Banda (Uttar Pradesh), More than 1.89 <keyword id="10481084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="lakh-trees">lakh trees</keyword> have been felled for the construction of the <keyword id="4648165" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bundelkhand-Expressway">Bundelkhand expressway</keyword>, according to an RTI response. The trees were cut in Banda, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Aurraiya and Etawah, it said. The 296-km long four-lane road will connect Etawah to Chitrakoot and Uttar Pradesh districts to <keyword id="9319704" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-national-capital-region">the National Capital Region</keyword> via the Yamuna expressway. In a reply to a query by Banda-based activist Kuldeep Shukla, senior manager of the state <keyword id="6356408" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="forest-department">Forest Department</keyword>, Atul Asthana, said that <keyword id="10057938" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-up-expressway-industrial-development-authority">the UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority</keyword> (UPEIDA) has cut 1,89,036 trees for the project. The UPEIDA has planned to plant over 2.70 lakh saplings along the expressway, the RTI added. <keyword id="10481083" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="banda-divisional-forest">Banda Divisional Forest</keyword> Officer Sanjay Agarwal said the trees were cut after permission from the Centre. The expressway will ensure better connectivity of the Bundelkhand area with the national capital region (NCR). SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-infosys-wipro-jubilant-foodworks-bajaj-auto-majesco-and-others/articleshow/79909712.cms">Top stocks to watch – Infosys, Wipro, Jubilant FoodWorks, Bajaj Auto, Majesco, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/there-are-one-of-only-17-indian-companies-out-of-500-that-aced-the-du-pont-test/articleshow/79911627.cms">There are one of only 17 Indian companies out of 500 that aced the Du Pont test</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-buyback-offer-details-and-700-million-metro-ag-deal-drives-share-price/articleshow/79911875.cms">Wipro offers 10% more to buy back shares and signs a $700 million deal with Metro AG – everything that’s driving the IT services stock higher today</a>

Over 1.89 lakh trees have been cut for the construction of Bundelkhand expressway

New Delhi, Apr 12 () The average water consumption per person has increased by more than 60 per cent in urban areas of Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh because of heightened sanitisation concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, a study by a voluntary group has found.The preliminary analysis by 'Jal Jan Jodo Abhiyan' showed the average water consumption per person was 75 litres before March 15 but it increased to 125 litres owing to repeated handwashing, home cleaning, washing of clothes, national convener of the programme Sanjay Singh told in an interview on phone."We have based our projections on the rough estimates of water supply provided by Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam and Jal Sansthans to Bundelkhand. We are waiting for a detailed data set from these organisations which will be possible only after the lockdown is lifted. Then we will have a clearer picture."Going by the data provided so far, we can safely say the per capita water consumption has increased by at least 60 per cent from the average consumption," Singh said.Known as "the waterman" in the parched Bundelkhand region, Singh has worked to conserve water for over 20 years. He initiated a novel concept of "Jal Saheli" under the voluntary group "Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan" with which he has been associated for 25 years. The initiative brought women from nearly 150 villages to the forefront of water conservation, a scarce commodity in the region."Now a days,on an average, a person is washing hands five to seven times a day. People are also cleaning their homes. Using more water to clean vegetables and even in some extreme cases packets of milk and other commodities which has increased consumption. This is evident in the preliminary water procurement supply data," he said.The Bundelkhand region has seven districts spread across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh with seven rivers flowing, 20 dams and numerous reservoirs,some of them over hundreds of years old.Still it grapples with water shortage because of its unique granite-base topography, which does not allow rainwater to seep and recharge the groundwater, Singh said.Most of the water supply comes from dams, which are also affected with silting requiring repeated maintenance, he said.Singh said the water problem is likely to get severe in coming days, but repair of hand-pumps and supply lines is halted because of the lockdown to contain COVID-19,he said."After the harvest season, work to repair ponds and reservoirs used to begin,but because of the pandemic there is a delay, which will affect the water conservation efforts to tap the rainwater during the monsoon," he said.Singh said 70 per cent of water is used in agriculture while about 12 to 15 percent is used in industries and personal consumption."If the problem of COVID-19continues to increase, it will keep on increasing water consumption.With dwindling natural resources for water, it will be an uphill task to meet the promise of tap water in every home by 2024 because of increased demand" he said.People will have to change their lifestyles to adapt to pandemics like COVID-19withlimited water usage, he said. ABS SKL ABHABH

Water consumption in parched Bundelkhand up 60 pc due to COVID-19: Study

“I remember when we would boss around the people working in our fields. And look at me now. All these Punjabi ladies bossing me around, complaining about the rotis I make!” Kaushaliya Devi, a local of Mau Kasbah in <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>’s Chitrakoot district, is ranting about her new life – new only for the last 20 years. But there is something transient about migrating to a new place, a big city, from your village and kheti deep inside the innards of a country as vast as India – such that it makes people like Kaushaliya feel like she doesn’t completely belong. She is not alone. India, according to a report derived from a study by the International Organization for Migration, has the second highest number of adults in the midst of the migration cycle – that’s 3.5 million planning and 1.3 million preparing. Zoom in on Uttar Pradesh, home to the largest population in the country, and the numbers are mind-boggling. The 2011 Indian Census pegged U.P. as the state with the most out-migration (26.9 lakh) followed, not so closely, by <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> at 17.2 lakh. In <keyword id="6368366" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bundelkhand">Bundelkhand</keyword>, arguably among the most regressive swathes of land in U.P., migration is the norm with generations <keyword id="41744" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="UP">up</keyword>on generations of families opting for it in order to survive. “Peedhiyon se palayan” is a common, oft-heard phrase around these parts, especially in the post-Diwali season, with the winters in the offing when hordes of men and women make their way to the Manikpur railway station to catch trains to Delhi. The families of Bakta Bujurg village in the district of Chitrakoot for instance, often speak of “palayan” and “pardes”. Alpana Devi tells us that her husband Ramdeen left ten years ago, while Ramdeen who is visiting, speaks of the reasons, "Our options are to work on land owner's fields, for which we get Rs 150 a day. We can either eat or send our children to school; there is no way we can afford both." Ramdeen’s father too had migrated, “for the same reasons”. And decades later, he says, it’s still the same, “I don’t see any other or new options that have come up since the time my father worked to bring us up.” What about his children, we ask. "What about them?" Alpana responds, even as Ramdeen sums it up, "Yeh toh ab rivaaz hi ban gaya hai. (Migration has now become a tradition)," watching his 10-year-old son play. 
 
