Kerala Government enlists volunteers to rid beaches of plastic detritus from capsized Liberian ship
The Kerala government has enlisted volunteers to remove piles of plastic granules washed ashore from the capsized Liberian-flagged cargo vessel, MSC Elsa 3.
The police will use drones to survey the State's beaches. They will work with the volunteer force, Fire and Rescue Department, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, Revenue, and LSGIs to mitigate the menace.
The Government also decided to harness the expertise of KSDMA officials, environmentalists and officials from companies specialising in salvaging sunken container ships and cargo to help mitigate shipwreck-related risks, including oil spillage and the leak of hazardous chemicals.
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated that the Government has prepared rapid response teams under the command of the State Pollution Control Board to remove oil slicks and other hazardous materials that are running ashore and posing a threat to fishermen and the marine environment.
The government has ordered the immediate deployment of floating barriers to rein in and limit the oil spill spread from the shipwreck off the coast of Kochi.
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India Gazette
4 hours ago
- India Gazette
In Liberia, Indian MPs voice global stance on terror, pride in values
Monrovia [Liberia], June 2 (ANI): During their visit to Liberia, Members of Parliament from India's Group 4 delegation addressed issues related to global terrorism, India's moral leadership, and bilateral ties with Liberia, with BJP's Manan Mishra, Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, and IUML's Basheer made remarks highlighting India's position and values. BJP Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra highlighted the disparity in education between Pakistan's elite and the general populace. He criticised the indoctrination of youth in madrassas, stating, 'In Pakistan, children of prominent politicians and army officers will study in the US, UK and big universities. In contrast, the common children are taught in Madrasas, where they learn about hatred.' Mishra emphasized the need for global unity in combating terrorism, noting that such narratives are not prevalent in other Islamic countries. IUML MP ET Mohammed Basheer, also part of the delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, focused on India's soft power. 'The world respects us. It is a matter of pride to be an Indian. Wherever you go, after the Prime Minister and President of that country, there is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. They respect Mahatma Gandhi because Mahatma Gandhi is a symbol of kindness and compassion,' he said. BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj highlighted strategic ties, noting Liberia's candidature for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). 'Liberia is our old friend. It will be contesting the election for the non-permanent member of the UNSC. I think both DR Congo and Liberia will win the seats of the non-permanent members. As a good friend, Liberia will stand with India in its global fight against terrorism,' she said. Echoing a similar message, BJP MP Atul Garg urged the international community not to remain passive in the face of terrorism. 'All those who want to progress and give happiness to their people are against terrorism. We want to tell the whole world that if you remain silent now and do not support the countries that are against terrorism, then the problem of terrorism will increase,' he said. Earlier, Group 4 of the all-party delegation visited several cultural and historical sites in Liberia as part of the ongoing Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach. The delegation began its visit by paying tribute to former Liberian President William Tubman. Shinde and other members offered floral respects at Tubman's grave. Tubman, remembered as the 'father of modern Liberia', served as the country's president for nearly three decades and is credited with modernising its institutions. Next, the group later visited the National Museum of Liberia in Monrovia. Officials from the Liberian government presented a detailed account of the country's history, culture, and heritage. Members of the delegation interacted with museum curators and were briefed on Liberia's post-independence development and political legacy. The delegation also visited the Gurudwara Sahib in Monrovia and offered prayers. This visit is part of India's broader effort to engage with international partners, brief them on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, and seek a unified stand against terrorism globally. (ANI)


India Gazette
8 hours ago
- India Gazette
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde leads all-party delegation in Liberia
Monrovia [Liberia], June 2 (ANI): Group 4 of the all-party delegation, led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, visited several cultural and historical sites in Liberia as part of the ongoing Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach. The delegation began its visit by paying tribute to former Liberian President William Tubman. Shinde and other members offered floral respects at Tubman's grave. Tubman, remembered as the 'father of modern Liberia', served as the country's president for nearly three decades and is credited with modernising its institutions. Next, the group later visited the National Museum of Liberia in Monrovia. Officials from the Liberian government presented a detailed account of the country's history, culture, and heritage. Members of the delegation interacted with museum curators and were briefed on Liberia's post-independence development and political legacy. The delegation also visited the Gurudwara Sahib in Monrovia and offered prayers. On Saturday, the group 4 of all party delegation reached Liberia on Saturday (local time), where they were warmly welcomed by the Representative and Chairman of the Executive of the House of Representatives of Liberia, Sekou S Kanneh and Ambassador of India to Liberia Manoj Bihari Verma. Welcoming the delegation, Sekou S. Kanneh extended their support to India in its fight against terrorism. Speaking with ANI, he said, 'We welcome our counterpart from India, and we stand with them in a fight against terrorists. We have our share of war. We don't want any more trouble in West Africa. Terrorists are our number one enemy. So we stand with our colleagues from India in the fight against terrorists. Unfortunately, this is going on, but the entire world needs to stand together to fight against terrorists,' Sekou S Kanneh said. Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde expressed gratitude for the warm welcome of the delegation in Liberia. He emphasised the India and Liberia ties. 'The Indian delegation has reached Liberia... I am very much grateful to the Liberian government for a warm welcome. Liberia also has a very good bilateral relationship with India for a period of time, and we hold special positions for each other... This message of peace, this message of zero tolerance against terrorism, the message of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the message from 1.4 billion Indians will be best appreciated in Liberia,' Shinde said. The delegation has reached Liberia as part of India's efforts to reach out to partner countries to highlight its fight against cross-border terrorism and its policy of zero tolerance to terrorism. The delegation led by Shinde also includes BJP MP Atul Garg and Manan Kumar Mishra, BJD MP Sasmit Patra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders. (ANI)


Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
Over 2,000 illegal immigrants ‘pushed back' into Bangladesh since Operation Sindoor
More than 2,000 alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants are estimated to have been 'pushed back' across the border by Indian authorities since Operation Sindoor began in the early hours of May 7, following a nationwide verification exercise, Government sources told The Indian Express. During the same period, they said, a similar number of immigrants showed up near the India-Bangladesh border voluntarily to cross over amid the fear generated by the crackdown. According to the sources, the Government action is taking place along the Bangladesh border in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam. Gujarat was among the first to begin the round-up and has accounted for nearly half of all those who have been 'pushed back', they said. Delhi and Haryana, too, have sent back immigrants in large numbers with the rest being rounded up from Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, the sources said. 'It is an ongoing process and all states which have cities with significant economic activity are rounding up such illegal immigrants after verification of their documents. A focused effort began in this direction following the Pahalgam attacks in April. Since Operation Sindoor, it has picked up pace. Gujarat was the first off the blocks followed by Delhi and Haryana. More states will begin sending soon. The instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs are clear in this regard and the states, too, are cooperating,' a senior Government source said. According to the source, these alleged illegal immigrants are being ferried to the borders in IAF aircraft from various locations and handed over to the BSF to be held in makeshift camps along the border. They are provided food and some Bangladeshi currency, if needed, and 'pushed back' into their country after a few hours of detention, the source said. Referring to the action happening along the border in Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam, a security establishment officer said, 'There is a perception that these states have been chosen because they are BJP-ruled. But that is not true. BJP is a small minority in Meghalaya. These states were chosen because of the ease in pushing back from these states. In West Bengal, because of the nature of the border, which often passes through the middle of villages or even houses, and the familial connections on either side, there was fear of law and order issues cropping up.' According to another official, just under 2,000 Bangladeshi immigrants have showed up on the border voluntarily to cross over. 'Because of largescale reporting in the media about a crackdown, many illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are voluntarily leaving the country for the fear of being detained,' the official said. According to sources, the operation has been running smoothly so far with the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) 'cooperating' with their Indian counterparts. 'It is because most of those who have been rounded up are not resisting deportation. Barring those who came to India decades ago, most are willing to go back. Once rounded up and taken to the border, they call up their relatives in Bangladesh who come to pick them up. Most of them know that once they are rounded up, they will end up in detention centres or jails. A majority of them are poor labourers with no means to fight a legal battle. They prefer to go back to their families,' another security establishment officer said. Sources, however, said they expect some official unease in Bangladesh once the numbers swell to 10,000 or 20,000 a week. 'This is only a temporary solution. Such exercises, albeit on a much smaller scale, have been carried out in the past as well, even under the UPA government. But these illegal immigrants often come back once the heat lowers. That is why the Government is pushing for biometric capture of all such immigrants who are being pushed back and integration with larger immigration data,' an official said.