Ganga Vilas cruise, the longest river journey of 50 days, will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh

The government of India will launch the world's longest luxury cruise. It will be a 50-day cruise and will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh through Bangladesh next year. This is an attempt of the government to push inland water development in the country. In an interview, the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Ganga Vilas cruise will sail will cover 27 river systems and visit over 50 tourist sites including World Heritage Sites. The tentative date of starting is January 10 from Varanasi. The route will pass-through Kolkata and Dhaka and cover a distance of 4,000 km before reaching Bogibeel in Assam on March 1. This Ganga Vilas cruise will be the single largest river journey by a river ship in the world and will see both India and Bangladesh on the cruise map of the world. Govt to launch world's longest river cruise of 4,000 km from Varanasi next year.

The minister said development of coastal and river shipping, including cruise services, is one of the priorities of the government. He said – “besides promoting passenger traffic on rivers, the development of inland waterway systems would also facilitate trade and cargo services and give a boost to tourism around the areas along its route." The cruise will operate on a PPP model and the operators will decide ticket pricing. The route will cover almost 1,100 km in Bangladesh before re-entering India while sailing via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route. This route has opened trade and transit channels between India and Bangladesh as it connects the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.

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India imposed a ban on single use plastics but results are not showing even after three months

The ban on single use plastics imposed by India includes items like plates, cups, cutlery, straws, packaging films and cigarette packets. However, these are still in rampant circulation across the country and worsening pollution levels. Ravi Agarwal is the director of environmental NGO Toxics Link. He told a media outlet - "Though the central government has issued the ban, the implementation lies with the respective state governments and their state pollution control boards. The state's actions are not up to the mark; there seems to be lack of effective implementation strategy from the states to enforce the ban fully.” India uses about 14 million tons of plastic every year. The government has not issued any advisory on banning the use of SUPs. Neither are there any penalties. Therefore, SUP products continue to be available as usual. Why is India's single-use plastic ban failing? An official of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed that in spite of the ban, the use of SUP items, specifically thin carry-bags, continues unabated in the low-end section of the economy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that his government would be actively working towards a crackdown on plastic in its second term in power. However, plastic waste generated across the country daily is 26,000 tons. Out of this, more than 10,000 tons remain uncollected. One drawback is an organized plastic waste management system. In its absence, there is widespread littering and plastics end up in rivers, oceans and landfills. These pose threats to the lives of wildlife species. A senior official of CPCB says - "… we have directed strict enforcement of the ban, with a focus on street vendors, vegetable markets and local markets, along with checks at borders and inspection of concerned industries." It is necessary to improve waste segregation… and ramp up the infrastructure for recycling.

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China launched Mengtian module of its space station from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan

The unmanned Mengtian is the last of three modules that will comprise the space station of China. Mengtian translates into "Dreaming of the Heavens." This space station would be the second permanently inhabited outpost in low-earth orbit after the NASA-led International Space Station. The launching was from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in the southern island province of Hainan. China began construction of its space station in April 2021 with the launch of the Tianhe module. This was the main living quarters for astronauts. Later, in July this year it launched Wentian. This is a laboratory module for carrying out scientific experiments. The 23-tonne Mengtian is the third portion. It is also a laboratory module and it would dock with an axial port at one end of Tianhe. The T-shape space station will be complete when the individual components occupy their respective positions. 'Dreaming of the Heavens': China launches final module to space station. The design of the Chinese space station is for a lifespan of at least 10 years. It will fulfil the ambition of China of having it in a low-earth orbit because NASA's aging ISS would cease operation by the end of the decade.

The Chinese-built "Celestial Palace", as the space station is known at home, will also be an emblem of China's growing power and self-sufficiency in its space endeavors. It will be a challenger to the United States in the domain, after being isolated from the ISS and other collaboration with NASA. Moreover, the space station will also cap President Xi Jinping's 10 years as leader of China's ruling Communist Party. The plans of China vis-à-vis the station's lifetime is to conduct more than 1,000 scientific experiments. These would cover subjects like how plants adapt in space to how fluids behave in microgravity. Once the ISS retires, the demand would rise for use of the Chinese space station. China has already approved several proposals from countries ranging from Switzerland to India in the first batch of experiments. China would require two more missions this year before its station is ready for operation. Incidentally, China became the third country to put a man in space with its own rocket, in October 2003, after the former Soviet Union and the United States.

