logo
5 killed in Guwahati landslides as heavy rain lashes Assam; schools, colleges shut

5 killed in Guwahati landslides as heavy rain lashes Assam; schools, colleges shut

Time of Indiaa day ago

GUWAHATI: At least five people, including children, have died due to landslides caused by incessant monsoon rain in Kamrup (Metro) district, which includes areas of Guwahati city, in the last 24 hours.
Among the five people killed in landslides was a mother, Poonam Goswami, along with her minor daughter and another minor relative. The tragic incident occurred on Friday evening in the city's Bonda area when a landslide struck their residence.
While confirming the five deaths in Kamrup (Metro), the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) in its Saturday morning bulletin said that total three districts are currently facing urban floods in the state.
ASDMA report said that the three districts affected by urban floods are: Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro) & Cachar where total 10,150 people have been affected.
Moreover, three districts---- Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Golaghat and eight revenue circles there have been affected by flood, ASDMA said.
NDRF and state disaster response force are conducting the worst flood affected districts in the state, even as rain continues in various districts since Saturday morning.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
According to Friday's Regional Meteorological Department report, a 'red alert' has been issued for Saturday in Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Bajali, Tamulpur, Darrang and Udalguri.
On Friday, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared an 'abnormal situation' as 18 districts were placed under 'red alert' due to continuous rainfall caused by substantial cloud cover across northeastern regions.
"The situation will remain same tomorrow also.
The state government is monitoring the situation. Due to heavy rainfall in Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, large areas have been affected. Tomorrow, in Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro), all state government employees will get a special casual leave, schools & colleges to remain shut and private establishments are also advised to take measures accordingly," CM Sarma said.
The situation in Assam, particularly Guwahati's widespread waterlogging, has worsened due to substantial rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
Government employees in Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts who travel long distances to work have been granted special casual leave for Saturday.
Both districts have suspended educational activities for Saturday.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Counting losses due to delay in onion procurement by government: Maharashtra farmers
Counting losses due to delay in onion procurement by government: Maharashtra farmers

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

Counting losses due to delay in onion procurement by government: Maharashtra farmers

Onion farmers in Maharashtra have accused the government-appointed nodal agencies of delaying crop procurement, claiming that it caused huge losses after unseasonal rains hit the state in May. The "failure" to buy onions on time under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) mechanism meant the produce that could have been stored and sold was instead left exposed to adverse weather, leading to spoilage and financial distress, they said. Under the PSF, nodal agencies like the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India ( NAFED ) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India ( NCCF ) are tasked with stabilising prices and protecting farmers' interests by procuring onions and other notified commodities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Where Sheikh Hamdan Dines in Dubai savoirflair Learn More Undo State government sources confirmed that the procurement process this year did not commence as scheduled, leaving farmers without institutional support. "NAFED and NCCF were supposed to procure 10 per cent of the scheduled quantity in April and 45 per cent in May. Had they followed this timeline, about 1.65 lakh tonnes of onions would have been procured and safely stored," said Bharat Dighole, president of the Maharashtra State Onion Producers' Association. Live Events "Instead, the delay meant farmers had to keep onions in makeshift storage, many without proper facilities. The rains came, and the crop was lost," he claimed. According to preliminary estimates from the state revenue department, over 3,000 hectares of onion cultivation got damaged due to unseasonal showers between May 5 and 21. With an average productivity of 400 quintals per hectare, the loss might run into thousands of tonnes. Farmers say the procurement agencies' "inaction" forced them to gamble on short-term solutions. "We covered our onions with plastic sheets, thinking the showers would last a few days," said Sanjay Sathe, a farmer from Niphad in Nashik district. However, the rains didn't stop, and the covered onions began to rot due to excessive moisture, he said. "Those who had taken their produce to the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) lost their entire stock as the onions had been kept in open areas," said Sathe. A lot of stock would have gone to warehouses had NAFED and NCCF begun procurement on time, and farmers would have at least recovered some money, he said. "But the delay ruined everything," added the onion grower. Heavy rains lashed several parts of the state in May this year, which also saw the early arrival of monsoon. Farmers have also claimed that "malpractices" and inadequate infrastructure have marred Maharashtra's onion procurement efforts. In the current year, NAFED aimed to procure 1.5 lakh tonnes of onions from the state for buffer stock. In 2024-25, the agency had procured 1.75 lakh tonnes from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh combined, while NCCF secured 2.5 lakh tonnes, against its target of 5 lakh tonnes, Doghole claimed. Though onions arrive in the market both before and after the monsoon, only the pre-monsoon crop is procured by government agencies due to its low moisture content. The post-monsoon harvest, which has a high water content, is sold directly in the market. NAFED last year had filed cases against six Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in Maharashtra for allegedly creating fake procurement records, which appears to have slowed down procurement operations this year, said farmers. "We have blacklisted six federations that failed to deliver onions as required," a NAFED official had said in February this year. Farmers and activists have claimed that the procurement process is opaque and often favours intermediaries. FPCs and traders often pose as genuine sellers and divert stocks to the open market at a profit, they said. "The system needs to be more transparent. The government talks about helping farmers, but we see the same problems every year," said Dighole. The lack of scientific storage facilities is another major problem. A 2023 Agriculture Ministry report acknowledged the problem, noting that "the storage of onion is challenging as the majority of the stock is stored in open ventilated structures". According to farmers, a ban on onion exports and a 40 per cent duty, which lasted through 2023-24, continued to depress prices and production incentives into 2025. Though the export restrictions were lifted in April 2024, their impact lingers, they said. "We were already struggling because of the export ban," said Hari Gaikwad, a farmer from Pimpalgaon in Nashik district. "Now, the government fails to buy our produce in time. It's the farmer who suffers every time. We are the ones who got hit both times," he said. The system must be "fixed", Dighole said. "If procurement agencies cannot function as intended, they are failing the very people they are meant to serve," he said.

