News Analysis India

Tag: Varanasi

  • PM Narendra Modi likely to visit Varanasi on July 15 to inaugurate convention centre

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on July 15, official sources informed. Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate Rudraksh International Convention Centre at Sigra in Varanasi during his visit to the state.

    The Convention Centre, which was built with the help of Japan, will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister along with the Ambassador of Japan to India, post which a video message of Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will be broadcasted there, sources added.

    In view of the security arrangements, the Special Protection Group (SPG) will reach Varanasi by today evening and will prepare a blueprint for the security of the venue.

  • Varanasi district officials form panel to look into algae infestation of river Ganga

    By Express News Service
    VARANASI: The Varanasi district administration has formed a committee to probe into the algal spread in Ganga, which has turned green due to the invasion. What is surprising about the panel is that there is not even one river engineering, environmental or phycology (algae related science) expert on it. This despite the fact that Varanasi is home to the premier Banaras Hindu University, whose Department of Botany and School of Biotechnology for years have pioneered phycology research globally.

    Varanasi district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma had constituted a committee comprising five administrative, police and pollution control board officers. On Tuesday, the committee voyaged from Varanasi to Mirzapur, collecting samples of the green algae infested water. The committee has been asked by the Varanasi district magistrate to submit its report by June 10.

    The algae infestation of the river’s water is not only noticeable in the ancient city, but also upstream in Mirzapur and Prayagraj districts. 

    “I have been bathing in Ganga since childhood, but do not remember such algae invasion. This is serious and should be probed by scientists and not police or administrative officials,” said 46-year-old Dinesh Shankar Dubey, whose organisation Gangotri Seva Samiti holds the world famous Ganga Arti on Dashwashamedh Ghat.

    According to Prof Ashok Kumar, senior phycologist and emeritus professor at the School of Biotechnology, BHU, “This is the first time this is happening. It could be due to Microcystis, but it needs to be probed. The development assumes significance as such algae never bloom in running water. Not only does the origin of the algae need to be studied, but the samples also need to be tested for possible toxicity.”

    Importantly, a team of researchers led by Kumar has spent three decades researching algae in the waterbodies of Varanasi, which is also famous for its kunds (ponds). It was a team of researchers led by Kumar that had traced presence of toxic compounds in microcystis algae in two major ponds — Laxmi Kund and Durga Kund — which was poisonous for human and animals. The findings were published in reputable international journals. Meanwhile, a city-based advocate has moved the National Green Tribunal over the issue.

  • Old building in Kashi Vishwanath Corridor collapses, 2 labourers killed

    By Express News Service
    VARANASI: A major part of an old building, located within the under construction Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor Project in Varanasi, collapsed on Tuesday  killing two labourers and hurting at least six.

    The two deceased and the injured men all hailed from Malda in West Bengal. The deceased, both cousins, have been identified as Aminul Momin (45) and Ejaz-ul-Momin (28). The injured men have been admitted at Varanasi Divisional Hospital, where two of them are stated to be serious.

    The mishap happened at around 3.15 am when the labourers were sleeping under the open sky due to excessive humidity. Suddenly, part of old two storeyed Goenka Chhatrawas (which earlier housed Sanskrit students) collapsed. The labourers sleeping and sitting there came under the collapsed portion of the building. JCB machines engaged in construction work in the under construction corridor were used to rescue the labourers trapped in the debris.

    Two of the labourers couldn’t be saved, while other injured labouerers are under treatment at the hospital.

    According to senior officials in the temple city, Rs 5 lakh each compensation has been announced to dependents of the deceased labourers, out of which Rs 1 lakh will be paid by PSP Projects Private Limited and remaining Rs 4 lakh by the temple trust.

    Also, Rs 50,000 each has been announced for the injured labourers, out of which Rs 25,000 each will be paid by the Ahmadabad-based construction company engaged in the Corridor construction work and equal sum by the temple trust.

    According to a senior Varanasi district official, PM Modi rang the Varanasi divisional commissioner Dipak Agrawal after the mishap and enquired about the entire episode. He also assured all possible help from the PMO.

    As per informed sources, the labourers engaged in construction work under the Corridor project stayed and slept in the old two storeyed Goneka Library building, but owing to excessive humidity, they opted to sleep outside near the adjoining Goenka Chhatrawas. Both buildings were constructed around 95 years ago with funding from Kolkata-based jute industrialist Gauri Shankar Goenka.

