G Plus Vol 4 issue 50 by G Plus

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Elevated railway track project to be implemented shortly

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Uncertainty clouds PMAY project implementation in city

‘Tight security’ by City Police draws mixed reactions

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Volume 04 | Issue 50 Oct 07 - Oct 13, 2017 Price `10

ISRO to set up research centre in Guwahati

Zubeen Garg sentenced in assault case, gets bail

G Plus News

GSLV-D6 at Sriharikota launch pad | File Photo

he Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will set up a research institute in Guwahati in a development expected to benefit academicians, environmentalists and entrepreneurs as well. The decision was taken at a meeting between Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal and ISRO Chairman, Dr AS Kiran Kumar held at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. The goal of the research facility would be to explore the possibility of using geospatial technology, which includes data generated through Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Satellite Remote Sensing for expediting development of the state and using the remote sensing technology for accurate flood warning, prevention of soil erosion and landslide to name a few.

Sonowal requested the ISRO Chairman to integrate space technology for the overall development of the State. He informed the chairman that the state government would provide land to the ISRO free of cost for the research centre. Along with other objectives, the research centre will be mandated to be used extensively for collecting and interpreting satellite data over the past few decades which can be made accessible to young researchers in the city. The chief minister also informed that the state government will ink a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Space for leveraging the potentials of the state through space technology. Once the MoU is signed, both the state government and ISRO will join hands for development and implementation of schemes for the development of the region.

The proposal for ISRO’s research facility was forwarded by the government a few months ago. An official said that several meetings were held among the top officials of the government and scientists of ISRO ahead of the decision. Work on the project is expected to take off after the land is allotted by the government. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special thrust on the northeast and his focus on the region as the new growth-engine of the nation, Sonowal requested Dr Kiran Kumar to integrate space technology with the Act East Policy which is aimed at establishing closer ties with neighbouring Myanmar and the fast growing economies of South East Asia. Drawing attention of Dr Kiran Kumar to the abundant natural resources of Assam in terms of both flora and fauna, the wide network of rivers including the Brahmaputra and Barak providing the lifeline to the entire state, the chief minister made a case for ISRO’s assistance to use space technology for framing a broad remote sensing map to stop the alleged illegal trade on the natural resources. Sonowal also sought the application of space technology as a deterrent against deforestation which is largely responsible for sedimentation and siltation of the river bed. He hoped that both the state government and ISRO can work together in carrying out a survey for studying the depth of the Brahmaputra River which could help the state government’s proposed plan to dredge the river through its entire stretch from Sadiya to Dhubri. n

Zubeen Garg at court on Friday | G Plus Photo

Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

ssam’s singing superstar Zubeen Garg got bail amidst media reports that he would have to serve three months before applying for bail. Zubeen was sentenced to imprisonment for six months (under IPC 323 and 506) and fined Rs 5000 for an assault case reported in 2013 where Zubeen had allegedly slapped Advocate Arup Borbora’s son, who was then 15 years old, for smoking in public. The incident took place at Zoo Tiniali and a case was registered against the singer by the victim’s father. However, speaking to internal sources it has been confirmed that Zubeen has obtained bail and will now appeal to Gauhati High Court. A friend of Zubeen Garg, movie director Manas Barua, while speaking to G Plus, said that he is happy that the singer got bail because as an artist he should be free to continue his creativity and an artist becoming a convict is a greatly demoralizing prospect by itself. He hoped that Zubeen would

stay away from such kind of situations. “I can’t say whether Zubeen had done anything wrong or not as I was not present at that time but a minor shouldn’t smoke and smoking in front of a senior person is not acceptable. It is an unfortunate incident for both the parties,” said Barua. Speaking about the controversy’s child Zubeen, Barua said that had the singer been in London or USA he would have been considered a rock star because creative people are generally eccentric but here in India or in the state of Assam it depends on the society and how they accept creativity. “Zubeen is a free soul and he can’t be constrained by any rules and regulations. He needs some space in life so that he can come out with more beautiful creations,” said Barua. Advocate Arup Borbora on the other hand said that there was a jury report that the singer had assaulted his son. The case had been dragging for three and a half years. With all the evidences in place he has been found guilty of the offences and has been sentenced to 3 months rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs. 5000. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Lead Story

Elevated railway track project to be implemented shortly The elevated railway corridor will be constructed from New Guwahati to Kamakhya station in order to lessen the regular traffic snarls caused by the closed gates at the level crossings Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

he railway tracks dissecting the city through the middle have always affected the schedules of the city’s commuters with the gates remaining closed at every 5-10 minute intervals resulting in people having to waste more than fifteen minutes at every instance until the train passes through. This was reported by G Plus in an exclusive article which conclusively proved that the passage of trains brought Guwahati to a standstill for 18 hours every day. The story had an immediate impact on former Union Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhu, who thereafter had announced construction of elevated railway tracks to mitigate the problem. To put words into effect, Union Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain, said on 2nd October that a survey has been underway to elevate the tracks from Kamakhya railway station to New Guwahati. He said that the contract of the survey has been give to the central government enterprise, RITES Ltd. and the project will be started after the receipt of approval in the feasibility

report. Informing about the progress of the work of elevation of railway tracks, Chief Public Relation Officer of NF Railway, Pranav Jyoti Sharma, said that work for carrying out Final Location Survey (FLS) for construction of an elevated railway corridor has been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs. 12.88 crores. “Four parallel elevated railway tracks over the existing railway tracks are envisaged in the project which, in railway parlance, is known as quadrupling. The total length of this elevated corridor would be 10.30 km. At present tender for FLS is being finalised. Once the FLS is completed, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) would be prepared containing all details of the project and its estimated cost. The DPR would be submitted to the Railway Board for sanction of the project,” said CPRO Sharma. Elevation of the railway tracks will cut down commuting time massively. This project includes the upgradation of the Guwahati station into a luxury terminal. It will be like the airports and will have a shopping mall inside. The project is meant to contribute to the smart city project. Railway has also planned for substantial modernization

Kamakhya station to be developed into a modern hub

amakhya station will be developed into a modern hub through Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode. Tenders have already been floated for development of Kamakhya station and commercial utilization of land nearby. The work will commence once the concessionaire is finalised. Kamakhya station will also be provided additional amenities during the doubling work of New Bongaigaon – Kamakhya railway line via Goalpara. As of now there is no plan to shift any station between Kamakhya and New Guwahati. However, in the event of quadrupling project being found feasible and the project being sanctioned, the existing Guwahati station would have to be converted into an

elevated station building. “The doubling of the 176-km long railway line was sanctioned in the 201516 Railway Budget at an approximate cost of Rs. 2,232 crores. The section will have 18 stations where construction of new station buildings and yard remodelling would be taken up. Each of the station buildings will have highlevel platforms and foot overbridges. When completed, this double line will have speed potential of 110 kilometres per hour. The section will also have Limited Height Subways at 86 locations and road over-bridges at 7 locations to eliminate level crossing gates in line with Indian Railway’s policy of removing all level crossing gates in a phased manner,” Sharma added. n

File photo of Kamakhya Junction

in the field of operations, maintenance, safety, communications and passenger amenities to bring in perceivable improvement in customer experience. “We are moving towards 100% digitization of ticketing and payments. Track maintenance is planned to be

made 100% mechanized. For passengers, improved amenities like water vending machines at station platforms, automatic ticket vending machines, lifts & escalators, LED display boards for better visibility etc. are being planned. We are also embracing renewable energy

NF Railway lacks facilities for women & PWD passengers

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sources to reduce our carbon footprints. Solar energy is being harnessed by utilising station building roofs, office building roofs etc. We have also put up solar powered lights at level crossing gates and replacing most of the conventional lights with LED bulbs,” said Sharma. n

