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Srinagar-Ladakh highway re-opens to traffic Zojila Pass (J-K), May 25: The crucial highway passing through Zojila, one of the highest mountain passes of the world, was re-opened on Sunday. A convoy of Indian army formally crossed over after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) declared it traffic-worthy. Brigadier Mahadev, Chief Engineer, BRO, said the difficult task was accomplised without any accident. BRO undertakes snow clearance operations on all border roads in the tough Himalayan range every year to facilitate movement of residents and military personnel to remote regions, usually cut off due to snow from the rest of the country. The strategic Srinagar-Ladakh highway passes through the 11,578- foot high Zojila Pass which lies on the lower depression of the Himalayan ranges, about 100 km from Srinagar. The pass attracts the heaviest snowfall during winter and as such it remains closed to traffic for nearly six months in a year. The accumulation of huge quantities of snow over Zojila Pass, which was unprecedented this year, presents the biggest hurdle to traffic on this road. The 434-km long highway is Ladakh's lifeline and after Kargil skirmishes in 1999 with Pakistan, the government has stepped up the pace of road construction because of the strategic significance of the area. Jaipur elephants treated in health camp (Go to Top) Jaipur, May 23: Nearly 100 elephants working as carriers at the famous Amer (Amber) Fort in Jaipur were medically treated at a unique health camp recently. Most of these animals were suffering from a host of diseases including blindness caused by vitamin deficiencies, abcesses, foot rot and severe dehydration. Doctors said they needed extensive treatment and suggested surgery for some of them. "Their skin is extremely dry. Due to lack of water and scorching heat, their health condition has deteriorated. Continuous walking in the heat has worsened their damaged soles. Another common condition is the accumulation of water under their chins, which appears like a bag," said Y.P Singh, a senior doctor with the state Animal Husbandary Department. Jaipur is traditionally known for its camels and elephants. They are employed at temples and forts and used mainly to ferry tourists. A half-hour joyride atop an elephant costs Rs 200. Doctors said while captive elephants enjoyed human company they were also very likely to suffer from human ailments, like sinusitis, cold, stress and even depression. The focus at the camp was on educating mahouts and owners about the elephants' physiognomy and psychology to ensure long-term and attention. "They had given us deworming medicines for the elephants and also tubes for their sores. It has helped. More such camps should be organised. They are very helpful," said Hamid, a mahout or trainer. One of the country's most favoured tourist destinations, Jaipur has some 300 elephant keepers. The city also boasts of an Elephant Owners' Association. The association has for long been campaigning for a special package for these pachyderms which they say have served the rulers of the land from time immemorial. Tusker's death raises controversy (Go to Top) Ranchi, May 22: A rogue tusker, captured by forest officials in Jharkhand two days ago, died under mysterious circumstances in the Bero jungles near Ranchi. Forest department officials blamed tribals for causing fatal injuries to the wild elephant before it was caught. But local residents don't agree. They say an overdose of drugs could have caused the tusker's death. "Villagers cannot kill the elephant as it is prohibited by the forest department. Moreover, no one has a weapon here. The accusation that villagers killed this tusker with a heavy weapon is baseless. The drug shots that were given were perhaps too much for the elephant and hence he died," said Dilbahar Gope, a villager. Forest officials had captured this elephant after more than a dozen villagers had been trampled to death by two tuskers terrorizing the tribal population. According to forest guards, the captured tusker was old and had probably turned rogue after being separated from its group. Officials had then claimed that they were able to save the elephant from the clutches of agitated tribals. Yamuna Singh, Jharkhand Forest Minister, has ordered an inquiry into the matter. Elephants are usually caught by digging pits covered with foliage. Trained tuskers are used to tame the wild elephants after they are trapped. In this state with a large forest cover, at least 150 people have died during the last two years when marauding herds of elephants entered human habitations near the jungles. Chennai fast emerging as a tipplers' choice (Go to Top) Chennai, May 20: Chennai is fast emerging as a tipplers' choice with pubs becoming popular among locals and tourists. Most of the city's pubs are modelled on their Western counterparts with subtle lighting, cosy settings and soft music. Regulars at the pubs say these are the best places to unwind after a hard day's work. "We come here (in the pub) about twice a week, mostly on weekends. We usually come here because this place is very cosy with good mix of drinks along with good food," Mahendran, a local resident, said. A number of food and beverages firms have opened branches in Chennai to tap the growing demand. How Ahmedabad zoo beats the heat (Go to Top) Ahmedabad, May 17: With the mercury rising to 44 degrees Celsius, the zoo authorities in Ahmedabad are taking special measures to protect the animals from the scorching heat. According to meteorologists, the temperature is three degrees above normal. To protect animals from the heat, authorities have developed a special air-conditioned plant called Earth Tube Heat Exchanger that converts the natural warm air into cool air. Zoo officials said apart from providing mats and nets, they are spraying the entire premises with water to keep it cool. "You can see the elephants stand below the nets and they also feel cool. So we have arranged these measures for the animals. For the birds we have also provided the same thing like bamboo mats and straw mats and our keepers are also spraying water on trees and even inside the enclosures to maintain the temperatures. For deers we have provided water spraying arrangements as well as we are also filling (spraying) water on the ground so whatever heat is reaching the ground, it doesn't reflect back ... So the animals will be comfortable," said RK Sahu, Superintendent, Kankaria zoo. Sahu said that in case the temperature crosses the 45 degree mark, they would provide anti-stress drugs to ensure the safety of animals. The zoo has discontinued use of the ordinary air coolers as these had been found to raise humidity levels putting the animals at risk of contracting infections which at times could be fatal. The Ahmedabad zoo houses over 2,000 birds, reptiles and animals. In Gujarat 10 to 15 chinkara deer and blue bulls have