Author: Indmedia
Pune: Before the urbanscape, was the landscape of western Maharashtra dense forests or an open savanna? Science has answers, but people need convincing.In the quest for explanations, ecologists Ashish Nerlekar and Digvijay Patil tapped into the unlikely archives of Marathi literature, an approach that could resonate with policymakers and people alike. “People misunderstand the history of our landscape. They romanticise the past and assume everything was forest at some point. When they see grasslands, they think something went wrong,” Nerlekar said.Ecologists have maintained that India’s tropical savannas are ancient ecosystems, not degraded forests. Fossil pollen, animal remains, and evolutionary studies…
Panaji: Terming permissions granted for change of zone illegal, former Allahabad high court chief justice Justice (retd) Ferdino Rebello called upon the chief town planner (planning) and the town and country planning board to re-examine all pending applications under Section 39-A of the TCP Act until the provision is repealed.Rebello said the TCP office and board have no power or jurisdiction to grant permission for conversion of agricultural land. He demanded an immediate halt to further permissions under Section 39-A and revocation of all illegal approvals already granted.Following the insertion of Section 39-A, 423 applications were filed seeking conversion of…
Chandigarh: A 66-year-old man, Vijay Kumar Chawla of Sector 44, died after being hit by a speeding car on the Sector 34/44 dividing road on Friday evening. Police said the driver fled from the spot immediately after the accident. Police have registered a case but no arrest has been made so far. The victim’s daughter-in-law, Priya, said she and Vijay Kumar were returning home after a walk in a park in Sector 34. As they were crossing the road, a car hit Vijay Kumar, who fell down and the driver fled. He was rushed to GMCH-32, where doctors declared him…
Lucknow: The proposed elevated road project on Ayodhya Road was put on hold, with state govt asking Lucknow Development Authority to examine alternative measures to address traffic congestion on the corridor.LDA will now conduct detailed traffic study covering vehicle volume, peak-hour flow, junction pressure and future load projections. The report will be submitted to govt for final call on measures to ease traffic. An 8 km, 6-lane elevated road was to be constructed from Polytechnic crossing to Indira Canal, passing through densely populated residential and commercial areas like Indiranagar and nearby localities, with increasing traffic load. Lucknow: US Trade Deal,…
DARBHANGA: A six-year-old girl was found dead in Bihar’s Darbhanga district, her family alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered.The incident occurred on Saturday in the Vishwavidyalay police station area, police said. The girl had been playing near a pond with two other children when she went missing. Her family later found her body in a pool of blood at a secluded spot, according to local residents. The family alleged that a neighbour had taken the girl to the secluded spot, sexually assaulted her, and then killed her. Police have arrested the neighbour in connection with the case.…
Kota/Jaipur: A three-storey building housing a restaurant collapsed in the Talwandi area of Kota late Saturday, killing two people, including a coaching centre student, and injuring over 10 others. Rescue teams were still battling to pull survivors from the debris at the time of going to print.The structure gave way around 9pm in a neighbourhood crowded with students drawn to Kota’s coaching centres. Screams were heard as slabs of concrete pinned people beneath the wreckage. Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams rushed to the site and launched frantic rescue operations.Rescuers said they saw a hand protruding from the…
Wardha: Go-Sanvardhan Goras Bhandar, a historic dairy institution in Wardha that has preserved Gandhian values for 87 years, continues its journey with an annual turnover of approximately Rs30cr. The institution is now set to make its popular Goras Pak available on an e-commerce portal with the agreement process currently underway.Go-Sanvardhan Goras Bhandar was founded in 1939 with the objective of promoting rural self-reliance, cow conservation and farmers’ economic uplift. Inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and Jamnalal Bajaj, the institution was established at a time when farmers and milk producers lacked access to reliable markets and stable…
Gumla: A total 10 candidates are left in the electoral fight for the ST reserved post of chairman of Lohardaga Nagar Parishad (LNP) after three candidates Prabhat Kumar Bhagat, Arti Kumari and Ram Lal Oraon withdrew their nomination papers.Symbols were alloted to the candidates on Saturday and now they are engaged in getting pamphlets and posters printed.PM Modi’s Malaysia Visit, Goyal Hails India-US Deal, Delhi Missing People Hype Probe And MoreHowever, for the ward councillor post, a total of 49 woman candidates are in the fray from 18 wards out of the total 23 wards of the LNP and there…
Gorakhpur: Two people were killed and several others injured when an SUV, allegedly linked to an animal smuggling network, overturned while trying to evade a police cordon in the Gauri Bazaar area of Deoria district late Friday.According to police, teams led by SP North Gyanendra Kumar and SP South Dinesh Kumar Puri were conducting vehicle checks in the Jhungia police station area following inputs about animal smugglers. When police attempted to stop a pickup truck, its driver sped away. One of the three occupants was later nabbed, while two managed to flee with the vehicle.Police said an SUV following the…
T’puram: A bankers’ meet and loan mela organised under the leadership of Neyyattinkara taluk industries office resulted in the sanctioning of loans worth Rs 4.16 crore to entrepreneurs in the taluk. The event, held at PWD Rest House, saw the participation of leading banks operating within the taluk limits on Saturday.In addition to loan disbursements, new projects worth Rs 11.36 crore were presented before banks during the meet, highlighting the growing interest in entrepreneurship and industrial development in the region. Officials said the initiative aimed to strengthen the MSME sector by facilitating easier access to institutional finance. Neyyattinkara municipal chairperson…