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Cheetahs went extinct in India in 1953 and the first batch of 12 new animals will arrive from South Africa soon

South Africa has experience in relocating cheetahs to other countries. They will now transfer 12 of these animals to India where it has become extinct in 1953. These cheetahs will arrive in batches and the first batch is expected to reach India from South Africa next month. This will be the first part of an ambitious project to reintroduce them into India. Their distinctive spots identify these animals. A team of wildlife experts from South Africa has gone back to their country from India after inspecting the holding facility where the animals would be released. Officials explained that nine of the animals are quarantined in Limpopo province, while the other three were quarantined at Natal province. Cheetah experts from South Africa would travel with the animals when they reach India. First batch of 12 cheetahs likely to reach India from South Africa in October. Incidentally, the translocation of cheetahs from South Africa will come after that of eight of the animals from Namibia next week.

During flight, the animals will be fully awake in their transport crates. However, they would be tranquilized to keep them calm. The process is simple. A dart gun is used in which there is a combination of chemicals. Once the effect of anesthesia takes over, they are put into suitable crates while others do the work that needs to be done and scan their microchips. Officials of the government will check the microchip numbers for accuracy. This is necessary because there is disease testing and vaccination protocols required by India. Therefore, the microchip numbers have to match. After satisfactory checks, the cheetahs would be released from their crates into a holding facility. Then will come monitoring of their health by the Indian team. That would ensure that they are hunting again and fit for release into the reserve - their final destination.

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Pakistan got the better of India in Dubai at their second Asia Cup 2022 contest

India has a top-heavy batting order but it was unable to deliver the goods. Their batsmen wanted to hit the ball for sixers off every delivery and that does not always happen. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul could not create much of an impression. The two openers made some runs and reached their mid-20s but Rohit left first and Rahul followed soon. Virat Kohli was an exception and he ran himself out at a score of 60. Hardik Pandya did not score any run and the Indian innings ended at a score of 181 for 7 in the 20 overs. India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup: Derailed batting plan and unimpressive bowling combine to put India at losing end. Moreover, when the Indians the field, their bowlers did not come up to expectations. Indian spinners were not as effective as their counterpart was and lost the game.

Pakistan, on the other hand, kept their cool and won the game comfortably. Their opener Mohammad Rizwan scored 71. It was the cornerstone for Pakistan’s run chase and they scored 182 for 5 to win the game with one ball to spare. Of course, they lost Babar Azam cheaply but the others braved all odds and took the game to the penultimate delivery. The drama between the archrivals India and Pakistan is now level at one match apiece. Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are still in the running but a final between India and Pakistan would be something fantastic. Cricket lovers would love to see such a competition.

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India and Pakistan meet in Dubai for Asia Cup 2022

It is going to be a memorable Sunday as archrivals India and Pakistan meet in Dubai for Asia Cup 2022. India won the title in 2018 and they are the defending champions. At that time, the men in blue beat Bangladesh in the final. Until now, India won the title 7 times while Sri Lanka won it five times and Pakistan won it twice. The Asia Cup 2022 began in the UAE on August 27. The inaugural match was between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Now, it will be between India and Pakistan on August 28 in Dubai. There are two groups A and B. India and Pakistan are in group A along with the qualifier Hong Kong. Teams in Group B are Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There will be a total of 13 matches. India vs Pakistan Weather Forecast And Pitch Report of Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai – Asia Cup 2022. Out of 14 games played between India and Pakistan, India won 8 while Pakistan five. The last time both these teams played was in 2021 when Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets.

The schedule in the group stage is each team will play one match against the teams in their group. At the next stage, the top 2 teams from both groups will qualify for the super four round. During this round, each team will play one match against the other. Subsequently, the top two teams will qualify for the final. This will be on September 11 in Dubai. Incidentally, Dubai has played host to 74 ODIs. Teams batting first won 14 of these while teams batting second won 34. The captains would keep this in mind at the time of the toss.

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Dahi Handi with human pyramids is a part of Krishna Janmashtami festival

India celebrates many festivals and the dahi handi festival is unique. It is to mark the birth of Lord Krishna. He is one of the most beloved Gods of Hindus and loves milk and all milk products, especially butter. To commemorate his birth, his devotees offer him butter. This is called ‘dahi’ in Hindi. They hide it in a pot (known as ‘handi’) and hang it high up. The festival is for his devotees to climb and get that pot of butter. It is difficult and the young men and women form human pyramids to get not just the butter but also the prize – nowadays, this incentive runs into a sizeable amount in lakhs of rupees. The festival has become popular because some Bollywood movies have used this theme in their movies. One of these is 'Govinda Aala Re' from "Bluffmaster" - the Shammi Kapoor film of 1963. This year, the dahi handi festival has been revived after two years – it was banned due to COVID-19. Dahi Handi Celebrations: 12 ‘Govindas’ Injured, 7 Remain in Hospital in Mumbai. The youngsters (called Govindas), dress in colorful attire and climb on each other to create human pyramids. This way they try to reach the ‘handi’ containing butter. It signifies victory through unity.