already perished while chasing mirages on the roads this summer. Rajaji National Park in quest of water for its animals (Go to Top) Rajaji Park (Uttaranchal), May 10: With the rise in temperatures, the authorities at the Rajaji National Park in Uttaranchal are gearing up to meet the drinking water requirements of the sanctuary's animals. Spread over 820 sq. km and ensconced in the Shivalik hills, the park regularly experiences water shortage during summers as water sources dry up. "This problem is always there in summers. Owing to this area's proximity to Shivaliks, water level tends to get lower and our water sources start drying up", Sameer Sinha, Director of the Rajaji National Park, said on Friday. This year the park authorities have dug about a dozen water holes and constructed some check dams which can retain water for longer durations. The sanctuary has about 12 water holes, 10 of which are filled by water tankers and two through pipelines throughout the summer season. Nearly 60,000 tourists visit the park annually. Air links with India in a fortnight, says Pakistan (Go to Top) Lahore, May 8: Resumption of air service between Pakistan and India is expected in two weeks time, sources in Pakistan International Airline have indicated. PIA would revise its earlier schedule under which two flights, one each for Mumbai and Delhi, would take off from Karachi, besides one flight from Lahore to Delhi in a week, the Nation quoted the sources as informing. It was said that Indian Airlines is more interested in overflying rights contrary to PIA, which is interested in landing rights. "As a matter of fact, all West-bound Indian flights have to cover a long route in case they do not use Pakistan airspace, which is causing huge loss to the IA," the sources remarked. In terms of loss, they added, PIA is not suffering that much other than in destinations like Dhaka, Rangoon and Bangkok. Leopard, tiger die in Orissa zoo (Go to Top) Bhubaneswar, May 5: The recent death of a leopard at Nandankanan zoo near here has prompted the authorities to take measures to protect the animals from scorching summers. A leopard and a white tiger cub died of sunstroke last month in the biological park, 14 km from Bhubaneshwar. For the past one week mercury has soared to over 40 degrees Celcius. The temperature in the zoo is usually one degree above the normal temperature recorded in the town. The heat wave has forced the animals to remain inside their sheds, causing disappointment to the visitors. "It is good but the problem which every visitor is facing is the heat. Because of the heat animals are not coming out. We are not enjoying so much as we do usually because of the heat," said Pankaj Mohapatra, a visitor. Last year, an estimated 1.15 million people visited the zoo till the month of May. The zoo authorities said adequate precautions have been taken to protect the animals from the heat. "We have provided proper thatching to all animals. Then spraying of water ... We are doing round-the-clock monitoring of animals who are suffering from heat stress," said Sok Sinha, director of Nandankanan zoo. The number of birds in the zoo, which stood at 452 in 2000, has come down to 253 this year. Nandankanan zoo, spread over 1940 sq km, is home to over 67 species of mammals, 18 varieties of reptiles and 81 species of birds. Dust haze engulfs northern India (Go to Top) New Delhi, May 3: A thick blanket of dust haze engulfed most parts of northern India on Saturday after a severe whirlwind hit Rajasthan the previous day. The Met office said duststorms were not unusual during May. But in the last few years, fine dust particles have usually accumulated and remain suspended high in the atmosphere during prolonged temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, cutting off sunlight and bringing respite by falling temperatures. These were usually followed by thunderstorms, often accompanied by rains, which would wash dust away. But this is the first time dust has settled low in the atmosphere and slowly descending into a thin layer of sand on rooftops, trees and everywhere in the open and also creeping into homes. Weathermen attributed the dust haze to western disturbances over Jammu and Kashmir and the dry winds coming in from Rajasthan. "The western disturbance which is present over (northern state of) Punjab and neighbourhood, is moving north-eastwards, and today it is, you know, over the Jammu and Kashmir neighbourhood. And associated strong winds are either sweeping through Rajasthan and then across Punjab, Haryana, over the eastern parts of the central India or north western plains so to say. Although it disrupted normal life and vehicular traffic, the haze did bring some respite from the soaring heat. Chances of rain in various northern states like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh, have been reported by the Met department, which could result in a drop in temperatures in the entire northern area. In the national capital the maximum temperature which was recorded at 41 degree Celsius on Friday, dropped to 37. In Rajasthan mercury dropped by four degrees at most places, with the maximum temperature ranging from 39 to 43 degree Celsius. Face masks give 13 times more protection against Sars (Go to Top) Hong Kong, May 3: Face masks offer the best protection against Sars, a new hospital-based study from Hong Kong has revealed. "These masks can give a person up to 13 times more protection against Sars", said study leader Wing Hong Seto, chief microbiologist at the Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. However, only surgical masks and N95 masks - designed to block airborne particles - will work. These masks protect the face from droplets coughed out by infected people, which the team believes is the primary mode of spread, according to a report in New Scientist. "Droplets are probably the main mode of transmission of Sars outside hospitals as well. The findings confirmed Sars is not spread through the air - if so only the N95 masks would have been protective", Seto stated. Wearing masks in public places has become commonplace in the Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, where the disease first emerged. But their effectiveness has been controversial and some commentators say their use has helped stoke an atmosphere of panic, the report said. But Seto told New Scientist, "Masks seem essential for protection. This finding fits well with droplet transmission, because droplets are generated at the face level". 15 killed, 25 hurt in Jammu bus accident (Go to Top) Jammu, May 1: Fifteen bus passengers were killed and 25 injured when the vehicle rolled down a 100-feet deep gorge near Kotedhara village, 15 km from Rajouri town, on Thursday morning. The driver of the bus, which was on its way to Rajouri from Palama, lost control while negotiating a sharp turn, killing 15 passengers on the spot and injuring 25 others. -ANI |
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