Page 12 - West Bengal

86% of Kolkata dengue cases last week reported from southern part: Report

The southern part of Kolkata has contributed 86 per cent of the total number of dengue cases reported from the metropolis in the last one week, as per official data. Data released by the West Bengal Health Department showed that out of the 596 dengue cases reported from the entire metropolitan area in the past seven days, south Kolkata accounted for 512. A Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) official said two boroughs covering the areas of Kasba, Jadavpur and Tollygunge in the south have logged the most number of dengue infections this year. Kolkata has seen over 3,500 dengue cases till the last week of October, and almost half of those were reported in the last two weeks, the official said. "Bansdroni, Naktala, parts of Garia apart from Bhowanipore, Alipore and Chetla (all in south Kolkata) are witnessing a surge in the number of infections this year," another KMC official said. Asked what could be the reason behind this, a health department official attributed it to the high ...

Mamata not to attend state home ministers' meeting convened by Centre

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of the home department, will not attend the two-day meeting of home ministers of states convened by the Centre at Surajkund in Haryana, a senior official has said. The state government will not send Home Secretary B P Gopalika or Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malviya but will assign Additional Director General (home guard) Niraj Kumar Singh to attend the 'Chintan Shivir' from Thursday, he said. West Bengal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, Ram Das Meena, will also attend the meeting, the official. "This is festival time and there are several functions lined up. Bhai Phota (Bhai Dooj) will take place on Thursday and 'Chhat Puja' will take place soon. It will not be possible for the chief minister to leave the state. Our home secretary and DGP will not be participating in the Chintan Shivir for the same reason as that of the chief minister," the official told PTI. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had sent an ..

Cricket Association of Bengal to give Legendary Cricketer award to Jhulan

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will confer former India women's team pacer Jhulan Goswami with the Legendary Cricketer award at its annual prize distribution day on October 29.The cricketer recently retired from cricket after playing for nearly 20 years and establishing many records.CAB will hold its annual prize distribution day on October 29 after a gap of two years.This year, prizes will be given to players for the season 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.Special awards also be conferred to various players on occasion.Indian women's cricketer Deepti Sharma will be conferred the Iconic Cricketer award for winning silver medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022, CAB said in a statement.Uday Bhanu Banerjee and Gargi Banerjee will be awarded Kartick Bose Lifetime Achievement Award for 2019-2020.Sambaran Banerjee and Lopamudra Banerjee will receive Kartick Bose Lifetime Achievement Award for 2020-2021.Ashok Malhotra and Mithu Mukherjee will receive Kartick Bose Lifetime Achievement Award ...

Tata Power Solar Systems launches off-grid solar solutions in Bengal, Bihar

Tata Power Solar Systems on Wednesday announced the launch of cost-efficient solar off-grid solutions in West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd (TPSSL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL). The off-grid solutions provide a combination of high-efficient solar modules, inverters and batteries and are available in 11 variants ranging from 1 - 10 Kw with 5-year warranty, a company statement said. The solutions offered by the company are engineered to provide an efficient integrated power system to consumers for their power backup requirements in times of grid supply shortages. The solution was unveiled in the presence of S Suresh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, West Bengal; Partha Pratim Mukherjee, Director (Distribution), West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd and Nayak, Director (EV), West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd in Kolkata. These solar off-grid solutions are charged during the day time and enable

West Bengal SSC scam case: CBI files charge sheet against 12 accused

The CBI filed a charge sheet against 12 people including the former chairman of WBCSSC Subiresh Bhattachary in the connection with the alleged illegal appointment of assistant teachers

Cyclone Sitrang spares India, hits Bangladesh coast near Barisal: IMD

Cyclone Sitrang crossed the Bangladesh coast near Barisal after skirting the West Bengal coast, the IMD said on Tuesday. The weather in the southern West Bengal districts is likely to improve from forenoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The system, which moved towards Bangladesh from north Bay of Bengal at a speed of 56 kmph caused moderate to heavy rain and squally weather in West Bengal's coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur, dampening festive spirits on Deepavali and Kali Puja. Sitrang made landfall between Tinkona island and Sandwip near Barisal in Bangladesh between 9.30 pm and 11.30 pm on Monday with a sustained wind speed of 80 to 90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph, the Regional Met Centre in Kolkata said. The Bangladeshi media reported that the cyclone caused heavy rain in southeastern parts of the neighbouring country. It is very likely to weaken into a depression and then into a low pressure by Tuesday evening, the IMD

Cyclone Sitrang: W Bengal CM Banerjee appeals to people to 'stay alert'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed to the people to "stay alert" as there is a high chance of rain on Tuesday due to cyclone Sitrang.