 
 
 
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 Migration as a socio-cultural-economic phenomenon in U.P. has been a steadily intensifying one. Between 2001 and 2011, over 5.8 million people between the ages of 20 and 29 migrated from the state in search of jobs, but the tragedy in this mass exodus lies not as much in the process of migration itself as in the outcome. The search for jobs and better opportunities pushes these migrants into the informal sector in cities like Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, sometimes Mumbai, where, due to low educational attainment, they are often forced to make-do with low-paying jobs. As a result of which, they are often relegated to settlements and clusters on the peripheries of the cities they’re in – entire families crammed in one room, sharing the common toilet with other families in neighbouring shanties. We visited Rajapur in Delhi, one such popular settlement for scores of migrating Bundelkhand families, primarily from Mau, in Chitrakoot – where men work as drivers and car cleaners, women as cooks and maids, and the children dream of reality shows as they head out to the local government school. Arjun had dreamt of working in the wholesale business, but didn’t make the cut for “any company”. He currently cleans cars for a living and is aiming to be a driver, next. Kaushaliya Devi who cooks for a family in south Delhi lists "gas chalana” as one of her biggest challenges initially, “I couldn’t figure out the knobs! Now I’m super-fast!” nagging women of the house continue to be the bane of her existence even though she adds, “I make tasty food. You know, these city people don’t really know to cook!” Chunki recalls her early days and relives the pangs of loss she felt in the moment she left Mau for Delhi. “Oh! I cried and I cried. I couldn’t understand this Delhi, and why I was here.” And Kumkum misses the buzz of festivals back home – “It’s just not the same here,” she smiles, wistfully. But Kumkum hides other darker tragedies in her personal story of migration – one that reflects on an entire state and its defunct rural health system. According to an Indiaspend study, U.P. spends Rs 452 per capita on health, which is, on an average, 70% less than the others. And there’re more dismal figures here. There are 84% fewer specialists than needed, 50% fewer nursing staff, and the lowest share of health workers (19.9%) in India, as per an analysis conducted by the Observer Research Foundation in February 2017. The fact that T.B. continues to be a silent killer in Bundelkhand – as is clear in our reporting in Gopra, Banda – is just one illustration of the abysmal state the system is in. And this too is one of the big reasons for migration – the underbelly of a peculiar kind of medical tourism. “My husband had T.B.”, says Kumkum, “His condition was not improving. So we came to Delhi for his treatment.” As the treatment began, Kumkum, her husband, and their four kids took up accommodation in Rajapur. The children got enrolled in sarkari schools and since “school admission is such a problem now”, the family decided to stay on in Delhi. Kumkum’s husband eventually got better and regained his strength, but Kumkum still dreams of her special Purnima puja back home when "all the ladies would get together" and bond over a ritual – one that morphed into a ritual of exodus. The greatest driver of the migration story of course remains and continues to be linked with livelihoods – the basic need to earn, eat, feed, fend for your loved ones – in short, survival. The celebrated MGNREGA policy, put into place by the UPA government, has not been the very picture of a success story. A recent Indiaspend study revealed the shocking fact on how wage payments under the MGNREGA scheme have been frozen at the Centre across 19 states, as of October 31, 2017. In U.P., these payments have been released and are pending since 11 September 2017, but that’s only official data. Add the Aadhaar card requirements and bank account linkages, and couple those with job cards-hoarding village headmen at the rural level, and there is a clearer picture of the sheer dystopia that a “poor-friendly” policy has become. In the meanwhile, the migration story is deeply linked with the story of the overall deterioration of the country's most populous state – something is more than rotten in U.P., and specifically Bundelkhand. The proportion of households able to get 100 days of work, for instance, makes for another mind-boggling statistic, having decreased from 6% in 2013-14 to 2.13% in 2016-17. Figures it would do the current Yogi <keyword id="6360744" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adityanath">Adityanath</keyword> government good to do some stock-taking on. The “sabka saath sabka vikaas” mantra is failing deeply in a place like Kabrai, for instance – a stone-mining haven in Mahoba where machines have replaced manual labour, which has, in turn, resulted in an acute employment crisis. Rajpal, who tried his luck with contracting in Kabrai, is now heading to Jaipur, to become part of the brick-laying unskilled labour force needed to construct, more malls, possibly. We asked his wife Sunita about the big move and her response is tempered with something close to rage, “What else can we do? There is nothing here that gives us money. Pet paalna hai, toh jaana hi hai.” And unfortunately, that is exactly what the palayan narrative of Bundelkhand boils down to. Author: Pooja Pande is Senior Editorial Manager at <a href="http://khabarlahariya.org/" target="_blank">Khabar Lahariya</a>. Khabar Lahariya is a rural, video-first digital news organisation with an all-women network of reporters in eight districts of Uttar Pradesh. <a href="http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-ZE468_1007MI_M_20131007001332.jpg" data-type="tilCustomLink">Image Source</a>

"The ghost town of Lalitpur: Uttar Pradesh witnesses a spike in the number of people migrating to cities"

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54509124.cms" /> <keyword id="6406649" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Patanjali-Ayurved">Patanjali Ayurved</keyword>, promoted by yoga guru <keyword id="6369109" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ramdev">Ramdev</keyword>, may announce an investment of Rs 1,600 crore shortly for setting up a herbal food park in Noida in the poll-bound <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> to meet its domestic as well as global demand. 
 "It is almost finalised now. You may see an announcement by <keyword id="6356684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="patanjali">Patanjali</keyword> Ayurved for an investment of around Rs 1,600 crore in Noida for setting up a food processing plant around <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>," a senior UP government official privy to the development told <keyword id="6367495" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PTI">PTI</keyword>. 
 
"As far as investments in the state are concerned, the Uttar Pradesh government is fair and transparent for promoting industrialisation which will create jobs." 
 
There were speculations that Patanjali will announce its investment in Uttar Pradesh after the assembly polls in March next year. However, the company officials have also confirmed the development, saying the procedure for identification of the land is at an advanced stage and the unit can be near <keyword id="6359591" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yamuna-Expressway">Yamuna expressway</keyword>. 
 
A Patanjali Ayurved official told the news agency, "It would be an international food park, which would be for exports and domestic markets as well." 
 He further said Patanjali CEO <keyword id="669583" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Acharya-Balkrishna">Acharya Balkrishna</keyword> has held meetings with the CEO of <keyword id="80359" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yamuna-Expressway-Industrial-Development-Authority">Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority</keyword> (YEIDA) in this regard. 
 
"The state bureaucracy is also involved in this project under the instructions of the chief minister of UP. It would be a major investment boost for UP and employment generation," he added. 
 
Asked how soon Patanjali could start manufacturing at the proposed plant, the official said: "We would make the unit operational within 12-18 months of allotment of land." 
 He added: "The food park will manufacture all major products. As it is located in the <keyword id="53426" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="NCR">NCR</keyword> region, which has proximity to the airport and dry ports, it will act as a hub." 
 
