Body of boy who fell into drain in Guwahati recovered
Guwahati (PTI): The body of an eight-year-old boy who had fallen into a stormwater drain in Guwahati on Thursday, was recovered about 4 km downstream in Rajgarh area of the city, police said.
The body was identified by his parents at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where it was taken after being retrieved on Sunday.
A post-mortem examination was conducted at the hospital, and DNA samples were collected for further testing.
The body was brought to his home in Noonmati area of the city in the afternoon.
Abhinash Sarkar had slipped from his father's scooter and fallen into the open drain on Thursday evening, as they were returning home amid heavy downpour.
Multiple agencies, including NDRF and SDRF, had launched a search operation, pressing into action different machinery and sniffer dogs.
Abhinash's father Hiralal had also carried out a search operation by himself, wading through the drain, slush and garbage with a stick in his hand for the last three days, spending the first two nights under a mosquito net on the verandah of a shop near the site of the incident.
A police officer said that the body was recovered around 9.30 am by rescue agencies in Rajgarh area, more than four km downstream from hilly Jyotinagar, where the boy had fallen into the drain.
The parents initially identified the body on the basis of photographs shared with them, and later physically verified it at the GMCH morgue.
A pall of gloom descended on the entire area as neighbours and others crowded the small courtyard of Abhinash's residence.
The last rites are being conducted at the local crematorium.
A sobbing Hiralal recounted his last conversation with Abhinash, saying that his son had informed him that his examinations had gone well and asked for a bicycle.
"I am a good rider but don't know what happened that day. I would also have died had I not held on to a branch. But I wish it was me instead of my son," he lamented.
Thanking the chief minister and rescue agencies for finding the body, Hiralal said, "I desperately wanted to find my son. And I am thankful to all for their efforts."
Abhinash's grandfather urged the authorities to cover all drains so that such incidents do not recur.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had visited the search site on Saturday, expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.
"Deeply pained! With a heavy heart, we have learnt that the child's body has been found. My deepest condolences go out to his parents and family during this unimaginable time," Sarma wrote on X.
The CM also extended gratitude to the personnel of the NDRF, SDRF, police and Kamrup Metropolitan district administration for their efforts in the search and rescue operations.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