F Railway lacks in providing facilities to women and persons with disabilities. With the alarming rise in crime against women, safety of passengers is a concern while travelling but it has been seen that the local trains in the state do not have separate compartments for women for which they face many problems during journeys. “We have already developed portable ramps for pulling up wheel-chairs into passenger compartments for helping persons with disabilities. These are now available at Guwahati railway station. We are also making all our stations disabled-friendly by providing low-height water vats, building ramps, escalators etc. All signage in passenger compartments are also written in Braille language. But we have not planned for any

separate compartments for PWD passengers or separate passenger coaches for women passengers at present. We have sensitized our security apparatus for special emphasis on security of lady passengers. 24X7 helpline No. 182 has also been provided all over the zone and lady passengers may dial this number for instant security assistance,” informed Sharma. He further said that as there is no demand from the women to introduce separate coaches in the trains no such facilities have been provided. “We can consider such provisions once we get such demands but as our passengers are not very aware of it or do not set any requirements for any such facilities the railways have not planned to introduce separate compartments as of now,” Sharma said. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

City

‘Tight security’ by City Police draws mixed reactions While the city police is ensuring a no-holds-barred security net for smooth conduct of the forthcoming international matches, sport aficionados express disappointment at the restrictions that are being imposed Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he city is about to host two international events – nine matches of FIFA U-17 World Cup from October 8 to October 25 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Sarusajai stadium) and India-Australia T20 cricket match on October 10 at Barsapara Stadium, and Guwahati police is leaving no stones unturned in ensuring security at both the venues. The teams of the first two matches – New Caledonia, who will lock horns with France and Honduras who will clash with Japan, have already arrived and the Guwahati police has already ensured security for the teams. The

city is already staring at a jam packed stadium with football fans from Assam, other north-eastern states and even from Bengal on October 8, ready to crowd it out. Twodayslateristheinternational T20 match, the first ever to be held in Northeast and that too between India and the heavyweight Australia. The online ticketing for the match on BookMyShow has already been sold out and another full packed stadium from different parts of the country is expected on the same day. Guwahati Commissioner of Police (CP) Hiren Chandra Nath said, “For both the T20 and FIFA matches, we have chalked out separate plans according to the behaviour of the crowd and the venue. Mock drills for both the security arrangements have started. n

Police personnel vigil at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup | G Plus Photo

Too much security to cause discomfort for viewers

he FIFA organisers have laid out a list of all the things that can be taken inside the venue and that include only mobile phone and a small bag or wallet. “There are arrangements for refreshments and water inside the FIFA venue. People will have to go through two stages of checking by police and one stage of checking by the organisers. In all the two stages, their pockets and belongings will be checked, both manually and

with metal detectors. For women, there will be enclosed areas for their checking,” Nath said. He said that the security arrangements for the cricket match will be almost similar. Also, car parking areas for the audience has been designated about 1-2 kilometres from the venue, which means that the audience might have to walk a little. People however, did not seem that happy with security

arrangements, especially with the various restrictions. “I can understand the ban on other products such as cigarettes, guthkha, metals etc, but why even water? It is an essential and often, the venue vendors either sell those at inflated rates or due to overcrowding, are hard to reach to. At least water should have been allowed,” said Nituparna Kataki, a housewife who purchased tickets for the October 11 France vs Japan match. n

Temporary facelift ahead of international events

few concerned citizens of the city pointed out that because of the two sporting events; the city is at least getting a much needed facelift. It has been a trend in Guwahati for quite some time now that major facelifts only happen when some international or national sporting events are organised here, the residents said. “The last major construction work was done during the South Asian Games which were organised in 2015 at Sarusajai Stadium. In the meantime, minor work was done during

Narendra Modi’s visit earlier this year. And now prior to the international sporting event, minor road repair and beautification work is being done across the city,” Kailash Sarma, General Secretary of Save Guwahati, Build Guwahati said. “We welcome the sporting events and we too want our city to look good when people and players from other parts of world come here, but we want such work to be a continuous process and not just a cover up,” Sarma added. The Battalion Gate road that leads to venue of

Barsapara Stadium, runs from Kalapahar Road to Itabhata and had been in shambles for the last decade, the locals recall. “It took an international match for this stretch to get attention. The road leads to a school and a medical institute besides being a major artery for the residents that connects with the rest of the city; but that never prompted them to pitch the road. And now, within weeks, the entire stretch is almost complete,” Kulajit Dhar, a shop owner opposite the South Point School in Battalion Gate said. n

Layered security to be in place: CP

uwahati Police Commissioner, Hiren Chandra Nath said that the City Police have chalked out layered security system for the matches. “Diversions for traffic movement and designated parking areas have been identified. The venue will be manned by security personnel of Assam Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Assam

Police Commandos and police officials in plain clothes will be manning the venue. Besides, there will also be at least hundred highly trained stewards at the venues who will look after crowd management,” Nath said. “We will also use a drone to keep a better watch of the crowd. The drone, that is capable of recording, will be used mostly to look at the crowd pattern,” Nath added. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Concern

Is Guwahati staring at a Mumbai-like disaster? After the Mumbai Elphinstone Road Station stampede in which 22 persons died and 35 were injured, questions regarding preparedness of crowd-related disasters in Guwahati are being raised Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

n September 29, a pedestrian bridge connecting two stations -Ephinstone Road rail station and Parel rail station – at midtown Mumbai, which usually remains crowded round the year, got an unusually heavy footfall of more than 30,000-40,000 persons due to a sudden downpour and the ensuing festive season. This resulted in a stampede which can be termed as one of the greatest tragedies of the city and has also raised serious questions on the crowd management measures taken by the authorities in the cities of the country. Crowd management in cities becomes a bigger concern owing to the fact that the population in the cities are increasing by leaps and bounds against a rather sluggish growth of the urban land area. According to the census report, urban population in the

country increased from 11.4% in 1901 census to 28.53% in 2001 census, and according to the 2011 census, stands at 31.16%. But the urban land area has increased by only 10% due to which, currently, 400 persons cram into a mere one square kilometre of urban space. “Guwahati being a transit point and the only link connecting the northeast with the rest of India has seen unprecedented growth of shifting crowds. According to the census report (2011), population of the city might be 9.57 lakhs. But, those are only the permanent residents. While, if we include those who come here from other parts of Assam and the rest of northeast for work and education, the population should be more than double the current figures. The disaster management authorities should prepare for the swollen up population and concentrate on the infrastructure development of the city to avoid Mumbai-like disasters,” Kailash Sarma, general secretary of a city-based non-governmental organisation, Save Guwahati,

City infrastructure not enough, feel residents

he city, besides being a Seismic Zone 5, is also likely to face crowd-related disasters if the current infrastructure is not upgraded, opine residents. “Most of the city’s infrastructure is getting old and incapable of holding the city’s growing population. The pedestrian bridges over the railway stations and the roads are incapable of taking the load of a few hundred people,” Jayanta Kalita, a resident of Pan Bazar said. He said that Guwahati has not shown much signs of growing in terms of area over the last two decades and with a surge of people from other parts of the country coming in to work here, certain areas of the city are showing higher concentration of persons per square kilometre. Another resident, Bhagya Saikia said, “Guwahati does not have much scope of growing in terms of land. On two sides, it is confined by the Brahmaputra River, while most other is either hills or forest lands. The city needs to upgrade its available infrastructure.” They pointed out that now the five pedestrian bridges – at Maligaon, Bharalu, Shukreshwar,

