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PM to lay foundation stone for Manipur water project tomorrow

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for Manipur water supply project tomorrow, an initiative to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household of the country by 2024.

The prime minister will lay the foundation stone for the project through video conferencing.

“The Manipur Water Supply Project is an important component of efforts of the State government to achieve the goal of “Har Ghar Jal” by 2024,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

The project outlay is about Rs 3054.58 crores with a loan component funded by New Development Bank, it added.

An externally funded project, it was designed to provide freshwater household tap connections (FHTCs) to remaining households in Greater Imphal planning area, and for 1,731 rural habitations covering 2,80,756 households in all 16 districts of Manipur, the statement said.

Moreover, the Jal Jeevan Mission is based on a community approach to water and has information, education and communication as key components of the mission. It looks to create a Jan Andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority.

There are about 19 crore households in India and only 24 per cent have Freshwater Household Tap Connections (FHTCs).

The Mission aims to provide over 14 crore households with FHTC through partnership of all stakeholders, including state governments, panchayat raj institutions and local communities, the PMO office said.

However, the government provided funds under Jal Jeevan Mission to Manipur for FHTCs to cover 1,185 habitations with 1,42,749 households.

The Manipur government has also planned to cover the remaining households through additional sources of funding including funds from Department for Development of North Eastern Region.

Meanwhile, the Governor, Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh and his colleagues, MPs and MLAs are also expected to join the program from Imphal.

-RJV

Heavy rains lash Delhi-NCR, temperature drops

Street in Delhi after heavy rains.

New Delhi (NVI): A fresh spell of heavy rainfall lashed parts of Delhi-NCR this morning, which led to a dip in temperature in many areas of the national capital, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to Met department, the heavy rain downpour brought the temperature to 28 degree Celsius while also causing waterlogging in several low-lying areas

In a tweet, IMD said, “Thunderstorm with moderate intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of West, Southwest, Northwest Delhi, Hisar, Hansi, Bhiwani, Jind, Meham, Kaithal, Panipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Karnal, Kurukshetra during next 2 hours.”

The Met department also predicted moderate to heavy intensity rainfall for Delhi and some parts of Haryana today.

According to IMD, the sky will generally be cloudy with light rains till July 25 in the national capital.

Meanwhile, the minimum and the maximum temperatures in the capital would oscillate between 23 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius.

Earlier yesterday, the Met department predicted: “Moderate to severe thunderstorm & lightning at isolated places very likely over Punjab, East Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal,Telangana, Kerala & Mahe, Lakshadweep and northeastern states during next 12 hours.”

-RJV/ARK

Japan approves dexamethasone as second drug for COVID-19 treatment

New Delhi (NVI): Japan’s health ministry has approved dexamethasone, a widely used steroid, as a second treatment for patients suffering from coronavirus, reports Japan Times.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry included dexamethasone as a government-approved drug in a revised version of its handbook for coronavirus treatment.

According to the handbook, revised last Friday, dexamethasone showed promise in a clinical study performed by the University of Oxford in the UK.

Moreover, dexamethasone has drawn attention since it was reported in Britain last month that the drug reduced deaths among patients with severe cases of COVID-19.

A drug inexpensive and easy-to-obtain is used to treat a wide range of conditions including lung disease.

Last month, the UK government authorised the drug for the treatment of COVID-19 on the National Health Service (NHS), after the positive data report from the recovery trial, Japan Times reported.

During the trial, around 2,100 patients received dexamethasone compared to 4,300 patients who were not.

In addition, the University of Oxford team said that the drug reduced deaths by a third among ventilated patients and by a fifth among patients receiving oxygen only. While the death rate did not change for patients who did not require respiratory support.

However, taking into account the results of the Oxford study, the US National Institute of Health (NIH) revised its guidelines to recommend that the drug be administered to ventilated patients and those requiring oxygen injection.

-RJV

J&K announces lockdown across Kashmir barring one district till July 27

Lockdown

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir government today announced complete lockdown across Kashmir barring north Kashmir’s Bandipora district till July 27 in the wake of spurt in Covid-19 cases and deaths.

Officials said that from today onwards till July 27, strict lockdown will remain in place to prevent the further spread of the pandemic. “Further decisions about continuation or announcing relaxation will be taken depending on the,” they said.

Directorate of Information and Public Relations (J&K) wrote on its official Twitter handle: “Complete lockdown in all red districts of Kashmir excluding Bandipora from today evening till 6 am on July 27. DCs to issue orders today. Agriculture, Horticulture and construction activities to continue as per guidelines. Move of goods carriers/LPG and Oil tankers to continue unhindered.”