When the plant runs to its full capacity, it would have a capacity to produce goods worth Rs 25,000 crore annually, the official claimed, adding that around 10,000 direct jobs could be provided benefiting 50,000 families. 
 Patanjali is also in the process of setting units in <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword>, Maharashtra and <keyword id="6357972" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jammu">Jammu</keyword> and <keyword id="6354495" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword>, besides another plant in the drought-hit area of <keyword id="6368366" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bundelkhand">Bundelkhand</keyword> region of UP. 
 
"For Bundelkhand regional plant, we are discussing for the special package and incentive with the state government. We are working on that," the company official said.

​ Patanjali’s food park of Rs 1,600 crore would come up at Noida

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/31041039.cms" /> The latest <keyword id="30679" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="horror-flick">horror flick</keyword> from the <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> stable has all the right credentials, but lacks just one thing. In spite of being loaded with scary clichés, it fails to scare the daylights out of you as <keyword id="500381" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ragini-MMS">Ragini MMS</keyword> did two years ago. After all, Jimmy Shergill-starrer <keyword id="1976250" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Darr-The-Mall">Darr @ the Mall</keyword> has been made by Ragini MMS director <keyword id="2076858" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pavan-Kripalani">Pavan Kripalani</keyword> (the 2011 movie was his directorial debut) and expectations were high on that score. Moreover, a sequel of Ragini MMS (directed by <keyword id="820957" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhushan-Patel">Bhushan Patel</keyword> this time) will be hitting the theatres next month and we were wondering if the ‘mall horror’ can give it a run for its money. But going by the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> response, Darr @ the Mall has plenty to worry about and offers very little to scare competitions. 
 Released on February 21, along with <keyword id="2075818" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Randeep-Hooda-Alia-Bhatt-starrer">Randeep Hooda-Alia Bhatt starrer</keyword> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/movies/Highway-ExploresShadow-Zones-But-Fails-To-Impress-At-Box-Office/articleshow/31008054.cms">Highway</a>, Bollywood drama Dee Saturday Night and a documentary called <keyword id="6391288" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gulabi-Gang">Gulabi Gang</keyword> (not to be confused with the Madhuri Dixit-Juhi Chawla-starrer, to be released soon), Darr @ the Mall has its task cut out. But the <keyword id="2076867" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Horror-thriller">horror-thriller</keyword>, which tells the story of a mall that unleashes its evil side on the people trapped in it, has been a <keyword id="2076872" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-bomb">box office bomb</keyword> from the start. Although it has hit more than 1,100 screens, the occupancy rate was really low – around 20% in the first three days and just 15% on the crucial Day 4. According to Box office India, the horror-thriller has netted around Rs 3-3.25 crore in the domestic market after the opening weekend. Day 4 (Monday, February 24) collections were a dismal Rs 25 lakh, as per some insiders, and that sets the tone for the rest of the week. 
 The story is a kind of hotchpotch and that might have been its undoing. Here, we have three distinct fragments that should form the thrilling whole but these are not tightly interwoven and seem to be falling apart at times. First, we have <keyword id="6747" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manchanda">Manchanda</keyword>, the mall owner, and his board of directors spending the night at the haunted mall (as part of a publicity stunt) before the gala opening; next, we find his daughter <keyword id="510679" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ahana">Ahana</keyword> (<keyword id="647029" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="nushrat-bharucha">Nushrat Bharucha</keyword>) and her junky friends partying inside; and finally, there is <keyword id="4666" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jimmy-Shergill">Jimmy Shergill</keyword> or the 24-year-old <keyword id="274961" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vishnu-Sharma">Vishnu Sharma</keyword>, the chief of security at the mall, who flashes around his flashlight to track the evil spirits. The pieces of the puzzle lie in unravelling the past that comes alive in the spine-chilling night. But if you ask us, the fear factors are pretty predictable and won’t get you too many goosebumps. 
 
Dee Saturday Night: Repetitive without the grace The other release of the week is directed by <keyword id="513190" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jay-Prakash">Jay Prakash</keyword> and features the story of Mumbai gone bad as the city’s Richie Riches fervently indulge in drug, sex and crime (in case you can’t guess, Dee stands for <keyword id="2076881" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dirty-English-Entertainment">Dirty English Entertainment</keyword>, the culture of rich Mumbaikars). Well, if the theme reminds you of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3, let’s tell you about the eye candies and moral candies thrown in generous measures to keep you engaged. 
 To cut a long story short, here you will find too many skimpily clad <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> engaged in all things immoral while a determined <keyword id="1119548" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ACP-Dhoble">ACP Dhoble</keyword> (<keyword id="177770" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arif-Zakaria">Arif Zakaria</keyword>) raids the vicious rave parties, catches the miscreants and subjects them to inspiring lectures and moral lessons. Then there is the quintessential small town girl (<keyword id="2054328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="mahi-khanduri">Mahi Khanduri</keyword>) who is trying to hold on to her traditional values. The movie promotes good causes and teaches you some sound principles at the cost of the art called cinema. And the outcome? It’s a complete washout at the box office, not even touching Rs 10 lakh, as per Box office India. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/31041577.cms" /> 
 
Gulabi Gang (documentary) This one has negligible <keyword id="1839596" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office-collections">box office collections</keyword> but the award-winning docu film, co-written and directed by <keyword id="1488228" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nishtha-Jain">Nishtha Jain</keyword>, is based on the real-life <keyword id="2076888" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gulabi-Gang-of-Bundelkhand">Gulabi Gang of Bundelkhand</keyword> (Uttar Pradesh). The group of lathi-wielding women vigilantes and activists was set up by <keyword id="1408081" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sampat-Pal-Devi">Sampat Pal Devi</keyword> in a bid to fight against domestic abuse and violence against women. Unlike other drab documentaries, Jain has managed to create an insightful human document that pits personal practice against ideology and exposes the shortcoming inherent in us. 
 Mohar Basu of KoiMoi sums it up beautifully when she writes: Jain carries me with her daunting <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> that I will hold on to for many years probably. The instances were revolting, the tall talks about women’s morality a sham and despite the distressing situations, Gulabi Gang is a ray of hope, brimming with optimism to change the stringent attitudes with galvanising ferociousness. 
 
It could be the journey <keyword id="6354768" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Highway">Highway</keyword> has missed – a journey of revelation, realisation and an ecstatic upliftment of your inner self. 
 
