Latest news with #State
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Govt. released additional water to industries from Hidkal dam, say farmers
Activists and farmers leaders have complained that the State government had released more than twice the amount of water than stipulated for industries from the Hidkal dam in Belagavi district. The Department of Irrigation, under requests from the Department of Industries has released over 0.229 tmcft. of Ghataprabha river water for industries, against the allocation of 0.1 tmcft. of water from the Raja Lakhamagouda reservoir. The full reservoir capacity is 51 tmcft. The government's response has become important in the wake of reports that the department of industries has obtained the release of a further 0.5tmcft. of water from the dam to the Dharwad industrial area. A Right To Information application by activist Sujit Mulgund has revealed that from the dam State government had released 'excess water' to industries. 'This is legally and ethically wrong. While the rule says that only 0.1 tmcft. is to be set aside for industries. Secondly, the cities of Belagavi, Bagalkot and en route villages depend on the Hidkal dam for drinking water. In fact, they suffer from water scarcity during summer months as the water levels in the dam are reduced. In such a situation, it is a cruel joke on the people of north Karnataka to divert drinking water for industries,'' he said. 'The State government has also acted in a non-democratic manner, by not taking into confidence, the local irrigation consultative committee of the Hidkal dam, in deciding to release water to industries,' he said. This dam was not built to benefit just a few industries. Its primary task is to support the rural poor, Mr. Mulgund said. 'The State government has violated the National Water Policy of 2011, that gives preference to drinking water and agriculture, over industrial usage,' he added. A delegation of farmers led by former Minister Shashikant Naik has urged the State government not to draw water from Hidkal for Dharwad industrial area. Another team led by water expert B. Anand Kumar, advocate Nitin Tolbandi, Mr. Mulgund and others have suggested that treated sewage water from Belagavi and Dharwad could be utilised for industrial purposes, rather than drinking water from dams. Mr. Naik said they would appeal to the State government again, to stop supply of Ghataprabha waters to industrial areas. 'If the government does not listen to us, we will protest and stop the water supply pipeline works,' he said. Established in 1961, the Hidkal Dam was meant exclusively for irrigation and drinking water. It is named after Raja Lakhamagouda, the erstwhile head of a local princely state, and philanthropist who donated land and resources to several educational institutions in British India.
Arabian Post
an hour ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
the-arabian-post
Niger's military-led government announced on 19 June 2025 that it is nationalising the Somair uranium joint venture, formerly dominated by French nuclear fuel company Orano. The announcement, aired on national television, declared that the State will now hold full ownership and management of the mine, citing inappropriate and inequitable conduct by Orano. Authorities assert that the 63 per cent stake held by Orano—alongside the remaining 37 per cent via state firm Sopamin—has been improperly leveraged. The accord underpinning Somair's operations expired in December 2023, and the government accuses the French entity of exceeding its share entitlement and engaging in misconduct, though specific details remain undisclosed. Operational control of the mine was already transferred to Nigerien authorities following the 2023 coup, and Orano was stripped of its permit for the Imouraren site, which contains an estimated 200,000 tonnes of uranium reserves. The company responded by launching arbitration and legal proceedings and by filing a domestic lawsuit after its director disappeared and its offices were raided in May. Orano, 90 per cent owned by the French government and operating in Niger for more than five decades, has been exploring options to divest its stakes—potentially to Russian or Chinese entities—as Franco–Nigerien relations deteriorate. The firm reported substantial financial losses and warned that governmental interference has undermined the mine's viability. Niger produces about 5 per cent of the world's uranium, supplying approximately 20–26 per cent of France's demand—critical for a nation generating around 70 per cent of its electricity from nuclear power. With Somair's output at risk and Imouraren's permit revoked, Nigerien uranium exports may fall sharply in 2025, potentially triggering supply shortages across Europe. The move reflects Niger's broader shift towards resource sovereignty, embedding itself among Sahel countries like Mali and Burkina Faso that are revising mining contracts and exerting stronger state control over critical commodities. These regimes are renegotiating higher revenue shares and demanding local stakeholder benefits. However, their tactics—raids, executive detentions, unilateral expropriations—have prompted concern and legal challenges from affected companies. Analysts warn that Niger's action may energise global uranium market volatility, as utilities, notably in Europe, scramble to secure alternative sources. Kazakhstan and Canada stand out as potential beneficiaries, though ramping up supply will take time and investment. Orano has indicated plans to diversify, including pursuing projects in Mongolia and Namibia to offset Niger's production decline. Nonetheless, its dispute with Niger will proceed through international arbitration via ICSID, and possibly domestic courts, with the outcome likely to span months or years.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Declare wild pigs as vermin in conflict zones, Kerala asks Centre in fresh appeal
