42 fresh cases of COVID-19 reported in Karnataka
Bengaluru, May 29 (PTI): In a second similar incident in Karnataka, an elderly man who tested positive for Covid-19 has died at a hospital in Belagavi district, a senior official in the health department said.
Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary, Karnataka's Health and Family Welfare department, had earlier confirmed the death to PTI.
According to a health department release, the 70-year-old patient, a resident of Benakanahalli village in Belagavi, died late Wednesday night.
The patient died due to acute cardiorespiratory arrest with encephalopathy and late onset seizures associated with diabetes, hypertension, IHD and positive status.
The patient, it was further stated in the release, had an episode of seizure and became unconscious on May 26 and he was taken to a private hospital in Belagavi.
He was treated by a neuro physician there and diagnosed as suffering from focal seizures with encephalopathy and severe anaemia with thrombocytopenia, according to the health department.
As his oxygen saturation was 88 per cent, his throat swab was taken and he was found to be Covid positive as well, added the press note.
It also stated that the patient's attenders took him to Belagavi Medical College and Hospital against medical advice on May 28.
"At the hospital, he was admitted in the Respiratory Medicine department and treated as per Covid protocol. However, in spite of all efforts the patient's condition deteriorated and he died on May 28," noted the release.
On May 17, an 84-year-old-man with severe comorbidities died at a private hospital in Whitefield, Bengaluru and his Covid-19 test results came positive after his death.
Meanwhile, the health department bulletin pegged active Covid-19 cases at 148 in Karnataka as of May 29, with 42 new cases being reported on Thursday.
The day also saw a total of 513 tests being done for Covid, including 463 RTPCR and 50 RAT. Thursday's positivity rate stood at 8.18 per cent and fatality rate at 2.3 per cent.
Daily report of Covid 19 as on 29-05-2025
— Karnataka Health Department (@DHFWKA) May 29, 2025
ಕೋವಿಡ್ 19 - ದಿನದ ವರದಿ
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Illegal sand mining has created environmental crisis in National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday said rampant illegal riverbed sand mining has created an "environmental crisis" and wreaked "havoc" in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, causing a grave risk to the gharial (long-snouted crocodile) preservation project.
Slamming the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for their utter failure in dealing with the issue, the apex court directed them to install high-resolution Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along all routes frequently used for illegal sand mining in the area.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed that live feed of such surveillance cameras shall be placed under the direct control, supervision and operational oversight of the superintendent of police or the senior superintendent of police of the concerned district and the divisional forest officer.
It said these officers shall ensure continuous and effective monitoring of the CCTV feeds by designating appropriate officers.
"It can't be gainsaid that the issues involved are of great concern in as much as the rampant illegal mining activities in the river bed have created an environmental crisis and havoc in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary causing a grave risk to the very project of gharial preservation of which the state governments themselves were proponents and were under an obligation to foster and promote," Justice Mehta said while pronouncing the order.
The bench directed the authorities in these three states to initiate prompt and necessary action under law if any instance of illegal mining or allied activities comes to light.
It said the authorities shall ensure seizure of vehicles or machinery found involved in illegal sand mining and also initiate prosecution of persons involved in it.
The bench, which passed several other directions, posted the matter for hearing on May 11.
The top court passed the order in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife'.
The National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400-sq km tri-state protected area.
Besides the endangered gharial, it is home to the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river Dolphin.
Located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary was first declared a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long and narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.
On March 13, the top court took suo motu cognisance of news reports about rampant illegal sand mining on the banks of the Chambal river.
