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Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BBMB row, repeal of Dam Safety Act: A hardening stance behind Punjab's firm resolution
When the Punjab government moved a resolution in the state assembly on Monday for the immediate repeal of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, the demand not only came more than three years after the legislation was enacted, but it also marked a shift in the state's position. While several farmer unions in Punjab opposed the Act from the outset, arguing that it infringed upon the state's rights over water resources, the state government complied with and implemented the measures mandated by the legislation, despite having some reservations. The state, however, has now hardened its stance to seek repeal of the Act after a row erupted with the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which regulates water distribution from Bhakra, Nangal, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams, over sharing of water from the Bhakra with Haryana, said people in the know of the matter. The resolution, which said that the 2021 Act empowers the central government to directly control the rivers and dams of states and undermines the sovereign rights of states like Punjab over their water, was unanimously passed by all MLAs present in the state assembly, cutting across party lines. Water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said the state government was opposed to the Act from day one and kept conveying its concerns. 'The central government tried to take control of our dams. When the situation became unbearable due to the actions of BBMB, we had to do something and brought this resolution for repeal of this Act among other things,' he said. State set up dam safety panels under DSA The Dam Safety Act, which came into force on December 30, 2021, mandated that states set up a State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS) and a State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) within 180 days. The state's water resources department established SCDS on May 13, 2022, under Section 11 of the Act with chief engineer, SDSO, as chairperson and chief engineers, canal, ground water, dams and design hydel projects, as ex-officio members for monitoring and supervision of dam safety related activities, assessing probability of dam failure, supervising the functioning of SDSO, etc. Chief conservator of soils; chief engineer, hydel projects of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited; chief engineer, project-cum-arbitration, HP Power Corporation Limited, and one director of Central Water Commission were among the members, according to a notification issued by principal secretary, water resources. Another notification was issued on June 13, 2022, to constitute an eight-member State Dam Safety Organisation under an officer of the rank of chief engineer, designated as its technical head, for inspection of dams, safety review, risk assessment, emergency preparedness, enforcement of safety regulations. One of the officers quoted above said the two panels were constituted in accordance with provisions of the legislation, and the officials were also attending meetings, workshops and following up on dam safety guidelines. 'However, there have been concerns. Water is a state subject as per Entry 17 of State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and dam safety has been traditionally managed by states. There is also Section 56, which allows the central government to unilaterally prescribe rules without mandatory with states,' said the official. The Union Jal Shakti ministry is of view that the legislation has been enacted to ensure dam safety by providing an institutional mechanism for prevention and mitigation of dam failure disasters through proper surveillance, operation and maintenance. 'The central ministry has been saying that the Act does not encroach upon the power of states and adequate representation has been provided to state governments at all levels and there are Constitutional provisions which give Parliament the power to legislate on dam safety,' said another official.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man, 20, fatally shot by police in south central San Diego identified
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego County Sheriff's Office has identified the man fatally shot by San Diego police in the Stockton neighborhood of south central San Diego last week, as well as the officers who fired their weapons. In an update Wednesday, SDSO Lt. Juan Marquez named Kevin Garcia Gonzalez, a 20-year-old resident of San Diego, as the man killed in the shooting outside Bethel AME Church on the morning of Friday, April 4. Per the sheriff's office, the incident began around 10 a.m., when police patrolling the area were flagged down by a civilian to report a man near the intersection of 31st and K streets who may have had a firearm. Mexican government demands investigation of deadly San Diego police shooting Officers were told the man was sitting inside a vehicle, pointing what appeared to be a revolver at another individual, Marquez said. A short while later, the man — Gonzalez — was found inside a stationary Ford Fusion with a female companion in the passenger seat. The woman safely exited the vehicle as officers began negotiations with Gonzalez. According to Marquez, officers attempted to negotiate Gonzalez's exit from the vehicle for over an hour, including with less-lethal force in the form of pepper balls, before he allegedly pointed a weapon towards law enforcement through the open driver's side window. Five officers and a police sergeant fired multiple rounds at the vehicle at that point, striking Gonzalez a number of times, per SDSO. No shots were fired towards officers, nor were any injuries to law enforcement reported. The sheriff's office identified the SDPD personnel who fired their weapons as Sergeant Edward Laurendeau, acting Sergeant Zane Sisneros, and officers Michael Hagen, Diego Arellanes, Ruben Berton and Fernando Fernandez. All of the officers involved have been with the department for five or more years, per SDSO. Most are currently assigned to either the Central or Southern Division, except for Laurendeau, who is with the K-9 unit, and Fernandez, who is in the Southeastern Division. Two of the involved officers, Berton and Fernandez, also are members of the SWAT team, according to the sheriff's office. After shots were fired, Marquez said officers pulled the 20-year-old from the vehicle to attempt life-saving measures before paramedics escorted him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The sheriff's Homicide Unit was called to the scene to investigate the incident, per the county's protocols on officer-involved shootings. San Diego police release videos of deadly standoff near Scripps Ranch A BB gun that resembled a revolver was recovered from inside the Ford Fusion, according to the sheriff's office. