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ONGC fire: Death toll rises to 12

     Mumbai: The death toll in the fire at the BHN off- shore drilling platform of the country's largest petroleum company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has risen to 12. There are reports that at least 15 people are still missing. "The death toll is now 12. Six divers are still trapped in the debris of the destroyed platform and Naval and Coast Guard teams are making all efforts to rescue them," a top ONGC official was quoted as saying from Mumbai. So far, 367 people have been rescued after naval ships and Coast Guard vessels commenced rescue operations. "There were 384 people on the platform, the offshore supply vessel and a neighbouring rig when the fire broke out the Mumbai High North platform at 4.30 pm yesterday," the official said. The Navy, however, said that about 10 people have died. Six divers remain trapped in the support vessel, and one or two people are missing, while 367 people have been rescued, the Navy said. Coast Guard officials said several helicopters, six navy and two coast guard ships, and many civilian vessels with medical facilities were scouring very rough seas in bad weather for any survivors of the fire.

     Rough seas had pushed a nearby support vessel into the platform, which started a fire that burned the platform, the support vessel and a nearby rig. The platform sank. It may take a year to rebuild a platform that produced a seventh of the country's oil. The devastating fire broke out at about 4.30 pm on Wednesday when a rig collided with the platform. Some people saved their lives by jumping into lifeboats, while others crossed over to the other platform through a bridge. Rescue operations were hampered as ONGC's helicopters in Mumbai were grounded because of floods. Only off-shore helicopters could be deployed to undertake rescue operations. The sunken platform is about 160 km (100 miles) southwest of the country's financial hub, Mumbai, where heavy rains and severe flooding have already stretched emergency services. Bombay High, India's largest offshore field, produces 14 percent of the oil India consumes and accounts for 38 percent of all domestic production. The platform's production of 100,000 barrels per day is out of a total Bombay High production of 260,000 barrels per day. Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said the platform would try to restore part of the 100,000-barrel-per-day output in a few months at the platform in the Bombay High offshore oil field. The field was discovered by a Russian and Indian oil exploration team during the mapping of the Gulf of Cambay in 1964-1967. The first well was sunk in 1974. The field, where workers tend to do shifts of about two weeks at a time, attained a peak production of 400,000 barrels of oil per day from 1985 to 1989.

Century's heaviest rains shut down Mumbai (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Mumbai residents always take pride in saying that life never stops in country's financial and entertainment capital. But century's heaviest rains have completely brought the city's life to a halt. No trading is taking place as the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) are closed. The torrential rains have choked the entire transport system across the city and the state. However, life is limping back to normal with the authorities carrying out the rescue efforts in full swing. Experts said that closing down stock market trading, which reflects the pulse of the economy, is an unprecedented phenomenon. Mumbai accounts for nearly 45 per cent of the average daily turnover of nearly Rs 10,000 crore or 900 million shares. It is the hub of all financial transactions in the country and it's breakdown means a big set back to the country's market. On Wednesday, BSE witnessed trading in only 191 million shares against over 400 million shares traded every day. On the NSE, the trading volume fell to 253 million shares against an average 500 million shares traded daily in July 2005. Banks have been closed since Wednesday as the Maharashtra Government declared a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. The holiday is effective in Mumbai and in the districts of Thane and Raigad, which are the worst-affected. In a statement on Wednesday, the BSE said: "As advised by SEBI (Security Exchange Board of India), in view of the unscheduled consecutive Bank holidays (due to rains) and consequent difficulties in moving funds across banks for accumulated settlement, it has been decided to keep the trading at BSE and NSE closed on Thursday, July 28, 2005."

     Earlier, on Wednesday, the Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market could not function due to the closure of the banks. Even as the BSE and NSE remained open today and the Sensex touched its all time high 7600 points, all the major commodity markets including bullion, oils, metals, sugar and grains did not operate today. Traders and businessmen in the commodity markets could not reach their destinations due to the breakdown of rail and road transports. The suburbs were completely flooded due to incessant downpour. Country's Central Bank - Reserve Bank of India - had directed the closure of secondary market transactions in Government securities. The auction of treasury bills was also cancelled. "The Reserve Bank of India announces the cancellation of auction of 91-day Government of India treasury bills and 182-day Government of India treasury bills scheduled for today, i.e., July 27, 2005, for Rs.2000 crore and Rs. 1500 crore, respectively, due to incessant rainfall in Mumbai disrupting normal financial activities," the RBI said in a press release. "In view of the severe disruptions in financial markets due to incessant rainfall in Mumbai, there will be no secondary market transactions in government securities today," added the release. Heavy rains have pounded the entire state with more than 200 people losing their lives. Accordingly the rains will continue for at least another 20 hours.

