.

Hotels, hospitals and malls beef up security

2011-05-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

These places have initiated steps even though they have not been briefed by the police.

After the LeT’s letter received by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) mentioning the possibility of bomb blasts in 17 places in Gujarat, public places like city malls, hotels, hospitals and multiplexes have beefed up security for the safety of their patrons.

Most of these places that have scores of people walking in every hour have increased the number of security personal on their respective premises for better vigilance even though none of them has been communicated the threat perception and asked to strengthen security.

The PMO had handed over the May 18 letter to the Central Intelligence Bureau (CBI). Gujarat State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) received the letter and immediately declared high alert.

The state police are high on vigilance and have put certain places under the scanner. There is a slight confusion over certain parts of the intelligence inputs. One of the inputs mentioned the date of likely terror strike as May 25, another input said the day will be Wednesday.

PERIPHERAL AREAS TOO UNDER VIGILANCE
Iscon Mall has increased its security personnel’s strength by close to cover 20 per cent in order to cover peripheral areas as well.

Mall manager Aakash Singh said, “After the media reports we felt that the security should be increased in order to have better check than what we had. Therefore, along with the car parking area we have also increased security outside. The security staff are checking each and every individual coming in.”

Apart from increasing the security, hospitals are also of the opinion that if needed planned surgeries could be postponed.

Dr Nitin Shah of SAL Hospital told Mirror, “Post LeT threat we have received no communication from the polices commissioner’s office to strengthen the security. Yet we have ordered restrictions on the movement of visitors to avoid unnecessary rush.”

He added, “If we get any communication from the CP’s office we may think of postponing planned surgeries for the convenience of the patients concerned. of course with their consent. The emergency operations will continue as they cannot be stopped.”

Hotel owners say that so far they have not seen any cancellation of room-booking. Yet, considering the previous serial blasts in June 2008 they have tightened the vigilance system.

A highly placed source in Courtyard by Marriot Hotel in Ramdevnagar said, “The number security layers around the property has been doubled. Gunmen are keeping a close watch on the movements on the periphery of the property and will inform the local police in case of suspicion.”

Narendra Somani of Grand Bhagwati Hotel is of the opinion that most of the hotels are following strict vigilance system post 2008 serial blasts in Ahmedabad. Hence, there hardly is any chance of any accident.

Interlink at airport may be opened for public

2011-05-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

To generate revenue and commercialise India’s first underground interlink between the domestic and International Airports, the AAI is planning to open it for everybody at a nominal cost.

If everything goes as per the plan of Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials at Ahmedabad airport, people coming to receive or see off their loved ones could get a feel of the Rs 80-crore, 400-metre long interlink, India’s first underground link between both the domestic and international terminals, at a nominal cost.

It was in July 2010, when the swanky international terminal costing Rs 310 crore was thrown open, the interlink which connects the international terminal (T2) with the domestic terminal (T1) was also inaugurated. But till date the interlink is lying idle. Now, the AAI officials are planning to open it for the general public that comes to the airport. The original idea was to allow only passengers who have connecting domestic or international flights from the airport to use the interlink.

“In 2010, when the building was inaugurated, the AAI expected effective utilisation of the interlink because in the first two months of the financial year 2010 Ahmedabad airport registered a growth of 27.8 per cent compared to the national average of 16.2 per cent. The authority is now planning to open the interlink for the general public as they are not getting enough passengers who genuinely need it and it’s just lying idle. AAI has spent Rs 80-crore on it and they need to generate the income,” said an airport official.

The interlink which has six travellators installed, three on each side, is 11 metres wide. The fully air-conditioned interlink also has place on both sides for people who wish to walk

Also at evening time, hundreds of people come to the airport to take a walk. The greenery in the area and the well-maintained gardens are an attraction. They too might be interested in experiencing the underground interlink, the official believes.

The interlink which has six travellators installed, three on each side, is 11 metres wide. The fully air-conditioned interlink also has place on both sides for people who wish to walk. The three travellators are installed as some distance from each other so that if a person wants to stop for a while in between he can exit the travellator and later on get on to the next travellator. Attractive false ceiling and a water body on one side of the travellator are added attractions.

First look: The new AMTS bus

2010-07-02T03:57:00.000-07:00

The bright-red buses have built-in features like GPS system, LED screens, passenger information system and pneumatic ticketing doors]]

The Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service services has procured the first 10 hi-tech buses of its new fleet comprising 400 buses. These are painted red and have a saffron stripe. AMTS Chairman Pravin Patel said: “We have placed orders for 400 CNG-run, non AC buses and expect to get the first hundred by month-end.”

Initially the vehicles will be put on the routes on which few buses ply. Some of these routes are 58, 151, 151/3 and 50. Patel said: “By April, AMTS will get all the buses. This will enable us to enhance our coverage and complement BRTS in a better manner.”

The buses have built-in facilities like GPS system, pneumatic ticketing doors, LED screens, passenger information system and power steering. It has a seating capacity of 35. As many as 50 people can stand in the bus.

The cost of one such bus is nearly Rs 23 lakh. AMTS received funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM) for the new buses. The AMTS has a fleet of 900 buses, 400 of which are owned by it. Deputy Municipal Commissioner M S Patel said: “With the arrival of new buses we will gradually replace our diesel buses with the environment-friendly CNG-run vehicles.”

According to sources, the AMTS will also stop depending on private operators to run the new buses. At present the public transport has to rely on private operators to cover 466 square kilometre area of the city. Nearly 300 buses are run by private operators.

Coming soon: Double-decker buses to be back on Ahmedabad roads

2010-07-02T03:49:00.000-07:00

Ahmedabad: Remember those red-coloured double-decker buses ferrying passengers between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar a few years back? Yes, these buses which are an integralpart of the Mumbai and London traffic scenario, will be back on the city's roads very soon, if the plans of the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) go through. The transport body of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation wants to introduce double decker buses as part of its schemes to attract more tourists on its coaches.

Very few people are aware of the AMTS's tourist coach service. Though this facility attracted more visitors in 2009 compared to 2008, the figure is only marginal. Only 7,689 persons used the tourist package in 2009 and AMC earned just Rs4.61 lakh as revenue from it. The figures for 2008 were 6,447 and Rs3.86 lakh.
"Not many people in the city know that such a service is available and that too at an affordable cost for sight seeing in the city," an AMTS official said. He added that the tourist coach is run even if there are only a couple of passengers in it — which is the case most of the time.

The major reason for the failure of this coach could be lack of interesting places covered on the route. The course of the tourist coach is Sidi Saiyad Ni Jali, Balvatika, Gandhi Ashram, Sardar Patel Smarak, Hutheesing Temples, Shreyas Foundation and LD Museum.

AMTS chairman Praveen Patel agreed that the route needs to be revamped.

"We are planning to introduce double-decker coaches like the ones seen in European countries," he said. Patel also said that new places such as Sarkhej Na Roja, Tri-Mandir and the Adalaj step-well will be included on the route. Later, the Sabarmati Riverfront could also be one of the stops, he added.

The transport body obviously needs to focus on the marketing strategy of the coach to attract more tourists. If the state government is planning to boost tourism in the state, the tourist coach needs to be popularised. An AMTS official said, large number of hotels are coming up in the city. So AMTS could have a tie-up with them to get more passengers for the tourist coach. In that way, the coaches will be a source of revenue and not suffer losses, as is the case right now.