Ganeshguri and Lachitnagar – are not being used properly. But, during times of emergency, these will fall short if more people start commuting on them. “The real reason for the stampede on the Mumbai foot bridge is not certain yet, but one of the reasons was the sudden downpour due to which, more people gathered there for shelter. Guwahati has the problem of flash floods and if that happens, and more people start using the foot bridges, these will not be able to allow more than a few hundred people at a time,” Saikia added. Ruma Kalantri, a housewife also pointed out that the footbridge at Guwahati Rail Station that connects the platforms of the rail station and Paltan Bazar with Dighalipukhuri and used by railway passengers and city commuters alike, is incapable of carrying a huge mass of people. “The foot bridge is not exclusive to the rail passengers only and is widely used as a shortcut from Paltan Bazar to Dighalipukhuri. At times, when there are at least two or three trains leaving around the same time, the foot bridges get over crowded,” Kalantri said. n

File photo of a crowded Fancy Bazar

Build Guwahati said. The Mumbai stampede, however, acted as a wakeup call for the Assam State Disaster

Management Authority (ASDMA). According to the state project coordinator, Rajib Prakash Baruah, the authority is

surveying the vulnerable areas and is concentrating on crowd management while providing mock drills. n

Guwahati crowd movement has a different pattern, says ASDMA

rowding on a daily basis might not be much of a concern, but the city sees an exponential rise in population during various religious occasions and events, ASDMA said. “The infrastructure in the city is enough for its residents, but the city has a very high shifting population. During various occasions such as Durga Puja, Diwali, Bihu, Eid, Ambubachi Mela etc., certain areas of the city attract the bulk visitors. Also, during the various concerts and sporting events, people from

Meghalaya and even from Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh come to the city. This leads to crowding during those particular events,” Rajib Prakash Baruah said, when asked if crowding is a problem relevant to Guwahati. If not for the shifting population, crowding would not have been a problem relevant to Assam and its capital city Guwahati as according to the 2011 census report, Assam has shown a very sluggish urban population growth with more than 84% still living in rural areas.

Guwahati has seen a surge of such events after the football tournament, Indian Super League (ISL), started in 2013. The ISL, in which Northeast United FC is one of the nine teams, attracts football fans from all over the northeast, especially Meghalaya and Nagaland. “The events are especially tough to manage as we do not have any idea about how many people are gathering. The venue consists of people who have the tickets, people who are looking for tickets, the fans and organisers,” Baruah said. n

ASDMA forms response teams to thwart disasters

he infrastructure development is for the long term, but ASDMA is concentrating more in creating awareness through workshops, seminars and demo sessions and by forming quick response teams for such crowd-related disasters. “We are going to concentrate more on crowd management during the disasters. It is the same drill for post disaster evacuation. Most of the times it is seen that whenever instances of such crowding or stampede or any disaster occurs, there are very few people around who have the expertise to manage the crowd.

Due to lack of quick response, most damages are caused. So, we will start with government organisations and the hotels where we will conduct workshops, mock drills and hold seminars which will later teach the employees under them,” Baruah said. “Most of the crowd related disaster threats are from the religious and other occasions. Before any such occasion, we form several quick response teams consisting of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force, Assam Fire and Emergency Services personnel and ASDMA personnel.

These people take rounds of the venue,” Baruah further added. Meanwhile, the Guwahati Railway Police is studying the crowd movements at the rail stations and will man the bridges accordingly. “Post the Mumbai stampede, we have started studying the crowd movement and will put into time brackets the times when the foot bridges and the platforms receive the highest crowd. After that, we will deploy more patrol personnel during those peak times,” Pankaj Kalita, officerin-charge of Guwahati railway station said. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

City

Drones for better surveillance in the city In its ongoing efforts to modernize the police force through technology, the city police commissionerate has procured two drones for ensuring better aerial vigil of the city Avishek Sengupta

aircraft without a human pilot that can be operated remotely. While there are several types of drones based on its usages such as Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, the armed drones, the unmanned spacecraft for outer space expeditions, etc, the Guwahati police’s drone is a quadrotor or quadcopter equipped with four helicopterlike rotors and a camera which helps the entire gadget to lift from the ground. The rotors are remote controlled from a distance to move the gadget. “The Netra UAV quadrotors have been purchased for Rs 150,000 and are equipped with 18.2 MP cameras capable of

zooming in 16 times of its focal range and night vision. They can rise to a height of 400 metres and remain in the air for over half-an-hour. In case of battery failure or communications failure, the gadget will automatically come back to the launch station. It was produced locally and we used carbon fibre and some materials used in making bullet-proof jackets,” an Assam Police official said. The drone was first used in the last Durga Puja and they will be used during the FIFA Under-17 football matches at Sarusajai Stadium and during the India-Australia T20 match at Barsapara. n

Where were the drones?

some crowded areas like Athgaon and Fancy Bazar. I had been there throughout the four days of the puja, but could not see it.” Nath, however, confirmed that the drones were used round the clock on all the four days of Puja. “The real motive of flying the drones is to keep a vigil on the

avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

lans have been firmed up to fly drones over Guwahati for improved surveillance, city Police Commissioner, Hiren Chandra Nath said. “The Guwahati police commissionerate had, last month, acquired a drone under the police modernization program for better vigil. With this, Assam Police now has two drones – one with us and the other with the Special Branch,” Nath told GPlus. Drone means a male bee. In modern parlance, it is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or an

he drones were part of the city police’s threetier security plan – police patrolling, CCTV monitoring and vigil from sky with drone – for the four days of Durga Puja, but there was hardly anybody who spotted the eye in the sky. “We were very excited about seeing the drone in the sky during

the Puja days. This would have given a touch of modernization that the city police required that had over the past few years drawn quite a lot of flak,” Bhaskar Borpujari, a resident of Dispur said. In the same vein Seema Poddar said, “The police had said that the drones would be used in

Drone for FIFA and T-20

he drone could soon be a permanentfeatureofpolicing in Guwahati. There are plans to deploy the gadget during important occasions and events. “We are planning to use the drone during the FIFA tournament and the T20 cricket match. For that, mock drills have already been done in both the stadiums. But in the coming days, it will also be used as and when it is required to track miscreants and respond to emergencies,” said Nath. The purchase of drones is part of the police modernization scheme that was launched years ago by the ministry of home affairs in all the states and union territories of the country. Director General of Police, Mukesh Sahay said, “Efforts have been on to incorporate the best technology to impart greater efficiency to the police and enhanced safety to our personnel. We lag behind sometimes due to fund crunch and other unforeseen problems, but modernisation is an ongoing process. Usage of drones is one among several other steps to be

implemented during the process.” The first drone which arrived in Assam last year was meant for the Special Branch which gathers intelligence and is in charge of VIP security. Drones were used during the Uttarakhand flash floods in 2013 and Saharanpur riots in 2014. They helped the National Disaster Response Force personnel in Uttarakhand to carry out searches where helicopters could not be used. The use of drones began with the signing of agreements between government and police departments with the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) in 2007. However, the aviation laws in the country prevented its wide application as envisaged earlier. While the police, other security departments and Indian Railways have now started using it to track the completion of pending projects and monitor law and order, it’s usage for commercial or personal purposes is still restricted in the country for which permission from the police is mandatory. n

City police officials demonstrating use of drones | G Plus Photo

areas prone to crimes or crowding and ensure that trouble mongers do not spoil the fun. The drones were used during the Puja days, but nothing untoward was spotted by them,” the police commissioner said. Low shelf-life of the batteries could be a reason why the drones

had remained invisible, a police official pointed out, adding that the gadget has to be brought down frequently for fear of damage and loss. “So, we had to prioritise its time of usage. Moreover, when it is hovering at a height of 200-250 metres, it is hard to have a glimpse of the drone,” said the official. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

