Tag: Army

  • JD(U) call for Agnipath review correct, scheme withdrawal long overdue: Sanjay Singh

    New Delhi: AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday said the JD(U)’s demand for review of Agnipath scheme is “100 per cent correct” and stressed that the scheme should have been withdrawn earlier. Earlier in the day, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi told reporters here that the party has demanded a review of the Agnipath scheme, and will “pursue” the caste census issue. Speaking to PTI Videos, Singh said, “Agniveer is betrayal with Mother India and the Army. The prime minister should have withdrawn it earlier.” “Earlier a jawan was trained for a year but under this scheme (Agnipath), you reduced the training period to six months. Every youth is ready to sacrifice his or her life for the country. But you are weakening the army. This demand from JDU is 100 per cent correct,” the AAP leader added. In June 2022, the government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme for short-term induction of personnel with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three armed services. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States The scheme provides for recruiting youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

  • farmers protest: We have objection to farmers’ method: Haryana CM Khattar on farmers protest

    Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Khattar on Thursday criticised the “method” adopted by farmers to press their demands, saying they are trying to march to Delhi like an army on the offensive. He said the farmers are moving with tractor-trolleys, earth-movers and ration for a year — just like an army.

    “We have an objection to their method,” Khattar said on the farmers’ call for going to Delhi. “We do not have any objection to them going to Delhi. There are trains, buses and their own vehicles. But a tractor is not a mode of transport. It is an agricultural equipment.”

    Farmers from Punjab are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points seeking to march towards Delhi to press the Centre to accept their demands. The farmer leaders have said they will not make any fresh attempt to move towards the national capital till the meeting is held, asserting that the next course of action will be decided on the basis of the Centre’s proposals.

    Khattar also referred to the farmers’ previous agitation against the now-repealed farm laws and said how they camped at Tikri and Singhu borders for a year and causes hardships to many people.

    “Even today, there are several videos of people appealing that they (farmers) should be stopped as their businesses will suffer,” said Khattar, responding to a question on the farmers’ call for ‘Dilli Chalo’. We have an objection to their (farmers) method,” said Khattar on farmers’ call for going to Delhi. Khattar said everybody has democratic right to visit the national capital. “But how to proceed, what is the motive? These things must be kept in mind.”

    To a question on Thursday’s meeting between the three union ministers and farmer leaders in Chandigarh, Khattar said he is hopeful that some way out will emerge.

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  • Indian Army fills critical capability gaps along LAC using Emergency Procurement powers

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Using the powers under the Emergency Procurement, India has filled up critical capability voids.

    The sources in defence establishments confirmed that the primary objective of EP was to plug critical operational gaps, especially along the Northern Borders.

    The EP has been instrumental in capital procurement through approximately 140 schemes, spread across four tranches (EP I to IV). The initial three tranches witnessed the Indian Army utilizing approximately Rupees 6500 crore, finalizing 68 contracts, sources said.

    The last phase of procurement under EP-IV alone, which spanned from September 2022 to September 2023, facilitated more than 70 schemes worth nearly 11,000 crores.

    Elaborating on major upgrades facilitated through the EP mechanism “encompassed Remote Control Weapon systems, Air Defence missiles, Anti Tank Missiles, Satellite Downlink & Recording systems, VSAT terminal, Portable mobile terminals, Secure Army Mobile systems, All Terrain Vehicles, High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicles, Radars, Loiter Ammunition, Drones, Counter Drone systems, High Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Ballistic Helmets, Navigation Systems, and Simulation systems.”

    Schemes Under Phase IV:

    6-7 schemes costing around Rs 1300 crores for Weapon systems.
    7-8 Projects costing Rs 1300 crore for protective equipment.
    9 to 10 schemes allocated almost Rs 1500 crore for Intelligence, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance.
    About 10 projects of Rs 2000 crore were reserved for Drones and counter drones.
    More than 12 projects costing approx Rs 1800 cr for Communication and non-communication equipment. 
    About 25 projects of Rs 3100 crore were used for about 25 projects on Survivability and Training.
    Attributing to India’s rapidly evolving security landscape in recent times, “the need to address critical operational requirements has never been more pressing.”

    “To address these urgent needs, the government wisely implemented an Emergency Procurement (EP) mechanism, expediting the acquisition of vital equipment and technology for the defense forces.,” said sources.

