NewsBriefs
Back to Headlines

Tehri Power Project commissioned

     Tehri (Uttaranchal): Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Sunday formally commissioned the Tehri Hydel Project Plant, a major power project located near here in Uttaranchal. After commissioning the project, Shinde told reporters that all four units of this project would be commissioned within next two- three months. The first unit of 250 megawatt (MW) was synchronised with the northern grid. Shinde also laid the foundation stone of Rs 1,657 crore Tehri Pump Storage project. Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) Chairman R K Sharma and State Power Minister Amrita Rawat were also present on the occasion. Interestingly, Chief Minister N D Tiwari preferred to stay away from the function, apparently peeved at not being accorded equal importance as Shinde.

     The dam project was approved in 1972 and its construction began in 1978. While originally slated to be built with an approximate cost of four million dollars, an equivalent of over one billion dollar was spent on the construction of the dam. In 1989, the Tehri Hydel Development Corporation (THDC) was constituted to supervise the construction of the dam. The Tehri dam's projected capabilities include an power generation capacity of 2400 MW, stabilise irrigation to an area of 6,000 km2 and add another area of 2,700 km2, and a supply of 270 million gallons of drinking water to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. The main dam of the project is built near the old Tehri town that lies at the confluence of the rivers Bhagirathi, (one of the major tributary of the river Ganga) and Bhilangana. The main dam will produce 2000 MW of electricity when completed. Towering 855 feet, the main dam at Tehri is 5th tallest dam in the world. This dam has been the object of intense protests from environmental groups and the people of this region. The issue of relocation of more than 1 lakh people of the area has resulted in protracted legal battles and has delayed the project. Besides this, environmental concerns regarding the location of large dams in the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayan foothills, there are also concerns regarding the dam's safety.

Rains flood Gujarat, Pune, disrupt life (Go To Top)

      Ahmedabad/Pune: Rains continue to play havoc in the western parts of the country and there seems no end to the miseries of people as the met department has predicted more downpour in the next 48 hours. In Gujarat alone over 6,500 families have been removed from food- hit areas by authorities while about 11 people were reported to have been killed due to the torrential monsoon rains followed by massive flooding. In Navsari and Mahua regions, telecom and road links to over 15 villages have been cut off. Officials said rescue workers were frantically trying to reach those areas.

     Several trains were cancelled while many had to be delayed in Surat and Ahmedabad, leaving thousands of passengers stranded for several hours on Saturday and Sunday. Apart from long waits, passengers stranded at railway stations had to cope up with food and drinking water shortages. Several residents volunteered in Surat and Ahmedabad to distribute food, as thinning stocks at the railway station got over-priced. However, railway authorities claimed that the situation was now under control and would gradually improve. Several passengers complained that their requests for refund were turned down for want of cash at the reservation counters. The rains in Gujarat have killed at least 12 people so far and forced thousands to evacuate their homes and move to higher ground. Further flooding is feared as heavy downpours have been forecast for the next 48 hours. In Satara, 25 villages have been issued warning.

    Meanwhile, authorities in neighbouring Maharashtra have also issued a flood alert and began evacuating hundreds from Pune, where three major rivers have broken banks and inundated several low-lying areas. Officials said a torrential monsoon has forced release of over 50,000 cusecs of water from the state's main Khadakvasla Dam and about 29,000 cusecs from two smaller dams, causing the rivers to swell. In Pune thousands of shanties were swept away and people struggled to save their belongings wading through waist-deep water, carrying to higher ground whatever they could lay their hands on. But municipal officials said the situation was under control. "All officers had been alerted beforehand about the relief operation. For the past two days it has been raining heavily. We have set up help centres at possible places. We have started relocating the affected," said Mary Kirkitta, special officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation. Railway officials said train services between Ahmedabad and Mumbai remained affected the entire day yesterday as trains ran behind schedule. Officials said a red alert has been sounded along the banks of Krishna in Satara and Sangli districts. A low-pressure trough over the western coast has caused heavy showers in the region and revived June-September annual monsoon. Nearly every year, the annual monsoon rains, vital for agriculture and overall economic growth, kills hundreds of people and causes huge swathes of devastation.

