Botulism kills migratory birds at Sambhar lake
A video of migratory bird deaths:
Thousands of migratory birds of about ten species were found dead around Sambhar Lake, the country’s largest inland saltwater lake near Jaipur, sending shock waves among locals and authorities.
Officials said they suspect water contamination as one of the reasons for the deaths but were awaiting viscera test reports. Though the official toll was 1,500, locals claimed the number of dead birds could be as high as 5,000.
A preliminary forensic report has indicated that the mysterious death of more than 4,800 migratory birds at the country’s largest inland water saltwater lake near Jaipur was caused by botulism, a serious and fatal illness that affects the nerves, officials said on Friday.
November 16, 2019
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Sri Lankan Presidential election: Key contenders and issues
Sri Lanka is holding its third Presidential election since the end of a decades-long civil war in 2009. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was President during the last phase of the civil war won a second term in 2010. Maithripala Sirisena won in 2015. He is however not seeking re-election.
A total of 35 candidates have been accommodated in the ballot. There are two clear frontrunners in the November 16 Presidential elections.
One is Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of the SLPP who served as Defence Minister under his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The other is the current Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa of the United National Party (UNP) the son of a former President who was assassinated by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber in 1993.
The election comes seven months after Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people. Voters are using two predominant lenses this poll season. One, based on their suffering during the civil war years. The other, is the lens of the local, communal contradiction.
November 16, 2019
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Meet Chinnaponnu, an abandoned dog who is now assisting RPF personnel
Chinnaponnu, an abandoned pet dog has made Chennai Park Railway Station her home for over two years now. And she has become famous as a railway volunteer, assisting the Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel in warning those illegally crossing the railway tracks and those travelling footboard.
When some passengers discreetly attempt to cross the tracks behind the back of the policemen on duty, she barks and alerts them. She also makes sure that none travels on footboard during her ‘watch’.
“She is not a trained dog but after watching us warning and gesturing against passengers dangerously crossing railway tracks and travelling footboard, Chinnaponnu has learnt the drill. As we do our duty, she joins us and does her ‘duty’,” says RPF head constable G.C.D. Chiranjeevi.
November 15, 2019
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Hyderabad's new adventure dining space
One hundred and sixty feet in the air is no joke. There’s a distinct chill in the wind, the kind that bites in November and December.
But the view, level with the eighth floor of a nearby building, is pretty. The strip of Hitec City Road curving around Shilparamam Cultural Centre flashes with irate commuters eager to get home. Late-night workers’ offices emanate a glow through the mesh-like structure of Cyber Towers. The nearby flyover, brought to colourful life by artist Delphine Delas, resembles a ribbon.
This is the view from one’s strapped-in position at Dinner In The Clouds by Cloud Dining. The team behind this project comprises managing director Devi Dutt Koli as well as directors Tarun Koli and Gurdeep Singh. Dinner In The Clouds took its first official ascent on November 1, thankfully after the rainy season closed off.
November 15, 2019
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Venice is flooding
The Italian city of Venice has been hit by 'apocalyptic floods' Mayor Luigi Brugnaro declared a state of emergency on November 13 when water levels reached 1.87 meters (6 feet) above sea level. It was the highest level since the record 194 cm set in 1966.
The current flooding is due to a combination of high spring tides and a meteorological storm surge driven by strong winds blowing north-eastwards across the Adriatic Sea.
More than 80% of Venice was under water when the tide was at its highest.
A flood barrier, Mose, was designed in 1984 to protect Venice from high tides. Mose is a hydraulic barrier system to shut off the lagoon in the event of rising sea levels and winter storms. It was originally expected to start operating in 2011. The city now expects it to be functioning in 2021.
November 15, 2019
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A background to the Naga accord
A video of how did the Naga issue start?
The Naga Hills became part of British India in 1881. The effort to bring scattered Naga tribes together resulted in the formation of the Naga Club in 1918, which told the Simon Commission in 1929 “to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times”. The club metamorphosed into the Naga National Council (NNC) in 1946. Under the leadership of Angami Zapu Phizo, the NNC declared Nagaland as an independent State on August 14, 1947, and conducted a “referendum” in May 1951 to claim that 99.9% of the Nagas supported a “sovereign Nagaland”. On March 22, 1952, Phizo formed the underground Naga Federal Government (NFG) and the Naga Federal Army. The government of India sent in the Army to crush the insurgency and, in 1958, enacted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The insurrection petered out by the mid 1970s but returned with more intensity in the form of the NSCN led by Mr. Muivah and S.S. Khaplang.
November 14, 2019
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Rafale case review petitions dismissed: highlights
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the review petitions against its verdict in the Rafale deal on grounds that they lacked merit, reiterating its clean chit to the Modi government in the fighter jet agreement with French firm Dassault Aviation.
