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Power Grid inks pact with HPSEBL to improve telecom connectivity in hilly areas of Himachal      

telecom connectivity
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): To improve telecom connectivity in hilly areas, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a PSU under Ministry of Power, has recently signed an agreement with Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL) in Shimla for utilisation of 500 Kms of OPGW telecom network.

This is in addition to the existing 350 Kms of OPGW laid on HPSEBL Extra High Voltage (EHV) lines already being used in the state to boost its connectivity, the Ministry of Power said in a statement.

This total 850 Kms long telecom network will enable POWERGRID Telecom to reach remote areas of Kangra, Una, Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur, Sirmour, Palampur, Sundernagar, Banikhet, Amb, Paonta Sahib, Nahan etc, it said.

Due to rough weather conditions, landslides and difficult terrains, the state had been facing limited telecom network reach, and this will give much-needed connectivity to remote areas of the state.

Through this OPGW Network, telecom service providers will be able to provide uninterrupted mobile/internet services to the people of the state, the Power Ministry said.

POWERGRID has created over 67,500 km of OFC network connecting over 1000 plus locations across the country carrying traffic in multiple of 10G/100G in rings.

The POWERGRID OFC network covers all the important towns and cities of the country along with the hilly and difficult terrains of J&K and North Eastern Region.

The Company has also provided the domestic leg of International Connectivity to Bhutan and Nepal, and proposed connectivity to Bangladesh up to the Indian border to International Long Distance (ILD) Licensees, the Ministry said.

PM Modi releases Rs 2,691 cr for over 6 lakh beneficiaries in UP under PMAY-G

PMAY-G beneficiaries

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today released financial assistance of Rs 2,691 crore to over 6 lakh beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) in Uttar Pradesh via video conference.

PM Modi interacted with the beneficiaries and extended greetings on the occasion of Prakash Purab.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister said that unprecedented work is being done to change the lives of the poor, deprived and exploited. He recalled that he launched the PM Awaas Yojna from Agra five years ago.

He added, “This scheme has started changing the face of Indian villages and is linked with the hopes of millions and has given the poorest of poor the confidence that they can be a homeowner.”

“In the past few years, around 2 crore houses have been built in rural areas alone. Under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana keys of 1.25 crore houses have been handed over to people. Around Rs 1.50 Lakh Crore has been given by Central Govt alone, to build these houses,” PM Modi added.

PM expressed his happiness that Uttar Pradesh is among the states that are moving the fastest on building houses for the poor.

He informed that today, 6 lakh families of the state will get a total of more than Rs 2,600 crore in their bank account. Out of these 6 lakh families, 5 lakh will get the first installment which means that, for 5 lakh families, their life’s wait is over.

“Similarly, 80,000 families got their second installment which means that by next winter they will have their own house,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister recalled that during the time of previous governments, the poor did not have the confidence that the government could be of any help in getting their house constructed. He also said that the quality of the houses made in the earlier scheme was also not up to the mark. The poor had to face the brunt of wrong policies.

Furthermore, he informed that in Uttar Pradesh, 22 lakh Garmin Awas are to be constructed out of which 21.5 lakh have been approved for construction. 14.5 lakh families have already got their house, under the present government.

The Prime Minister had given a call of “Housing for All by 2022”, for which a flagship programme of PMAY-G was launched on November 20, 2016.

So far 1.26 crore houses have already been built across the country under the scheme, PMO said.

Under PMAY-G, each beneficiary is given a 100 per cent grant of ₹1.20 lakh in plain areas and ₹1.30 lakh in hilly states, North Eastern States, difficult areas, Jammu, and Kashmir, and Ladakh, among others.

Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion.

-CHK

MoRTH and DRDO to collaborate for technical exchange, geo-hazard control

MoU
Secretary MoRTH Giridhar Aramane with Secretary DRDO Satieesh Reddy

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Ministry of Transport and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed a MoU today, to strengthen collaboration in the field of technical exchange and co-operation on sustainable geo-hazard management.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Giridhar Aramane and Secretary, DRDO Satieesh Reddy.

Under the MoU, it has been agreed that MoRTH and DRDO will co-operate in the areas of mutual benefit including, conceptual planning of integrated avalanche/landslide protection schemes for all weather connectivity in snow bound areas of our country, the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

This will also include pre-feasibility of tunnels and viaducts, planning and designing of various avalanche/landslide control structures, association in preparation of proposals/DPRs for tunnels including geological/geotechnical/terrain modeling and other related aspects of tunnels etc, it added.

The initiative will ensure safety of road users on National Highways across the country against the adverse effects of landslides and other natural calamities.

