Development

SHILLONG, July 27 ? The flood situation in Meghalaya?s Garo Hills region has improved with the rains keeping away during the past three days, reports PTI. Flood water has receded from most of the areas and if the fair weather held people would start going back to their homes from tomorrow, West Garo Hills DC S Jagannathan told PTI from Tura.

A truck-load of relief materials including blankets, plastic sheets and buckets received from the Red Cross were distributed to the worst-affected people of four villages after the headmen identified them. Over one lakh people were affected by the floods...

MAO, July 26 ? The devastating landslide at Phikomai, Mao Gate on the National Highway-39, that rendered hundreds homeless, damaged 70 houses and large areas of paddy fields, is still sinking at least one meter a day. Already the areas had sunk 25 meters from the original road till yesterday. The slide started from July 10 onwards and hundreds of Imphal-bound laden trucks were stranded since then and only on Sunday at about 10 p.m., the road was opened and they could reach Imphal early morning next day.

The BRTF labourers have worked day and night in the affected areas for the last couple of...

AGARTALA, July 27: Fifteen traders, who were abducted by NLFT (Biswamohan faction) ultras from Kampui in North Tripura district on June 14 last, have returned from insurgent hideouts in neighbouring Bangladesh after their release, police said today, reports PTI. The outlawed insurgent group had kidnapped altogether 24 people mostly businessmen when they were on way to Kampui market in Kanchanpur subdivision, close to Mizoram and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

Police said the traders after their release by the insurgents entered into Indian territory through Bandharima in Jampui hills...

NALBARI, July 27 ? Altogether 33 people have lost their lives in Nalbari and Sivasagar districts due to various water-borne diseases during the floods. Following improvement in the flood situation in Nalbari district, water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and fever have assumed alarming proportions and so far claimed at least 15 lives in different parts of the worst flood-affected areas. However, official sources confirmed only five death cases in the district.

The confirmed deaths have been reported one each from Sariahtali, Hati-Namati, Kamarkuchi, Charia atc. while two persons died...

NALBARI, July 27 ? Altogether 33 people have lost their lives in Nalbari and Sivasagar districts due to various water-borne diseases during the floods. Following improvement in the flood situation in Nalbari district, water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and fever have assumed alarming proportions and so far claimed at least 15 lives in different parts of the worst flood-affected areas. However, official sources confirmed only five death cases in the district.

The confirmed deaths have been reported one each from Sariahtali, Hati-Namati, Kamarkuchi, Charia atc. while two persons died...

SHILLONG, July 27 ? Satellite imageries of rain-clouds massing over Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet days before torrential rains inundated the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, resulting in one of the worst floods in recent history, had clearly indicated the impending catastrophe! The imageries were available with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which is the competent authority to issue warnings on floods, cyclones, droughts, etc, in addition to its normal duties of issuing weather bulletins and forecasts.

This came to light at the third interface meeting on agro...

GUWAHATI, July 27 ? With recession of water level of most of the rivers, the overall flood situation in the State is showing signs of improvement. However, the damaged road and rail links between the upper and lower parts of the State remain to be fully restored. The death toll in the current wave of floods has shot up to 181, said the official flood bulletin issued here this evening. National Highway 37 has been opened for traffic even as flow of traffic is yet to pick up. Majority of the affected people are still taking shelter in the makeshift camps on the highways, which also restricted...

GUWAHATI, July 27: The State Government is in favour of continuing with the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act. This was disclosed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in response to a question by Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in the State Assembly today. Gogoi said that though the implementation of different clauses of the Assam Accord was not specifically earmarked for the Central and State Governments, Clauses 5 and 6 are under the purview of both the Centre and the State. He also said that Clauses 7, 8 and 9 of the Accord are under the purview of the Centre, while, Clauses 10,11 and 12...

AGARTALA, July 26: Though Tripura was reconnected via road links with Bangladesh after a gap of 20 days, water from the river Bhairab in the neighbouring country

ontinued to enter Tripura inundating parts of this capital town, reports PTI.

Over 10,000 people of 2,500 families were rendered homeless as parts of Agartala were submerged by overflowing waters from Bangladesh, official sources said today.

Subdivisional magistrate of Agartala, Shambu Nama, said water from swolen Bhairab was entering villages close to the international border and submerged at least 30 villages.

Affected people...

DARANGAMELA, July 26? The water tax being paid to the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGB) by the Indian people of Indo-Bhutan bordering villages for the use of waters flowing down from the Bhutan hills through different rivers is set to be increased by 25 per cent from next year. The poor families of the bordering villages will be the hardest hit as they have no other alternative source of water.

?Though the Royal Government of Bhutan is forcing the Indian people to pay such illegal tax, the Indian Government has taken no steps against the foreign country,? alleged the local MLA of Tamulpur LAC...