Mohali building collapse: Body of man found, death toll climbs to two
Chandigarh (PTI): The death toll in the Mohali building collapse climbed to two on Sunday with the body of a man recovered from under the rubble, officials said.
The multi-storey building collapsed on Saturday evening in Sohana village of Punjab's Mohali district, with at least five people trapped in its rubble.
One male body was recovered during the ongoing rescue operation, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mohali, Damandeep Kaur said, according to an official statement.
The identity of the deceased was being ascertained, the statement said.
Earlier, a 20-year-old woman died in the incident on Saturday evening.The woman hailing from Himachal Pradesh, died after she was pulled out of the debris of the building. She was rescued from the rubble in critical condition and was rushed to a hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries.
The rescue effort continued overnight.
Police have booked two building owners in the incident.
Several excavators have been pressed into service as part of the rescue operation.
National Disaster Response Team (NDRF), Army, state rescue teams have been working since Saturday evening to address the crisis. Medical teams, along with an ambulance, have also been deployed at the site since Saturday evening.
As the operation continued at the site, required equipment and machinery have been made available to the rescuers, in addition to those brought by the NDRF and Army.
Earlier, a resident had said a loud noise was heard when the building collapsed.
Preliminary information suggests the building, which also had a gym, collapsed due to digging in an adjacent plot.
"IndianArmy reacted swiftly for the rescue. In a remarkable display of coordinated efforts, #IndianArmy Columns along with #NDRF and State rescue teams have been relentlessly working to address the crisis.
"Engineer Task Force with debris clearance machine & JCBs are operational at site. Top debris removed & efforts being done to reach the basement," Western Command, Indian Army, said in a post on X.
After the incident on Saturday, all major hospitals in Mohali such as Civil Hospital (attached within Medical College), Fortis, Max and Sohana, were put on alert to cater to the wounded.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, who was at the spot on Saturday, had said a multi-agency rescue effort was underway.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka govt issues order to constitute team to expedite Mekedatu project
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka state government on Friday said that it issued an order to form a team under the leadership of KERS Director K G Mahesh to expedite the Mekedatu project in view of "the favourable Supreme Court order".
According to the Government Order dated December 11, which was shared with the media on Friday, the committee will comprise the Deputy Chief Engineer and other staff of Karnataka Engineering Research Station (KERS) and will operate from its project office to be set up in Ramanagara, the district headquarters town of Bengaluru South.
The order stated that a meeting on Mekedatu held on November 18 under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has decided to set up the office of Superintending Engineer to expedite Mekedatu work.
In view of the requirement of the finance department approval for staffing and office set up, it has been decided to give the responsibility to KERS Director, it stated.
ALSO READ: Leadership tussle: High command has not called me to Delhi, says Siddaramaiah
"The team under KERS Director will comprise an executive engineer, three technical assistants, six assistant engineers, one accountant, a superintendent and other staff," it added.
The order further stated that Caveri Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) will take steps to set up the Mekedatu project office. This office will function under the leadership of CNNL Director, and administrative expenses will be borne by the CNNL.
The Director of CNNL has been instructed to hand over all the relevant documents of the Mekedatu project to the KERS Director, the order added.
On November 13, the Supreme Court rejected Tamil Nadu's plea against the Mekedatu project, calling the objection "premature".
A bench comprising then Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justices K Vinod Chandran and Justice NV Anjaria had said the plan would be approved only after considering the objections of the State as well as the opinion of the expert bodies, Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
The Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project, proposed by the Karnataka government, involves constructing a dam across the Cauvery River primarily to supply drinking water to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region and generate hydroelectric power.
The project, located near the deep gorge of Mekedatu (goat's leap in Kannada)--where the Arkavathi River joins the Cauvery on the border of Ramanagara and Chamarajanagar districts--aims to utilise 4.75 TMC feet of water to meet the growing needs of Bengaluru and surrounding areas, while generating about 400 MW of power annually.
According to officials in the Water Resources Department, the reservoir will act as a buffer, ensuring Tamil Nadu receives its share of Cauvery water without depleting the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam.
The cost of the project is estimated to be between Rs 9,000 crore and Rs 14,000 crore, officials said.