Images: Indiatimes &amp; Wikipedia

Box Office: Darr @ The Mall, Dee Saturday
Night Disappoint; Nishtha Jain’s Gulabi Gang Is Must-watch

<keyword id="19896313" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh" source="keywords">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> Chief Minister <keyword id="19926151" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrababu-Naidu" source="keywords">Chandrababu Naidu</keyword> on Friday met with Union finance minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> in the national capital where they possibly discussed various aspects of the southern state's developments. The meeting comes ahead of the much-awaited full budget of the central government for 2024-25. The budget is likely to be tabled later this month. Three Union ministers from Naidu's Telugu Desam Party who were inducted into the PM Modi-led Cabinet -- Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, were also present during the Andhra CM's meeting with Sitharaman. Naidu who is on a visit to Delhi had earlier called on Prime Miniseter Narendra Modi and seven Cabinet ministers -- Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manohar Lal, and Hardeep Singh Puri. He brought multiple issues related to respective ministries to the notice of the Union ministers he met. Naidu also deliberated upon mechanisms to effectively coordinate for timely intervention and action by the Central government. The Andhra Chief Minister, during his meeting with <keyword id="19899320" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PM-Modi" source="keywords">PM Modi</keyword>, highlighted that Andhra Pradesh continues to grapple with the repercussions of what he said is the unscientific, unfair, and unjust bifurcation of 2014. "I am confident that under his leadership, our State will re-emerge as a powerhouse among states," Naidu wrote on his X timeline after meeting PM Modi. Additionally, the "miserable governance" of the previous administration marked by "malice, corruption and mis-governance" has dealt a blow to the state than bifurcation itself, he said, as per a press note. He apprised the prime minister that the fiscal situation in Andhra Pradesh has significantly deteriorated. Committed expenses, including salaries, pensions, and debt servicing, exceed the State's revenue receipts, leaving no fiscal space for productive capital investment, he added. He sought financial handholding from the central government, including for state finances in short term, commissioning of the marquee Polavaram National Irrigation Project, support for completion of the Government complex and trunk infrastructure of the capital city of Amaravati, support to the backward regions of Andhra Pradesh on lines of Bundelkhand package, and support for development of Duggirajupatnam port. During his meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Naidu requested him to release Rs385 Cr as land cost, for establishing Greyhounds Training Centre; and Rs.27.54 Crores towards operational cost; division of assets under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014. He requested Shah to review Andhra Pradesh IPS cadre review, which he asserted has been pending since 2015. A cadre review is likely to enhance the present strength from 79 to 117. It was requested that the Andhra Pradesh police IPS cadre review may be scheduled at an early date. During the meeting with Nitin Gadkari, he requested for 6/8-lining of the existing highway from Hyderabad to Vijaywada; development of a greenfield express highway from Hyderabad to Amaravati; Vijayawada Eastern Bypass which will also decongest traffic within the city of Vijayawada; and 4-lane greenfield coastal highway from Mulapeta (Bhavanapadu) to Visakhapatnam. During a meeting with Piyush Goyal, financial assistance in the form of a grant to provide essential external infrastructure - such as industrial water, power, railway, and road connectivity - to identify 4 industrial nodes (3 in VCIC corridor and 1 in CBIC corridor) within the state was sought. The Andhra CM sought from Shivraj Singh Chouhan an integrated aquapark, sought to devise a policy for increasing the subsidy to horticulture farmers. He asked Hardeep Singh Puri to request BPCL to set up a refinery in the state. "An announcement towards establishment of a refinery in the State of Andhra Pradesh by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the Full Budget Address of Hon'ble Finance Minister will augur well for increasing the refinery capacity of the Country in its journey towards the Country's ambitious vision to transform into a developed entity by the centenary of its independence in 2047," another press note said. In addition, the CM also had a fruitful meeting with Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission. 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Chandrababu Naidu meets Nirmala Sitharaman ahead of Union Budget

<ul><li>As per Climate Trends latest report, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh–which account for a third of the country's total rice production– have been highly deficient in rainfall so far.</li><li>These eastern states have been witnessing drought-like conditions and a severe food and water shortage could be further exacerbated by the lack of rain.</li><li>India is the world's second-largest producer of rice, of which a substantial amount is grown under rain-fed conditions during the Kharif.</li><li>Due to the impending drought, millions of farmers will be staring at a food and water crisis.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/uttar-pradesh-records-a-46-percent-rain-deficit-till-now/articleshow/93917998.cms">rainfall deficiency</a> in states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal – which account for a third of India’s total rice production – has forced changes in sowing patterns, leading to a decline in paddy cultivation. Low rains will also impact livestock and take a heavy toll on farmers’ livelihoods. The estimated paddy production in UP and Bihar is about 15.5 million metric tons (MT). And, the estimated damage is almost 20% of production, Anand Chandra, executive director &amp; co-founder, Arya.ag, an agricultural warehousing services and online marketplace, told Business Insider India. “We are looking at a net impact or loss of close to 3 million MT in the production of paddy from these (two) states. At the national level, the average annual production of paddy is close to 105 million MT. There is a possibility that other states can contribute and close the gap of 2.9-3%,” Chandra said. However, if the other states don’t outperform, said Chandra, it will be a double whammy for the government as farmers will be staring huge losses. “It [government] will be thrown into a dilemma of whether to allow a price rise or deplete our existing buffer stock of paddy,” he said. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td colspan="5" style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Monsoon performance in major rice-producing states </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Actual Cumulative rainfall from Jun 1- Aug 30 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Normal Cumulative rainfall from Jun 1- Aug 30 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Departure from normal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Category </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jharkhand </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">582.2 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">792.5 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-27% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Deficit </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bihar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">472.1 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">768.8 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-39% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Deficit </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Uttar Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">330.9 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">588.1 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-44% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Deficit </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">West Bengal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">849.3 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1038.5 mm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-18% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Normal </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: IMD Paddy to pulses With the impending drought, the states of UP and Bihar would have to face a different set of challenges each. “Uttar Pradesh would have massive problems with its Kharif crop, forcing the farmers to begin sowing other crops. In the areas of Bundelkhand, this would mean the sowing of Dalhan (pulses) crops. With Bihar, the same is true for paddy crops,” said Shailendra Singh Rao, MD and founder of climate change and carbon asset management platform Creduce. Kharif crops are sown before the beginning of the monsoon season, around May end to early June, and harvested after the monsoon ends in October. Rice, maize, pulses such as urad, moong dal and millets are among the key kharif crops. On the other hand, incessant rainfall in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/incessant-rainfall-in-tamil-nadu-hits-cotton-and-maize-cultivation/articleshow/93941163.cms">Tamil Nadu</a> has hit cotton and maize cultivation. More than 1,000 acres of crops have been destroyed in Salem, Erode and Tiruchirapalli. As a result, this year, maize is the second most adversely impacted Kharif crop. “Maize has repercussions on other protein industries like chicken and meat. In addition, the distribution and occurrence of pests and diseases that affect crops, forage and livestock may increase when drought and high temperatures are present,” said Pankaj Kumar, head of agronomy at agritech platform nurture.farm. Millions of livelihoods affected by <keyword id="1126342" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rainfall-deficiency" source="Orion">rainfall deficiency</keyword> <div type="image" title="Drought - 1" msid="94003385" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;BCCL&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> As per a recent report by Climate Trends, the agricultural sector in India employs almost half of the labour force of the country. India is also the world's second-largest producer of rice, of which a substantial amount is grown under rain-fed conditions during the Kharif. Thus, deficiency in rainfall and the resultant changes in rice cultivation patterns is likely to substantially affect farmers’ livelihoods and have considerable social impact. The paddy deficiency stands at about 8% today and the overall acerage is down by 5-6% in the country thanks to the deficiency in rainfall, said food and trade policy analyst Devinder Sharma. “In Eastern UP, Bihar and Jharkhand, more than 7% of the population is dependent on agriculture and the rainfall deficit will affect millions of livelihoods,” said Sharma. With this, India’s overall agricultural output will see a huge drop. Drought-like situation and its ripple effects Due to the rainfall deficiency, water reservoir levels have also come down, which would also impact both livestock and farmers. “There are other challenges due to lack of water – such as livestock issues and the inability to sustain village socials and schools due to drought. Not to mention mass migration of farmers escaping drought to the cities. Depletion of groundwater resources leads to a lack of clean drinking water. In a further worst-case scenario this will lead to death of farmers by suicide due to failed crops,” said Rao. With more than half of India in the agricultural sector, a drought will have a major economic impact, pushing millions of farmers into penury and causing deep distress.

