jungplunga

Recent rains in Northern india have resulted in increase of water level in the man made Sukhna Lake Chandigarh. Where on one hand its a good news for the aquatic life savers, its causing lots of issues for the Sukhna Lake based water sports center. The central island where all the events take place is about to get submerged into water completely. Its less then a meter away from getting submerged completely.

It rained for 36 hours straight one week back in Chandigarh, which resulted in this situation. Nevertheless, its one helluva sight to see. Everyone who has seen Sukhna lake before gives an amazing WOW expression looking at the lake now. I went to Sukhna Lake one day after the rains and captured these photographs.  

The 2008 Delhi bombings were a series of five synchronized bomb blasts that took place within a span of few minutes on September 13, 2008 at various locations in Delhi, India. The first blast took place at at Ghaffar market (a municipal market along a stretch of Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh) in which at least 20 people were injured. Immediately after, two explosions took place in Connaught Place in which at least 10 people were injured. Police and witnesses said that the bombs went off in dustbins in and around Connaught Place, a shopping and dining area popular with tourists and locals in the centre of the city. The first of these blasts occurred on Barakhamba Road, near Nirmal Tower and Gopal Das Bhavan a. A minute later, the second bomb exploded in the newly constructed Central Park in the centre of the Connaught Place roundabout, built above one of the main stations of the Delhi Metro. An eyewitness reportedly saw two men place the bomb in a dustbin at Central Park. Subsequently, two explosions rocked M-Block market in Greater Kailash-I, the first near the popular Prince Paan Corner, and the other near a Levi’s store. The latter damaged 10 shops. Around 21 people were killed and more than 100 were injured.

Flood in Bihar has resulted in the inundation of hundreds of villages, including areas that have not previously experienced major flooding. Many people have lost their lives, 200,000 homes have been destroyed and at least 1.4 million people have been affected. Roads have been damaged and water and electricity supplies in the affected districts have been seriously disrupted. Railway tracks have been submerged and essential commodities, including food, are being transported by boat.

The flooding of this trans boundary river has also displaced approximately 55,000 people in Nepal. As the number of displaced continues to grow, relief camps may become overcrowded, leading to the spread of communicable diseases. In addition, the weather has been extremely hot, aggravating the suffering of the displaced population, particularly for children and pregnant women. Essential medicines distributed by the Government of Bihar have reached some of the more accessible relief camps and other affected populations, but there is a lack of doctors in many of these areas. The state government is air-dropping food packets in inundated villages. In many relief camps, local organizations are also distributing food.

In most of the relief camps, drinking water is available through hand pumps. However, additional pumps are needed. Some people, who are staying along river tributaries, are drinking potentially contaminated river water. Hygiene conditions in the camps are generally very poor, with an insufficient number of toilets, resulting in open defecation. Cases of fever and diarrhea are being reported.

sent by Prince Pal
source : Gilad’s Deviantart Journal

sent by - Nikin Rawat
source - www.boston.com

A penguin who was previously made a Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian Army has been knighted at Edinburgh Zoo. Penguin Nils Olav has been an honorary member and mascot of the Norwegian King’s Guard since 1972.

When the Norwegian King’s Guard visited Edinburgh Military Tattoo of 1961 for a Drill Display, a lieutenant called Nils Egelien became interested in Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin colony. When the Guards once again returned to Edinburgh in 1972, he arranged for the unit to adopt a penguin. This penguin was named Nils Olav in honor of Nils Egelien, and King Olav V of Norway. Nils Olav was given the rank of Visekorporal (lance corporal) and has been promoted each time the King’s Guard has returned to the Tattoo. In 1982 he was made corporal, and promoted to sergeant in 1987. Nils Olav died shortly after his promotion to sergeant, and his place of honor was taken by Nils Olav II, his two-year-old near-double. He was promoted in 1993 to the rank of regimental sergeant major.

On August 18, 2005, he was promoted to Colonel-in-Chief. He is the first penguin to hold this rank in the Norwegian army. At the same time a four foot high bronze statue of Nils Olav was presented to Edinburgh Zoo. The statue’s inscription recognizes the King’s Guard and the Military Tattoo. A statue also stands at the Royal Norwegian Guard compound at Huseby, Oslo. Nils was visited by the Norwegian King’s Guard on the 15 August 2008 and awarded a knighthood. The honour was approved by the king of Norway, King Harald V.

During the ceremony a crowd of several hundred people joined the 130 guardsmen at the zoo to hear a citation from King Harald the Fifth of Norway read out, which described Nils as a penguin “in every way qualified to receive the honor and dignity of knighthood”. The guardsmen come to see Nils every few years while they are in Edinburgh performing at the city’s Military Tattoo. The proud penguin was on his best behavior throughout most of the ceremony, but shortly before the ritual was concluded and possibly suffering a bout of nerves he was seen to deposit a discreet white puddle on the ground.