Relief measures on war-footing in flood-hit
Assam
Morigaon
(Assam): Relief operations are on in full swing in Assam
where the overflowing River Brahmaputra and its tributaries
have cut off vast tracts of land, marooning millions of
people. The death toll has risen to over a hundred. People
in all but one of the 27 districts of the state have been
affected by the calamity. Several roads and railway tracks
have been submerged, slashing the supply of commodities
and pushing up prices. There have been widespread reports
of hoarding by traders and shopkeepers in the state. The
situation in Morigaon has been described as particularly
critical. "We are rescuing people. And we rescued more than
3,000 people. We are saving lives and we will save each
and every life out here. I will say that army is there for
your help," said Major SP Singh. "The army has rescued us,
but we could not bring any belongings, paddy, etc. We just
managed to save ourselves, but we have not got any relief
till now," said Bolu Bharali, a villager. Across the region,
thousands of people jostle every day to grab food packets
handed out by officials in boats and dropped by helicopters.
Monsoon
failure threatens Gujarat farmers (Go
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Surendernagar
(Gujarat): Failed monsoon rains have hit Gujarat hard.
Cotton growers fear that scanty rainfall would impact their
crops badly. Last year, the monsoon ensured a good harvest.
This year, however, sowing operations have been hit in the
northern and central parts of the state. Distraught farmers
are looking for alternative sources of irrigation to save
what is left of their wilting crops. The water table in
the region too has gone down, adding to their misery. Many
villages do not have enough drinking water. "The water here
in this village is very hard and saline. People are fighting
for this water also," said Kishan, a villager. "Eighty per
cent of the crops in Surendernagar district are of cotton.
There has been scanty rainfall this year, around 50 per
cent of the cotton crops have failed. If it does not rain
in the next four or five days, then the cotton crops will
be completely destroyed. The farmers will not get anything,"
said Pradip Vaishnav, a village activist.
No
early solution to Kashmir: Armitage (Go
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Washington:
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has reportedly
ruled out an early solution to the Kashmir dispute that
has dogged ties between Pakistan and India for more than
five decades. According to sources here, Armitage is reported
to have forwarded this brief to the bigwigs in the US State
Department after his visits to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan
earlier this month. State Department officials here have
confirmed that Kashmir was discussed in the parleys at length,
and add that Washington continues to see itself as a facilitator
for an amicable solution to the issue. A U.S. State Department
official told ANI that Washington is very supportive of
the composite dialogue, as illustrated by President Pervez
Musharraf's recent meeting with Indian Foreign Minister
K. Natwar Singh. The U.S. State Department insists that
Washington's position has not changed and that they view
the Kashmir issue as one that must be resolved by Islamabad
and New Delhi only. Analysts in Washington appear to be
heading toward a consensus and are hopeful that India and
Pakistan can resolve their differences.
Simla,
Lahore pacts key links in Indo-Pak talks: Natwar Singh (Go
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Islamabad/New
Delhi: Shortly before his departure from Pakistan and
again on his arrival in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister
K Natwar Singh said that agreements at Shimla (July 1972),
Lahore (February 1999) and Islamabad (January 2004) would
serve as key links in bilateral talks progressing further.
According to the Daily Times, Singh said he had conveyed
this message firmly to President Pervez Musharraf during
his meeting with him on Friday. "I mentioned our intention
to carry on a sustained and steady dialogue with Pakistan.
We want to take the peace process further but this is not
a 100-metre race. It can't be artificially rushed," Singh
was quoted as saying. "The Simla, Lahore and Islamabad agreements
would help as "links in the chain" which would go towards
mutual understanding, mutual goodwill and mutually acceptable
decisions on things that have bedevilled Indo-Pak relations,"
he added. He also confirmed that there would be intensive
interactions between the two sides in the next three weeks
with six meetings on different subjects, and this would
be followed with him meeting Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid
Mehmood Kasuri on September 5 and 6 in New Delhi.
Floods
cause havoc in Dhaka (Go
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Dhaka:
Floods have wreaked havoc in Dhaka as water levels of
the River Buriganga rose to submerge nearby villages and
towns. At least two million people in Dhaka were stranded
as their homes were washed away by the river waters. Some
residents are still staying put, hoping the water will recede
in the next few days. For others, life in the capital goes
on as they move around town in their bicycles and tricycles.
Local officials add that boats have become the main mode
of transportation for the public. "We are all affected by
the floods. About 500 families have now taken shelter on
this embankment. If anyone can help us, please come forward
now, we will never forget your contribution," said Hasina,
a flood victim. The army and the civil administration said
they are working to provide relief throughout the capital.
