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Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tomato prices nearly double in Noida as rain disrupts supply channel
1 2 3 N oida: Tomato prices in Noida have nearly doubled in the past week, with heavy monsoon rainfall and high humidity disrupting supply chains and triggering a surge in retail rates. Available at Rs 30–40 per kg just a week ago, tomatoes are now selling for Rs 80-90 across markets in the city, a jump that is straining household budgets. At Indira Market in Sector 27, vegetable vendor Sonu Kumar pointed to the ripple effect of higher wholesale rates. "We source our vegetables from Ghazipur mandi, where prices have gone up due to supply issues. When we add transport costs, it reflects in the retail price," he said. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida The hike is being felt across the city. At Sector 12/22 market, prices ranged between Rs 70 and Rs 90 per kg on Monday. For homemakers like Renu Sharma, the price rise is a recurring seasonal struggle. "Every time the rains come, prices shoot up. Tomatoes have become a luxury — it's affecting how we manage our kitchens," she said. Pankaj Sharma, secretary of the Noida Phool and Sabzi Mandi, said the city receives nearly 1,000 kg of tomatoes daily, mainly from Madhya Pradesh and Nashik. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo He added that seasonal fluctuations during the monsoon are common but not alarming. "It's not a crisis yet, we are still getting supplies from other states," he said. To cushion the impact on consumers, the govt has stepped in. National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF), under the ministry of consumer affairs, began selling tomatoes at subsidised rates of Rs 48 per kg from Monday through mobile vans in sectors 4, 75, 19, 63, Golf Course Road and Atta Market. "We are ensuring tomatoes reach different areas. On Monday, the Noida unit received 1,620 kg of tomatoes from Karnataka. More consignments are expected in the coming days, which should help stabilise prices," Sumit Kumar, district in-charge of NCCF Noida, said. Despite the initiative, footfall at the Sector 4 outlet remained low. Arjun Chaudhury, a local resident, said he learned about the scheme from a neighbour. "Tomato prices shoot up every year. It's a relief that the govt is offering some support," he said. Reena, another resident, echoed similar concerns. "Tomatoes are a daily essential in every Indian kitchen — curries, chutneys, everything needs them. I managed to get 1kg at the subsidised price. Hopefully, the rates drop soon, especially for those who can't afford even this." This is not the first time NCCF has intervened to check prices. In Oct 2023 and again in 2024, it sold onions at Rs 25 per kg when market rates spiked to Rs 80, offering relief during periods of inflation. Meanwhile, prices of several vegetables have gone up in the past week. Brinjal was selling in local markets for Rs 100 per kg, up from last week's Rs 60, while capsicum was being sold for Rs 50-Rs 60 per kg and cauliflower for Rs 40 per kg, compared to Rs 30 earlier. Potato prices have risen from Rs 20 to Rs 25 per kg and onions from Rs 30 to Rs 35 per kg at retail shops too.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Maximum temperature set to rise 2°C, heatwave alert for next 3 days in south Haryana
Gurgaon: The city continues to reel under intense heat as dry weather persists across Haryana. The maximum temperature reached 42.5°C, marking the hottest day of the season. "An orange alert for heatwave has been issued for the next three days in south Haryana," said an IMD official. