Latest news with #Van
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
State forms panels to prepare district-wise forest land reports and GIS maps
Pune: State govt on Tuesday constituted three committees to form a comprehensive and detailed district-wise report of Maharashtra's forest land, alongside the creation of GIS-based digital maps utilised in mining clearances. The decision follows the Supreme Court's March order mandating all states and Union Territories to form an expert committee to constitute the report as directed under Rule 16 of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023. The SC had also emphasised adherence to a 2011 order, mandating state govts to create and regularly update GIS-based district-wise forest land maps, including wildlife corridors and protected areas, for use in cases involving forest land diversion. As per Rule 16 of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023, state govts, within one year, were to prepare a consolidated record of such lands, on which the provisions of the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2023, applied. It encompassed forest-like areas identified by expert committees, unclassified forest lands and community forest lands. The state-level expert committee constituted the principal chief conservator of forests, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), principal chief conservator of forests (social forestry), additional principal chief conservator of forests (conservation), settlement commissioner and director of land records, chief conservator of forests (land records), and additional principal chief conservator of forests and central officer of Maharashtra. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo This committee will take action as per the Supreme Court orders dated March 4, ensuring compliance with the definition of 'forest' as defined by the court in an order dated Dec 12, 1996. "The committee will also verify the records of the area prepared by the district committee, providing guidance to the district committee regarding its functioning and guiding the committee constituted for creating the GIS-based map for forest clearances and compiling the reports received and submitting them to govt by July 15, 2025," the govt resolution stated. The second committee formed to create the map for forest clearances included the additional principal chief conservator of forests (information technology policy), additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife east/west), chief conservator of forests (conservation), director, MSRAC, conservator of forests (working plan) and former conservator of forests (working plan). "This committee will overlook the creation of GIS-based digital maps and submit a compliance report to the expert committee," the resolution stated. The district-wise committee included district collector, superintendent of land records, all deputy conservators of forests (regional in the district) and deputy conservators of forests at district headquarters. This committee will prepare a record of forest areas at the district level and submit a compliance report to the expert committee. GRAPHIC The orders were passed in a case where petitioner Ashok Sharma contested that state govts would dilute the forest land in the country in lieu of compensatory afforestation. This led to the Supreme Court order of Feb 3, 2025, in which the bench directed that no steps would be taken by the states or UTs to reduce forest land till further orders The SC, on March 4, ordered state govts to expedite the process with a report of the formation of committees for land reports before the next hearing scheduled on Sept 9, 2025 In the 2011 order, the committee was to create the GIS map with each plot of land that may be defined as forest for the purpose of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the core, buffer and eco-sensitive zone of the protected areas constituted as per the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the important migratory corridors for wildlife and the forest land diverted for non-forest purposes in the past in the district Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Mail & Guardian
2 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
Turkish embassy celebrates Unesco's World Breakfast Day
Bon appetit: The Deputy Minister of International Relations, Türkiye ambassador Nilvana Darama Yıldırımgeç, and her husband partake in a traditional Turkish breakfast dish called menemen. As part of the World Breakfast Day, which is celebrated annually by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on the first Sunday in June, a hearty Turkish breakfast was presented at the residence of the Turkish ambassador, HE Nilvana Yıldırımgeç. Guests indulged in everything from Turkish tea and coffee to menemen, simit, cheese and baklava. Turkish breakfast is among the country's finest culinary rituals. The event aims to bring the Turkish breakfast tradition to a global audience. Van, in the east of Türkiye, is viewed as the country's breakfast capital with its diverse dishes and rich flavours. The province broke the world's most crowded breakfast table record in 2014, when 51 793 people were seated at it. Breakfast is so integral to Van that a street parallel to the main boulevard is unofficially known as 'Breakfast Makers Street.' Ambassador Nilvana Darama Yıldırımgeç thanked friends and colleagues for attending.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
