7 passengers die as buses collide in Salem
SALEM: Seven people, including two women, died on the spot and 40 others sustained injuries when two buses collided with each other at Mamangam in Salem around 1am on Saturday.
The names and other details of the deceased people were not known, said the Karuppur police who registered a case.
They said a private bus was heading to Dharmapuri from Salem. The bus hit a goods carrier van that was parked on the roadside near Mamangam on the Salem-Bengaluru National Highway.
"One of the tyres of the goods carrier van was punctured, and the driver parked the vehicle on the roadside," a police officer said. The driver of the private bus did not notice the goods carrier van. The bus hit the van from behind. The driver lost control of the bus. The bus crossed the median and entered the other side of the road. The driver's attempt to stop the vehicle went in vain.
Meanwhile, an omnibus, heading to Kerala from Bengaluru, hit the Dharmapuri-bound bus. "The omnibus that was coming from the opposite direction hit the Dharmapuri-bound bus. After that, the omnibus bus fell on its side on the roadside," the officer said.
The deceased included passengers in both the buses. The injured were sent to Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital.
Salem district collector Rohini R Bhajibhakare, city commissioner of police K Shankar, district revenue officer R Sukumar and other officials visited the accident spot.
courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