Unveiled Kankaria's Red Ride

2010-06-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Atal Express is almost black, but the second mini-train at the lakefront will be blood-red. The new train will arrive in the city from UK in September

Red That’s going to be the colour of the second mini-train at Kankaria lakefront. The train will arrive in Ahmedabad from the UK in September and is likely to be christened ‘Swarnim Express’.

Mirror, on April 21, reported that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had placed an order for another mini-train following the popularity of Atal Express, which has made the civic body richer by Rs 2.5 crore.

A senior civic official said that Atal Express and the second train would chug on the same track. “Once the new train arrives, we will try to begin rides as quickly as possible,” he said.

UK-based firm Severn & Lamb, which manufactured Atal Express, will also deliver the second train. The civic body will pay Rs 2.25 crore for this train, about Rs 11 lakh more than it did for the first one.

Like the first one, the new model is also a Lincoln Locomotive. It has the look of the bygone era, but it’s efficiency matches modern-day machines. One can steer and control its speed with the same lever.

While the AMC will not lay another track for Swarnim Express, it will provide it a separate shelter. In fact, it is in the process of issuing a tender for construction of the shelter.

Atal Express, which makes 22 trips every day, began its journey at Kankaria lakefront on December 25, 2008. It has contributed Rs 2.5 crore to the civic administration’s coffers.

New ride, same fare

It won’t cost you more to take a ride on the red mini-train that is expected to arrive at Kankaria lakefront in September. Tickets for children aged between 3 and 12 will cost Rs 10 each. Students above 12 years will get a discount of Rs 5. They, however, will have produce their ID card to be avail the discount. People of other age groups will have to pay Rs 25.

‘I thought of suicide for a whole night’

2010-06-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Bruised and broken PTC lecturer, who was allegedly raped by 3 male teachers, tells Hemington James she sat under a tree on Saturday night thinking of killing self

It was Mukesh Patel, a teacher at Narsinpura primary school in Kadi, who got me my first job. He was pretty friendly with me. But when Mukesh asked me to sleep with him, I refused. He called me up several times, asking me to meet him near a deserted canal in Kadi.

He kept insisting, and I thought there was no harm in meeting him. However, when I met him at the said spot, he tried to force himself on me. When I pushed him back, he got violent and started beating me up. He kept hitting me till I fell unconscious. Mukesh then clicked my nude pictures on his cellphone and left the place. After gaining consciousness, I wore my clothes and went back home.

He again called me up twice asking me to meet him. When I refused, he said he had my nude pictures and that he will show it to my parents and relatives if I ignored him. He also threatened to shame my father in front of our community members and said he will see to it that I don’t get married.

Mukesh had shown the nude pictures to his friends Ketan and Dinesh, who are also government school teachers. All three of them started harassing me. Not only Mukesh, even his two friends raped me near the canal several times in the past eight months.

Scared they will show my nude pictures to my parents, I kept mum and kept meeting them whenever they summoned me. Every time they raped me and hurled abuses at me. Once, Mukesh hit me so hard that my left ear started bleeding. I went to a doctor who said that my ear drum was damaged.

I stopped talking to the three men last month. I felt it was better to die than surrendering to those devils.

On Saturday [June 19], Mukesh called me up in the morning on my cellphone and started abusing me. I was in the college at that time. He threatened me with dire consequences if I dared to open my mouth. I shot back saying I will inform his school principal about his misdoings. He laughed at me and told me that he and his friends will easily prove me a liar if I went against them. I got scared and started crying.

My colleagues sensed something was wrong and asked me whether I was in trouble. I told them I had fever and left the college. A lady teacher dropped me home.

At home, I kept thinking how to deal with this and finally made up my mind. I left for Mukesh’s school in Kalyanpur to register a complaint against him with his principal. But Mukesh saw me entering the school and started screaming at me, asking me to leave.

Sensing trouble for himself, he said that he and Dinesh were from the same community and she won’t be able to do anything against them. Fearing a scene, I left the place, went home and told everything to my parents.

That day, around 2 pm, I and my parents went to meet Mukesh, Dinesh and Ketan at Kalyanpur. My father scolded Mukesh for troubling me. But he was unrepentant and felt humiliated in front of his friends. He told my father that he would come to our village and break his bones.

As soon as we came back home, my father started getting calls from my relatives who asked him whether I was being a bother to him. Mukesh had called them up and spoken ill about me. My father broke down and said: ‘My reputation is gone’.

I couldn’t take that and decided to leave home. Around 10 pm on Saturday, I left my house with a purse in hand. I walked 10 kilometres and reached Chhatral. Tired, I sat under a tree, thinking what to do. Images of the three men who had made life hell for me conjured up in front of my eyes. Till 5 in the morning, I did not move from that spot. At dawn, I hired a chhakda that had two other passengers in it. After dropping both of them, the driver asked me where was it I wanted to go. I asked him to take me to Ahmedabad. He dropped me at Rakhial. It was 7 am. I called my father to inform him I will never come back. I even called up Mukesh and told him he had tortured me a lot and I will never forgive him.

I hired another auto and left for ST bus depot at Geeta Mandir. I got into a bus to Kalol at 8.45 am. I bought a pesticide from a medical store. Next, I checked into a hotel named Amrit, hired a room and consumed poison. Worried, the hotel staff may have to face tough questions from cops if I collapse there, I checked out. I reached Kalol ST stand. I was thinking of getting into a bus to Kadi when I began feeling dizzy and collapsed unconscious. Onlookers managed to contact my parents since I had an identity card and my father’s phone number in my cellphone contacts list.
___________________________________________

Cops get 6-day remand of the two accused
The two accused in the Kadi rape case — Dinesh Patel and Ketan Thakar — who were arrested by the cops, were sent to six days police custody by the district magistrate of Mehsana on Wednesday. Kadi police are on the lookout for Mukesh Patel, the key accused in the Kadi gangrape case. He is the only person who is still at large in this case.

“My men are on a lookout for Mukesh. He will be caught anytime. The remand of the two accused will give us some vital clues in this case. We are hopeful of solving the case soon,” said G V Barot, police inspector, Kadi police station.

Meanwhile the victim, who is undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital in Kalol, will be shifted to Mehsana Civil Hospital on Thursday morning. She has been given police protection. The victim has alleged that she was repeatedly raped and sexually abused by three teachers of government school.

Episode 9 – Ahmedabad Auditions – Star Anchor Hunt.

2010-06-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Star Anchor Hunt – Episode 9th June 2010. Ahmedabad auditions round of Star News’ reality show Star Anchor Hunt.

Tata Nano model prices could go up by Rs 15,000 from August onwards

2010-06-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Tata Motors, which has recently affirmed that Nano will be readily available by August-September this year, is reportedly looking to jack up the price of the said model by that time. It is widely believed that the primary reason for the company to hike Nano’s price would be surging input costs and technology upgradation for BS-IV emission norms.

When Debabsis Ray, the official spokesperson of Tata Motors was contacted nearly a month back, he didn’t confirm or deny the possible price revision of Nano. He said, “Now that emission norms in the country include BS-IV for 13 cities and BS-III for the rest of the country, the Tata Nano will be available in both BS-IV and BS-III, as is applicable. The delivery of BS-IV Nanos is yet to begin, and is on the anvil. He stated, “As announced at launch, the first 100,000 chosen consumers are price protected and that Tata Motors has not arrived at any decision on pricing for the future. There is not hint of any decision either way. Should there be a price change for BS-IV Nanos; the company will intimate respective owners.”