    This scheme, said the sources, is helpful in promoting Indigenous Industries

    “A salient feature of the EP mechanism is its emphasis on ‘Atmanirbharta’ or self-reliance. A remarkable 50% of contracts in the first three tranches were awarded to the domestic industry. EP-IV has concluded more than 70 schemes, amounting to close to Rs 11,000 Cr, all of which are contracted with Indian vendors.” Sources said.

    As per the sources, the EP mechanism isn’t just about swift procurements; it’s also about economic intelligence. “The first three tranches of EP realized savings of around Rs 550  crore. The fourth phase itself led to savings of approximately Rs 1500 crore.”

    While the EP initiative has been pivotal in addressing immediate operational requirements, sources pointed out, it’s evident that such a mechanism needs to be institutionalized for the long term. 

    NEW DELHI: Using the powers under the Emergency Procurement, India has filled up critical capability voids.

    The sources in defence establishments confirmed that the primary objective of EP was to plug critical operational gaps, especially along the Northern Borders.

    The EP has been instrumental in capital procurement through approximately 140 schemes, spread across four tranches (EP I to IV). The initial three tranches witnessed the Indian Army utilizing approximately Rupees 6500 crore, finalizing 68 contracts, sources said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The last phase of procurement under EP-IV alone, which spanned from September 2022 to September 2023, facilitated more than 70 schemes worth nearly 11,000 crores.

    Elaborating on major upgrades facilitated through the EP mechanism “encompassed Remote Control Weapon systems, Air Defence missiles, Anti Tank Missiles, Satellite Downlink & Recording systems, VSAT terminal, Portable mobile terminals, Secure Army Mobile systems, All Terrain Vehicles, High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicles, Radars, Loiter Ammunition, Drones, Counter Drone systems, High Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Ballistic Helmets, Navigation Systems, and Simulation systems.”

    Schemes Under Phase IV:

    6-7 schemes costing around Rs 1300 crores for Weapon systems.
    7-8 Projects costing Rs 1300 crore for protective equipment.
    9 to 10 schemes allocated almost Rs 1500 crore for Intelligence, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance.
    About 10 projects of Rs 2000 crore were reserved for Drones and counter drones.
    More than 12 projects costing approx Rs 1800 cr for Communication and non-communication equipment. 
    About 25 projects of Rs 3100 crore were used for about 25 projects on Survivability and Training.
    Attributing to India’s rapidly evolving security landscape in recent times, “the need to address critical operational requirements has never been more pressing.”

    “To address these urgent needs, the government wisely implemented an Emergency Procurement (EP) mechanism, expediting the acquisition of vital equipment and technology for the defense forces.,” said sources.

    This scheme, said the sources, is helpful in promoting Indigenous Industries

    “A salient feature of the EP mechanism is its emphasis on ‘Atmanirbharta’ or self-reliance. A remarkable 50% of contracts in the first three tranches were awarded to the domestic industry. EP-IV has concluded more than 70 schemes, amounting to close to Rs 11,000 Cr, all of which are contracted with Indian vendors.” Sources said.

    As per the sources, the EP mechanism isn’t just about swift procurements; it’s also about economic intelligence. “The first three tranches of EP realized savings of around Rs 550  crore. The fourth phase itself led to savings of approximately Rs 1500 crore.”

    While the EP initiative has been pivotal in addressing immediate operational requirements, sources pointed out, it’s evident that such a mechanism needs to be institutionalized for the long term.
     

  • Three army officers injured as colleague opens fire, explodes grenades inside camp in J-K’s Rajouri 

    By PTI

    RAJOURI: At least five army personnel, including three officers, were injured when an officer allegedly opened fire and exploded grenades inside a camp in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, official sources said.

    The officer said to be of the rank of major, opened fire on his colleagues without provocation during a shooting practice session and then took shelter in the armoury of the unit and lobbed grenades at his superiors who moved near the building in an effort to persuade him to surrender, the sources said.

    The tense situation lasted nearly eight hours before the officer was overpowered inside the armoury.

    The incident took place at the Neeli post near Thanamandi in the district.

    The army evacuated a village in the close vicinity of the armoury as a precautionary measure, they said.

    The army, however, claimed that an officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri.

    “On 05 Oct 23 one officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri sector. The officer was evacuated and stable post-initial treatment. Further investigation of the incident in progress,” the White Knight Corps of the army posted on X.

