Landmarks across UAE lit up with tricolour to support India's COVID-19 battle
Dubai:Prominent iconic buildings, including the Burj Khalifa, in the UAE were lit up with the tricolour to show solidarity with India as it grapples with a growing COVID-19 crisis.
India's total tally of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 1,73,13,163 while active cases have crossed the 28-lakh mark. The death toll increased to 1,95,123 with a record 2,812 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) headquarters and the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in Dubai were lit up with the colours of the Indian flag in solidarity with India as it responds to a second COVID-19 wave, the official WAM news agency reported.
"As #India battles the gruesome war against #COVID19 , its friend #UAE sends its best wishes. Glowing star @BurjKhalifa in #Dubai lits up in Flag of India to showcase its support," Indian Embassy in the UAE tweeted on Sunday.
The embassy also tweeted a video of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, displaying the Indian flag and #staystrongIndia.
India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.
Pavan Kapoor, Ambassador of India to the UAE, tweeted, "India appreciates the UAE's strong support to its close friend in difficult times @MoFAICUAE @UAEembassyIndia."
The ADNOC on the facade of its headquarters displayed the message "Stay strong, India" to highlight its support for one of the UAE's closest friends and most important trading partners, the report said.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has affirmed his confidence in India's ability to overcome the challenge of the resurgence in COVID-19 cases, the Gulf News reported.
He reiterated the UAE's full support for and solidarity with India. This came in a phone call made by Sheikh Abdullah on Sunday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Sheikh Abdullah said the leadership, government and people of the UAE are in full solidarity with India. Sheikh Abdullah expressed the UAE's keenness to dedicate all resources in support of the efforts currently undertaken by the government of India, the report added.
He also reaffirmed the longstanding relations between the UAE and India and the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two friendly countries. He also stressed that global action is fundamental in overcoming the fallout of the pandemic.
Cooperation between the two nations over the COVID-19 pandemic took various forms and manifested itself in facilitating repatriation flights during the onset of the health crisis; knowledge transfer; provision of medical aid and supplies; exchange of expertise; and application of advanced screening techniques for detection of active virus infections, the WAM reported.
The UAE and India boast longstanding strategic relations that started in 1972 with the initiation of diplomatic relations between the two nations that grew into fruitful cooperation based on mutual trust and common interest across all fronts. These privileged relations fructified into the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the two countries in 2017, it said.
We thank our friend #UAE for standing by us in these testing times.#IndiaUAEDosti
— India in UAE (@IndembAbuDhabi) April 26, 2021
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Bombay HC to form high-powered committee on Mumbai air pollution
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Thursday said it would form a high-powered committee to oversee the compliance of measures to tackle air pollution in the Mumbai region, noting that the efforts taken so far by state and civic authorities are insufficient.
It was not criticizing anyone but wanted to ensure that "people should live in pure air," said a division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
The HC had in October 2023 taken suo motu cognizance of the rising pollution in the metropolis "which was ranging between good, satisfactory, moderate poor, very poor and severe", the bench noted.
Directions were issued by the court on November 6, 2023, and suggestions were made for short-term, mid-term and long-term measures.
Since then, the HC has made observations expressing dissatisfaction about the steps taken by the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai civic bodies, the judges said.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) is simply "sailing on its affidavits," but the steps purportedly taken by it were not sufficient, the court stated.
Air pollution in Mumbai has not decreased, in fact it was reported to be very severe in December, said the judges.
"We have apprised ourselves of the previous orders, and find that compliances so far made by (municipal) corporations and MPCB are not sufficient and satisfactory," the court said.
The authorities might have taken serious steps but their results were not visible, it added.
The court expressed inability to examine all the affidavits filed by the municipal corporations and MPCB and reports submitted by an expert committee (formed in 2023), citing the "rising number of dockets and limited hours and time."
After hearing all the parties at length, the high court decided to form a high-powered committee led by a former Supreme Court judge to monitor the compliance of measures to tackle air pollution in Mumbai and the surrounding areas.
The committee should meet on a daily basis, the court said, adding that its members should be provided necessary facilities.
The bench also referred to a suggestion that the citizens affected by pollution should be compensated.
The lawyer for the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation said there are existing statutory bodies to look into this aspect.
"Maybe there are statutory bodies formed in Maharashtra, but then we have not come across any suggestion or action taken by such a body in the present proceedings..." the court said, adding that it was inclined to give "some powers" to the committee.
The court is expected to finalize the names of the committee members in its written order.