It may be recalled that Tata Motors’ brand new plant for the Tata Nano at Sanand, in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat, was by the Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, in the presence of the Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Ratan N. Tata, ministers of the Gujarat Government, top officials, vendor and supplier partners, dealers and associates of the company. The plant’s inauguration marks the culmination of the company’s goal of making the Tata Nano freely available to hundreds of thousands of families, desirous of the car. The capacity of the plant, to begin with, will be 250,000 cars per year to be achieved in phases, and with some balancing is expandable up to 350,000 cars per year. Further capacity expansion has also been provided for in this location.

Read more: Tata Nano model prices could go up by Rs 15,000 from August onwards - WheelsUnplugged Automobile Industry News
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Visa Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad

2010-06-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hanuman Temples at Khadia and Neb Sarai in Ahmedabad in Gujarat is believed to help in getting Visas. So how does Hindu Temples get the Visa tag? A few devotees pray for a particular wish at a temple and when those wishes are fulfilled; word spreads and devotees throng these temples. Annually, thousands of Indians apply for migration Visas and then proceed to temples which they believe will help in an early Visa approval. 400-year-old Visa Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad is one such temple and another new temple that is receiving lot of Visa devotees is the seven-month old Chamatakarik Shree Hanuman Ji Ka Mandir in Neb Sarai.

The famous 400-year-old Visa Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad is located at Desai Ni Pol in Khadia

    Hindustan Times reports about the New Visa Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad

    In the serpentine, narrow lanes of Neb Sarai, the god resides especially to aid the visa applicants: or so the devotees believe. Supposedly modelled on the 400-year-old ‘Visa Hanuman’ temple in Ahmedabad, the Chamatakarik Shree Hanuman Ji Ka Mandir in Neb Sarai was established seven months ago.

    The temple gets hordes of people coming every day for their ‘visa difficulties’.

    “I heard about this temple from a friend, who is now settled in New Zealand. He said that going there and praying helps. So I have come to this temple as for me going abroad is very important,” said Harvinder Singh Sekhon, who was at the temple with a sheaf of documents in hand.

    Rekha Jain, an astrologer who runs her consultation from the temple, said: “Hanumanji helps everyone in need. Here, we just tell people to pray to him and ask them to chant a specific mantra. That is all. If going abroad in their destiny they will definitely go. It is all about believing in God.”

    The entire thing is done free of cost, she said. “We do not ask for anything or charge anything. If they want they can offer laddoos and bananas to him.”

    But the ‘visa’ tag has its disadvantages. “People think it is us who help getting visa which is not true. It is just a temple where they can pray and ask for God’s help,” Jain said.

Ahmedabad residents donate 2,000 bottles of blood

2010-06-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

Over 2,000 bottles of blood were collected at a donation camp organized Sunday by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the Ahmedabad Medical Association to mark the 600th anniversary of the city and the World Blood Donor Day.

"Ahmedabad requires about 160,000 bottles of blood every year and it is our endeavour to create a permanent platform so that the requirement can be met through voluntary efforts," said Jitendra Patel, president of themedical association.

Ahmedabad Mayor Kanaji Thakore, Gujarat assembly Speaker Ashok Bhatt, member of parliament Surendra Patel and chairman of Zydus Cadila, Pankaj Patel, attended the camp, sponsored by edible oil manufacturer N.K. Proteins Limited.

Watch Shakira waka waka for Fifa world cup 2010.

2010-06-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Watch Shakira waka waka for Fifa world cup 2010:The Fifa world cup 2010 rocks with Shakira latest song waka waka on stage.This is an amazing perfomance by Shakira as usual,for Fifa world cup 2010.Colorful performance by Shakira for Fifa World cup 2010.You can watch this wonderful video which is performed for Fifa world cup 2010 in You tube.com.Fifa world cup 2010 is awaiting game,Shakira made that very colorful with her performance.Watch Shakira waka waka for Fifa world cup 2010 video here.

FIFA World Cup 2010 schedule and fixtures, online streaming details

2010-06-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

People are incessantly searching for FIFA World Cup 2010-match schedules, fixtures, online live streaming and latest scores. Here is the complete FIFA 2010 schedule with all details.

After four years of waiting, the FIFA World Cup 2010 will begin this Friday. South Africa will host the tournament for the first time in its continent's history and will feature 32 teams from every part of the globe and 64 games. The World Cup always brings different expectations, results and emotions from the players and fans in one of the greatest sporting events. But just in case you are not able to catch every game of the tournament, here are some things not to miss in the group stage.

IT'S THE FIFA World Cup 2010 fever all over the minds of people of most of the nations these days. People are incessantly searching for the match schedules, fixtures, online live streaming and latest scores. The live streaming of the FIFA 2010 World cup matches are also available on a number of sites like Vshare, Justin TV etc.

FIFA World Cup 2010 kick-started from June 11, 2010, with a terrific opening match between the host country South Africa and Mexico. The scores at the end, leveled with 1 all. However, the match between Uruguay and France didn’t prove to be fruitful for either of them as the scores remained 0:0.

Now everyone is eager to witness an interesting match between USA and England today after a much thrilling game between Argentina Vs Nigeria (1-0) and Korea Republic Vs Greece (2-0)

You can have a look at the World Cup 2010 schedules, fixtures, venues, time and dates.

FIFA World Cup 2010 Schedule:-
June 11
07.30pm – South Africa Vs Mexico – Johannesburg (SC) - DRAW (1-1)

June 12
12.00am – Uruguay Vs France – Cape Town - DRAW (0-0)
05.00pm – South Korea Vs Greece – Johannesburg (SC)
07.30pm – Argentina Vs Nigeria – Port Elizabeth (Ellis)

June 13
12.00am – England Vs USA – Rustenburg
05.00pm – Algeria Vs Slovenia – Polokwane
07.30pm – Serbia Vs Ghana – Pretoria

June 14
12.00am – Germany Vs Australia – Durban
05.00pm – Netherlands Vs Denmark – Johannesburg (SC)
07.30pm – Japan Vs Cameroon – Bloemfontein

June 15
12.00am – Italy Vs Paraguay – Cape Town
05.00pm – New Zealand Vs Slovakia – Rustenburg
07.30pm – Ivory Coast Vs Portugal – Port Elizabeth

June 16
12.00am – Brazil Vs North Korea – Johannesburg (Ellis)
05.00pm – Honduras Vs Chile – Nelspruit
07.30pm – Spain Vs Switzerland – Durban

June 17
12.00am – South Africa Vs Uruguay – Pretoria
05.00pm – Argentina Vs South Korea – Johannesburg (SC)
07.30pm – Greece Vs Nigeria – Bloemfontein

June 18
12.00am – France Vs Mexico – Polokwane
05.00pm – Germany Vs Serbia – Port Elizabeth
07.30pm – Slovenia Vs USA – Johannesburg (Ellis)

June 19
12.00am – England Vs Algeria – Cape Town
05.00pm – Netherlands Vs Japan – Durban
07.30pm – Ghana Vs Australia – Rustenburg