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a further rise of 1°C to 2°C in maximum temperatures over the next two days, with no significant change expected thereafter. The dry spell is likely to persist for the next four days, with only isolated light rain anticipated. Heatwave conditions are expected to affect isolated pockets of the state from June 9 to 12. Additionally, warm night conditions may prevail in some areas during this period. From June 13 to 15, isolated places may witness thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds with speeds reaching 40–50 kmph. Meanwhile, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 28.2°C on Monday, 1.1°C higher than the previous day. Residents described the weather as unbearable. Renu Sharma, a resident of Sector 56, said, "This morning, I opened the tap expecting some relief, but the water was so hot it felt like it was straight from the geyser. We had to fill buckets and let the water cool down for hours before we could finally use it." Abhishek Mishra, a resident of DLF Phase 3, said, "The water is steaming. I have started storing water overnight just so it's usable in the morning." Kavita Yadav, a resident of Palam Vihar, said, "The moment you step out of the house, it feels like walking into a furnace. The air is thick, dry and scorching. Even a five-minute walk to the grocery store leaves you drenched in sweat and gasping for breath." The Indian Air Force station in Sirsa recorded the highest maximum temperature at 45.8°C, while Karnal registered the lowest minimum temperature at 26.5°C in Haryana, according to the latest weather bulletin. Maximum temperatures soared between 44°C and 46°C in Sirsa, Rohtak and Jhajjar. Most of the other districts, including Hisar, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Faridabad, and Gurgaon, experienced temperatures between 42°C and 44°C. Slightly milder but still oppressive conditions prevailed in Chandigarh, Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Jind, Sonipat, Panipat, Rewari, Nuh, Palwal, and Fatehabad, where temperatures hovered between 40°C and 42°C. Most districts recorded maximum temperatures 1.6°C to 3°C above normal. Rohtak and Jhajjar stood out with temperatures 3.1°C to 4.4°C higher than average. Mahendragarh was the only district where temperatures remained within the normal range. Authorities advised residents to stay hydrated, avoid direct sun exposure during peak hours, and take necessary precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses. IMD defines a heatwave in the plains as a condition where the maximum temperature at a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days across at least two stations in a meteorological subdivision. A 'severe heatwave' is declared when the deviation from the normal maximum exceeds 6.4 degrees Celsius. Dr Vishwas Chitale, senior programme lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said, "CEEW research shows that over 57% of Indian districts, home to more than three-fourths of the total population, are currently at high to very high risk from extreme heat. A major factor behind this is the rise in very hot days and very warm nights. This was further worsened by a rise in relative humidity, up to 10% in many traditionally dry regions of North India, and a shrinking gap between day and night temperatures in 86% of districts, making it harder for the human body to recover from daytime heat. The combination of these trends with existing socio-economic and health vulnerabilities is causing high heat risk across India. To protect lives and livelihoods, every Indian city must urgently develop a Heat Action Plan, backed by sustainable cooling and public health resilience solutions tailored to local contexts." Meanwhile, the national capital sweltered as unbearably hot and humid weather gripped the region on Monday, with the city witnessing the hottest day this summer and parts of it recording a heatwave. While the peak temperature reached 45.5 degrees Celsius at IGNOU and 45.3 degrees at Ayanagar, Delhi's heat index, or the "feels-like" temperature due to the humidity, was 49 degrees Celsius. At base station Safdarjung, the maximum temperature was 43.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal. On May 16, the maximum temperature reached 42.3 degrees Celsius, now the second highest this summer. Among other hot areas, Ridge recorded 44.9 degrees Celsius, Palam 44.3, Lodhi Road 43.3 and Najafgarh 42.4. The Met department has forecast a heatwave warning until Wednesday, expecting the maximum temperature to be 43-45 degrees Celsius. Hot and dry westerly dust-raising winds will spike the discomfort. The humidity on Monday oscillated between 25% and 70%.
