SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday inaugurated the Lake View Cottages and Orchid Lake Cottages near the scenic Umiam Lake constructed under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of
Shillong: The Shillong bench of Gauhati High Court has sought a report from the state government on the recent coal mine tragedy in Garo Hills and also on the steps taken to ensure safety of miners in the State. Accepting a suo-moto PIL on the coal mine mishap, which reportedly claimed 15 lives, the bench directed the state government to submit the report in the form of affidavit by August 28.
Aizawl: Mizoram Geology and Mining Minister S Hiato has alleged the illegal stone quarry near Keifang village was reason behind the massive rockslide at the Aizawl-Champhai road in eastern Mizoram that killed 18 people on July 21. A bus was travelling from Champhai town to Aizawl. It had almost reached the end of this quarry around 0100 hour when the boulders came crashing down, hitting the rear of the vehicle and leading to the death of 18 people.
Itanagar: Over a hundred people were affected by an undiagnosed disease at Pasighat town and its adjoining areas in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh since early this month. The disease is like viral fever but no medicine available in the district to fight the symptoms have helped those ailing from it. Tako Dabi, political advisor to chief minister, who is also a victim of the disease said in a statement on Tuesday that the symptoms were neither that of malaria nor of typhoid which are prevalent in Arunachal Pradesh. This has drawn the attention of the state government for early solution to the problem.
SHILLONG: Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh has expressed concern on the reports that majority of the shops in the city has again started to use the plastic bags despite the ban by the Government. “It is really sad to see that the plastic bags which have been banned are again being used.” “It also hurts to see the effort of the Government to protect the environment is not yielding a positive result,” Lyngdoh said while speaking to reporters here on Wednesday.
SHILLONG: The proposed 240 MW Umngot Hydro Electric Project has hit a roadblock with local villagers and opposing the project saying that the compensation for their land was grossly inadequate. Terming the project as anti-people, the residents of several villages (Umsaw, Pashang, Mawsir, Kransngi, Mawdulop and Mynsang) who areas lay in the upper stream of the project have said that their agricultural land would be submerged and they would become landless once the project takes off.
Agartala: Alarmed at the high incidence of cancer and tobacco and drug-related diseases in the state, the Tripura government has decided to punish those using tobacco in public places, officials said here Friday. The government will also continue its drive against excessive use of tobacco products for their ill-effects and to curb drug abuse, officials said. Senior officials of health, drug control, police and education departments, elected representatives and NGO delegates attended the meeting.
Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam, which had shown signs of improvement last week, took a turn for the worse on Wednesday following heavy rainfall in some parts of the state in the past 48 hours. Official sources said over 75 villages in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts have been inundated afresh due to flash floods since Tuesday. Over 70,000 people have been affected afresh by the rising water levels in the two districts, where dykes in Brahmaputra and Jiadhol rivers have broken down at some places.
Guwahati: Over 150 villages have been completely lost to erosion and nearly 200 more partially eroded, rendering over 75,000 people homeless, in Assam by floods and erosion in the last ten years. Informing this in reply to separate questions in the state Assembly on Tuesday. The Assam government on Tuesday agreed to move a resolution in the state assembly to declare the flood and erosion problem afflicting the state as a national calamity.
SHILLONG: Close on the heels of the mining tragedy in Garo Hills region of the State where 15 miners lost their lives inside a rat hole mine in Rongsa Awe village in South Garo Hills, questions regarding the safety and security measures in place in these mines have cropped up. Speaking to The Shillong Times, a senior police official from Garo Hills, on condition of anonymity, said safety and security measures are expected in mines that are extracting minerals in a scientific manner.
SHILLONG: Despite finding itself in a mess in its move to acquire land for the New Shillong Township (NST), the State government has made it clear land acquisition process for the project will continue. A source from the Urban Affairs department on Monday said the survey is still going on in other areas to acquire land for the much-awaited project. It may be mentioned that the State Government recently approved the setting up of the New Shillong Township Development Agency (NSTDA) to explore the possibility of speeding up the land acquisition process.