City

Durga Puja records drop in petty crimes Whether it was due to the rains or general slump in gaiety abounding the Durga Puja this year, there was a record drop in crime and accidents as against previous years Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

tanding out to be a silver lining in the sheen-less Durga puja marred by rain in three out of the four days of festivity, the city recorded the lowest count in crime and accidents as compared to that in the previous years. A sudden surge in petty crimes such as theft, robbery, chain snatching and pickpocketing during the festivity is a routine affair in the city; the reason mostly being the lack of manpower in the Commissionerate. However, last Bihu, when several cases of theft and robbery were reported in the city over a period of three days (April 16 to 18 of 2017), it turns out that it was a much needed wakeup call for the city police. “There were few instances of eve teasing and petty crimes such as people’s personal vendettas and land disputes, but the Durga Puja festivity went more or less peaceful, thanks to the threetier security system,” a police official in the Guwahati Police

Commissionerate said. There were three components of the Durga Puja security this year – CCTV monitoring, Aerial surveillance with drones and security personnel comprising, Assam Police, Assam Commandos, Veeranganas, Central Reserve Police Force and security personnel in plain clothes. According to the Mrityunjoy 108 (the emergency ambulance service in the state), they catered to only four cases of assault in the city and 35 accidents with no causalities. Two assault cases were registered on September 27 and one case each on September 28 and 29 while there were none on September 30. Ten accidents were registered on September 27 while 12 were registered on September 28 and 13 more on September 29. The officer-in-charge of Pan Bazar police station, which continues to be one of the busiest police stations in the city, attributes much of the credit to the usage of modern technology in policing. “Our shortage of police personnel is a long pending problem and it would

Immersion of a Durga idol Kachomari ghat | G Plus Photo

have taken a long time to change that scenario. But with the usage of more technology, the need for on-field personnel has gone down

to a great extent. Due to that reason, we’ve had a lot of persons manning the police station due to which better co-ordination

District Administration’s crack down on bars

Lesser accidents than other occasions

File photo of Mrityunjoy 108

ast New Year’s eve, a total of 77 accidents were recorded. In the New Year’s Eve before that, 99 such accidents were recorded. “Most of these accidents were caused due to drunk driving,” an official of Mrityunjoy 108 said. The locals credit the recent crackdown on drunk driving by the City Traffic Police and the Excise Department on the illegally running country liquor shops flouting the

guidelines. “Most of the accidents in the city are caused due to drinking and driving. It was very commendable on how the city police cracked a whip on them,” a resident, Durlobh Medhi said. The traffic department had brought in additional forces to man the roads and police cordons armed with breathalysers were found at several locations across the city during the Puja festivity. n

among the various teams was achieved and a less chaotic Puja could be enjoyed,” the officer-incharge of Pan Bazar PS said. n

Kamrup (M) DC, Dr. M. Angamathu (L) addressing a press conference with Comissioner of Police, Hiren Ch. Nath (R) | G Plus Photo

n the first day of the festivity on September 27, the District Administration announced that it had suspended about 15 licenses of bars and pubs and issued show cause notices to thirty others. “The licenses were cancelled either because the bars were kept open late after the permissible time was past or they did not fulfil the norms and criteria as per the Assam Excise Act, 1910,” Deputy

Commissioner Kamrup (M), Dr M Angamuthu said. Adding more details, Angamuthu said, “Several teams comprising excise officials, police personnel and district administration officers were formed a week before the Puja and they patrolled around the city. This was being done so that the bars behaved and so did the customers.” The decreasing trend in

accidents shows that the District Administration’s steps have served the purpose to a great extent. The bar owners however said that they did not want the District Administration’s whip on them and it is because of the customers that they have to flout the rules. A bartender of a well known bar in Ganeshguri, under condition of anonymity said, “We want to wind up before time. But often, customers ask us to stay open until later. These customers are mostly our regulars and if we don’t comply with their request, they move on to other bars.” He further shared that sometimes inebriated customers threaten them to keep the bar open. “We have to face threats almost on a daily basis from one customer or another who after being inebriated would ask for more drinks well beyond the deadline,” the bartender added. However, as per the excise rules, every bar has to have at least one male and one female bouncer who can take care of the rowdy customers. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Ward Watch

Rukminigaon residents set a fine example of a clean ward A conscious involvement of the residents of Rukminigaon in keeping their locality clean, pristine and beautiful Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

hile Guwahati, despite numerous attempts by the government, is still battling to instill cleanliness and strewn garbage remains a sore sight in almost every nook and corner of the city, Rukminigaon stands out as one of the cleanest localities in the city. Located within one of the biggest wards of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) - Ward No. 26 - that besides Rukminigaon, includes Bhagaduttapur, Sorumotoria, Kahilipara and parts of Beltola, Hengrabari and Hatigaon, this area (26 A), aided by its residents’ awareness, is “the best” among the three areas under the ward, Councillor Manjula Kakati said.

The first exit to Rukminigaon, about 10 metres before reaching Down Town Hospital while commuting along GS Road towards Khanapara and about 30 metres past the ever busy Supermarket traffic point, bears the hallmarks of cleanliness with every shop having dustbins, almost zero litter around and a cleaner road, despite being located in one of the busiest areas of the city. There are two more exits along the GS Road – Lakshmi Mandir Path above Bharalu River and Tangra Satra Path about a few metres before Six Mile – into Rukminigaon and each of them replicate almost the same scenario. Bordered on the north by the Srimanta Sankardeva Path or GS Road as popularly known, and the Pir Ajan Fakir Road, earlier known as Beltola Road on the

Community chips in with GMC

he residents recall that not very long ago, the area that has a hospital – GNRC – and is the backside of a wellknown market – the Last Gate Bazar – turned into a dumping ground for waste and garbage. “The GMC trucks used to come here twice a week, but somehow, fresh garbage always used to come up every day. Sometimes hours after the trucks cleaned out the dustbins, they used to get overfilled. That is when we decided that the

“We had decided to dump the garbage onto the garbage collecting carts only. If we somehow missed the cart, we would dump it at the garbage cans only before the truck arrives. All the food joints and the market vendors, who produce garbage in bulk, too were instructed to follow the dumping instructions. Littering of small plastic wastes such as chocolate wrappers, polythene bags and chips packets too sum up to a dirty look along the

Concentrated area – Rukminigaon (26 A) Ward No. – 26 Population of the ward – 60,300 Voter Population – 40,850 Population of Jayanagar Road: 6,350 Ward Councillor – Manjula Kakati GMC will do its work regularly, but we too will have to be more organised,” Pinku Ahmed, a shop owner in Rukminigaon said. Last year around September, the people of Area 26 A had a meeting with all the residents and shop owners in which a few decisions were taken to keep the area clean.

streets. So, all the shops were instructed to have a dustbin so that people could buy the product and dispose its wrapper in the dustbins. We also instruct our customers not to litter around,” another vendor Rana Rajbongshi said. “It isn’t that the area is now completely clean and everybody is abiding by the rules. But it is

south, both running parallel and connected by the Secretariat Road at the east end and Jayanagar on the west, Area 26 A consists of both Rukmininagar and Rukminigaon along with Ushanagar and Bali Baat. The area, like other residential areas in the vicinity of Dispur, which was decided as Assam’s temporary capital in 1972, along with Hengrabari, Sorumotoria and Beltola, is mostly inhabited by current and former employees of the Assam Secretariat. Most of them are Assam Civil Service or Assam Police Service officials from the upper and lower parts of the state. In the mid-1980s, the extreme ends of Rukmininagar by the banks of Bharalu River near Six Mile saw the entry of a few Karbi and NC Hills Naga families, who too, came here to work in the Secretariat.

