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Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
NBT Conclave: Lucknow must prioritise water reuse, say experts
1 2 Lucknow: City authorities must prioritise water reuse systems to reduce dependence on depleting groundwater reserves, experts said at the 'Bhujal Suraksha, Bhavishya Ki Raksha' event organised by Navbharat Times and the UP groundwater department on Friday. Former Lucknow municipal commissioner and current director of UP NEDA Inderjit Singh highlighted the city's advances in wastewater treatment. Lucknow generates 770–800 million litres of sewage daily, of which 120 MLD is treated at jal nigam's GH canal-based plant. Advanced technology brings BOD and COD levels below 10 and with tertiary treatment, the water is safe for reuse. This treated water can refill urban lakes like Butler Lake, can be used to clean roads, irrigate over 2,400 parks and support construction, Metro and fire services. "Using recycled water not only eases groundwater demand but also improves air quality by reducing dust," he said. He cited Kathauta Lake—now filled with treated canal water—as an example that reduced dependence on deep tubewells in Gomtinagar and Indiranagar. Ongoing desilting by Jalkal is expected to further enhance the lake's capacity. Singh warned that over-extraction pushed tube wells to depths beyond 200 metres in some areas—a trend that reuse initiatives can help reverse. LDA vice-chairman Prathmesh Kumar said rainwater harvesting is mandatory for buildings over 300 sq-mt and smaller colonies are being encouraged to adopt shared recharge structures. He also spoke of lake restoration projects—Butler Lake, Kalapahad Jheel and Udyan Lake—linking them with stormwater recharge in urban planning. Architect Anupam Mittal stressed reviving rooftop harvesting and traditional systems like wells. "The earth is a natural filter," he said, citing successful conservation efforts in Kanpur. WaterAid India's state programme director Smriti Singh said water use and reuse should be integrated at the project planning stage. She highlighted the role of women in water management and recommended recharging dug wells in chemically contaminated areas. Dibyajyoti Halder from CMS called schools "change agents" and advocated water audits and awareness campaigns involving students. In an earlier session, hydrogeologist R S Sinha of the groundwater action group said UP uses nearly 20 billion cubic litres of water annually for sugarcane farming. Extraction from deep layers brings harmful minerals, affecting crops and human health. He noted a 15% decline in rainfall and urged area-specific groundwater planning using current data. Yogesh Bandhu Arya, state coordinator of the 2030 water resources group, said 42% of UP's irrigation relies on canals. Under the Atal Bhujal Yojana, micro-irrigation campaigns will begin in 20 villages to promote efficient water use. Dr Asad Umar from Aga Khan Foundation India stressed the need for public awareness. Dr Venkatesh Dutta, head of environmental science at BBAU, said the monsoon period reduced from 18 to 12–15 days, causing runoff and poor recharge. Despite a 45,000-km river network, effective water management remains a challenge. In closing, Dr Asad called for decentralised groundwater governance through community participation. Dr Dutta urged reuse and nature-based water return. V K Upadhyay emphasised mass awareness. Arya highlighted that 80% of clean water goes to irrigation, which can be cut through micro-irrigation. Sinha concluded by citing how Kathauta lake now meets Gomtinagar and Indiranagar's water needs, replacing deep borewell dependence. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Amritsar: Man, woman killed in ‘hate crime' were married, claims kin
In a case of suspected hate crime, the police have arrested a man for allegedly killing his daughter and her male friend at Boparai Baj Singh village in the Lopoke area of the Raja Sansi assembly constituency in Amritsar on Tuesday. However, a relative of the deceased youth claimed on Wednesday that both were already married while showing pictures of their 'anand karaj' (Sikh wedding ritual). Relatives of both the deceased were at the district civil hospital to receive the bodies after the post-mortem examination. The cousin of the 23-year-old slain youth, who was a resident of Kakar Tareen village, said, 'He married the girl in a gurdwara and they were issued a certificate by the granthi. They even went to the court for the registration of their marriage on Tuesday, but the family of the girl took them to their house by promising them that their wedding function would be organised properly. However, they were stabbed to death with sharp-edged weapons'. 'The double murder has not been committed by the father of the girl alone. At least 4-5 more people were involved in the crime. So, the police should also arrest them as well,' he added. The deceased boy's uncle said, 'He used to work as a soil spreader on a tractor-trailer near the house of the accused. He was the sole breadwinner of his family'. Raja Sansi DSP Inderjit Singh said, 'We are carrying out the investigation to ascertain how many others were involved in this murder. Nobody will be spared if found guilty'. The accused was arrested after he surrendered before the police after the double murder.
Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Indian Express
Punjab: Man kills daughter, her male friend after they eloped, surrenders
A man allegedly killed his 22-year-old daughter and her 24-year-old male friend, who had 'eloped', with a sharp-edged weapon in Amritsar rural area and surrendered at the Ram Tirath police outpost, police said. Outpost in-charge Rachhpal Singh said: 'Police reached the scene and took the bodies in custody. The accused has surrendered. If others are involved in the crime, they will face action.' The accused was taken into custody and booked for murder, police said. The girl belonged to a Dalit community, and the boy was from an upper caste, residents of neighbouring villages. Lopoke police station SHO Inderjit Singh said: 'The male victim was employed near the woman victim's village and the two got acquainted.' They reportedly eloped on June 1. According to police, 'when they did not return, both families started searching for their children. On Monday, the victims were spotted on the Amritsar district court premises. They had reportedly come to apply for their wedding. A relative of the woman, however, spotted them and informed her family… Soon, her family members reached the court and assured the victims that they would arrange their wedding. Trusting them, the victims agreed to return home.' According to preliminary probe, police said, once the victims stepped into the woman's house 'they were overpowered and locked in a room. They were beaten mercilessly; when blood-soaked, they were given electric shocks. As both survived the electric shocks, the woman's father slit the throats of his daughter and her male friend with a sharp-edged weapon,' police said. The accused then roamed around in the village 'with his hands soaked in blood before walking to the Ram Tirath police outpost to surrender', police sources said, adding the bodies have been sent for post-mortem exam, and further probe is on.