Cyclone Sitrang: Mamata urges people to stay indoors in case of storm, rain

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the people of the state to stay indoors in case there is heavy rainfall and storm as a result of Cyclone Sitrang which is likely to cross the Bangladesh coast later. She also requested the people who were evacuated from the coastal areas to safe shelters to cooperate with the state administration and not return home until the threat of the Cyclone is over. "It (Cyclone Sitrang) will make landfall in Bangladesh around midnight in Barisal. Light rain and wind will continue in West Bengal till October 25. This may also bring storm here," Banerjee told reporters at her Kalighat residence here, where she is organising a Kali Puja. The chief minister is monitoring the Cyclone situation from her residence. Banerjee asked people to celebrate Kali puja and Diwali but remain inside their houses if there is a storm and heavy rainfall. "I will request those who have been evacuated to safe shelters not to return home until the threat i

Real-time monitoring of sound, air pollution on Diwali underway in Bengal

West Bengal Environment Minister Manas Bhuniya Monday said the new central control room at Paribesh Bhavan here is monitoring sound and air pollution in real time on Diwali and Kali Puja. Bhuniya, who inspected the control room at the West Bengal Pollution Control Board headquarters, told reporters that experts from IIT-Delhi are examining the data at regular intervals, particularly during evening, and passing on the information to departments concerned. "If there is any data about violation of sound limits prescribed by the WBPCB, we will mark the hotspots and officers of the respective police stations will be alerted, and the offenders will be tracked," he said. Over 100 mini control rooms at the district level across North and South Bengal are functioning since the evening and feeding data to the central control room every minute, an Environment Department official said. WBPCB chairman Kalyan Rudra said so far, the situation has not turned alarming, which can be attributed to th

Bengali film director Pinaki Chaudhuri dies at 82 following illness

National award recipient director of Bengali films, Pinaki Chaudhuri, died at his Kolkata residence on Monday following a protracted illness, his family said. Chaudhuri, who was 82, left behind his wife and a son. He was suffering from lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, and was admitted to a hospital one month back. He was discharged three days ago as the hospital authorities suggested that he be taken back to his residence in the last days of life. Chaudhuri had varied interests in arts and music and made his foray into the world of films in 1983 when he directed Chena Achena' (Known and Unknown) starring Soumitra Chatterjee, Amol Palekar, Tanuja, Chhaya Devi among others. He got two national awards for Shanghaath' (Conflict) in 1996 and for Ballygunge Court' in 2007. Among his other notable films are Kakababu Here Gelen?' (Kakababu defeated?), Ek Tukro Chand' (A slice of the moon) and Arohan' (Ascension). Actor Bhaswar Chatterjee, who had been cast in Ballygunge Court'

Cyclone 'Sitrang' brings rain, high wind dampening Diwali cheer in Bengal

As cyclone 'Sitrang' moved north-northeastwards and lay 260 km southeast of Sagar island on Monday, the Met department warned of heavy rain in coastal Bengal and northeastern states, dampening festive spirits on Diwali and Kali Puja. Intermittent showers since morning forced people to remain indoors as most Kolkata streets wore a deserted look on a festive evening which would normally have attracted tens of thousands to visit marquees with idols of Goddess Kali and see the bring lights of the city. Squally wind accompanied by light to moderate rain affected the coastal districts of the state, while Kolkata also witnessed an overcast sky with light precipitation. Moving at a speed of 33 kmph in a north-northeastward direction, cyclone 'Sitrang' lay 260 kmph southeast of Sagar island at 2.30 pm over the northwest Bay of Bengal and is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm, packing wind speed of 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph by Monday night. It is likely t

Bengal govt prepares to deal with adverse situations due to cyclone Sitrang

The West Bengal government has taken all precautionary measures, including evacuation of people and supply of relief materials to shelters, to deal with possible devastation under the impact of cyclone 'Sitrang', a senior official said on Monday. Several teams of the disaster management department along with SDRF and NDRF personnel have been posted in coastal areas of the state, he said. "No tourists and fishermen are being allowed to go into the sea. Special teams of police along with State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force personnel have been deployed. We are not taking chances," a senior official told PTI. Administrations of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur have been kept on alert as 'Sitrag' is expected to bring in its wake heavy to very heavy rain and wind reaching speed of 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, in these districts, he said, citing the Met department bulletin. The weather system is expected to make a landfall ..