June 20
12.00am – Cameroon Vs Denmark – Pretoria
05.00pm – Slovakia Vs Paraguay – Bloemfontein
07.30pm – Italy Vs New Zealand – Nelspruit

June 21
12.00am – Brazil Vs Ivory Coast – Johannesburg (SC)
05.00pm – Portugal Vs North Korea – Cape Town
07.30pm – Chile Vs Switzerland – Port Elizabeth

June 22
12.00am – Spain Vs Honduras – Johannesburg (Ellis)
07.30pm – Mexico Vs Uruguay – Rustenburg
07.30pm – France Vs South Africa – Bloemfontein

June 23
12.00am – Nigeria Vs South Korea – Durban
12.00am – Greece Vs Argentina – Polokwane
07.30pm – Slovenia Vs England – Port Elizabeth
07.30pm – USA Vs Algeria – Pretoria

June 24
12.00am – Ghana Vs Germany – Johannesburg (SC)
12.00am – Australia Vs Serbia – Nelspruit
07.30am – Slovakia Vs Italy – Johannesburg (Ellis)
07.30am – Paraguay Vs New Zealand – Polokwane

June 25
12.00am – Denmark Vs Japan – Rustenburg
12.00am – Cameroon Vs Netherlands – Cape Town
07.30am – Portugal Vs Brazil – Durban
07.30am – North Korea Vs Ivory Coast – Nelspruit

June 26
12.00am – Chile Vs Spain – Pretoria
12.00am – Switzerland Vs Honduras – Bloemfontein
Second Round – ROUND OF 16

June 26
07.30pm – Group A winner Vs Group B 2nd place – Port Elizabeth
June 27
12.00am – Group C winner Vs Group D 2nd place – Rustenburg
07.30pm – Group D winner Vs Group C 2nd place – Bloemfontein

June 28
12.00am – Group B winner Vs Group A 2nd place – Johannesburg (SC)
07. 30pm – Group E winner Vs Group F 2nd place – Durban

June 29
12.00am – Group G winner Vs Group H 2nd place – Johannesburg (Ellis)
07. 30pm – Group F winner Vs Group E 2nd place – Pretoria

June 30
12.00am – Group H winner Vs Group G 2nd place – Cape Town
Quarter-finals

July 2
7.30pm – 1st Quarter-final – Port Elizabeth

July 3
12. 00am – 2nd Quarter-final – Johannesburg (SC)
7.30pm – 3rd Quarter-final – Cape Town

July 4
12.00am – 4th Quarter-final – Johannesburg (Ellis)
Semi-finals

July 7
12.00am – 1st Semi-final – Cape Town

July 8
12.00am – 2nd Semi-final – Durban

Third Place (July 11)
12.00am – Semi-final losers – Port Elizabeth

Final (July 12)
12.00am – Semi-final winners – Johannesburg (SC)

Theft-guilt OR Ragging?

2010-06-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

College official says she wrote an apology letter confessing to theft after being ‘caught’ on May 26. Her father alleges she was being ragged, files police complaint

What drove Trupti Makwana, second year MBBS student of B J Medical College, to attempt suicide?
WHAT IS THE TRUTH?
Dean’s version: Trupti wrote an apology letter in front of me on May 26, confessing to stealing hostelmates’ belongings

Father’s complaint says: Hostelmates cooked up a theft story to harass Trupti. On May 25, they locked her up in the guest room and forced her to write the confession letter

THE MYSTERY: Notes in ‘her’ diary revealing her ‘vulnerability to wrongdoing’ and the letter bear seemingly different handwritings

A 20-year-old girl pursuing second year MBBS at B J Medical College attempted suicide by slashing her wrist on Wednesday. The student, Trupti Makwana, was asked to vacate the hostel after she was found ‘guilty’ of theft, last month.

ut the girl’s father alleges she was a victim of ragging and that the theft story was all made-up by her hostelmates to harass her. He has even filed a complaint against the hostelmates at Limbdi police station.

Refuting the father’s allegation, the college dean Dr Bharat Shah told Mirror that Trupti had confessed to the crime in an apology letter duly signed by her in his presence. “She wrote an apology letter in front of me on May 26, the day she was caught. Her mother and sister also signed on the letter before taking her back to Limbdi. We have been very lenient as she has yet not been suspended. She has only been asked to leave the hostel,” he said.

Trupti, who survived the suicide attempt, is currently undergoing treatment at the civil hospital in Limbdi. Meanwhile, angry members of National Students Union of India, stormed the college and ransacked its chambers, alleging the girl was a victim of ragging.

A complaint has been registered against the protesters at Shahibaug police station. CCTV tapes of the incident have also been handed over to investigating cops.

Dr Shah denies the girl was a victim of ragging. “On May 26, around 40 girls staying in C Block of the girl’s hostel submitted a complaint to me stating they suspected the girl of stealing their belongings. When her room was searched, we found 10 T-shirts, five denim trousers, a mobile phone, a wallet and a debit card from her cupboard. She even confessed to having stolen them. Where is the question of ragging, here?”

He also claims to have found a diary from her room, believed to be hers. The contents of the diary, he says, reveals her “vulnerability to wrongdoing”.

One of the lines reads: “Chori karvi, dagakhori karvi, laanch, rishvat, ej aajni lakshmi na sadhano chhe.” (Theft, betrayal and bribe are tools used to make money).

Another reads: “Doctor thhaine pann bey number no dhandho karvo.” (Even after becoming a doctor, one has to resort to illegal means to make money).

But one cannot overlook the fact that the two handwritings — one in the diary and the other in the apology letter — seem to be different.

Trupti’s father, Natwarlal Makwana, a technician with Doordarshan Kendra in Limdi, has filed a harassment complaint against the girls who accused her of theft.

He told Mirror: “My daughter is a victim of ragging. On May 25, when she came back to her room after lunch, she saw somebody’s tiffin box in her cupboard.

“The tiffin, had the name ‘Amita’ inscribed on it. When she went to return it to Amita, all the while thinking how did it end up in her cupboard, the girl accused her of stealing the tiffin box.

“The other girls joined in and began accusing her of theft, some even beat her up. They locked her in the guest room and forced her to write a letter confessing she has been stealing stuff. When she tried contacting me, the girls snatched her cellphone away. We tried to get in touch with her, but to no avail.”

Meanwhile, the girl, in her statement to Limdi police, has accused her hostelmates of harassing her.

Constable G R Bhavsar said: “She has stated in her complaint that the girls kept harassing her under one pretext or another. They first accused her of stealing a tiffin box and later on a mobile phone.

“She also stated she had never stolen anything.”

Waste lights up GIDC at Naroda

2010-06-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Firm converts waste from nearby units into methane; greenhouse gas is chanelled into generator to produce electricity. Yearly savings add up to Rs 2.07 lakh

Industrial waste is powering lights at the Naroda GIDC. Naroda Enviro Projects Ltd collects waste from agro-based industries in the estate to generate electricity that lights up its premises. The firm is not just getting the best out of waste, it is creating wealth out of waste, too.

The no-profit company generates 130 units of power every day. As one unit of electricity costs Rs 6. In a day, electricity worth Rs 780 is produced here. In a year, the savings add up to Rs 2.07 lakh.

