The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has completed the first twin tunnel breakthrough as part of its Phase-IV construction works, an official statement said. With the twin tunnels stretching approximately 3 kilometres, it is the longest built under this phase of the project, the statement read. According to the official statement, the two tunnel boring machines (TBMs), named Bhoomi and Srishti, emerged simultaneously at Pulbangash Metro Station on Wednesday, marking the completion of the twin tunnels connecting Derawal Nagar to Pulbangash on the Janakpuri West-R K Ashram corridor, an extension of the Magenta line. "Both TBMs were successfully retrieved at Pulbangash Metro Station on Wednesday, in just over 14 months, covering a length of approximately 2,997 metres, at an average rate of 8.2 metres per tunnel per day. This is also the longest tunnelling drive (almost 3 km) in DMRC’s Phase IV works," the statement said. The event was attended by Dharmendra, Chief Secretary of Delhi, and Dr. Vikas Kumar, Managing Director of DMRC. Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director of Corporate Communications at DMRC, expressed pride in the accomplishment and reiterated the organization’s commitment to delivering safe and efficient transport infrastructure for the residents of Delhi. "Afcons is executing the DC-05 package that includes six underground stations, tunnelling of 14.4km including crossover, 10 cross passages, and 170m open and underground ramp. Today 3 km of twin tunnelling has been completed from Derawal Nagar to Pulbangash," the company said in a statement. The twin tunnels were excavated at a depth of 14-15 meters, passing through densely populated areas such as Rana Pratap Bagh and Punjabi Basti Colony, and crossing beneath the Najafgarh drain, a structurally sensitive zone. Despite the challenges of tunnelling through submerged water conditions and navigating the under-construction Ghanta Ghar station, no damage was caused to any structures, it said in the statement. The tunnels, with an internal diameter of 5.8 metres, feature six cross passages which will connect the two for passenger safety. The civil work for this section was carried out by the contractor, M/s Afcons. The deployment of TBM Bhoomi began on June 18, 2023, and TBM Srishti followed on August 19, 2023. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 September,2024 10:57 PM IST | New Delhi | PTISeventy-six schools in the rural areas of Patna district were closed for three days as the water level of the Ganga crossed the danger mark on Wednesday, according to a notification. The decision was taken for the safety of students and teachers, it said. "Total 76 government schools in eight blocks of Patna district will remain closed till September 21, 2024, in view of the rising trend of water level in the Ganga river," said the notification issued by District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh. A teacher of a government school fell into the Ganga near Patna last month and got swept away by the strong currents. The Ganga was flowing above the danger mark at Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah and Digha Ghat, according to a statement issued by the district administration. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 September,2024 10:45 PM IST | Patna | PTITwo constables of the local intelligence unit (LIU) were attacked allegedly by a group of intoxicated people involved in a dispute at a tea stall during the Ganesh idol immersion festivities at Gokul Barrage, police said on Wednesday. Seven of the attackers were apprehended at the scene by police who responded to the incident. A search is underway for additional suspects, they said. Senior Superintendent of Police Shailesh Kumar Pandey said, "Head constable Sumit Singh and constable Gaurav Kumar who were monitoring the immersion event, were dressed in plain clothes and witnessed the altercation." "Their efforts to mediate were met with aggression from the intoxicated group, leading to a physical assault. Sumit Singh sustained a head injury, and both constables were subjected to verbal abuse," he added. Deputy Superintendent of Police Bhushan Verma arrived with reinforcements and arrested seven accused. However, some individuals managed to flee. The injured Sumit Singh was rushed to a hospital for treatment, SSP said. All those arrested were charged with assault, rioting, and disturbing the peace. They were subsequently sent to jail. The police are actively pursuing the remaining suspects involved in the incident, SSP added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 September,2024 10:00 PM IST | Mathura (UP) | PTIA 65-year-old woman was reportedly killed by a tiger in the buffer zone of Pench Reserve in Maharashtra's Nagpur district following which the angry villagers attacked the forest officials, an official said on Wednesday, according to the PTI. The woman identified as Nita Kumbhare was killed by a tiger on Tuesday evening, stated a release issued by Prabhu Nath Shukla, Deputy Director of Pench Forest Reserve, according to the PTI. The PTI reported, the incident set off an angry reaction from the locals of Jhinjhiriya village, which led to the attack on the forest department personnel who had rushed to the spot after the woman was killed on Tuesday evening. The forest officials later held a meeting with the locals and assured them that the tiger in the prowl will be captured, as per the PTI. “When officers and staff of the forest department reached the spot they were attacked by the angry villagers, leaving some forest guards injured”, senior police and forest officers held a meeting with villagers and pacified them, an official said, the news agency reported on Wednesday. Shukla further said that an assistance of Rs 5 lakh was immediately given to the family of the deceased and the remaining amount of