Interestingly, since Unlock-2, Covid positive cases have shown a huge spurt as so far, over 15,000 cases have tested positive and 260 people have died due to the pandemic. Many doctors and civil society members had urged the government to re-impose the lockdown to prevent the mass spread of the virus. Leading medicos have already stated that the deadly virus was already in the community and it was time to take precautions that include wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing.

Associate Professor at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar Dr Nisar-ul Hassan had urged the government to impose strict lockdown to contain the pandemic spread. Talking to NVI, Dr Nisar said that the government has taken the right step at the right time.

“Covid behavior in Kashmir has changed abruptly since Unlock-2 was announced by the government on July 1. Earlier, it behaved very mildly but at present, it is behaving very aggressively. People came out of their houses, joined offices, opened shops and the results didn’t follow the guidelines as the majority of people even didn’t wear a mask. Result is before us. We have crossed 15000 case mark and over 260 people have died,” the senior doctor said, adding that most of the deaths took place in the last fortnight and positive cases doubled as well.

“Government had no option other than to impose lockdown. We see people arriving to the hospitals with symptoms and that too bilateral pneumonia which is where a person needs immediate ventilator and oxygen support. This wasn’t the case earlier,” he said, adding that people must stay indoors to save themselves and others from the deadly virus which is already in the community.

-ARK

95-yr-old man, Odisha’s oldest Covid-19 patient, recovers

Subrat Kumar Sarangi

Bhubaneswar (NVI): A 95-year-old man, the oldest person affected by the coronavirus in Odisha so far, has recovered from the disease.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated Udayanath Bisoyi of Chakunda Village from Sorada Block of Ganjam District for defeating the virus.

“Congratulations to nonagenarian Udayanath Bisoyi from Ganjam district on successfully winning the battle against #COVID19. Your win will inspire others to stay strong as #Odisha fights this pandemic,” the Odisha CM said in a July 21 tweet.

Bisoyi had undergone treatment in Tata Medical COVID hospital of Sitalapali of Ganjam. He has set an example for other patients fighting against Covid-19 as the entire state has witnessed a surge in positive cases.

The District Administration has also congratulated the doctors who have worked hard and set an example for the state.

-ARK

Bihar BJP lawmaker dies of COVID

Sunil Kumar Singh

New Delhi (NVI): Bihar BJP MLC Sunil Kumar Singh, died of coronavirus late yesterday night, becoming the first legislator from the state to die of virus.

Singh, was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on July 13 after his sample test report was found positive for COVID-19.

He was on ventilator over the last five days after he complained for breathlessness. The MLC was also suffering from diabetes and hypertension.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar Legislative Council Acting Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh and a host of other leaders expressed grief over the death of the MLC.

Other minister’s from Bihar— Vinod Kumar Singh, Jibesh Kumar Mishra, Congress MLA Anand Shankar Singh and JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar have also tested positive for coronavirus.

So far, Bihar, has reported 217 deaths due to COVID-19 and 28,952 positive cases. As many as 18,515 people have also recovered from the disease.

-RJV

Rajnath Singh inaugurates Air Force Commanders’ Conference

New Delhi (NVI): Amid the ongoing border stand-off with China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today addressed the inaugural session of the Air Force Commanders’ Conference at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan) in New Delhi.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Indian Air Force in the Next Decade”. While addressing the Commanders, Rajnath said that IAF’s contribution during the nation’s response to Covid-19 is highly praiseworthy.

The Defence Minister tweeted: “Addressed the inaugural session of the Air Force Commander’s Conference today. IAF’s role in some of the most challenging circumstances is well regarded by the nation. Their contribution during the nation’s response to COVID-19 pandemic has been highly praiseworthy.”

The Defence Minister also appreciated the proactive response by the IAF in bolstering its operational capabilities over the past few months. He stated that the professional manner in which IAF conducted the air strikes in Balakot as well as rapid deployment of IAF assets at forward locations in response to the prevailing situation in Eastern Ladakh has sent a strong message to the adversaries.

He said that the nation’s resolve to defend its sovereignty stands firm on the faith its people have in the capability of its Armed Forces. He alluded to the ongoing efforts for de-escalation on LAC and urged the IAF to stand ready to handle any eventuality.

He lauded the progress made towards enhancing synergy and integration within the three services since the appointment of CDS and creation of DMA.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, is chairing the Air Force Commanders’ Conference. Defence Secretary and Secretary Defence Production were also present on the occasion.

During the three day conference, commanders will review the current operational scenario and deployments before deliberating on building the IAF capabilities in the next decade to tackle all emerging threats, the Ministry of Defence said.

The Ladakh situation is expected to be the focus of this year’s conference as all three defence services have been kept on high alert in the wake of border row with China.

