Latest news with #Narmada
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
KTR tears into BJP, Cong over ‘distorting facts' on KLIP
Hyderabad: The BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Monday launched a blistering attack on the BJP and Congress, accusing them of jointly conspiring to malign BRS President K Chandrashekar Rao by distorting facts about the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. The BRS leader said, 'Both BJP and Congress are working with a single objective to irritate KCR garu. Their agenda is not governance but vendetta.' He clarified that the Kaleshwaram project was not the decision of an individual, but a unanimous policy decision taken by the Telangana Cabinet at that time. 'Even former ministers like Eatala Rajender and Harish Rao have reiterated that this was a government-approved, cabinet-sanctioned project. The implementation was carried out by the administration, not individuals. There is absolutely nothing to hide. Everything was done with utmost transparency,' he said. Rama Rao urged people to watch the detailed presentation made by senior BRS leader Harish Rao. 'If anyone watched Harish Rao's explanation, they would understand the project's depth and benefits. Harish explained it as clearly as peeling a banana. It was that simple and detailed,' KTR said. The BRS working president said, 'If a leader in another country had completed a project of this scale bringing irrigation to 45 lakh acres in just four years, they would have been immortalised in their national history. That leader would have been celebrated with global honours. Sadly, in our country, such a historic project has become a tool for political mudslinging,' he said. KTR denounced the issuance of notices by investigation bodies as politically motivated harassment. 'These notices are simply attempts to irritate and distract us. We have already stated everything that needs to be said. Today, Harish Rao presented all the facts before the commission in full detail. Commision has nothing new to ask for KCR. Everything that needed to be said has already been said,' KTR declared. KCR achieved in four years what Congress couldn't in decades. Drawing comparisons, KTR noted that while Congress governments took decades to construct major projects like Bhakra Nangal, Nagarjuna Sagar, Narmada, and SRSP, KCR completed Kaleshwaram in record time. Criticising the Congress regime under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, KTR said, 'They came to power by making 420 fake promises, only to betray the public. This government is leading the state down a dangerous, destructive path.' He further accused Revanth Reddy of using media manipulation to mislead the public. 'This media-management trickery cannot cover up their incompetence forever,' he added.
United News of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Notice drama won't shake us, everything has been explained: BRS Working Prez
Hyderabad, June 9 (UNI) A few hours after appearing before Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose Commission probing the alleged irregularities in the execution of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) by former Irrigation Minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao, the party on Monday evening denounced as "politically motivated harassment" the issuance of notices by investigating bodies. The Commission had earlier also served notice to BRS President and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) to appear before it on Wednesday. In a statement, KTR said 'These notices are simply attempts to irritate and distract us'. We have already stated everything that needs to be said. Today, Harish Rao presented all the facts before the commission in full detail'. "Commission has nothing new to ask KCR — everything that needed to be said has already been said,' KTR, the son of KCR, declared. "KCR achieved in four years what Congress couldn't in decades', he pointed out. Drawing comparisons, KTR noted that while Congress governments took decades to construct major projects like Bhakra Nangal, Nagarjuna Sagar, Narmada, and SRSP, KCR completed Kaleshwaram in record time. 'This is no small accomplishment. Had this occurred in another country, KCR would have been decorated with the highest awards. But here, the very parties that failed to deliver for decades are trying to demonize a leader who delivered the impossible,' he said. Criticising the Congress regime under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, KTR said, 'They came to power by making 420 fake promises, only to betray the public'. 'This Congress government is leading the state down a dangerous, destructive path,' he said He further accused Revanth Reddy of using media manipulation to mislead the public. 'This media-management trickery cannot cover up their incompetence forever,' he added. UNI KNR NST SSP
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
The Indian ecological disaster that inspired new Australian play, The Wrong Gods