compensation will be released soon. He said a team of forest department personnel is patrolling the region to trace and capture the tiger, the PTI reported. In an another incident, last month, four people were injured in a tiger attack in Khairthal-Tijara district after the animal strayed out of Rajasthan's Sariska National Park on Thursday, officials had said, reported the PTI. The injured were admitted to hospitals and forest department teams are trying to tranquilise the tiger 'ST 2303' that entered the farms near Darbarpur village, Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma said, as per the PTI. Darbarpur village development officer said that the movement of the tiger was tracked near a government school and locals have been asked to restrict from going to the area in view of the threat of tiger attack. A team is camping in the area to tranquilise the tiger while another team has been called from Jaipur, Sharma said. According to a local, villagers working in farms spotted a tiger which created panic and nearly 100 people gathered and started tracking the tiger. (with PTI inputs)
18 September,2024 08:13 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentCongress chief Mallikarjun Kharge reacted to the high-level committee report on ‘One nation, one election’ on Wednesday and said that the idea is “not practical." He also blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party government for diverting attention from real issues, reported PTI. Kharge’s remarks came after the proposal of 'One nation, one election' was approved before the Union Cabinet. At a press conference, Kharge said, "It is not practical. It will not work. When elections come, and they are not getting any issues to raise, then they divert attention from real issues." The 'One nation, one election' report was submitted to the Union Cabinet in March ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections. The proposal was submitted by a panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, PTI reported. The Union Cabinet approved the ‘One nation, one election’ plan on Wednesday, moving the country closer to holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. The bill allowing for simultaneous polling is expected to be tabled during the next winter session of Parliament, stated media reports. According to a news report, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 'One nation, one election' is to be carried out in two phases, emphasising that the proposal was embraced by large number of parties. "Over 80 per cent of the respondents supported simultaneous polls. The opposition parties may face pressure from within to support it," Vaishnaw said While National Democratic Alliance's allies like Janata Dal (United) and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party has supported the plan, Opposition parties such Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) still stand opposed to the idea of simultaneous polls, claiming that it will favour the ruling party at the Centre. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress lawmaker Derek O'Brien called the approval of the report as a “cheap stunt” from the Union Government, reported PTI. “Why were the Maharashtra elections not announced along with the polls in Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir? Here’s why. The Maharashtra government announced the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme in the budget this June. The first tranche reached the bank accounts of women in August and the second tranche will reach beneficiaries in October. You cannot do three states in one go and you talk about ONOE [One nation, one poll],” he said.
18 September,2024 06:29 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentRitika Tirkey, who has been serving in the Indian Railways since 2019, has made a lasting mark in the majorly male-dominated field. On September 15, she became the first loco pilot of the Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat Express when it took its maiden journey. Tirkey has driven numerous goods as well as passenger trains so far in her career. After completing her mechanical engineering degree, she joined the Dhanbad Division in Jharkhand as an Assistant Loco Pilot, with her railway career beginning with her maiden posting in Chandrapura, Bokaro. In 2021, Tirkey was transferred to Tatanagar. This year, she has been promoted to the Senior Assistant Loco Pilot's post owing to her exceptional performance. Tirkey has expressed her excitement of driving the Vande Bharat Express during its inaugural run. She feels proud of being a loco pilot for the train that was Made in India. She said that she has seen rapid development in trains during her tenure. According to Tirkey, the Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art features and is very different from other trains. Each Vande Bharat coach is fitted with CCTV cameras, fire alarms and an emergency talk-back system for passengers to communicate with the loco pilot. The trains also run on automated systems. Signals can be given by pressing red and green buttons from the train, instead of going by the conventional flag method. Additionally, the cabin is equipped with many facilities for the pilot. According to Tirkey, Indian Railways also emphasises that its staff gets good facilities while catering to passengers. Loco pilot cabins now have air conditions, toilets and CCTV cameras. Separate running rooms have also been arranged for women loco pilots after they have finished their work so that they can relax and get ready to drive another train. A large number of women pilots from Indian Railways are involved in operating the Vande Bharat Express trains. Vande Bharat has emerged as a symbol of women empowerment within the country and Indian Railways. Tirkey is among the lakhs of female loco pilots who are successfully driving Indian trains.
