Tag: nepal

Over 4500 people die of snakebites every year in Bihar.

Source – newindianexpress.com

PATNA: Bihar witnesses deaths of around 4,500 people every year due to snake bites, majority of them are from extremely poor backgrounds. Bihar stands as the third in the country with the largest number of deaths caused by snakebites in India.

Sharing this figure at a public awareness event organised at Asia’s longest-running sonepur fair on Sunday, Aditya Vaibhav, the  representative of ‘The Tricky Rescuer’, said : “ With a view to promoting awareness amongst Bihari masses on snakebites and post-bite response, a mass social campaign has been launched all over the state”.

Spelling out the objective of ‘The Tricky-Rescuer’, he said that it aims at saving snakes, as-well-as humans in case of conflicts by reducing the number of such occurrences.

Quoting figures of various research studies on the cases of snakebites, he said: “Five million snakebites occur globally each year, causing between 81,000 and 1.38 lakh deaths and nearly 4 lakh amputations and other permanent disabilities.

South Asia has the highest incidence of venomous snakebites in the world. Within the region, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka together constitute nearly 70% of global snakebite mortality”.

In Bihar, it is a sheer lack of prevention or a slew of post-snakebite steps; most of the victims die in state’s interiors than in urban landscapes. “Cobras, Kraits, Russell ’s viper and Saw Scale vipers are the commonly found venomous species of snakes, which bite the human-beings”.

He said: “Snakebites are exacerbated by ignorance. Let alone the illiterates, even most of those educated are unaware of crucial trivia. In a recent email survey that was conducted on 1,000 graduates, with equal participation of both males and females, in ten developing and developed countries it was found
that close of 870 individuals did not know what an antivenin is”.

Antivenin is the antiserum containing antibodies against specific chemicals, especially those in the venom of snakes, spiders, and scorpions.

Double murder: two arrested from Bihar.

Source – thehindu.com

Two men were arrested from Bihar for allegedly killing a financier and his employee over a monetary dispute, the police said on Wednesday.

Accused Naveen Vashisth (32) and Rajnish (31), both residents of Bawana, were nabbed from Patna on Monday when they were about to board a bus for Nepal.

On October 14, 30-year-old Amit Hooda and his employee Nikhil Gulati (39) were shot dead and their bodies had been dumped in the Bawana Canal.

Unable to repay the borrowed money, Naveen hatched a plan to eliminate Amit. He recruited his friend Rajnish and Vikar, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Joy Tirkey.

They hosted a liquor party at Naveen’s flat in Rohini Sector 24. When Amit arrived with Nikhil, the accused offered then liquor with an entire strip of sleeping pills mixed in, the officer said.

When the victims passed out, the accused bundled them up in Amit’s car and drove to an isolated patch near the canal. They took them out of the vehicle and shot them, the officer added. They then threw the bodies in the canal and buried the pistols in Rajnish’s farmland in Harewali village and parked Amit’s car in a residential area in Rohini. They called up a friend in Patna and boarded a train to Bihar where they had been hiding ever since, the DCP said.

Efforts are on to nab the third accused, he said.

“During interrogation, the accused admitted to their involvement in the killings. Naveen said that a few years ago, he was a property dealer. But his business was not doing well. Aout a year ago, he started a factory in Shahbad Dairy. He was short of cash and borrowed ₹3 lakh from Amit,” the officer said.

However, his factory suffered losses and he was unable to pay back the money to Amit, who had started pestering him for the cash.

On one occasion, Amit had visited his house in his absence and had misbehaved with his father, the officer added.

Railways’ Buddhist Circuit train covering sites in India, Nepal to run from October 19-26

Source: thehindu.com

The Railways will run its first Buddhist Circuit train from this Saturday to October 26 covering sites related to Gautam Buddha in India and Nepal.

IRCTC will run the train covering destinations like Lumbini, where Buddha was born; Bodhgaya, where he gained enlightenment; Sarnath, where he gave his first sermon; and Kushinagar, where he attained nirvana, the Railways said in a statement.

