"People decades from now are going to be talking about this as a terribly historic milestone in the history of this country."
from Health Care https://ift.tt/3aF0uY1
via IFTTT
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Quota row: Panchamasali showcase their strength, hold huge rally in Bengaluru
Community seers led by Jaya Mrityunjaya Swamiji have now given Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa a new deadline of March 4 to fulfil their demand.
In a big show of strength, the Panchamasali sub-sect of the Lingayat community organised a mega rally on Sunday at Bengaluru’s Palace Grounds. Led by seers and sitting ministers of the government, the community is demanding that their existing reservation category be changed from 3B to 2A. The crowd moving into the venue put normal traffic movement out of gear as hundreds of community members made their way into the venue coming from 18 districts of the state. Sunday’s rally also brings an end to the 465 km march from Kudalasangama mutt in Bagalkot district to the state capital. Community seers led by Jaya Mrityunjaya Swamiji have now given Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa a new deadline of March 4 to fulfil their demand. Some supporters had also decided to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha. However they were stopped in their way by the police who convinced the community leaders to shift their protest site to Freedom Park. Ministers like CC Patil, Murgesh Nirani and senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal addressed the rally along with Congress leader Vijayanand Kashappanavar, who is incidentally the president of Panchamasali Mahasabha. Jaya Mrityunjaya Swamiji earlier this month had threatened to camp at the Vidhana Soudha until their demand is met. Some political experts have suggested that more than a social issue this is more of a political ploy to isolate BS Yediyurappa who was until now the undisputed leader of the entire Lingayat community. Mahadav Prakash, who was until recently the media advisor to CM had recently told TNM that the present 5% quota which they get under 3B category will be more than what they will get under 2A category as the 15% quota will be again subdivided by 101 castes--which will ultimately mean that they will get 2-3%. He had observed that this movement was a bid to boost the political clout of the Panchamsalis as they feel that they are underrepresented even though they are the largest sect among Lingayats. Prakash had cited the example of even out of eight Lingayat CMs are Banajiga (BS Yediyurappa belongs to this community).
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/37ytT4f
via IFTTT
Tiger suspected to have killed two people in Kodagu captured
“It is a tigress of around nine years old. She has an injury on her right paw,” a senior forest official said.
Screengrab
The tiger that is believed to have killed two people in Kodagu district in the past 24 hours, was captured by forest authorities on Sunday afternoon with the help of trained elephants. The tiger was put in a cage after trained shooters of the forest department sedated it with darts. “It is a tigress of around nine years old. She has an injury on her right paw. She was sedated and regained consciousness. Preliminary observation suggests the tigress is healthy,” Vijaykumar Gogi, senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife, told TNM. Read: Tiger kills woman in Kodagu, second such death within 24 hours “We have to assess the condition of the dentures and nature of her injury further to figure out why she had taken to killing humans. We will treat her paw first and then assess further if she can be released into the wild or not. Until then she will be kept at a rehabilitation facility within the Nagarhole forest,” he added. He suggested that given the tiger’s age and health condition, it is unlikely she will be let out in the wild again. On Sunday morning, a woman of around 60 was mauled to death by a tiger when she was at a field to answer nature’s call in the wee hours. The same tiger is suspected to have killed a 14-year-old boy on Saturday night when he went out to fetch some firewood. Kodagu, located in Western Ghats, is a tourist hotbed and has been witnessing incidents of human-tiger conflict in recent months. Incidents of cattle falling prey to tigers have also come to light recently. Conservationists suggest that recurrence of these events are increasing day by day due to degradation of habitat of wild animals, increased encroachment of forests and cutting off the migration path of wild animals due to road and rail projects.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3sbYFHS
via IFTTT
Facebook political ad ban blocks pro-vaccine messages
That’s led some public health experts to question if Facebook can be a viable forum for information on the pandemic.
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2ZzyMW2
via IFTTT
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2ZzyMW2
via IFTTT
Railway historian unravels mystery behind rundown locomotive in Bengaluru park
Speaking at an event organised by Heritage Beku, TR Raghunandan said the locomotive in the park was first brought to India in the 1960s for the Gwalior Light Railway.