    Sources said there was a firing practice going on at the camp for the past several days and the accused officer started firing on his colleagues and subordinates without any provocation on Thursday.

    Later, he took shelter inside the armoury of the camp and hurled grenades when the commanding officer, along with his deputy and medical officer, moved near the building in an effort to persuade him to surrender, the sources said.

    All three officers were injured when a grenade, hurled by the accused, exploded near them, they said, adding the condition of the second-in-command of the unit was stated to be “critical”.

    Two other soldiers were also injured in the indiscriminate firing by the accused who was overpowered around 11 pm, the sources said.

    On the incident, Jammu-based defence PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said in a message, “I have received calls about some firing/terrorist attack on an army camp in General Area Rajouri. I would like to inform you that no terrorist attack has occurred, it is an unfortunate internal incident of the camp.”

    RAJOURI: At least five army personnel, including three officers, were injured when an officer allegedly opened fire and exploded grenades inside a camp in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, official sources said.

    The officer said to be of the rank of major, opened fire on his colleagues without provocation during a shooting practice session and then took shelter in the armoury of the unit and lobbed grenades at his superiors who moved near the building in an effort to persuade him to surrender, the sources said.

    The tense situation lasted nearly eight hours before the officer was overpowered inside the armoury.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The incident took place at the Neeli post near Thanamandi in the district.

    The army evacuated a village in the close vicinity of the armoury as a precautionary measure, they said.

    The army, however, claimed that an officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri.

    “On 05 Oct 23 one officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri sector. The officer was evacuated and stable post-initial treatment. Further investigation of the incident in progress,” the White Knight Corps of the army posted on X.

    Sources said there was a firing practice going on at the camp for the past several days and the accused officer started firing on his colleagues and subordinates without any provocation on Thursday.

    Later, he took shelter inside the armoury of the camp and hurled grenades when the commanding officer, along with his deputy and medical officer, moved near the building in an effort to persuade him to surrender, the sources said.

    All three officers were injured when a grenade, hurled by the accused, exploded near them, they said, adding the condition of the second-in-command of the unit was stated to be “critical”.

    Two other soldiers were also injured in the indiscriminate firing by the accused who was overpowered around 11 pm, the sources said.

    On the incident, Jammu-based defence PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said in a message, “I have received calls about some firing/terrorist attack on an army camp in General Area Rajouri. I would like to inform you that no terrorist attack has occurred, it is an unfortunate internal incident of the camp.”

  • Army issues fast-track tenders to buy body cams, ballistic shields

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Army on Monday issued two requests for proposals (RFP) for fast-track procurement of 7,000 body-worn cameras (BWC) and 1,612 body shields with harness under emergency procurement. 

    The BWC is a small, audio/video recording device worn usually on the chest over the uniform to capture real time footage of a live operation. Whereas, the body shield is to protect the soldier and should have ambidextrous design and not weigh more than 21 kgs with a service life of five years. Both are to be procured through fast-track procedure. While the camera systems will be procured under the ‘Buy Indian’ category, the body shields would be under the ‘Buy Indian IDDM’.

    The process of the fast-track procedure was started to meet the requirement of the equipment and systems which are urgently required by the forces. The Indian Army had recently issued RFPs for drones, loitering munitions and ballistic helmets.

    The emergency procurement has been done under the financial powers given by the Ministry of Defence under which they can clear procurements up to Rs 300cr without any further clearance. There had been three occasions when the Army used the emergency procurement; in 2016, post Uri surgical strike, in 2019, Balakot strike and in 2020, during the standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh. 68 contracts worth Rs 6,000 were executed during this period. The fourth cycle of the EP is underway as told by General MK Pande recently. 

    For both procurements the prospective bidders have to submit their proposals by December 20.As per the Ministry of Defence the aim of the fast-track procedure is to ensure expeditious procurement for urgent operational requirements of the Armed Forces such as war, border security and critical situations. Fast track procedures may also be applied for cases where timelines of the normal prescribed procedure in procuring of operationally critical equipment is seen to be adversely impacting the capability and operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Army on Monday issued two requests for proposals (RFP) for fast-track procurement of 7,000 body-worn cameras (BWC) and 1,612 body shields with harness under emergency procurement. 

