India

KANPUR: To deal with the standing problem of huge plastic wastes, the Kanpur Municipal Corporation readies to install a biofuel plant at Bhao Singh plant in Bhauti area of Kanpur Nagar district.

Detailing this project, RK Singh, executive engineer, said that this plant would be based on a public-private partnership model.

Plastic wastes after separation from the dry wastes are obtained in the quantity ranging between 150 metric tonnes and 175 metric tonnes every day, as was told.

Idukki (Kerala), Aug 19 (PTI): The death toll in the Pettimudilandslide climbed to 63 on Thursday with the recovery of an unidentified woman's body while search is on for seven missing people.

The remains were found near a river bank at Puthukuzhi, about 14 km, from the landslip site, an official press release said.

Two ground-penetrating radars (GPR) from Chennai was also being used for the search operations.

A massive mound of earth and slush triggered by heavy rains had flattened a row of 20 one-room houses on August 7.

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the submission of activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the arguments on quantum of sentence in the contempt proceedings in which he has been held guilty be heard by another top court bench.

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra gave assurance to Bhushan that no punishment will be acted upon till his review against the order convicting him in the case will be decided.

Lucknow, Aug 20 (PTI) Ahead of the UP Assembly session, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the government needs to answer opposition queries on various issues including unemployment and law and order situation.

The three-day Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly will commence on Thursday, with authorities making special seating arrangements following COVID-19 protocols and setting up testing centres near residences of MLAs for easy collection of swab samples.

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday remembered former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary, saying his contributions to the IT sector will always be remembered.

Born on this day in 1944, Gandhi served as the prime minister between 1984 and 1989.

"Remembering former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary today. His contributions to IT sector will always be remembered," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted.

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted multi-city searches in connection with a money laundering case filed against Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, trusts linked to the Jamaat and others, officials said.

They said various premises in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and a few other locations are being raided to collect evidence.

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Five ex-Congress MLAs of Manipur, who recently resigned from the state assembly and the party, joined the ruling BJP on Wednesday in the presence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Welcoming them in the party, BJP general secretary and the party's pointsman for the northeast Ram Madhav said there is no threat to the Biren Singh government in Manipur now.

It will not only complete its tenure but will be reelected, he said.

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Several more Air India pilots have moved the Delhi High Court challenging the airline's decision to terminate their services from August 13 on wards.

Justice Jyoti Singh on Wednesday issued a notice to Air India Ltd on the four fresh pleas before her and sought the airline's response to them by next week.

The court also issued notice to the airline on the modification applications moved earlier by other pilots who had wanted directions to Air India to accept withdrawal of their resignations.

Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Aug 19 (PTI) A 40-year-old BJP leader was shot dead by motorbike-borne gunmen just after he got down from his vehicle at Bank More area of Dhanbad on Wednesday, police said.

Satish Singh, who was the vice-president of the partys Kendua unit in Dhanbad city, was talking on his mobile phone when two men, with their faces covered, came from behind on a motorbike, shot him on the head from point blank range and fled.

When Singh was taken to a hospital, doctors declared him brought dead.

Chhindwara (MP), Aug 19 (PTI) Despite restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the traditional `Gotmar mela' was held in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district on Wednesday.

About 80 persons were injured in the annual event held in Pandhurna area, and a police vehicle was also damaged.

Gotmar is the annual fight between people of two villages where stones are hurled at opponents. The popular ritual is preceded by puja at a local temple.