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation. Once the investigation is complete, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office will review its findings to determine whether the officers involved bear criminal liability for the incident. SDPD is concurrently conducting an administrative review into the justification of the officers' actions. Marquez says the sheriff's office contacted the Department of Justice to monitor the investigation, but they declined to respond. Authorities are encouraging anyone with information on the shooting to contact SDSO's Homicide Unit at 858-285-6330 or by using the after hours line at 858-868-3200. Those who would like to remain anonymous can do so by calling Crime Stoppers 888-580-8477. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Yahoo
California Woman Suspected of Killing Her Cal Fire Captain Wife Is Captured in Mexico After 33 Days on the Run
The California woman suspected of fatally stabbing her wife and fleeing to Mexico has been captured after more than four weeks on the run. Thirty-three days after she crossed into Mexico on Feb. 17 — the day her Cal Fire captain wife, Rebecca 'Becky' Marodi, 49, was found dead in her California home — Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi was located and taken into custody, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Office (SDSO). Mexican authorities alerted United States officials that Yolanda, 53, had been found on Saturday, March 22, the sheriff's office said. She was arrested near a hotel on Fresnillo Avenue in Mexicali, NBC 7 in San Diego reported, citing Mexican officials. Yolanda was later released to U.S. Marshals. She will be booked into custody for murder, the SDSO said, adding that homicide investigators are still working to determine the circumstances and motivation behind the death of Rebecca, a captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Yolanda previously served time in prison — from 2004 to 2013 — for manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of her then-husband, James J. Olejniczak Jr., per NBC 7. Rebecca's mother found her at her home in Ramona, Calif., on Feb. 17 with multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest and abdomen, per the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. Officials attempted life-saving measures, but the fire captain ultimately succumbed to her injuries. Days later, authorities named Rebecca's wife as a suspect. According to police, Yolanda was captured on surveillance camera allegedly arguing with and physically assaulting Rebecca, then fleeing the residence before her wife's mother found her. Home security footage shows Yolanda allegedly chased Rebecca across the patio while holding a knife around 8 p.m. local time the night of the murder, according to an arrest warrant reviewed by PEOPLE. 'Yolanda! Please ... I don't want to die,' a voice believed to be Rebecca's can be heard saying in the footage, police stated. The warrant also noted that blood appeared to be running down her back at the time. Yolanda allegedly had blood on her arms and responded, 'You should have thought about that before.' Rebecca was then allegedly seen on camera begging Yolanda to call 911 multiple times as her wife told her to go back inside. Minutes later, Yolanda allegedly loaded luggage and pets into an SUV before leaving home. She was then spotted hours later crossing the Mexican border, police said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Authorities later discovered texts allegedly sent by Yolanda that help paint a picture of what led up to Rebecca's murder. "Becky came home and told me she was leaving me,' Yolanda allegedly wrote to an acquaintance one day after Rebecca's death, per an arrest warrant reviewed by PEOPLE. 'She met someone else, all the messages were lies. We had a big fight, and I hurt her ... I'm sorry.' Rebecca worked with Cal Fire for more than 30 years after beginning her firefighting career as a volunteer in 1993. She was promoted to captain in 2022. In a statement to NBC 7, Cal Fire acknowledged Yolanda's arrest. 'CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department is aware that Yolanda Marodi was apprehended,' the statement read. 'We thank our law enforcement partners in San Diego and Mexico for their hard work. Becky was a beloved member of our community and Department, and we miss her greatly.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ramona man, 24, arrested after ghost gun found during traffic stop
RAMONA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 24-year-old Ramona man is facing multiple weapons charges after San Diego County Sheriff's deputies allegedly found a ghost gun in his vehicle during a traffic stop, authorities said Friday. Deputies from the Ramona Sheriff's Substation first pulled over the suspect — identified as Brandon Nichols — around 9 p.m. on Monday for expired registration tags on his silver Chevrolet Colorado, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. Man caught on video breaking into Airbnb rental home with family inside During the stop, the sheriff's office says deputies found Nichols to be in possession of a loaded, privately manufactured firearm commonly known as a 'ghost gun.' These firearms do not have serial numbers unlike legal ones, making them nearly impossible to trace. Sheriff's detectives subsequently carried out a search warrant on Wednesday at his home along D Street. The search recovered additional ghost guns, as well as machines to manufacture weapons, illegal magazines and ammunition, and various pieces for firearms, according to SDSO. Nichols was arrested and booked into San Diego Central Jail on charges of possessing an undetectable firearm after the traffic stop. Per SDSO, he was later released on bond. As a result of the search, SDSO notes he could face additional charges tied to possession and manufacturing of illegal weapons. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