Rainfall deficiency in UP, Bihar to affect millions of farmers, reduce Kharif output

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> will launch the '<keyword id="6353716" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jal-Shakti">Jal Shakti</keyword> Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' <keyword id="6359590" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Campaign">campaign</keyword> on <keyword id="129666" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Water-Day">World Water Day</keyword> on Monday aimed to take water conservation at the grassroots level through people's participation. The campaign will be undertaken across the country, in both rural and urban areas, with the theme "catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls". It will be implemented from March 22 to November 30 -- the pre-monsoon and monsoon period in the country. The Prime Minister will launch the campaign at 12.30 p.m. via video conferencing, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The campaign will be launched as a 'Jan Andolan' (public movement) to take water conservation at the grassroots level through people's participation. It is intended to nudge all stakeholders to create rainwater harvesting structures suitable to the climatic conditions and subsoil strata, to ensure proper storage of rainwater. After the event, <keyword id="82265" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gram-Sabhas">Gram Sabhas</keyword> will be held in all the Gram Panchayats of each district (except in the poll-bound states) to discuss issues related to water and water conservation. Gram Sabhas will also take 'Jal Shapath' for water conservation. In the presence of the Prime Minister, Union Minister of Jal Shakti and the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will also sign Memorandum of Agreement to implement the Ken Betwa Link Project -- the first project of the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of <keyword id="6410614" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rivers">rivers</keyword>. The agreement heralds the beginning of interstate cooperation to implement the vision of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to carry water from areas that have surplus water to drought prone and water deficit areas, through the interlinking of rivers. This project involves transfer of water from the Ken to the Betwa River through the construction of Daudhan Dam and a canal linking the two rivers, the Lower Orr Project, Kotha Barrage and Bina Complex Multipurpose Project. It will provide annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectare, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower. The project will be of immense benefit to the water starved region of Bundelkhand, especially to the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh. It will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects to ensure that scarcity of water does not become an inhibitor for development in the country. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-9-pro-specs-oneplus-9e-specs-and-price-leak-and-oneplus-9-series-launch-date/articleshow/81168227.cms">OnePlus 9 series specifications and features leaked – here's everything we know about the upcoming OnePlus smartphones</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/checkout-review-of-moto-g10-power-mobile-phone-review-and-features-information/articleshow/81583548.cms">Moto G10 Power mobile review – big battery on a shoestring budget</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/future-retail-shares-take-a-massive-hit-as-it-loses-the-case-against-amazon-in-delhi-high-court/articleshow/81583165.cms">Future Retail shares take a massive hit as it loses the case against Amazon in Delhi High Court</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-9r-will-be-the-companys-next-affordable-smartphone-india-launch-confirmed-for-march-23/articleshow/81586104.cms">OnePlus 9R will be the company’s next affordable smartphone, India launch confirmed for March 23</a>

PM Modi to launch 'Catch the Rain' campaign on World Water Day

Bhopal Five ministers, including two from the <keyword id="29632" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jyotiraditya-Scindia">Jyotiraditya Scindia</keyword> camp, were sworn in by Governor Lalji Tandon on Tuesday noon at the Raj Bhavan in Bhopal. Social distancing was observed throughout the 20-minute ceremony. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75265826" title="Coronavirus cases in India rise to 18,601— 3,252 cured and 590 dead as of April 21" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan government who had called on the governor earlier in the morning was among very few persons present at the swearing in ceremony. Chouhan has run the ministry single handed for almost a month since the BJP toppled the 15-month-old Kamal Nath ministry last month. Caste and gender equations have been the significant factor in the new team. Those sworn in are Dr Narottam Mishra (Brahmin), Tulsiram Silawat (Scheduled Caste), <keyword id="6801657" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kamal-Patel">Kamal Patel</keyword> (<keyword id="45661" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OBC">OBC</keyword>), Govind Singh Rajput (Thakur), and Meena Singh (Women's and Scheduled Tribe quota) Narottam Mishra is from Chambal-Gwalior, while Tiulsi Silawat is from Malwa region. <keyword id="9087001" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="govinf-singh-rajput">Govinf Singh Rajput</keyword> is from Bundelkhand, while Meena Singh represents Mahakaushal area. <keyword id="9087000" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="shivraj-singh-chouohan">Shivraj Singh Chouohan</keyword> who was appointed as the chief minister on March 23 was acting as a one-man cabinet since then. Those present at the swearing-in ceremony could be seen wearing masks, and chairs were kept at a distance from each other. The new ministers took off the masks while taking oath. <keyword id="24899" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="scindia">Scindia</keyword> was insisting on at least six persons to be included from among the 22 who joined the BJP last month. After a long haggling, the BJP leadership settled for two to be included in the first lot. The next expansion is unlikely before the Rajya Sabha elections, said the sources. Gopal Bhargava the former leader of the Opposition during the Congress rule is among the ones to have missed the bus. The allocation of portfolios is likely to announced soon. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India state wise</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/checkout-the-name-of-coronavirus-containment-zones-in-mumbai/articleshow/75045928.cms">List of coronavirus hotspot in mumbai</a>

