Fuel prices again rise, petrol at Rs 75.85 in Delhi
New Delhi, July 6 : Fuel prices across the four metro cities rose for the second straight day on Friday after declining for over a month. Petrol prices in Delhi rose by 14 paise to Rs 75.85 per litre, from Rs 75.71 on Thursday, data on the Indian Oil Corp's website showed.
In the other major cities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, petrol was sold for Rs 78.53, Rs 83.24 and Rs 78.72 per litre, up from the previous levels of Rs 78.39, Rs 83.10 and Rs 78.57 per litre.
This rise comes after prices started to decline on May 30. Also, both the petrol and diesel prices were unchanged for nine days till June 4. In tandem with the cost of petrol, diesel prices also registered a rise for the second day in a row across the four metro cities.
In the national capital, diesel was sold at Rs 67.66 per litre, up from Rs 67.50 on Thursday.
Rise in diesel prices gains significance as the fuel is used in the transportation of agriculture and food products, in turn affecting food prices in the country.
In Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, the key transportation fuel was sold at Rs 70.21, Rs 71.79 and Rs 71.42 per litre respectively against the previous levels of Rs 70.05, Rs 71.62 and Rs 71.24 per litre.
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11k litres of milk poured into Narmada river after religious event; environmentalists see red
Sehore (PTI): Around 11,000 litres of milk were poured into Narmada river, often called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, in Sehore district on the culmination of a 21-day religious event as part of a sanctification ritual, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The event concluded at Satdev village in Bherunda area, located about 90 km from the district headquarters, with a 'mahayagna' on Wednesday.
The milk was offered to the river as part of rituals and prayers for the purity of the waters, the well-being of pilgrims and prosperity, organisers said.
The milk was brought in tankers to the riverbank and later poured into the flowing water amid chanting of mantras in the presence of a crowd of devotees.
However, environmentalists raised concerns over the practice, warning of its potential ecological impact.
"Such large quantities of organic matter can deplete dissolved oxygen in water, adversely affecting the river ecosystem. These impact local communities dependent on the river for drinking water and threaten aquatic life as well as domestic animals," noted environmentalist and wildlife activist Ajay Dube said.
Religious offerings should be symbolic and mindful, he asserted.
Renowned environmentalist Subhash Pandey said 11,000 litres of milk acts as a significant organic pollutant.
"It is highly oxygen-demanding and can lead to oxygen depletion, aquatic mortality, eutrophication (process of plants growing on river surface) and loss of potability. These effects are predictable from dairy-effluent chemistry and have been documented in similar incidents worldwide," Pandey pointed out.
Narmada originates at Amarkantak in the state and traverses 1,312 km westward to Maharashtra and Gujarat, emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, passing through a rift valley, and acts as a crucial water source for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