Cyclone Sitrang now lying about 520 km south of Sagar Island: IMD

The IMD on Sunday said that the cyclonic storm 'Sitrang' is at present situated about 520 km south of Sagar Island and 670 km south-southwest of Barisal in Bangladesh

Cyclone Sitrang: IMD suspends offshore activities in north Bay of Bengal

In the wake of Cyclone Sitrang, the India IMD issued an advisory pertaining to the suspension of offshore activities in the north Bay of Bengal from October 24-25

Cyclone Sitrang likely to become severe cyclonic storm, says IMD

The deep depression is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm on October 24, and then cross the Bangladesh coast on October 25 early morning

Cyclone over Bay of Bengal to mainly impact Sunderbans: MeT Dept

The cyclonic storm developing in the Bay of Bengal will primarily impact the Sunderbans spread over West Bengal and Bangladesh, as tidal waves are likely to reach a height of six metres owing to the twin effect of the weather system and astronomical tide, the Met Department said on Sunday. The deep depression over central Bay of Bengal (BoB) is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Sunday evening and after changing course in a northeastward direction from northwest, the system will reach north BoB before making landfall between Tinkona Island and Sandwip close to Bangladesh's Barisal in the early morning of Tuesday, a top official said. "The main affected area will be the Sunderbans in the coastal areas of North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal and in Bangladesh," Deputy Director General of Regional Met Centre, Sanjib Bandopadhyay, said. The development comes as people gear up to celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali in a big way after two years, amid easing Covid case

Heavy rain likely to pound West Bengal as cyclone threat looms large

Heavy rain and wind gusts up to 100 kmph are likely to hit the coastal areas of West Bengal as a deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into a possible cyclone by Sunday evening, dampening Kali Puja and Diwali festivities in large parts of the state. The IMD said the weather system, which lay 700 km south of Sagar Island on Sunday morning and is moving in a northwestward direction, is very likely to recurve in a northeastward direction and cross the Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip around early morning on Monday. It is very likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, and heavy rainfall in East and West Midnapore on Monday, while Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to receive moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Department said in a bulletin. Heavy rain will occur in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia on Tuesday, it said. The development comes as people gear up to celebrat

Low-pressure area over sea intensifies, cyclone likely by October 24: IMD

A low-pressure area over the north Andaman sea that on Saturday intensified into a depression, around 1,460 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal, is expected to take the shape of a cyclonic storm by October 24, the IMD said in its bulletin. The weather system moved west-northwestward and concentrated into a depression on Saturday at 8.30am, close to west of Andaman Islands, the bulletin said. "It is expected to move northwestward and intensify further into a deep depression over east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal by the morning of October 23. "The system is then very likely to re-curve gradually north-northeastwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over central Bay of Bengal by October 24 morning," the IMD stated. Thereafter, it would continue to move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast, between Tinkona Island and Sandwip, around October 25 morning, the IMD forecast said. The name 'Sitrang' has been proposed for the possible cyclonic sto

Delhi, Bengal consume most sweets in India; Rajasthan top consumer of papad

In 2021, the sweet market in India stood at Rs 58,900 crore

WB, Jharkhand women get married early due to fewer job opportunities: Study

The findings by a central government study that over half of the women get married before attaining 21 years in Jharkhand and West Bengal also revealed that the scope for sustainable job opportunities for young women is limited, experts said. It is also clear from the findings that the benefits of government schemes are not reaching the desired section of the population, they said. However, some experts expressed doubts about the data authenticity given that the survey was conducted during the Covid pandemic. It was found in the study, the report of which was published late last month, that Jharkhand and West Bengal are the only two states in the country where more than half of the women are married before they are 21 years old. While 54.9 per cent of girls are married in West Bengal before attaining the age of 21 years, the figure for Jharkhand is 54.6 per cent as against the national average of 29.5 per cent. Women, particularly in rural areas, face a lot of problems. They do no