Also, as the first batch of five Rafale Fighter jets is likely to arrive in India by this month’s end, the IAF commanders will deliberate on whether to deploy the aircraft in Ladakh amid tensions with China.

The Ministry of Defence, in a statement on Monday, said that post arrival (of Rafale jets), efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft “at the earliest”.

-ARK

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): India registered a jump of 37,724 new cases in the last 24 hours, rising the total number of cases to 11,92,915, according to Union Health Ministry data.

Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed to 28,732 with 648 new fatalities being recorded since yesterday

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the coronavirus cases increased to 3,27,031, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,80,643 cases and Delhi with 1,25,096 cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 212

Andhra Pradesh- 58,668

Arunachal Pradesh- 858

Assam- 25,382

Bihar- 28,952

Chandigarh- 751

Chhattisgarh- 5,729

Dadar Nagar Haveli & Diu – 705

Delhi- 1,25,096

Gujarat- 50,379

Goa- 4,027

Haryana– 27,462

Himachal Pradesh- 1,664

Jammu and Kashmir- 15,258

Jharkhand- 6,159

Karnataka- 71,069

Kerala- 13,994

Ladakh- 1,198

Madhya Pradesh- 24,095

Maharashtra- 3,27,031

Manipur- 2,015

Meghalaya- 490

Mizoram- 317

Nagaland- 1,030

Odisha- 18,757

Puducherry- 2,179

Punjab- 10,889

Rajasthan- 31,373

Sikkim- 330

Tamil Nadu- 1,80,643

Telangana- 47,705

Tripura- 3,331

Uttarakhand- 4,849

Uttar Pradesh- 53,288

West Bengal – 47,030

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andhra Pradesh- 758

Arunachal Pradesh- 3

Assam- 58

Bihar- 217

Chandigarh- 12

Chhattisgarh- 29

Delhi- 3,690

Goa- 26

Gujarat- 2,196

Haryana- 364

Himachal Pradesh- 11

Jammu and Kashmir- 263

Jharkhand- 55

Karnataka- 1,464

Kerala- 44

Ladakh- 2

Madhya Pradesh- 756

Maharashtra- 12,276

Meghalaya- 4

Odisha- 103

Puducherry- 30

Punjab- 263

Rajasthan- 577

Tamil Nadu- 2,626

Telangana- 429

Tripura- 8

Uttar Pradesh- 1,229

Uttarakhand- 55

West Bengal- 1,182

However, a total of 7,53,050 people have been cured or discharged. Total active cases stand at 4,11,133.

-RJV

PM congratulates nuclear scientists

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated nuclear scientists on achieving the criticality of Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant-3.

He also addressed the 700 MWe KAPP-3 reactor as a shining example of ‘Make in India.’

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, “Congratulations to our nuclear scientists for achieving criticality of Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant-3. This indigenously designed 700 MWe KAPP-3 reactor is a shining example of ‘Make in India’. And a trailblazer for many such future achievements.”

The Kakrapar Atomic Power Station is a nuclear power station in Gujarat which is developed and operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).

The Atomic Power Plant-3 is a 700 MW pressurised water reactor, the construction of which started on November 22, 2010.

Earlier, the Atomic Power station consisted of two 220 MW pressurised water reactor with heavy water as moderator (PHWR).

-RJV

Terrorist hideout busted in J&K’s Rajouri; arms, ammo recovered

J&K Encounter
Security forces in Kashmir (File Pic)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Security Forces today busted an old militant hideout in Thanamandi area of Rajouri district while recovering a Pika gun among other arms and ammunition from the spot.

The forces had launched a joint operation in the dense woods in Manyal area and the recovery was made during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) from a militant hideout.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rajouri, Chandan Kohli said that information was received by police regarding an old militant hideout in Manyal area of Thanamandi after which teams of Rajouri police, Special Operation Group and 38 Rashtriya Rifles launched a Cordon and Search Operation late last night.

“The entire area was kept under cordon and in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, searches were launched during which a militant hideout established under a portion of dense bush cover was busted,” the SSP said.

The forces recovered 1 Pika rifle, 1 Chinese pistol, 1 local pistol, 1 AK magazine, 2 pistol magazines, 168 Pika rounds, 47 AK rounds, 4 pistol rounds, 2 UBGL grenades, 1 binocular, 8 ammunition belts, 1 antenna and 1 tape recorder.

“The area is still under searches and SDPO Thanamandi Sajjad Khan along with SHO Fareed Ahmed and officers of Army’s Rashtriya Rifles are monitoring the operation further,” the SSP said.

-RJV/ARK

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