Nuclear power plant: K'taka to ask NTPC to submit report regarding location after carrying out study
Bengaluru, Jul 17 (PTI): The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to ask the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to submit a report after carrying out a study across the state, regarding the location for the proposed nuclear power plant, following which it said it will take a considered view.
The cabinet did not agree with three potential sites identified by NTPC to conduct preliminary studies for setting up the nuclear power plant.
"In-principle approval was sought to set up a nuclear power plant in the state, along with permission to conduct preliminary studies at potential sites identified by NTPC. They (NTPC) were requesting to study three locations, but the cabinet did not agree with that. We have decided that let them study the whole of the state for possible viable alternatives and submit a report, so that the government of Karnataka will take a considered view," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, he said, "Now we have agreed that we need to have a nuclear project, but as regards the location is concerned, they have to study all possible alternatives and submit the report and we will take the considered opinion later."
The three places suggested were in Vijayapura, Raichur and Koppal district. "They were not considered for various reasons after detailed discussion," he said.
Patil said, to promote tourism in the state, it was decided that, the North Karnataka tourist circuit including Hampi-Badami-Aihole-Pattadakallu-Vijayapura will be developed under the DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer) model through Karnataka Tourism Infrastructure Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 2,166.22 crore.
Administrative approval was given by the cabinet to undertake 5 years of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) work of the Lift Irrigation Project to fill 126 lakes in Kolar district and Chintamani taluk of Chikkaballapur district with treated wastewater from Bengaluru city at an estimated cost of Rs 128.00 crore.
Also approved was the purchase of the 32 Mobile Forensic Vehicles (with Fabrication + SOC kits) for the Directorates of Forensic Science Laboratories at a cost of Rs 2,20,40 crore.
To develop a new textile park in Raichur taluk, Raichur district, under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model at a total cost of Rs 24.50 crore was approved by the cabinet.
The cabinet has also decided to merge the Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani (ASU) Drugs Enforcement Division and Testing Laboratory of the Department of AYUSH with the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA).
The establishment of Dr B R Ambedkar Constitution chair in the University of Mysore at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore was also approved.
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Iran reimposes restrictions on Strait of Hormuz, accusing US of violating deal to reopen it
Cairo (AP): Iran swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the critical waterway on Saturday after the US said it would not end its blockade of Iran-linked shipping.
Iran's joint military command said on Saturday that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces.” It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
The announcement came the morning after US President Donald Trump said that even after Iran announced the strait's reopening on Friday, the American blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear programme.
The conflict over the chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy after oil prices began to fall again on Friday on hopes the US and Iran were drawing closer to an agreement. Roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes through the strait, and further limits would squeeze already constrained supply, driving prices higher once again.
Control over the strait has proven to be one of Iran's main points of leverage and prompted the United States to deploy forces and initiate a blockade on Iranian ports as part of an effort to force Iran to accept a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire to end almost seven weeks of war that has raged between Israel, the US and Iran.
Iran said it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels after a 10-day truce was announced between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. But after Trump said the blockade would continue, top Iranian officials said his announcement violated last week's ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US and warned the strait would not stay open if the US blockade remained in effect.
A data firm, Kpler, said movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Iran's approval.
US forces have sent 21 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, US Central Command said on X.
Truce in Lebanon could help US-Iran peace efforts
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The ceasefire in Lebanon could clear one major obstacle to an agreement. But it was unclear to what extent Hezbollah would abide by a deal it did not play a role in negotiating, and which will leave Israeli troops occupying a stretch of southern Lebanon.
Trump said in another post that Israel is “prohibited” by the US from further strikes on Lebanon and that “enough is enough” in the Israel-Hezbollah war.
The State Department said the prohibition applies only to offensive attacks and not to actions taken in self-defence.
Shortly before Trump's post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel agreed to the ceasefire in Lebanon “at the request of my friend President Trump,” but that the campaign against Hezbollah is not complete.
He claimed Israel had destroyed about 90 per cent of Hezbollah's missile and rocket stockpiles and added that Israeli forces “have not finished yet” with the dismantling of the group.
In Beirut, displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs despite warnings by officials not to return to their homes until it became clear whether the ceasefire would hold.
The Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon reported sporadic artillery shelling in some parts of southern Lebanon in the hours after the ceasefire took effect.
An end to Israel's war with Hezbollah was a key demand of Iranian negotiators, who previously accused Israel of breaking last week's ceasefire with strikes on Lebanon. Israel had said that the deal did not cover Lebanon.
The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen US service members have also been killed.
