Landslides, floods claim over 50 in north India

June 17, 2013
carNew Delhi, Jun 17: Monsoon woes gripped several parts of north India today as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, leaving over 50 people dead and hundreds stranded, while several parts in Haryana were flooded after water level of Yamuna rose alarmingly.

Flashfloods in the Ganga and its tributaries triggered by incessant rains for over 48 hours left a trail of death and devastation across Uttarakhand killing 30 people, injuring 19 and damaging 164 buildings.

Seven persons went missing and five vehicles including a chopper were swept away in the heavy showers which are still continuing at a number of places across the state, Disaster Management authorities in Dehradun said.

At least 15 people were killed in different incidents in Uttar Pradesh as flash floods lashed Saharanpur district following incessant rainfalls in neighbouring Uttarakhand.

IG (Law and order) R K Vishkarma said nearly 45 people were stranded due to the flash floods and were airlifted from Sarsava airbase to safer places by Air Force helicopters.

In Himachal Pradesh, a high alert was sounded and army assistance was sought for rescue operations in the tribal border district of Kinnaur as incessant rains and snow wreaked havoc in the region, killing 10 people and damaging property worth crores of rupees.

Five members of a family, including three children, were buried alive when boulders fell on their house while five others were killed in landslides in three other places.

Kinnaur district was cut off from the state from Tapri onwards as most of the approach roads and Hindustan-Tibet National highway was blocked at several places due landslides and about 1,700 people were stranded.

Over 700 people, including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh who was campaigning in the area for Mandi Lok Sabha by-poll slated for June 23, were stranded in the Sangla valley and assistance of army has been sought for rescue operations and airlifting them, state Chief Secretary S Roy said.

"The Election Commission has given permission for evacuation of the chief minister by a state chopper but it could not land due to bad weather and returned," he said.

About 25 foreigners and a Doordarshan team were also stranded in Kinnaur district.

The disaster management cell of the army has been informed and it has already started preparations for launching the rescue operations in coordination with IAF and Army.

In Uttarakhand, Rudraprayag bore the brunt of the disaster with a maximum of 20 people killed there. Two persons each were killed in Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Tehri districts whereas three were killed in Dehradun and one in Almora.

A large number of structures including shrines, hotels, rest houses, commercial and residential buildings located close to Alaknanda caved in like a pack of cards in Rudraparayag district.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna who took information from district magistrates on the extent of damage caused by the flashfloods through video conferencing expressed grief at the loss of lives in the calamity describing it as "huge".

Rescue operations are going on a war footing with the help of ITBP, BSF and the Army but the bad weather is a hindrance, he admitted.

Char dam yatra and Mansarovar yatra through Uttarakhand have been suspended which will be resumed after the weather clears up, he said.

Arriving almost a fortnight in advance than its usual date, the southwest monsoon brought heavy rains in several parts of Haryana, particularly Yamunanagar district, where normal life was paralysed. Fifty-two people were rescued by the Army and NDRF as several parts were flooded after Yamuna river's level rose alarmingly, prompting the authorities to sound an alert.

One hundred and fifty residents of the village Shergarh Tapu and 42 of Chandrao in district Karnal, who were also stranded due to floods, were also successfully got evacuated, officials said.

Heavy showers in the national capital for the second consecutive day caused water-logging and traffic chaos in various parts.

According to the MeT department, Delhi received 17.1 mm rains from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Earlier, during the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, rain gauges measured 58.5 mm. The city had received 36.6 mm of rains till 5.30 pm yesterday which were the first monsoon showers of the season.

The day temperature in the national temperature dropped sharply today settling at 30.3 deg C which was nine notches below normal while the minimum temperature remained five notches below normal at 23.5 deg c.

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News Network
June 15,2020

Palghar, Jun 15: A 22-year-old man who got married three days ago tested positive for novel coronavirus on Monday leading to the bride and 63 others who attended the function being quarantined in Palghar district in Maharashtra, an official said.

Jawhar Tehsildar Santosh Shinde said the man is a laboratory assistant.

"He got tested before marriage and the report had returned negative. However, his samples tested positive after marriage. The bride and 63 others who attended the ceremony have been quarantined," he said.

Palghar currently has 1,911 COVID-19 cases and 61 people have died of the infection so far.

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News Network
February 9,2020

Feb 9: The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in Delhi Assembly polls are kept under tight security, in the 'Strong Room' located at Atal Adarsh Bengali Balika Vidyalaya in Gol Market.

Voting for Delhi Assembly elections took place on Saturday with voters turnout well short of the 2015 election mark.

Counting of the votes will be on February 11.

Earlier, Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain had said the Delhi elections took place peacefully and smoothly.

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Agencies
July 23,2020

Ayodhya, Jul 23: All 32 accused in the Babri mosque demolition case should be invited to the "bhumi pujan" ceremony for the construction of the Ram temple here and honoured, a Hindutva outfit leader has said.

Hindu Dharma Sena president Santosh Dubey is one of the main accused in the case.

Dubey also insisted that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust must also invite all the four Shankaracharyas to the ceremony planned on August 5.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to attend the event.

"The office bearers of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra must ensure that along with all 32 accused in the Babri mosque demolition case, the families of the kar sevaks who gave their lives in the Ram Temple movement must also be invited to the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony and must be honoured there," Dubey told PTI.

The top court verdict in favour of the Ram temple at the site would not have been possible had the Babri mosque not been demolished, he said.

"If the Trust does not invite the kar sevaks, it will a display of ego and arrogance. Without inviting the kar sevaks who have been accused in Babri mosque demolition and the families of the slain kar sevaks, the 'bhumi pujan' will remain incomplete," Dubey added.

A special CBI court in Lucknow is recording the statements of the 32 Babri demolition accused under section 313 of the CrPC, which enables them to plead their innocence, if they so want.

The court is conducting day-to-day hearings to complete the trial by August 31 as directed by the Supreme Court.

The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992 by 'kar sevaks' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple had stood on the same site. Former deputy prime minister L K Advani and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi were leading the Ram temple movement at that time.

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