The Border Security Force (BSF) successfully intercepted a smuggling operation in Meghalaya on Friday, confiscating contraband worth Rs 12 lakh. The soldiers seized 12 cartons of ointment cream (Skin Shine) along the international border of Meghalaya, reported news agency ANI. A BSF official stated that "Acting on specific information, the troops of the 4th Battalion BSF conducted a special operation near the International Border, during which they managed to seize cosmetics concealed in a jungle area near the International border, intended for smuggling into Bangladesh." The seized contraband has been handed over to the Customs office at Pynursla for further necessary action, as per the BSF officials. This incident follows another significant seizure by the BSF on Wednesday, where they obstructed a smuggling attempt involving cattle, with contraband items worth at Rs 16 lakh. This operation was triggered by alerts about cattle being smuggled across the border. During this operation, BSF personnel posted in Meghalaya, associated with the 4th Battalion, carried out special operations near the border to curb cross-border smuggling, as per ANI. BSF rescued 27 cattle concealed in a jungle area near the West Jaintia Hills district border, which were also intended for smuggling into Bangladesh. The rescued cattle were subsequently handed over to the PPP Muktapur for further action. PPP Muktapur is a police-public relations initiative aimed at ensuring the safety of celebrations in the border area. In addition to these operations, the BSF intercepted a pickup vehicle with registration number "ML-05-AC" that was loaded with cosmetic items lacking valid documentation in the East Khasi Hills district. Other operations along the border by BSF also led to the seizure of a significant quantity of edible goods and liquor. On October 22, acting on specific information, alert BSF troops from the 193 Bn Meghalaya intercepted a Bolero pickup truck and seized cosmetic items worth over Rs 4 lakh near the international border in the East Khasi Hills district. In another operation on Wednesday, vigilant BSF troops of the 4th Bn Meghalaya rescued 27 cattle heads valued at Rs 2,85,400 while they were being smuggled to Bangladesh through the international border in the West Jaintia Hills district. (With inputs from ANI)
25 October,2024 03:52 PM IST | Shillong, Meghalaya | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday filed his nomination from the Nagpur South-West assembly constituency for the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, reported news agency PTI. Addressing a rally before filing the papers, he said the Mahayuti government's work speaks for itself, and hit out at the opposition parties, saying the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme and its beneficiaries were enough to defeat them. शंखनाद 🐚🕛 स. ११.४७ वा. | २५-१०-२०२४📍नागपूर.LIVE | 'दक्षिण-पश्चिम नागपूर'मधून विधानसभा निवडणूक 2024 साठी माझा उमेदवारी अर्ज भरण्यापूर्वी संविधान चौक ते आकाशवाणी चौक भव्य नामांकन रॅली#Maharashtra #DevaBhau #SouthWestNagpur https://t.co/aSGQNgp36g — Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) October 25, 2024 Fadnavis, who was the chief minister of the state from 2014 to 2019 and for a short tenure of 80 hours in November 2019, has successfully contested the assembly polls for five times from Nagpur -- two times from Nagpur West constituency and three times from Nagpur South-West seat. This is his sixth assembly election. He has been an MLA for the past 25 years starting 1999. Before filing his nomination form, Fadnavis visited Union minister and former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari's residence. Both the BJP leaders then paid floral tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue at the Sanvidhan square in the city, followed by a roadshow from there till Akashvani square. Addressing a gathering at the end of the roadshow, Fadnavis said, "Our work speaks louder than our words. People can see the development in Nagpur -- be it Nagpur Metro Rail, Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway or other development projects that have changed the face of Nagpur," reported PTI. The work carried out by the BJP in the last seven-and-a-half years in the state and by the Centre in the last 10 years, has changed the face of Nagpur, he said. "I won't talk about the opposition parties as our Ladki Bahin (scheme and its beneficiaries) is enough for them. Congress leaders Sunil Kedar and Nana Patole even tried to stop the Ladki Bahin Yojana by filing a petition in Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court," he added, reported PTI. Ladki Bahin is a flagship scheme of the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government, under which eligible women get a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month. The Mahayuti government changed the picture of Vidarbha through several projects, including the Gosikhurd irrigation projects, development of Nagpur and Amravati airport and other works. "The Mahayuti government is creating a new Maharashtra under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is creating a new India," Fadnavis said, reported PTI. He said his government issued 48 Government Resolutions (GR) for the welfare of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, and challenged the Congress to show even one such GR issued during its term, reported PTI. It has also worked for the tribal community and all other sections of the society, he said. Fadnavis and two other sitting BJP MLAs - Mohan Mate from Nagpur South and Krishna Khopde from Nagpur East - filed their nominations at the Nagpur district collectorate. Gadkari and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule accompanied Fadnavis at the time. Addressing the gathering earlier, Gadkari said what the Congress could not do in 60 years, the Mahayuti government has done in Nagpur and Maharashtra under the leadership of Fadnavis and PM Modi. Gadkari, who is a Lok Sabha member from the Nagpur constituency, said that development works of more than Rs 1 lakh crore were carried out in Nagpur in the last 10 years. "Maharashtra has got a very able leadership in the form of Fadnavis," he said, urging people to give the reins of the state in Fadnavis' hands again. (With inputs from PTI)
25 October,2024 03:01 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar said on Friday that the Mahayuti allies are still in talks over 11 of the 288 assembly seats for the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, reported news agency PTI. Pawar said that 10 per cent of the seats allotted to his party will be kept for minority candidates. "I have already announced some names. Discussions are on for 11 seats. We can't make everyone happy," said Pawar, who will face off with his nephew Yugendra Pawar of NCP (SP) on his home turf Baramati in the Pune district, reported PTI. The BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are constituents of the ruling Mahayuti coalition. Pawar was in Delhi on Thursday to hold discussions with the BJP leadership. The BJP has announced its first list of 99 candidates so far, while the NCP has brought out two lists declaring its nominees in 45 constituencies. The Shiv Sena has shared the names of 45 candidates, reported PTI. The Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 to the 288-member assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23. Maharashtra election 2024: Zeeshan Siddique, two former BJP MPs on NCP's second list The Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Friday released its second list, comprising seven candidates including MLA Zeeshan Siddique and two former BJP MPs, for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections 2024. Zeeshan had been suspended from Congress for cross-voting in the recent legislative council elections. His father and Congress veteran Baba Siddique had crossed over to the NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, earlier this year. Former BJP MP Pratap Chikhalikar, who lost the Lok Sabha polls from Nanded, has been nominated from Loha. BJP ex-MP Sanjay Kaka Patil, who unsuccessfully contested from Sangli in the general elections, has been given an NCP ticket. He also joined the party on Friday. Sanjay Kaka Patil will face off with NCP (SP) candidate Rohit Patil, son of late NCP leader R R Patil, in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal constituency in Sangli district. Nishikant Patil will take on NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil in Islampur, while Sana Malik, daughter of former minister Nawab Malik, has been nominated from Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai. NCP has given the ticket to Sunil Tingre from Wadgaon Sheri in Pune. It has picked Dnyaneshwar Katke from Shrirur. Until recently, Katke was the Pune district chief of the Uddhav Thackeray-led NCP (SP). Earlier, NCP had released its first list featuring 38 candidates. NCP, BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are the constituents of the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra. (With inputs from PTI)
25 October,2024 02:30 PM IST | Indapur | mid-day online correspondentThe Congress attacked the administration on Friday, claiming that inequality, wage stagnation, and inflation are "structurally corrosive" to India's long-term growth prospects. The party encouraged the government to confront the growing financialisation of the economy, reported PTI. According to the report, Congress General Secretary for Communications Jairam Ramesh stated that raising private investment as a percentage of GDP is critical for long-term economic growth. However, he stated that this percentage has decreased from 33.4 per cent between 2004 and 2014 to 28.7 per cent from 2014 to 2023. Ramesh mentioned an article by a public finance economist, which he said raised more issues. According to the article, passive income (including rent, dividends, and capital gains) now accounts for 24 per cent of total reported income, up from 16 per cent in 2016-17, the report added. Reportedly, The corporate sector's share of passive income has increased from 16.6 per cent in 2016-17 to 30.7 per cent in 2023-24, demonstrating a preference for financial investments over productivity-boosting physical investments. This shift, according to Ramesh, is attributable to low demand for products and services in the post-Covid recovery, which has mostly left the poor and middle classes