April 29, 2021

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Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 142

DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021 Pages 12 ` 5.00

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6.4 quake strikes Assam, 10 aftershocks; tremors in NE India logs over 3.60 lakh GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI, APR 28 (PTI): A series of earthquakes jolted Assam and most of the Northeast on Wednesday, causing extensive damage to buildings and forcing people to scamper out of their homes. There were no immediate reports of deaths, but three people were injured as the first quake of 6.4 magnitude struck Tezpur, the headquarters of Sonitpur district in Assam, at 7.51 am, officials said. The impact was felt in almost the entire North Eastern region, parts of West Bengal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The first quake was followed in quick succession by lesser intensity tremors of 4.7, 4, and two 3.6 magnitudes at 8.03 am, 8.13 am, 8.25 am and 8.44 am, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Deputy Director Sanjay O’neil Shaw said. Another earthquake of 3.2 magnitude hit Nagaon district at 10.5 a.m. A while later, another jolt of 3.4 magnitude hit Tezpur at 10.39 a.m. At 12.32 pm,

Closure of NH-29 stretch

DIMAPUR, APR 28 (NPN): To facilitate the progress of the four-lane construction works, the deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur has ordered total restriction of all movement from Chathe River Bridge (Patkai junction) to Kukidolong village from 7pm May 1 till 5am May 3 and from 7pm May 8 till 5am May 10. In a circular, DC Dimapur Rajesh Soundararajan informed that general public could take the alterative route from Dimapur Kohima/KohimaDimapur for light vehicles only via 7th Mile-New DC office- Shokhuvi-RazapheMhaikam-Pimla- Mhainamtsi - Jhornapani/Medziphema and vice versa.

NPSC final results DIMAPUR, APR 28 (NPN): Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) has declared the final results of NCS, NPS & Allied Services Examination-2019. In a notification, the NPSC secretary John Tsulise Sangtam stated that the provisional results have been declared on the basis of marks obtained in the main written examination, vivavoce and medical & police fitness tests and options exercised by the candidates. NPSC has informed that the results could be accessed from the commission’s website www.npsc. co.in and also in the notice board of the commission.

This is it!

“We’re not within the purview of the curfew since we’ve taken our second vaccine doses.” K Y M C

PTI. Several roads in the region developed wide cracks, affecting traffic. Besides, in many areas fissures were seen in fields with water oozing out, officials said. Many religious structures, including Maha Mrityunjaya Temple in Nagaon and several mosques, developed cracks. An earth portion of a hillock in tourist spot Bhairabkunda in Udalguri district came down due to the impact of the tremors. In Guwahati, the chief minister’s block at ‘Janata Bhawan’ complex, the state secretariat, witnessed some damage, sources said. The luxury Taj Vivanta hotel in Guwahati also witnessed massive damage with several glass panes, ceilings and walls falling apart, hotel spokesperson Indranee Phukan told PTI. Healthcare facilities such as Dispur Hospital, Apollo Clinic, Down Town Hospital and Excelcare Hospital also saw damage, hampering services. A multi-storied building in Nagaon tilted on the adjacent

structure, triggering panic. Dozens of homes, apartment buildings and shopping malls across the state also developed cracks. Many vehicles were damaged after concrete blocks fell on them due to the jolts. “The preliminary analysis shows that the events are located near to Kopili Fault closer to Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT),” the NCS said in a report. The area is seismically very active and falls in the highest Seismic Hazard Zone V, it said. In Nagaland’s commercial hub-Dimapur, the tremor woke up people and many ran outside their homes in panic. Strong tremors were also felt across Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Manipur. “The timing of the earthquake saved a lot of lives. People were already awake when the earthquake hit, so they could run out in time. There would have been several casualties if this quake struck two-three hours early,” a disaster management official in Guwahati said.

fresh Covid cases; death toll surpasses 2 lakh Vax prices slashed

NEW DELHI, APR 28 (PTI): India saw a record single-day rise of 3,60,960 coronavirus cases, which pushed the total tally to 1,79,97,267, while the death toll crossed two lakh following 3,293 fresh fatalities, according to Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease is 1,48,17,371, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.12 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase, the active cases have risen to 29,78,709, comprising 16.55 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 82.33 per cent, it said. The death toll stands at 2,01,187, the data stated. According to ICMR, 28,27,03,789 samples have been tested up to April 27 with 17,23,912 samples being tested on Tuesday.

A d a r Po o n awa l l a , CEO of Pune-based Serum Institute of India, said Covishield will be made available to states at a price of Rs 300 per dose. SII, which is producing University of Oxford and AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, had earlier priced the doses at Rs 400 for states. The decision is a philanthropic gesture on behalf of the Serum Institute, said Poonawalla. He went on to add that this will save thousands of crores of state funds and enable more vaccinations. Sources within SII say supply to states will begin in the next four days. As many as five states will get supplies this week, including Maharashtra, the state worst-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The other states will start receiving their supply of Covishield in three weeks’ time, added sources.

