Latest news with #DisasterManagement
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM orders Inquiry into Rudraprayag helicopter crash; Strict action to be taken against those found negligent
He also ordered a high-level investigation into the Rudraprayag helicopter crash. The Chief Minister said that those found negligent at any level must be identified and appropriate punitive action should be taken. He emphasized that protecting the lives of common citizens is the top priority of the state government and no compromise with safety will be tolerated. The Chief Minister stated that only those pilots with long-term experience of flying in high-altitude Himalayan regions will be allowed to operate. He also directed that DGCA guidelines should be made stricter and must be followed with 100% compliance. He instructed for the installation of more advanced weather forecast equipment in Himalayan regions for more accurate and timely weather information. He also directed the Rudraprayag district administration to make proper arrangements for sending the bodies of those who lost their lives in the accident to their respective states and to stay in contact with their families. Present on the occasion through virtual mode were Chief Secretary Shri Anand Bardhan, Civil Aviation Secretary Shri Sameer Kumar Sinha, DGCA Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Secretaries Shri Shailesh Bagoli and Shri Sachin Kurve, Disaster Management Secretary Shri Vinod Kumar Suman, UCADA CEO Ms. Sonika, Information Director General Shri Banshidhar Tiwari, officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and others. (This is a press release by the Uttarakhand government.)
Qatar Tribune
7 days ago
- Climate
- Qatar Tribune
Helicopter crashes in northern India, killing all on board
NEW DELHI: Seven people were killed Sunday morning in a helicopter crash in the mountainous northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Officer of Rudraprayag's Disaster Management, Nandan Singh Rajwar, told Press Trust of India that the helicopter, which was flying between Kedarnath and Guptkashi, lost contact around 5:20am and crashed shortly after takeoff in Gauri Kund amid adverse weather conditions and low visibility. There were six people on board, in addition to the pilot, all from different Indian states. Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said in a post on the X platform that emergency response teams, in cooperation with local authorities, are conducting extensive search and rescue operations at the crash site. The incident comes days after another air disaster in India, when an Air India plane crashed while en route from Ahmedabad to London, killing all but one person on board.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- The Hindu
National Lok Adalat: Over 1.93 lakh cases settled in Telangana, ₹45 crore refunded to cyber fraud victims
The National Lok Adalat held across Telangana on June 14 has delivered substantial legal and financial relief to thousands, with a total of 1,93,439 cases settled, including 6,294 related to cyber fraud. The initiative was aimed at encouraging an amicable resolution of disputes through compounding and reducing the burden on courts. In the run-up to the main day, police units began identifying eligible cases since June 9 and served notices to concerned parties to facilitate timely settlements. The legal effort spanned a wide array of case categories, with notable achievements in First Information Report (FIR) compounding (22,095 cases), Disaster Management violations (8,922 cases), e-petty cases (84,601), and Motor Vehicle Act violations (71,527). Hyderabad stood out with the highest number of settlements at 32,171 cases, followed by Rachakonda (21,397), Nalgonda (16,496), Warangal (13,651), and Ramagundam (13,316). Meanwhile, cyber crime victims received long-awaited financial relief. A total of ₹45.33 crore was refunded in cyber fraud cases, thanks to effective coordination among the Telangana State Legal Services Authority (TGLSA), police, judiciary, and cyber crime units. Cyberabad led in refunds with ₹13.65 crore returned in 2,276 cases, followed by Hyderabad with ₹14.54 crore across 782 cases, and Rachakonda with ₹9.98 crore in 451 cases. The Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) and Sangareddy district also contributed, refunding ₹5.74 crore and ₹1.42 crore, respectively. This edition of the National Lok Adalat surpassed the previous one held on March 8, where 1,83,182 compoundable cases had been settled. The rise in number reflects growing public participation and the efficiency of the system in place.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Centre cannot cite removed Section of DM Act to deny loan relief: HC
The Centre cannot take a stance that it is unable to issue a directive to waive/write off loans of persons affected by disasters of severe magnitude like the Wayanad landslides by citing a Section that had been removed from the Disaster Management (DM) Act, the Kerala High Court said on Friday. This was after the Centre cited Section 13 of the DM Act that had been removed earlier this year from the Act. Under the Section, the Centre could recommend relief regarding loan repayment to persons affected by disasters of severe magnitude. In the course of hearing a suo motu case taken by the High Court following the massive landslides in Wayanad, the court said the Centre had Article 73 of the Constitution (that defines the extent of the Union's executive power) to rely on. 'Please do not tell us that the Centre is powerless (in the wake of the removal of Section 13 from the DM Act). The Centre still retained its power to act since it did not derive power from the DM Act. Do not hide behind the removal of the legal provision to say that the Centre does not have the power to act,' the court added and granted three weeks time to the Centre to decide on the loan waiver and to respond. The Centre had on Wednesday informed the High Court that Section 13 that empowered the National Disaster Management Authority to recommend banks to waive/write off loans or grant fresh loans to persons affected by disasters of severe magnitude had been removed from the DM Act by way of an amendment. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Thursday written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to restore Section 13 of the DM Act. In the letter, he said its removal would further distress the victims of natural disasters.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Provision for loan waiver taken off from DM Act, Centre tells Kerala High Court
The Centre on Wednesday informed the Kerala High Court that the Section that empowered the Indian National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to recommend banks to waive/write off loans or grant fresh loans to persons affected by disasters of severe magnitude had been removed from the Disaster Management (DM) Act. This was submitted by the Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs in an affidavit filed before the court. It said that Section 13 of the DM Act, which had given such powers to the National Disaster Management Authority, had been omitted by way of an amendment to the Act in 2025. The affidavit added that the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services had made available the geospatial data related to building footprints and air-borne laser terrain mapping through its FTP site, which was shared with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority on May 19.