Roadside dustbins installed at Rukminigaon to keep the area clean | G Plus Photo

The councilor gives the local residents credit for making this area clean by saying, “It is only possible because they

(the residents) are educated and law abiding citizens of the state. They were willing to bring this change.” n

Hurdles on the road to swachhata

he residents, however, recall that they had to face quite some hurdles in dealing with the NGOs. The GMC’s process of collecting the garbage consists of two steps – collection of garbage from the houses to the GMC garbage can and from where the GMC trucks ferry the garbage to the dump yards. The garbage was collected by several NGOs from the households. The NGOs are commissioned by the ward councillor.

much cleaner than it once used to be. The area is much cleaner after the exercise has been continued for over a year now,” Rajbongshi added. Samuel Tumung, a resident of Rukmininagar, however attributes the cleanliness to his Lord, Jesus Christ’s propagation of “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” “We (Christians) have been following means to keep ourselves, our souls and our vicinity clean because it is what our Lord Jesus had taught us. Since our father had come here, we had been keeping our vicinity very clean. It is written in the Bible that when we do something good, people around us too, tend to do good. We are just glad that now this area is much cleaner than other parts of the city,” Tumung said. n

“The previous NGO was not very sincere and hence often missed out on collecting the garbage. Even after collecting, they used to not dump it in the cans and simply littered around the cans. This attracted dogs that would further spread the garbage around the streets,” Pompi Gohain, a housewife in Rukminigaon said. She recalled, “At times, when the carts didn’t come regularly, we had to throw the garbage into the cans and since these

were so dirty, we couldn’t go close enough to ensure proper disposal. We had to throw it into the can from a distance and often missed, further increasing the littering problem.” They had brought the issue up with the ward councilor who, after backlogging, finally replaced the non-performing NGOs a few months ago. “The current NGOs are performing well,” Apasana Mahanta, another housewife and retired professor said. n

Councillor proud of the residents

he Congress councilor Manjula Kakati however shares the bulk of the credit for the clean area with the residents. “I was aware of the problems in my ward, but, it is very hard to concentrate on one area when you have such a large ward. I regularly make rounds of all the places within my ward and whenever I see garbage around I either call the NGOs or the GMC to take prompt action. But it is due to the consciousness of the residents here that this area is much cleaner now,” Kakati said. “I have put equal efforts

to keep other areas within my ward clean too, but this area stands out among them all,” Kakati added. When asked regarding the NGOs, she said, “It is true that for some time we had to struggle with the NGOs. There were two NGOs among a total of three in the ward which weren’t performing properly. I had put that to the attention of the GMC mayor and even though it took some time to replace them, they were finally booted out. Currently, three NGOs – Mitra, Blue Sky and Nature – are doing the cleaning job and according to the residents, they are doing well.” n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

City

Allegation of illegal water sale against local Kalapahar club Allegations of selling water illegally have surfaced against members of Pahartoli Sporting Club who apparently procure the water from the municipal water supply pipeline Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

ater crisis in the city is a never ending problem and some localities of the city have to buy water on a daily basis. Taking advantage of the situation, members of a local club in Kalapahar, Ward No 15, are allegedly illegally selling water by digging the roads and taking the water from the municipality water supply pipelines. This is being alleged by the local residents. A local resident of the area alleged that the members of the club take water from the supply water pipeline by digging the road and sell it to the residents who are facing water crisis. “Initially, they started digging at the by-lane but as they didn’t get any water there they came down and dug the main road. The water is collected by the members of the Pahartoli Sporting Club and

they supply it to the residents for money. Most of the residents buy the water from them and the club has been indulging n this activity since two-three years. A section of the residents have to suffer as they do not get sufficient supply of water,” alleged the resident. He further said that the club members always take the water in the morning and in the later part of the day they close the supply point. The residents do not complain either to Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) or to the police as they do not want to jeopardize their relationship with the club members. “The road is under the municipality and a third party cannot take the water from the municipality pipeline as it is public property not private property,” the resident said. However, speaking on the issue, Councillor of Ward No 15, Sunit Das, said that the water that is being sold by the club members is not from the municipality

A water pipe being used to illegally siphon water | G Plus Photo

Lighter andwater faster pipeline. Rather, they have

dug their own well-bore privately from where they distribute the

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water to the residents who are in need. “I myself buy water daily but whenever I come across

such issues I stop myself from doing such activities as it creates problems,” said Das. n

JICA water supply repeatedly Getproject the G Plus app fails to meet deadline

he JICA water supply project which was supposed to be commissioned in October, 2017 has once again failed to meet the deadline as the project has not yet been completed. The project should have been completed by 2011 but it has been delayed by six years and till now it is uncertain whether the project will be over by the next deadline given by Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) as the department has failed many deadlines and has still not been able to provide water to the people of the city. The water supply project has

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Gammon. The water supply project will benefit over 20 lakh people and for another 30 years there won’t be any water crisis in the city,” said the Chairman of GMDA, Dhiren Baruah, while speaking to G Plus. The Chairman said that there have been many factors contributing to the delay of the project. “It is not possible for the contractors to complete the work immediately as they have to face many problems while carrying out the process of excavating the roads in order to install the pipelines. There were several water pipelines, electricity cables and other underground utilities that could not be mapped

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8486002318/8486002320 been divided into three parts which is looked after by Gammon India, JICA and a foreign based company. “The work of Gammon India is complete up to 99% and they are ready to

Get on board with us

hand over the project to the Jal Board which will operate the project. But as the pipeline work has not been completed in some areas, the project has not yet been handed over by

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during the process of excavating the roads that resulted in damage of several existing pipelines and other utilities. There were also several areas where pipelines were laid in the past and had resulted in rusting and weakening of the pipes. The people must cooperate with the department to complete the work and to get a fruitful result,” said Baruah. The western part of Guwahati that will be benefitted from the project start from Bharalumukh to Fatasil Ambari, Ganeshpara, Gorchuk, Rani, Pamohi, Mirzapur, Borjhar, Lankeshwar, Garigaon, Pandu, Sadilapur, Santipur, Kamakhya gate etc. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Snippets

Gauhati High Court upholds life imprisonment for father, son in murder case

he Gauhati High Court has upheld the decision of a lower court which sentenced a father-son duo to life imprisonment for murdering a 25-year-old woman in 2011. The guilty persons have been identified as Nitai Mandal and his father Brindaban Mandal. The victim, who was Nitai’s wife, had been complaining that Brindaban was soliciting physical relationship with her which she repeatedly denied. Though she complained to Nitai, he turned a deaf ear to her. “A few days before her death, she had informed her father about

her ordeal and told him that she doesn’t want to go back there. But her father somehow convinced her and sent her back to her matrimonial home. Two days later, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The father-son duo had claimed that she committed suicide by hanging herself to a tree which was merely 2-ft tall,” the order read. However, post mortem report said she died of suffocation as a result of strangulation. The fatherson duo had alleged that she was suffering from some mental disorder. (Sources)

Direct flights between Guwahati-Dibrugarh

hief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday flagged off the first direct flight between GuwahatiDibrugarh-Guwahati from Dibrugarh Airport. The direct flight service is expected to boost connectivity in the region. The initiative is taken by the Government of Assam to make Guwahati the hub of South East Asian connectivity. Speaking on the move,

Sonowal said, “Our Government has been persistent to fill air connectivity void between Guwahati and Dibrugrah. It’s a fulfilling moment for us. Thank you SpiceJet for giving a new impetus to air connectivity within the state. The flight will also connect Dibrugarh with Silchar, marking a new chapter in connectivity, bringing closer the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys.” n

Pollution Control Board issues notice for FIFA world cup

he Pollution Control Board has issued notice for temporary shutdown of industrial units located within 1 km radius on both sides of the highway from Borjhar Airport to Khanapara Junction and around 2 km radius of Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Sarusujai,

Guwahati. The industrial units shall remain closed from 12 noon of the day preceding the match to mid-night of match days, that is, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 21st October as an additional preventive measure in view of maintaining air quality during the FIFA U-17 World Cup, 2017.