    The BWC is a small, audio/video recording device worn usually on the chest over the uniform to capture real time footage of a live operation. Whereas, the body shield is to protect the soldier and should have ambidextrous design and not weigh more than 21 kgs with a service life of five years. Both are to be procured through fast-track procedure. While the camera systems will be procured under the ‘Buy Indian’ category, the body shields would be under the ‘Buy Indian IDDM’.

    The process of the fast-track procedure was started to meet the requirement of the equipment and systems which are urgently required by the forces. The Indian Army had recently issued RFPs for drones, loitering munitions and ballistic helmets.

    The emergency procurement has been done under the financial powers given by the Ministry of Defence under which they can clear procurements up to Rs 300cr without any further clearance. There had been three occasions when the Army used the emergency procurement; in 2016, post Uri surgical strike, in 2019, Balakot strike and in 2020, during the standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh. 68 contracts worth Rs 6,000 were executed during this period. The fourth cycle of the EP is underway as told by General MK Pande recently. 

    For both procurements the prospective bidders have to submit their proposals by December 20.
    As per the Ministry of Defence the aim of the fast-track procedure is to ensure expeditious procurement for urgent operational requirements of the Armed Forces such as war, border security and critical situations. Fast track procedures may also be applied for cases where timelines of the normal prescribed procedure in procuring of operationally critical equipment is seen to be adversely impacting the capability and operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.

  • Army’s northern command adds Kalyani M4 to its fleet of armoured vehicles

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Army’s northern command on Thursday inducted Kalyani M4, an indigenous all-terrain high mobility combat troop carrier with armour and mine protection, in Jammu and Kashmir.

    The Northern Command shared the information on official Twitter handle with several pictures of its General Officer Commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi along with the vehicle.

    “#NorthernComd inducts 4×4 Quick Reaction Force Vehicles, an indigenous initiative by @BharatForgeLtd; an all terrain high mobility combat troop carrier with Armour & Mine Protection,” the tweet read.

    Kalyani M4, produced by Kalyani Group’s Bharat Forge, underwent extensive trials in Ladakh, which also falls under the Northern Command, before the Army placed the order for these vehicles under an emergency procurement amid the China-India border standoff.

    The vehicle can withstand three 10 kg TNT charges under the wheels and one 50 kg IED blast at its one side, officials said.

    “The best just got better! The induction of Kalyani M4, @BharatForgeLtd group’s flagship armoured vehicle in @NorthernComd_IA theatre is a matter of pride for the #makeinindia initiative & the entire nation,” tweeted PRO Udhampur, Ministry of Defence.

    JAMMU: Army’s northern command on Thursday inducted Kalyani M4, an indigenous all-terrain high mobility combat troop carrier with armour and mine protection, in Jammu and Kashmir.

    The Northern Command shared the information on official Twitter handle with several pictures of its General Officer Commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi along with the vehicle.

    “#NorthernComd inducts 4×4 Quick Reaction Force Vehicles, an indigenous initiative by @BharatForgeLtd; an all terrain high mobility combat troop carrier with Armour & Mine Protection,” the tweet read.

    Kalyani M4, produced by Kalyani Group’s Bharat Forge, underwent extensive trials in Ladakh, which also falls under the Northern Command, before the Army placed the order for these vehicles under an emergency procurement amid the China-India border standoff.

    The vehicle can withstand three 10 kg TNT charges under the wheels and one 50 kg IED blast at its one side, officials said.

    “The best just got better! The induction of Kalyani M4, @BharatForgeLtd group’s flagship armoured vehicle in @NorthernComd_IA theatre is a matter of pride for the #makeinindia initiative & the entire nation,” tweeted PRO Udhampur, Ministry of Defence.

  • Lt Col Saurabh Yadav from Army Aviation killed in chopper crash in Tawang; co-pilot injured

    Express News Service

    TAWANG/ NEW DELHI: A Lt Colonel from the Army’s aviation wing was killed and his co-pilot sustained severe injuries when their Cheetah helicopter crashed in a forward area near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday morning, officials said.

    The accident once again put the spotlight on the ageing and virtually obsolete fleets of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters which lack modern avionics and are in need of replacement.

    The deceased pilot has been identified as Lt Colonel Saurabh Yadav, the officials said, adding the injured co-pilot is a Major and he has been admitted to a command hospital.

    The Army headquarters has ordered a Court-of-Inquiry into the crash to ascertain the reason behind the crash. A two-star military official is set to head the probe, they said.

