Manipur violence: Tribal belt in Gujarat to observe bandh on July 23; Congress extends support
Ahmedabad, Jul 22: A bandh will be observed in the tribal belt of Gujarat on Sunday in protest against the ethnic violence and atrocities on women in Manipur, a tribal leader said.
The opposition Congress has decided to support the bandh in protest against the ruling BJP's "failure" to control the situation in the north-eastern state, a party spokesperson said on Saturday.
Several tribal outfits, including Adivasi Ekta Manch, have come together to call for a shutdown in the tribal-dominated districts of Gujarat.
"On Sunday, a bandh will be observed in the tribal belt in Gujarat as per the call given by the tribal community to protest against violence and atrocities against women in Manipur; Madhya Pradesh urination incident, and atrocities on tribals in Gujarat," said tribal leader Praful Vasava, who recently resigned from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
He said the call for a shutdown is not announced under the banner of any single organisation or a political party but with the consensus of various tribal and other socio-political organisations.
"Several tribal organisations have given a call for a bandh to protest against the Central government's stance on Manipur. They requested Congress for support to the bandh and the party has decided to fully support it. The BJP is responsible for the situation in Manipur," said Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi.
A video shot on May 4 surfaced on Wednesday, showing two women from one of the warring communities in Manipur being paraded naked by a few men from the other side, sparking national outrage.
Gujarat accounts for around eight per cent of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of India which is mainly concentrated in the eastern districts of the state.
More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
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Delhi sees 140 per cent rise in fire calls in April as city reels under intense heat
New Delhi (PTI): As temperatures climb across the national capital, fire incidents have surged sharply, with the Delhi Fire Services responding to over 3,200 calls this month until April 26, even as daily calls have risen by around 140 per cent compared to the pre-April period.
Before April, the department was receiving around 70 to 80 calls daily, which has now increased to nearly 190 to 200 calls per day, especially since last Monday, amid the ongoing spell of heat, an official said.
"Heat alone is not the only factor, but it is certainly a major contributing one," a DFS official told PTI, adding that as temperatures rise, the load on electrical infrastructure increases significantly.
"Air conditioners run continuously, wiring heats up, and transformers operate under stress, which raises the chances of short circuits and fire incidents," the official explained.
The official further added that the weather is also extremely dry at this time, which compounds the vulnerability, making even a small spark dangerous.
Once a fire starts, it tends to spread faster than usual under such conditions, he said.
"We do observe a seasonal rise in fire incidents during summer months every year, but this time the increase has been sharper," the official underscored, adding that the combination of sustained high temperatures, dry winds and increased power usage is making the situation more challenging.
"Our teams are on alert and responding to a significantly higher volume of calls on a daily basis," the official emphasised.
The spike in fire calls comes as Delhi continues to reel under high temperatures, fluctuating between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius in recent days.
On April 25, the city recorded a maximum of 42.8 degrees Celsius, 5.1 degrees above normal, making it the highest April temperature recorded in the last four years, since 2022 when the mercury had reached 43.5 degrees Celsius on April 28.
On Monday, at Safdarjung, the city’s base station, the maximum temperature was recorded at 42.3 degrees Celsius, 3.3 degrees above normal, making it the second-hottest day of the month.
Palam also recorded a maximum of 42.3 degrees Celsius, about 2.1 degrees above normal, while Lodhi Road logged 42.4 degrees Celsius, about 4.4 degrees above normal.
The Ridge station recorded the highest maximum at 43.8 degrees Celsius, about 4.3 degrees above normal, followed by Ayanagar at 43.2 degrees Celsius, around 3.7 degrees above normal.
However, some respite is expected in the coming days, with the weather office forecasting thunderstorms, gusty winds and light rain from Tuesday onwards, which could bring a dip in temperatures next week.