“The significance of these destinations can be seen in the Mahaparinirvana sutra, wherein the Lord Buddha tells his followers that they can attain merit and a noble rebirth by going on pilgrimage to these places,” the statement said.

The package will cost Indians ₹1,23,900 per couple in AC first class and ₹1,01,430 per couple for AC two tier.

It will include road transport by AC deluxe coaches for the Nepal tour, visits to monuments and locations, accommodation, meals, services of tour manager, guides, entrance fees and travel insurance.

However, passengers will have to pay their visa fee for the Nepal leg of the journey and any other expenditure like laundry and other services.

The train will have four first AC coaches with 96 seats, two second AC coaches with 60 seats, two exclusive dining cars with a capacity of 64 guest in each and a pantry car.

It will be covered with unique vinyl wrap promoting Incredible India and is also equipped with personal digital lockers, cubicles shower, foot massagers, separate sitting area with single seated sofas.

Private security guards will be deployed in each coach, the railways said.

Situation in Bihar to worsen after heavy rainfall in Nepal

Source: indiatoday.in

The flood situation in Bihar remained grim on Wednesday and is expected to worsen as neighbouring Nepal is witnessing heavy rainfall and the water from the overflowing rivers there may flow in to Bihar, an official said.

So far, 106 people have died while over eight million have been affected by the floods in Bihar. Thousands have been displaced across the state’s 12 districts as rivers are flowing above the danger mark at several places, officials said.

An official from the Water Resources Department said that heavy rainfall in Nepal since Monday is bound to worsen the situation in Bihar.

Latest reports suggest that the water level in major rivers is continuing to rise and embankments have been breached at several places. Water is also spreading to new areas, forcing people to take shelter at safer places, officials said.

Bihar Water Resources Minister Sanjay Jha told the media that embankments were breached at several places due to heavy rainfall. “We are working to repair embankments,” he said.

Jha said the government is doing everything possible to help the flood victims.

According to Wednesday’s report on the website of the Disaster Management Department, more than eight million people living in 1,238 panchayats in 12 districts have been affected by the floods that were caused by heavy rain in north Bihar and the catchment areas of major rivers in neighbouring Nepal.

Taking serious note of the flood situation, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed the airdropping of relief, particularly food packets, in the affected districts.

Opposition legislators have been raising the issue of the failure of the state government to protect embankments and to carry out adequate rescue and relief operations.

The Disaster Management Department said relief and rescue operations were continuing in the flood-affected areas. A total of 26 companies of the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force and the Seema Sashatra Bal have been deployed in the affected districts to carry out rescue operations.

HEAVY RAINS TO LASH PARTS OF BIHAR, FLOOD LIKE SITUATION FEARED

Source: skymetweather.com

The eastern districts of Bihar have been observing on and off rain and thundershower activities for quite some time now. During the last 24 hours, Bhagalpur and its adjoining areas have received light to moderate rain and thundershowers.

According to Skymet Weather, the intensity of rains will increase over Bihar during the next few days. Neighbouring Jharkhand would also observe intense showers now. Light rain will be witnessed in both the states for the next 48 hours. Thereafter, the intensity of rain will increase significantly. These rains would be a result of the Cyclonic Circulation over Bihar and its adjoining areas. A well-marked Low-Pressure Area is already present over Northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Southeast Uttar Pradesh, which is instrumental in giving occasional light rain in the region for the last two days.

Easterly/southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal will impact both the states during the upcoming rainy spell. Moreover, we expect the intensity of rain to remain high in Bihar than Jharkhand. Bihar is likely to observe light to moderate rains with a few heavy spells, while light to moderate showers with isolated heavy spells would be a sight in parts of Jharkhand.

During this spell, good rains are also expected in adjoining Nepal. This raises fear of rivers flooding in Nepal and large amounts of water flowing into Bihar and its rivers, resulting in flood like situation in the state. However, we do not expect any serious flooding to take place, but due precautions must be taken.

