Karnataka establishes Rs. 125 crore Natural Calamities Relief fund

Aug 5,  6:32 PM Karnataka is the first state in the country to establish State Natural Calamities Relief fund of Rs. 125 crore. Speaking at the inauguration of a workshop on best international practices on building resilient cities, in Bangalore on Monday, Chief Minister Sidamariah informed that the Relief Fund will provide for building capital assets and relief during man-made disasters that are not covered under the Disaster Response Fund Guidelines of the Government of India. In order to have adequate preparedness to meet any possible disaster, an additional allocation of Rs. 100 Crore has been made for disaster management. Bodo, Karbi statehood demands disrupts normal life in Assam Aug 5,  6:35 PM Normal life was disrupted in lower Assam and Karbi Anglong on Monday with violence and disruption of train services marking the beginning of bandhs by different organisations demanding a separate Bodoland. A 48-hour bandh by All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and another 1500-hour Assam strike in the region by United Democratic People’s Front, began during the day to press for the demand. ABSU had initially called a 60-hour bandh but reduced its duration in view of the coming Eid -ul-Fitr. Train and road traffic was paralysed in lower Assam as bandh supporters squatted on railway tracks at Bijni and at several places on National Highway. North East Frontier Railway cancelled 11 trains plying within the state, while most major long distance trains including Rajdhani Express, Saraighat Express, Kamrup Express and Brahmaputra Mail are running behind schedule, a NF Railway spokesman said. All schools, colleges, markets, business and commercial establishments remained closed in response to the bandh call, the sources said. Nine girl students fall sick after eating meal at UP school Aug 5,  6:33 PM In Uttar Pradesh, nine girl students of the Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalaya in Sultanpur, developed food poisoning after having stale meal served to them on Monday morning. They started vomiting and complaining of a severe stomach ache, besides falling unconscious. All of them were rushed to the district hospital where they are undergoing treatment. The condition of three students is stated to be serious, who have been put on ventilator. AIR Correspondent reports that incharge Basic Siksha Adhikari of Sultanpur, Onkar Singh has suspended the warden of the KGV who was found to be absent from the school without any prior approval by the authorities. The harried kin of the victim students reached the hospital, demanding stern action against those found guilty. Cochin International Airport closed till tomorrow due to rain Aug 5,  6:36 PM In Kerala, the Cochin International Airport has been closed till 3.30 pm tomorrow, following incessant rains. Emergency Control Rooms have been opened at the airport. Flights operating from the airport have either been cancelled or diverted. The Ernakulam district administration is making alternate arrangements for the bali tharpan ceremonies on the banks of river Periyar in Aluva on account of Karkadaka Vavu tomorrow. Arrangements made earlier for bali tharpan on the banks of the river were disrupted due to flash floods. Meanwhile, the Navy has dispatched a team comprising 20 divers to rescue stranded residents at Thuruthu near Aluva. Mild earthquake of 4.0 magnitude in Jaisalmer Aug 5,  6:36 PM Light tremors were felt in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan at 12:57 pm on Monday. Intensity of earthquake was 4 on Richter scale. According to the met office Jaipur epi-center of earthquake was 20 km from Jaisalmer towards Pakistan. No damage has been reported due to earthquake. Punjab to provide bicycle to 1.5 lakh girls in next 3 months Aug 5,  6:32 PM Punjab government will provide bicycles to 1,50000 school girls within coming three months. An official spokesman said in Chandigarh that state government has already set aside Rs.47 crore in budget for Mai Bhaggo Scheme under which all girl students of government schools of Class 9th to 12th would be gifted bicycles by the Punjab government. Punjab Government has already distributed over 1,11000 bi-cycles to the girl students studying in class 11th and 12th with the cost of Rs. 30 crore last year. NH No.2 in UP faces severe jam due to Kanwar festival Aug 5,  7:26 PM National Highway No.2, the Grand Trunk Road, connecting Howrah to Delhi is facing severe traffic Jam since last 36 hours in Chandauli district of UP. SP Chandauli Sharad Sachan said that one side of the highway has been blocked specifically for Kanwar devotees or Kanwariyas since early Sunday morning with opening the other side for both way transportation. Thousands of heavy and medium vehicles, cars and other four wheelers have been stuck in the jam. Passengers are going through the immense ordeal as they are standstill for long hours without having any amenities and food etc. AIR correspondent reports patients and foreign tourists are also stuck in the fifty KMs long traffic jam which has reached from Varanasi in UP to Bihar. The local police is trying to release the jam but with no results so far. Three killed in Bangalore building collapse Aug 5,  7:24 PM Three persons died and seven others injured in Bangalore Monday morning when a roof of a building under construction collapsed in Kengari satellite town. The injured have been rushed to a nearby state-run hospital on the city’s outskirts for emergency treatment. Five killed in Karnataka road mishap Aug 5,  7:24 PM Five people died in a road accident near Bendekere village in Arasikere taluk of Hassan district in Karnataka Monday morning. The dead were travelling in a car that collided with a state public transport bus while travelling from Shimoga to Bangalore. Those dead include two men, a women and two children.