No sale of cigarettes, tobacco, chips & cold drinks without license

fter liquor, the Union Ministry of Health has issued guidelines to all state governments to make license compulsory for every shop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products. Considering the health effects of the citizens of the nation, the Centre has also made it compulsory for the

shops to procure license for selling items like chocolates and cold drinks. The guidelines have triggered mixed reactions among the people of Assam. While some citizens seemed happy with the decision, shopkeepers seemed worried as it could bring a downfall of their business. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

City

Uncertainty clouds PMAY project implementation in city First list of PMAY beneficiaries to be prepared by 15th October; GMC conducts survey in 44 slums of the city Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

ith an estimated figure of just 10% of residents in Guwahati being in possession of myadi patta land, there is uncertainty over the successful implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) aimed at providing houses to economically weaker sections. The overwhelming majority of residents have eksonia land (annual land settlement) or are in illegal occupation of government land which does not fulfil the basic criterion of the flagship programme. In Assam, 78.23% of people in urban and 21.77% in the rural areas do not own

A slum area in Guwahati | G Plus Photo

Urban beneficiary list of PMAY to be prepared by 15th October

he first Screening Committee Meeting of PMAY which was held on 19th September last under the chairmanship of M. Angamuthu, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) and attended by legislators, decided that the beneficiary list for the semi slum areas of Guwahati will be prepared by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) in consultation with the public representatives by mid-October. Additional commissioner of GMC, D. Singh, is the Project Director in the Kamrup Metropolitan District. Already 60,000 forms have been received by GMC and a survey is also planned to be conducted after which a list of beneficiaries would be compiled by the end of next month. As per the norms, individual households with myaadi patta ownership would be granted Rs 2 lakhs for building houses measuring 30 sq.

Social activist, Kailash Sarma said, “I welcome the move of the government but being a metro city there is scarcity of land among the BPL category people and the others have only eksonia land which cannot be converted into myadi patta. But other than the hilly areas, the land of people living in the plains for more than 15 years can be taken by the government as per land act and utilized for making houses by the government in order to make the project successful. Otherwise, there are slim chances of the project being successful. To make the programme a success the government should evolve a policy so that the BPL categories can derive the benefits.” An official of GMC said that the project will be effective for the people only if the government comes out with sufficient land to construct the houses. “It is very difficult here in the city to

get government land. Moreover, many parts of land also come under the railways for which we have to approach them and it

Slum residents not hopeful of PMAY

lums are usually the underbelly of a city or any urban settlement. The goals of PMAY notwithstanding, some residents of slums in the city are not convinced that they would not be evicted after the scheme is implemented in their localities.

Drawing for the proposed building unit of PMAY | File Photo

takes time to get such permission. It is due to such factors that the project will take some time but we are hopeful that it will be a success,” the official added. n

houses. The project which aims at providing housing for all by 2022 was launched in 2015 and was divided into four categories - economically weaker section, lower income group and two groups within the middle income group. PMAY is a centrally sponsored scheme with an elaborate set of norms for the different categories of income groups. Under this scheme, a family having monthly income less than Rs 25,000 per month can avail loans up to Rs 6 lakhs from any bank at an interest subsidy of 6.5%. The loan has to be repaid within 20 years. People who earn between Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 per month - considered as Lower Income Group (LIG) - are entitled for a 60 sq. m. house and can avail a loan up to Rs 6 lakhs at 6.5% interest subsidy. n

An official said, “44 slums have been surveyed till date in the city but there are more than 200 slums in all. It has to be found

where houses can be constructed for them. In fact, the survey has revealed that marriages of many girls have been cancelled since they lack proper houses.” But local representatives are hopeful that the slums would be able to avail the benefits of the programme. One of the residents of a slum in the police reserve area said that they are hopeful of getting the houses but at the same time they have a fear that they might lose their place of living. “It happens most of the time that we have been shifted to some other place saying that we will be given new houses to live in but we do not get the benefits. This time also they said that we will get houses from the government which will be free of cost and to construct the houses we have to move to some other place for some time. We requested the government that we should get the houses on time otherwise it becomes difficult for us to live here and there,” said Rosida Khatun, while speaking to G Plus. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

City

Traffic arrangement around Sarusajai Stadium complex verhauled W How do you get to your destination?

Gate No. 1C: Spectators for Gate No. 1C should preferably use LakhraLalganesh Road/A K Azad road via Sarabhatti and Jalukbari – Lokhra – NH 37. Gate No. 2: You should preferably use Bhetapara – Hockey Stadium Road and Lokhra – Lalganesh Road/AK Azad Road and avoid National Highway. Gate No. 3: For Gate No. 3, you should preferably use Khanapara – Beharbari stretch of National Highway or Beltola – Basistha Road to reach the gate at Nalapara.

Best advised: Follow directions to avoid unnecessary hassle! All spectators should respect No Parking – No stopping zones.

ith the city gearing up for the T-20 between India and Australia, and the matches being slated for October 8, 11, 14, 17, 21 and 25, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amanjeet Kaur has made huge arrangements

for the smooth conduct of the tournament. Speaking to the media, the DCP Traffic said, “300 additional traffic officials have been deployed from outside the state and 1100 traffic personnel will be on duty during the matches. This

North Bank to Guwahati

List of Parking Zones

Traffic arrangements in this sector shall entail regulation of vehicular movement in the stretch from Amingaon to Jalukbari rotary. For management, the following measures will be adopted –

Veterinary College field

Ensuring the stretch as “No Overtaking Zone”. Regulation of movement of heavy commercial goods carrying vehicles.

If you’re coming from Meghalaya? Spectators cannot park vehicles on the National Highway, service lanes and on medians of National Highway. Spectators from Meghalaya are requested to park their vehicles at the Khanapara Veterinary Field or at ISBT and use shuttle buses.

Within Guwahati

ISBT Bongaon High School field Patarkuchi LP School field Saukuchi High School field Hockey Stadium Lokhara Bihu field

Guwahati to Meghalaya Border (Towards Shillong)

Lalgudam Complex

The road from Guwahati to Shillong assumes high importance during the match and the idea is to keep the roads congestion free. For the same, the following tasks will be ensured –

Balaji Parking

Bhagawati Sai Mittal Alloys Gorolia Parking

There will be a ‘No Parking’ Zone from Khanapara upto the state border ahead of Jorabat.

Sai Parking

Regulation of heavy commercial goods carrying vehicles

Coastal Road Carrier

Basistha Mandir Shri Shyam Tower Complex

Establishment of priority low traffic corridors from Nepali Mandir to Lokhara (AK Azad Road) From Ganeshguri (below flyover) to RP Road to Hatigaon – Bhetapara – Saukuchi Road (Alternative from Ganesh Mandir via SB HQ, Lalganesh – Lokhara)

time, three gates have been made for the entrance – the Rangman statue will be Gate No. 1, Hockey Field will be Gate No. 2 and Nalapara point is Gate No. 3.” The DCP added that 20 places have been identified for parking of the vehicles. n

Kamrup Warehouse

Guwahati’s ‘No Parking’ areas B. Baruah Road, Hatigaon Road,

Restriction on movement of vehicles

Supermarket

There will be restrictions on plying of heavy commercial vehicles on National Highway 37, from Khanapara to Jalukbari Point, from 10.00am till the matches are over.

National Highway 37 from Lokhara to Beharbari

All kinds of heavy commercial vehicles, medium and small commercial goods vehicles, both four wheelers and three wheelers shall be regulated on National Highway during all match days from morning itself. Trucks of B.G. Yard and F.C.I. Godown will also be restricted from morning itself.