    #IndianArmy #LtGenRPKalita #ArmyCdrEC & All ranks offer tributes to the supreme sacrifice of Lt Col Saurabh Yadav in the line of duty on 05 Oct 2022 while flying a #CheetahHelicopter near #Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. #EasternCommand offers deepest condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/lhC6c0jlf0
    — EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) October 5, 2022
    “An army aviation Cheetah helicopter flying in the forward area near Tawang has crashed on today at around 10 AM during a routine sortie. Both the pilots were evacuated to a nearest military hospital,” a Tezpur-based defence spokesperson said.

    “With regret, we inform that one of the pilots who was critically injured succumbed to the injuries during treatment. The second pilot is under medical treatment,” he said in a statement.

    The spokesperson said the cause of the crash is not yet known.

    “General Manoj Pande #COAS & All Ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of Lt Col Saurabh Yadav who laid down his life in the line of duty at #Tawang Sector and offer deepest condolences to the family,” the Army said in a tweet.

    ALSO READ: Army helicopter crashes in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, pilot killed

    In March, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhat said in Rajya Sabha that 42 defence personnel were killed in accidents involving aircraft and helicopters of the three services in the last five years.

    In July, two pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed when their twin-seater MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashed during a training sortie near Barmer in Rajasthan.

    Between March 2017 and December 2021, 31 people lost their lives in accidents involving 15 military helicopters that included the December 8, 2021, crash of a Mi-17V5 chopper, according to official data.

    The then Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 12 others were killed in the Mi-17V5 crash in Tamil Nadu.

    The armed forces are in the process of acquiring new choppers to replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters some of which were inducted around three to five decades back.

    India and Russia signed an inter-governmental pact in 2015 for joint production of around 200 Kamov 226 helicopters to replace the ageing choppers, but the ambitious project is yet to take off.

    The Army currently operates around 180 Cheetah, Chetak and Cheetal helicopters. The IAF has around 120 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters in its inventory.

    TAWANG/ NEW DELHI: A Lt Colonel from the Army’s aviation wing was killed and his co-pilot sustained severe injuries when their Cheetah helicopter crashed in a forward area near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday morning, officials said.

    The accident once again put the spotlight on the ageing and virtually obsolete fleets of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters which lack modern avionics and are in need of replacement.

    The deceased pilot has been identified as Lt Colonel Saurabh Yadav, the officials said, adding the injured co-pilot is a Major and he has been admitted to a command hospital.

    The Army headquarters has ordered a Court-of-Inquiry into the crash to ascertain the reason behind the crash. A two-star military official is set to head the probe, they said.

    #IndianArmy #LtGenRPKalita #ArmyCdrEC & All ranks offer tributes to the supreme sacrifice of Lt Col Saurabh Yadav in the line of duty on 05 Oct 2022 while flying a #CheetahHelicopter near #Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. #EasternCommand offers deepest condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/lhC6c0jlf0
    — EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) October 5, 2022
    “An army aviation Cheetah helicopter flying in the forward area near Tawang has crashed on today at around 10 AM during a routine sortie. Both the pilots were evacuated to a nearest military hospital,” a Tezpur-based defence spokesperson said.

    “With regret, we inform that one of the pilots who was critically injured succumbed to the injuries during treatment. The second pilot is under medical treatment,” he said in a statement.

    The spokesperson said the cause of the crash is not yet known.

    “General Manoj Pande #COAS & All Ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of Lt Col Saurabh Yadav who laid down his life in the line of duty at #Tawang Sector and offer deepest condolences to the family,” the Army said in a tweet.

    ALSO READ: Army helicopter crashes in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, pilot killed

    In March, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhat said in Rajya Sabha that 42 defence personnel were killed in accidents involving aircraft and helicopters of the three services in the last five years.

    In July, two pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed when their twin-seater MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashed during a training sortie near Barmer in Rajasthan.

    Between March 2017 and December 2021, 31 people lost their lives in accidents involving 15 military helicopters that included the December 8, 2021, crash of a Mi-17V5 chopper, according to official data.

    The then Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 12 others were killed in the Mi-17V5 crash in Tamil Nadu.

    The armed forces are in the process of acquiring new choppers to replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters some of which were inducted around three to five decades back.