Nestled under the canopy of trees in Bengaluru’s Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park lies an old locomotive. Seen as a piece of junk by the common public, no one realised that this was an old gem rusting away until five months ago. A social media post led TR Raghunandan, a former government employee and railway historian, to take an interest in the engine and start researching it. Raghunandan revealed this when speaking at a small event organised by Heritage Beku, a citizens’ group aimed at preserving the city’s heritage. Officials from the state Horticulture Department and the Railways were also in attendance. “I’ve been working closely with the National Rail Museum and was conducting research on other locomotives in the city when I happened to see a picture posted by a friend on social media. That piqued my interest and I began researching this engine,” the railway historian recounted. After carefully scraping the tender [coal-car] of the engine, he stumbled upon the number 812 inscribed with paint, which was now fading. In addition to the number, the fact that the engine is narrow-gauge intrigued him to dive deeper to find more answers. The research “I’ve had a fated relationship with railways ever since I was a kid. During my youth, I’d devoted a lot of time towards studying rail engines. I knew right off the bat that this locomotive was special. I started to dive deeper into the locomotive manuals I had and came to the park often to study the locomotive, which led me to the Gwalior Light Railway,” Raghunandan said. The locomotive was built specially to suit semi-arid regions and the longest existing narrow-gauge railway line in present-day India can be seen in Gwalior, he added. Digging into the fairly well-maintained archives, the historian found that the engine was first brought to India during the 1960s for the Gwalior Light Railway. Studying old photos of locomotives similar to the NH/5 class, helped him, he said. However, the quest to find the manufacturer of the engine still remained. The quest in different countries In a bid to learn about the manufacturer of the engine, Raghunandan travelled across countries and continents. His search extended to different places in countries such as the US, Japan and the United Kingdom. “In the UK, I met a person who had taken a photograph of the locomotive 811 in London. I got as much information from him as I could. The model seemed like an American one but uncertainty still lingered. After multiple difficult attempts, I finally found some archival documentation done by Hugh Hughes on the locomotives in India,” added Raghunandan. The four-volume book series finally gave him the answers. He found out that the engine was manufactured by Japanese firm Nippon Sharyo in the year 1959 unlike his inference that it’d been manufactured by Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, USA. “We’re of the same age,” Raghunandan quipped, as he was born in 1959. The locomotive also has its fair share of history, he said, before letting Kannabiran, who was involved in the building of the park, speak about the engine. The journey of the locomotive Kannabiran recalled that it was in 1995 that the then Railway Minister CK Jaffer Sharief helped them procure the Japanese locomotive, which had been operational in Gwalior, for the park. This and similar locomotives were stored in Lucknow and Varanasi after they were replaced by broad-gauge engines. “We wanted something to commemorate the contributions of Minister Jaffer Sharief [who represented the Bengaluru North constituency], and one way was to install a historic locomotive in the park. We contacted South Western Railway, who informed us about all the engines stored in Varanasi. We travelled there and selected the engine that we see in this park,” Kannabiran said. The locomotive had become an object of marvel, he reminisced while talking about how children would rush to the park during holidays just to see the locomotive emit smoke after they put in coal. The fascination inspired them to come experiment with it, he said. But now the engine is sadly in a battered condition and in need of restoration. Restoration The Horticulture Department, which manages the park, the Railways and Heritage Beku have now teamed up in hopes of restoring the engine to its original glory. Raghunandan will be assisting in the restoration process, said Priya Chetty Rajagopal, a member of Heritage Beku. “We have support from the department but they have their constraints too. We wanted to start a public drive where the citizens of the city assist in the restoration work apart from the officials,” Priya added. Raghunandan added that the locomotive will weather away further if its restoration is not started soon, with the city losing another structure with a rich heritage. He urged the public to come forward and help with the engine’s restoration.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3aF0pmZ
via IFTTT
Bengaluru’s HRBR Layout residents complain of muddy, smelly tap water
A BWSSB official told TNM that a 1,000-millimetre water line got damaged that let some silt to seep into the water system.
