Van der Dussen guides SA to 5-wicket win over Afghanistan
Ahmedabad, Nov 10: An unbeaten half-century from Rassie van der Dussen and a 64-run partnership for the opening wicket between Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma helped South Africa defeat Afghanistan by five wickets in their last league match of the World Cup here on Friday.
Chasing 245 for victory, the Proteas, who have already qualified for the semifinals, completed the task in 47.3 overs. They now have 14 points and continue to occupy the second spot behind India, who are on 16 points.
De Kock (41) and Bavuma (23) gave the Proteas the early push before Van der Dussen scored an unbeaten 76 off 95 balls to guide the team home.
Earlier, Azmatullah Omarzai hit a gritty unbeaten 97 as Afghanistan posted a challenging 244 all out in 50 overs.
The South African bowlers dominated the proceedings with Gerald Coetzee grabbing four wickets for 44 runs. Lungi Ngidi (2/69) and spinner Keshav Maharaj (2/25) took two wickets each.
The opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran had earlier given Afghanistan a decent start with a 41-run partnership.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan: 244 in 50 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 25, Rahmat Shah 26, Azmatullah Omarzai 97 not out, Noor Ahmad 26; Lungi Ngidi 2/69, Gerald Coetzee 4/44, Keshav Maharaj 2/25).
South Africa: 247 for 5 in 47.3 overs (Quinton de Kock 41, Rassie van der Dussen 76; Rashid Khan 2/37, Mohammad Nabi 2/35).
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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.