India's outrage over Israel's 'irresponsibility'

      New Delhi: India today expressed outrage over the early morning strike carried by Israeli forces on a building in Qana in South Lebanon that has killed dozens of civilians. Expressing deep condolences to Lebanese government and the people over the tragic incident, New Delhi condemned Israel's "continued irresponsible and indiscriminate bombing of Lebanon and ignoring calls for restraint". External Affairs official spokesman said: "Deeply concerned over the escalation of this conflict, India reiterates its call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, so that further loss of life and property can be prevented and humanitarian aid can reach the affected people". India also condemned the air strikes carried by Israeli troops on the UN peacekeeping troops deployed on the Israel-Lebanon border, which left two Indian soldiers wounded and demanded that such targeting of UN peacekeepers should be stopped immediately.

Left demands debate on nuke deal (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Sunday said that the Indo-US Nuclear deal passed in the US House of Representatives earlier this week attaches conditions that seriously undermine the country's sovereignty. CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat said that the US could use the deal to arm-twist India in the future. Pointing out the fissile material moratorium clause, signing up the proliferation security initiative and country's certain behaviour expected vis-`-vis Iran as proposed in the nuclear bill that was voted on July 26 by the US House, Karat said: "And those who say these are non-binding, we do not agree. We know how legislations passed by US Congress attaching conditions and policy prescriptions have been implemented by the American administration". Demanding that the bill should be debated in the Parliament's current session, Karat said that it was the sovereign right of the Parliament to take up this matter. Earlier, Prime Minister had said that India would not accept any new conditions that were not part of the July 18 Statement agreed between him and US President George Bush in 2005. However, Left though being assured are demanding that a 'Sense of Parliament" needs to brought up which would voice India's concerns. Meanwhile, US House of Representatives early this week overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Indo-US nuclear deal by 359 to 68 after lawmakers rejected the 'killer' amendments proposed by the deal sceptics.

Monks' concern over cutting of
Mahabodhi tree (Go To Top)

     Patna: Buddhist organisations on Sunday demanded a judicial probe into the controversy of cutting the branch of the holy tree of Mahabodhi at Bodh Gaya and alleged that the State government was underplaying the issue. The incident of 'chopping' of the holy Mahabodhi tree where Lord Buddha is believed to have attained divine enlightenment came to light two weeks earlier when people noticed fresh cut marks on the tree. Members of All India Bodhgaya Mahabodhi Vihar Action Committee (AIBMVAC) demanded immediate dissolution of the existing Committee constituted by the Government and asked for the judicial enquiry into the case. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the two-day18th National Seminar of Action Committee, Bhante Anand President of AIBMVAC said: "I suspect that the branch has been sold to some international mafia at high rate. We want a high-level judicial enquiry and the existing committee of non-Buddhists should be dissolved immediately." The seminar, which was attended by as many as 300 followers of Lord Buddha also, voiced protest against the Government control over the management of Mahabodhi Vihar since 1992.

Cricket association election held (Go To Top)

      Kolkata: Voting process for the President post of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) was completed amidst unprecedented security arrangement at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday evening. The counting which is currently underway would take few more hours and the result of the voting is expected not before the midnight. This was for the first time in thirty years that such a high voltage election took place in (CAB), after Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya and former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly publicly blamed the incumbent President Jagmohan Dalmiya for the State's cricketing woes. Two full panels one headed by CAB existing President Jagmohan Dalmiya and the other by the Calcutta Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee are pitted against each other in this year's election which is keenly watched by media as its result would finally decide the fate of Dalmiya in India's future cricket management. Sports journalists, who have covered events at Eden Gardens regularly, were astonished to see the massive security arrangements. Mounted Police Force, which is posted generally during international matches at Eden Gardens, was in its full strength. The road before the stadium where the elections took place was blocked since this morning, creating a lot of inconvenience for common people. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has supported Prasun Mukherjee openly and has called for a change in the administration of state cricket association. Even Saurav Ganguly has favored Mukherjee and has directly blamed Dalmiya for ruining his cricket career. The initial fight had gone to such an extent that a city court had to appoint an observer to conduct the polls, a first in the cricketing history of CAB.

Back to Headlines                  Go To Top