On Friday evening, residents of HRBR Layout in Bengaluru were shocked and worried when they saw muddy water after opening the taps. Some residents have complained that water in the area is never crystal clear but on that particular day, some foul smell was also emanating from the water. When they inspected the underground sumps and tanks, they were even shocked, as the water was greenish-brown. When the residents raised the issue with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the officials allegedly said that it can be used for all purposes except for drinking. The officials then allegedly asked the residents to “please adjust.” Speaking to TNM, Syed Asif, an RTI activist and a resident of HRBR layout, said, “When we noticed that the water was brown, we enquired with our neighbours, who also had the same issue. When I complained to the BWSSB, an official told me that it is absolutely safe to use for anything except for drinking. When I took a bath, I immediately started developing rashes all over my body. When I apprised the officials of this issue once again, they asked me to get the sump cleaned and said the next round of water supply will be clean.” Several residents have been worried to use the water and have been using the 20-litre mineral water bubble top cans. Another resident Sanober Begum said, “I have two children and I am scared to use the water. We haven't bathed and washed clothes and vessels since Friday. We have been buying water cans to wash our faces.” Rajkumar Puddar, a businessman who runs a restaurant in HRBR Layout, complained that he faced major losses due to this issue. “Since Friday, we have not been using the tap water even for washing hands. As a result, we had to spend on purchasing 15 bubble top cans of mineral water, each costing Rs 30, for cooking and washing hands and vessels. Besides, the resulting delay has led to a loss of over Rs 20,000.,” he said, adding, “The officials said there is nothing to worry but I strongly suspect that it has some sewage contamination. What else could cause the foul smell?” The officials, however, said that the issue has already been resolved. Chennabasavaiah, the Assistant Executive Engineer in BWSSB for the area, told TNM, “First, it was not exactly mud but was just a little silt. On Wednesday, a 1,000-millimetre line got damaged that let some silt to seep into the water system. It has now been repaired and clean water will be supplied. The residents need not worry. If they let the water sit for about two hours, the silt will settle and it can be used.” The HRBR residents are still unsure if the problem has been resolved as they are yet to clean their sumps. Until then, residents continue to rely on bubble top cans.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3pDHH3t
via IFTTT
Tiger kills woman in Kodagu, second such death within 24 hours
A tiger killed a 16-year-old boy on Saturday night at a farm that is less than two kilometres away from the site of Sunday’s tragedy.
Representational image
Karnataka’s Kodagu district reported its second death due to a tiger attack on Sunday, in a span of 24 hours. A woman, who was a coffee estate plantation worker, was mauled to death by a tiger when she was at a field to answer nature’s call in the wee hours of Sunday. The woman was around 60 years old. In the first incident, a 16-year-old boy named Aiyappa, who was the son of another plantation worker, was killed by a tiger on Saturday night in a farm less than two kilometres away from the site of Sunday’s tragedy. He was attacked by the tiger when he went out to fetch some firewood. Residents in the area found his mortal remains devoured by the tiger. Due to the proximity of the two accident sites, district and forest officials are not ruling out the possibility that the same tiger was behind the two attacks. A team of forest officials, along with trained elephants, are currently carrying out a combing operation to find the tiger. “Our forest officials are on the ground both on foot and on elephants, trying to track and trace the tiger. We are following the standard operating procedures for capturing tigers. We firmly believe that the same tiger is behind the two incidents. We are also trying to control the crowd, which is naturally anxious over the two incidents,” Vijaykumar Gogi, senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife, told TNM. “Without capturing the big cat, it is not possible to ascertain if the same tiger was behind the two attacks and also why it is attacking humans. We will study the animal once it is captured and decide if we will let it out again into the wild or rehabilitate it in a zoo-like institution,” he added. Both incidents have been reported from Ponnampet taluk of the hilly district, which is usually thronged by tourists across the state and outside. The taluk and other parts of south Kodagu have witnessed incidents of human-tiger conflict in recent months. Incidents of cattle falling prey to wild tigers have also come to light recently. Conservationists blame the recurrance of these incidents due to degrading habitats.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3sr13uH
via IFTTT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)