MP Chief Minister Shivraj expands cabinet with 5 ministers, 2 from Scindia camp

Bhopal, Jun 15 () The world famous Khajuraho temples of Madhya Pradesh, which used to see a stream of visitors before COVID-19 outbreak, now wear a deserted look since the lockdown, which has also crippled the once thriving local hospitality and tourism industries. The occupancy in hotels located in the town is nil and the nearly 25,000 residents of the Khajuraho town in Chhatarpur district, most of whom relied heavily on earnings from the tourism activities, have been on the edge. The Khajuraho temples, which are a UNESCO world heritage site and famous for their erotic carvings, are located in the backward Bundelkhand region of the state. Visitors from across the world used to flock the town to catch a glimpse of the temples, but since the lockdown, the hotel and tourism industries in the area have been badly hit. "Most of the population of Khajuraho is associated with tourism activities, which are at a standstill since the past three months. Almost every household in the town is reeling under stress. Nearly 90 per cent of the hotel sector employees here are now without jobs," Arun Talwar, vice- president of the Clarks Group of Hotels, told . The Khajuraho airport, located about 370 km from the state capital Bhopal, used to have two regular flights before the COVID-19 outbreak, bringing in international and domestic tourists, all of which has now stopped. "Hotels in big cities can have events and conferences, but for us it was only tourism and destination weddings, which too have stopped. Tourists used to come by trains from Delhi and Agra via Jhansi, which is 170 km from here. Everybody is clueless about when flights will resume, how things will pan out," Talwar said. As per officials from the sector, some 2,500 rooms in 50-odd hotels in the town, including three five-star facilities, are lying empty. Ashok Gautam, owner of Khajuraho's Hotel Ramada and Golden Tulip, which has around 150 rooms, feels business would continue to be down for next two to three years. "The period between October and March is the peak season. But business was badly hit in fiscal 2019-20 as tourist arrivals thinned due to the COVID-19 outbreak. If all goes well, it may take two to three years to get back to normal, as economies of almost all nations have been hit," Gautam said. He said the average annual occupancy across hotels in Khajuraho is around 35 to 40 per cent. Avinash Tiwari, a budget hotel owner and president of the Khajuraho Hotel Association, said the government should extend assistance to the sector. "Most of the 50-odd hotels are unable to pay salaries to their staff. They are jobless. The future seems worse. The government should help the hotel industry," Tiwari said. Sectors linked to the hotel industry in Khajuraho are also badly affected. Ajay Kashyap, owner of a travel agency in the town, said taxis, shops and guides have all run out of business due to the absence of tourists. With chances of international tourists returning anytime soon looking bleak, the focus has shifted to domestic travellers, he said. "My agency has been marketing Khajuraho in some big cities of the country to attract domestic tourists. There seems to be a fear among locals about international tourists due to the coronavirus outbreak," he claimed. Hotel Chandela's General Manager G M Pillai said this is the "worst season that the Khajuraho tourism industry has ever seen". "We are now looking at hotel bookings for weddings as the government has eased norms and allowed marriage functions to be held with 50 guests," he said. Local hotel industry sources said only 10 to 20 per cent of the total workforce is currently employed, that too with about 50 per cent pay cuts. As per the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's data, nearly 2.76 lakh domestic tourists and 51,302 foreigners visited Khajuraho between January 1 and December 31 last year. ADU MAS BNM GK GK

COVID-19 outbreak leaves Khajuraho gasping, flattens tourism  By Anil Dubey

(Eds: With fresh inputs) Patna, May 16 () A one-year-old girl and five police personnel were among 66 people who tested positive for COVID 19 in Bihar on Saturday, taking the number of cases to 1,145 in the state, a top official said here. According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, the baby is from Jehanabad. She had been at a quarantine centre since May 14 when her mother tested positive for the disease, civil surgeon Vijay Kumar Sinha said. Five police personnel, including a woman in her late 20s, tested positive in Nawada district, which accounted for nine cases, the principal secretary said.Nawada Superintendent of Police Hari Prasad said the woman hailed from Bhojpur district and recently joined duty at the Bundelkhand police station. All personnel deployed at the police station, including the station house officer, have been quarantined. Purnea district reported the maximum number of 15 cases in a day, all of them migrant workers stationed at a quarantine centre in Rupauli block, the principal secretary said.District Magistrate Rahul Kumar said 11 of these migrants were among 55 people who returned to the north Bihar town from Azadpur in Delhi on a truck earlier this month. Previously, 10 other people who came by the truck had tested positive for the disease. Four others patients had returned from Haryana.Six people, including a three-year-old boy, tested positive in Madhubani district, the principal secretary said.According to a release issued by the Madhubani administration, one of the patients aged 25 years had returned from Ahmedabad and he had been staying at the Rupauli quarantine centre in Purnea while the remaining five were residents of Rahika and Rajnagar blocks. Eight people tested positive in Gopalganj while Begusarai reported seven fresh cases. Four people tested positive in Bhagalpur district – all of them residents of different villages falling under Kahalgaon sub-division. Sub divisional hospital's superintendent Lakhan Murmu said all the four are migrant workers of whom three had come from Delhi and one from Hyderabad. Munger, the state's worst affected district, reported two cases, taking the number of cases to 125. Muzaffarpur, Aurangabad, Katihar and Khagaria districts also reported two cases each. Three cases were reported from Vaishali and one each from East Champaran, Sheohar and Nalanda, the principal secretary added. The state has so far reported seven COVID-19 deaths – two from Patna and one each from Munger, Vaishali, East Champaran, Sitamarhi and Rohtas. Altogether, 453 people COVID-19 patients have been discharged after recovery across the state. The badly affected districts also include Patna with 105 cases, Rohtas (77), Nalanda (68), Buxar (59), Begusarai (54), Siwan and Khagaria (43 each). Only four districts – Gaya, Sitamarhi, Araria and Sheohar - have their tallies in single digit. Gaya has been classified among red zone districts by the state government in view of its "high risk" potential as the town happens to be a renowned pilgrimage spot for Hindus and Buddhists and attracts visitors from far and wide. More than half of the state's total number of cases have been reported in the past fortnight and the spike has been mainly attributed to the heavy influx of migrants who are returning by "Shramik Special" trains besides other modes of transport. State health department said random sampling has been done of 9,023 migrants during the period and 427 of them have tested positive. Total number of tests conducted so far is 44,340 and the state is making efforts to improve its daily average from 1,800 samples to 10,000. NAC RG DPB