    India and Russia signed an inter-governmental pact in 2015 for joint production of around 200 Kamov 226 helicopters to replace the ageing choppers, but the ambitious project is yet to take off.

    The Army currently operates around 180 Cheetah, Chetak and Cheetal helicopters. The IAF has around 120 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters in its inventory.

  • MP Dhar dam breach: Army, NDRF teams, two IAF choppers on standby

    By PTI

    DHAR: Teams of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Saturday reached Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, where a breach in the wall of an under-construction dam on Karam river has set off alarm bells.

    Two helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been put on standby to deal with any emergency situation, officials said.

    The government said water is being safely drained out from the reservoir to reduce pressure on its wall.

    The opposition Congress raised a question mark over the quality of work of the dam and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government of indulging in corruption in the project worth Rs 304 crore.

    The leakage of water from the dam was reported around 1 pm on Thursday. The reservoir of the dam was filling up with water for the first time this monsoon as it was under construction, officials said.

    As a precautionary measure, people from 12 villages in Dhar district and six villages in Khargone district have been shifted to safer places, they have said, adding that these settlements were downstream of the dam.

    State Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silawat issued a statement on Saturday, saying that an army team has reached Dhar to deal with an emergency and the NDRF has also got down to work.

    He said the situation is under complete control and water from the dam is being drained out safely to reduce the pressure on the reservoir walls. Silawat is at the dam site to monitor the situation, the release said.

    The dam is coming up at a cost of Rs 304 crore, of which Rs 174 crore have been spent so far, official sources said.

    Around 200 army personnel, including engineers, and three teams of the NDRF from Bhopal as well as from Gujarat’s Vadodara Surat have reached Dhar. Each team has around 30 to 35 members. Besides them, eight groups of the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) are at work in Dhar, they said.

    Two IAF helicopters have been placed on standby, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home Dr Rajesh Rajora said in a statement.

    The 590-meter-long and 52-meter-high dam, a medium-level irrigation project, has 15 million cubic meters (MCM) of water in its reservoir, he said. Apart from Silawat, Industries Minister Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon is also at the dam site, officials said.

    Talking to PTI, Congress MLA Dr Hiralal Alawa, who represents Manawar Assembly constituency in Dhar, alleged that a weak foundation of Rs 304 crore-worth dam was laid to make money and it has caused the water to leak.

    “The feeble foundation couldn’t withstand the pressure of water. The leak smacks of rampant corruption in dam construction which has put the lives of more than 26,000 people living downstream to danger,” he added.

    DHAR: Teams of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Saturday reached Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, where a breach in the wall of an under-construction dam on Karam river has set off alarm bells.

    Two helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been put on standby to deal with any emergency situation, officials said.

    The government said water is being safely drained out from the reservoir to reduce pressure on its wall.

    The opposition Congress raised a question mark over the quality of work of the dam and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government of indulging in corruption in the project worth Rs 304 crore.

    The leakage of water from the dam was reported around 1 pm on Thursday. The reservoir of the dam was filling up with water for the first time this monsoon as it was under construction, officials said.

    As a precautionary measure, people from 12 villages in Dhar district and six villages in Khargone district have been shifted to safer places, they have said, adding that these settlements were downstream of the dam.

    State Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silawat issued a statement on Saturday, saying that an army team has reached Dhar to deal with an emergency and the NDRF has also got down to work.

    He said the situation is under complete control and water from the dam is being drained out safely to reduce the pressure on the reservoir walls. Silawat is at the dam site to monitor the situation, the release said.

    The dam is coming up at a cost of Rs 304 crore, of which Rs 174 crore have been spent so far, official sources said.

    Around 200 army personnel, including engineers, and three teams of the NDRF from Bhopal as well as from Gujarat’s Vadodara Surat have reached Dhar. Each team has around 30 to 35 members. Besides them, eight groups of the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) are at work in Dhar, they said.

    Two IAF helicopters have been placed on standby, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home Dr Rajesh Rajora said in a statement.

    The 590-meter-long and 52-meter-high dam, a medium-level irrigation project, has 15 million cubic meters (MCM) of water in its reservoir, he said. Apart from Silawat, Industries Minister Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon is also at the dam site, officials said.

    Talking to PTI, Congress MLA Dr Hiralal Alawa, who represents Manawar Assembly constituency in Dhar, alleged that a weak foundation of Rs 304 crore-worth dam was laid to make money and it has caused the water to leak.