The green idea germinated after the Gujarat High Court in 1995 ordered factory owners to clean up their act and stop dumping hazardous industrial waste into the Sabarmati.

The HC directive prompted the state government to transform existing industrial estates in Gujarat into Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs). Under the eco-networking concept designed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany, waste from one industry will be used as raw material for another.

The pilot project was introduced at Naroda Industrial Estate, which contains 900 industries. The estate approached the Centre for Environment Education for help.

Former CEE Programme Director Dr R Gopichandran said, “As biodegradable waste could not be dumped, the idea was to convert it into an energy source. GEDA helped co-finance the project.”

Naroda Enviro Projects Ltd (NEPL), a section-25 company, spearheaded the project by setting up a common effluents treatment plant in its premises.

The process

The firm collects degradable waste like sesame seeds, sugar syrup, decomposed fruits and vegetables, herbal waste, banana skin, potato skin, oil sludge and rejected bread from industries like Samrat Namkeen, Rasranjan, Azad Food, Gwalia Sweets, Monginis and Modern Bread.

Everyday, it gets 2 to 6 tonnes of waste. Using a manual crusher, the refuse is turned into slurry and sent to an underground digester where the decomposed material generates methane. The gas is channelled into a dual fuel generator, which also uses 20 per cent diesel, to generate electricity. The power is used to light up the common effluent treatment plant at night.

That’s not all. The plant also generates 245 kg of organic fertiliser each day. Sold at Re 1 per kg, it yields Rs 89,425 each year.

Cleaner production

NEPL trustee Shailesh Patwari said, “The fertiliser is in demand even in Hong Kong. We began the project in 2002 to ensure cleaner production at Naroda GIDC. The waste generated by the industries were earlier discarded outside the units, creating filthy and unhygienic surroundings. When we tested the waste, we realised that it had calorific value and released gases. The pilot project was set up here for Rs 10 lakh. The Gujarat Energy and Development Agency (GEDA) bore 75 per cent of the cost. The rest was paid by the estate.

“The research and development on waste was conducted in Vadodara. Today, the success of this project has motivated other industrial estates in the state to implement it on their premises,” said Patwari

Carbon credits

The project can be implemented at hospitals, hotels, vegetable markets or any place that produces waste. Since the project utilises methane — a relatively potent greenhouse gas — it will help the user earn carbon credits.

To gather more waste, the NEPL has now approached the AMC. The request is under process. Meanwhile, the firm continues to light up the path for other industrial estates, the green way.

Mughal era coin stolen from city museum

2010-06-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

An 18th century gold coin of Mughal Emperor Mohammed Shah’s time went missing after caretaker of Paldi museum goes to attend phone call

The stolen gold coin belongs to Mughal Emperor Mohammed Shah’s era. The antique 10.5 gm coin of 1748 was stolen in the afternoon when the in-charge of the museum at Sanskar Kendra in Paldi had gone to attend a phone call. At the time, the museum was teeming with visitors.

Though the coin is considered priceless, sixbid.com, a website that claims to be experts in numismatics auctions, estimates the value of the coin at $600 (Rs 28,300)

A source at the museum said, “Like every year, class 10 toppers of the city had gathered at Sanskar Kendra after the results were declared on Thursday. Besides, persons preparing for an exhibition on World Environment Day on Saturday were present there at the time.”

As per the complaint filed by Vijay Thakkar, assistant manager of the museum, the incident occurred between 11 am and 12.45 pm.

Usually, the museum doesn’t have many visitors. However, on Thursday, the place had a huge number of students. “At the time, the caretaker left the place to attend a phone call. When he returned the over 250-year-old coin that was kept on display was gone,” the source said.

Who was Mohammed Shah?

Mohammed Shah (1748 –1702) also known as Roshan Akhtar was a Mughal emperor of India between 1719 and 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar Jahan Shah, the 4th son of Bahadur Shah I. Ascending the throne at the age of 17 with the help of the Sayyid Brothers, he later got rid of them with the help of Nizam ul Mulk Chin Qilich Khan. He was nicknamed as Rangeela meaning merrymaker by many historians.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Tata Nano new plant at Sanand, in Ahmedabad - Inaugurated by Narendra Modi

2010-06-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Tata Motors' brand new plant for the Tata Nano at Sanand, in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat, was inaugurated today by the Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi, in the presence of the Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Mr. Ratan N. Tata, Ministers of the Gujarat Government, top officials, vendor and supplier partners, dealers and associates of the company.

The plant's inauguration marks the culmination of the company's goal of making the Tata Nano freely available to hundreds of thousands of families, desirous of the car. The capacity of the plant, to begin with, will be 250,000 cars per year to be achieved in phases, and with some balancing is expandable up to 350,000 cars per year. Further capacity expansion has also been provided for in this location.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tata said, "We are happy that the Tata Nano has found its home at Sanand in Gujarat. We would like to thank everyone who has made this possible, particularly the Honourable Chief Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi. We would also like to thank the people of Gujarat on this occasion. I am glad that we will now be able to manufacture the Tata Nano at a plant, set up in record time by the Tata Motors team who have and continue to receive full support from the Gujarat administration. This will now allow us to better meet the strong demand for the Tata Nano across the country."

Deliveries from the plant, including BS4 Tata Nanos, will begin this month. The output, supplemented by the facility at Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), will in the immediate phase complete pending orders from the booking process of 2009.

Built in a record time of 14 months starting November 2008, the integrated facility comprises Tata Motors' own plant, spread over 725 acres, and an adjacent vendor park, spread over 375 acres, to house key component manufacturers for the Tata Nano.

In line with latest world-class manufacturing practices, the Tata Nano plant has been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. They include sophisticated robotics and high speed production lines. Conscious of the critical need of environment protection, the plant has energy-efficient motors, variable frequency drives, and systems to measure and monitor carbon levels. These are supplemented with extensive tree plantation, sustainable water sourcing through water harvesting and ground water recharging and harnessing solar energy for illumination.

In November 2008 itself, simultaneously with the construction of the plant, Tata Motors also began its community development activities in the area. These initiatives, encompassing 20 villages in a 20-km radius, are on health, education, employability and environment enhancement. The initiatives have already led to provision of drinking water for about 10,000 residents, sanitation for about 600 households, competency upgradation of about 140 primary school teachers, employability enhancement for about 500 men and women. The company is committed to developing the area, converting it into a beehive of inclusive growth.

The plant has already directly employed 2,400 individuals. The recruitment exercise covered about 156 ITIs in Gujarat. As the capacity is increased, the project, along with the vendor park, is expected to generate about 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.

At the vendor park, plots have already been allocated to 41 vendors. More will be accommodated subsequently. Vendors, accounting for about 80% of the value of components to be sourced from the park, have already begun construction. In the interim, they will supply the plant from their existing facilities in the country.

To celebrate the inauguration of the plant, a fleet of Tata Nanos driven by prospective customers, who participated in an online contest on tatanano.com, began a country-wide drive, called the Nano Superdrive, from Sanand today. The drive was flagged off by Mr. Tata. The drive will cover 15,000 km touching 36 cities across the country, before converging at Sanand on June 28. Glimpses of the drive, with images and blogs, will be available on www.tatanano.com.

PHEW.

2010-06-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

Just three more days of this sweltering heat

Respite from searing heat is round the corner. A cyclone is brewing in the Arabain Sea that will usher in rain and squally wind in the state’s coastal districts. Lower temperature in Ahmedabad will be the offshoot, say experts.

