Vajpayee's ashes immersed in Cauvery river in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Aug 23 : The ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were immersed in the Cauvery river at Srirangapatna on Thursday, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) official said.
"The ashes in urns were immersed in the Cauvery by party's state unit President B.S. Yeddyurappa from the river's bank at 'Pashchim Vahini' in Srirangapatna near Mysuru," a party official told reporters here.
Srirangapatna in Mandya district is about 130km from Bengaluru in the old Mysuru region.
Hundreds of people from the historic town and Mysuru gathered at the river banks to pay homage to Vajpayee on the occasion.
Vajpayee, 94, passed away in New Delhi on August 16 after prolonged illness.
"The ashes will also be immersed on Friday in seven other rivers across the state -- Netravathi, Malaprabha, Krishna, Karanja, Tungabhadra, Sharavati and Tunga -- by the party's state leaders and cadres.
Yeddyurappa and Central ministers from the southern state Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda brought the ashes in eight urns from New Delhi on Wednesday for immersion in the eight rivers across the state.
A condolence meeting will be held in Bengaluru on Sunday to pay tributes to Vajpayee.
The urns containing the ashes were kept at the party's state unit office after they were brought from Delhi to enable the party's leaders, cadres and the public to pay floral tributes to the departed leader.
"Amar Rahe, Amar Rahe, Atal Bihari Amar Rahe" slogans rent the air.
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Amid blistering heat in coastal areas, Udupi DC urges precautionary measures
Udupi: Amid rising temperatures across coastal districts this summer, Udupi Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T.K. has urged the public to take necessary precautionary measures.
Chairing a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority at the District Collectorate Hall, Rajatadri in Manipal on Tuesday, she said that people must be made aware of the risks associated with excessive heat.
She stressed the need for caution against dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which are common during extreme weather conditions.
The Deputy Commissioner noted that heatstroke can have serious adverse effects on human health and urged the public to follow precautionary measures issued by the District Disaster Management Authority.
She directed health department officials to ensure adequate stocks of ORS and other essential medicines at all health centres to tackle heat-related illnesses. She also instructed authorities to provide clean drinking water in crowded places such as markets, bus stands and railway stations.
Immediate steps should be taken to address drinking water shortages during the summer, she said. At present, there is no shortage of fodder for cattle in the district, with sufficient stock available for the next 39 weeks across all taluks.
Highlighting the increased risk of fire accidents during summer, the Deputy Commissioner called for regular inspections of fire safety measures in hospitals, industries and other crowded places. She emphasised the need for preparedness to respond swiftly in case of fire emergencies.
Expressing dissatisfaction over delays in conducting fire safety audits despite instructions issued in the previous meeting, she directed fire department officials to complete the audits at the earliest and submit a report.
Swaroopa also instructed taluk-level task force committees to hold regular meetings and ensure there are no disruptions in drinking water supply. She added that a district-level committee has been formed under her chairmanship to handle emergencies such as oil spills, and members should be well-informed about response plans.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Abid Gadyal, ASP Sudhakar Nayak, Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary, Assistant Commissioner Rashmi, Municipal Commissioner Mahantesh Hangargi, and other district officials and tahsildars were present.
The Deputy Commissioner furthermore stressed that any issues related to drinking water supply for people and livestock in both urban and rural areas must be addressed on priority. In areas already facing shortages, borewells should be identified and water should be supplied through tankers.
She also directed that strict measures be taken to prevent the supply of contaminated water and that regular water quality testing be made mandatory.
“There are several adverse effects of extreme temperatures. Awareness should be created among both urban and rural populations through posters, banners and public announcements on the precautions to be taken. This will help safeguard public health,” Swaroopa said.
