GUWAHATI, February 3: The disaster in Gujarat has acted as an eye opener in Assam, considered to be one of the most vulnerable earthquake prone areas, and the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has already identified 51 multistoried buildings, mostly residential apartment buildings as vulnerable. Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner, DN Saikia, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the GMDA, admitted that a major earthquake might spell disaster for Guwahati city having a population of more than 10 lakhs. He revealed that the Kamrup...

ITANAGAR, February 2: Union Minister for Water Resources Arjun Charan Sethi today assured the flood-affected people of Arunachal Pradesh that the External Affairs Ministry had taken up the issue of flash floods with the Chinese government and was hopeful of a suitable outcome, reports PTI. It was earlier reported that the flash floods in Siang valley on June 1 last year was caused due to breach of a dam on the Chinese side. At least four districts of the State - Upper Siang, East Siang, West Siang and Dibang valley were the worst hit by the flash floods. The Minister who visited the flood...

BANGALORE, February 3: Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the Manipur Government to take back 15 children, belonging to the Northeastern States, who were being taken care by the Bangalore police since their recent release from the unauthorised detention of an American who runs an orphanage on the city outskirts, reports UNI. A two-member division bench, while dismissing a habeas corpus petition filed by Gary Mareyes, the owner of the orphanage, also directed the Karnataka Government to hand over five such Kannadiga boys to their parents on tracing them, else rehabilitate them as per law...

TEZPUR, February 3: With the gradual increase in the population of Indian one-horned rhinoceros at the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, efforts are on by the Assam Forest department to shift them (rhinoceros unicornis) to Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary in Sonitpur district. Talking to The Assam Tribune, RK Das, DFO, Tezpur Division, said with 44-sq km area Burachapori can accommodate a sizeable number of rhinos at the sanctuary. Besides the inaccessibility and contiguity will help the wildlife to flourish, Das said, adding that poaching here is at a low ebb in...

TEZPUR, February 3: The first phase of the 405 MW capacity Ranganadi hydel power project in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh is now at the final stage and is expected to be commissioned by the middle of the year while the second and third phase of the project is expected to be commissioned by 2002. Talking to The Assam Tribune official sources said that the Northeastern Council (NEC) project which started in 1989 at the original project cost of Rs 312.78 crore was entrusted to the Northeastern Electrical Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) and was scheduled to be commissioned in...