Snake bites to boat mishaps, Uttar Pradesh expands disaster relief list
With the Yogi Adityanath government expanding the eligibility for compensation through the State Disaster Relief Fund, victims of man-animal conflict, snake bites, boat mishaps and choking due to sewage cleaning or gas leakage will now be eligible for financial assistance in Uttar Pradesh.
“The families of people who die in such tragedies will now get Rs 4 lakh,” said state relief commissioner Sanjay Kumar.
Mrityunjay Kumar, principal secretary to the chief minister, said Adityanath was disturbed by the large number of people falling victim to snake bites and house collapses in the monsoon. “The decision is meant to help the needy. A policy will now be in place for assistance under various heads,” he added.
The government has already issued a notification in this regard.
Till now, only those injured, dead or financially hit due to rain, lightning strikes, storms, floods, earthquakes, heat wave and other natural phenomena were covered under the State Disaster Relief Fund. “The norms for providing aid to victims in these newly included tragedies will be the same as those for other notified natural disasters. The scale of relief assistance will not exceed the norms of the State Disaster Relief Fund,” said Kumar.
Chief conservator of forests Ramesh Pandey said Uttar Pradesh has finally become a state where equal importance is given to human and animal lives. “Man-animal conflicts will now be treated as state disasters, and the entire government machinery will be deployed to tackle it,” he added.
Dr Sam Meesum, a senior medical officer who trains health workers to handle snake bite cases at 20 community health centres across the state, said five to ten snake-bite cases are reported from each such unit every month during the monsoon.
Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