Ganesh Mandir – Lalganesh Road

Bhetapara-Saukuchi Road National Highway Service road from Lokhara to Beharbari, AK Azad Road

Hanuman Road Carrier

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Centre Spread

Truly Inter

Seating capacity

40000 Ranks

10th in the country in terms of its seating capacity

Top 5 Stadiums sorted by seating capacity with figures Eden Gardens, Kolkata:

90,000

Raipur International Cricket Stadium, Chattisgarh: DY Patil Stadium, Maharashtra:

65,000

Dr Bhupen Hazarika Crick

A walk through either of the two massive ga Hazarika Cricket Stadium at Barsapara, wh its potential with just a few Ranji Trophy en something big is forthcoming. After the BCCI T20 international between India and Austra series - bulldozers and excavators are working

60,000

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kerala:

60,000

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Telangana:

55,000

flood tow

(430769.2 lumina

“The pitch is of international standards, but we want the players to explore the pitch” - BCCI curator Ashish Bhowmick

“This is a great opportunity for the cricket enthusiasts to watch international matches. It isn’t that Guwahati hasn’t hosted any international matches, but this match will be particularly interesting considering that the ground is one of the best in the country”

- Devajit Lon Saikia, ACA Vice President

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 Firs

 8 pi “There are a few constructional flaws in the stadium, but otherwise, it has met all the parameters of the International Cricket Council. The field is of excellent quality. The match will be exciting.”

– Javagal Srinath, former Indian pacer

“An international match will be a big eye opener for the people of Assam and northeast. But the ACA is in a lot of debt and without any funding from the BCCI for not implementing Lodha recommendation, this match will be an ill wind that blows no good”

- Sajjad Zaheer Hussain, former Assam Ranji player

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G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Centre Spread

25,000 tickets were up for sale on Book My Show out of 37,500 seats.

ket Stadium, Barsapara

ates at the sprawling 59 bigha Dr Bhupen hich so far has hosted matches far below ncounters, is enough to give an idea that selected the stadium to host 10th October alia - one of the three T20 matches in the over time to complete the final patchworks.

Out of 12,500 tickets, each District Association got 50 tickets while all State Ranji Trophy players received complementary passes. Online tickets were sold within 110 minutes on October 2

Infrastructure

dlight wers

Parking  450-500 cars

23 watts ance)

ield

pe: Circular

2 yards or 65.83 metre radius )

 Additional 200 capacity car park being created.

 Parking to be reserved for VIP entrances only. ACA mulling on finding more parking spaces in the vicinity

2 Dressing Rooms  One for each team at two ends of pavilion.  24 Bathrooms in each dressing room

Drainage: can drain out rainwater in 30 mins  Drainage network replicated from the US Golf Association’s fields and 1st in India

(Bathtubs for ice baths)

 Constructed by Klorophyll (India) Sports Turf

 Massage areas

Technology & Construction (P) Ltd.

undation stone: June 2004

st official match: 2009

itches; 5th from left has been selected for

-Aus T20

tch condition kept under wraps from both

m citing virginity of pitch )

entrances; 2 large trances (includes VIP

rances)

2 CCTV screens installed

2 practice zones

 20 MP, 4X Zooming capacity

 12 pitches per zone

 Control Room with 25-26 screens

 Both zones to be completed soon

300 speakers for

announcements/live commentary

Earlier targeted to have 60,000 seats  Installation of bucket seats reduced capacity to 40,000.

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

G Talk E

Savoury sporting palate

he excitement is understandable. After all, the city is hosting international matches of two of its most popular sporting disciplines – cricket and football. While the former is the utterly mouthwatering prospect of an India-Australia T20 clash at the city’s brand new cricket stadium at Barsapara, the latter is perhaps the largest football extravaganza that the city will witness; it has found itself on the international map of football venues – a grand reason to be truly elated. The city’s craze for sports is unique, unparalleled. No wonder CM Sarbananda Sonowal is so desirous of establishing Guwahati as the some kind of a sporting capital of the country. The trick for us Guwahatians would be to take the lessons from the two big events – firstly in terms of the skills and hard work that goes in to become an international sports person, and secondly, to be a host city of international standards. After all, the city will remain the cynosure of the entire world and Guwahatians would need to be on their best behaviour with vociferous spectator participation in all the matches and profoundly disciplined behaviour at all times.

The organizers’ plate is obviously full. While Guwahati has successfully hosted the National Games and the SA Games in the past – the latter being a true international event – the experience of hosting mega events will hold the government and the city administration in good stead. What gives one the goose bumps of trepidation is crowd management. Given the really palatable fare on offer, it would be indeed prudent to expect over-enthusiasm bordering on unruliness on the part of a section of the crowd. We unfailingly hear tales about ticket-hoarding et al whereby a few ruffled feathers who may not be able to procure their entry tickets would become disgruntled enough to demonstrate their angst through disruptive behaviour. And so, this calls for fair and transparent dealings in all respects by the organizers whereby no room for discontent is left among the public. Further, the VIPs may also please not throw their weight around needlessly to irk the common sports lover and allow the peaceful conduct and conclusion of the city’s greatest sporting extravaganza. Swapnil Bharali Editor

GUWAHATI ADDA Straight outta line! Raje: India-Australia T20 tickets ase niki? Everything sold out online. Baje: Everything available in black, hehe! Raje: Haan bhai, black ka hi bata de. Kitne ka kaunsa milega? Baje: 1750 wala milega at 3000. But I’m not sure if this is available or not. I was quoted this price on the first day. Raje: Bro, find out and please let me know? I’m looking for at least 5 tickets. That’s a number that can prove my clout in the city. Baje: Okay bro. Just make sure you carry clout and not clouds. Can’t have another match washed out in the city. Otherwise this government will get a chance to say ‘Facility ami disilu, Varun Devta wasn’t too kind on us.’ And then for appeasement, we might end up having to celebrate another ‘Namami Varun.’ Adi: Bros! Tickets are available on OLX too! There are also tickets being ‘offered’ on the internet. Turns out, these events help the government and some savvy netizens to make some dough. Anyway, I have some tickets for the 8 Oct FIFA event too which includes opening ceremony and two matches. So if you are interested, contact me SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA directly. Thanks!

Swacch Bharat Abhiyan and beyond

rime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship cleanliness drive – the “Swacch Bharat Abhiyan” – completed three years on 2nd October last. The government has set an ambitious target of Open Defecation Free India by October 2, 2019 when Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary will be celebrated. While the government might succeed in its objective of constructing toilets, will that make India clean? Ironically, while more than half the total population has mobile phones around 60% people do not haveaccesstoprivatetoilets.Majority of the Indian population defecate in the open causing dangerous diseases and endangering putting public health. A charity organization “WaterAid” had painted a grim situation in one of its reports in 2014. It had then said that less than a third of India’s 1.2 billion people had access to sanitation and more than 186,000 children under the age of five years died every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. It has its economic pitfalls also. It is estimated that the country is losing 6.4% of GDP annually as poor access to sanitation results in diseases and deaths. In this context, October 2, 2014 will go down in history as the biggest campaign for “Swachh Bharat.” The campaign aims to end the widespread practice of open defecation, build more toilets and improve waste management, among other goals. However, there are two critical issues if one has to realize the dream of Open Defecation Free India. One, the availability of piped water to these toilets and secondly, the change in the attitude of people who still relieve themselves in the open despite toilets at home. “WaterAid” in one of its reports early this year claimed that India had more people in rural areas –63.4 million – living without access to clean water than any other country. And according to the ministry of drinking water and sanitation, only 16% of the households in rural areas

have piped water. The discrepancy is all too obvious. Until and unless the government ensures piped water to toilets, they will become ornamental pieces.Toiletandwaterisco-relatedto one another. The money sanctioned for Swachh Bharat (Rural) and rural water infrastructure development is not proportionate. While there was close to 40% jump in the central allocation to Swachh Bharat (Rural) for construction of toilets to Rs 13,948 crore in 201718 compared to previous year the money earmarked for rural water infrastructure development in the current fiscal year is just Rs 6,000 crore. This means that not all the newly constructed toilets will get adequate water supply, crucial to ensure Open Defecation Free India. That defeats the purpose.

