Chennai, July 30 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government has stepped up vigil at the bathing ghats in delta districts of the state for the upcoming ‘Aadi Perukku’ as the water release from the Mettur dam has increased.

Aadi Perukku is a Tamil monsoon festival held on the 18th day of Tamil Aadi month, and this year it falls on Saturday (August 3).

The festival has several rituals to be done on the banks of the rivers.

The release of water from the Mettur dam is to affect the delta districts of Thanjavur, Myladuthurai, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

The district administration has increased the police presence on the river banks to prevent devotees from taking a dip during the heavy flow of water in the rivers during the Aadi Perukku festival.

The Stanley Reservoir in Mettur was opened on Sunday after heavy rain in the catchment areas of the Cauvery river in Karnataka led to water flow into Metttur dam. On Monday, at 8 p.m., the water level in the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur stood at 118 ft, just 2 feet short of its maximum capacity of 120 ft.

As the water level crossed 118 feet at 8 p.m. on Monday, authorities increased the discharge for delta irrigation from 12,000 cusecs to 23,000 cusecs from Sunday evening.

However, the dam was not opened on the customary date of June 12 as the storage level was low.

Meanwhile, the farmers of these delta districts have urged officials to prioritise filling lakes and tanks before allowing excess water to flow into the Cauvery river and eventually into the sea.

P. Viswanathan, state president of the Tamil Nadu Tank and River Irrigation Farmers’ Association, in a statement on Tuesday, demanded that the 935 lakes in delta districts be filled first.

He emphasised the importance of using all water bodies for storing Cauvery water and ensuring the timely availability of quality paddy seeds.

The farmers’ leader also said that in 2023, heavy losses occurred due to poor-quality seeds sold by private agencies.

He said, “Officials should ensure that all farmers receive quality seeds and crop loans without having to run from pillar to post.”

Deputy secretary of the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association, Kavandampatti R Subramanian, in a statement said that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has fixed a certain quantum of water that should be released into the Cauvery every month.

He came out strongly against the Karnataka government for “using Tamil Nadu as a drainage area” by releasing excess water into the river during flood-like situations, in addition to the mandatory monthly release.

The farmer leader said that the Tamil Nadu government should raise this issue with the Cauvery Water Management Committee (CWMC), insisting that the excess water should not be counted as part of the mandatory release.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) Congress General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal on Tuesday expressed his condolences to the families of the victims who died in Wayanad landslides.

Over 40 people were killed in a massive landslide that occurred at Churalpara in Kerala’s Wayanad on Tuesday at around 2 a.m.

Taking to the microblogging site X, the Congress MP said, “I am devastated by the news of landslides in Wayanad which have killed and injured so many people. My condolences to the families of the victims, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

“We are constantly monitoring the situation and urge all UDF workers to assist the authorities in relief efforts in full measure. LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi ji has spoken to the Kerala CM and the Wayanad DC to address this at the earliest. We also spoke to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh ji, who has given us positive assurance about providing necessary relief assistance,” Venugopal added.

The Congress leader further said that they have also requested the Centre and the Kerala Government to ensure search and rescue operations are carried out on a war footing to prevent any further loss of life.

Earlier, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also conveyed his condolences to the families affected by the landslides.

In a post on his X handle, he said, “I am deeply anguished by the massive landslides near Meppadi in Wayanad. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones. I hope those still trapped are brought to safety soon.”

–IANS

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Kozhikode, July 30 (IANS) With the death toll in the massive landslides at Churalpara in Kerala’s Wayanad on Tuesday rising to 44 and hundreds of people stranded, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday sought help from the Indian Army’s Bengaluru-headquartered Madras Engineering Group.

The MEG is known for setting up temporary infrastructure very quickly. The state authorities with the help of NDRF have already started work to set up a temporary bridge in Churalpara.

CM Vijayan has also asked for drones to be employed in the worst affected areas — Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil and Pothukalu.

According to the locals, in these areas, the destruction has been massive. Several houses were washed away and many roads collapsed. Hundreds of people waited for help to arrive after a bridge was washed away. Huge boulders rolled down the hills and hindered the path of rescue workers at several places. Vehicles washed away in floodwaters could be seen stuck in mud and tree trunks.

CM Vijayan has also asked for the Kerala Police Dog squad to reach the affected areas.

The police have set up a 24-hour control room and the phone numbers are — 9497900402, 0471 2721566.

The landslides were reported to have occurred at around 2 a.m.

–IANS

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Patna, July 30 (IANS) The CBI has arrested another person allegedly involved in the NEET question paper leak from Mumbai.

The accused, identified as Raunak Raj, was presented before the CBI Special Court in Patna on Monday evening.

Special Judicial Magistrate Kumari Rinku granted his remand to the central agency till August 2.

Raunak Raj was present in Hazaribagh on the day of the NEET examination held on May 5 this year and allegedly solved the leaked question paper.

He is the eighth solver to be arrested by the CBI in connection with this case.

The CBI had previously arrested four third-year students from Patna AIIMS on July 18, as well as two MBBS students from Bharatpur in Rajasthan and one from RIMS Ranchi.

The NEET question paper leak was first uncovered by Patna Police on the day of the examination, May 5.

The case was initially transferred to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which quickly identified several individuals involved, including the mastermind, Sanjeev Mukhiya from Nalanda District in Bihar.

Following a recommendation from the Union Education Ministry, the case was later transferred to the CBI for further investigation.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 30 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack against the Centre following the derailment of the Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Mail accident in Jharkhand on Tuesday in which two persons were killed and over 50 injured.

“Another disastrous rail accident! Howrah- Mumbai mail derails in Chakradharpur division in Jharkhand today early morning, multiple deaths and huge number of injuries are the tragic consequences,” the Chief Minister posted on X.

Questioning the governance in the Railways administration, the Chief Minister said that a series of nightmares every week, an unending procession of deaths and injuries on the railway tracks have become a regular feature.

“For how long shall we tolerate this? Will there be no end to the callousness of Government of India?! My heart goes out to the bereaved families, condolences to the next of kin,” the Chief Minister further said in the post.

The Chief Minister had been critical of the alleged negligence on the part of the railway authorities in installing the safety devices on the tracks that could have averted the accidents.

She has been constantly claiming that the safety devices installation process that was initiated during her tenure as the Railways Minister was not followed up at a later stage by successive ministries.

The Chief Minister had been especially critical about the non-implementation of Kavach, the automatic train protection system, in all the tracks that could have averted many accidents.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Police on Tuesday announced 13 helpline numbers at three GRPs in the state following the derailment of the Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Mail in Jharkhand, in which two persons have died and many were injured. Of the 13 helpline numbers, five are at Howrah and Sealdah GRPs each, while three are at Kharagpur GRP.

–IANS

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