    The foundation of the Rs 600 crore plus corridor project was laid by the local MP and PM Narendra Modi in March 2018. An important part of the project is to develop pathways connecting the imposing Ganga Ghats with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

    Over 300 buildings and houses have been purchased within the proposed corridor territory by the Board supervising the project.

  • Varanasi: PM Modi gets emotional while talking to medical staff and doctors in his parliamentary constituency

    Amid the second wave of Corona, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to doctors, paramedical staff and other frontline health workers from his parliamentary constituency Varanasi. During this, PM Modi got emotional while addressing the doctors. PM Modi said that this virus has taken away many of our loved ones from us. I pay my respects to all those people, expressing my condolences to their families.

    PM Modi said, I, as a servant of Kashi, sincerely thank every Kashiwasi. Especially the work done by our doctors, nurses, ward boys and ambulance drivers is truly commendable.
    The preparations that the administration has made during the second wave, we have to keep fit like this even after the case is reduced. Also, constant statistics and situations have to be monitored.
    In the second wave of Corona, we have also seen the safety of the vaccine. Due to the safety of the vaccine, to a large extent our front line workers have been able to serve the people safely. This protection cover will reach everyone in the coming time.
    Asha and ANM sisters also play a very important role in the ongoing war against Kovid in the villages. I would like that their potential and experience are also taken advantage of as much as possible.

    With your tenacity, and with the common efforts of all of us, you have handled this attack of epidemic to a great extent. But now is not the time for satisfaction, we have to fight a long battle right now. Right now we have to pay a lot of attention to the rural areas of Benaras and Purvanchal as well.

    The speed with which Banaras has increased the number of oxygen and ICU beds in such a short time, the way Pandit Rajan Mishra Kovid Hospital has been activated so soon, is also an example in itself.

    Even in this extraordinary situation, it has been possible to handle this pressure only with the great diligence of our doctors, health workers. All of you worked day and night to save the lives of each and every patient. Troubles for self, comfort, rose above all and continued working hard.

  • Dead bodies found floating in Ganga in PM Modi’s Varanasi constituency

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: After dead bodies were seen floating in river Ganga in East Uttar Pradesh districts, shallow graves have been reported on the banks of the sacred river in the central parts of the state since the last few days. Meanwhile, the Yogi Adityanath government maintains that the COVID-19 cases and positivity rate in the state is declining fast.

    Just a few days after dozens of dead bodies found floating on the banks of river Ganga in eastern districts of Ghazipur, Ballia and Chandauli, at least seven bodies (five males and two females) were found floating near Sujabad village in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Thursday.

    Confirming the development, Ved Prakash Rai, the station officer of Ramnagar police station of Varanasi district, said “there were a total seven bodies, many of which were partially decomposed, that were found floating near Sujabad village. All the bodies were retrieved from the river and buried safely by following all safety protocols by the local administration.”

    The Sujabad village neighbours Domri village, which has been adopted by PM Modi in 2018 under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

    Meanwhile, as per informed sources in Ghazipur, Ballia and Chandauli districts of East UP, several dozen bodies (numbering possibly between 70-100) have been found floating in river Ganga on UP-Bihar border in the last few days.

    According to Banwari Lal, a guard deployed near the new bridge coming over the Ganga river between Ballia and Buxar claimed that around 70 bodies have been found floating near the under construction bridge at Bharauli Ghat and adjoining villages in Ballia district (Bihar’s Buxar district located on the opposite banks).”The local administration got them buried with the help of JCB machines,” he said.

    The Ballia district magistrate Aditi Singh, while confirming that many bodies were found floating in the river said, “village pradhans of nearby villages were called to identify the bodies, but as the bodies were badly decomposed, they failed to identify them. Subsequently, the last rites of the bodies were performed by following all safety protocols and the local SDM is looking into the entire matter.”  

    Around 450 km away in Central UP’s Unnao district, dozens of shallow graves have been found in the last few days. Videos of the stray dogs invading and digging the shallow graves too have gone viral.