The government of Maharashtra had announced that there would be no restrictions on celebrating religious festivals this year. These include Dahi Handi and Ganesh Chaturthi. In the last two years, COVID-19 restrictions had played spoilsport. Incidentally, those who join groups and form the human pyramids are experienced and work as a team. It is not restricted to the boys but girls also participate and they practice regularly. The prizes carry handsome amounts and, at times, there are accidents. The participants treat these as a part of the game.

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Independence of India – I was there on that day

Yes, I was present on 15th of August 1947. It was the Independence Day of India and I was a three-year old child at the time. On this, the 75th Independence Day, I still remember how people enjoyed the occasion. At that time, I stayed with my parents and younger brother in Belgachhia. It was in North Calcutta and my father owned a lorry. He with two of his friends had a business of sorts. They used to transport coal from the coalfields and distribute them to the local dealers. They had a very trusted driver who was a Muslim and played a crucial role. It was a period of unrest with riots between the two communities prior to the partition of Bengal. The driver would ensure that the lorry with my father and his friends would move out safely through sensitive spots. He carried a change of clothes in the lorry and the occupants wore them, as necessary, to avoid any local problems. These are what my father told me much later when I could understand the intricacies.

Anyway – to come back to details of 15th of August 1947. It was raining and I was in the lorry. It was crowded and my parents were there as were the families of his partners. There were many others and the, lorry was crowded as were the roads. They were jam packed with people who carried the Indian flag and shouted slogans of Bharat Mata ki jai. There were also lines of vehicles and all of them were moving at a snail’s pace in one direction. All of them wanted to see the huge statue of Bharat Mata that a shop in College Street had put up. The shop was a landmark. It sold readymade clothes and the statue was enclosed in a glass case on the first floor and visible from the road. It was still there in the 1960s when I used to travel to my school in Bowbazar Street and college in Park Street. I do not know if it is still there.

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Street foods have become a craze not only in India but also all over the world. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact time when the first street food outlet was born. There used to be jhal muri and fuchka at locations that had attractive footfalls like in front of cinema halls or parks. As far as my memory goes, one of the first street food outlets appeared in Kolkata in the 1970s. They came in the form of handcarts and the products used to be egg rolls. The owner was usually an unemployed young man who chose this method to earn a living. He did not have to pay any rent, employ people, or provide any seating arrangement. In fact, his overheads were minimum. He had to have adequate stock of ingredients like eggs, flour, cooking oil, onions, chilies, utensils, kerosene stove and kerosene etcetera. LPG was non-existent in those days. Of course, he might have had the blessings of people who matter. The fact is that the culture spread like wildfire. Restaurants had to innovate in order to survive the challenges posed by street food.

Taking food on the roadside with a background music of honking vehicles is a unique experience. The men and women who are clamoring for the food would be strangers and the heady fragrance of perfume might create a spell. It might force you to turn your head around for a moment. In the early days, street food outlets would open in the evening and the only problem would be the rainy season. However, with the passage of time things have changed. (To be continued ..)

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Old age home for senior citizens

Health is an important issue for senior citizens above 60
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Old age home for senior citizens

India is a unique country. Here, the sons hold their parents in high esteem and have a responsibility towards them. As the child grows into an adult, he begins to worry about the wellbeing of his parents. It does not pose much problem if he lives with them because he can share his feelings straightaway. However, in the world of today, he might get a job in another city. In such a scenario, he has to worry about his aged parents. They might suddenly face issues related to health. That has created a new lifestyle – it is the old age home.

Old age brings with it innumerable problems. One of these is dementia or loss of memory. The person might not only forget the names of close friends and relatives but even the schedule of taking medicines. Moreover, he might meet with an accident like slipping in the bathroom or on the stairs or in the bedroom. If the senior citizen does not have anyone to give him company, he might miss getting prompt medical attention. The old age home provides a solution. It has its team of in-house staff to attend to emergencies. Members of these homes bond quite easily because they have one thing in common. They do not have their near and dear ones with them in case of emergencies.


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