storms, which will have the potential to develop into very severe cyclonic storms. Strong winds and high rainfall will lead to an increase in the sea level.

The state's long coastline faces the double threat of floods and rising sea levels due to climate change. The vulnerability was again evident in May 2020 when cyclone Amphan, strongest storm recorded in decades in Bay of Bengal, hit the coast forcing several million to evacuate

Experts say global warming has rendered monsoon erratic and extreme and is giving way to high intensity thunderstorms which will increase the possibility of flash floods and landslides. Moreover, during thunderstorms, the rainfall is quick and high and this also increases the sea levels.

Melting of the glaciers due to global warming is also causing the sea level to rise. Different factors are likely to lead to flooding of the coastal cities and regions

According to SSVS Ramakrishna, former head of the department of oceanography and meteorology, Andhra University, global warming has resulted in a rise in ocean temperatures, the temperature in the Indian ocean has risen much quicker than expected.

As per the report of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Visakhapatnam is one among six Indian cities that could be exposed to coastal flooding if the sea levels rise by 50 cm due to global warming.

According to the report, the city will be under 3 feet of sea water due to rising sea levels by the end of the century.

However, some experts believe that Vizag is unlikely to be submerged because of its geographic location. The city is surrounded by hilly terrain of Eastern Ghats.

While low-lying and some other areas may be under threat, hills and hillocks may protect the city from flooding.

Vizag currently has a population of more than 20 lakh and projected population growth rate of the city is 2.35 per cent per cent. As the state government plans to make Vizag the executive capital of the state, the population is likely to grow further.

National Institute of Oceanography's regional head GPS Murthy is of the view that the rise in sea level will be gradual. "The predictions of IPCC are based on present trends of temperature rise, CO2 release and melting of glaciers. There may be several changes by the end of the century," he said.

In the previous reports too, IPCC had sounded a warning. These reports highlighted that since climate change is bound to impact the seas, there will be an impact on coastal cities too.

Andhra Pradesh has a 974 km-long coastline and the climate change poses problems to the entire coast belt.

Some experts believe that coastal cities Machilipatnam and Kakinada are facing a bigger threat due to the very small difference between the land mass and the sea.

The Government of India released the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008 as part of an ambitious domestic action plan to address climate change. The NAPCC focuses on adapting to climate change and protecting the vulnerable sections of society through an inclusive and sustainable development strategy that also enhances ecological sustainability and innovation.

Most of the adaptation challenges such as coastal zone disasters, droughts, adverse effect on human health, depleting water resources, are experienced at the state level and programmes aimed at improving the adaptive ability are also undertaken and implemented at state level.

Andhra Pradesh has prepared the State Level Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) to enable it to address existing and future climate risks and vulnerabilities

According to the report, major climate change issues for the state arise in the agriculture and forestry sectors and in relation to the long coastline. Agriculture is severely affected by variability in rainfall and temperature patterns, while rising sea levels and extreme events of marine origin, such as cyclones, pose problems for the coastal areas.

Besides these, other critical areas of concern are food security, increasing number of climate vulnerable habitats (like slums or village dwellings) and climate vulnerable infrastructure (like roads and bridges which may be washed away by floods).

--IANS
ms/ksk/

Chennai, Nov 13 (IANS) Can a song drag you to the dance floor, make you want to celebrate and shake a leg? Well, the latest track from 'Bhediya' is about to answer that question in style.

Featuring Varun Dhawan and his wolfpack in stellar dancing form, 'Jungle Mein Kaand' is all about having mad fun in the woods.

The perfect mix of snazzy beats and funky music, the song sees Varun unleash his wild swag with boy gang Abhishek Banerjee and Paalin Kabak for company.

As leading lady Kriti Sanon also joins the party, Varun, Abhishek and Paalin show off some masala moves.

Talking about the song, composers Sachin-Jigar said: "With 'Jungle Main Kaand', we have tried to bring the essence of tribal dance music in a fun way. With Vishal Dadlani and Sukhwinder Singh bringing in all the desi energy, we can hopefully get the audience dancing to this one too after Thumkeshwari."

The Hindi version of the song has been sung by Vishal Dadlani, Sukhwinder Singh, Siddharth Basrur and Sachin-Jigar. Lyrics are by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

The Tamil version has been crooned by Benny Dayal, while lyrics are by Amitabh Bhattacharya and S. Sunandhan.

Telugu version has been sung by Benny Dayal, while lyrics are by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Yanamandra Ramakrishna.

The tune's junglee vibe and super catchy steps make for quite the winning combo. Add to that the infectious energy of Varun Dhawan and you get a dance track like no other.

Directed by Amar Kaushik, 'Bhediya' stars Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Deepak Dobriyal and Abhishek Banerjee among others. The film is scheduled to release in cinemas Pan-India in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi in 2D and 3D on November 25. The film will be released in Tamil Nadu by Studio Green.

--IANS
mani/kvd

Gandhinagar, Nov 13 (IANS) All three leading political parties -- BJP, Congress, BTP -- fighting for the Gujarat Assembly elections are facing dissidence, and some of the dissenters have announced to contest as independent candidates, which can damage the party's prospects on a few seats.

Though the parties have deputed firefighters, they have so far failed to douse the fire.

The BJP has deputed Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghvi to douse the fire and ge the dissidents like Madhu Srivastav (Waghodia seat), Satish Patel (Karjan) and Dinesh Patel (Padra), back in fold. All three did not turn up for the meeting called by the BJP. Party sources said Sanghvi has given instructions to the local leaders to teach lessons to rebellions, work hard and ensure that the party's official candidates win with a thumping margin.

BJP's former MLA from Keshod Arvind Ladani has resigned from the party and has decided to contest elections as an independent candidate.

The ruling party has decided to renominate sitting MLA Raman Patel. The decision has been opposed by the party workers and supporters of P.I. Patel and aspiring candidates. They staged a protest at the party state headquarters in Gandhinagar. Party General Secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela told the media persons that their anger "was understable, their feelings would be conveyed to the party national leadership".

In the Congress, the party's decision to field Ramesh Mer has been opposed by aspiring candidate Manhar Patel and his supporters. Patel met Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday morning and requested to reconsider the party decision to nominate Ramesh Mer. After returning to Botad and speaking to the party workers Patel will decide the future course of action. The Congress has deputed Pankaj Patela and Dr. Jitendra Patel to convince Manhar Patel.

Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) is likely to split with party founder Chhotu Vasava's decision to contest from Jhagadia seat. In the beginning of this week, his son, Mahesh Vasava declared a candidate list, in which he had his own candidature from the Jhagadia seat.

AAP's Sidhpur unit is also unhappy with the party decision to field Mahendra Rajput from the Sidhpur constituency. The party workers are demanding to review the decision.

--IANS
har/dpb