Kathmandu: The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 724 Sunday, with more bodies being recovered even as nearly 2,500 people are still missing following the disaster. Bodies have been recovered from all eight affected districts as rescuers race against time to search for those missing and rescue those stranded on the fifth day...

Bhubaneswar: Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo emphasised the Odisha government’s commitment to reducing reliance on chemical fertilisers and promoting organic farming, while ensuring sustainable, long-term solutions to farmers’ challenges. Singh Deo made the remarks during a high-level meeting with a delegation from the Fertiliser Innovation Centre India...

By Giridhari Parichha, OP Paralakhemundi: The Government Primary Residential School at Maringi under Labanyagarh panchayat in Goshani block of Gajapati district is functioning amid several problems, including a shortage of classrooms and teachers. Established in 1999 and located just 6 km from the block headquarters, the school has 104 students of five classes (Class I to V)...

By Arindam Ganguly, OP Bhubaneswar: As Bhubaneswar expands with new residential colonies, commercial complexes and concrete infrastructure, kitchen gardens could offer a simple way to address some of the challenges of urban growth—from rising temperatures and shrinking green spaces to reliance on outside sources for fresh vegetables. On World Kitchen Garden Day, urban planners, civic authorities and...

Banarpal: India is known worldwide for its rich biodiversity. Rural areas, in particular, are home to diverse ecosystems, plant and animal species, traditional livelihoods and cultural practices. However, rural biodiversity is increasingly coming under threat from human activities. To promote its conservation, sustainable use and importance among future generations, Anugola-based environmental organisation Sathi Parivar has launched a...

Chhatrapur: Ganjam district administration Saturday distributed laptops to 19 visually impaired students, in a significant move towards inclusive education and learning. A special event was organised by the District Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department in the Ganjam Collectorate here with ADM Sunil Kumar Kerketta distributing the laptops to the students. Laptops are crucial...

Bhubaneswar: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, who chaired a high-level meeting on the proposed Adaptive Resilience Investment in Coastal Systems on Economics (ARISE) Project at Lok Seva Bhavan Saturday, stressed the need for a comprehensive strategy to protect Odisha’s 573-km coastline and enhance climate resilience. Pujari emphasised an integrated approach combining coastal protection, environmental conservation,...

Paralakhemundi: A fire broke out Saturday morning at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Paralakhemundi, the headquarters of Gajapati district, destroying important official documents and equipment worth lakhs of rupees. The fire reportedly broke out at around 9:45am in the office’s computer section. Employees who had arrived for work noticed smoke emanating from the server room. Within...

Digapahandi: A 17-year-old boy was killed and another minor was seriously injured after large rocks fell on them while they were digging murram at an unauthorised quarry near Ustapalli village under Patiguda panchayat in Ganjam district’s Sanakhemundi block Saturday morning. The deceased was identified as Binod Mallik of Ustapalli village under Sahadeb Tikarapada panchayat. The injured boy...

A foreign outlet interviewed me this week and at the end of it, after we had wrapped up, the interviewer said he was surprised. He said he did not know that this was the position India was in, and I find this is quite a common reaction. Other than the academics who study India and foreign correspondents...