behind. "For the corporate sector, the share of passive income (income outside of operating profits) increased from 16.6 per cent in 2016-17 to 30.7 per cent in 2023-24. This shift in capital gains indicates a shift in corporate preferences in favour of financial investments rather than productivity-raising physical investments," Ramesh said. He additionally said, "The cause of this shift away from physical investments is the muted demand for goods and services in the post-Covid recovery, which has largely left the poor and the middle classes behind." Ramesh said, "Inequality, wage stagnation, and inflation are not just political issues -- they are structurally corrosive to India's long-term growth prospects." "If not the opposition, the government must listen to its own chief economic advisor, who has himself raised alarm over the growing financialisation of the Indian economy," he said per the PTI report. Congress has regularly condemned the government's economic policies, notably those involving unemployment and price increases. Earlier this month, the party said that the previous decade has seen "highly detrimental economic trends," adding that while the monsoon has passed, "three dark clouds" - poor private investment, slow manufacturing, and declining real wages - remain over the Indian economy.
25 October,2024 02:18 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondentDiwali, also known as Deepavali or Festival of Lights, is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals across India. Marking the triumph of good over evil or the victory of light over darkness depicts Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya following his victory over Ravana and his 14-year Vanvaas. As it was the darkest night of the Hindu month of Kartik, the people of Ayodhya lit up the streets with earthen lamps to welcome him. The celebrations span five days, from the 13th day of the month of Ashvina to the second day of the month Karttika, according to the Hindu calendar. When is Diwali 2024? According to Drik Panchang, Diwali will be observed on October 31 this year. The festival commences with Dhanteras and concludes with Bhai Dooj, while others mark this day as Vishwakarma Puja. Lakshmi Puja is performed in all Indian states, during Amavasya. It marks the beginning of a fresh start and good fortune by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi and God Ganesha. During these five days, you would see families coming together, kids bursting firecrackers, neighbours distributing traditional Diwali sweets and people decorating their homes with lights, rangoli, diyas, and lanters and participating in various rituals in order to receive blessings. Here's the full calendar of the Diwali celebrations: Dhanteras - October 29 Dhanteras is the first day of the five-day celebration, where people buy idols of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh and Lord Kuber. On this day Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber are worshipped for health and prosperity in homes. People also decorate their vehicles and entrances of their homes with flowers and garlands. Choti Diwali - October 30 The celebration continues on the second day known as Choti Diwali or Naraka Chaturdashi, marking Lord Krishna's triumph against the demon Narakasura. Diwali and Lakshmi Puja - October 31 Diwali and Lakshmi Puja marks the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya along with Mata Sita, and Lakshman after defeating Ravana. On this day, people decorate their homes and perform Lakshmi and Ganesh puja in the evening. Govardhan Puja - November 2 Govardhan Puja is celebrated after Diwali and is dedicated to the Govardhan Parvat. Bhai Dooj - November 3 Bhai Dooj also known as Bhau Beej or Bhaiya Dooj is the last day of celebration, where the special bond between brothers and sisters is celebrated. Lakshmi Puja: Date and Shubh Muhurat The muhurat are for Mumbai Lakshmi puja muhurat - 06:57 pm to 08:36 pm on October 31,2024 Pradosh kaal - 06:05 PM to 08:36 PMVrishabha kaal - 06:57 PM to 08:56 PM Amavasya tithi begins - 03:52 PM on Oct 31, 2024 Amavasya tithi ends - 06:16 PM on Nov 01, 2024
25 October,2024 01:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA woman and son have been charged by Pune rural police with allegedly killing their beloved dog by hanging it from a tree in the Pirangut region of Mulshi tehsil, an official said on Thursday, reported PTI. The defendants, Prabhavati Jagtap and her son Omkar Jagtap were named in a complaint made by Padmini Stump, an animal rights activist who runs the Mission Possible Foundation, which houses canines. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had already highlighted the incident on social media, prompting Stump to file a police report, stated PTI report. According to senior inspector Santosh Girigosavi of the Paud Road police station, Prabhavati allegedly struck their pet Labrador with a stick on October 22 before her son Omkar hanged the dog from a tree. The mother and son have been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. “On October 22, Prabhavati allegedly assaulted their pet Labrador with a stick. Later, her son Omkar hanged the canine from a tree. We have booked them under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” Paud Road police station senior inspector Santosh Girigosavi said. Before the event, the family had contacted a Pimpri-based dog lover and requested that she take the dog. They later texted her a horrific image of the dog hanging from a tree, Stump told PTI. “But later, they sent a picture of the dog hanging from a tree. We rushed there and got an offence registered against them,” Stump said. She also mentioned that the family had taken the dog to the vet for several tests, including rabies. “Presuming that the pet had rabies, they might have killed it,” she said. Mumbai woman splashes acid on dog In a similar incident of animal cruelty, a woman from Mumbai seriously injured a dog living in her apartment complex by throwing acid at it. The caretaker of the dog, another resident of the building, had told mid-day that the woman looked after cats and believed that the dog, named Brownie, was harassing them and barking at them. The incident happened at Malwani Swapnapurti Society in Malad in August of this year, following which the Malwani police registered an FIR against the woman. The incident was recorded on CCTV cameras in the society where the accused woman, Sabista Suhail Ansari, 35, also resides.
25 October,2024 01:42 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentThe National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams on Friday started the restoration work by removing uprooted trees from the roads in Odisha's coastal district even though the landfall process of severe cyclonic storm Dana still continues, an official said to PTI. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said at 8:23 am that the "Landfall process continues and the rear sector of the cyclone is entering into the land. The landfall process would continue for the next 1-2 hours. The system is likely to move nearly northwestwards across the north Odisha and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm by the forenoon of October 25." The system is under continuous surveillance by the Doppler radar at Paradip. Suryabanshi Suraj, Odisha's Higher Education minister, who is currently in charge of the Bhadrak district claimed that there were no reports of any casualty in the district. "There is no report of any casualty. There has been massive damage to electrical installations due to tree falling. Roads are being cleared," the minister said to PTI. The NDRF and ODRAF teams started the restoration work despite strong winds and heavy rainfall in Bhadrak district's Dhamra area. As per PTI, the Tehsildar of Rajnagar in Kendrapada district, Ajay Mohanty claimed that there has been no major damage in the Bhitarkanika area except for the uprooting of a few trees and a few thatched houses being damaged. "The wind speed has substantially come down to 80 to 90 kmph, but the rain continues to lash the area," Mohanty said, adding that seawater has entered into some water bodies and low-lying areas during the tidal surge on Thursday night. Chandabali area in Bhadrak district received the highest rainfall of 131.6 mm during the last six hours followed by 42.8mm in Balasore, an official said. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the cyclone situation at the Special Relief Commissioner's office. The coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore and nearby Jagatsinghpur district saw a sudden increase in wind speed reaching 100 kmph to 110 kmph and extremely heavy rainfall during the landfall process. According to PTI, Bhubaneshwar's Biju Patnaik International Airport authorities have decided to resume operations after weather conditions improve. The airport had suspended flight operations on Thursday from 5 pm due to cyclone Dana's landfall process. The Indian Railways also cancelled more than two hundred trains as a result of the cyclone, PTI reported. (With inputs from PTI)
25 October,2024 11:40 AM IST | Bhubaneswar | mid-day online correspondentWelcome to Mid-Day's Top News at this hour! We bring you a curated selection of the most significant and compelling news from around the globe. Stay informed with the latest developments in the nation, Mumbai, entertainment, sports, and more. Let's dive into the headlines shaping our world today. Markets decline after initial rally amid sharp fall in IndusInd Bank, unabated foreign fund outflow Stock markets gave up early gains and were trading lower on Friday amid sharp fall in IndusInd Bank shares and relentless foreign fund outflows. The BSE Sensex climbed 130.56 points to 80,195.72 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went up by 36.9 points to 24,436.30. However, the selling pressure soon dragged both the indices down. The BSE benchmark traded 197.47 points lower at 79,875.03 and the Nifty quoted with a cut of 89.20 points at 24,310.20. NIA announces Rs 10 lakh bounty for arrest of Anmol Bishnoi, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's brother The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Anmol Bishnoi, brother of infamous gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Anmol has been named in two NIA cases filed in 2022 and is wanted for several criminal activities, making him a key target in the agency’s ongoing crackdown on