    READ HERE | COVID-19 cases continue to decline fast in UP, active tally declined by 1.06 lakh in 12 days

    According to Unnao district collector Ravindra Kumar, the graves found in Buxar Ghat (Bighapur) is located in Unnao district, but is very close to Rae Bareli and Fatehpur district also. “Traditionally Buxar Ghat has had a long tradition of people from all three districts not cremating, but burying the human corpses on the riverbank. We’re ensuring that all the bodies being buried are buried deeply and also ensuring that bodies which have been buried in shallow graves be covered properly, to prevent stray animals from invading the graves.”

    Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, after receiving complaints about several bodies found floating in the Ganga river in UP and Bihar. “It (NHRC) has issued notices to the chief secretaries of both the states and the secretary, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, today calling for an action taken report within four weeks,” NHRC statement mentioned.

    Tweeting about the bodies in river Ganga and graves on the riverbanks, Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “Bodies are floating in the Ganga in Ballia and Ghazipur. Reports are coming in of mass burials on the banks of the river in Unnao. Official numbers from cities like Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Jhansi and Kanpur appear to be grossly under-reported.” The Congress leader demanded judicial enquiry headed by a High Court Judge into these events.

  • Night curfew implemented in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi due to increasing cases of corona

    Yogi Adityanath’s government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to impose night curfew in Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi from Thursday. The curfew will be implemented from 8 April and will remain in effect till 16 April. The curfew will continue from ten in the night to six in the morning. According to an order issued by Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash, the night curfew will be applicable only in the Lucknow Municipal Corporation area and not in the rural area. Supply of fruits, vegetables, milk, LPG, petrol-diesel and medicine will continue. Government and semi-government personnel working in night shifts and private sector personnel engaged in services of essential commodities will be exempted during this period.

    He further said, this restriction will not apply to medical, nursing and para medical institutions. People coming to and from the railway station, bus station and airport will be able to travel by showing their tickets. There will also be no restriction on the movement of goods trains. In the last 24 hours, 1,333 new cases of corona have been registered in Lucknow, while 6,023 new cases have been registered in the state.

    In a meeting held late on Wednesday night, the Chief Minister has also instructed other district magistrates of the state that if they get more than 500 cases in their area, then they too can impose night curfew in the area. A night curfew will also be imposed in Benares from April 8, which will continue from 9 in the morning to 6 in the morning. During this time, all non-medical institutions will be closed.

  • Gita Press president Radheshyam Khemka passes away at 87

    By PTI
    VARANASI, GORAKHPUR: The president of Gita Press, Radheshyam Khemka, passed away in Varanasi following a brief illness, his family members said on Sunday.

    He was 87. Khemka died on Saturday afternoon and his last rites were performed at the Harishchandra Ghat, they said.

    He was under treatment at a private hospital in Ravindrapuri.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Khemka, noting he remained active in various social services throughout his life.

    Modi noted that Khemka took Sanatan literature to the masses.

    The prime minister said his condolences are with Khemka’s family and admirers.

    In Gorakhpur, a prayer meeting was organised at the Gita Press and all its employees attended it, the press’ product manager Lal Mani Tripathi said.

    Khemka for 38 years was the editor of the prominent ‘Kalyan’ magazine printed at the press.

    His last edited the magazine’s April 2021 issue.

    In total, Khemka has edited 38 yearly special issues of the magazine and 460 normal issues of ‘Kalyan’, according to the press’ officials.

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the demise of Khemka.

    In a statement, he said praying for peace to the departed soul and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

  • Over a dozen cities in Uttar Pradesh set for makeover, fresh master plans to be drawn

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Over a dozen cities of Uttar Pradesh have been identified to be transformed in accordance with the growing urban requirements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, also figures among the 14 cities selected by the state government, which has decided to draw fresh master plans for them.

    According to official sources, besides Varanasi, state capital Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) in the National Captial Region (NCR) are also on the list. The other cities are Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Agra, Moradabad, Jhansi, Mathura, Bareilly, Meerut and Saharanpur. Meanwhile, the Awas Vikas Parishad, the department of housing, has been entrusted with the onerous task of drawing fresh development plans for these cities.

    According to officials, the department has started the process of selecting a consultant for the project. While the master plans will be based on the Geographic Information System (GIS), the government also plans to initiate changes in land use to identify proper places for all the amenities to be provided as part of the new plan which will include work to preserve historical sites and the general beautification and makeover of the cities.

