Latest news with #Sachet
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
‘Community-driven action in villages can help avoid such deaths'
In just the first five months of this year, 49 people were killed in lightning strikes across the state and not a single one of these deaths have taken place inside a concrete building, thus, indicating that perhaps most of these deaths are avoidable. While there are apps like Damini, Sachet and Mausam which monitor lightning activity and accordingly, send alerts so that people can take shelter, villagers - who often form a majority of such deaths - do not own smartphones and thus, such measures do not protect them. In such situations, one needs localized and community-driven action to protect people from getting struck by lightning. Most lightning deaths take place when people are standing under trees during a storm, working in fields, grazing cattle and taking shelter inside temporary structures. Thus, one should steer clear of trees, water bodies and open fields during a thunderstorm and awareness programmes should be organized to spread this message among farmers and cattle grazers, especially. School teachers, Asha workers, Anganwadi staff and panchayat leaders can spread safety measures through street plays, posters and community meetings. The authorities can designate concrete schools and panchayat offices as lightning-safe shelters. These are just some of the measures that can be applied in rural areas. (The writer is a professor at the department of geography, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore)
India Gazette
02-07-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Monsoon fury claims 30 lives in Himachal: State Disaster Management Authority
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 2 (ANI): At least 51 people have died in Himachal Pradesh since June 20, 2025, of which 21 fatalities were due to road accidents, while the remaining 30 were caused by monsoon-related incidents such as floods, landslides, and cloudbursts, according to Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Authority. DC Rana, Special Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Revenue Department and Disaster Management, addressed the media in Shimla on Wednesday, providing detailed figures on the ongoing monsoon crisis in the state. 'The monsoon entered Himachal Pradesh on June 19, and since then, continuous rainfall has been recorded. Heavy rainfall on June 29 and 30 caused widespread damage,' said Rana. 'The death toll due to rain-related incidents has reached nearly 30 so far. As per current data, 34 people are reported missing, with the worst-hit area being Mandi district, where 10 deaths occurred over just two days,' he said. Rana stressed that the exact number of casualties and damages will become clear once communication networks are fully restored in remote regions. 'Many extreme weather events occurred across the state, including multiple cloudbursts and flash floods,' he noted. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed across multiple districts. 'Both SDRF and NDRF teams are present in Mandi. We have over a dozen locations where people are missing, and either the SDRF or NDRF is engaged in search and rescue there. Local police, district administration, Home Guards, and fire services are also actively involved,' Rana informed. He said the initial rain-related incidents occurred in Dharamshala and Sendwali area of Kullu, but Mandi district, particularly the Dharampur and adjoining areas, has been worst affected in the current spell. 'Currently, our top priority is rescue and relief work, not damage assessment. But as per initial departmental data, we estimate damages of around Rs 300 crore across sectors,' said the Special Secretary. Rana urged citizens to use the state's disaster alert mobile application. 'As soon as any alert is issued, we deliver it directly to the public. We have a mobile app called 'Sachet', and I appeal to everyone to download and use it. The app will notify you of alerts in your area and connect you with our control rooms for any assistance,' he said. 'As of this morning, around 280 roads remained blocked. Over 1,100 electricity supply schemes were disrupted. Nearly 600 water supply schemes were affected. Restoration efforts are underway across the state,' Rana said. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Congress seeks fair compensation for farmers killed in Maharashtra's lightning strikes
Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday demanded that compensation to the families of farmers killed in lightning strikes in Maharashtra be increased to ₹ 10 lakh from the current ₹ 4 lakh. The issue of adequate compensation for climate-related fatalities is gaining traction amid extreme weather events across the state.(X/@VijayWadettiwar) In response, state minister Girish Mahajan said in the assembly that the the government will consider the suggestion to increase the compensation and he will discuss the matter with the chief minister. According to the minister, 236 persons died due to lightning strikes in 2022, while 181 such deaths were reported in 2023. Raising the issue during the Question Hour in the state assembly, Wadettiwar said lightning strikes often lead to the deaths of poor farmers and labourers working in fields, leaving their families devastated and without any support. "At present, only ₹ 4 lakh is given as compensation, which is grossly inadequate. When a person dies in a tiger attack, the government provides ₹ 25 lakh. Why this discrimination when someone dies due to a natural calamity like lightning?" he asked. Responding to the demand, Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said until recently, deaths caused by lightning were not covered under the state's disaster relief framework. "Now these have been included, and the government will consider the suggestion to increase the compensation. I will discuss the matter with the chief minister," Mahajan assured. The issue of adequate compensation for climate-related fatalities is gaining traction amid rising incidents of extreme weather events across the state. Mahajan informed the House that two mobile applications, Damini and Sachet, developed by a central government institute, are currently being used to warn people about lightning strikes. A new app is under development to provide hyperlocal alerts with a range of up to 400 metres, he added. "Currently, the apps provide lightning alerts within a 400 km radius. The new technology aims to significantly narrow this window for better real-time safety," Mahajan said in response to a question by MLA Santosh Danve. Supplementary questions were posed by Bhaskar Jadhav, Vijay Wadettiwar and Sameer Kunawar. The session highlighted growing concerns over natural disaster preparedness and the need for transparency in farmer-centric schemes.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Firefighting efforts continue for 5th day on Singaporean vessel off Kerala; 8 ICG ships deployed
