Rain batters coastal, western Maharashtra; thousands marooned

by Argus News

Mumbai, July 22: Incessant torrential rains played havoc with normal life in western and coastal Maharashtra since the past 24 hours, disrupting normal life even as rescue teams were deployed to shift thousands marooned in different towns, officials said here on Thursday.

Heavy rains have lashed coastal districts of Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and western districts Satara, Kolhapur, besides Pune, Nashik, resulting in big and small rivers swelling above the danger levels.

Several towns and cities like Bhiwandi, Badlapur, Ulhasnagar, Kalyan, Dombivali, Chiplun Khed, Sawantwadi, Mangaon, Kudal, and others were inundated with three to six feet water, and higher levels in some lowlying areas.

Flood waters rushed into the shops, offices, homes and ground floor flats, many big and small vehicles were fully submerged or washed away, and people remained trapped in their homes for hours.

Relief & Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said that two NDRF teams have been rushed to rescue people stuck in floods waters in Chiplun to safer locations.

"We are sending Indian Coast Guard helicopters to the badly areas soon. ICG speed-boats have been deployed for help from Ratnagiri. Arrangements have been made to provide food packets and medicines to the affected people... The situation is very grim and we are closely monitoring it," Wadettiwar said.

Long-distance trains on the Central Railway network were disrupted in Thane, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur and other sections with trains stranded on flooded railway tracks at various locations.

Central Railway Spokesperson Shivaji Sutar said that stranded passengers were taken by state buses to safer locations and catering services provided to them.

Several parts have recorded unprecedented rains in the past 24 hours, with Mahabaleshwar hillstation in Satara notching 480-mm, the highest in 45 years, Matheran recording 330-mm rains, while many other areas saw rains in excess of 200 mm, creating panic.

In view of the situation, Shiv Sena MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency Vinayak Parab, currently in New Delhi for the parliament session is rushing to Konkan, while other senior party leaders from Mumbai and other parts have reached there.

At least 27 villages in Ratnagiri's Mangaon were cut off with all approach state and locals roads, bridges flooded as local rivers inundated the region, and the local authorities were trying to send rescue teams.

In Thane's Kalyan town, flood waters of the rains and the local Thane Creek inundated large parts, and around 1,200 buffaloes trapped in a dairy farm were rescued safely Thursday morning by the stable owners.

A Mantralaya official said that top leaders including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and others are continuously monitoring the developing situation and directed measures to prevent any loss of lives.
(IANS)

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Gold Prices Decline For 2nd Consecutive Day; Check Yellow Metal Rates Today

by Hemanta Pande

Cuttack, Dec 6: Gold prices in India fell around Rs 500 per 10 grams for the second consecutive day on Wednesday at the Multi Commodity Exchange for December contracts.

In Odisha, the price of yellow metal 22K (10 grams) traded at Rs 59, 800 while the price of 20K (10 grams) stood at Rs 54,300.
Likewise, 18K gold (10 grams) stood at Rs 49,200. The price of 14K gold (10 grams) stood at Rs 39,800.

In Cuttack, the GST 995 yellow metal traded at Rs 6,260 per gram and the ready 995 gold prices stood at Rs 6,400 per gram.

The price of silver metal also sees a fall. The price of LRS silver stood at Rs 75,700 and the price of 9999 silver stood at Rs 77,000.

Also Read: Business News

It may be noted that the gold price can vary as per the MCX and dealer to dealer.

Gold is considered an important part of India's economy and social life due to its cultural significance, investment values, and its traditional role in weddings and festivals.

Notably, the gold and silver prices in India are influenced by a variety of factors, including global economic conditions, inflation rates, currency fluctuations, and local demand and supply dynamics.

Swiggy Appoints Anand Kripalu As Independent Director, Chairperson Of Board

by Hemanta Pande

New Delhi, Dec 6: Online food delivery platform Swiggy on Wednesday announced the appointment of Anand Kripalu as an Independent Director and the Chairperson of its Board of Directors.

"Anand is a veteran in the consumer goods industry, and his deep knowledge and perspective will be instrumental in guiding Swiggy as we continue to innovate and redefine the on-demand delivery landscape in India," Sriharsha Majety, Group CEO of Swiggy, said in a statement.

With close to 40 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, Kripalu is the Managing Director (MD) and Global CEO of EPL Ltd (formerly Essel Propack Limited), the world's largest speciality packaging company.

Prior to that, he was the MD and CEO of Diageo India, India's leading beverage alcohol company.

"Swiggy has transformed food and grocery delivery in the country, bringing unparalleled convenience to millions of homes. I am honoured to join its accomplished board, and look forward to lending my experience and perspective as Swiggy shapes the future of convenience", said Kripalu.

He has also held leadership roles at Mondelez International (formerly Cadbury) and Unilever.

Meanwhile, Swiggy's investor Prosus, in its financial filing, stated that Swiggy’s core food-delivery business grew 17 per cent and delivered gross merchandise value (GMV) of $1.43 billion in the first half of FY24.

"This was led by a rise in transacting users that drove double-digit order growth and inflation in AOV," Prosus said.

Read Business News

Prosus, which holds 32.7 per cent of the stake in Swiggy, mentioned trading losses reduced to $208 million. Trading losses in the first half of the previous year were $321 million. (IANS)

Two J&K Bills Brought To Give Justice To Those Deprived Of Rights For Last 70 Yrs: Shah

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

New Delhi, Dec 6:Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2023 will give justice to those who were deprived of their rights for the last 70 years.

Speaking on two Bills in the Lok Sabha, Shah said, "The Bill that I have brought here pertains to bringing justice to and providing rights to those against whom injustice was done, who were insulted and those who were ignored."

He said that in any society, those who are deprived should be brought forward and that is the basic sense of the Constitution of India.

"But they have to be brought forward in a way that doesn't reduce their respect. There is a huge difference between giving rights and giving rights respectfully. So, instead of a weak and deprived category, renaming it to Other Backward Class (OBC) is important," the Minister said.

He said that a few people also tried to underestimate it.

"Someone said that only the name is being changed. I would like to tell all of them that if we have even a little sympathy then we need to see that respect is attached to the name. This can be seen by only those who want to bring them forward considering them like their brothers," he said.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, he said that "those who use it as vote bank for their own political benefit...Narendra Modi is a leader who was born into a poor family and became the Prime Minister of the country today. He knows the pain of the poor."

He also said that many members asked what has been done for the displaced? What will giving them a reservation change?

"By giving them reservation, their voice will reach Kashmir's assembly and if anybody tries to do something similar again, they will be stopped by them."

He also highlighted that there was an era of terrorism after the 1980s and it was horrifying.

"Those who lived on the land considering it their country, were thrown out and no one cared about them. Those responsible for stopping it were enjoying vacations in England," he said hitting back at previous governments.

Shah also said that when Kashmiri Pandits were displaced, they were forced to live as refugees in their country.

Rain batters coastal, western Maharashtra; thousands marooned

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