Hima bags gold; books Asiad berth on Day 2 of NISSAC
Guwahati, June 28 : Local favourite and brand ambassador of the 58th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships Hima Das on Wednesday lived to her billing to clinch the gold in women's 200m race in a meet record-equalling time of 23.10 seconds and book a ticket for the upcoming Asian Games.
Running at lane number 7, the 18-year-old led the final race from start to the end, leaving behind Odisha's Dutee Chand (23.41) by a big gap at the finish line to clock a personal best time. Another Odisha sprinter Srabani Nanda took the bronze in 23.87.
Dutee also booked an Asian Games berth after clocking 23.46 in one of the heats on Tuesday. The qualifying time for Asiad in this event is 23.50.
In men's 200m, Muhammed Anas of Kerala took the gold in 20.98 seconds but missed the qualifying mark of 20.87. V.K. Elakkiya Dasan of Tamil Nadu secured the silver in 21.31 while Parveen Kumar (21.43) got the bronze.
Anas, who began running 200m recently, had clocked 20.74 in Poland earlier this month.
Meanwhile, in women's 800m race, Komal Chodhary of Haryana took the gold clocking 2 minutes and 06.68 seconds, well outside the qualifying mark of 2:03.00. Shipra Sarkar of Bengal took the silver in 2:07.02 while Maharashtra's Archana Adhav clocked 2:07.22 to take bronze.
Eight athletes have so far breached the Asian Games qualifying mark set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). India has been allotted 102 (52 men and 50 women) spots by the organisers of the Asian Games to be hosted at Jakarta in August.
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Trekking without nature guide won't be allowed; Karnataka forest minister releases SOP
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Friday said that trekking will no longer be permitted on any approved trekking routes under the forest department, without a certified nature guide equipped with GPS-enabled walkie-talkies.
Speaking after releasing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) formulated for the safety of trekkers, he said that there will be one local nature guide for every 10 trekkers. A maximum of 150 trekkers will be allowed per batch on any trekking route.
According to him, online registration for trekking is mandatory. Even if a single individual registers for a particular day, a guide will still be provided, and trekking without a guide will not be allowed.
He said the SOP was introduced following recent incidents, including a woman from Kerala who went missing for three days in the forests during a trek at Tadiandamol hill in Kodagu, and a minor girl who went missing and was later found dead near Manikyadhara in Chikkamagaluru, which is outside forest jurisdiction.
In a statement, the Khandre's office said that nature guides will be mandatorily equipped with GPS-enabled walkie-talkies on all trekking routes. "Additionally, a mobile app containing trekking route maps will be installed on trekkers' phones. This will help locate trekkers if they lose their way", it said.
As per the SOP, before the trek begins, trekkers will be briefed about the distance, duration, and local conditions.
"Instructions on how to respond if wildlife is encountered will also be provided. Loud devices, sharp metal objects, weapons, and campfires are strictly prohibited on trekking routes," it said.
The SOP further stated that separate toilets for men and women and drinking water facilities will be provided at base camps.
Directional arrow markings will guide trekkers along the route, and rest points will be created along the way, it said.
Citing the SOP, the statement said that nature guides must ensure that no trekker moves ahead of them or is left behind. Headcounts must be conducted at base camps and rest points.
"Guides must communicate with the base camp via walkie-talkie every 30 minutes. If there is no communication within an hour of the trek starting, base camp staff will contact the guide to confirm safety," it said.
The SOP states that minors must carry a consent letter from their parents or guardians, and senior citizens must provide a fitness certificate confirming their physical capability to undertake trekking. To be able to respond to unexpected health issues, trekkers and guides must carry a first aid kit.
However, flash photography, single-use plastics, and carry bags are prohibited and trekkers must bring back their waste and dispose of it only at base camps, as per SOP.
It further said that all trekking routes under the forest department will be integrated into the official website (https://aranyavihaara.karnataka.gov.in/) to enable advance booking of tickets.
