Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alert and forcast for the current weather system.

According to the MeT officials, the western disturbance currently located over Jammu n Kashmir is very likely to move eastwards during next 24 hrs and become unimportant.

A cyclonic circulation in lower levels lies over Haryana and neighbourhood. It would move eastwards towards West Uttar Pradesh during next 24 hrs and become less marked thereafter.

A north-south trough runs along longitude 880E to the north of 240N. It is very likely to move slowly eastwards during next 3 days.

A fresh western disturbance very likely to affect western Himalayan region from 13th May onwards.

An easterly wave with an embedded lower level cyclonic circulation is very likely to affect states of Southern Peninsula during next one week.

Under the influence of above two systems, widespread thunderstorm activity very likely simultaneously over northwest, central, east, northeast and peninsular India from 13th onwards.

Weather Forecast

Rain/thundershowers very likely at most places over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand; many places over West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi; at a few places over north Rajasthan and East Uttar Pradesh during next 24 hrs and significant decrease thereafter.

Rainfall/thunderstorm very likely at many places over northeastern states and parts of West Bengal and Sikkim, Odisha and Jharkhand during next 4-5 days.

Light to moderate rainfall at a few places very likely over extreme south peninsula (Kerala, South Interior Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Puducherry) during next 5 days. The rainfall activity very likely to extend to north Peninsula, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from 11th onwards.

Weather warnings for next 3 days:

Warning valid for Wednesday ( May 09):

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall (wind speed reaching 50-70 kmph) and hail very likely at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall (wind speed reaching 50-70 kmph) very likely at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds very likely at isolated places over South Interior Karnataka.

Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over south Interior Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala and Assam and Meghalaya.

Hot weather condition likely over Maharashtra with heat wave conditions at one or two pockets over Vidarbha.

Warning valid for Thursday (May 10):

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall (wind speed reaching 50-70 kmph) very likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal.

Hot weather condition likely over Rajasthan and Maharashtra with heat wave conditions at one or two pockets over Vidarbha and Rajasthan.

Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over south Interior Karnataka and Tamilnadu.

Warning valid for Friday (May 11):

Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over South Interior Karnataka, Tamilnadu, north Andhra Pradesh.

Hot weather condition likely over Rajasthan and Maharashtra with heat wave conditions at one or two pockets over Vidarbha and Rajasthan.

Warning valid for Saturday (May 12):

Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over South Interior Karnataka, Tamilnadu, north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha.

Hot weather condition likely over Rajasthan and Maharashtra with heat wave conditions at one or two pockets over Vidarbha and Rajasthan.

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw

While nearly 100 people died in dust storms and lightning strikes in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan overnight, many more parts of country will witness thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds, the Met department warned on Thursday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Rajasthan and UP may witness another episode of dust storm and thundershowers.

Weather analysts said there is a fair amount of moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal and from North India, which will lead to formation of storm clouds and widespread thundershowers across East India, Gangetic plains, southern India and Central India.

“Districts in coastal Andhra Pradesh are likely to receive heavy rain and then thunderstorms in days ahead,” an IMD official said.

Ten people were killed as heavy rains lashed Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, officials said. While five people were killed in various rain-related incidents in Telangana, an equal number of deaths were reported from Andhra Pradesh.

Delhi on the other hand may see strong surface winds during the day time towards Sunday, the IMD said.

Delhi, that saw 14.4mm rainfall over past 24 hours, recorded a mximum temperature of 35.2 degrees on Thursday, three notches below the season’s average. The minimum temperature was recorded at 19.8 degrees, five notches below the season’s average.

Rajasthan, which that saw at least 31 dead, with causalities reported from Alwar, Dholpur and Bharatpur districts,may see another spell of duststorm and rains over next few days.

The regional weather office in Jaipur had issued a warning for dust storm, light rain and thunderstorm for Alwar, Banswara, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Dausa and Bhilwara.

“With temperatures expected to rise again and continuous incursion of moisture, Rajasthan will see more thunderstorms and dust storms,” said an IMD official.