1-yr-old girl, 5 cops among 66 COVID-19 patients in Bihar, cases rise to 1145

<ul><li>The Coronavirus crisis is exposing the water inequality across the country, where 82% of the households in rural India still do not have piped water connections.</li><li>In Delhi alone, 85% of the households do not have piped water connections.</li><li>People in rural areas get a maximum of 25 litres of water per day. Following the WHO recommendations, they would end up using all the water in handwashing alone, with nothing left to drink.</li></ul>Washing hands with soap is critical in the fight against Covid-19, but it’s a luxury for 82% of rural households and nearly 60% of urban households. In a way, water shortage is a way of life for millions of Indians. “Handwashing with soap is one of the cheapest, most effective things you can do to protect yourself and others against coronavirus, as well as many other infectious diseases. Yet for billions, even this most basic of steps is simply out of reach,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Director of Programmes. There’s just not enough water The World Health Organisation (WHO) <a href="https://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Hand_Hygiene_Why_How_and_When_Brochure.pdf">recommends</a> washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, repeatedly. This is one of the simplest ways to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. At an average of 10 hand washes per day and assuming each hand wash requires 2 litres of water, each person would end up using 20 litres of water per day. This is more than 20% of the average per capita water consumption in India, which <a href="http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/Water%20consumption%20patterns.pdf">stands at 92 litres</a>. Over 20% of the country is facing drought-like situation <div type="image" title="Bengaluru Drought" msid="75173408" hostid="261"></div> Even as India fights to prevent Covid-19 from turning it into a humanitarian disaster, more than 20% of the country is facing drought-like situations, according to IIT-Gandhinagar’s <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/iitgn.ac.in/high_resolution_south_asia_drought_monitor/drought-early-warning-system/dews-india">Drought Early Warning System</a>. Rural areas which depend on government water tankers get up to 25 litres of water per person per day, according to a recent <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/hand-washing-can-combat-coronavirus-but-can-the-rural-poor-afford-frequent-rinses/">report</a>. Based on WHO guidelines, this would be used up for handwashing alone. Villagers would be left with no water to even drink. Piped water connections are a luxury for many <div type="image" title="Tap Water" msid="75173414" hostid="261"></div> According to a <a href="https://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Banerjee-Et-Al-2012-Working-Paper.pdf">2012 survey</a>, 85% of the households in Delhi do not have piped water connections. Slums, which are not legally recognized, don’t have piped water connections and depend on water tankers. Now, due to the nationwide lockdown, many households in Delhi fear running out of water. Private water tanker suppliers are refusing to offer their services due to the illegal nature of their business, according to a Deutsche Welle <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/under-coronavirus-lockdown-delhi-slum-residents-struggle-to-get-water/a-53073487">report</a>. <div type="image" title="Water Tanker Madurai" msid="75173420" hostid="261"></div> In Chennai, water tanker supply in some areas has been reduced by up to 50%, a source told Business Insider. And this city literally ran out of water last year, exposing a large crisis. In Hyderabad, some areas receive one water tanker every alternate day. In other areas, the water tanker suppliers hiked the prices by as much as 20%, a source told Business Insider. These hikes usually happen during summers, but this time around, the extra hand washing worsened the problem. Water is more important than social distancing In areas without piped water connections, households depend on water tankers. Typically, water tankers enter the area and park themselves in the middle. Men and women gather around with buckets and utensils to collect water. <div type="image" title="Water Tanker Andhra" msid="75173426" hostid="261"></div> For them, getting a water tanker is more important than social distancing. Fights often break out in times of acute water shortage – this is more prevalent in the summer season which is currently peaking in India. Despite the severe threat it poses, Coronavirus does not take priority over water for these people. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/ensure-adequate-water-supply-in-rural-areas-during-lockdown-centre-advises-states/articleshow/75147128.cms">Ensure adequate water supply in rural areas during lockdown: Centre advises states</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/water-consumption-in-parched-bundelkhand-up-60-pc-due-to-covid-19-study/articleshow/75107060.cms">Water consumption in parched Bundelkhand up 60 pc due to COVID-19: Study</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/mussoorie-devprayag-and-darjeeling-to-bear-burnt-of-himalayas-drying-up/articleshow/74435786.cms">Mussoorie, Devprayag and Darjeeling will be among the first Indian towns to bear the brunt of the Himalayan water flow drying up</a>

Wash your hands often to keep Covid-19 away, but most Indians can't afford the water

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53499757.cms" /><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=baba+ramdev&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Baba Ramdev’s</a> <keyword id="6356684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="patanjali">Patanjali</keyword> is becoming a major threat to FMCGs and MNCs, who are doing everything they can to stop his juggernaut. 
 
However, it seems there is no stopping for Ramdev as his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=patanjali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Patanjali</a> leased 1.2 million sq ft of warehousing space across 20 cities. 
 Patanjali wants to double its revenues to Rs 10,000 crore by the end of March 2017. The Ayurveda brand is also working on enhancing its distribution network as it prepares for the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (<keyword id="6354679" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST">GST</keyword>). 
 
“In the last three months, the Baba Ramdev-backed FMCG firm has leased 1.2 million sq ft of modern warehousing space across 20 top cities and will ramp this up to over 2 million sq ft by end of fiscal. We reached turnover of around Rs 5,000 crore at March-end and should reach Rs 10,000 crore by fiscal-end,” Acharya Balkrishna, who is Ramdev's partner in the venture, told ET. 
 
As <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=gst&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">GST</a> is also expected to get passed in Rajya Sabha, Patanjali is also planning for the new tax regime. 
 
“The entire supply chain planning is being done in-house, unlike FMCG firms that hire international consultants to draw up a plan. The company has hired a qualified team,” Balkrishna told ET, adding “the new manufacturing plants are likely to be in Vidharbha, Bundelkhand regions and Assam to tap markets in the Northeast.” 
 
Patanjali is also looking to set up a plant on the Yamuna Expressway near Noida. 
 
Patanjali started with a turnover of around Rs 450 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 2,000 crore in 2014-15 and more than doubling to Rs 5,000 crore at end of March 2016.

Baba Ramdev is gathering ammunition to drive out his rivals as Patanjali leases 1.2 million sq ft for warehousing

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55959393.cms" />So as to cushion the impact <keyword id="6362150" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="demonetization">demonetization</keyword> has caused to the <keyword id="6356076" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="indian-economy">Indian economy</keyword>, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is now using the old tested techniques. 
 
The lawmakers cleared nearly Rs 600 billion in additional spending for the year through March, which includes a 10 per cent increase in a rural jobs program Modi once mocked. Recent growth has been slower than estimated and data are expected to show that inflation slumped below the Reserve Bank of India’s target as government's move dents demand. 
 
According to J. Dennis Rajakumar, director of the Mumbai-based think tank EPW Research Foundation, public spending is needed because the cash ban will hit private investment 
 
"The employment guarantee program to some extent will help ease the rural crisis that the country is heading toward," he told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-12/modi-turns-to-old-tricks-as-cash-experiment-hurts-india-growth">Bloomberg</a>. 
 