The apex court also rejected the contention that there was need to register an FIR in connection with the Rs 58,000 crore deal.
The pleas had sought re-examination of the apex court’s December 14, 2018 verdict that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
“We find the review petitions are without any merit,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said.
The rejection of review petitions is tantamount to the apex court giving a second clean chit to the Modi government.
November 14, 2019
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Free laddu distribution at Madurai Meenakshi Temple
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami inaugurated a free laddu distribution scheme at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, on Friday via video-conferencing.
District Collector T.G. Vinay, who was present during the inaugural function, said that free laddus will be distributed throughout the day to all devotees after darshan. “Around 70 lakh devotees visit the temple annually and on an average 20,000 devotees visit the temple every day. From Friday, free laddus will be distributed to all devotees,” he said.
The temple had procured a machine, at a cost of ₹4 lakh, to make laddus, said ‘Thakkar’ Karumuttu T. Kannan. With each laddu weighing 30 grams, the machine can produce up to 2,000 laddus each hour. A total of 11 workers have been deployed to prepare the laddus. The laddus will be distributed to devotees through two counters at the sanctum sanctorum of Goddess Meenakshi.
November 13, 2019
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How the Kartarpur Corridor came into existence
The first batch of Indian pilgrims travelled to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan on the Kartarpur Corridor, opened on November 9, 2019. This comes almost 20 years after the idea was proposed.
February 1999
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee proposed the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor when he took a bus ride to Lahore as a part of a peace initiative with Pakistan.
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Pakistan then agreed to allow Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the shrine visa-free (and without passport) by constructing a bridge in Pakistan from the Indian side of the border to the shrine.
August 2018
The then Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu who attended Pakistan PM Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony said that Pakistan would open the corridor on Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary.
November 2018
The Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to the Pakistan border was approved by India's Cabinet. While Pakistani PM Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the corridor on the Pakistan side.
November 2019
Indian PM Modi flagged off the first batch of 562 Indian pilgrims including Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
November 13, 2019
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All about the project to redevelop Lutyens Delhi
The Central government is redeveloping the three-km-long Central Vista and Parliament. A common Central secretariat will be constructed for all ministries that are currently spread over many buildings across Delhi. The project is estimated at a cost of Rs. 229.75 crores.
The CPWD selected a Gujarat-based architecture firm HCP Design as a consultant. The winning design by HCP would be published online. Public consultations would be held before the plan is finalised.
The Parliament House and the North and South Blocks were built by the British between 1911 and 1931. Post-1947, the government of independent India added office buildings such as Shastri Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan and Nirman Bhavan. While the British-built buildings are not earthquake-proof the buildings that came up after 1947 are prone to fires.
The new buildings are expected to have a lifespan of 150 to 200 years. They would be energy-efficient and modern workspaces.
The Parliament House and North and South Blocks will not be demolished, but their usage may change. The rest of the buildings that came up post-1947, including Shastri Bhavan and Krishi Bhavan, are likely to be demolished.
According to the government’s deadlines, the new Parliament has to be ready by March 2022 the 75th year of India’s Independence.
November 10, 2019
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Ayodhya verdict: highlights
A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on November 9 delivered its judgment in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute.
In a unanimous decision, the five-Judge Bench allotted the disputed land for the construction of a temple. The Sunni Waqf Board will be given five acres of alternative land in a suitable, prominent place in Ayodhya.
It ordered the Centre to formulate a scheme under the Ayodhya Act 1993 within three months to set up a Trust for temple construction and hand over the inner and outer courtyard of the disputed land.
Till the Trust is formed, the ownership of the site will rest with the Centre.
The Bench dismissed the Shia Wakf Board's petition claiming the disputed site belonged to them.
The suit filed by Nirmohi Akhara for sherbaiti rights has been time barred and hence dismissed. The court said the Akhara might be made a part of the Trust.
The court upheld the belief of Hindus that Lord Ram was born at the disputed site in Ayodhya. It also upheld that the mosque was neither abandoned nor seceded by the Muslims.
The court however said the mosque was not built on a vacant land citing the findings of the Archaeological Survey of India.
November 09, 2019
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Meet Pollachi's artisans
When travel magazine, Pollachi Papyrus, came out with its first edition in 2014, founder/editor Pravin Shanmughanandam was flooded with requests from readers to experience what he had featured.
Keen on promoting the town’s culture, food and wildlife, in 2015, Shanmughanandam began organising customised tours to the town’s artisanal hubs. The Papyrus Itineraries has since hosted over 2,500 tourists across 250 tours.
The tours have a carrying capacity, as he believes “tourism shouldn’t be the primary mode of employment for the artisans, so that their art doesn’t lose value. If we don’t protect them, they can get exploited”.