Firefighting efforts by ICG continues for 5th day on Singaporean vessel (Pic credit: PTI) Five days after a massive fire broke out aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, firefighting efforts by Indian Coast Gaurd (ICG) continue off the Kerala coast. Amidst the ongoing efforts, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed eight ships - Sachet, Samarth, Saksham, Samudra Prahari, Vikram, Rajdoot, Kasturba Gandhi, and Arnvesh to contain the fire and mitigate any potential further damage. The MV Wan Hai 503 cargo vessel was en route to Mumbai from Colombo, went ablaze which was triggered by a container explosion, on June 9 at around 9:20 am IST, 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi. A Navy spokesperson attributed the swift response by the salvage team of the Indian Navy to reinforce the rescue efforts. "The salvage team members were embarked onboard a Seaking helicopter at INS Garuda, Kochi. The Naval helicopter successfully inserted the team on the vessel amidst challenging weather and sea conditions and fire onboard', he told PTI. Out of the 22 crew members aboard the Singapore-flagged vessel, 18 were successfully rescued on Monday by the Navy, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), and other agencies. According to an ICG statement released on June 9, the crew comprised eight Chinese nationals, six Taiwanese, five Myanmarese, and three Indonesian nationals.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
A ship is burning bright near Kerala day and night with fuel and fear aboard
Oil spill advisories, slight tilt in the ship, risk of ship sinking, containers falling into the sea - a lot has happened since an explosion and a massive fire broke out below the deck of a Singapore-flagged vessel , M.V. Wan Hai 503, on June 9. The ship was sailing nearly 70 nautical miles off the Kerala coast near Kozhikode on Monday. The sailing fire has raised several environmental concerns as the ship continues to emit thick smoke. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continued its efforts to control the fire until Thursday, June 12, as reported. The vessel remains unmanned and adrift, 65 nautical miles from Kozhikode, Kerala, as on Thursday. Coast Guard ships Samudra Prahari and Sachet, carrying out firefighting operations over MV Wan Hai 503 , are still in the process of completely combating the fire and smoke. The Coast Guard team has deployed numerous measures to control the fire, rescue officers on-board and site surveillance. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued an advisory to warn of a potential oil spill. The government ministry has also issued an advisory warning of drifting containers as several containers fell from the ship due to the explosion. Reportedly, 10 to 15 of the fallen containers were spotted adrift on a course toward the Kerala coast. The ship was carrying hazardous substances , including solids that can spontaneously combust, flammable liquids and solids, and substances harmful to human health. Hence, the firefighting operations require caution and expert advice. The contents of the ship raise concerns about ocean water contamination, possibility of an explosion, and harm to marine life. There is a high probability that the containers and debris that went overboard from the vessel Wan Hai 503 may drift south-southeastwards from the accident location may beach Thalassery and Kochi in the next 4 – 5 days, said INCOIS on Thursday. The containers containing hazardous substances are likely to continue to drift in the ocean for the next 4-5 days and might take longer to beach. A few containers are at the risk of beaching between Kozhikode and Kochi. Some units are likely to sink to the seabed depending on their contents. This would pose further risk to marine life as the containers, along with their contents will spread hazardous substances deep inside the ocean water. INCIOS suggested that local authorities should increase surveillance and issue precautions as a preparatory measure for potential marine hazards such as navigational obstructions or shoreline contamination. The fire raises a threat of explosion because the ship tank contains approximately 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel, adjacent to the fire zone. This also poses a high risk of fire escalation. The ship has tilted approximately 10 to 15 degrees to its left, as stated by the Indian Coast Guard. The ship's tilt makes room for possibilities of the vessel to sink along with dangerous cargo, which will have adverse effects on marine life at a large scale. The listing of the ship is a major challenge for the rescuers. 'We can't say anything about the future of the ship and the dangerous cargo onboard the ship only after dousing the fire. However, we are hopeful that the fire could be contained,' a senior Union Shipping Ministry source told The Hindu. 'The vessels of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are doing their level best, but a positive outcome is highly unlikely as the fire continues to rage and spread. Since there are containers drifting around the vessel, firefighting vessels are struggling to pump water from a close range. At the same time, there are flammable substances in the containers,' an official source told TOI. ICG posted an update about MV Wan Hai 503 on Thursday, stating that firefighting operations have significantly reduced the blaze onboard. While conducting joint efforts with Indian Armed Forces, a massive amount of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) has been air-dropped for fire control. IAF has dropped 4000 kg of DCP for controlling metal fire. However, amid several warnings, no oil spills and sheens have been reported so far. The vessel is held safely away from the coast. The firefighting operations are still underway by seven ICG ships alongside boundary cooling. The weather conditions continue to be adverse in the west Sea as ICG runs firefighting operations 24x7.
