A drying Yamuna could endanger Taj Mahal

Agencies
June 25, 2019

Agra, Jun 25: The inordinate delay in granting permission for construction of a barrage on the Yamuna in Agra, about one-and-a half km from the Taj Mahal, could end up endangering the monument of love.

According to experts, the Taj Mahal is built on massive wooden slippers that have shrunk over the years because of the decrease in the flow of the Yamuna.

"If a barrage is constructed, it would not only add to the life of the Taj Mahal but would also beautify the surroundings with a water front. The matter has been pending clearance and we cannot understand the reason for the delay," said an ASI official who did not wish to be named.

The beauty of the Taj Mahal is no longer reflected in the waters of the Yamuna because the river is almost dry and filled with sewage waste.

The Yogi Adityanath government, in October 2017, had announced a sum of Rs 350 crore for the construction of a rubber check dam.

The Chief Minister had said that "the rubber check dam on the Yamuna will ensure availability of sufficient water in the river throughout the year. Besides addressing water requirement of large number of people in Agra and nearby areas, it will prove to be a milestone in the promotion of tourism".

A senior civic body official said, "A rubber check dam in Agra would have been the first of its kind in the state. It would not only have ensured adequate water supply in the city but also helped in river conservation. The rubber dam, apart from acting as a reservoir, was designed to primarily focus on increasing water flow of Yamuna in order to reduce pollution levels."

Archaeologists and conservationists have already rung the alarm bells on lack of water in the Yamuna. The then BJP MP from Agra, Ram Shankar Katehria, said that a dry Yamuna was a threat to the Taj Mahal.

"Several studies have been carried out on this. There are shafts of wood holding together the foundation of the monument. This wood needs to be moistened by the river's waters to lend strength to the foundation. But the water table below the structure is depleting because of a dry Yamuna," he said.

He said that there are references to ebony shafts that hold together the Taj Mahal's stone and mortar foundation in various books on the historical monument.

According to sources in the state government, a discussion on the barrage scheme began in the union environment ministry in October 2018.

A committee led by representatives from CSIR-National Environment Engineering Research Institute, known as NEERI, wanted the project to be evaluated by Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) .

The EAC found that the project was more suited for evaluation by another committee which, after its meeting in May, returned it back to EAC.

As the file moves from one committee to another, the Yogi government has also not evinced keen interest in getting its expedited.

A senior Tourism official said, "At the moment we are busy with projects involving Ayodhya and Varanasi and we have not had the time to follow the Agra dam issue. We will do it as soon as we are through with other projects."

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Agencies
May 30,2020

New Delhi, May 30: The COVID-19 pandemic has left the Indian private healthcare sector in acute financial distress, a new survey said on Friday adding that the healthcare facilities in the country have witnessed at least 80 per cent fall in average revenue.

Post the lockdown from March 24, Indian hospitals have seen a large impact, especially among small and medium-sized hospitals, which are now facing existential challenges.

The survey by healthcare industry body NATHEALTH was conducted in 251 healthcare facilities across nine states and 69 cities to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the domestic healthcare industry.

The findings showed that 90 per cent of the surveyed healthcare facilities are facing financial challenges with 21 per cent facilities facing an existential threat.

"There is a need for a stimulus package to revive the Indian healthcare industry which will be crucial to provide much-needed relief to the healthcare sector which is the frontline defence in this fight against COVID-19," said Dr Sudarshan Ballal, President NATHEALTH.

According to the survey, hospitals in tier 1 and tier 2 cities are experiencing a 78 per cent reduction in OPD footfalls, and a drop of 79 per cent in in-patient admissions.

The study found that 90 per cent of organisations require some form of financial assistance.

The findings indicated that even after the lockdown lift, the situation will remain difficult for the hospitals and nursing homes as patients will hesitate from visiting hospitals.

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News Network
March 16,2020

New Delhi, Mar 16: Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has been summoned by the ED in connection with its money laundering probe against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others, officials said on Monday.

They said Ambani was asked to depose at the Enforcement Directorate office in Mumbai on Monday as his group companies are among the big entities whose loans went bad after borrowing from the crisis-hit bank.

The officials said Ambani, 60, has sought exemption from appearance on some personal grounds and he may be issued a new date.

Ambani's group companies are stated to have taken loans of about Rs 12,800 crore from the bank that turned NPAs.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said in a March 6 press conference that the Anil Ambani Group, Essel, ILFS, DHFL and Vodafone were among the stressed corporates Yes Bank had exposure to.

Officials said promoters of all the big companies who had taken large loans from the beleaguered bank which later turned bad are being summoned for questioning in the case to take investigation forward.

Ambani's statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) upon deposition, they said.

Kapoor, 62, is at present in ED custody after he was arrested by the central probe agency early this month.

The ED has accused Kapoor, his family members and others of laundering "proceeds of crime" worth Rs 4,300 crore by receiving alleged kickbacks in lieu of extending big loans through their bank that later turned NPA.

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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for an all-party meeting to be held on June 19 to discuss the situation at the border areas with China.

The virtual conference meeting, presided by PM Modi, will be attended by presidents of various political parties in the country.

"In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party meeting at 5 PM on 19th June. Presidents of various political parties would take part in this virtual meeting," a tweet by the PMO India read.

At least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, had lost their lives in the violent face-off in the Galwan valley area of Ladakh on June 15.

The violent face-off happened on late evening and the night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on June 16.

The Chinese side also suffered casualties, including the death of the commanding officer of the Chinese Unit involved in the violent face-off with Indian troops, sources confirmed to news agency.

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