Mercury that breached 45 degrees Celsius and killed 55 in the city over the past few days will dip to around 36 degrees on June 3. After that the cyclonic storm and the imminent monsoon will ensure the mercury stays below 40 degrees.

Says Ashok Patel, the director of the state’s first private weather station Ring Road, “On Thursday and Friday, temperature will go down by up to four degrees due to clouds. If it rains temperature will slide down further.”

Patel’s forecast was reaffirmed by the US weather web site www.weather.com which had correctly predicted mercury hitting 46.8 degrees in the city on May 21. The site forecast temperature rising to 38 degrees on June 5 but said it would stay well below for the rest of the summer.

An ISRO scientist, earlier attached with the weather bureau, said it is natural for the temperature to fall due to formation of cloud as it cuts the sunrays.

“You can expect the temperature to fall by up to four degrees Celsius, thanks to the cyclonic clouds,” he said.

According to Indian Meteorological Department, coastal Gujarat is likely to experience rain in the next three days and with monsoon arriving in Kerala on Monday people in Gujarat can expect rains soon.

Latest satellite imageries and surface observations indicate the formation of a depression in the Arabian Sea about 1050 km southwest of Mumbai and 1050 km south-southwest of Naliya in Kutch at 5.30 pm on Monday. The depression was moving northwestward and likely to hit South Gujarat and Saurashtra coast on June 3 after correcting its course.

“The current environmental condition and numerical weather prediction (NWP) models suggest that the system would intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm and continue to move initially in a northwesterly direction for the next 48 hours and then recurve northeastwards towards Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coast,” the Indian Meteorological Department said in its weather bulletin on Monday evening.

The system will usher in fairly widespread rainfall with very heavy rain at some places over the coastal Gujarat on June 3. Squally winds with speed reaching 55 kmph would hit the coast a day earlier, the met report said.

The state disaster management authority has taken note of the bulletin and alerted collectors of the coastal district.

Said Sanjay Joshi, the CEO of the Gujarat State Disaster Control Room, “The Met Department has warned of a cyclone. Even if the intensity of the cyclone lessens, Saurashtra and south Gujarat will experience heavy rain under its influence. The IMD warning has been forwarded to the districts and all collectors concerned have been alerted.”

The IMD bulletin also warned of very rough seas along and off the Gujarat coast from June 2 and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea during that period.

After a year of drought, the eagerly-awaited seasonal monsoon rains have reached Kerala, the weather office said.

“South-west monsoon has reached Kerala and we expect it to cover coastal Karnataka within a day,” Ajit Tyagi, IMD Director General announced in New Delhi earlier in the day.

However, Tyagi said due to the storm brewing in the Arabian Sea, the progression of the monsoon was expected to be along the western coast and interior parts of the peninsula would get rains later.

The onset of monsoon over Kerala sets the stage for the four-month rainy season. The IMD has forecast normal monsoon rains for the season beginning June 1.

A good monsoon could help in sowing of rice, sugarcane, soybean and corn and lead to a rebound in the agricultural output.

The current environmental condition and numerical weather prediction (NWP) models suggest that the system would intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm and continue to move initially in a northwesterly direction for the next 48 hours and then recurve northeastwards towards Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coast

– The Indian Meteorological Department

You can expect the temperature to fall by up to four degrees Celsius, thanks to cyclonic clouds which cuts the sunrays

– An ISRO scientist

On Thursday and Friday, temperature will go down by up to four degrees due to clouds. If it rains, the temperature will slide down further

– Ashok Patel, the director of the state’s first private weather station Ring Road

No escape from heat

2010-05-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

not even in death.

The stench outside the post-mortem room at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is unbearable. The reason: Six of the seven cold storage chambers at the morgue are out of order.

The searing heat has aggravated the woes of hospital staff who are compelled to store two bodies in one box and preserve them using ice slabs. But the bodies continue to rot, attracting maggots and spreading a stink that has left everyone squirming except the government. Its Public Welfare Department is in charge of maintaining the rooms.

Two bodies in a box

The seven chambers (each with 4 to 6 boxes) can accommodate 48 bodies. But four of these have been non-functional for almost three years now. Two cold storages, which were working on and off for the past six months, finally blew out a month ago. Only the unit, which was bought six months ago, is still functional. Ten days ago, however, this unit, too shut down due to overloading. The hospital staff had resorted to keeping two bodies in a box after the other six units had malfunctioned.

Six out of seven cold chambers at the civil hospital morgue are out of order. The govt just does not care

Resident doctors who conduct post-mortems say working in the morgue has become unbearable due to the stench.

Repeated pleas to the PWD finally got the unit working on Tuesday.

10 bodies a day

In the past 15 days, the hospital has witnessed a rise in the number of bodies brought to the morgue. A source says, “At least 10 bodies arrive here. There has been an increase in heatstroke and accident victims.”

Working in such conditions increases chance of infection for the doctors as well as the staff working in the morgue round-the-clock.

PWD’s negligence

Medical Superintendent M M Prabhakar says: “We have made several complaints to the PWD, but in vain. Our pleading got them to repair one of the units on Tuesday. The department is also in charge of sewage, water supply and maintenance of electronic equipment. But the officials brush off our complaints. This reflects badly on the hospital in the end.”

Surprisingly, the PWD office is adjacent to the post-mortem room.

Prabhakar says, “We are now planning to install a chill plant at the morgue. This will eliminate the need for separate chambers as the unit will cool the entire room.”

No repairs

Deputy Executive Engineer of the PWD washes his hands off the problem. S S Gupta says, “The units are very old. We have carried out repairs several times. However, due to the stink, our staff is reluctant to work in the morgue. We have prepared two proposals. We have asked senior PWD officials and hospital authorities to install a new cold storage room and set up another unit where only 10 bodies can be stored.”

Will the authorities act on the problem, which is awaiting a solution for years, only time will tell.

IS THIS GOVT’S IDEA OFGOING GREEN?

2010-05-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

Roads & buildings dept is chopping 200 trees at Sachivalaya to create space for new roads, landscaping, fountains

The New Sachivalaya in Gandhinagar will get better roads and lighting, fountains and an artificial waterfall under a Rs 15-crore project aimed at giving the place a new look. It will, however, lose some of its oldest residents: trees. At least 200 trees on the campus, some 100 years old, are going to be cut to create space for new amenities.

The tree-felling exercise has already begun and is expected to be over in a few weeks. According to a senior official, 40-odd trees will not face the axe. They will be transplanted to another location. The task of removing the trees is being carried out by the state roads & buildings department.

“The department has been given the permission to remove 200 trees,” the district forest officer (Gandhinagar), B A Vyas, told Mirror. “Some of the trees will be carefully removed and planted at another place.” The transplantation of each tree, sources say, is expected to cost Rs 6,000. A machine imported from the US will be used for careful uprooting of the 40-odd trees.

Principal Secretary (roads & buildings) S S Rathore said that trees were being cut for ‘reorientation’ of the New Sachivalaya campus. “We have drawn up plans to give the place a new look. Roads on the premises will be improved and landscaping will be done. There will an artificial waterfall and fountains on the campus,” he said.

