Author: Indmedia

Bengaluru: Wildlife rescue — particularly snake rescue — in the city increasingly slipped into an unregulated, profit-driven activity, triggering growing demands to recognise snake rescue as a free public service. Several self-proclaimed rescuers allegedly charge panic-stricken families between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000 per call.With no official registry of rescuers, no verified data on snake rescue or relocation, and the absence of a transparent, govt-run mechanism, conservationists warn both human safety and wildlife are being put at risk. In response, a group of conservationists and citizens launched a campaign urging GBA or the forest department to formally declare snake rescue…

Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s announcement at a public meeting in Nizamabad on Friday that Mohd Azharuddin will be made an MLC has triggered discussion over the available possibilities to send the minority welfare minister to the Upper House in the state.Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister on Oct 31, 2025 and has to become either an MLC or an MLA before April 30. Supreme Court has posted the hearing to March 19 on whether the nomination of Azharuddin and Prof M Kodandaram as MLCs under the governor’s quota was valid.Sources in Congress said the chief minister and…

Chennai: The state govt will organise a four-day international epigraphy conference in the city from Feb 11 to 14.More than 50 epigraphists from across the country and abroad, including Switzerland, France, and Sri Lanka, will take part in the conference. They will present papers on the latest findings on various themes, including inscriptions on hero stones, trade guilds, oil presses, and sluices. “Tamil Nadu has the highest number of inscriptions so far documented in the entire country. These inscriptions reflect the social, cultural, political, economic, and technological aspects of the people from the early historic to the medieval period,” said…

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has ordered the closure of 16 industrial units in Ahmedabad and Surat over the past four months to combat deteriorating winter air quality. With Ahmedabad set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, authorities have issued closure notices as part of a rigorous push to bring the air quality index (AQI) under control.GPCB is taking a zero-tolerance approach to emissions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, to meet National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) standards.According to senior GPCB officials, nine closure notices were issued in Ahmedabad and seven in Surat…

Berhampur: Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) on Saturday introduced a QR code to collect monthly rents from each stall and vending unit, aimed at hassle-free rent collection.Mayor Sanghamitra Dalei launched the distribution of the QR code to stall owners at a function here. “We hope this online payment mode proves beneficial to both the civic body and vendors,” she said. The vendors will pay rent online by using the unique QR code generated in his/ her name.On launch day, BeMC handed over QR codes at least 10 vendors. “We will provide individual QR code to each vendor and stall owner rented…

Gurgaon: Four NCR cities dominated India’s pollution rankings through Jan, as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) hovered in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range on most days, leaving residents breathing air close to 10 times dirtier than the World Health Organisation’s safer limit.A monthly analysis report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon among the country’s most polluted cities for the month, underlining how winter smog remained stubborn across the NCR region.Gurgaon: Club Remains Shut, FIRs Planned For Waste Dumping, HC Orders Illegal Mining ProbeGurgaon ranked fourth nationally. Here, PM2.5 stayed…

Silchar: Silchar’s 2nd Link Road, connecting Hailakandi Road in the west with Sonai Road in the east, remains neglected despite sanctioned funds and completed project paperwork, raising concerns among residents ahead of the monsoon.Traffic on the arterial stretch has increased over the years, but civic infrastructure has not kept pace. Residents report that even during dry spells, water from clogged or incomplete drains spills onto the road. Several sections lack drainage, while garbage piles line parts of the stretch. With the rainy season nearing, locals fear severe waterlogging and further deterioration.An RTI response shows Rs 90.10 lakh was sanctioned under…

(Pic for representation)Davanagere: As many as 132 villages in Davanagere district continue to wait for Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus services due to issues such as a lack of proper roads, leaving residents without govt public transport connectivity. The district has a total of 843 villages, of which 711 currently have access to public transport. While Harihar taluk has full transport coverage, several villages in Jagalur and Channagiri taluks still lack bus services. Davanagere district falls under the KSRTC jurisdiction, officials said.PM Modi’s Malaysia Visit, Goyal Hails India-US Deal, Delhi Missing People Hype Probe And MoreThe Davanagere KSRTC…

Ludhiana: Fearful of a repeat of last year’s chaos, the city’s municipal corporation has moved its high-stakes general house meeting to a high-security auditorium to debate a controversial Rs-1,200-crore waste management plan.Officials were previously held hostage by garbage collection unions during a similar session in Dec, prompting authorities to move Monday’s vote to Guru Nanak Bhawan — a venue chosen specifically for its multiple emergency exits. The central tension lies in a new integrated solid waste management proposal. The MC aims to hire a private firm to overhaul the city’s refuse system, covering door-to-door collection, transportation, and processing for 20…

Mangaluru: Passing the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address without a reply from the Prime Minister amounts to a violation of the rules of the House, said MLC Ivan D’Souza.Addressing a press conference, the Congress leader said that the Prime Minister, who is the head of the govt, is expected to explain the govt’s position at the end of the discussion on the Motion of Thanks. “The Prime Minister has the responsibility to inform the House if he is unable to do so. Skipping the address on the advice of the Lok Sabha Speaker is a blot on democracy.…