May 14, 2019

Page 1

Nagaland Post This issue 12 + 4 = 16 Pages @ ` 5.00

www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXIX No. 156

DIMAPUR, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2019 Pages 16 ` 5.00

No work, only publicity campaign during Modi regime: Priyanka

Barca beat top-four hopefuls Getafe

May’s party slumps to 5th place

national, Page 12

sports, Page 16

international, Page 13

Cyclonic storm lashes Nagaland

(L-R) Tree branch uprooted by the storm near Oriental colony in Dimapur, hail stones that lashed Chümoukedima and dark clouds hovering over the skyline of Kohima town on Monday evening. (NP/Social Media)

DIMAPUR/KOHIMA/ KIPHIRE, MAY 13 (NPN): As forecast by the Met department, a massive cyclonic storm lashed many parts Nagaland Monday evening, leaving a trail of destruction when trees were uprooted, roofs of houses blown away and also severely disrupting power supply. According to reports, two persons sustained minor injuries in Kiphire and were rushed to the district hospital for treatment. Besides the two injured in Kiphire, so far there has

Fuel prices cut for 5th straight day NEW DELHI, MAY 13 (AGENCIES): State-run oil marketing companies slashed the retail prices of petrol and diesel rates across the four metro cities on Monday for the fifth successive day. Following the daily revision in prices, petrol prices in all the metro cities lowered by 29-32 paise per litre while diesel became cheaper by 13-14 paise. Petrol rates were cut in New Delhi by 30 paise to Rs 71.43 a litre on Monday as against Rs 71.73 on Sunday. Diesel in the national capital became cheaper by 13 paise to Rs 65.98 as compared with Rs 66.11 yesterday’s price. It may be mentioned that retail prices of petrol and diesel rates in Delhi are the cheapest among all metros and most state capitals due to lower taxes. Currently, the domestic prices of petrol and diesel are reviewed by state-run oil marketing companies on a daily basis. Any revisions are effected at the fuel pumps at 6 am. The domestic fuel prices are determined broadly by the global crude oil and rupee-dollar forex rates. Global oil prices were mixed on Monday as investors and traders fretted over global economic growth prospects amid a standoff in the US-China trade talks.

This is it!

“His message is to attack every opposition leader wherever he campaigns.” K Y M C

been no report of any casualty from other parts of the state at the time of filing this report. Besides several houses that were damaged in Kiphire district, power supply was also cut-off for several hours. Monday’s storm was accompanied by heavy rainfall across Nagaland while Chümoükedima was lashed by hailstorm. Though the storm occurred at isolated places of the state including the state capital Kohima, Dimapur experienced high-velocity winds that uprooted trees and damaged several houses.

In several parts of Dimapur, fallen tree branches also obstructed traffic while power supply was cut-off for over five hours. The heavy downpour also caused flood in several low-lying areas of Dimapur. In Chumoükedima, the storm demolished a thatched house under construction near Mission Compound. According to reports, several houses were also partially damaged in Kohima. Dark clouds preceded thunderstorm over Kohima. A temporary roof structure of the ongoing basketball tournament at Kuochiezie

was also blown away. M e a n w h i l e, s o m e thatched-houses were also damaged in Rilan Village near Dilai gate. As reported on Monday, North Eastern states like Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya are likely to experience moderate rain and thundershower activity with squally winds throughout the week ahead. All these weather conditions are prevailing due to the presence of a Cyclonic Circulation over Northeast Bihar and adjoining parts of Sub-Himalayan West

Bengal. An upper air trough is extending up to Odisha. Apart from this, a Cyclonic Circulation is persisting over eastern parts of Assam in the lower levels. Also, one after the other Western Disturbances are moving across the Tibet region. In association with above systems, the southwesterly and southerly air mass is prevailing from Bay of Bengal over to North Eastern states. According to reports, heat wave however might continue to prevail over these places even amidst the rainy weather.

Forest dept continues to collect CS holds coordination money illegally: alleges NTTU meeting with line deptts Staff Reporter DIMAPUR, MAY 13 (NPN): Nagaland Timber Traders’ Union (NTTU) on Monday alleged that forest officials manning check gates are still resorting to collection of money illegally even after the forest department had assured the union members of initiating an inquiry to the complaint filed by them. Speaking to media persons here, NTTU president Kevise Sogotsu said a timber-laden truck coming from Phek was forced to pay Rs 3,000 at Pfutsero check gate on May 8, Rs 3,500 at Peducha check gate and Rs 4,000 at Chumukedima check gate on May 9. He also criticised the forest department for asking the union to furnish transit permit (TP) for transportation of timber when its officials manning the three check gates were resorting to illegal collection without issuing TPs.

Countering a letter issued by conservator of forest to the NTTU president insisting the union furnish TP “as per list provided” by it, Sogotsu asked, “Who is the authority to issue TP? Is it NTTU or forest department? Why is the department insisting on us to furnish TP?” In the letter, the department has also stated that an inquiry for removal of the forest check gates is at an advanced stage. Sogotsu, however, alleged that the department is still allowing its officials to continue their illegal collection. He asserted that NTTU will continue to fight for removal of inter-district forest check gates. Reiterating the union’s earlier demand, the NTTU president said TP rate for every district should be reasonable and below Rs 3,000. He also appealed for deployment of police flying squads for timber-laden trucks plying from Kiphire to Dimapur twice a week.