Some of the trees that are going to be cut are older than the secretariat. Gandhinagar is the greenest city of Gujarat, but in the past few years, its green cover has reduced. In the past four years alone, an estimated 7,000 trees have been chopped off to widen roads.

The forest department has announced an ambitious plan to help the city sustain its green image. This monsoon, it intends to plant 2.5 lakh saplings and urge residents to look after them.

RIL’S OFFICE UNDER SIEGE

2010-05-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Angry Reliance petrol pump owners who have been outpriced by public sector petroleum companies lay siege to RIL’s Paldi office, demanding the company return the money they have invested

Around 100 petrol pump dealers barged into Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) office at Vraj building near Parimal crossing around 2 pm on Wednesday, demanding refund of their investments.

Claiming losses worth millions of rupees over the past four years because of the company’s decision to shut many of its retail fuel outlets in view of the variation between its prices and those of government-owned companies, the dealers were at the RIL office till late Wednesday night.

They did not budge despite attempts by the police, and threatened to stage a dharna right inside the RIL office with their families if they were not refunded by Thursday afternoon. The problem is, RIL fuel prices are around Rs 3 to 5 more per litre compared to government fuel companies.

This obviously means consumers prefer government-run fuel stations to RIL fuel stations, resulting in huge losses for Reliance petrol pump dealers. There are 106 Reliance petrol pumps in the state, of which only around 20 are operational. Even they are surviving on a wing and a prayer, incurring huge losses daily.

Said Gujarat Reliance Petrol Pump Dealers Association (GRPPD) chief Sunil Golwala, “We dealers invested around Rs 2 crore each and we are getting nothing out of it. The company is refusing to bring down its fuel prices, ensuring we are doomed. We are asking them to refund our investment. If Reliance itself wants to run the petrol pumps, they should pay us the market rent.”

The dispute between Reliance and its petrol pump dealers is nothing new. Said Golwala, “Two months ago, RIL group president Parimal Nathwani had assured us of a solution. Nothing has come out of it.

We will intensify our agitation as we have no option left.”

An RIL spokesperson told Ahmedabad Mirror, “Dealers must understand our problem. Unlike government petrol pumps, we don’t get subsidies.

We are talking to the government. How can we resolve the dealers’ problems when the talks are still on? Yet, we are trying our best to help them.”

The Mystery of the Indian who fasts for more than 70 years.

2010-05-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Guarded 24 hours over 24 in a hospital for two weeks, Prahlad Jani has not eaten or drunk anything.Tags: INDIA, Prahlad Jani, Mataji.

After two weeks of continuous observations, scientists do not understand how this ascetic Hindu survives 83 years, claiming that he has not eaten or drunk since the age of 8 years.

Blessed at the age of 8 years by the goddess Amba Mata, Prahlad Jani, 83 years, going from water and food. At least that is what the disciples of the Yogi say. For them, Mataji survives thanks to the energy of the sun. "I have not given water and food, I do not feel the need," said the Hindu teacher who said to think about harvesting energy.

Scientifically, this story seems completely incongruous. It is generally believed that a man can go without water for several days, a dozen at the most. As for the hunger strikers, it is very rare that they exceed 40 days of fasting, although some exceptional cases would have exceeded 70 days.
Indian doctors have nonetheless examined the case of the octogenarian, known in India under the name of Mataji. Under the auspices of the research and development of the Indian Ministry of Defence (DRDO), the experiment lasted 15 days during which the ascetic was filmed 24 hours on 24. During these two weeks, Prahlad Jani has not had a drop of water and did not eat the smallest piece of bread. "When a person starts fast, we can see changes in metabolism, but his case we have seen anything like it, "says Dr. Ilavazahagan, the Director of National Institute of Defense specializing in physiology.

Amazing survival skills:
More surprisingly, the man did not go to the toilet once. "We still do not understand how he survives without urinating or defecating. This phenomenon remains a mystery, "said Sudhir Shah, a neurologist in charge of the team of 30 doctors who have observed the yogi in a hospital in Ahmedabad. If it seems unlikely that the ascetic is deprived of food and water for most of his life, it seems that the man has amazing ability to survive at the physiological level.

The DRDO hopes to draw different scanners, blood tests, measurements of brain activity and heart of the ascetic, a few elements that would shed some light on the mystery that surrounds it. The results and interpretations of raw data will be available in a few months. Dr. Ilavazahagan hopes that these comments could rise to future research to increase the strength of Indian troops or helping victims of natural disasters.

Swapnil Joshi and Ami Trivedi in Optimystix new fiction for SAB TV

2010-05-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Optimystix and SAB TV will now be working on the adaptation of popular writer Shahabuddin Rathod, which will have Swapnil Joshi and Ami Trivedi as leads..

Optimystix, after the success of Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo is now working towards their second fiction show for SAB TV, which will be based on the literary works of the very popular orator cum writer of Gujarat, Shahabuddin Rathod.

As per our source, "Shahabuddin Rathod is a famous orator whose fictional character, Vanay Chand is a house-hold name. SAB TV and Optimystix will be coming up with a family comedy drama, titled 'Paapad Pol Shahabuddin Rathod ki Rangeen Duniya'".

The show will see Swapnil Joshi playing the lead. Ami Trivedi, Lavina Tandon, Gujarati artist Abhay Harpade, Vipul Vikhlani, Purvi Vyas will be part of the show.

According to our source, "The story is based in the so-called slum area of Ahmedabad which is called 'Pol'. The show has gone on floors, and will launch either in the 2nd or 3rd week of June. Paapad Pol will occupy a prime time slot on SAB TV".

Swapnil Joshi remained unavailable for comment. We have heard that Swapnil will be seen in a completely new look.

Ami Trivedi told us, "Yes, I am doing a show along with Swapnil Joshi. I can't divulge more details".

Producer Vipul Shah confirmed the news and said, "Yes, we are coming up with a family comedy which will be an adaptation of the literary works of Shahabuddin Rathod, for SAB TV. The 70's character will be presented in today's avatar. The show is expected to launch in the second or third week of June. It has Swapnil and Ami Trivedi as leads".

Air India’s Mangalore Plane crash [Video] is eleventh big air disaster of India

2010-05-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) The Air India’s plane collapse at the Mangalore airfield in which over 160 persons died Saturday is the eleventh big air disaster that includes Indian carriers or in the nation’s air field since 1962.
- July 7, 1962: Alitalia Flight 771 from Sydney crashed into a hill about 84 km north-east of Mumbai while on approach, killing all 94 people on board.
- Jan 1, 1978: Air India Flight 855 bound for Dubai crashed about 3 km off the coast of Bandra in Mumbai, killing all 213 people on board.

Lumpur and Chennai crashed at Sahar International Airport in Mumbai, killing two of 12 crew members and 15 of 99 passengers.
- June 23, 1985: Air India Flight 182 bound from Montreal to Mumbai, via London and Delhi, was blown up over Irish air space, killing all 329 on board.
- Oct 19, 1988: Indian Airlines Flight 113 from Mumbai crashed on its final approach to Ahmedabad airport, killing 130 people.
- Feb 14, 1990: Indian Airlines Flight 605 from Mumbai crashed on its final approach to Bangalore airport, killing 92 people. The crash had 54 survivors.
- Aug 16, 1991: Indian Airlines Flight 257 from Kolkata crashed into a hill, some 40 km south-west of Imphal, killing all 69 occupants.

