Author: Indmedia

Guwahati: Ten tribal-fringe villages along the Kulsi River on the western outskirts of Guwahati are embracing a greener future and turning to vanilla cultivation as an alternative sustainable livelihood, in an effort to move away from unregulated sand mining and heavy dependence on forest resources.Officials said promoting livelihoods in homesteads and other non-forest areas in the Kulsi area could reduce pressure on surrounding forests. The Office of the Silviculturist, Assam, in collaboration with the Wildlife Areas Development and Welfare Trust, has launched a vanilla cultivation initiative under the Kamrup West Forest Division.Under the initiative, 500 vanilla cuttings were distributed free…

Times News NetworkKanpur: Intermittent moderate to heavy rain, changing behaviour of the strips at Green Park and a forecast of more showers in the coming days have forced the UP T20 League governing council to shift the playoffs and final from Kanpur to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.The decision was taken at a meeting of the UP T20 governing council on Monday. The remaining matches of the tournament, including the playoffs beginning September 3 and the final scheduled for September 6, will now be played in Lucknow as per the original schedule.Addressing the media, UP T20…

Ludhiana: What appears to be a routine maintenance lapse at the city bus stand has emerged as a potential structural concern, with peepal trees, shrubs and other vegetation growing unchecked on the rooftops of the heavily used public facility.Experts warn that peepal (Ficus religiosa) and similar species can establish themselves in cracks and crevices, sending roots into masonry and widening existing fissures over time. If left unattended, such growth can accelerate the deterioration of a structure.The issue is particularly concerning as the bus stand is one of the city’s busiest public transport hubs, handling thousands of passengers daily. Photographs from…

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagaran Vedike are holding a Puttur Chalo rally on Monday Mangaluru: Srikanth Shetty Karkala, zonal executive committee member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike (HJV), urged the police to withdraw the case registered against the owners of the digital service centre in Darbe, Puttur. He spoke at the ‘Puttur Chalo’ awareness meeting held in Puttur on Monday, led by the HJV, VHP, and Bajrang Dal, in association with the BJP and other organisations, putting forth various demands regarding the Darbe incident.Hindu activists are ready to protest against the injustice done to the Hindu…

Shivamogga: Former deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa Monday demanded that police register an FIR suo motu against higher education minister Basavaraj Rayareddy and arrest him over his alleged remarks on religion.Speaking to reporters here, Eshwarappa claimed that Rayareddy’s reported statements, including comments that people should avoid visiting mutts and temples and that Islam is superior to other religions, had hurt Hindu sentiments. He said holders of constitutional posts should refrain from making statements that could provoke interfaith tensions or disparage religious beliefs.Describing visits to mutts and temples as an integral part of Hindu tradition, Eshwarappa said no minister had the…

Noida: When a 10-year-old boy went missing from Kasna on March 11, 2026, police had little to work with beyond his photograph, physical description and the fact that he was unable to communicate.The cops then circulated his photograph, alerted residents and used technical surveillance, social media, the Vatsalya portal and their informer network to look for him. But there was no immediate breakthrough.Four months later, Kasna police received information from a govt child-care institution in Mathura. A boy found by railway security personnel at a station appeared to match the description of the missing child. The cops compared his photograph…

Pune: A 40-year-old finance firm executive driving under the influence of alcohol lost control of the wheel and crashed his car into the median around 5.50am on Sunday.The incident happened at Wakad Chowk on the Hinjewadi-Aundh Road. The accused, a resident of Aundh, has been charged under sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 282 (rash driving on a public way) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and sections 185 (driving by a drunken person) and 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act by Wakad police.Assistant inspector Vinay Zinjurke said, “The accused was returning home…

Porvorim: A total of 16 govt Bills were introduced on the first day of the monsoon session on Monday, including the Goa Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2026, which proposes a sweeping overhaul of the state’s only prison at Colvale.The proposed prison legislation provides for dedicated enclosures for transgender prisoners, tighter surveillance to curb organised crime behind bars, inquiries into sexual harassment and the establishment of open and semi-open correctional institutions. The Bill is scheduled to be taken up for consideration and passing on Tuesday and Wednesday.Govt also withdrew six Bills passed in previous assembly sessions, including the Employment Exchanges…

Bahadurgarh: A minor dispute between two groups in Kanonda village of Jhajjar’s Bahadurgarh area escalated into a violent confrontation late on Sunday night, with gunfire leaving two brothers injured.Police have registered a case against Sonu Kanonda on the complaint of injured Mohit, while investigation is underway. No arrest has been made so far.According to preliminary information, a dispute over an unspecified issue soon escalated, with both sides reportedly coming face-to-face.During the confrontation, shots were suddenly fired, leaving brothers Sahil and Mohit injured.Sahil reportedly suffered a gunshot wound, while his brother Mohit sustained a bullet injury to his hand. Mohit was…

Lucknow: A 20-year-old Class X student drowned in the Sharda Sahayak feeder canal near Indira dam, with his body being found three days later near Ismailnagar village in the Nagaram area on Monday morning.The deceased was identified as Mohit Kashyap, a resident of Nandpur village along Satrikh road. According to his family, Mohit had gone to Indira dam with a group of friends at around 11 am on Saturday. The group reportedly travelled to the spot in an e-rickshaw.During the visit, Mohit entered the Sharda Sahayak feeder canal to bathe. However, he went into the water and did not resurface.…