Bhubaneswar: The Housing & Urban Development department inaugurated a state-level Water Quality Assurance Cell (WQAC) here on Tuesday. G Mathi Vathanan, additional chief secretary, marked the event by emphasising the cell’s role in enhancing water quality monitoring and surveillance across the state’s cities. Er. Sisir Kumar Ratho (Retd. IFS), former principal chief conservator of forests…
Bhubaneswar: The minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the approval of the Puri-Konark rail line by prime minister Narendra Modi. A significant fund of Rs 492 crore has been allocated for the construction of this 32 km rail line. Vaishnaw confirmed that the project is now sanctioned and with…
The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the results of the Chandigarh mayoral polls, determining the AAP-Congress candidate as the rightful winner instead of the initially declared BJP candidate. The court found that the presiding officer intentionally defaced eight votes, originally cast for the alliance candidate, with the purpose of invalidating them. Find below a low-down…
A recent study suggests that an unprecedented triple-dip La Nina event, exacerbated by climate change, led to an unique air quality shift during the 2022-23 winter season in India. The research, led by Gufran Beig, chair professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, highlighted the significant impact of rapidly changing climate alongside local emissions…
Sambalpur: The union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off a special train from Sambalpur to Ayodhya on Tuesday, carrying 1,512 devotees from western Odisha. The Sambalpur-Darshan Nagar-Sambalpur Astha special train, with 20 sleeper coaches, left Sambalpur station and will stop at Rourkela and Jharsuguda before reaching Ayodhya on Wednesday. The devotees will return the next…
Pune: The Pune police have mandated the closure of bars and permit rooms by 1:30 am to prevent potential law and order issues. The order, issued under section 144 of CrPC on Monday, follows incidents affecting public peace in and around such establishments. Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar emphasised the need to address disorderly behaviour causing…
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Inter-University Sports Competition 2023-24 concluded with an award ceremony held at Biju Patnaik Sports Complex of Utkal University, here on Monday. Sambalpur University clinched the title of team champion in the men’s category, with Utkal University securing the runner-up position. In the women’s category, KIIT University emerged as the team champion,…
A recent analysis by the independent research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has uncovered significant gaps in India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The study found that one in five cities enrolled in the programme lacks a continuous ambient air quality monitoring station (CAAQMS). Delhi, in particular, emerged as the…
A study conducted in India suggests that while extreme heat waves have an immediate impact on mortality, it is the milder ones that pose a greater long-term threat due to their frequency. Researchers emphasise the need to investigate health risks associated with rising temperatures as heat waves become more prevalent with climate change. Lead author…
Thane: In two separate incidents in Navi Mumbai on Saturday night, members of two families were allegedly assaulted over disputes related to dogs, as reported by an official on Sunday. In the first case, the Mhatre family and others clashed with a 24-year-old woman and her sister who were feeding stray dogs. Subsequently, the accused…