18 September,2024 06:23 PM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha member Anil Bonde was booked by the Amravati Police in Maharashtra over his controversial 'Rahul Gandhi's tongue should be singed' remarks, an official said on Wednesday, reported the PTI. Anil Bonde was booked on the charge of intention to cause riots over his controversial remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the police said. Anil Bonde had recently kicked up a row, saying Rahul Gandhi's tongue should be singed as his remarks on reservation were "dangerous" and hurt the feelings of the 'bahujan' and majority communities, as per the PTI. The FIR against Anil Bonde followed a sit-in protest by Congress leaders, including Amravati MP Balwant Wankhede, MLA Yashomati Thakur, former Minister Sunil Deshmukh and the party workers at the office of the city police commissioner. A case was registered against Bonde at Rajapeth police station in Amravati under sections 192 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riots), 351 (ii) (the act of intentionally causing another person to apprehend the use of criminal force) and 356 (Punishment for defamation) against MP Anil Bonde. "The language of chopping off the tongue is not proper, but what Rahul ji said against reservation is dangerous," Bonde said on Tuesday while reacting to remarks made by a Shiv Sena MLA against Rahul Gandhi, according to the PTI. "Hence, if anyone speaks anything absurd in a foreign country, then rather than chopping off his tongue, it should be singed. It is necessary to certainly singe the tongues of such people - be it Rahul Gandhi, Dnyanesh Maharao or Shyam Manav and people who hurt the feelings of the 'bahujan' and majority," Anil Bonde said, the news agency reported on Wednesday. Maharao, an author, is accused of making derogatory comments on Hindu deities recently, while Manav is an anti-superstition crusader. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday expressed shock over media reports of 'threat' to Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi and demanded that the Centre act swiftly to ensure his protection. In a post on X, Stalin said: "Deeply shocked by media reports of a BJP leader's threat that @RahulGandhi 'will meet the same fate as his grandmother,' and a Shinde Sena MLA's bounty for cutting his tongue, along with other intimidating threats." "My brother Rahul Gandhi's charisma and growing public support have clearly unsettled many, leading to such vile acts of intimidation. The Union government must act swiftly to ensure protection for the Leader of the Opposition and reaffirm that intimidation and violence have no place in our democracy," Stalin, also the chief of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, said. (with PTI inputs)
18 September,2024 06:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday said that the Maharashtra government should fulfill the demands of the Maratha community in four days, reported the PTI. Manoj Jarange also said that if the demands were not fulfilled the government shall face consequences in the coming Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, as per the PTI. Speaking at his Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, he said the community will not forgive the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government in the state if its demands were not met. "Fulfill our demands in the next four days, otherwise you will have to face serious repercussions in the elections....Marathas will not forgive you," he said, the news agency reported. Manoj Jarange had on Tuesday launched a fresh indefinite fast, sixth in a span of over a year, to press the demand of reservations for the Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He began the stir from midnight at his native Antarwali Sarati village of Jalna district in Maharashtra. Addressing reporters before his agitation, Manoj Jarange accused the Maharashtra government of not giving reservation to the community deliberately, and said the Marathas were giving "once more chance" to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to resolve the quota issue. He also warned the ruling parties that they will have to face the consequences in the upcoming assembly elections if the community's demands are not met. Manoj Jarange has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as 'sage soyare' (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and granting reservation to the latter under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He said he also wants cases registered against several members of the Maratha community during his agitation earlier to be withdrawn. "The Maratha community is important to me, but the government is not giving reservation deliberately. Moreover, they say that we are speaking a political language...Now, I will no longer make political statements, but we are giving one more chance to Deputy CM Fadnavis (to resolve the issue)," he said, as per the PTI. The leaders who support Fadnavis should talk to him. The community is watching who is going to provide reservation, the activist said. "My community doesn't want to enter politics. But if the demands are not met, don't blame me for the consequences in the upcoming assembly elections. Give reservation, and I will not make political statements. But don't blame me for what will happen in the upcoming elections if we don't get reservation," he added.The notification of 'sage soyare' should be implemented immediately, Manoj Jarange said, according to the PTI. Questioning the government's "inaction" over the draft 'sage soyare' notification, he sought implementation of gazettes from the erstwhile princely states of Hyderabad and Satara and Bombay Presidency. "These documents recognised Marathas as Kunbis," he said. (with PTI inputs)