Heavy rains lash Gujarat, Maharashtra toll 220 (Go To Top)

     Ahmedabad/Mumbai: Mumbai residents are not alone in facing the ravaging onslaught of inclement weather, for now heavy rains have started lashing parts of neigbourin Gujarat, affecting normal life there as well. According to India Meteorological Department sources, the shift in the dense clouds over Mumbai towards Gujarat has brought on the rains, disrupting all forms of transportation and traffic at several places, especially in the heavily water-logged low-lying areas. The Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) have placed fire brigade personnel on a state of high alert at different places in anticipation of disrupted civic services, which could leave the public stranded. Meanwhile, the death toll from rains across Maharashtra has reportedly crossed the 220 mark even as the Central Government announced the release of Rs.83 crore (about 195 million dollars) as relief.

Deadline for voter ID cards in Bihar (Go To Top)

     Aurangabad: District administrations in Bihar have been directed to complete the process of issuing photo identity cards (PIC) by September 15, failing which those people not having them will not be allowed to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming assembly polls, the Election Commission said on Thursday. "District administrations have been directed to complete the process of providing PIC to eligible voters by September 15," the Special Advisor to the Election Commission of India, K J Rao, who is heading a nine-member team reviewing poll preparations in the state, said here. "PIC will be compulsory for exercising franchise and none of the other 14 alternative identification proofs which were allowed in the past polls will be applicable in the coming state assembly elections," he told reporters after holding a review meeting with the district administration. Adequate deployment of security forces would also be made to ensure a free, fair and peaceful poll in the state, especially in areas that have been affected by Naxal violence. "Sufficient number of security personnel will be deployed in the state particularly in the Naxalite-hit areas so that voter can cast their votes without any fear," Rao said. The nine-member Election Commission team began its review of the progress in the preparation for the Bihar Assembly polls which is expected sometime in October-November, on Tuesday. The team has had meetings with the State Chief Electoral Officer N K Sinha and also attended to complaints regarding electoral rolls, the issue of photo identity cards, action taken against those accused of electoral offences, besides reviewing the steps taken by the State administration to execute pending warrants of arrest against more than 32,000 persons in Bihar. During its tour, the EC panel has split itself into four groups to visit various districts where they would spend time reviewing preparations for the poll till July 29. The team would also hold meetings with top State officials, including Chief Secretary G S Kang, Home Commissioner A K Biswas, and Director General of Police Ashish Ranjan Sinha.

Assam minorities protest repeal of IMDT Act (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Muslim organizations from Assam on Thursday staged a protest against the Supreme Court's recent order to strike down the controversial Illegal Migrants DeterminationTribunal (IMDT) Act, 1983, which has hampered the deportation of illegal foreign nationals. The apex court struck the law down earlier this month, making it easier for the authorities to crack down on illegal immigrants, mainly Bangladeshis who have entered the country's north eastern region illegally. While the verdict sparked off celebrations in Assam where the ethnic population has long complained that their land was being taken over by illegal Bangladeshi migrants, the minority Muslim community fears that the repeal of the Act may result in the harassment of illegal immigrants. Protestors from All Assam Minorities Association (AAMA) carried placards and banners and shouted slogans, demanding a substitute of the act. "A substitute act of IMDT Act 1983 is required. Our demand is unless a lawful protection is provided to the minorities of Assam, our agitation will continue," said Saiful Islam, General Secretary of AAMA. The court said that there was no use for the 1983 legislation, and an older Foreigners Act was sufficient to deal with the issue of illegal migration. The ethnic Assamese have complained against the IMDT Act, saying the law made deporting illegal migrants difficult because the onus to prove the citizenship of a suspected illegal entrant rested with the complainant. The IMDT Act was in use only in Assam, home to hundreds of thousands of illegal Bangladeshi migrants who flood the oil- and tea-rich state for work and food. Assam shares a 270-km porous border with Bangladesh, a vast stretch of which is unfenced. In the past the Indian Home Ministry has estimated that there were about 20 million Bangladeshis illegally in the country.

Abandon Iran gas-pipeline: BJP to Centre
by Pankaj Yadav

     New Delhi: The BJP today said that if the fears expressed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh about risks involved in the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline were true, then the Union Government should abandon the project altogether. During his recent US visit, the PM had said that the gas pipeline was fraught with risks, BJP spokesman VK Malhotra said adding, "if these risks are true, then why dont the Congress-led UPA government abandon the project." He further said that the foreign reserves of Rs 140 million, which have been accumulated with sheer hard work over the past five decades, should not be spent so casually on the project if it is fraught with risks. The BJP spokesman also charged the PM of "changing his statement", regarding the gas pipeline, while on his recent US visit. "Before flying to Washington, the PM very bravely said that he will move ahead on the project of laying the gas pipeline, and would not bow in front of the US pressure. But, soon after landing in the US, he changed his words saying that the project carried along several risks with it," Malhotra said. Secondly, he asked, why was the Government moving ahead on the project when no consortium has been formed so far to fund the project.

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