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
RENEWABLE POWER OBLIGATION: Regulator reprimands UPNEDA for data laxity
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has strongly reprimanded the state's designated nodal agency, UPNEDA (Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency), for gross non-compliance and delays in furnishing Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) data. The power regulator has warned that the agency's laxity could invite penalties for defaulting power entities and undermine clean energy goals. RPO is a regulatory mandate requiring large electricity consumers to purchase a fixed share of their power from renewable sources like solar, wind, or biomass. It is aimed at cutting carbon emissions and promoting clean energy in the state. However, most entities are not meeting this obligation or the date on their meeting the obligation is not available. In a suo motu order last week, the commission expressed dissatisfaction with UPNEDA's handling of its responsibilities under the UPERC (Promotion of Green Energy through Renewable Purchase Obligation) Regulations, 2010. 'Despite repeated directions, the agency has failed to ensure timely and complete reporting from obligated entities—distribution licensees and large power consumers required to purchase a portion of their electricity from renewable sources,' it noted. According to the order, UPNEDA has so far submitted compliance data for only 378 out of 509 obligated entities, that too only from 2019-20 onwards. This is despite the Commission's earlier directive that data from 2010-11 onwards must be submitted, in line with statutory provisions. 'The compliances by UPNEDA have been really pathetic,' the order reads, underscoring that UPNEDA is still struggling to provide even the annual compliance data for all obligated entities, while the regulations mandate quarterly and yearly reporting The commission also criticised UPNEDA's inability to enforce compliance, revealing that nearly 35%-40% of the obligated entities are either non-compliant or only partially compliant. In such cases, UPNEDA should have filed petitions and ensured that show cause notices were issued for deferment or purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), it said. The commission reminded UPNEDA that its role as the State Nodal Agency is crucial for driving renewable energy adoption. The agency was supposed to monitor compliance and generate timely reports—functions that have been severely compromised due to data gaps and administrative inertia. During the hearing, UPNEDA's director Inderjit Singh appeared in person and informed the commission that data collection for the remaining entities was underway. However, the commission found the progress unsatisfactory and directed UPNEDA to submit a comprehensive compliance report covering all obligated entities from 2010-11 onward within a month. In a move aimed at modernising the compliance process, the commission advised UPNEDA to launch an online portal to collect yearly, quarterly, and estimated RE requirement data. It also instructed the agency to update its website with information on registration and accreditation of renewable energy generators. The commission has fixed July 8, 2025, as the next date of hearing. However, the personal appearance of the UPNEDA director has been dispensed with till further orders.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
Three sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for attempted murder after throwing student into canal in Punjab
LUDHIANA: A local court sentenced three individuals to ten years of rigorous imprisonment each for attempted murder after they threw a student into a canal. The court of Additional Sessions Judge Parminder Kaur also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of the three convicts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In default of payment of the fine, they will have to undergo an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment. On 10 September 2021, Sadar Jagraon police booked Billa, aged 25, Akashdeep Singh Ricky, aged 22, and Mandeep Singh, aged 23, all from Sohian village, under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC for attempting to murder of Sudhar village. According to the prosecution, the complainant, Tejinder Singh, recorded a statement with the police stating that he was pursuing a Diploma in Electrical at ITI of Jassowal village. On 8 September 2021, he received a phone call from Inderjit Singh suggesting they meet and have fun. Upon receiving the call, he went outside his house, where Inderjit Singh and Akashdeep met him on a motorcycle. They took him to Sohian village, where they went to Mandeep's house. There, they offered him coke from a bottle lying at the house. He refused to drink it, but they forcibly made him drink two glasses of coke. After drinking, he started feeling dizzy. They then took him on a motorcycle towards the canal and led him to the canal bridge. Inderjit, with the intention to kill, pushed him into the canal. When he tried to get out of the water, Inderjit Singh throttled his neck and attempted to kill him. Mandeep and Akashdeep pushed him back into the canal and took his mobile phone. He managed to get out of the canal and reached Kular Grid, where an employee informed his uncle, Sandeep Singh, who brought him home. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As he was unwell, he was admitted to the civil hospital. He further stated that the motive behind the incident was that Inderjit's family discovered he was taking intoxicants, and Inderjit suspected that Tejinder disclosed this to his family. The police later registered a case and arrested the accused. After completing the investigation, they filed a chargesheet in court. The defence counsels for the accused argued that the accused did not commit any offence as alleged and were falsely implicated in the case. The court, after reviewing the evidence, observed that the plea of false implication was not credible, as the accused failed to counter the prosecution's version or provide any evidence to prove their claim. "Even during the cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses, nothing could be brought on record to shatter the prosecution story and prove that the accused were falsely implicated. No animus of the police officials with the accused has either been alleged or proved on record," the court remarked. "Further, no complaint has been moved by the accused to the higher authorities regarding their false implication."
