Browsing: India

Cuttack: In response to alleged illegal mining despite Supreme Court directions, Orissa high court has issued interim directions to law enforcement and transport authorities to curb such unauthorised activities in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts.A division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman, while hearing a PIL on Tuesday, observed that although the SC had earlier shown “deep concern over the mining scandal of enormous proportions” in Odisha, “the reality is a far cry”. The court referred to the SC verdict in the ‘Common Cause vs Union of India and Others (2017)’ case, which had laid down…

Coimbatore: Traffic signals are all set to make a comeback on Avinashi Road after a gap of almost two years to prevent motorists from speeding and curb the accidents arising out of the same.The city police had removed 12 traffic signals on Uppilipalayam-SITRA Junction stretch on Avinashi Road in 2023 and replaced the same with U-turns, as part of their efforts to improve road safety and traffic management. The change initially benefited the motorists, who earlier had t-o wait at each signal for at least a minute. The U-turn system offered a smoother travelling experience for the motorists during the…

Gurgaon: Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM) will designate street vending zones to regulate businesses operating from carts and stalls within its jurisdiction, officials said.Commissioner Pradeep Singh, joint commissioner Lokesh Yadav and district project officer Mahender Singh conducted an inspection of several areas as part of the exercise. Officials said 10 locations were provisionally identified for the proposed vending zones.The shortlisted sites include areas in Garhi village, Harsaru, Manesar, Kasan, Bhangraula, Sector 83, Nakhraula, Naurangpur and near Hayatpur Chowk on Pataudi Road. Officials said the zones were planned away from main roads to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety for both…

Itanagar: At least 15.296 acres of land under illegal opium cultivation were destroyed in Lazu circle of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district.According to an official report, the illegally cultivated opium fields were destroyed by officials of the Tirap district administration led by Lazu assistant commissioner and executive magistrate NL Naam, tax, excise and narcotics superintendent Monika Lowang and police.Expressway Propylene Gas Crisis, New Labour Codes, Delhi’s 807 Gone Missing And MoreThe drive was a part of the district administration’s sustained effort to curb illegal opium cultivation and address the growing menace of drug abuse in the district, the report said. Source…

Pics: Minister Sharan Prakash Patil (centre) opens Raichur Utsav by beating a drum; Religious leaders take part in the inaugural of helicopter ride at Raichur district UtsavRaichur: After a gap of nearly two decades, the 3-day Raichur District Utsav commenced on Thursday, creating a festive atmosphere in the city.Expressway Propylene Gas Crisis, New Labour Codes, Delhi’s 807 Gone Missing And MoreThe ‘Ededore Nadu Raichur District Utsav–2026′ was inaugurated by medical education and district minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, who flagged off a procession from Karnataka Sangha to the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS).Organised jointly by the district administration, ZP, mahanagara…

Kanpur: A speeding truck ran over a couple and their two children riding a motorcycle on the National Highway in Unnao’s Sohramau police station area late Wednesday night, killing all four on the spot.The accident happened about 40 kilometres from the district headquarters when the truck driver, fleeing after hitting a container, lost control and crushed the family’s bike, the police said. The driver fled with the vehicle after the crash but was later caught. Local people informed the police.Expressway Propylene Gas Crisis, New Labour Codes, Delhi’s 807 Gone Missing And MoreVirendra (35), a resident of Ajgain Kotwali, had gone…

Ludhiana: Around 55 resolutions were discussed during the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) meeting held at the Mayor Camp Office near Rose Garden on Thursday, with most of them receiving approval. Civic officials said tenders had already been floated for integrated solid waste management covering collection, transportation, processing and disposal through a public-private partnership model.According to sources, MC officials, who were under considerable government pressure to ensure the tender’s success, brought the resolution to the F&CC on the directions of higher authorities. An MC House meeting may now be convened in the coming days to secure final approval.Ludhiana: Warrant Against…

Mysuru: The city, once celebrated for its beautiful lakes, is now witnessing the slow death of its water bodies due to neglect and apathy on the part of civic agencies. The latest addition to this list is Malalavadi tank in Kuvempu Nagar, one of the oldest lakes located in the heart of the city. With no protection measures in place and no concrete action plan, the lake bed is now being routinely used for burning rubbish.With no govt agency showing interest in lake rejuvenation, this water body—once considered as significant as Kukkarahalli and Lingambudi lakes—has been reduced to a barren…

Noida: Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has imposed a penalty on Bayview Bhutani Film City Private Limited — the concessionaire for the 230-acre Film City project — for failing to achieve “financial close” within the mandated six-month period.YEIDA officials said June 9, 2025, was fixed as the project’s “appointed date” after the authority approved the plot’s layout and the Phase 1 building plan for filming facilities and the film institute. That date set off the 180-day clock for financial close, making Dec 6 the cut-off.According to officials, financial close requires documentary proof of how the project cost — about…

PUNE: The prolonged operation to neutralise a hazardous gas tanker on a Mumbai-Pune expressway has once again exposed serious gaps in India’s preparedness to deal with chemical emergencies on roads, with experts pointing to the absence of dedicated, round-the-clock hazardous materials (HazMat) response units as a critical weakness.According to specialists involved in post-incident assessments, the lack of an on-call HazMat team delayed key operational decisions, including the adoption of a high-risk decanting strategy to transfer gas from the damaged tanker into empty ones. Such delays, they said, significantly increase the danger to both emergency responders and the public.The decanting process…