Furthermore, both the organizations agreed to utilize the expertise of DRDO through Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE) in providing sustainable mitigation measures to damages caused by landslides, avalanche and other natural factors on various NHs in the country, the ministry noted.

The other areas of collaboration includes investigation of the existing critical avalanches/geo hazards such as landslides, slope instability, sinking problems etc. Also, planning, designing and formulation of sustainable mitigation measures for geo-hazards for NHs including tunnels.

Apart from this, supervision or monitoring during implementation of the mitigation measures and any other services, as may be required.

The ministry further stated that, DRDO is an apex organization working on various cutting edge technologies, while DGRE, a premier laboratory of DRDO, is leader in the development of critical technologies for enhancing combat effectiveness with a focus on terrain and avalanches.

The role and charter of this establishment is mapping, forecasting, monitoring, control and mitigation of landslides and avalanches in Himalayan terrain. However, the transport ministr is responsible for development and maintenance of national highways across the country, the statement added.

-RJV

Howrah-Kalka Mail renamed as Netaji Express by Railways

Netaji Express

New Delhi (NVI): The Indian Railways has renamed Howrah-Kalka Mail, one of its popular and oldest trains as ‘Netaji Express’, ahead of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

“Ministry of Railways has rechristened the name of Train No. 12311/12312 Howrah-Kalka Mail as “Netaji Express,” the Rail Ministry said in a statement.

It said that Howrah -Kalka Mail is a very popular and one of the oldest trains of Indian Railways. The Howrah-Kalka Mail is running between Howrah (Eastern Railway) and Kalka (Northern Railway) via Delhi.

“Netaji’s prakram had put India on the express route of freedom and development. I am thrilled to celebrate his anniversary with the introduction of ‘Netaji Express’,” Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet.

-ARK

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

COVID-19 states
(Representational/file photo)

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of coronavirus cases in India have crossed the 10.59 million-mark and currently stands at 10,595,660 after 13,700 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The country’s death toll stands at 1,52,718 after 162 new fatalities were reported during the same period.

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 19,94,977 followed by Karnataka with 9,33,077 and Andhra Pradesh with 8,86,245 positive cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 4,989

Andhra Pradesh- 8,86,245

Arunachal Pradesh- 16,815

Assam- 2,16,887

Bihar- 2,57,991

Chandigarh- 20,595

Chhattisgarh- 2,94,355

Dadra and Nagar Haveli– 3,391

Delhi- 6,32,821

Gujarat- 2,56,852

Goa- 52,570

Haryana– 2,66,581

Himachal Pradesh- 57,019

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,23,538

Jharkhand- 1,17,887

Karnataka- 9,33,077

Kerala- 8,57,380

Ladakh- 9,662

Madhya Pradesh- 2,52,186

Maharashtra- 19,94,977

Manipur- 28,900

Meghalaya- 13,710

Mizoram- 4,334

Nagaland- 12,066

Odisha- 3,33,566

Puducherry- 38,706

Punjab- 1,70,937

Rajasthan- 3,15,603

Sikkim- 6,052

Tamil Nadu- 8,31,866

Telangana- 2,92,395

Tripura- 33,336

Uttarakhand- 95,039

Uttar Pradesh- 5,97,238

West Bengal – 5,66,073

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 62

Andhra Pradesh- 7,142

Arunachal Pradesh- 56

Assam- 1,075

Bihar- 1,461

Chandigarh- 330

Chhattisgarh- 3,575

Dadra and Nagar Haveli- 2

Delhi- 10,764

Goa- 756

Gujarat- 4,369

Haryana- 2,993

Himachal Pradesh- 967

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,923

Jharkhand- 1,057

Karnataka- 12,181

Kerala- 3,506

Ladakh- 129

Madhya Pradesh- 3,763

Maharashtra- 50,523

Manipur- 367

Meghalaya- 144

Mizoram- 9

Nagaland- 88

Odisha- 1,902

Puducherry- 643

Punjab- 5,516

Rajasthan- 2,752

Sikkim- 130

Tamil Nadu- 12,281

Telangana- 1,583

Tripura- 391

Uttar Pradesh- 8,584

Uttarakhand- 1,619

West Bengal- 10,074

However, a total of 10,245,741 people have been cured and discharged, while the total active cases stands at 1,97,201 in the country.

-CHK

Western disturbance to bring rain, snow to Western Himalayan region: IMD

IMD
(Representational/file photo)

New Delhi (NVI): A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan region, bringing widespread rain and snowfall to the parts of northern India from January 22, according to IMD.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) took to Twitter and said, “A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from January 22. Under its influence, scattered to fairly widespread rain/snow likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan & Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh.

Also, isolated rain/snow over Uttarakhand between January 22 to 24 and very light to light rain and thundershower likely at isolated places over Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on January 23, it added.