DIMAPUR, MAY 13 (NPN): Nagaland chief secretary, Temjen Toy, held a coordination committee meeting with all the line departments involving with National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) at chief secretary’s conference hall, Kohima on Monday. According to an official bulletin, the chief secretary stated that the main objective of the meeting was to coordinate with all the stakeholders and together solve issues and problems faced by line departments while carrying out development activities, particularly on road construction works by NHIDCL in the state. He said ‘lack of coordination’ between different departments was the main hindrance to progress of work in the state. The chief secretary, therefore, urged the departments not to blame each other, but find a solution to settle the issue at the level of HoDs. He also asked the general manager (projects) to keep updating about the work progress to the department and chief secretary’s office on regular basis. During the meeting, issues relating to finalization of alignment, land acquisition, land and other compensation, shifting of utilities and forest clearance were discussed. AHoDs, HoDs and DCs highlighted the status of their respective departments and districts where NHIDCL works were being undertaken.

C H E N NA I , M AY 1 3 (AGENCIES): In a big push for the formation of the ‘Federal Front’, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao met Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin in Chennai at the latter’s residence on Monday afternoon. The meeting comes as the DMK appears to have shed its initial hesitation regarding a non-BJP, nonCongress front that has been backed by the TRS president. Initially, there were doubts regarding the DMK chief ’s meeting with Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR, as the DMK had not confirmed the date of meeting citing Stalin’s busy schedule for election campaigning. The crucial by-polls for four Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu are scheduled to take place on May 19, during the last phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections. The DMK’s hesitation to support a Federal Front was reportedly due to the fact that the party is in alliance with the Congress. In fact, Stalin, chief of the opposition party in Tamil Nadu, was among the first leaders to endorse Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s name for the post of Prime Minister. Sources said that K. Chandrashekhar Rao may not be averse to extending support to Congress-led government at the Centre Sources said KCR

(2nd from L) DMK leader MK Stalin with Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (3rd from L) in Chennai, Monday. (PTI)

told Stalin that if Congress emerges as the single largest or second largest party in Lok Sabha, he may not be averse to extending support to it. He recalled that TRS was earlier a constituent of United Progress Alliance (UPA) led by Congress. While Rao called on Stalin to drum up support for proposed Federal Front for formation of a non-BJP and non-Congress government at the Centre, the DMK leader suggested that TRS should extend support to Congress-led coalition to prevent BJP from coming to power. However, as per Hindustan Times, the Congress itself has reached out to KCR and YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, reportedly, KCR has asked the Gandhi-led party to wait till the results for the Lok Sabha election are declared on May 23. Karanata chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s telephonic conversation with KCR last week also came amid stepped up efforts by the TRS chief to give a shape to an alliance of regional parties.

The series of meetings with leaders from south also sparked the buzz that KCR is trying to push for a leader from the south as the prime ministerial candidate. Notably, in a bid to work towards the fruition of his ‘Federal Front’ vision, KCR met Kerala chief minister and CPI (M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan on May 6 in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala CM had informed the media that the meeting was “significant.” Interestingly, this is the second time that KCR has held talks with Stalin regarding the Third Front discussions. The two had met last time in April 2018, months before the death of the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. Following the KCRStalin meeting, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) reportedly dialed up DMK leader Kanimozhi, seeking clarification on the development. Kanimozhi is said to have assured the NCP that the Congress and DMK alliance was “intact” and the “third front was a dream,” Times Now reported.

Scientists alarmed as CO2 levels hit historic high PARIS, MAY 13 (AGENCIES): Scientists in the United States have detected the highest levels of planetwarming carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere since records began, sounding new alarm over the relentless rise of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked atmospheric CO2 levels since the late 1950s, on Saturday morning detected 415.26 parts per million (ppm). It was also the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above 415 ppm. The last time Earth’s atmosphere contained this much CO2 was more than three million years ago, when global sea levels were several metres higher and parts of Antarctica were blanketed in forest. “It shows that we are

Latest CO2 reading May 11, 2019

415.26 ppm

Ice-core date before 1958. Mauna Loa data after 1958.

400

CO2 Concentration (ppm)

Staff Reporter/Correspondents

KCR meets Stalin, bid for ‘Federal Front’ appears a non-starter

350

300

250 20010

8

6

4

Thousands of Years Ago

not on track with protecting the climate at all. The number keeps rising and it’s getting higher year after year,” Wolfgang Lucht, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP. But far from stabilising, levels of CO2 -- one of a trinity of greenhouse gases produced when fossil fuels are burnt -- are climbing ever more rapidly. Ralph Keeling, director of Scripps Institution

2

0

of Oceanography’s CO2 Programme, said the trend would probably continue throughout 2019 -- likely to be an El Nino year in which temperatures rise due to warmer ocean currents. “The average growth rate is remaining on the high end. The increase from last year will probably be around three parts per million whereas the recent average has been 2.5 ppm,” he said. “Likely we’re seeing the effect of mild El Nino

conditions on top of ongoing fossil fuel use.” The 2015 Paris Agreement calls on humanity to block the rise in Earth’s temperature at “well below” 2 degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial levels, and 1.5C if possible. The last four years were the four hottest on record. Earth’s average surface temperature has already increased 1.0C since preindustrial times due to manmade emissions. “All of human history has been in a colder climate than now,” said Lucht. “Every time an engine runs we emit CO2 and it has to go somewhere. It doesn’t miraculously disappear, it stays in the atmosphere. “Despite the Paris climate agreement, despite all the speeches and the protests -- we are not seeing that we are bending the curve yet,” he added. K Y M C


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