India

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) instigated people to flout the ban on firecrackers on Diwali by linking it to religion.

The minister said Delhi's air quality deteriorated due to a surge in farm fires and some people bursting firecrackers on purpose.

"A large number of people did not burst firecrackers. I thank them all. But some people burst firecrackers on purpose. I categorically say the BJP instigated them to do it," he told reporters here.

Kanpur: It is yet again 13 fresh Zika virus cases were revealed here on Saturday, according to the ANI.

The total tally of the mosquito-borne disease stands at 79 now as it stepped up surveillance to check its spread, health officials said.

Dr Anil Nigam, CMS, Ursala Hospital said that our team was inspecting regularly. The Municipal corporation teams have also been deployed for the fogging to destroy mosquito breeding points.

So far Zika virus infection has been spreading rapidly in Kanpur. In this case, special caution is required.

NEW DELHI, Nov 5 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 34,333,754 today, as 12,729 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, the federal health ministry’s data showed.

Besides, as many as 221 deaths have been reported since yesterday morning, taking the total death toll to 459,873.

There are still 148,922 active COVID-19 cases in the country, as there was a rise of 343 active cases during the past 24 hours.

NEW DELHI, Nov 5 (NNN-PTI) – Ten people were killed and many others taken ill, after consuming toxic liquor in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, local media reported yesterday.

The casualties were reported from West Champaran and Gopalganj districts, north of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.

“Prima facie, these deaths seem to have occurred, following the consumption of poisonous substances. However, the exact cause of death could only be known after the post mortem report,” a local newspaper, Hindustan Times, quoted a senior police officer, as having said.

Kanpur: Sorghum (jowar) can be a wonder crop not only for all those related to the sugar industry but to a common man also in the comprehensive fight against the deadly virus of coronavirus.

The National Sugar Institute, Kanpur in collaboration with ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad has been conducting studies to assess the potential of the crop for the last two years at the institute farm.

Five sweet sorghum varieties (CSH 22S, SSV 84, SSV 74, Phlue Vasundhara and ICSSH 28) deemed suitable for sub-tropical region are being cultivated and tested.

Kanpur: A total 30 fresh cases of Zika Virus were reported in Kanpur on Thursday, taking the total count for Zika Virus in the city to 66.

As many as 30 more people have tested positive for Zika virus in Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh.

With this, the total tally has gone up to 66, said Chief Medical Officer Dr Nepal Singh, according to news reports.

The first case of the Zika virus came to the fore in Kanpur on October 25. Later, the central government sent a multi-disciplinary team to Kanpur.

New Delhi, Nov 3 (PTI) The Supreme Court has quashed the Kerala High Court order which discharged an accused, arrested for his alleged Maoist links, for the purported offences including sedition and under the provisions of the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in three cases.

New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) With the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution rising to 25 per cent on Diwali, the highest this season so far, authorities have said that the air quality in the city may turn "severe" by midnight and shoot up rapidly by Friday morning if firecrackers are burnt.

The PM2.5 pollution in the capital may enter the "severe" zone by midnight even if there is 50 per cent of firecrackers emissions as compared to last year, said Gufran Beig, the founder project director of SAFAR.

New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett exchanged Diwali greetings on Thursday.

Taking to Twitter, Bennett said, "Happy #Diwali to my friend @NarendraModi and to all the people celebrating in #India and around the world."

He also tweeted his greetings in Hindi.

Responding to Bennett's tweet, Modi said on Twitter, "Thank you, my dear friend @naftalibennett for the wonderful greetings. Wishing you a Happy Diwali too.

Rangia (Assam), Nov 5 (PTI) Several houses and commercial establishments were gutted and property estimated to be worth crores of rupees destroyed in a fire in Rangia town of Assam's Kamrup (Rural) district, an official said on Friday.

No person was injured in the fire incident on Thursday night, he added.

The fire broke out near Mrittunjay Shiv Temple in the town on Thursday night during Diwali celebrations, engulfing several houses, shops and godowns.