Ankola Landslide: One truck located in Gangavali River, says Minister Krishna Byre Gowda
Bengaluru: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced on Wednesday that a truck has been located in the Gangavali River amid the ongoing search for 3 victims who went missing after a landslide in Shirur on July 16. One among them is truck driver Arjun, a native of Kerala.
Minister Byre Gowda confirmed on X that a truck has been definitively identified in the river, and naval deep divers will soon attempt to anchor it. A long boom excavator is being used to dredge the river, while an advanced drone-based Intelligent Underground Buried Object Detection system has been deployed. The Coast Guard will conduct a helicopter search for any bodies in the water, he said.
Update on operation at Shiroor landslide.
— Krishna Byre Gowda (@krishnabgowda) July 24, 2024
One truck has been definitively located in the water and that the naval deep divers will attempt anchoring shortly.
The long arm boomer excavator will be used to dredge the river.
Advanced drone based Intelligent Underground Buried…
The search for the victims, now in its ninth day, intensified with the arrival of a long boom excavator at the Gangavali River, where a sonar signal had detected metal parts. The excavator will remove mud from a depth of 60 meters. Additionally, a state-of-the-art radio frequency scanner is set to aid in locating Arjun and two other missing individuals.
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The Navy and disaster management forces are employing advanced technology, including sonar and radar, in the search operations. Former army officer M Indrabalan will also join the mission with sophisticated surveillance equipment. Four expert teams from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Surathkal have also arrived to assist.
The Karnataka government clarified that there was no delay in initiating the rescue mission for Arjun. The search began immediately after the complaint was received on the night of July 19, with operations starting on July 20. The Karnataka High Court has also been informed of the rescue effort.
The landslide, which occurred on National Highway 66, led to significant damage and injuries. Rescue operations commenced shortly after the incident, with efforts involving national and state disaster management forces, the fire services, the navy, and local authorities. The government had initially warned against moving the soil quickly to avoid triggering further landslides.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