November 08, 2019
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Biodegradable and toxin-free sanitary napkins for sustainable menstruation
Eighteeen-year-old Ishana Ismail, an entrepreneur from Coimbatore, makes cotton bio-degradable and toxin-free sanitary napkins. Manufactured in her company under the brand name Ana Cloth Pads, they will soon be available on Amazon and Flipkart.
Ishana enlists the help of women tailors in her neighbourhood who make a living out of stitching Ana cloth pads. “I was shocked when I read about the health hazards posed by disposable napkins. These products are made of more than 90 percent plastic with super absorbent polymers and non-woven plastic components. Chemicals like dioxin, and pesticides and other endocrine disruptors go into their making making it bad for both the environment and women’s health.”
“I saw YouTube videos on how to make a cloth pad. I made one for personal use,” says the youngster who runs a boutique Ana Creations where she designs and stocks lehengas, blouses, frocks, kurtas and other ready made fabrics.
For students, it is offered at a subsidised price. To know more, call: 94889-70671
November 06, 2019
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Why are Delhi Police protesting?
Lawyers and police clashed at the Tis Hazari court complex on November 2, 2019 over a parking dispute. Police officers and lawyers sustained injuries in the incident and several vehicles were damaged.
Two days later, a video surfaced, in which a few lawyers can be seen thrashing a policeman at Saket Court.
Delhi Police officers, including the constabulary, are now protesting against the attack on their colleague. They gathered outside the Delhi Police headquarters, holding placards asking for justice. The families of protesting police personnel are also participating.
November 05, 2019
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Stubble burning M S Swaminathan's solution
The stubble burning around Delhi and neighbouring States have become so worse in the past few days that farmers in these States are being blamed for their act. But, eminent agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan says blaming the farmers would offer no solution. Instead, set up rice bioparks, says Swaminathan, which could generate employment and cattle feed
November 05, 2019
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Delhi can't breathe
Delhi is choking again. The air quality of Delhi had reached 999 in certain parts of the city this Deepavali season which is 'severe', according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
The level of deadly respirable particles PM2.5 was almost seven times (418 ug/m3) the safe limit (60 ug/m3).
The city is at the mercy of the increase in wind speed which has helped reduce the impact of a smog post-Diwali
The Delhi government announced that all schools in the Capital would be closed till November 5.
The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority said that pollution in Delhi required emergency measures as it posed a health risk.
‘Severe’ air quality can cause respiratory problems in even healthy people and has a serious health impact on those suffering from lung or heart diseases
November 04, 2019
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Coimbatore Railway Station becomes visually challenged-friendly
With the installation of Braille information boards and Braille-embossed handrails on November 1, Coimbatore Railway Station becomes the first railway station under Southern Railway to become visually challenged-friendly.
Coimbatore also earns the distinction of being the fourth station under the Railways to become visually challenged-friendly following Mysuru, Bengaluru stations in Karnataka and Borivali station in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
A railway official said on Saturday that two Braille master boards – one at the main entrance and the second in the back entrance near Information Centre – have been installed, which lays out the blueprint of the railway station for the visually challenged passengers. Apart from these, the offices and amenities such as taps and toilets in the railway station have been fitted with Braille boards.
November 04, 2019
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Do mobile phones cause insomnia
Is your mobile phone the last thing you look at before you go to sleep? This can affect the quality of your sleep According to a study conducted by NIMHANS, Bengaluru, excessive use of mobile phone during bed time adversely affects the quality of sleep.
The study says, mobile phone usage around bedtime has become an "unstructured leisure activity during night time" with no fixed stopping point.
Among those who used phones before going to bed, 72.4% had poor sleep quality. Among those who do not keep their mobile phones beside them, only 8.89 -12.38 % reported poor sleep. 65.5% of the respondents — more men than women — kept their mobile phone nearby while sleeping.
While men, particularly students, used several game apps, female undergraduate students turned to multimedia applications and social networking sites.
November 03, 2019
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Assam uses drone to trace killer elephant
Human-elephant conflicts have claimed the lives of 25 elephants and 30 humans in Assam this year. The Assam government has formed an eight-member panel to study an elephant that reportedly killed five persons in Goalpara district in 36 hours. Led by Chief Conservator of Forests (Lower Assam Division) Akash Deep Baruah the team traced the problematic elephant in Satabari RF of Goalpara Division on November 1. For the first time in Assam, the team has used a drone to trace a problematic animal inside a forest area.
November 02, 2019
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Winter session of Parliament: What's in store?
A video of the winter session of Parliament
The winter session of Parliament will begin on November 18 and end on December 13. The 20-day session is the first after the dilution of Article 370 and the complete shutdown of Jammu and Kashmir. The government, for the first time in six years, is comfortably placed in the Rajya Sabha. With a fractured Opposition and numbers in its favour, the Upper House will not be much of a hurdle for the government in this session.
It is a far shorter session than the norm. In the past, the winter sessions have gone on till Christmas.
