New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in World Cup
Bengaluru, Nov 9: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their World Cup match here on Thursday.
New Zealand chased down the target of 172 for the loss of five wickets in 23.2 overs.
Devon Conway top-scored for New Zealand with 45 while Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra made 43 and 42 respectively.
Earlier, Sri Lanka were bowled out for a paltry 171.
The Black Caps put up their best bowling performance when it mattered most to bowl out the islanders in 46.4 overs.
Kusal Perera smashed 51 off 28 balls but Trent Boult (3/37 in 10 overs) upfront and Mitchell Santner (2/22 in 10 overs) in the post powerplay overs were unplayable. The last wicket pair of Maheesh Theekshana (39 not out) and Dilshan Madushanka (19) added 43 runs to take the team past the 170-run mark.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka: 171 in 46.4 overs (Kusal Perera 51; Trent Boult 3/37, Mitchell Santner 2/22).
New Zealand: 172 for 5 in 23.2 overs (Devon Conway 45, Daryl Mitchell 43, Rachin Ravindra 42; Angelo Mathews 2/29).
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NGT halts Karnataka govt plan to divert ₹400 crore from KSPCB
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s move to divert over ₹400 crore from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for non-environmental works has hit a legal hurdle, after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance of the issue.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald, the state government had sought ₹100 crore as a grant, a ₹126 crore interest-free loan, and an additional ₹200 crore loan at an interest rate of 7.5% from the KSPCB. The funds were proposed to be used for projects related to preventing man-animal conflict and for coastal resilience works.
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The principal bench of the NGT, while issuing notices to Karnataka and other states, observed that pollution control boards are already facing severe staff shortages and increasing responsibilities. It noted that while boards are not allowed to fill vacancies to carry out their statutory duties, their funds are being sought for activities not covered under the Air Act or Water Act, which govern their functioning.
Of the total ₹426 crore sought by the state, ₹300 crore was proposed for constructing railway barricades to prevent man-elephant conflict, while ₹126 crore was earmarked for coastal protection works under a climate change mitigation programme.
The report also pointed out that diverting KSPCB funds lacks legal backing under the Water and Air Acts. It referred to a 2023 NGT order that questioned a similar attempt by the Punjab government to divert ₹250 crore, following which Punjab withdrew its proposal.
Officials within the KSPCB have raised concerns over the move, stating that the board requires greater autonomy and urgent reforms. They also flagged acute staff shortages, which have affected the board’s ability to effectively carry out environmental monitoring and regulatory functions.
