Author: Indmedia

Hyderabad: A fire broke out in a private travel bus near KPHB Colony late on Friday night, triggering panic among passengers and commuters. Officials said around 18 passengers were on board at the time, all of whom were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported.According to fire department officials, the incident occurred around 10.45 pm near Metro pillar No. 734, close to Padmavati Plaza in KPHB. The AC sleeper bus, operated by Sri Durga Maheshwari Travels, had started from Miyapur and was on its way to Palakollu in Andhra Pradesh. It briefly halted at the location to pick up passengers when…

Gandhinagar: The state forest and environment department has drawn up an ambitious greening target for 2035, aiming to increase Gujarat’s forest cover by 9%, tree cover by 4%, overall green cover by 12% and mangrove plantation by 336 sq km by 2035.A presentation made by the department at the committee of secretaries (COS) meeting earlier this week said, “Gujarat ranks second in forest cover increase (ISFR 2023), yet remains below the national average. The next decade demands precision, not just planting targets, but survival, density improvement and community stewardship.” At present, the forest cover in the state is 15,017 sq…

Bhubaneswar: There were no band, ‘baja’ or a grand ‘baraat’, instead, a blood donation camp, lines of saplings waiting to be planted, and stacks of neatly folded clothes for distribution among needy — this was the scene at the wedding of Odisha’s Subhashree Subhasmita and Karnataka’s Deepak Kumar N, who have chosen purpose over pomp on their special day.Getting over ‘jati’ (caste), ‘jataka’ (horoscope) and ‘jautuka’ (dowry), Subhashree, a horticulture officer, and Deepak, a scientist, are set to tie the knot on Sunday. The wedding will not be solemnised by priests but by sadhus and social activists at a shelter…

The wage debate comes against a backdrop of simmering worker unrest in Haryana and elsewhere Gurgaon: Industrialists from across the state urged the govt to review the recent 35% increase in minimum wages, calling it impractical amid current economic pressures.At a meeting in Udyog Vihar, participants said industries, especially MSMEs, were already under strain due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has hurt exports. They resolved to submit memorandums to the chief minister next week, seeking a phased implementation of the hike instead of a one-time increase of 35%.A parallel meeting organised by Confederation of Haryana Industries Association (CHIA)…

Dhubri: Development of Jhagrarpar Beel (wetland) has remained a bone of contention for nearly 28,000 people living on the outskirts of Dhubri town, opposite Dhubri Medical College and Hospital, for years.The wetland sits in a corridor that is rapidly turning urban under the Dhubri-Gauripur Development Authority, positioned between Dhubri and Gauripur towns. Along the 2.5-km stretch of Dhubri Medical College Road (Mission Road), institutions and infrastructure have steadily filled the landscape — Media College, All India Radio Station, Dhubri Stadium (Dhubri Sports Complex), an FCI godown, an Assam State Electricity Board warehouse with an 11 KV power transmission field, BEd…

Ludhiana: A speeding trailer truck crashed into a factory wall in Transport Nagar near Cheena Chowk during the early hours of Saturday, causing the boundary wall of the premises to collapse. The impact was so severe that the truck first smashed through a road divider before ramming into the structure. Several electricity poles were knocked down in the process, while power meters installed outside nearby premises were also damaged. The incident occurred around 2 am, and officials stated that the timing proved crucial in preventing casualties. Factory representatives noted that the consequences could have been far worse had the accident…

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) on Saturday launched the Rs 165 crore Mahatma Gandhi Nagara Vikas Yojana (MGNVY) 2.0, a major urban infrastructure initiative aimed at improving civic amenities across the city. The project comprises 25 works across five packages and is slated for completion within 11 months. Officials said tenders for most works have already been finalised, with execution set to begin shortly.District minister Dinesh Gundu Rao launched the works at multiple locations, including near Maravoor Bridge, Valencia and Chilimbi. The project’s design and consultancy were handled by Gujarat-based Green Design and Engineering Services Pvt Ltd. Of the…

Anand (right) will be brought to Noida on transit remand Noida: The Special Task Force and a police team from Noida arrested Aditya Anand, described as “mastermind” behind the April 13 labour protest violence in the city, from Tiruchirapalli railway station in Tamil Nadu on Saturday.Anand was tracked through electronic surveillance and intelligence inputs, and a reward of Rs 1 lakh was announced for his capture.Police claimed Anand played a central role in orchestrating the violence that erupted during the workers’ protest, which initially began as a demonstration over labour-related grievances. There was large-scale vandalism in the city’s industry hubs…

Panaji: State govt on Saturday ordered the closure of all stalls, shops, hotels and similar temporary or permanent commercial structures on the day of the Shree Devi Lairai jatra, scheduled for April 21 at Shirgao. “All stalls, shops, hotels and similar temporary or permanent commercial structures operating within all zones at Shirgao will remain strictly closed and non-operational from 6pm on April 21 till 8am on April 22. However, this restriction won’t apply to stalls specifically approved by the collector,” Bicholim SDM Shubham Naik said.During this period, no sale, service, cooking, storage, display of goods, customer entry, or any allied…

Bathinda: Heat wave like conditions have been reported in north India, as the maximum temperatures either started rising sharply or are predicted to rise in the coming days. The maximum temperatures were recorded appreciably above normal (3.1°C to 5.0°C) at isolated places over Haryana and Chandigarh till Saturday morning, though these were recorded near normal in Punjab. As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), there is a forecast of gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 3-5°C likely over Punjab and Haryana till April 24. The maximum temperatures were recorded over 40°C at certain places in Haryana, while in Punjab the maximum…