State facing drought- State sends Covid samples for genome sequencing like situation: APC

State records 124 Covid cases; death toll touches 100

(From top) A hillock at Bhairankunda picnic place brought down by the earthquake; damages inside Taj Vivanta Hotel, Guwahati; villagers collect water seeping out of cracks in a field in Sonitpur district and buildings damaged by the quake in Guwahati. (Combo pics PTI/Twitter)

the eighth quake of 2.9 magnitude hit Marigaon. It was followed by three more earthquakes, hitting Sonitpur district again, Shaw said. There were reports of extensive damage to buildings and other structures from across

Assam, mostly in the central and western towns of Tezpur, Nagaon, Guwahati, Mangaldoi, Dhekiajuli and Morigaon. “We have received reports of three people getting injured in the earthquake.

However, there is no death. We are still collecting reports from different districts and assessing the total damage to the properties,” Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) CEO Gyanendra Tripathi told

Correspondent

DIMAPUR, APR 28 (NPN): Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) Nagaland, Kikheto Sema, Wednesday said that the state was facing a drought-like situation with reports coming in from across the state. Expressing concern over the contentious dry spell, the APC said that due to shortage of water and shortfall of rain seeds have not germinated. Few seeds that have germinated have also failed to survive, APC said while speaking at the “need base” meeting of all agriculture and allied departments at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Conference Hall, Kohima. According to an official bulletin, the meeting discussed various difficulties and challenges being faced by the state. APC also stated that reports of hail storm and attack of crops by fall armyworm across the State have affected the crop production. Sema said that livestock farming has also been hit by the African swine fever and the foot and mouth disease. Asserting that extra ordinary times called for extra ordinary measures, the APC called upon the

agri & allied departments to take stock of the situation and take up the challenges faced by the people of the State. He said that immediate action should be taken in affected areas. APC instructed the agriculture and horticulture departments to assess the damage of seeds and replace them on an urgent basis so the farmers could use the season to replant and grow the crops. He also suggested purchasing seeds from other allotted funds because of the urgency. Further, APC advised the veterinary department to sensitize the people on alternate livestock farming such as goat farming and poultry. He said fishery was also another alternative towards sustaining food production in the State. He urged the fisher department to encourage people to practice rearing fishes. He also urged the sericulture department to create awareness on the importance of silk worm and its importance’. APC, who is also the nodal officer for Jal Shakti Abhiyan, stressed on water conservation and rainwater harvesting.

KOHIMA APR 28 (NPN): Health & family welfare (H&FW) department has dispatched samples of COVID-19 positive cases for genome sequencing to Kolkata and their results are expected after 15 days. Informing this at a press conference at the H&FW directorate here on Wednesday, H&FW principal director (PD) Dr Kevichusa Medikhrü said as per the Centre’s directive, 5% of COVID positive cases have to be sent for whole genome sequencing and hence the State had dispatched them on April 26 and results are awaited. Expressing serious concern over the surge in cases in the State, he observed that citizens were being somewhat careless, were not fol-

Sl. Age No 1. Less than 10 years 2. Between 10-20 3. Between 20-30 4. Between 30-40 5. Between 40-50 6. Between 50-60 7. Between 60-70 8. Between 70-80 9. 80 and above

lowing COVID-appropriate behaviours, adding that it was worse in Dimapur as though nothing was happening. Dr. Medikhrü attributed people returning from other States as another reason for the spike in COVID cases and said cabinet held a meeting on Tuesday discuss separate protocols for Dimapur district. Asked whether total

Positive cases from Jan-Apr 18 2021 8 71 cases 248 102 62 46 24 9 7

Deaths Nil Nil Nil 1 2 5 1 3 1

lockdown would be imposed in Dimapur, he replied that nothing had been decided yet, but admitted that if the cases continued to mount, total lockdown could be imposed. He said random testing was being carried out in Dimapur district and that all chief medical officers (CMOs) had been directed to increase tests in their respective districts.

11 oxygen plants for Nagaland: Dr. Medikhrü said the State would receive 11 oxygen plants – three under PM Cares Fund, which would be installed at Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung, and eight from UNICEF and UNDP for other districts. He said the plants were expected to arrive before May 15, adding that once the sites were ready, the equipments would be installed. He expressed the hope that there won’t be much problem, especially in district hospitals. Arrangements for oxygen beds: With the State having just 260 oxygen and 66 ICU beds, the PD remarked since the district hospitals were not big, alternative arrangements were being made to set up oxygen beds in government-owned prop(Cont’d on p-7) erties.