organised crime. Read More How a gang of scrap dealers executed Baba Siddique murder The investigation into the murder of Baba Siddique is rapidly unfolding, revealing a complex web of conspirators and suspects. So far, 14 individuals have been arrested, with the Mumbai Crime Branch uncovering that a group of five scrap dealers played a crucial role in the crime, assisted by accomplices still on the run. Most of these dealers hail from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, and were working under Harish Nishad, a Pune-based scrap dealer with ties to key suspects in the case. Read more IND vs NZ 2nd Test: Sundar shines with stellar figures Last Saturday, when he slammed 152 for Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy game against Delhi in Delhi, a Test recall might have been the last thing on Washington Sundar’s mind. By Sunday night, news of his call-up for the second Test against New Zealand became official. On Tuesday afternoon, he joined up with his India colleagues for the first practice session ahead of the second game, and on Thursday evening, he conjured up his best figures in first-class cricket on Day One of the second Test at the MCA International Stadium. Read more We Are Faheem & Karun director Onir: ‘In spite of the judgment, acceptance is difficult’ In 2022, when the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had rejected the script of one of his feature films in the We Are anthology, a disappointed but resolute Onir had told mid-day, “If you tell an artiste no, he will still make the film” (May not have the resources to fight long legal battle, Jan 24, 2022). Two years on, the result is for all to see. The director is ready with We Are Faheem & Karun, a queer love story set against the turbulent backdrop of Kashmir. As the feature film, the first instalment in Onir’s We Are series, gears up for its première at the Dharamshala International Film Festival, Fire (1996) filmmaker Deepa Mehta has come on board as the presenter. Read more
25 October,2024 11:26 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDefence officials stated that the disengagement of troops of India and China has begun at two friction points in Demchok and Depsang Plains in the Eastern Ladakh sector, reported news agency ANI. Following recent agreements, Indian troops have begun relocating equipment to rear positions in these areas, said the officials. On October 21, India announced it had reached a consensus with China regarding patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), effectively ending a military standoff that has lasted for over four years. During an event in New Delhi on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised that both nations had agreed to restore the "ground situation" based on principles of mutual security. This includes restoration of "patrolling and grazing to traditional areas", he added. Singh attributed the progress in ties to the "power of engaging in continuous dialogue because, sooner or later, solutions will emerge", stated ANI. "India and China have been involved in talks both at diplomatic and military levels to resolve their differences in certain areas along the LAC. A broad consensus has been achieved to restore ground situation based on the principles of equal and mutual security," said the Defence Minister at the second Chanakya Defence Dialogue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday during the BRICS Summit in Russia, where they welcomed the newly reached agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. PM Modi reiterated that maintaining peace and stability along the border should be a priority for both nations and that mutual trust is essential for bilateral relations. He added that maintaining peace between the two nations is important not only for the people of the two nations but also for global peace, stability and progress. The border tensions between India and China began in 2020 due to aggressive military actions by China in eastern Ladakh, leading to significant strain in their relations. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the media following the BRICS summit, stating that during Modi's meeting with Xi, both leaders "welcomed the agreement reached between the two sides through sustained dialogue over the last several weeks in diplomatic as well as military channels." "PM Modi underscored the importance of not allowing differences on boundary-related matters to disturb peace and tranquillity on our borders. The two leaders noted that the special representatives on the India-China boundary question have a critical role to play in the resolution of the boundary question and for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas," the Foreign Secretary added. He asserted that "The restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas will create space for returning us towards the path of normalisation of our bilateral relations. Officials will now take the next steps to discuss enhancing strategic communication and stabilising bilateral relations by utilising the relevant official bilateral dialogue mechanisms, including at the level of our respective foreign ministers." External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also confirmed on October 22 that India has reached an agreement with China to restore patrolling arrangements along the LAC to pre-May 2020 conditions. (With inputs from ANI)
