Indonesia volcano erupts, forces evacuation
Jakarta, May 11: Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted on Friday spewing 5,500-metre high column of volcanic ash, forcing residents to evacuate.
The volcano situated in the borders of Klaten, Magelang and Boyolali districts erupted at 7.30 a.m., Xinhua news agency quoted national disaster management agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho as saying.
Volcanic ash rain has occurred in Tugu Kaliurang and is forecast to persist in the south of the crater, he said.
To prevent the risks especially, the local officials have distributed masks, Sutopo added.
"Local disaster agency has instructed the villagers living in the radius 5 km from the crater to evacuate immediately," he told Xinhua.
A 3 km no-go zone has been declared by the volcanology agency.
Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano and has regularly erupted since 1948.
It is located about 28 km north of Yogyakarta city which has a population of 2.4 million and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano.
Pyrolastic flow from a large explosion killed 27 people on November 1994, and another large eruption occurred in 2006. Mount Merapi is one of Indonesias 129 active volcanoes.
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VHP warns of statewide stir in Karnataka against move to ease cattle transport law
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