Mid East Info
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Mid East Info
YOUNG CREATIVES SHINE BRIGHT AT EMIRATES AIRLINE FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE
Students aged 9 to 25 years showcased their remarkable abilities in story writing, letter writing, crafts, poetry performance, and digital storytelling, plus their love for reading, highlighting the vibrant literary landscape that exists across the UAE. Dubai, UAE, February 2025: The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature celebrated young literary talent at six prestigious Prize-Giving Ceremonies, recognising exceptional achievements in reading, writing, and creative expression across various competitions organised by their parent organisation, Emirates Literature Foundation. Chevron Readers' Cup: The 2024-2025 edition of this competition, which tests comprehension, mental recall, mindful reading, critical thinking, and encourages sportsmanship, saw a record number of entries with well over 5000 students participating in 1319 teams across the two age groups in Arabic and English from across the GCC, including KSA, Kuwait and UAE. A total of 42 teams in English and 40 teams in Arabic were shortlisted and battled it out at the highly competitive final rounds with winners taking away trophies for their school, individual medals for each team member and Magrudy's book vouchers valued at AED 1,000. Chevron has been sponsoring the Readers' Cup for thirteen years and were present at the Prize-Giving Ceremony with Muhammad Al Sadek, Commercial & Government Relations Manager, Chevron and Renu Sharma, General Manager & Country Chair, UAE presenting the cup to the winners alongside representatives from Emirates Literature Foundation. The top contenders in each age and language category were as below: English Winner – Primary Age Group: Pirates of the Page, GEMS Our Own English High School Al Warqa Dubai, (Girls branch) English Winner – Secondary Age Group: Secondary Team 1, Al Saad Indian School, Al Ain Arabic Winner – Primary Age Group: The Shining Stars, Dubai National School, Al Twaar, Dubai Arabic Winner – Secondary Age Group: The Novel Heroes, Dar Al Uloom Private School, Falaj Hazza', Abu Dhabi. Emirates NBD Poetry for All: This annual competition that completed its eighth cycle celebrates poetry performance and recital through a process that evaluates understanding, delivery, and fluency. The competition is open for UAE based students of all abilities, between the ages 8 and 18 years. This year, it has seen phenomenal examples of oral narration from 1381 students keeping the tradition of the Arab world truly alive. The final performances were held at the Festival with poets Adrianne Kalfopoulou, Danabelle Gutierrez, Khairani Barokka and Safiya Sinclair assessing the English performers and Amal Al Sahlawi, Abdullatif Yousef and Jassim Al Obaidli assessing the Arabic performers. In English, the first place winners in each age category were ages 8-13, Radhika Suresh, Abu Dhabi Indian School; ages 14-18 Gabriel Ricardo O. De Vera, The Philippine School; and ages 8-18 in Students of Determination category Aarav B, GEMS Modern Academy; Shaikha Ahmad Khalfan, Ajman Girls School for Secondary Education, Ajman; Umang Chugh, Pristine Private School, Dubai. In Arabic, the first place winners in each age category were ages 8-13 and 14-18 (Faseeh), Yaseen Mukhtar, Dubai English Speaking School, Dubai and Yaseen Mousa, Dubai English Speaking School, Dubai, ages 8-13 and 14-18 (Nabati), Sultan Khalid Sultan Abdullah Al Shamsi, Applied Technology Schools (ATS) / Al Hili Campus, Abu Dhabi and Mohammed Fahad, Liwa International School, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, and ages 8-18 in Students of Determination Mozah Abdullah Saif Al Shamsi, Nima Primary School, Abu Dhabi; Jaser Ahmed Farraj, Al-Ahliya Charity Foundation, Dubai; Suleiman Khamees Suleiman Al-Kudaim, Zayed Educational Complex, Fujairah. Arcadia Book in a Box: Classes (and teachers) from primary schools across the UAE had fun in this unique competition that transcends the constraints of language to create a visual diorama of a book, or scene from a book, using recycled materials. 