Kerala floods: Here's how Twitter can save you from fake news
New Delhi, Aug 11: If you are in Kerala and are affected by the devastating floods, using Twitter may help you steer clear of fake news.
When communication services are limited and internet connectivity is poor, using the data-friendly "Twitter Lite" can help you connect easily with government agencies, relief organisations, media and volunteers.
One just needs to use hashtags such as #KeralaFloods, #KeralaFloods2018 to find information regarding relief operations, such as locations of relief centres.
Other hashtags such as #OpMadad can help with aid or rescue and #KeralaFloodRelief for raising funds for Kerala flood survivors.
To keep abreast with latest information, you can track Twitter "Moments" which is available in over 40 languages and can also be accessed offline.
"Moments" are curated stories showcasing the most relevant tweets for what's happening on the micro-blogging site.
One can also create a chronological account of the situation and curate relevant tweets, which can serve as a point of reference later on.
Further, tracking government agencies like the National Disaster Response Force (@NDRFHQ) Indian Navy (@indiannavy), Press Information Bureau (@PIBIndia), the Chief Minister of Kerala (@CMOKerala), and the Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) can help get the latest news from trusted sources, as and when it happens.
Avoid sharing information that you are not able to verify and after receiving the help you need, make sure you update your tweet to save time and avoid duplication of effort.
The northern and central parts of the state have been battered by heavy rains since August 8, causing one of the worst floods in its history and have until now claimed 29 lives and left 54,000 homeless.
Saving their lives was our priority. Now it is our duty to help them rebuild it. Contribute generously to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. #KeralaFloods #KeralaFloodRelief pic.twitter.com/eNHjyENt8d
— CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 11, 2018
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