2 buildings damaged, pets killed in extra-alarm fire in Chicago's Ukrainian Village
An extra-alarm fire damaged two buildings and killed a number of pets Thursday afternoon in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Fire Department officials said the fire started in a mixed-use building in the 2300 block of West Chicago Avenue, with apartments on the upper floors, and businesses on the ground floor. The fire was elevated to a 2-11 alarm, which sends at least eight engines, four trucks, two tower ladders, five battalion chiefs, a district chief, a deputy district chief, a squad company, an ambulance and the Command Van to the scene. A large plume of heavy smoke was seen pouring from the building. The fire also spread to a neighboring building, where flames and smoke could be seen coming from the roof. Fire Department officials said the rear porch of the building where the fire started was completely destroyed. A detached garage behind that building also appeared to be damaged. No injuries were reported, but some pets were lost in the fire, according to the Fire Department. The fire was struck out shortly before 3 p.m.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joshua Van determined to upset Brandon Royval at UFC 317, then dethrone Alexandre Pantoja
Joshua Van is rocketing his way to the top of the UFC flyweight division. (Elsa/Getty Images) As he ascends to the top of the UFC flyweight division, Joshua Van isn't wasting any time. Van, 23, closed out the preliminary card of UFC 316 this past weekend with his fourth straight victory, finishing Bruno Gustavo de Silva with third-round strikes to vault into the top 10 of the promotion's flyweight rankings. The performance impressed UFC brass enough that when Manel Kape withdrew from his UFC 317 top-contender matchup against Brandon Royval, Van got the call to jump in for June 28. Advertisement Speaking Wednesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," Van made it clear that he expects to challenge for gold with a win over the No. 1-ranked Royval. 'If I win this fight, I'm No. 1," Van said. "No [UFC hasn't said that], but who am I supposed to fight next? If I beat the No. 1 guy, I'm the No. 1 [guy]. So that's what I'm thinking right now. 'The only reason I called out [Brandon] Moreno [after UFC 316] was because everyone in the top 15 had a matchup and stuff like that. It was just me and him that were left, and he said he wanted to fight on Noche UFC, I want to fight in Texas. But if they give me a title [fight after UFC 317], hell yeah, I'll take the title.' With a 7-1 UFC record, Van has swiftly emerged as one of the flyweight division's top rising talents. He was also the third-highest ranking MMA representative on Uncrowned's Top 25 Under Top 25 list. Advertisement Despite his great success, Van had no expectation of be able to fight Royval so soon. When approached by his manager with the news and the opportunity to replace Kape, he didn't even believe it. Once accepted, though, it was right back to training after clearing through de Silva unscathed. 'I don't really watch fights," Van said, "but now when they called me for this fight, I went back and watched all [of Royval's] fights. I knew who he was. He's a tough guy in the division. "When they called me Sunday, it's just opportunity that I can't say no. I told the media I want to fight as soon as possible, so the UFC gave me a matchup and I have to say yes.' Advertisement With just two years in the UFC under his belt, Van has been incredibly active. He notched a rare four-fight campaign in 2024 and is already heading toward his third appearance this year with his quick turnaround against Royval. To further align his goals, the flyweight championship is also on the line at UFC 317 when dominant titleholder Alexandre Pantoja defends against Kai Kara-France. Van promised that he doesn't plan on slowing down that breakneck pace even if he becomes the champion. But first, he has to upset Royval and see how things play out in UFC 317's co-main event. Van promised that he doesn't plan on slowing down that breaknec pace even if he becomes the champion. But first, he has to upset Royval and see how things play out in UFC 317's co-main event. Advertisement "Kai is a very powerful guy. So I feel like if Kai doesn't show him too much respect, I think he can get it done," Van said. "But if Pantoja bullies him in there, it's done. It's over. 'It would be ideal if I fight Pantoja because nobody's ever beaten him as the champion. So if I go out there and beat him, that would be [great]. May the best man win.'
