Kendrapara: This coastal district lacks a major industry with most of the residents earning their livelihood from agriculture. However, toxic effluents discharged by companies spread across four neighbouring districts, have made it living hell for people residing here. These chemicals have turned the waters of the seven rivers flowing through this district toxic. Sources pointed out Sunday...

Khuntuni: The sand bed of the Mahanadi river near Kakhadi under Khuntuni range in Athagarh forest division in Cuttack district has turned into a safe breeding ground for the endangered Indian skimmer or Indian scissors-bill. The birds are also known as 'Panichiri' in local parlance. Thirty five of the eggs have hatched and Forest Department officials are...

Jajpur: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to Maha Cement Company over a case filed before it alleging the establishment of a cement grinding unit on forest land at Bairi village under Barchana block in Jajpur district, a report said. The NGT while issuing notice has asked the Maha Cement as well as the...

Baliguda: In a bizarre incident, police had to face the wrath of some locals during an antidrug crackdown at Barikia under Midiakia panchayat and this police station limits in Ganjam district in the wee hours of Sunday. Police were tipped off that a huge stock of marijuana has been stored in some of the houses at Barikia...

Rourkela: A team of forest personnel from the Bonai forest division nabbed a transporter while trying to set fire to a jungle, forest officials said Sunday. The accused was identified as Satyanarayan Yadav, 39, a truck owner. The accused was handed over to the police. Police registered a case and produced him in the court from where...

The days of the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party government are numbered. What had been fast becoming clear now tends to be confirmed following results this week from local elections across England. There are clear current indications that the Tories are on their way out. The chances of the Labour Party capturing power...

J ust when we thought that ties between India and Canada were at their lowest ebb and cannot deteriorate any further, three Indian nationals were arrested on the charges of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder in British Columbia. Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh have been charged by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with...

Bhubaneswar: Using polluted water for domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural purposes, including fish and aquaculture farms can be hazardous to public health, opined experts in a seminar titled ‘Pollution of Coastal and Inland Waters,’ organised by Orissa Environmental Society (OES) here recently. The programme was held under the chairmanship of the OES president Sundar Narayan Patro. A...

Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) has seized 49 kg of marijuana by intercepting two vehicles on National Highway-16 near Tangi area of Cuttack and claimed to have arrested five peddlers, including one from Bihar. Two four-wheelers and several incriminating materials have been seized from the possession of the accused, said a senior STF officer. According to...

Bhubaneswar: Noted social activist and co-convenor of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) and founding member of Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS), Anjali Bharadwaj, accused the Central government of making every attempt to weaken the Right to Information (RTI) Act that makes the country truly democratic and gives people the power to question. “This is...