18 September,2024 05:38 PM IST | Jalna | mid-day online correspondentA 37-year-old man died after collapsing during a Ganesh immersion procession in Maharashtra's Parbhani district, the police said on Wednesday, reported the PTI. The incident took place on Tuesday evening at Jintur town in Maharashtra, said an official. "Sandip Kadam, resident of Bordi, collapsed while dancing to DJ music. He was taken to hospital where he was declared brought dead," the official said, adding that the cause of death would be known after the post-mortem report became available, the news agency reported on Wednesday. Two teens drown in river during Ganesh idol immersion in Maharashtra's Nashik In an another incident, two teenagers drowned during the immersion of a Ganesh idol in Maharashtra's Nashik city, an official said on Wednesday, reported the PTI. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when Omkar Chandrakant Gade (17) and Swayam Bhaiyya More (18) went to Waldevi river with their friends to immerse an idol of the elephant-headed deity, as per the PTI. The boy entered the river but drowned after they failed to judge the depth of the water, the official said. Despite efforts by locals, police and the fire brigade, they could not be saved, the official said, adding that firefighters later fished out their bodies. Meanwhile, three children were killed and six people were injured after being run over by a tractor trolly carrying a Ganesh idol in Maharashtra's Dhule district on Tuesday, the police said, reported the PTI. The incident took place around 12.30 pm at Chitod village in Dhule tehsil in Maharashtra. As the Lord Ganesh immersion procession was about to start, the driver of the tractor got down for some reason, said a police official, adding further that an another man, a member of the Ganesh mandal which had organised the procession, climbed into the driver's seat and started the vehicle but lost control of the wheels, he said, according to the PTI. The tractor reversed and ploughed into the crowd behind, the official said. Three children who were killed in the incident were identified as Pari Shantaram Bagul (13 years), Shera Bapu Sonawane (6 years) and Lahu Pawra (3 years), all three were crushed to death. One of the deceased was the niece of the person who started the vehicle, an official said, as per the PTI. Those who were seriously injured in the incident were identified as Gayatri Pawar (25), Vidya Jadhav (27), Ajay Somvanshi (23), Ujjwala Malche (23), Lalita More (16) and Vidya Sonawane (17). They were rushed to the Hire Medical College for a medical treatment, a police official said, the news agency reported on Tuesday. The man in the driver's seat fled from the spot but he, along with the actual driver, was soon detained by the police, the official said. A case was being registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, said the police official. (with PTI inputs)
18 September,2024 05:05 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentThe Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved 'Chandrayaan-4', a new lunar mission to develop and demonstrate the technologies needed for landing of Indian astronauts on the moon and safely bring them back to Earth, reported news agency PTI. The Chandrayaan-4 mission will achieve the foundational technologies for the landing of Indian astronauts on the moon (planned by year 2040) and return safely back to Earth, a statement said. "Major technologies that are required for docking/undocking, landing, safe return to earth and also accomplish lunar sample collection and analysis would be demonstrated," it added. The total fund requirement for the technology demonstration mission Chandrayaan-4 is Rs 2,104.06 crore, the statement further revealed. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be responsible for the development of the spacecraft and the launch. The mission is expected to be completed within 36 months of approval with the participation of industry and academia, PTI reported. All the critical technologies are envisaged to be indigenously developed, PTI said quoting the statement. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
18 September,2024 03:58 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe Union cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposal for one nation, one election after accepting the Kovind panel report on it, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, reported the PTI. The report of the high-level committee on 'one nation, one election' was placed before the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, sources told the PTI. The panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind had submitted the report in March ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections. #WATCH | Union Cabinet has accepted the recommendations by the high-level committee on 'One Nation, One Election', announces Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.(Video source: PIB/ YouTube) pic.twitter.com/NnE99wNDer — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2024 Placing the report before the Cabinet was a part of the law ministry's 110-day agenda. The high-level committee had recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. The panel had also proposed setting up of an 'Implementation Group' to look into the execution of the recommendations made by the committee. #WATCH | On 'One Nation, One Election', Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says, "A large number of political parties across the political spectrum has actually supported the One Nation One Election initiative. When they interact with high-level meetings, they give their input in a… pic.twitter.com/ipv4Y8HT9J — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2024 Simultaneous polls will help save resources, spur development and social cohesion, deepen "foundations of democratic rubric" and help realise the aspirations of "India, that is Bharat", the panel had said, the news agency reported on Wednesday. The panel also recommended the preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in consultation with state election authorities. At present, the ECI is responsible for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, while the local body polls for municipalities and panchayats are managed by state election commissions. The panel recommended as many as 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by state Assemblies. However, these would require certain Constitution amendment Bills that would need to be passed by Parliament. Some proposed changes regarding the single electoral roll and single voter ID card would need ratification by at least half of the states. Separately, the Law Commission is also likely to come up soon with its own report on simultaneous polls, of which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong votary. Sources said that the Law Commission is likely to recommend holding simultaneous polls for all three tiers of the government -- the Lok Sabha, state Assemblies and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats -- starting with 2029 and a provision for unity government in cases like hung house. Recommendations and way forward - Implement in two phases - In first phase: Conduct Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously - In second phase: Conduct local body elections (panchayats and municipalities) within 100 days of general elections - Common electoral roll for all elections - Will initiate detailed discussions throughout the country - Constitute an implementation group (with PTI and ANI inputs)
18 September,2024 03:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