199 dioramas were submitted for consideration in round 1 with 15 shortlisted pieces on display for the enjoyment of the Festival visitors and for close evaluation by the judging panel which composed of two representatives from Arcadia British School and prominent illustrators Maitha Al Khayat, Megan Hess, and Alex Latimer. Three winners were recognized with a plaque and a voucher (between AED 500 – 1,000) from Magrudy's bookstore. The winners are as follows: Apple International School, 3B, The Pearl Diver GEMS International School, Falcon Bookclub, Jack and the Beanstalk Springdales School Dubai, Class 4, Kareem is Afraid of Ghosts Visitors Choice Award: Pristine Private School, Class 2A, Merkaat Mail More details about the judging criteria and more photos of the winning entries can be found on the competition website. DCT Children's Letter Writing Competition: With the generous support of a new partner, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, UAE's beloved letter writing competition returned for another round of recognizing exemplary penmanship in the youth. The students were invited to write a letter to someone special exploring the theme of 'Imagine' and their letters delivered on both aesthetics and creativity. What differentiates this competition from others is that not only does it encourage an interest in the forgotten art of handwriting, with 2174students from across the Emirates participating, but it also offers the winners an opportunity for an exclusive meet and greet with Vashti Hardy and Shaikha Al Zeyara, bestselling children's author from the Emirates LitFest 2025 programme. The Arabic judges are authors Shaikha Al Zeyara, Doha Khasawneh and Walid Taher, while the English judges are Beverly Jatwani, Daniela Tully, Ebtisam Al Beiti, Hilda Youseff, Kathy Urban and Saniya Chugtai. The first-place winners in each age and language category were as below: English Winner – Ages 8-10: Hoor Nagdy Mostafa Kamal, New Dawn Private School, Dubai English Winner – Ages 11-13: Avika Singh, GEMS Millennium School Sharjah English Winner – Ages 14 – 18: Sashini Manikandan, Delhi Private School, Sharjah Arabic Winner – Ages 8-10: Leen Osama Abdelraof, Al Salam Community School, Dubai Arabic Winner – Ages 11-13: Shahd Hassan Alsewidan, Al Zallaqa School, Abu Dhabi Arabic Winner – Ages 14 – 18: Sarah Abdelaziz Abas AzizAllah Hussein, Dubai National School Al Barsha, Dubai. Oxford University Press Story Writing Competition: 5366 students in the UAE and across the GCC vied for the chance to become published authors by submitting their stories on the theme of 'Imagine' for consideration by the judges of the Oxford University Press Story Competition. In addition to their inclusion in the anthology, the students also had the honour to be judged by renowned authors and editors, April Hardy, Kathy Hoopmann, Kathy Butti and Annemieke Woodbridge and Arabic judges; May Chebaklo, Aya Qasem, Samar Mahfouz Barraj and Mohanad Al Akous. In English, winners in each age category were ages 11 and under Hania Faisal, International School of Creative Science, Sharjah and Nishi Ramchandani Gems Our Own English High School, Dubai. Ages 12-14, Saanvi Kiran, Springdales School Dubai, Dubai, and ages 15-17, Alina Ann Vinu, Mayoor Private School, Abu Dhabi and ages 18-25, Sarah Aljabri, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi. In Arabic, winners in each age category were ages 11 and under, Fatima Al Zahra Musab Abdallah Sulaiman, St Mary Catholic School, Fujairah and ages 12-14, Mahra Ali Abdallah Salem, Al Khatim School, Abu Dhabi, ages 15-17, Amal Mohamed, Madinat Zayed School C2,C3, Abu Dhabi and ages 18-25, Kulaitham Al Blooshi, Zayed University, Dubai. Al Futtaim Digital Storytelling Competition: Contenders of the second Al Futtaim Digital Storytelling Competition embraced storytelling in the new age by collaborating as teams to produce short-form (2-3 minutes long) vertical films inspired by their favourite book or poem in Arabic. The competition, which is open to students aged 12-18, is designed to help students develop their skills in creating content on their phones without compromising on creativity and quality. Three winners, who were selected by a panel of luminaries in the education and media field, Ahmed Al Sadeq, Nahla Al Fahd and Hasna Khattab were recognized with a visit to MBC studio and book vouchers. The winners are as follows: The Hope Generation, Deira International School, Dubai The Travelers, Al-Najah Girls' School – Cycle 2, 3, Ras Al Khaimah. Tina, Khadija Al Kubra Iranian Girls' Private School, Dubai. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the flagship event of the Emirates Literature Foundation, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. The Festival is held with the support of Title Sponsor, Emirates Airline, and Founding Partner, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.