On Wednesday, a combination of weather systems emanating from hilly states and either side of the sea, East and West, resulted in the intense thundershowers and dust storms in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh that left several dead. According to IMD, Wednesday’s episode was the heat wave in in two states, as regions in Vidarbha and Rajasthan are currently witnessing a severe heat wave and temperatures have even touched 47 degree Celsius, in Phalodi, in Jodhpur district.

According to Met, a western disturbance approaching North India and that has brought in moisture from North India too. The weather system over Rajasthan formed due to winds from west.

Apart from Rajasthan and UP, the weather systems formed due to winds from North India brought rains to Haryana and Delhi-National Capital Region too. In fact, winds were stronger in Delhi and touched a speed of 69 km/hr.

(IANS)

As many as 45 people have been killed in a dust storm that hit many parts of Uttar Pradesh overnight, a government spokesman said on Thursday. Of these, 36 died in Agra alone.

More than three dozen persons have also been injured in the storm and the lightning that struck the state on Wednesday night.

A total of 156 cattle died in different districts.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is campaigning for the BJP in Karnataka, has directed officials to ensure rescue and relief operations in the storm hit districts of Agra, Bijnore, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Pilibhit, Firozabad, Chitrakoot, Muzaffarnagar, Rae Bareli and Unnao.

According Preliminary reports, high-intensity squall followed by thunder showers hit parts of Rajasthan overnight, leaving at least 24 people dead and several others injured,

Houses collapsed, electricity poles and trees were uprooted as the severe dust storm swept the Matysya region.

A detailed report of the disaster is awaited even as relief and rescue teams have been pressed into service, he said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje expressed grief over the calamity and said authorities concerned in the districts have been directed to ensure all possible help to victims.

“Condolence for families who lost their loved ones,” she said on Twitter.

In view of the calamity, Congress National General Secretary Ashok Gehlot cancelled his birthday celebrations at his official residence in Jaipur.

“We are extremely grieved at the loss of lives in the state and stand with the victims in this hour of tragedy I cancel all celebrations at my residence today. Blood donation camps and Janhit programs can be continued by organisers,” he said.

(PTI)

many as 14 people were killed in 41,025 lightning strikes in different districts of Andhra Pradesh, the state Disaster Management Department said today.

Yesterday, Guntur district recorded the highest number of deaths at six, followed by Vizianagaram (3), West Godavari (2), Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari (one each), a release from the department said.

Cloud-to-ground strikes happened in 11 out of 13 districts till 11.40 pm on May 1, the release said, citing reports from Earth Networks, which operates weather and climate sensor networks worldwide.

Nellore recorded the highest number of lightning strikes at 11,955, Prakasam (4,725), Srikakulam (4,703), Guntur (4101), Vizianagaram (3901), East Godavari (3216), Krishna (2925), Visakhapatnam (2698), Chittoor (1706), West Godavari (768) and Kadapa (327), the release said.

“Owing to sudden change in weather, heavy rain and strong gales occurred in the Bay of Bengal. That had caused the lightning strikes and loss of lives,” it added.

Due to whirlpool formation, two fishermen were reportedly drowned in the sea, it said.

The state Marine Police and the Coast Guard were continuing the operation to trace the bodies.

Meanwhile, five fishermen boats that went missing in the sea, returned to shore safely today.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has on Monday issued a severe thunderstorm alert for East and Northeast India during next 3-4 days.
According to MeT department, a cyclonic circulation lies over east Bihar and adjoining West Bengal and Jharkhand and a trough runs from this cyclonic circulation to Manipur across Meghalaya in lower levels.
An east-west trough runs from Punjab to southeast Madhya Pradesh across Haryana and west Madhya Pradesh in lower levels.
Core of sub-tropical westerly jet runs between latitudes 23 and 27ﾟN over Indian region.

Weather Forecast: Under the influence of above systems, scattered to widespread rainfall/thunderstorm activity very likely over east and northeast India during next 3-4 days.
Thunderstorm accompanied with squall/hail very likely at isolated places over West Bengal and Sikkim

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall very likely at isolated places over Bihar and Thunderstorm with gusty winds at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Odisha and Jharkhand.

Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya, and Mizoram and Tripura, and West Bengal and Sikkim.

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall/hail very likely at isolated places over West Bengal and Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura and Jharkhand.

02 May: Thunderstorm accompanied with squall likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha and Thunderstorm with gusty winds at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Jhjarkhand.

Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya and Odisha,

03 May: Thunderstorm accompanied with squall likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha.

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw

Thousands of survivors of a massive earthquake from three years ago, say the government has not lived up to its promise of providing them with permanent housing.
Thousands of survivors of a massive earthquake in Nepal three years ago are still in makeshift shelters.

Almost 800,000 homes were damaged by the quake.

Each family qualifies to receive $3000 for rebuilding, but so far only 119,000 families have a permanent home – the rest remain in temporary shelters.

They say the government has not lived up to its promise of providing them with permanent homes.

Dimasa Public Organisation Nagaland (DPON) has questioned why the state government has excluded its Bishu Festival from the list of proposed mini-Hornbill festivals to be organised at the respective district headquarters of the state to coincide with the tribes festivals announced recently.
“Welcoming the state cabinet decision to hold mini Hornbill festival in district head quarters, the DPON is deeply pained for not covering/including the Bishu Festival which is a post harvest festival of the Dimasa (Kachari) in Dimapur district,” read the communiqué issued by the organisation.
The communiqué pointed that Bishu was a ‘government-recognised’ festival in the state of Nagaland. “It is not understood if it was purposely overlooked by the government to erase the legacy of the tribe. Kachari being one of the recognised indigenous sixteen tribes have concentration in 16 very old villages having the traditional land holding in Dimapur district.

Hindusthan Samachar/ Pradeep/ Arvind/ Shri Ram\

Noisy wedding celebrations, high-pitched religious fervor and other ear-splitting nocturnal festivities have become a nightmare for peace-loving citizens of Punjab. Finally, the state’s lawmakers and authorities seem to be waking up to the pervasive civic nuisance.

A recent study by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to measure the noise level due to loudspeakers used in religious places in villages across the state has confirmed that the noise pollution was at more than the permissible limits.

The study, conducted for the first time in the agrarian state, found that the decibel level in Punjab’s rural areas was higher during night time (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.).

“Noise monitoring was carried out at boundary walls at 50 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres distance from religious places. It was found that the noise level at the boundary wall was 60-88dB (decibel) at 50 metres, 53-87dB at 100 metres and 50-72dB at 200 metres, which was well above the permissible limit of 45dB,” PPCB Chairman Kahan Singh Pannu said.

The study pointed out that higher values of noise pollution in villages could have an adverse effect on human health. This could lead to fatigue of hearing or auditory organs, deafness, annoyance, hypertension, change of the rate of heart beat, vertigo effects and cardiovascular effects.

Pannu said the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion, had recently issued a directive asking all gurdwaras to keep the volume of speakers within permissible limits.

In most villages in Punjab, there is at least one gurdwara (Sikh shrine or temple). Some villages have two or even more.

The PPCB Chairman has appealed to the management committees of gurdwaras, temples and mosques to keep the noise pollution under control.

(IANS)

Punjab’s lawmakers too are now all ears over the growing noise menace.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told the state assembly last month that the government will soon convene an all-party meeting to deliberate on ways to check the menace.

Expressing concern over the implications of noise pollution, Amarinder Singh admitted that norms on noise levels were being blatantly flouted, especially in the case of DJs (disc jockeys) at social functions, resulting in inconvenience and disturbance to people, particularly students preparing for examinations.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Aman Arora, who raised the noise pollution issue in the assembly last month, said the problem needed immediate attention and warranted serious discussion.

Amarinder Singh told the House: “My government will get inputs from the members of various political parties for evolving a consensus on finding a permanent solution to the problem.”

Though provisions under the Noise Pollution Regulation and Control Rules, 2000, issued by the Government of India, and the Punjab Instruments Control of Noises Act, 1956, clearly provide directions on permissible limits and timings for use of loudspeakers, these are flouted with impunity and authorities, especially the police, in the districts, are not implementing the rules strictly.

The Supreme Court has also imposed a ban on playing of loud music and use of loudspeakers from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

“We get guests from abroad and other places across the country. At night, there is too much noise from nearby marriage palaces. No one follows the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. ban directive. Loud music is played till 2 a.m.