Sustaining commerce in India's cash-based hinterland is crucial for Modi before key state elections next year. Food prices are set to drop as his November 8 move to scrap 86 per cent of currency in circulation triggered distress sales of crops. 
 In November, consumer prices probably rose 3.9, according to the median of 32 estimates in a <keyword id="29740" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bloomberg">Bloomberg</keyword> survey of economists. This is theb the slowest pace in the past 15 months and below the 4 per cent mid-point of the Reserve Bank of India’s inflation target. 
 
Sales of two-wheeler vehicles fell 5.9 per cent in November. The first decline since December 2015, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers' figures released last week. 
 
The center in now focusing on those who live in villages, slowly rebuilding their earnings after back-to-back droughts destroyed crops and trade. His currency clampdown, which was aimed at hurting those with unaccounted cash, may impact these folks instead as they lack adequate access to banks or internet services 
 
The latest boost includes Rs 40 billion on the world's largest public works program: the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Another Rs 30 billion will be spent on farm related activities. 
 
"The government should immediately undertake more rural development programs like building toilets, houses and roads. No doubt MGNREGA could be the best option in providing relief to the rural people whose livelihoods have been made insecure by demonetization," said Bhagwat Prasad, director of the Akhil Bharatiya Samaj Sewa Sansthan, a support group for the poor in the Bundelkhand region, part of which lies in Uttar Pradesh. 
 
Other thing modi government has to look after is staying cautious. 
 
“Modi needs to do more to cushion the economy as the rural jobs program creates fewer jobs than needed. While public spending is needed to boost demand, any new program would take about 1.5 years for implementation,” said Jay Shankar, a New Delhi-based economist who's studied India's rural economy. 
 
The Nifty Fast Moving Consumer Goods index has fallen 7.2 per cent since Modi's November 8 announcement, steeper than the 4.4 per cent decline in the broader gauge. 
 
(Image Credits: Economic Times)

As demonetisation hurts Indian economy, PM Modi turns to old, tried and tested techniques

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/34414141.cms" />NEW DELHI: Big reputations are at stake in Wednesday's polling with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP's top leaders Narendra Modi, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley apart from former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao seeking a popular mandate. 
 
Some riveting contests like the Jaitley versus Amarinder duel in Amritsar or the Badal versus Badal showdown in Bathinda are set to be decided as 89 seats in seven states and two Union Territories go to polls. 
 
BJP veteran M M Joshi, who moved to Kanpur to make way for Modi in Varanasi, takes on coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal in a contest where the local pitch could get swamped by a pro-Modi sentiment. 
 
Jhansi is the stage for sanyasin Uma Bharati's comeback bid as she looks to unseat Congress's Pradeep Jain, banking on the "Modi Kashi se, Uma Bharati Jhansi se" slogan. 
 
The 14 seats in UP's central and Bundelkhand areas that go to polls delivered good returns for Congress in 2009 but its incumbents, including two ministers — Jaiswal and Jitin Prasada — are finding the going tough. Sonia is not expected to face much of a challenge in Rae Bareli — the other Gandhi borough of Amethi goes to polls on May 7 — even if her party does not find it easy to repeat the 2009 result where the party did well in 14 seats going to polls. 
 
Bahujan Samaj Party comes across as a strong presence in the region where the Samajwadi Party seems to be taking a back seat after having been the main challenger to BJP in the previous three rounds in UP. 
 
Though Modi's win from Vadodara against Congress's Madhusudhan Mistry is not in doubt, the BJP leader will look to maximize returns in the 26 seats at stake in Gujarat with Congress still a force in tribal areas. In fact, BJP has not found it easy to replicate its dominance in assembly polls in Lok Sabha elections and will hope that Modi's projection gives it a decisive edge this time around. 
 
After having precipitated a minor crisis over his demand to shift from Gandhinagar to Bhopal, Advani should be coasting with the onus squarely on Modi to ensure that the veteran wins convincingly. 
 
Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal, who replaced Modi baiter Harin Pathak in Ahmedabad (East), looks a shoo-in too while some Congress leaders like Shankarsihn Vaghela will fancy his chances in Sabarkantha. 
 
BJP chief Rajnath Singh, contesting from Lucknow, has left nothing to chance, going out his way to woo Muslim voters to cement his position despite the community being far from enthused by Modi's candidature. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/34414069.cms" /> 
 
Down south, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is contesting both the Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in Medak in Telangana as he hopes to emerge as the dominant political force in what will be India's 29th state. KCR is locked in a bitter battle with Congress after he evaded a merger with the party, a manoeuver intended to ensure that TRS's post-poll options are not restricted. 
 
Bathinda is the stage for a grudge match between the rebel Badal, Manpreet Singh, and Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal. Manpreet, a former Akali finance minister, was routed in the assembly elections and is looking to settle scores with estranged cousin Sukhbir by scripting an upset in a hard fought and vituperative contest. 
 
Amritsar is set to witness a needle fight as Jaitley hopes to overcome incumbency against the Akali-BJP government by focusing on national issues while Amarinder harps on local resentments to score against his rival. 
 
Amarinder's wife Preneet is in the fray from the family bastion of Patiala while other notable contests in Punjab include former actor Vinod Khanna contesting on a BJP ticket from Gurdaspur against Congress state chief Partap Singh Bajwa.

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You Searched For "Bundelkhand" and got 15 results

Over 1.89 lakh trees have been cut for the construction of Bundelkhand expressway

IANS

Water consumption in parched Bundelkhand up 60 pc due to COVID-19: Study

PTI

"The ghost town of Lalitpur: Uttar Pradesh witnesses a spike in the number of people migrating to cities"

Guest Author

​ Patanjali’s food park of Rs 1,600 crore would come up at Noida

BI India Bureau

Box Office: Darr @ The Mall, Dee Saturday Night Disappoint; Nishtha Jain’s Gulabi Gang Is Must-watch

Sanghamitra Mandal

Chandrababu Naidu meets Nirmala Sitharaman ahead of Union Budget

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Rainfall deficiency in UP, Bihar to affect millions of farmers, reduce Kharif output

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PM Modi to launch 'Catch the Rain' campaign on World Water Day

IANS

MP Chief Minister Shivraj expands cabinet with 5 ministers, 2 from Scindia camp

IANS

COVID-19 outbreak leaves Khajuraho gasping, flattens tourism By Anil Dubey

PTI

1-yr-old girl, 5 cops among 66 COVID-19 patients in Bihar, cases rise to 1145

PTI

Wash your hands often to keep Covid-19 away, but most Indians can't afford the water

Rounak Jain

Baba Ramdev is gathering ammunition to drive out his rivals as Patanjali leases 1.2 million sq ft for warehousing

BI India Bureau

As demonetisation hurts Indian economy, PM Modi turns to old, tried and tested techniques

BI India Bureau

Lok Sabha Polls: Big Guns Sonia, Advani, Modi, Jaitley In Fray Today

Times Of India

Patanjali’s food park of Rs 1,600 crore would come up at Noida