Covid-19, Cyclone Nivar, Tirupati, President Kovind, Mega food park, Punjab, Air India One flight, nuclear power, Pilibhit tiger reserve

24 November 2020

• Cyclone Nivar Updates: Depression intensifies into Nivar cyclone, to cross TN, Puducherry coast on Wednesday

  A deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm Nivar and lay centred about 410 km East-southeast of Puducherry and 450 km southeast of Chennai, said the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday. 

  According to the weather department, over the next 24 hours, it is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Wednesday as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph 

• Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates Mega Food Park in Punjab 

  Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj today virtually inaugurated Mega Food Park (MFP) at Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab.  

  Tomar said, “Punjab and Haryana have a significant role in the development of the agriculture sector of India.” He added that due to untiring efforts of farmers of these two states, India is not only self-reliant in food grains but is food surplus. 

• COVID-19 Updates: Ganga melas cancelled in UP due to pandemic 

  The 'Ganga Snan Mela' and the 'Deepdaan' festival at Garhmukteshwar in Hapur district and Hastinapur in Meerut district have been cancelled this year due to the pandemic. The fair was scheduled to start in Garhmukteshwar on Wednesday and in Hastinapur on Friday. 

  According to official sources, the state government decided to cancel the Ganga Snan Mela in Garhmukteshwar after examining a joint report of the district magistrate and the superintendent of police. 

• Nuclear power complex in Kalpakkam geared to meet Cyclone Nivar 

  The atomic power complex in Kalpakkam about 70 km from here is geared up to meet Cyclone Nivar that is expected to cross the coast near Mamallapuram and Karaikal in Puducherry on Wednesday evening, said the top official of the Disaster Management Committee. 

  He also said the atomic power reactor of Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) belonging to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) will generate power if everything about the grid is normal. 

• Kovind inaugurates Air India One flight 

  President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday boarded the Air India One -- B777 aircraft -- on its inaugural flight to Chennai, said Rashtrapati Bhavan statement. 

  "This is the first flight of the Air India One -- B777 aircraft with the Head of State on board. The aircraft is fuel-efficient and has a longer range than the B747-400 that is deployed for similar VVIP operations. The aircraft has state-of-art interiors with reduced noise levels," the statement said. 

• Pilibhit Reserve gets global award for doubling tiger population 

  The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) and the Uttar Pradesh Forest department have bagged the first-ever international award, TX2, for doubling the number of tigers in four years against a target of 10 years. PTR was the first to receive the award among 13 tiger range countries. 

  It achieved this goal in just four years from 2014 when it had 25 tigers which went up to 65 in 2018. The award was virtually presented to the principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) of the state, Sunil Pandey, by UNDP's (United Nations Development Program) head of ecosystems and biodiversity, Mindori Paxton. 

• President arrives in Tirupati, to offer prayers at Tirumala temple 

  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan received President Ram Nath Kovind at the Renigunta airport on Tuesday morning. 

  The President landed at the airport at 10.45 a.m. He is scheduled to visit Sri Padmavati deity at Tiruchanuru and the Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala temple. He will offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara. After welcoming the President, Reddy was scheduled to fly back to Amaravati as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has scheduled a video conference with all the Chief Ministers.