Dust storm, light rain hit parts of Delhi-NCR; IMD predicts more showers, strong winds
Dust storm, light rain hit parts of Delhi-NCR; IMD predicts more showers, strong winds

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

Dust storm, light rain hit parts of Delhi-NCR; IMD predicts more showers, strong winds

Parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed a dust storm followed by light rain on Sunday evening, shortly after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a forecast for showers and strong winds. According to the IMD, southern parts of the city were likely to receive very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and wind speeds ranging from 30–40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph. The weather activity was attributed to an east-southeastward moving cloud cluster, ANI reported. Earlier in the day, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 27.2 degrees Celsius, marginally above the seasonal average by 0.3 degrees. The maximum temperature was expected to settle around 38 degrees Celsius. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:-:- Loaded : 0% 0:00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - -:-:- 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like After Losing Weight Kevin James Looks Like A Model 33 Bridges Undo — TheViditsharma (@TheViditsharma) — cinemawaleghosh (@cinemawaleghosh) — Kabeer732005 (@Kabeer732005) Live Events The city's air quality remained in the 'moderate' category on Sunday morning, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reporting an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 198 at 9 am.

HRW warns Gulf labourers at risk as temperatures soar
HRW warns Gulf labourers at risk as temperatures soar

Time of India

time6 hours ago

  • Time of India

HRW warns Gulf labourers at risk as temperatures soar

UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are witnessing temperatures soaring up to 50 degree celsius (Image credit: AFP) Human Rights Watch said Sunday that migrant workers in the Gulf were at risk from extreme heat , urging countries to extend protections for labourers exposed to soaring temperatures. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, where migrants represent a sizable share of the workforce, lie in one of the planet's hottest regions where summer temperatures often edge towards 50 degrees celsius (122 degrees fahrenheit). "Every summer reveals that the climate crisis aggravates the occupational health and safety catastrophe for the millions of migrant workers dangerously exposed to extreme heat," said Michael Page, HRW's deputy Middle East director. "Because Gulf states are dragging their feet on evidence-based labour protections, migrant workers are unnecessarily dying, experiencing kidney failure, and suffering from other chronic illnesses," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologista recomenda: simples truque elimina o fungo facilmente Acabe com o Fungo Undo The wealthy Gulf states rely heavily on millions of migrant workers particularly in construction, the majority of whom hail from India and Pakistan. Last month, the UAE breached its May temperature record for the second day in a row, hitting 51.6 degrees celsius. To protect labourers, the states ban work under direct sunlight and in open-air areas at peak heat hours from mid-June until mid-September as part of a longstanding "midday break" policy. But with the Gulf particularly vulnerable to climate change, HRW said "these extreme heat conditions are now more frequent and earlier, in May", before the midday break comes into effect. A electrician in Kuwait interviewed by the New York-based rights group said he would feel "dizziness, vomiting, head pain, and blurry vision many times," working during the summer months and "many people fall down because of heat". HRW urged authorities and businesses to move away from "calendar-based midday bans," to risk-based measures to gauge occupational heat stress. Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming and that these heatwaves are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense. The number of extremely hot days has nearly doubled globally in the past three decades. According to a 2024 report from the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency, outdoor workers in Arab states face some of the highest exposure to heat stress in the world, with 83.6 per cent suffering from excessive heat exposure on the job.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store