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Climate
- Newsweek
Inside the Life of a Woman Hotshot Battling Blazes in the American West
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. With wildfires getting more severe and unpredictable, the work of firefighters is increasingly significant—and dangerous. January's Los Angeles County fires caused up to $53.8 billion in property losses and billions more in economic and tax hits to the economy, according to a February report from the Southern California Leadership Council and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. Often referred to as the "special forces" of wildland firefighting, hotshot crews tackle the most difficult and remote wildfires. Most people who come to a hotshot crew have a few fire seasons under their belt; but when Kelly Ramsey joined her hotshot crew, she was the only rookie to both the crew and to fire—and the sole woman, as well as the first in nearly a decade. To many of the men, she was the only woman they'd ever worked with. In this exclusive excerpt from her book, Wildfire Days: A Woman, A Hotshot Crew, and the Burning American West (Scribner), Ramsey talks about fighting the 2020 North Complex Fire in California. BACKBURN. Intentionally burning the forest in advance of an oncoming wildfire, as Ramsey is doing with a drip torch near Quincy, CA, can help create a barrier of burned vegetation to stop a wildfire's progress. BACKBURN. Intentionally burning the forest in advance of an oncoming wildfire, as Ramsey is doing with a drip torch near Quincy, CA, can help create a barrier of burned vegetation to stop a wildfire's progress. Parker Kleive The day after Labor Day, we woke to the wind. It threw dirt on our tarps and whipped hair into my mouth as I zipped my bag. The morning was sunny, which should have been a warning. Sun means the inversion has lifted—a temperature inversion happens when warm air "caps" cooler air, trapping smoke in the valley overnight, dampening fire activity. Once the temperature rises, the fire awakens. We stood in a circle to brief. "The East Wind Event they've been talking about arrives today," Van said. He had gone to morning briefing with all the other superintendents, where they'd learned about the weather situation. "As you can see, it's already here." Red flag warnings stretched from California to Washington State. The wind was historic, a once-in-a-hundred-year phenomenon. Incident management teams along the West Coast were on edge. They would have increased staffing, but there was nobody to add; everyone was already committed, and short-staffed at that. "You really need to be heads-up today," Van said. "Lotta trees could come down," Salmon added. We broke the circle, trudging through deep dirt. I could feel the wind inside my yellow, and I shuddered. "Come on, load up," Fisher called, and fired the engine. I collected my hairbrush and stuck a boot on the bumper and pulled myself up, and the back door of the buggy clanged shut, a lid closing. "All in!" Trevan yelled, and we were wheels rolling toward the black. We hiked in on the same dirt-powder line. Cloud of dust, choke, cough. We reached the black and spread out along the line. Everything here was holding, and we were set up with a hose lay and engines pumping water from either end. We moved as a group, finding hot spots and digging as the wind picked up. 'Head on a Swivel' The wind howled and roared, bending the trees. Big old conifers creaked and popped. Some were burned out at the bottom, some were cat-faced (with a burned hole or hollow, like a cave), some crispy carbon sticks all the way up. It didn't feel safe. Boom! A massive tree fell, somewhere out of sight. The big ones sounded like bombs. The ground shuddered, meaning it hadn't landed far away. Boom! Another tree. Everyone's head was on a swivel. "Head on a swivel" was a shorthand phrase of Van's, but that's also what it looked like: a tree fell, and our heads snapped around, our expressions asking where and how close. Boom! "That was too close. Too f****** close." Luke looked unnerved. A crew got on the radio and said they were pulling out. Too many snags comin' down, the crew boss said. "The wind's too high, and we don't feel safe to continue." They said they were hiking out. Division said he copied. "You think we'll leave too?" I asked. "Oh, hell no." "No way. Hotshots gotta be the last ones to leave." "Don't worry, Rowdy River'll do it!" "Perfect time to get after it." "Find the boys an outlet. We're gettin' plugged in." Bitter sarcasm was our only resort. The eerie wind stirred the stump holes and swirled embers into the air. Where we were, the wind threatened to coerce a dead fire back to life. But elsewhere, where we couldn't see, the risk was much worse. Salmon, who was posted on the ridge as lookout, came on the radio. "Hey, uh, this thing is making a decent run. It's starting to put up a pretty good column." Van confirmed that he was seeing the same thing from wherever he was hiding out. We kept digging. Then Air Attack came on the radio. "This is making a big push," Air Attack said. "The fire has jumped the Feather River drainage and is making a big run to the south. It's moving fast. I'm seeing—I'm seeing a campground and some structures here, in front of the fire, and you need to send people out there to evacuate anyone in this thing's path. Tell everyone to get out of the way. It's—it's not stopping." My skin prickled. We couldn't see any of it—the column, the fire pushed by these winds, jumping the river and racing toward a campground—but even