The Met department also forecasts that dense to very dense fog very likely over isolated of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi during next 2 days.

Moreover, the dense fog may occur over Uttar Pradesh and West Rajasthan during next 24 hours and over Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura between January 22 to 24, IMD added.

According to the IMD’s weather bulletin, there will be fall in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius very likely over most parts of northwest India in the next 3 days.

This drop will lead to the prevalence of cold wave conditions in isolated pockets over Uttarakhand during the same period. “Similar conditions are also expected over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Delhi on January 20 and 21,” it added.

-RJV

Cabinet approves MoU between India, Uzbekistan for cooperation in solar energy field

India, Uzbekistan

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of solar energy.

According to an official statement, the MoU will be signed between the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, India and the International Solar Energy Institute (ISEI), Uzbekistan.

Under the MoU, the main area of work is to identify research, demonstration and pilot projects between India and Uzbekistan, it said.

In addition, the mutually identified areas include solar photovoltaic, storage technologies and transfer of technology.

Furthermore, based on mutual agreement, both parties would work for implementation and deployment of pilot project in International Solar Alliance (ISA) member countries, the statement added.

-RJV

Germany extends lockdown until February 14, tightens restrictions

Coronav

New Delhi (NVI): German Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers have agreed to extend a lockdown for most shops and schools until February 14 as part of a package of steps to combat the surge in coronavirus cases.

Furthermore, medical masks were made mandatory rather than simple cotton ones, on public transportation and in stores.

The existing lockdown runs until January 31.

Schools and daycare centres, non-essential shops, restaurants, leisure and sporting facilities will remain closed.

“Now is the time to take preventive measures against the threat of this virus,” Merkel said at a media briefing after a meeting with the premiers of Germany’s 16 federal states.

New infections have been decreasing in recent days and pressure on intensive care units has eased slightly, but virologists are worried about the possible spread of more infectious variants of the virus.

Merkel said all countries in Europe must make similar efforts to fight the pandemic. Otherwise, Germany may consider restricting border entry to avoid highly transmissible strains being brought in from abroad.

In addition to this, she and the state leaders also agreed that companies must allow employees to work from home until March 15 where possible.

Aid for hard-hit companies is to be improved, and retailers’ writedowns on seasonal goods – which could include winter coats or ski equipment – will be taken into account.

Germany closed restaurants, leisure and sporting facilities in November, then expanded the shutdown in mid-December to include schools and most shops to halt runaway growth in new coronavirus infections.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases had risen by 11,369 to 2.05 million, data from the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases showed. The death toll was up by 989 to 47,622.

-CHK

13 dead in accident in Bengal’s Jalpaiguri

road accident

New Delhi (NVI): At least 13 people died in a road accident at Dhupguri city of Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal last night, due to reduced visibility caused by fog.

As many as 18 people also sustained injuries in the accident and have been admitted to the hospitals in the area, according to the reports.

The incident took place when a minibus transporting wedding guests from Churabhandar Lal School to Dhupguri crashed head-on with a boulder loaded truck whose driver lost control of the vehicle due to low visibility in the area.

Reportedly, 13 persons, including two men, six women and four kids died on the spot near Jaldhaka Bridge on the national highway of West Bengal.

The driver of the truck survived the accident and has been detained, while treatment of injured at the nearby hospital is being monitored.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives, “The road accident in Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri (West Bengal) is extremely anguishing. In this time of sadness, prayers with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon,” the PM’s Office tweeted.

PM Modi also announced Ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the PMNRF to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the accident and Rs 50,000 each would be given to those injured.

-RJV

Active cases in India drop below 2 lakh; 13,700 fresh covid cases reported

India Covid cases

New Delhi (NVI): Active coronavirus cases in India dropped below the 2-lakh mark and stood at 1,97,201 at a time when the country is undergoing the world’s biggest vaccination drive.

India saw a rise of 13,700 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 10,595,660, Union Health Ministry confirmed.

The death toll due to the virus rose to 1,52,718, with 162 new fatalities being reported during the same period.

Currently, a total of 10,245,741 million patients have recovered across the country.

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 19,94,977 followed by Karnataka with 9,33,077 and Andhra Pradesh with 8,86,245 positive cases.

In another development, India’s Covid-19 vaccination programme crossed the 5-lakh mark on the fourth day with the Centre urging states to address “vaccine hesitancy” among some in the priority group, and indicating that the drive will soon be extended to the larger population.

Meanwhile, India will officially begin its vaccine diplomacy on Wednesday by supplying Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines to its neighbouring and key partner countries.

Bhutan and Maldives will be the first to get the vaccines, followed by Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius will also get doses once they give necessary regulatory approvals.

-CHK

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