Mumbai/New
Delhi: Heavy rains and floods disrupted rail and road
traffic in several parts of Mumbai, but provided much needed
relief to the Indian capital. Gusty winds swept across Mumbai,
causing the wall of a house to collapse in the industrial
suburb of Vikhroli, injuring at least six people, officials
said. The wind also knocked over dozens of trees across
the city, some of which damaged parked vehicles below. "I
have come from Tardeo and I have to go to western Bombay.
We are stranded here and do not how we will reach home,
we will probably sleep here," Rajesh, a local, said. "There
are so many problems. I work in the Western Railways and
I live in Virar where the situation is even worse, I do
not how I will go back," said Savita Kumar, another resident.
Maharashtra State Government employees in Mumbai were told
to go home early on Monday to avoid being stranded in their
offices. In New Delhi, the arrival of the rains was greeted
with jubilation.
According
to the weather bureau's forecast, heavy rains are likely
to hit the capital for the next 24 hours. "The monsoon rains
which are coming now are because of two reasons. The monsoon
trough, which decides the pattern of the rainfall, is now
in a normal position, and secondly, there is low pressure
in central Madhya Pradesh. These are favourable conditions
for rains in the north and northwest India. The rains will
continue for the next two days," B.P Yadav of the meteorological
department said.
Flood
alert in HP (Go
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Kinnaur
(Himachal Pradesh): The River Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh
is threatening to overflow after heavy rains created an
artificial lake close to the Indo-Tibetan border. Authorities
have sounded a flood alert along the banks of Sutlej, which
flows between the districts of Kinnaur and Bilaspur. Reports
said a 350-meter-long, 800-meter-wide and 15-m-deep lake
had been formed and warned that if it is breached, it could
devastate villages lying along the banks of the river. People
living downstream have been advised not to go near the river.
"We have alerted the laborers that due to reports of flood
they should not venture near the River Sutlej. We have alerted
people also not to go near the river," said S.L Negi, the
sub-divisional magistrate of Kinnaur district.
Left-UPA
Coordination Committee to meet on August 4 (Go
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New
Delhi: The CPI (M) on Monday announced the formation
of a coordination committee between the UPA and Left parties
to enable the government of Dr. Manmohan Singh to function
in a smooth manner. Apart from Singh and Congress president
Sonia Gandhi, the Left has included the names of Harkishan
Singh Surjeet and Sitaram Yechury of CPI (M), A B Bardhan
and D Raja of CPI, Debabrata Biswas of Forward Block and
Abani Roy of the RSP. The committee will hold its first
meeting on August 4. The committee has been formed following
the sharp differences in opinion between the UPA and the
Left, which is offering outside support, on various issues
such as the hike in petrol and diesel prices. "We want a
practical arrangement where issues will be discussed. We
would like to learn what the government wants to do and
raise our concerns," CPI (M) Politburo member Prakash Karat
was quoted as saying.
Sonia
takes stock of flood situation in Assam (Go
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Guwahati:
Congress president Sonia Gandhi visited Assam today
to take stock of the flood situation in the state. She met
a cross section of people to inquire after their welfare.
The worst flooding in 15 years has killed about 222 people
and left 12 million homeless in the state. The floods have
caused huge losses to the state, including destroying bridges,
homes, roads, rail lines, communication links and businesses.
In totality, the floods have killed over 1,350 people across
South Asia, about 660 of them in Bangladesh alone.
Soren
surrenders, bail plea rejected (Go
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Jamtara:
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren surrendered
before the District and Sessions Court in Jamtara today,
several days after an arrest warrant was issued against
him for his alleged role in the 1975 Chirrudih massacre
case. Soren surrendered amid tight security at the court
complex at Jamtara. The law enforcement agencies had deployed
Rapid Action Force personnel and imposed Section 144 of
the Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits the gathering
of over four people at any one particular place. Soren had
been hiding for ten days, during which he resigned from
the post of Union Coal and Mines Minister. His lawyer moved
a bail plea in the court of Uday Narayan Mishra, who later
rejected it.