November 01, 2019
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During a protest by BJP workers against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's comments on the Rafale issue, the party's Delhi general secretary Kuljeet Chahal gets caught in between the protesters and the police in the national capital. 📷: Sandeep Saxena
#arvindkejriwal #bjp #delhi #bjpdelhi #rafale
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Aquatic farm workers harvest water chestnuts in the outskirts of Bihar and Chandigarh.
Water chestnuts are a common Asian culinary ingredient used in a variety of ways, either in stir-fried dishes, or as dumpling filling or in desserts. It is not a nut at all, but rather the edible root of an aquatic plant that grows in ponds, marshes and lakes and is native to Southeast Asia.
Fun fact: Water chestnuts are a healthy food option as they are fat-free and sodium-free. They are known to have cooling and detoxifying properties, and are considered good for people suffering from jaundice. | 📸 Ranjeet Kumar and Akhilesh Kumar
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📸 Ritu Raj Konwar
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A very rare species of small, deer-like animal thought to be on the verge of extinction has been spotted in the northwestern jungle of Vietnam for the first time in nearly 30 years. Known as the Silver-backed Chevrotain or Mouse deer, a specimen was last recorded in 1990, according to a study published on November 11 in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.
Click the link in bio for the story. | 📷 AFP
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Devotees gathered on the banks of the Ganga in Patna to take a dip in the holy river on the occasion of 'Kartik Purnima'. Kartik Purnima, or the night of the full moon in the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar, falls 15 days after Diwali, the night of Kartik Amavasya. | 📸 Ranjeeth Kumar
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#Mamallapuram gets a second wind
Mamallapuram has been famous from the time it was a port town under King Narasimhavarman 1 (known as Mamallan or ‘wrestler’) of the Pallava dynasty in 700 AD. This seaside town on the Bay of Bengal, located some 60 km from Chennai, has been a world heritage site since 1984. And now, after Prime Minister #NarendraModi and Chinese President #XiJinping chose it as the venue for their second informal summit, the town has been pushed into the limelight like never before.
Click the link in bio for more from the photo feature. | 📷 Shaju John
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#tamilnadu #tourism #shoretemple
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Farmers participate in a bullock cart race as part of the Bheemili Utsav organised by #AndhraPradesh Tourism Development Corporation in Bhimunipatnam in #Visakhapatnam
The two-day utsav is focussed on developing tourism in the historic town of Bheemili. 📷 : K.R. Deepak
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In a landmark judgment, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court laid the foundation for the construction of a temple on the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi site, where the 16th-century Babri Masjid complex stood before it was demolished by kar sevaks on December 6, 1992. The Muslims should be given five acres of land in a “suitable and prominent place”, the SC said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other Cabinet Ministers, and various political parties, have called for restraint in the wake of the verdict. | 📷 PTI
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#babrimasjid #ayodhya #ayodhyaverdict
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A group of Pied Hornbill arrive to feed on bananas at the Mayong village in Morigaon, Assam.
According to experts, the main factors contributing to a healthy habitat for the bird are the presence of semi and evergreen riverine forests, fruit-bearing trees and undisturbed ecology. As a frugivorous bird, pied hornbill also play an ecological role in the dispersal of fruit seeds. Germination capacity of the seeds also increases as they are dispersed through droppings. | 📸 Ritu Raj Konwar
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#assam #morigaon #ecology #birds #piedhornbill
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A few tourists enjoy the first of many snowfalls in Gulmarg, Kashmir.
The winter chill has set in early this year in the Valley as the maximum temperature during the last couple of days has settled a couple of degrees below normal for this time of the season. The change in weather normally brings cheers to the faces of the people associated with tourism but this time they have their fingers crossed in view of the prevailing restrictions in the valley in the wake of dilution of Article 370. | 📷 Nissar Ahmad .
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#kashmir #tourism #snowfall #gulmarg
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A flock of pigeons feast on grain as the quality of air touches severe category in New Delhi.
Did you know? The rearing of such large flocks throughout history have left our cities infested with these feral birds. Pigeons are no longer wild species of birds. Feeding them, trading them and often releasing them is what disturbs the delicate ecological balance. There are dedicated feeding stations spread across the city,with shops selling pigeon feed coming up right next to them. Everything from corn and rice to leftover food, even cake and cookies, is fed. This makes the birds highly dependent on human beings for survival, changes their eating habits drastically, and killing their natural instinct to forage for food (they are grain-and and fruit eating). | 📷 R.V. Moorthy
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Cold storage: People living on the outskirts of Guwahati carrying firewood to be stored for winter.
Winter in Assam begins from November and lasts till February. Winter is also the season favourable for tourists to enjoy the green landscape of the State. | 📸 Ritu Raj Konwar .
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#assam #winter #northeast
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