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has once again written to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav reiterating the State's key demands to address the increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala. The State's demands chiefly include an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the declaration of wild pigs as vermin, at least temporarily in identified hotspots. The renewed appeal comes in the light of a letter from the Union Ministry, explaining the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, particularly those pertaining to hunting animals listed under Schedules I and II. 'Limits powers' Arguing that these limited the powers of the Chief Wildlife Warden and hampered timely action, Mr. Saseendran also flagged the ambiguity in the definition of the term 'dangerous animal' in the Act. Highlighting the growing threats posed by wild animals in human habitats, he emphasised the impracticality of the current procedures. He pointed out that due to these constraints, the Forest department had been unable to act swiftly, thereby intensifying the conflict and endangering human lives and livelihoods. He also proposed simplifying the Standard Operating Procedures for eliminating dangerous animals. The State has also called for declaring wild pigs as vermin in villages identified as hotspots. 'Such a declaration, even if limited to a duration of six months, would greatly facilitate site-specific management of the species in these areas and contribute significantly to mitigate the ongoing human-wildlife conflicts,' the letter states. The government also renewed its demand for an assistance of ₹620 crore to implement preventive measures to tackle the unfolding crisis.
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Jahid leads Sabah honours list
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: Rural Development Minister Datuk Jahid Jahim ( pic ) tops the list of State award recipients in conjunction with the 74th official birthday of Head of State Tun Musa Aman, on Saturday. Jahid is among four recipients of the state's highest honour, the Seri Panglima Darjah Kinabalu (SPDK), which carries the title Datuk Seri Panglima. Advertisement Other SPDK recipients include Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Finance Minister's Special Advisory Body member Datuk Ahmad Fuad Md Ali, and businessman Datuk Lim Yu Ming. Kapayan Assemblywoman Jannie Lasimbang, Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, and Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Dr Fuziah Salleh are among those awarded the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK), which confers the title Datuk. A total of 78 individuals are receiving the PGDK in this year's state awards ceremony. Another 100 are conferred the Ahli Setia Darjah Kinabalu (ASDK), followed by 181 receiving the Ahli Darjah Kinabalu (ADK). Advertisement The list also includes 248 recipients of the Bintang Setia Kinabalu (BSK), 285 of the Bintang Kinabalu (BK), 109 recipients of the Sijil Kehormat, and 10 appointed as Justices of the Peace. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
High cost of IP housing 'not sustainable'
The Minister of State for Migration has acknowledged the high costs of providing accommodation for International Protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees, which he said was "neither sustainable nor acceptable in the long term". The State spent more than €401m on accommodation for International Protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees in the first three months of the year. That is according to new figures released by the former Department of Integration detailing its spending for the first quarter of 2025. In a statement, Minister Colm Brophy said the State had engaged in a series of actions to reduce these costs. He said this includes: "The purchase of State-owned facilities which will reduce costs and save the State 100s of millions in a relatively short period of time. "The renegotiation downwards of existing contracts with IPAS and Ukrainian accommodation providers. "The introduction of legislation this autumn will drastically shorten the length of time people stay in the system. This will reduce the overall costs of accommodation in the years ahead." The €401m figure is down on last year's quarterly spends on such accommodation, which ranged from €424m to €490m. Paying for private sector accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers made up 97% of the department's purchase order spends of €20,000 or more detailed in the Department report. While hundreds of providers are in receipt of Government payments, 91 were paid more than €1m in the first quarter of the year, and together the top five brought in €52.5m. Commenting on the figures, Nick Henderson, the CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, said it had always been concerned about money going straight to private providers. He said the Government's purchase of Citywest could be a step in the right direction and was likely to be better value for money for the taxpayer. The Citywest campus has been central to the Government's International Protection and Ukrainian refugee accommodation provision over the last number of years. However, Mr Henderson said this did not necessarily mean it would be a better-run facility. He said the IRC also had concerns that the border procedure, under the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, could be based in the future at Citywest. The IRC would also like to see an expansion of the remit of HIQA, which only has inspection powers for longer-term accommodation, expanded to include emergency accommodation.