Dulaimi
resumes negotiation to secure Iraqi hostages' release (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: Negotiations to save the lives of seven hostages,
including three Indians, held in Iraq, resumed today after
the employer Kuwaiti company KGL re-established contact
with Iraqi negotiator Sheikh Hisham al Dulaimi. Dulaimi
on Sunday had said that he was pulling out of the negotiations
as he had failed to reach an agreement with KGL. "We have
been informed through our embassies in Baghdad and Kuwait
that contact has been maintained between Sheikh al-Dulaimi
and the KGL company and negotiations are continuing this
morning," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed
told reporters after a meeting of the Crisis Management
Group.
SC
lifts ban on gutka, pan masala sales in some states (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court today lifted the ban on sale
of gutka and pan masala in some states. In its judgment,
the apex court said that state governments did not have
the power to prohibit the manufacture or the sale of these
items. This right remained solely rested with the Centre
and the state only has a "transitory" power to ban the products
for a short period. The gutka and pan masala manufacturers
had challenged the decision of some state governments to
ban the products before the Supreme Court in 2002.
SC
notice to Centre, six states on SYL issue (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court today issued notices to the
Centre, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
and Kashmir and Delhi on a presidential reference that sought
the court`s opinion on the validity of a Punjab Law terminating
its water sharing pacts with neighboring states. A five-judge
constitution bench headed by Chief Justice R C Lahoti declined
Attorney General Milon Banerjee`s request for issuance of
a public notice on the issue on the lines of a similar notice
issued by the apex court when it was hearing the presidential
reference on the Ayodhya controversy. The court asked the
Centre and Chief Secretaries of six states to file within
six weeks their statements on facts as well as on law concerning
the presidential reference.
In the face of the inter-state feud following the Punjab
law scrapping all river water-sharing accords with its neighboring
states, the Centre had on July 22 referred the controversial
measure to the Supreme Court looking for a legal way out.
President Kalam referred the Punjab Termination of Agreements
Act, 2004 to the apex court under Article 143 of the Constitution
seeking its opinion on its validity. He sought the Supreme
Court`s views on four points: Whether the Punjab Termination
of Agreement Act, 2004 and the provisions thereof are in
accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India;
Whether the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 and
the provisions thereof are in accordance with the provisions
of section 14 of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956,
Section 78 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 and the
notification dated 24th March, 1976 issued thereunder. Whether
the state of Punjab has validly terminated the agreement
dated 31.12.1981 and all other agreements relating to the
Ravi- Beas waters and is discharged from its obligation
under the said agreement(s). Whether in view of the provisions
of the Act, the state of Punjab is discharged from its obligations
flowing from the judgment and decree dated 15.01.2002 and
the judgment and order dated 04.06.2004 of the Supreme Court.
Second
batch of pilgrims leave for Amarnath (Go
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Jammu:
A second batch of around 3500 pilgrims left for the
Amarnath shrine today, after two days of inclement weather.
Escorted by security forces, the 2236 men, 823 women, 85
children and 300 sadhus resumed on their journey in a fleet
of 137 buses and other vehicles from their base camp at
MAM stadium in Jammu. Officials say that the convoy, which
left from here at 6:20 this morning, is expected to reach
Baltal later this evening.
8
killed, over 20 injutred in Jaipur building collapse (Go
To Top)
Jaipur:
At least eight people were killed and over 20 were seriously
injured in a building collapse in the village of Nimedaa
about 30 km from here late on Sunday night. According to
sources, the use of bad construction material and heavy
rains was cited as reasons for the mishap. The police have
registered a case of criminal conspiracy against the builder
and contractor. The government has ordered a magisterial
enquiry into the incident.
Shyam
Saran takes over as Foreign Secretary (Go
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New
Delhi: Senior Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and
former envoy to Nepal, Shyam Saran today took over as the
country's Foreign Secretary. "It is a privilege and honour
to assume the office of Foreign Secretary to the Government
of India. We belong to a foreign service that is committed
to the highest professional standards of excellence in the
cause of the nation. It will be my endeavor to carry these
traditions forward," Saran told reporters after assuming
office. Saran succeeds Shashank, whose term ended on July
31. He will hold the office till September 2006.
