Rupee falls 21 paise to 91.29 against US dollar in early trade
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Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 21 paise to 91.29 against the US dollar on Monday, amid higher crude oil prices, a strong American currency and intense global volatility due to the escalated Middle East tension.
Negative equity market sentiment and massive withdrawal of foreign funds also weighed on the Indian currency, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 91.23 and declined further to 91.29 against the greenback in initial deals, trading 21 paise down from its previous closing level.
On Friday, the rupee lost 17 paise to settle at 91.08 against the dollar.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.22 per cent higher at 97.78.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was up 3.91 per cent at 76.78 per barrel in futures trade.
Analysts said that crude prices soared after the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran.
In the latest strike, the US and Israel forces pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on the country's ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships. The attack was intensified after the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Experts say that India faces the risk of a sharp increase in its import bill with the rising crude prices in the international market as the country's 85 per cent fuel requirement is met through imports.
On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex tumbled 691.47 points or 0.85 per cent to 80,595.72, while Nifty tanked 240.95 points or 0.96 per cent to 24,937.70 in early trade.
On Friday, foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 7,536.36 crore, according to exchange data.
According to the government data released on Friday following a revamp of the GDP calculation framework, the country's economic growth has been projected at 7.6 per cent in the currency fiscal.
The latest RBI data released on Friday showed India's forex reserve dropped by USD 2.119 billion to USD 723.608 billion during the week ended February 20. The overall reserves had jumped by USD 8.663 billion to an all-time high of USD 725.727 billion in the previous reporting week.
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Mangaluru: Four-way waste segregation rolled out under new rules
Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has begun implementing the revised Solid Waste Management Rules 2026, which came into effect nationwide from April 1, making four-way waste segregation mandatory for all residents and establishments.
According to Deccan Herald, under the new system, waste must be segregated into four categories before being handed over to collection vehicles:
1. Wet waste such as kitchen refuse, fruit and vegetable peels, leftover food, meat waste, flowers and leaves.
2. Dry waste including plastic materials, bottles, paper, cardboard and rubber
3. Sanitary waste comprising used sanitary pads, diapers, condoms and bandages
4. Special care or domestic hazardous waste such as used batteries, LED bulbs, tube lights, paint containers, pesticide bottles and thermometers.
MCC Commissioner Ravichandra Naik said wet and sanitary waste will be collected daily, while dry and hazardous waste will be collected once a week (Fridays) to improve efficiency in handling different waste streams.
The corporation has also introduced stricter norms for bulk waste generators, defined as establishments producing more than 100 kg of waste per day, or having a built-up area exceeding 20,000 square metres, including offices, malls, hospitals and large residential complexes, as well as units consuming over 40,000 litres of water daily, will be treated as bulk waste generators and will be subject to stricter norms.
The MCC warned that violations of segregation rules will attract penalties under the Solid Waste Management Bye-laws, 2019, and urged citizens to strictly follow the new system.
For further information, citizens have been advised to contact or visit the Health Department of the corporation during office hours, said the commissioner.
To encourage sustainable practices, the civic body has also launched an initiative recognising zero-waste weddings. Recently, Commissioner Ravichandra Naik honoured Veerendar and Suraksha for conducting an eco-friendly wedding at Rajatadri auditorium in Vamanjoor on March 30.
The MCC in its X handle said "the wedding embraced a zero waste, plastic free and eco friendly concept."
At the ceremony, no plastic bottles were used; guests were served drinks in steel tumblers. No tissue papers were distributed during the programme. Ice cream was served in cups made of arecanut sheets. The stage was decorated with flowers and eco-friendly reusable decorative materials.
Eco-Friendly Wedding: A Green Start!
— ಮಂಗಳೂರು ಮಹಾನಗರ ಪಾಲಿಕೆ | Mangaluru City Corporation (@mangalurucorp) March 31, 2026
Hon'ble Commissioner Sri Ravichandra Naik, KAS, presented an appreciation letter to the couple Suraksha-Veerendra for their noble initiative. Their wedding at Vamanjoor (30-03-2026) embraced a Zero Waste, Plastic-Free, & Eco-Friendly concept. pic.twitter.com/Rlf8piTDUN
