Latest news with #ToraAgarwala
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Thousands of refugees flee into India's Mizoram state after clashes in Myanmar
By Tora Agarwala Thousands of refugees flee into India's Mizoram state after clashes in Myanmar GUWAHATI, India July 7 - Thousands of refugees have crossed into India's northeastern state of Mizoram after clashes between two anti-junta armed groups in neighbouring Myanmar, Indian authorities said on Monday. Refugees have been crossing into Mizoram since July 2 when clashes between two rival Chin groups — the Chin National Defence Force and the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram — erupted over control of strategic areas in Myanmar's northwestern Chin State, a senior security official told Reuters. The official, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said that around 4,000 refugees had crossed the border since the fighting began. Mizoram, which borders areas of Myanmar controlled by Chin groups and whose residents share ethnic links with the Chin people, has hosted tens of thousands of refugees since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021. Mizoram's interior minister K Sapdanga confirmed the new arrivals, but put the number of refugees at 3,000. "The fighting is beyond our control. People have come in and on humanitarian grounds, we have to provide drinking water, food and shelter," Sapdanga told Reuters. As of Sunday night, authorities had recorded 3,980 people in two villages – Zokhawthar and Saikhumphai – in the state's Champhai district, the official said. "It is a tentative number and keeps changing. Initially, a very few people had come but as a fighting intensified and got closer to the border, more people started coming in,' he said. A Myanmar junta spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Indians battle respiratory issues, skin rashes in world's most polluted town
By Tora Agarwala BYRNIHAT, India (Reuters) - Two-year-old Sumaiya Ansari, a resident of India's Byrnihat town which is ranked the world's most polluted metropolitan area by Swiss Group IQAir, was battling breathing problems for several days before she was hospitalised in March and given oxygen support. She is among many residents of the industrial town on the border of the northeastern Assam and Meghalaya states - otherwise known for their lush, natural beauty - inflicted by illnesses that doctors say are likely linked to high exposure to pollution. Byrnihat's annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2024 was 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter, according to IQAir, over 25 times the level recommended by the WHO. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or less in diameter that can be carried into the lungs, causing deadly diseases and cardiac problems. "It was very scary, she was breathing like a fish," said Abdul Halim, Ansari's father, who brought her home from hospital after two days. According to government data, the number of respiratory infection cases in the region rose to 3,681 in 2024 from 2,082 in 2022. "Ninety percent of the patients we see daily come either with a cough or other respiratory issues," said Dr. J Marak of Byrnihat Primary Healthcare Centre. Residents say the toxic air also causes skin rashes and eye irritation, damages crops, and restricts routine tasks like drying laundry outdoors. "Everything is covered with dust or soot," said farmer Dildar Hussain. Critics say Byrnihat's situation reflects a broader trend of pollution plaguing not just India's cities, including the capital Delhi, but also its smaller towns as breakneck industrialisation erodes environmental safeguards. Unlike other parts of the country that face pollution every winter, however, Byrnihat's air quality remains poor through the year, government data indicates. Home to about 80 industries - many of them highly polluting - experts say the problem is exacerbated in the town by other factors like emissions from heavy vehicles, and its "bowl-shaped topography". "Sandwiched between the hilly terrain of Meghalaya and the plains of Assam, there is no room for pollutants to disperse," said Arup Kumar Misra, chairman of Assam's pollution control board. The town's location has also made a solution tougher, with the states shifting blame to each other, said a Meghalaya government official who did not want to be named. Since the release of IQAir's report in March, however, Assam and Meghalaya have agreed to form a joint committee and work together to combat Byrnihat's pollution.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chief of violence-hit Indian state of Manipur resigns
By Tora Agarwala GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - The chief minister of India's northeastern state of Manipur resigned on Sunday, bowing to pressure to quit amid ongoing ethnic clashes that have cost at least 250 lives since they broke out nearly two years ago. N Biren Singh, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), submitted his resignation to the state's governor in the capital city of Imphal, a day ahead of a scheduled legislative assembly session. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Local reports said the opposition Congress party was expected to move a no-confidence motion against Singh. The governor accepted Singh's resignation and asked him to continue until alternate arrangements are made, according to a statement. Singh's resignation follows intense sectarian clashes between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities over economic benefits and job quotas. The conflict has killed at least 250 people and displaced 60,000, with sporadic violence continuing. Kuki groups have long accused Singh of his bias towards the Meitei community, and have demanded his removal since the conflict began. Singh, a Meitei leader, has also been under increasing pressure from his own allies to step down. BJP lawmakers have periodically sought his resignation over his handling of the crisis. In November, the regional National People's Party, a key BJP ally in the state, withdrew from the ruling coalition, citing Singh's failure to resolve the crisis. In his resignation letter, Singh thanked the federal government in Delhi for its efforts to protect Manipur's interests and urged continued action to curb border infiltration and deport 'illegal immigrants'. Singh and the federal government have blamed the violence partly on an influx of refugees from Myanmar following the 2021 military coup there. Soon after Singh resigned, Manipur BJP president Sharda Devi told reporters that the chief minister took the decision "in the interest of the people of Manipur".
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chief of violence-hit Indian state of Manipur resigns
By Tora Agarwala GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - The chief minister of India's northeastern state of Manipur resigned on Sunday, bowing to pressure to quit amid ongoing ethnic clashes that have cost at least 250 lives since they broke out nearly two years ago. N Biren Singh, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), submitted his resignation to the state's governor in the capital city of Imphal, a day ahead of a scheduled legislative assembly session. Local reports said the opposition Congress party was expected to move a no-confidence motion against Singh. The governor accepted Singh's resignation and asked him to continue until alternate arrangements are made, according to a statement. Singh's resignation follows intense sectarian clashes between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities over economic benefits and job quotas. The conflict has killed at least 250 people and displaced 60,000, with sporadic violence continuing. Kuki groups have long accused Singh of his bias towards the Meitei community, and have demanded his removal since the conflict began. Singh, a Meitei leader, has also been under increasing pressure from his own allies to step down. BJP lawmakers have periodically sought his resignation over his handling of the crisis. In November, the regional National People's Party, a key BJP ally in the state, withdrew from the ruling coalition, citing Singh's failure to resolve the crisis. In his resignation letter, Singh thanked the federal government in Delhi for its efforts to protect Manipur's interests and urged continued action to curb border infiltration and deport 'illegal immigrants'. Singh and the federal government have blamed the violence partly on an influx of refugees from Myanmar following the 2021 military coup there. Soon after Singh resigned, Manipur BJP president Sharda Devi told reporters that the chief minister took the decision "in the interest of the people of Manipur".