“The loudspeakers from nearby religious places wake up people around 4 a.m. There is no check on anyone,” a leading entrepreneur who runs a farmstay in rural Punjab told IANS.

The problem is more acute in rural areas compared to cities and towns as there is better regulation in the latter.

Till the time local authorities in the districts enforce the ban on loudspeakers effectively during night hours, people in Punjab’s hinterland will continue to suffer noisy nights.

Wiry shrubs and clumps of brown-green fill the semi-arid landscape of Kutch in western India. Many of these patches have, over the years, made way for “more productive” agricultural land. This greening of “wasteland” is, however, degrading a precious and largely ignored ecosystem — the grasslands. And, as a result, some species of animals that depend on grasslands are being pushed to the brink of extinction.

Not just that. Nature has a way of linking all its elements. So grasslands play a big role in ensuring fodder security for livestock, thereby having a direct impact on the dairy industry. Another largely ignored ecosystem, the wetlands, along with grasslands, also play a crucial role in water table management; agricultural lands near their vicinity are usually fertile and productive.

Grasslands are an important ecosystem. But to quote the first line of the Task Force report on Grasslands and Deserts (2006) submitted to the Planning Commission, “Grasslands and deserts are the most neglected ecosystems by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which looks after biodiversity conservation in India.”

This is significant, because more than a decade after that report, the Draft National Forest Policy 2018, while encouraging an increase in forest and tree cover, still does not give grasslands their due importance.

The draft policy — an upgrade of the National Forest Policy of 1988 — which was open for public comments till the second week of April, had a promising note two years back, when, in addition to reiterating its goal of having one-third of India under forest cover, it had said that, instead of an exclusive focus on trees and tree-cover, efforts should be made to preserve other ecosystems too, like the grasslands, deserts, marine and coastal areas, etc.

Two years hence, however, that crucial point is missing in the draft. Branding grassland as wasteland, says Sutirtha Dutta, scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), is the prime reason behind undervaluing its importance and its degradation.

“It is a remnant of the colonial policy that treated grasslands as unproductive, of no economic value. And the stigma has stayed on,” Dutta told IANS.

There is a general lack of awareness about the immense value that an ecosystem like grassland (or deserts, for that matter) holds; for instance, its role in water table management.

“In south Manas (Manas National Park in Assam), grasslands have been allowed to thrive, and therefore agriculture around its vicinity has also been very productive. It’s a boon to the farmers. On the other hand, in east Assam, where there are no grasslands, there have been long dry spells,” says Dr Goutam Narayan, project advisor of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) in Assam.

The Pygmy Hog, a critically endangered species, itself rapidly lost numbers mainly because of the degradation of grasslands — its main habitat. Narayan says that the Pygmy Hog is a flagship species that denotes the health of the grasslands on which many other “bigger” animals are dependent, like the one-horned rhino, tiger, and Eastern Barasingha.

The Bengal florican, another species that is endangered, also has grassland degradation to blame for its depleting numbers. It’s a similar scenario is Kutch, Gujarat, where the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard is facing the threat of extinction for the same reason. It is estimated that only 150 such birds are left in the world today, of which barely 10 remain in Kutch, one of its last few abodes.

Devesh Gadhavi, member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and deputy director of the Kutch Ecological Research Centre, has been working on the conservation of Great Indian Bustards for many years now. Unhindered grazing of livestock on grasslands, he feels, is a primary reason for grassland degradation.

“If one were to draw linkages, Gujarat’s dairy industry that the government has been promoting for so many years now is dependent on the grasslands in terms of livestock fodder,” Gadhavi told IANS. India has more than 500 million livestock, and more than 50 percent of its fodder comes from grasslands.

Dutta says that only policy-level changes can bring about some change in the current scenario.

“There needs to be a regulation on grazing of animals (on grasslands). The 2006 Task Force report on grasslands and deserts was well-meaning and, among other things, mentioned the urgent need for a national grassland policy. It also suggested fixing ownership for grasslands,” Dutta said.

Barring some of its suggestions — like conservation programmes for some of the flagship species of the grasslands — being implemented, the report remained largely ignored.

“Grasslands are ‘common’ land of the community and are the responsibility of none,” the report had said ominously, the manifestations of which are increasingly felt across regions now.

(IANS)