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Time of India
26-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Ganga at core of cleanliness drive
Patna: Elated with the city's performance in Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2024, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is preparing to launch an extensive cleanliness campaign. This drive is aimed at enhancing public sensitivity towards the Ganga river and foster a broader movement for environmental awareness and civic hygiene. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The campaign will be conducted in phases. From Aug 1 to Aug 15, the PMC will sensitise its employees, stakeholders and enforcement teams. From Aug 15 to Oct 2, the corporation will carry out a citywide campaign to raise public awareness and penalise those found littering on roads or near rivers, or using plastic. Municipal commissioner Animesh Kumar Prashar described garbage and plastic as the two primary adversaries of the civic body. "Our teams are working on both fronts to maintain cleanliness in the city," he said. "To enforce the plastic ban, we will focus on three dimensions – suppliers of polythene, its users, and behavioural change. For this, three dedicated wings will be created," he added. Explaining the structure, Prashar said, "The first wing will focus on awareness and behavioural change. The second, the information wing, will track the sources of plastic supply and plug the gaps. The third wing will be responsible for enforcement, ensuring timely action against violators when information is received." Volunteers will engage students in the cleanliness campaign, encouraging them to dissuade their families from dumping plastic and other pollutants into the Ganga. For cleaning the river, PMC will establish a 'Ganga Task Force' comprising 10 to 50 volunteers at each ghat. These volunteers will not only assist in cleaning but also raise awareness among visitors. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A ddressing the media on Saturday, Prashar said the campaign would be driven by the theme 'Mera Shehar, Meri Jawabdehi' (My City, My Responsibility). "People's participation is equally vital in keeping the city clean. The river plays a crucial role in the ecosystem of a city. A clean river reflects the city's identity. We will involve the youth and create awareness at the ghats through various cleaning activities. In collaboration with the Bihar State Pollution Control Board, we will impose fines on individuals found polluting the Ganga, as per the Act," he said. The Commissioner highlighted the PMC's goal to further improve the city's performance in the upcoming Swachh Survekshan 2025. "We are aiming for a five-star Garbage-Free City (GFC) rating. Last year, we received a one-star rating, and this year we achieved three stars," he noted. He added, "It is essential to continue our campaign against plastic, conduct cleanliness drives, and prioritise waste processing to enhance our city's ranking in the next cleanliness survey. For the waste processing plant at the Ramachak Bairiya landfill site, the back-end work required to initiate the bidding process will be completed within the next two to three months." As part of long-term plans, a 15-megawatt waste-to-energy plant will be set up at the landfill site. In addition, several other waste management facilities will be established, including a 100-tonnes-per-day (TPD) biomethanation plant, a 250-TPD material recovery facility (MRF)-cum-refuse derived fuel plant, a 50-TPD MRF plant, a 700-TPD compost plant, and 325-TPD sanitary landfill units. Other initiatives under this campaign will include the reuse of bottles for plantation ('safety from bottles'), activities to maintain garbage-vulnerable points (GVPs), the 'mission plantation' drive, a 'plastic-free Ganga' initiative, and awareness campaigns like 'say no to plastic' and intensive cleanliness drives across the city.
