India, EU pledge to plog for plastic-free Delhi
New Delhi, June 2: They jogged around India Gate and kept picking up litter around the iconic monument to make a pledge for a clean and plastic free Delhi by "plogging" -- a Swedish fitness trend that combines running with collecting garbage.
The event on Friday was organised by the Embassy of Sweden here and a group of ploggers of India together with the European Union ahead of the World Environment Day on June 5.
It was part of the EU's series of environmental programmes in India.
The EU delegation and missions of European Union member states in New Delhi with the support of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change co-hosted a Conference on Plastic Pollution and Management - Sharing Best Practices at Vigyan Bhawan on Friday.
The theme of the conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries was in line with this year's theme - ‘Beat Plastic Pollution'.
EU ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski congratulated India for its leadership in dealing with environmental issues globally. "India is a key partner of the EU with partnerships on clean energy and climate change, water, smart and sustainable urbanization, air quality and resource efficiency," Kozlowski said.
Taking the cooperation to the next level, the Ambassador said, EU Commissioner for Environment would lead a delegation of about 50 EU businesses to India in September as part of the CII Sustainability Summit.
On June 5, the EU delegation and the embassies of the EU member states are expected to announce and adopt a "green pledge" aimed at eliminating the use of single-use plastic products, saving energy and water resources and managing waste.
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UP hospital fire: PM Modi announces ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of each deceased
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday condoled the death of children in a fire that engulfed the children's ward of a medical college in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased.
At least 10 children died in a fire that engulfed the children's ward of the medical college in Jhansi district, officials said, as 16 others injured battled for life on Saturday.
District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.45 pm on Friday in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College possibly due to an electrical short circuit.
"Heartbreaking! The fire accident at Jhansi Medical College in Uttar Pradesh is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to those who lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss," Modi was quoted as saying in a post in Hindi on X by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
"The local administration, under the supervision of the state government, is making every possible effort for relief and rescue," he said.
In another post, the PMO said Prime Minister Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in the fire accident at the Jhansi Medical College in Uttar Pradesh.
The injured would be given Rs 50,000, the PMO said.
The children, who were in the outer part of the NICU, were rescued along with some of those who were in the interior part.
"Prima facie there is information of the death of 10 children," the DM said.
Those less critical are admitted in the outer section of the NICU while the more critical patients are kept in the interior part, he added.