    The sources said the consultant preparing the master plans would be expected to determine land use as per the current and future needs of the cities including waterworks, sewage treatment plants, and garbage disposal centres along with rivers, airports, bus stands and military areas. It will also have the provision of the conservation of historical and religious sites, ponds, reservoirs, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, if any, reserved forest areas and other protected areas. Army firing ranges will be declared “sensitive” areas.

  • UP: ‘Covid vaccine’ transported on bicycle in Varanasi during dry run

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Amidst the ongoing dry run for COVID-19 vaccination in Uttar Pradesh, a strange incident cropped up in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi wherein the COVID-19 vaccine was transported to a hospital on a bicycle.

    The incident was reported from Women’s Hospital located at Chaukaghat area of Varanasi where an employee was seen carrying the corona vaccine on a bicycle.

    In UP, the dry run for the vaccine was conducted across 75 districts. However, no vaccine was administered to anyone during the dry run. In Varanasi, it was conducted at six places, wherein, 25 persons were identified to participate at each centre.

    However, the sources in the CMO office claimed that the vaccine was transported to five centres with the help of a van. Only at the Women’s hospital, the vaccine was brought on a bicycle. The arrangement for transportation of vaccine raised questions on the preparedness of the Varanasi district administration.

    This happened despite CM Yogi Adityanath’s directives to the officials to keep extra checks on safe storage of vaccines, maintenance of cold chain and smooth transportation.

    Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed that the dry run should be done with full sincerity and commitment to strengthening the COVID vaccination system in the entire state. He himself had embarked upon a surprise visit to RML Institute of Medical Sciences in state capital Lucknow to check the preparedness for the vaccination drive to be undertaken shortly.

    The dry run for the vaccination was conducted at KGMU, PGI, Ram Manohar Lohia Institute, Ram Sagar Mishra Hospital, Lok Bandhu Hospital in Lucknow. It was also conducted at Mal, Indira Nagar, Kakori Community Health Center, Sahara Hospital, Medanta Hospital and Era Medical College in Lucknow.

    Officials said that in the mock drill, six centres – three each in rural and urban areas– in each district tested for various protocols and standard operating procedures. Systems like ambulance network, rapid response teams, call centres and verification, etc were tested.

    Sources hinted that the vaccination drive may begin on the National Youth Day (January 12) to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. This leaves the state with about a week’s time to the D-day. Health minister Jai Pratap Singh also reviewed preparations. “UP is set to launch one of the biggestvaccination campaigns. The dry run will help us in fine-tuning the process further,” said the minister.

  • Coronavirus vaccination dry run to be held in UP’s Varanasi on Tuesday

    By ANI
    VARANASI: A dry run for vaccination against COVID-19 would be held in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

    From today, the dry run will start in the primary health centers of Kashi Vidyapeeth, Pindra and Sevapuri in rural areas and in the urban areas as well including Shivpur, Women’s Hospital and Heritage Medical College.

    Reportedly, an offline portal has also been prepared for the dry run vaccination drive. After the process, the information about the vaccination campaign will also be updated on that portal.

    Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad wrote to all Commissioners and Collectors regarding a dry run for COVID-19 vaccination across the state today, asking the authorities to ensure that vaccination team reaches the site 45 minutes in advance.

    In a note directed to Commissioners and Collectors, he said that the dry run programme will be conducted at six sites, three urban and three rural respectively. “The vaccination team should reach the site 45 minutes in advance, i.e., by 9.15 am. The dry run will start at 10 am and continue till all beneficiaries have been attended,” he said.

    Each site will have a minimum of two sessions and the same process will be followed when the actual vaccination starts. He directed that the sites should be ready with a waiting area, vaccination room and observation room. The waiting area and observation area should have proper sitting arrangements.

    It is directed that vaccines, syringes, adverse events following immunization (AEFI) kits and other logistics should reach the session site on time. They have to also ensure that there is no law and order issue, the team should be properly trained and briefed.

    Prasad also reminded during the previous dry run at Lucknow, syringes could not reach the site in time. He asked to take care of it this time.

    He has also asked to appoint sector officers to ensure that the dry run sessions start on time. Beneficiaries should also be informed to reach well in time. The sector officers are asked to inspect the sites on January 4 in advance.