Time of India
25-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tender row at key F&CC meeting lay bare rift between office-bearers
Ludhiana: The Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) meeting scheduled for Friday could not be convened as senior deputy mayor Rakesh Prashar and deputy mayor Prince Johar boycotted the session at the mayor camp office, sources said. The matter has been escalated to the party high command. Over 400 resolutions aimed at the city's development were to be discussed at the meeting. However, disagreements between the mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor put a spanner in the works. A few days ago, senior deputy mayor Prashar expressed concern about allotment of tenders by the MC for beautification of parks in Focal Point at an approximate cost of Rs 10 crore. He alleged that MC officials had flouted norms by awarding tenders using the e-mail ID of a retired executive engineer. However, officials said that they had permission from the XEN to use his ID. When mayor Inderjit Kaur called Prashar to attend the meeting, he initially insisted that clarification be sought from officials. The mayor then requested his attendance to discuss the issue with MC commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Remember Him? Sit Down Before You See What He Looks Like Now 33 Bridges Undo Upon the mayor's arrival, he inquired about cancellation of the tenders. She replied that they would hold the meeting before addressing the matter. When deputy mayor Prince Johar arrived, Prashar refused to enter the meeting venue till the issue was addressed. This prompted the mayor to tell him to do as he wished. Thereafter, both Prashar and Johar left the meeting venue. Sources said that the deputy mayor was also agitated by recent employee transfers without his approval. After their departure, the mayor attempted to approach them with the assistance of MLAs, but they remained adamant. MLAs are now expected to intervene, and a meeting has been scheduled to resolve the issue. When contacted, senior deputy mayor Rakesh Prashar said, "Officials should clarify why they opened the tenders from the ID of a retired XEN and why they gave away tenders with less savings for the department. Many tenders are given away in this manner. When we are not given answers to previous queries then what is the point in approving more resolutions?" Meanwhile mayor Inderjit Kaur denied boycott of the meeting by the deputy mayor and senior deputy mayor. "Both had some personal engagements, so they could not attend the meeting. We will fix the meeting again next week," she said. MSID:: 122905555 413 |
The National
12-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Airbnb faces legal action over listings in illegal Israeli settlements
The three groups – Global Legal Action Network (Glan), Sadaka and Al-Haq – have launched the co-ordinated action against Airbnb's Irish and UK subsidiaries, as well as its US parent company. Glan and Al-Haq filed a criminal complaint with the UK's National Crime Agency over the company's UK subsidary, accusing Airbnb of alleged money laundering in connection with its collection of payments for accommodation in the Israeli settlements. READ MORE: UK Government accused of 'actively participating in genocide' by training IDF In the US, an attorney for Glan has sent a "preservation letter" to Airbnb's parent company, instructing it to preserve documents relevant to Airbnb's involvement in the settlements. The move could support action being taken in the UK, and in Ireland by Sadaka, which is challenging a decision taken by Irish police not to investigate Airbnb Ireland and its senior executives for what it says is alleged criminal involvement in Israeli settlements. According to an investigation by the Guardian earlier this year, there are more than 300 accommodations listed in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, with a third of all Airbnbs in the West Bank located in settlements. Airbnb is also listed on the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) database of businesses involved in activities in Israeli settlements in the OPT. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal, and that all states must prevent trade or investment that support the occupation. An Airbnb spokesperson told The National that the company operates "in compliance with applicable laws in Ireland, the UK and the US". They added: "Since 2019, Airbnb has donated all profits generated from host activity in the West Bank to an international nonprofit, in line with our global framework on disputed territories." READ MORE: Convoy of 1500 arrives in Libya en route to Gaza to break Israel's blockade on aid The company's response was criticised by Ashish Prashar, a former advisor to the Middle East Peace Envoy now working as a special adviser to Glan on Palestine. Prashar condemned Airbnb's use of the words "disputed territories" when discussing Israeli settlements, saying it "undermines Palestinian sovereignty and reinforces the Israeli occupation of the land". He told The National: "It actively supports the cruel domination of the Palestinian people, which is a clear breach of international law." Prashar said that the groups believe they will be successful, adding: "It's a very strong case which could set a precedent with major global consequences for businesses with direct and indirect ties to Israeli settlements. "It could lead to a full BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] moment where it's safer for companies who don't want to be charged with war crimes or executives charged with war crimes, to actually withdraw, not just from the Occupied Territories or from Israel, but from doing any business with Israel because it could be illegal in any possible way." READ MORE: 'Absurdity' of UK position on Israel while still supplying arms called out by SNP MP Glan senior laywer, Gerry Liston, commented: 'These are the first ever cases to apply anti-money laundering legislation to business activity in the illegal Israeli settlements. "They demonstrate that individual senior executives of companies profiting from Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory face a personal risk of prosecution for a very serious criminal offence.' Shawan Jabarin, general director of Al-Haq, said: "At a time when we are witnessing genocide in Palestine, businesses like Airbnb are providing services that deny the Palestinian people their means of subsistence, threatening the viability of the group. "Following the finding by the International Court of Justice, that Israel's occupation is illegal, business activities trading in goods and services that maintain the illegal occupation, must come to an end – i.e., those located in the OPT, including the settlements, and in Israel. "It is time to end Israel's impunity and take action.'