    “The feeble foundation couldn’t withstand the pressure of water. The leak smacks of rampant corruption in dam construction which has put the lives of more than 26,000 people living downstream to danger,” he added.

  • 12-year-old girl falls into borewell in Gujarat, rescued after five hours

    By PTI

    SURENDRANAGAR: A 12-year-old girl fell into an over 500-feet deep borewell shaft in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district on Friday morning and was rescued by Army and police teams after five hours, officials said.

    The incident took place at Gajanvav village in Dhrangadhra tehsil.

    This was the second such incident in the tehsil after a two-year-old boy was rescued from a borewell in June.

    The girl, identified as Manisha, fell into the open shaft of a borewell on a farm around 7.30 am, an official said.

    “She was rescued by Army jawans with the help of local police and health department personnel after nearly five hours of efforts,” said inspector T B Hirani of Dhrangadhra police station.

    The girl was trapped at the depth of around 60 feet in the borewell which is 500 to 700 feet deep, she said.

    During the rescue operation, oxygen was supplied to the girl and her condition was monitored through a camera lowered inside, Hirani added.

    As soon as the girl was rescued, an Army medical team put her on oxygen and rushed her to the sub-district hospital at Dhrangadhra.

    “Her SPO2 (blood oxygen level) and other vital parameters were low when she was brought out. We put her on oxygen. By the time we reached the hospital, her vitals had returned to normal. She is doing well now,” an official from the Army medical team told reporters.

    Locals gathered at the spot shouted, “Jai Jawan” when the girl was rescued.

    Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dhrangadhra) J D Purohit said the operation was successfully carried out by Army and police teams.

    On June 2, a two-year-old boy fell into a borewell on a farm in Dhrangadhra and an Army team was called in for rescue operation.

    The boy was rescued after around three hours.

    SURENDRANAGAR: A 12-year-old girl fell into an over 500-feet deep borewell shaft in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district on Friday morning and was rescued by Army and police teams after five hours, officials said.

    The incident took place at Gajanvav village in Dhrangadhra tehsil.

    This was the second such incident in the tehsil after a two-year-old boy was rescued from a borewell in June.

    The girl, identified as Manisha, fell into the open shaft of a borewell on a farm around 7.30 am, an official said.

    “She was rescued by Army jawans with the help of local police and health department personnel after nearly five hours of efforts,” said inspector T B Hirani of Dhrangadhra police station.

    The girl was trapped at the depth of around 60 feet in the borewell which is 500 to 700 feet deep, she said.

    During the rescue operation, oxygen was supplied to the girl and her condition was monitored through a camera lowered inside, Hirani added.

    As soon as the girl was rescued, an Army medical team put her on oxygen and rushed her to the sub-district hospital at Dhrangadhra.

    “Her SPO2 (blood oxygen level) and other vital parameters were low when she was brought out. We put her on oxygen. By the time we reached the hospital, her vitals had returned to normal. She is doing well now,” an official from the Army medical team told reporters.

    Locals gathered at the spot shouted, “Jai Jawan” when the girl was rescued.

    Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dhrangadhra) J D Purohit said the operation was successfully carried out by Army and police teams.

    On June 2, a two-year-old boy fell into a borewell on a farm in Dhrangadhra and an Army team was called in for rescue operation.

    The boy was rescued after around three hours.

  • J-K: Four militants killed in separate encounters in Baramulla and Pulwama districts

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  Four local militants, including one involved in the recent killing of a police officer, were killed in two encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday while police attached four houses in Srinagar allegedly used for harbouring militants.

    A police official said acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants, a joint contingent of police, CRPF and Army launched a search operation in Tujjan village of Pulwama district. During the search operation, militants fired on the search party and in the ensuing gunfight, two local Jaish militants Abid Ahmad Sheikh and Majid Nazir Wani were killed. “The slain militant Majid was involved in the recent killing of police officer Farooq Ahmad Mir,” the official said.

    Another encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Sopore of Baramulla district. In the firefight, which continued for over two hours, two local Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were killed. Both the slain militants had joined militancy recently. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said 118 militants including 32 foreign militants have been killed in encounters in Kashmir this year so far.

    Houses attachedPolice attached 5 houses in Srinagar for allegedly being used for harbouring militants. The action was taken after obtaining legal nod, said police officials