NIA case: NSCN (I-M) leader seeks interim bail plea Says, continuous incarceration hampering ongoing Naga talks

NEW DELHI, APR 28 (PTI): NSCN (I-M) leader, Alemla Jamir, arrested in a terror funding case being probed by the NIA, told a (Cont’d on p-8) Delhi court on Wednesday

that her continuous incarceration is hampering the ongoing ‘Naga peace talk’ between the group and the Centre. She made the submission before Special Judge Parveen Singh while seeking interim bail for two months on the ground that she has to take care of her minor daughter during the ongoing

pandemic. The judge issued notice the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and sought its response by May 18 on Alemla’s interim bail application. Alemlawas arrested in December 2019 by the special cell of Delhi Police here on the charges of carrying Rs 72 lakh and the

case was later transferred to the NIA. The accused told the court, through her advocate M S Khan, that due to her arrest and continuous imprisonment, intermediaries of the ‘Naga Peace Process’ are losing faith in the approach of the Government of India (GoI). (Cont’d on p-8)

Lockdown likely in dists with positivity rate of over 15% 3rd abducted ONGC employee Stringent lockdown measures necessary to break the chain of Covid transmission NEW DELHI, APR 28 (AGENCIES): As the nation is witnessing an upswing in the number of COVID cases, the Centre has drafted a proposal to impose a complete lockdown in almost 150 districts with a positivity rate of over 15%, in order to break the chain of transmission. However, during the complete lockdown, a defined set of essential ser-

vices will be allowed to function, India Today report stated. As per the media report, this was suggested by the Union health ministry at a high-level meeting on Tuesday, but a final decision will be taken by the Centre in consultation with state governments. According to reports, a senior official has said that stringent lockdown measures were a necessity in districts with high positivity rates in order to break the chain of transmission and it is the rising positivity rate in various cities that has concerned the authorities the most.

The Central government on Sunday had advised state governments to impose stringent containment and lockdown measures in districts reporting either more than 10% positivity rate over the last one week or more than 60% occupancy of beds supported by oxygen or in ICU. On April 22, India’s tally of fresh COVID-19 cases breached the three lakh mark for the first time and since then the country has been reporting a rise of more than three lakh coronavirus cases daily. The worst affected states are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Del-

hi, Karnataka and Kerala. Currently, states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan already have strict Covid restrictions in place. The situation is worrisome because it has put a lot of pressure on the already fragile health system of India. In the last 24 hours, coronavirus has infected 3,60,960 people and has claimed 3,293 lives. The total number of active cases now stands at 29,78,709 while 25,56,182 vaccine shots were administered in a single day in the country.

still in ULFA(I) captivity: AP

GUWAHATI, APR 28 (PTI): Assam Police on Wednesday claimed that the third kidnapped ONGC employee is still in the clutches of ULFA(I) militants and that they are hiding in Nagaland. The search operation for the missing employee of the crude oil and gas major is on and the force is getting regular updates from security agencies, Spl. DG (Law and Order) Gyanendra Pratap Singh told reporters here. The other two ONGC employees - Mohini Mohan Gogoi and Alakesh Saikia

were rescued on April 24 after an encounter near the Indo-Myanmar border in Mon district of Nagaland. “We have got specific information from Assam Rifles, Army and Nagaland Police that Ritul Saikia is still in captivity of ULFA(I). They are hiding in Mon district,” Singh said. “We will be able to rescue him very soon,” he added. Hours after the rescue of Gogoi and Saikia, the banned ULFA(I) had issued a statement claiming that the outfit all the three ONGC employees in a village of Mon district during the encounter.

DIMAPUR, APR 28 (NPN): Nagaland on Wednesday registered 124 fresh Covid positive cases-Dimapur- 107, Kohima- 11, Mokokchung- 3, Mon- 2 and Tuensang- 1 taking the total caseload to 13569. With this the active cases also rose to 952, while a total of 32 patients have recovered from the infection. Meanwhile, the state also reported two more deaths. Though one was due to Covid, the other was under investigation, taking the death toll 100 (90 Covid deaths, 10 non-Covid and 1 under investigation). Fur ther, a total of 1,97,549 beneficiaries have been inoculated till April 28-- 1,56,890 first dose and 40,659 second dose.

Covid-19: NTCA for closure of all theological colleges DIMAPUR, APR 28 (NPN): Nagaland Theological Colleges’ Association (NTCA) has requested theological institutions to cooperate with the new partial lockdown norms under which schools, colleges, educational institutions and hostels will have to remain closed in the State and online education permitted and encouraged. The fresh surge in Covid cases across the country prompted the association to call for shutdown of theological colleges again and remain closed until further orders from the State government. NTCA president Dr Rushulo Seb also asked all the theological colleges to include prayers for “our country India and especially our State Nagaland” for God’s wisdom upon the leaders as they try to contain the outbreak. Association’s general secretary Apolo K Assumi called for staying well, be supportive, helpful and continue to stand together to tackle what has been regarded as the greatest challenge of “our time”. K Y M C


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