Travel deep into the dense forest and rolling hills of central India and you will find the ancient town of Amarkantak — the birthplace of the great Narmada river. The river runs west, all the way to the Arabian Sea. By the water's edge, eagles and hornbills flit across the immense jungle canopy comprising countless tree species that are found nowhere else on the subcontinent. The river's vast banks are a refuge for wildlife as grand and diverse as tigers, bears and wolves. It's also a home for humans, and a holy place. Mentioned in classic texts like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, it's not hard to imagine Hindu gods taking a stroll along its rapids. But, after centuries of being home to not just intricate ecosystems but countless villages and farmers, the Narmada River now represents human-made ecological disaster and powerful protest. The iconic grassroots movement that sprung up around the river has rippled far and wide — including here to Australia, where a new work by award-winning playwright S. Shakthidharan uses it as inspiration. Called The Wrong Gods, the play's central question is: what stops us from acting in the best interest of nature? The Narmada Valley Project, or the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is one of the world's biggest hydropower infrastructure projects — including 30 major, 135 medium and 3,000 small dams. Proposed in the 60s, the national building goal was noble: capture the river's huge flow to irrigate farmland and provide drinking water and power for three Indian states. Instead, it has been described as India's "greatest planned environmental disaster". While no environmental impact research was done prior to its construction, the dam has led to widespread deforestation, loss of habitat and loss of wildlife, both aquatic and mammal. Almost immediately, Indigenous Indian villagers (Adivasis) were displaced by the rising river banks or, as famed writer Arundhati Roy put it, "chased off their ancestral lands as though they were intruders". The total count of the farmers, farm workers and fisherfolk who would be made homeless is somewhere between 250,000 and 500,000 and encompasses hundreds of villages. Most of these people have been forced to move to slums surrounding major cities. Ten years ago, Australian playwright S. Shakthidharan visited one such farming family, who were part of the resistance to the dam project, and it was there the seed for his new play was planted. "I'll never forget those few nights," he tells ABC Arts. "It takes a long time to get there, it's very remote, and so we hadn't eaten much for a very long time. And when we got there, they killed a chicken for us. "I was vegetarian at the time, which I didn't tell them, and I helped them clean and prepare the chicken. We spent the whole night doing that, cooking and eating it. And then I slept next to the farmer on a rattan bed, over the chickens." According to Nadini K Oza, a former activist and current archivist of the movement, it was a true grassroots operation. "For more than half a century, the people of the Narmada Valley who were affected by the project have been conducting small and big struggles against the SSP," she says. "In the mid-1980s and late 1980s, many of these groups, organisations and struggles came together and ultimately evolved into the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA)." The NBA was hugely successful with its protests. It forced the World Bank to withdraw its $US450 million loan from the dam project and later was able to halt construction for several years through the Supreme Court. The movement fought for and won "better rehabilitation and resettlement of the people" displaced from their villages too. Despite these successes, dam construction has continued and is due for completion in 2025 — making the conservation and Indigenous-rights debates a continuing part of India's political landscape. It may seem half a world away but, for S. Shakthidharan, the story of the Narmada River has much to offer us in Australia today. "I was really grappling with the reasons that we aren't acting on climate change," he says. "I think our biggest issue is actually a cultural one, which is that we are locked into systems of consumption that we don't know how to get out of, and we're locked to it, to a way of relating to the natural worlds that we don't know how to get out of. "How do we acknowledge the incredible things progress has given us, and still find a way forward to cultural change, to bend the power of progress in a different way?" That's when he came up with the idea for The Wrong Gods — reflecting that perhaps the most successful religion of all time was that of progress. "We pray to it and believe in it regardless of political beliefs about it. It's a religion that, even if you're against it, you're still a part of." Finally, the playwright realised he had already visited the perfect setting for all this — the Narmada Valley. "I tried to write a plan which kind of took inspiration from that setting and that struggle, but could turn it into a parable for all of us." Shakthidharan has also intentionally incorporated one of the most striking aspects of the anti-dam movement — the prominent role of women. Women have led many direct actions, including long fasts and have faced the brunt of state retaliation including police beatings and jail. The Wrong Gods centres on Nirmala, a very traditional village woman, and her daughter Isha, who has dreams of leaving their remote valley to study and become a scientist. "The characters ended up becoming all women in the play, and the relationship between individual liberation and collective liberation felt so potent in that context," Shakthidharan says. He soon realised the benefits of co-directing with a woman — Hannah Goodwin, the resident director of Belvoir. "I realised that it would be great to use this opportunity to build a team where as many women are at the forefront as possible: so the set was built by women, we have women costume designers, stage managers and actors. "The room and the process has been different for that and I'm so proud of that." The Wrong Gods is currently showing at Arts Centre Melbourne until June 12.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
PM to open 2 railway stns in Bhopal division today