April 26, 1993: Indian Airlines Flight 491 on its connecting route from Delhi to Mumbai, with stops at Jaipur and Udaipur, collided with a truck during take off from Aurangabad, killing 63 people. Fifty-five people survived.
- Nov 12, 1996: Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 crashed mid-air at Charkhi Dadri village near Delhi, killing all 349 people on board on both flights.
- July 17, 2000: Alliance Air flight CD 7412 crashed at Patna Airport killing 60 people.

Scorcher

2010-05-22T08:09:00.001-07:00

Just as a US-based weather site predicted and Mirror reported five days back, mercury touched 46 degrees on Friday.

Desert-ed: Hot roads, killing heat, almost-nil greenery. Ahmedabad is burning

What Met Dept’s Kamaljit Ray told Mirror on May 15

There is no chance of temperature reaching 46 degrees Celsius. The IMD is official, and may I add, most reliable when it comes to predicting weather. Don’t rely on such websites, American or whatever, for information

Agni varsha, fire rain... call it what you may, but it was Killer Friday as Ahmedabad recorded 46.8 degrees Celsius, its highest in 40 years, which took 6 human lives by 7.30 pm. Just 100 km away, in Idar, the mercury touched 48.5 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest place in the country yesterday. Ahmedabad was third in the list, while Jaisalmer was placed second.

In Ahmedabad, two senior citizens, Mohammad Ayub Noor (71) and Mohammad Yunus Menon (62), and a 45-year-old man, Raman Vaghela, succumbed to heat stroke in V S Hospital. Noor was from Sarkhej, Menon from Kalupur and Vaghela was a Behrampura resident.

In Ahmedabad, two senior citizens, Mohammad Ayub Noor (71) and Mohammad Yunus Menon (62), and a 45-year-old man, Raman Vaghela, succumbed to heat stroke in V S Hospital. Noor was from Sarkhej, Menon from Kalupur and Vaghela was a Behrampura resident.

At Civil Hospital, a 35-year-old man, Jayesh Arora died in the afternoon while the dead at Sardaben Hospital have been identified as Mansoor, aged 38, from Rakhial and 75-year-old Meera Damani from Krishnanagar.
Including those who died on Friday due to the heat, close to 30 people were admitted in various hospitals for heat stroke treatment. Across state on Friday, Bhavnagar recorded three heat stroke deaths, two persons died in Bhuj, two in Vadodara, one in Idar and one in Malpur.

On Sunday, this newspaper had reported a reputed American weather website’s prediction of 46 degrees Celsius for the city on May 21 and 22 (Will it touch 46 degrees Celsius? AM, May 16). The website, www.weather.com, was proved accurate when Friday’s temperature was recorded at 46.8 degrees Celsius.

There is going to be no respite from the heat for the next few days. It was way back in 1970, when the city was more hotter than this. In May 1970, Ahmedabad had reached 47.3 degrees Celsius. We only pray that an all-time high of 47.8 degrees C, set in 1916, doesn’t get surpassed.

The meteorological department official had on Saturday asked us not to believe “irrelevant” sources of information when we had told them about weather.com’s prediction for May 21-22. Insisting that temperatures would come down, Kamaljit Ray, director for Gujarat region, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), had told this newspaper, “There is no chance of the temperature reaching 46 degrees Celsius.”

Ray had said, “The IMD is official, and may I add most reliable, when it comes to predicting weather. Don’t rely on such websites, American or whatever, for information.”

On Friday, Ray called weather.com’s accuracy a “coincidence.” She said, “The temperatures would have come down but for Cyclone Laila.

“The heat wave is all across the state and central India due to the northwesterly winds blowing from dry regions and this will prevail for the next 2-3 days.”

Indeed, citizens from all walks of life are crying out for respite. While the homeless, and the lower middle-class have no option but to surrender to the elements, even the privileged class is losing sleep over heat. ACs are failing, fans are of little use and homes are as hot as tin roofs.

Plane lies laid bare

2010-05-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

This picture clicked by a villager minutes after a Cessna crash-landed near Gota on May 14 proves conclusively that there were only two girls in the aircraft.

That there were two women in the Cessna plane that crash-landed in a field near Gota on May 14 can no longer be called just a supposition. In all probability, it’s a fact.

Mirror — which, on the basis of witnesses’ account, had disputed the official theory that a female trainee pilot and a male instructor were on board — has a picture showing two females in pilots’ uniform beside the partly mangled plane.
The Truth

This image, taken by a witness to the May 14 crash-landing, shows two females in pilots’ uniform beside the partly mangled plane. It appears to have been clicked just moments after the plane hurtled to the ground. There are hardly any people around except the two women and a man, a clear indication that it is one of the initial scenes after the
emergency landing.

While the picture, taken by a witness to the incident, does not show the two exiting the light aircraft, it confirms the presence of another woman in uniform at the site of the dramatic landing. The image appears to have been clicked just moments after the plane hurtled to the ground. There are hardly any people around except the two women and a man, a clear indication that it is one of the initial scenes after the crash-landing.

The picture raises two pertinent questions: what was another putative trainee pilot doing at the site and why did she disappear when airport officials turned up to take a stock of the situation. Officials of Ahmedabad Aviation & Aeronautics (AAA) Ltd, which owns the Cessna 152, have repeatedly stated that trainee Gayatri Sardeshpande was on a training sortie with her instructor, captain Naresh Devjani, on May 14.

They have vehemently denied that there was another female trainee with Gayatri, who has clocked over 190 flying hours, in the two-seater aircraft whose engine failed in mid-air. However, people who rushed to the spot near Chainpur immediately after the crash-landing claim Devjani was not on board the

Cessna when it hit the ground. They allege that there was another woman with Gayatri. The picture with Mirror partly proves this.

When claims of the presence of another female trainee pilot beside Gayatri were first made by ‘witnesses’, AAA general manager colonel V V Nagar had offered a perfectly logical explanation. He said that after the crash-landing, Gayatri had called her friends from AAA to the spot. “One of them was a woman,” he had stated. The emergence of the new image, however, casts doubt over this foolproof theory.

Even if one believes that Gayatri called her friends, the question is how did they reach the spot before people living nearby did? If one considers witnesses’ accounts, it seems quite improbable that the unidentified female in a pilot’s uniform arrived at the spot after the aircraft came down. Take, for instance, the detailed statement of one such witness, Hitesh Patel.

“I heard a loud whir in the air. I immediately realised a plane was coming down. It landed and skidded for some time before coming to a halt. I was surprised to see two females, aged around 22 and in uniform, emerge from the ‘smoky’ plane,” Patel said.

“I spoke to them, they appeared dazed, but in control. One of them even asked me to step away as there was a possibility of the plane exploding.”

Seven villagers — Vijay, Bhavna Patel, Chandrabhan, Chetan, Pravin Sindhav, Kamu and Kersinh — have also given a

similar account. They claim they spoke to two female pilots and that there was no male on board the Cessna.

The other intriguing question is that if flying instructor Devjani was with Gayatri, why didn’t he take control of the light aircraft when its engine failed. According to the flight plan submitted by AAA on May 14, Gayatri was the pilot in command of the Cessna 152. She apparently continued to be in charge even after its engine failed. Why did Devjani risk his and her life by allowing her to pilot the plane in the moment of such grave crisis?