25 October,2024 11:21 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned six employees of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) for questioning in connection with a high-profile scam, according to sources. These employees have been called on separate dates for interrogation, which will be conducted at the ED's zonal office in Bengaluru. The employees have also been instructed to bring specific documents related to the case. The investigation stems from a case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which allows the ED to summon individuals for questioning and potentially seize assets during the probe. The focus of the investigation is on uncovering evidence related to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and several officials associated with him, as per ANI reports. This development comes after the ED lodged a money laundering case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, following a First Information Report (FIR) by the state Lokayukta. The FIR has caused significant political turbulence, with allegations surrounding the chief minister, his wife B.M. Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and a person named Devaraju, from whom Swamy purchased land that was later gifted to Parvathi. The involvement of the chief minister’s family has drawn considerable attention, and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been vocal in its demand for Siddaramaiah to step down from his role. Despite mounting pressure, Siddaramaiah has maintained his innocence, insisting that he is the victim of political vendetta. The Congress party has stood firmly behind him, and the chief minister has stated that he will not resign. The ED’s investigation follows serious accusations against the ruling leadership, and with the application of PMLA, the case is likely to see further scrutiny. As per ANI, the investigation is not just focused on tracing financial irregularities, but also on examining the relationships between key individuals involved in the land transactions. The ED’s move is part of a broader effort to uncover the extent of the alleged scam, and the summoned employees are expected to provide critical information as investigators continue to build their case. (With inputs from ANI)
25 October,2024 11:21 AM IST | New DelhiOdisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Friday that no casualties have been reported due to Cyclone Dana, which made landfall between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra coasts during the night of October 24-25. The Chief Minister emphasised that the government’s target of ‘zero casualty’ had been achieved, thanks to the vigilant efforts of the administration. He also confirmed that nearly 6 lakh people, including 6,000 pregnant women, had been evacuated to safer locations as a precautionary measure. While addressing the media, CM Majhi stated, “Cyclone Dana made landfall between the Bhitarkanika and Dhamra coasts. This process continued until 7:00 am today. Due to the proactive measures taken, there have been no reports of casualties. We successfully evacuated close to 6 lakh people, and 6,000 pregnant women were safely shifted to healthcare centres.” According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Dana began weakening into a deep depression following the landfall. In an update posted on X, the IMD reported that by 8:30 am, the cyclone had moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 10 km/h, centred about 30 km northeast of Bhadrak and 50 km north-northwest of Dhamra. The wind speed around the cyclone’s centre was recorded at 80-90 km/h, gusting up to 100 km/h. The IMD also mentioned that the landfall process had concluded, and the system was under continuous observation by the Doppler radar at Paradip. In the aftermath of the cyclone’s landfall, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has commenced restoration efforts in several affected areas, including Kendrapada, Bhadrak, and Jagatsinghpur. NDRF teams were engaged in clearing roads and removing uprooted trees in various villages around Dhamra. Inspector Vikram from the NDRF stated, “We have been deployed in Paradip, mainly focusing on clearing the entry routes to Nehru Bangla. Our teams have been working since 4:00 am, and fortunately, the cyclone’s impact has been moderate here.” Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj provided further updates, stating that while there has been significant disruption in terms of power outages, damage to houses, and the impact on agricultural land, no major flood-like situation has arisen. He added, “We evacuated 1 lakh people yesterday and are continuing to focus on restoration work across the affected areas.” Coastal Odisha, particularly regions like Bhadrak and Dhamra, experienced heavy rain, turbulent seas, and strong winds due to Cyclone Dana. Despite the challenging conditions, the government’s timely interventions helped minimise damage and ensure the safety of residents. (With inputs from ANI)
25 October,2024 11:13 AM IST | bhubaneswarADVERTISEMENT
