Puddles, dripping ceiling at viewing gallery of Gujarat’s Statue of Unity
New Delhi : At 153 metres, the viewing gallery at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada district provides no relief from the pouring rain. As the southwest monsoon intensified across the state Saturday, a video emerged of visitors carefully wading through puddles of water while rainwater leaked from cracks in the ceiling. The State of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is the world’s tallest statue at 182 metres.
The viewing gallery, which can accommodate up to 200 visitors at a time, has been designed in a way to ensure that the public gets a grand view of the Narmada.
The statue is experiencing its first monsoon since its inauguration in October last year and therefore videos of water dripping from the ceiling in the gallery went viral in no time on Saturday morning as the rains intensified overnight.
However, officials of the statue stated that the accumulation of water on the floor of the viewing gallery could not be termed as ‘leakage’.
IK Patel, CEO of Statue of Unity, told a newspaper that the gallery had puddles of water as it was open.
“The entire purpose of keeping the viewing gallery open is to allow the people to enjoy the scenic beauty of the place in its natural form. There is a glass enclosure at the back and there is no water collected there. However, the front of the gallery at the chest is open as per the design and it is natural that the rain will come into the standing area. There is no leakage in this part as the water dripping from the ceiling is also just a trail of the same rainwater,” he said.
विश्व की सबसे उंची प्रतिमा स्टेच्यु ओफ युनिटी मे घुसा बारिश का पानी
— jayesh cHauHaN (@BeiNgjacks) June 29, 2019
व्यु गेलेरी समेत अन्य कई जगह पर पहोंचा वारिश का पानी
3 हजार करोड कि लागत से बनी है स्टेच्यु ओफ युनिटी कि सरदार पटेल साहव कि प्रतिमा#sardarpatel #statueofunity #gujarat pic.twitter.com/BMNyuaZn5X
Patel, however, agreed that the exhibition hall at the base has reported leakage from several parts of the ceiling on Saturday morning.
courtesy: indianexpress.com
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What is Iran’s 10-point plan? Key demands ahead of US talks in Islamabad
Tehran/Islamabad: Iran has outlined a 10-point plan as the basis for upcoming talks with the United States, expected to begin in Islamabad on April 11, according to a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.
The plan lays out Tehran’s key political, military and economic demands, and is being seen as a framework for negotiations following the recent escalation in the region.
Strait of Hormuz at the centre
A major focus of the plan is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Iran has proposed “controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces,” which it says would give the country a unique economic and geopolitical position.
The plan also calls for the “establishment of a safe transit protocol” in the Strait that would guarantee Iran’s dominance under an agreed mechanism.
Call to end conflict
Iran has demanded “the necessity of ending the war against all elements of the axis of resistance,” signalling its expectation that hostilities should stop not only in Iran but also involving allied groups in the region.
US troop withdrawal
Another key demand is the “withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases and deployment points in the region,” indicating Tehran’s long-standing position against American military presence in West Asia.
Sanctions relief and compensation
The plan places strong emphasis on economic measures. It calls for “full payment of Iran’s damages according to estimates,” along with “the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council.”
It also seeks “the release of all Iranian assets and properties frozen abroad,” which have been a major point of contention for years.
Binding global guarantee
Finally, Iran has demanded that all these terms be formally recognised through “a binding Security Council resolution,” suggesting it wants international legal backing to ensure enforcement.
What this means
The 10-point plan reflects Iran’s broader push for security guarantees, economic relief and regional influence. The upcoming talks in Islamabad are expected to test how far both sides are willing to negotiate on these demands.