This spell of rain is likely to continue until July 9, with rains peaking on July 7. This could turn out to be the rainiest spell of Monsoon Rain so far. It will definitely be helpful in reducing rainfall deficiency in the state to a great extent. These showers will also be highly beneficial for crops and in soil moisture restoration.

Bihar: Land of Rich Cultural Heritage

Source- hindustantimes.com

Geography

Bihar has hot summers and cool winters. It has a vast stretch of fertile plain drained by the River Ganga, including its northern tributaries Gandak, Koshi and Bagmati that regularly flood parts of the plains. Other rivers in the state are Falgu, Ghaghra, Durgawati, Sone, Punpun, and Karmanasa. Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills near the city of Rajgir.

Language

Hindi is the official language of the state, while Urdu is the second official language in 15 districts of the state. Maithili (including its dialect Bajjika), Bhojpuri, Angika and Magadhi are also widely spoken in this state.

Culture

Madhubani art, a form of painting that is world famous, is practised in the Mithila region of the state. Maithili music too orginates from the same region. The classical music in Bihar is a form of the Hindustani classical music. Gaya is another centre of excellence in classical music, particularly of the Tappa and Thumri styles. The Bihari thali consists of rice, roti, pickle, chutney, lentils and milk products. Llitti Chokha is a popular fast food.

Chatth Puja Almost all civilisations worship the ‘sun god’, but it has a unique form in Bihar. Chatth Puja is the only occasion where the setting sun is worshipped. For this four-day festival, people maintain sanctity and purity from even a month ahead.

Plant and animal life

Banyan, peepal, and palmyra palm trees are found in abundance. The forest regions are home to species of large mammals like Bengal tigers, leopards and elephants. Crocodiles are abundant along the Kosi river.

landmarks

Mahabodhi Temple, Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Nalanda University ruins, Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir, Golghar, Vikramshila ruins.

Famous people

India’s first President Rajendra Prasad, shehnai maestro and Bharat Ratna Bismillah Khan, social reformer Jayapraksh Narayan, poet Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’, politician Jagjivan Ram, and actors Manoj Bajpayee and Shatrughan Sinha.

Railway stations and airports

Main railway stations are Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, Barauni, Samastipur, Chappra, Darbhanga. Airports are in Patna and Gaya.

Major cities

Arrah, Aurangabad, Bagusarai, Bhagalpur, Bihar Sharif, Chappra, Darbhanga, Dehri, Gaya, Jehanabad, Katihar, Motihari, Patna, Purnia and Siwan.

Languages in Bihar

Language ISO 639-3 Scripts No. of Speakers Geographical Distribution
Angika anp Anga Lipi, Devanagari 30,000,000 Eastern Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Nepal
Bajjika   Devanagari 11,738,000 North-Central Bihar Eastern Terai
Bhojpuri bho Kaithi, Devanagari 23,384,562 Western Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Central Terai
Fiji Hindi[7] hif Roman and Devanagari 460,000 Fiji Islands
Kudmali kyw N.A. 37,000 Bihar West Bengal Orissa Assam.
Magahi mag Kaithi, Devanagari 11,362,000 Southern Bihar
Maithili mai Maithili, Devanagari 13,500,000 Northern Bihar Delhi Eastern Terai and .Maldives.
Majhi mjz N.A 21,841 Eastern Bihar, Nepal
Musasa smm N.A 50,000 Eastern Bihar, Nepal
Panchpargania tdb N.A. 274,000 West Bengal Jharkhand Assam
Sadri sck N.A. 165,683 Jharkhand Bihar and Bangladesh
Sadri, Oraon sdr N.A. 1,965,000 Jharkhand and Bangladesh
Sarnami Hindustani[8] hns N.A. 150,000 Suriname
Surajpuri sjp N.A. 273,000 Kishanganj, Katihar & Araria.