Emotional Siraj heads straight to father's grave from airport, offers prayers
Hyderabad: Mohammed Siraj went straight to the graveyard on his return from a historic tour and paid his last respects to his father who died two months ago while the India speedster was doing national team duty in Australia.
As Siraj stood and prayed in front of his father Mohammed Ghouse's grave, his two-month long wait finally came to an end.
He laid flowers at his father's grave while offering prayers before heading to his home in Al-Hasnath colony.
Siraj's 53-year-old father, who was an auto driver, had died on November 20 due to a lung ailment -- barely a week after his son landed in Australia with the Indian team.
He was given the option of returning home but the pacer chose to stay back with the team for the tour.
He made his Test debut in the second match in Melbourne and finished the Border-Gavaskar series with 13 wickets - the most by any Indian bowler as the team came from behind to script a memorable 2-1 series win.
Having got the backing of his family, Siraj's brave decision to stay back not only saw him make his India debut but also play an instrumental part in the team's victory while fulfilling his father's dream of representing the country in the highest form of the game.
"It was my (late) father's dream that Siraj should represent India in Tests. He always wanted to see him (Siraj) in blue and white jersey to represent the nation, so the dream got fulfilled," Siraj's brother Mohammed Ismail had told PTI.
Siraj bowled his heart out and picked up a maiden five-wicket haul (5/73) at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia's fortress which was breached on Tuesday after 32 years.
"It was a great achievement by the Indian team and my brother Siraj has achieved what our father dreamt. We are happy that Siraj was able to contribute to the victory," Ismail said.
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Karnataka says sandbar removal in Uttara Kannada rivers will begin after environmental clearance
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the removal of sandbars from four major rivers in Uttara Kannada district will proceed only after mandatory environmental approvals are granted.
In an affidavit submitted before the NGT’s Chennai Bench, the Department of Mines and Geology said it has already applied to the Karnataka State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for permission to clear sandbars in the Sharavathi, Gangavali, Kali and Aghanashini rivers. The tribunal had earlier issued a notice seeking the State’s response following complaints of illegal sand mining in the region, as reported Deccan Herald.
According to the department, eight proposals have been submitted for sandbar removal in the Sharavathi river, seven in the Kali, four in the Aghanashini and one in the Gangavali. It stated that no work would begin until SEIAA grants the requisite clearances.
Officials had earlier told the tribunal that excessive sand accumulation could obstruct river flow, increase erosion of riverbanks and raise the risk of flooding. They also said clearing the sandbars and using the material locally while following environmental safeguards.