Bhopal: Narmadapuram and Shajapur railway stations within Bhopal division, along with four other stations in Madhya Pradesh, have undergone comprehensive transformation under the ' Amrit Bharat Station Yojana '. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate these facilities via video conferencing on Thursday. These stations now feature contemporary passenger amenities, regional cultural elements, and impressive architecture, authorities said. Indian Railways undertook an ambitious project to renovate over 1300 stations. This renovation aimed to enhance accessibility, facilities, and cultural significance for passengers. The renovated Narmadapuram station, completed at over Rs 26 crore, incorporates local culture and the 'Narmada theme'. Features include an impressive entrance, a new waiting area, a modern ticketing system, accessible facilities for Divyangjan, a 12-metre footbridge, and extensive platform shelters. Additional improvements include a 3100 square metre beautified circulation area and LED lighting across 1000 square metres. The station now serves as both a practical transport hub and a representation of faith on Narmada's 'sacred grounds', officials Rs 13 crore development at Shajapur Railway Station includes raised platforms, extensive sheltered areas, a new footbridge, enhanced circulation space, a striking entrance, and organised waiting facilities. The station's exterior showcases local Shajapur traditions. Facilities include separate toilets for men and women, Divyangjan amenities, a second-class waiting area, a VIP lounge, and sufficient parking space. A 140 square metre 'Art and Culture Zone' showcases Shajapur's cultural heritage. These developments, executed by Bhopal railway administration, align with local needs and national objectives, officials said.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
PM Modi to dedicate 6 upgraded railway stations in MP under Amrit Bharat Station Yojana on May 22
1 2 3 4 Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to virtually launch six newly upgraded railway stations in Madhya Pradesh under the Amrit Bharat Station Yojana on May 22. The inauguration will include a total of 103 stations nationwide. Indian Railways initiated the transformation of more than 1,300 stations during the 'Amrit Kaal' period, with 103 stations prepared for inauguration under the Amrit Bharat Station Yojana. The project's completion demonstrates notable efficiency. According to officials, the six Madhya Pradesh stations are Katni South, Shridham, Narmadapuram, Shajapur, Seoni, and Orchha. The development, costing over 86 crores, integrates practical requirements with regional cultural aspects. The enhancements incorporate distinctive entrances, improved illumination, updated waiting spaces, ticketing services, contemporary sanitation facilities, and inclusive infrastructure. The platforms now feature covered areas, train information systems, and electronic displays. The facilities ensure accessibility for all users whilst highlighting Madhya Pradesh's artistic and cultural legacy. The updated Narmadapuram Railway Station, completed with an investment exceeding Rs 26 crore, offers contemporary amenities whilst celebrating Narmada culture and local folk traditions. The station provides enhanced travel facilities alongside cultural appreciation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ative o software antivírus do seu computador Clique aqui Undo T he renovations include a refurbished building, prominent entrance, modernised waiting areas, adequate booking counters, accessible amenities, a 12-metre footbridge, and covered platform shelters. The 3,100-square-metre circulation space features modern LED lighting across 1,000 square metres. The station represents contemporary India whilst acknowledging Narmada river's spiritual importance. Railway officials indicate these improvements will enhance travel experiences whilst supporting tourism and local growth. Shajapur Railway Station, redeveloped with over Rs 13 crore, now integrates modern facilities with traditional designs. Improvements include enhanced platforms, a new footbridge, extended covered sections, an attractive entrance, organised ticketing, and contemporary waiting areas. The station structure features culturally inspired architecture. Additional facilities include gender-specific amenities, provisions for Divyangjan, VIP lounges, general waiting spaces, and sufficient parking. The 140-square-metre 'Art and Culture Zone' serves as a central feature, showcasing local cultural elements. This development reinforces Shajapur district's cultural and economic significance whilst improving travel facilities. Katni South station's renovation, costing Rs 15 crore, features contemporary passenger amenities including spacious waiting areas, improved ventilation, and enhanced security. The design incorporates local architectural elements reflecting the area's mining heritage. Shridham Railway Station's upgrade, completed at Rs 12 crore, prioritises functionality and spiritual significance. The station now offers improved facilities, including water stations, charging points, and security systems. The design references the nearby Maihar temple's traditional architecture. Seoni Railway Station's Rs 10 crore enhancement provides improved passenger facilities whilst maintaining connections to the surrounding forest area. Features include new platform shelters, improved lighting, and modern booking facilities. The design incorporates artistic elements representing local wildlife, particularly tigers, reflecting its proximity to Pench National Park. The Orchha Railway Station's Rs 10 crore renovation combines modern amenities with heritage preservation. The building incorporates Bundeli architectural elements, featuring improved facilities whilst maintaining its historical character. New additions include digital displays, enhanced seating, and upgraded security systems.