I had been doing this long enough that I could picture the flames, and the urgency in Air Attack's voice made my blood run cold. Author Kelly Ramsey portrait Author Kelly Ramsey portrait Lindsey Shea/Courtesy of Scribner 'Intergalactic Columns' He came on again to say that this wasn't the only fire seeing explosive growth. "I've flown everything from here to Redding," he said. "And I hate to tell ya, but it's just columns everywhere. All of California is columns, far as you can see. Intergalactic columns." "Intergalactic?" "Did he really say that?" We'd never forget it—it was a joke for the ages. We'd later get to a fire that was putting up a column and someone would intone, Intergalactic, with a wink, and people would laugh, and I would feel a chill. Because that is how a single column looks, like a rope from earth to space, and to imagine them spread over the breadth of this nation-sized state was to apocalypse. Alien invasion. Armageddon. With one word, Air Attack had conjured a vision of the end times. And he wasn't wrong. We kept working our way down the line, mopping up. Opening my pack to grab a snack, I saw I'd missed a call from Jossie, the friend in Happy Camp who was watching our animals. I called back. "Everything OK?" "I'm at your house," she said in a rushed voice. "I have the dogs. Is there anything you want me to grab?" Huh? I was so confused, the best response I could summon was, "What?" "There's a fire in Happy Camp. I thought you knew." "What? No, I didn't know." Ice. As if someone had poured a bucket of it over my head. Cold water flowing over my body and entering my veins. "Yeah, it's right outside town, they're evacuating everyone. I have to leave, and I've got my dogs. Do you want me to take yours?" "Yes," I said. "Please." "I tried to get the cat, but he ran away." "That's OK. Cats are smart. Tommy will hide." My voice caught in my throat. Poor Tommy, the scrappy stray I'd bribed into our home. "What about Sam?" F****** Sam. There was no loading a large goat into Jossie's small SUV. "Um. Why don't you let him free in the yard, so he can escape? I guess." Poor old Sam. "OK, I'll do that. Is there anything else you want from the house? Any important papers or anything?" My throat was closing. The trees around us, columns of carbon, creaked in the howling wind. "No, just the dogs." It was almost a whisper. "Please take the dogs." June 7, 2021 on the Telegraph Fire outside Globe, AZ. June 7, 2021 on the Telegraph Fire outside Globe, AZ. Parker Kleive Smothering Smoke The sky had gone orange. The atmosphere hung low, bloody and dark, as if someone had steeped the sky in an amber tea, the smoke like cloudy billows of just-poured cream. We were all taking videos, because it was insane that morning could look like the middle of the night. We'd left the North Complex, headed home. Miles upon miles spooled out under the buggies' tires, wildfires in every direction. Everywhere we turned, roads were closed. We had to reroute because I-5 was shut down: a fire near Ashland, where my friends lived. Cold prickled my neck. We took a back road, a two-lane highway between orchards, their gnarled limbs menacing under the heavy sky. Happy Camp wasn't the only tragedy in California. A headline about the North Complex read: "Tiny California Town Leveled By 'Massive Wall of Fire'; 10 Dead, 16 Missing, Trapped Fire Crew Barely Escapes Blaze." The North had grown explosively, barreling southwest and consuming the town of Berry Creek, leaving only three houses out of 1,200 standing. Meanwhile, in the western Sierra Nevada, almost 400 campers were trapped when the Creek Fire blew up; the Army National Guard rescued them in Black Hawk helicopters. By October, Governor Gavin Newsom would request a federal disaster declaration for six major wildfires in the state. The windstorm had also fueled five simultaneous megafires in Oregon, damaging 4,000 homes, schools and stores, killing several people, placing 10 percent of Oregon residents under an evacuation order and incinerating more of the Oregon Cascades than had burned in the previous 36 years combined. The Almeda fire leveled, among many other structures, my friend's mother's Polish restaurant in Talent. In Washington, the towns of Malden and Pine City were mostly destroyed. The Cold Springs Canyon fire grew from 10,000 to 175,000 acres overnight, an insane rate of spread. The Pearl Hill fire jumped an almost unheard-of 900 feet to cross the Columbia River. Smoke blanketed British Columbia and the Western U.S. and, funneling into the atmosphere, drifted and spread to cover the continent. Air quality advisories were issued as far east as New York. College students hid in their dorms in Berkeley; older people sheltered from the dangerous particulates outside. We were a nation huddled, terrified. The smothering smoke implicated each one of us for our part in making a hotter world, enabling such a catastrophe. This was a disaster. There was no other word. The Slater fire had blitzed north through Happy Camp and crossed over Grayback. It had jumped Indian Creek east to west, then the wind had shifted and it had jumped back again. The fire had gone everywhere at once and made a 100,000-acre run up Indian Creek and over the ridge into Oregon. That ridge, where an undivided stand of Brewer spruce grew. Had grown? The canyon where so many been. Wildfire Days book cover Wildfire Days book cover Courtesy of Scribner ▸ Adapted from Wildfire Days by Kelly Ramsey. Copyright © 2025 by Kelly Ramsey. Reprinted by permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC.