he government may construct toilets, but one needs to draw people back from the open fields to the confines of a toilet in order to realize the full health and economic benefits of sanitation. Under the Swachh Bharat campaign, more than 4.98 crore toilets have already been constructed since October 2014. More than 2.55 lakh villages have been declared open defecation free and 211 open defecation free districts. The country’s sanitation coverage has leapfrogged close to 70% compared to just 38% in 2012. While some states like Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and the union territory of Chandigarh have already achieved the 100% target of construction of individual household toilets, the progress is very slow in some states. States like Bihar (32.43%), Jammu & Kashmir (36.34%), Odisha (43.14%), Puducherry (49.15%) and Uttar Pradesh (50.72%) have been laggards. Given the slow progress in these states, it seems a herculean task for the government to achieve its stated objective.

r E-vehicles and garbage clearance

O p i n i o n Vikas Khanna

The other critical issue is the behavioural change among people. Until and unless there is a change in the mindset of the people, the programme can’t be a success. The government may construct toilets, but one needs to draw people back from the open fields to the confines of a toilet in order to realize the full health and economic benefits of sanitation. A recent survey by UNICEF reveals that in states such as UP, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, over 40% of people prefer open defecation even though they have functional toilets at home. This is because they consider it to be more comfortable and convenient. In such a scenario, there is an urgent need to educate people through awareness campaigns to help eliminate such negative notions. Construction of toilets is just one aspect. There are several other issues which beg immediate attention. India generates about 60 million tonnes of trash every year. In the absence of proper waste disposal system, the overflowing landfills have become mountains of garbage dumps exposing people living in nearby areas to several health hazards. Since there is no effective waste recycling system, solid waste is burnt without segregating bio-degradable waste from non-biodegradable waste, leading to the release of toxic gases that cause acute respiratory diseases and environmental degradation. Besides, there are several environmental hazards also. Landfills release about 20% of methane gas emissions. Therefore, mere construction of toilets and creating awareness among people is not enough. Cleanliness encompasses issues of sanitation, potable water, garbage, industrial waste, slums, health etc. India needs to launch an all-out war against these basic issues. n The author is a senior journalist and columnist. He has worked with several newspapers, news agencies and television news channel in his 29-year career. Presently, he is a guest faculty at Indian Institute of Mass Communication

Letter to the Editor

he District Administration recently unveiled e-vehicles for garbage clearance in the city. Although it is a great initiative, I’m just hoping that there are enough vehicles being deployed to address the huge problem of garbage accumulation throughout the city. Almost every day I see garbage lying all around the dustbin in my area because neither are there enough dustbins nor are they cleared from time to time. These problems must also be addressed by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The step taken can only be a success if these e-vehicles are well maintained and operated by trained personnel. Otherwise it’ll only prove to be a waste of the public’s hard-earned money.

Pramila Bhadra, Kharguli, Guwhati

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

In Focus

Deeplina Deka Singer and actor

layback singers are usually more heard than seen, but not when the singer is also photogenic. Deeplina Deka’s camerafriendly looks did not escape filmmakers and she was offered a role in Zubeen Garg’s Mission China.

Born in Bamunimaidan, Guwahati, Deeplina shifted to Jagiroad at the age of two where she did her schooling from Jyotiniwas English Catholic School and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jagiroad. After completing her matriculation from Jagiroad, she shifted back to Guwahati to pursue higher secondary from Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Silpukhuri. Talking about her school days, Deeplina informed G Plus, “I was a very bright student during my school days. Not only was I good in studies, I was also very active in sports and extra-curricular activities.” During school days, she represented her school, Kendriya Vidyalaya in the regional sports meet for 3 consecutive years and national level Badminton competition in 2007, where she came fourth. She also took part in other singing, dancing and dramatics competition and events. Interestingly, Deeplina pursued

Electrical engineering from GIMT, Guwahati and went on to working in the telecom sector. The multi-talented Deeplina is also a trained Kathak dancer and holds a Visharad degree in classical music. She is currently pursuing Nipun (masters) degree in the same. Deeplina composed her first solo experimental track in 2012 but made her debut in the Assamese movie industry in 2015 with “Nuari Nuari”. It was after the launch of this song that she got called up to audition for Zubeen Garg’s Mission China. The Mission China actress sang her single track “Uri Uri Jai” in 2017 and gained much popularity for the same. She also made a cover of “Hasi Ban Gaye” from the movie Humari Adhuri Kahaani that became such a hit on YouTube that even the lyricist of the song, Kunal Verma and the original composer, Ami Mishra appreciated it. Talking about her future projects, Deeplina said, “I am currently working on my next cover song which is a duet. It includes the beautiful romantic songs of Zubeen da from the golden era of Assamese cinema, and I’ve also added a few lines from ‘din jole rati

jole’ in it.” She further added that she’s planning to work on melody numbers which is more her genre. Deeplina has recently collaborated with Zubeen Garg on a song for the upcoming movie “Underworld” and has become associated with Doordarshan as an anchor. She has also completed shooting for her next movie, directed by Chandra Mudoi. The singer turned actor has neither undergone a formal training in the field of acting nor does she consider it as an ideal profession for herself. Rather, she says, “I never thought of being an actor, it kind of just happened to me. In fact, I don’t call myself an actress as I have a lot to learn about the art of acting. But yes, I would love to experiment in the area and work in more films in the future.” Deeplina Deka debuted as an actor in Mission China and was widely appreciated for her role in the film. Talking to G Plus about her debut and her experience of working with Zubeen Garg, Deeplina said, “Being a debutant, it was a little difficult to adjust with such highly experienced co-stars. I was especially nervous about working Zubeen da, as he’s such a legend for our industry. But they were all so cooperative and Zubeen da played a huge role in making me feel comfortable and in boosting my confidence. Working alongside him was the experience of a lifetime and I’m going to cherish the memories forever.”

While most artists dream of moving to Mumbai to explore new opportunities in the music and film industry, Deeplina has a different outlook on life. She wishes to stick to her roots and says, “I’m very attached to my home town and I want to do my best for the people of this region through my talent. People tend to run for fame and easy money but I want to change the trend and become an inspiration for the generations to come. I’d also like to mention that yes, I do have a dream and that is to sing for Bollywood.” She considers Tarali Sharma as her role model from within the Assamese music industry and aspires to be like her. “I have always believed in simple living, high thinking; and I feel Tarali Sharma has the traits of it – she is independent, strong, down to earth and above all, very kind hearted. That’s why I look up to her,” she pointed out. From the Hindi music industry, Deeplina wishes to collaborate with Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam in the future. And from the Hindi film industry, Amitabh Bachhan and Nawazuddin Siddique are the two people that she admires the most. From a professional context, Deeplina considers her patience and tolerance as her strengths and says that her weakness is that she’s too emotional. She considers her family as her pillars in life because of whose support she has been able to achieve success so far.

Has complete transparency been maintained with regard to ticket sales for the upcoming Ind-Aus T20 match on Oct 10?

Readers have come up with some startling comments with regard to the sale of tickets for the first ever T20 international to be held at the new cricket stadium at Barsapara. Here are some top views:

Dubori Deka I was continuously trying to book tickets at bookmyshow but all in vain. Couldn’t book even a single ticket for the match. The site was showing seats available but whenever I tried to book, it showed tickets not available. Now I didn’t have the slightest clue if tickets were really not available or they were playing a prank as the very next day the bookings were seen open for public again. Didn’t understand how all the tickets got sold out so soon.... the craze is too high it seems. Anyway will watch it on television and cheer our national team.

Rahul Bhattacharjee What is the use of booking online tickets when we have to anyway go and collect offline tickets? It’s simply a waste of time and money. In other stadiums across the country we just have to show booking message in the stadium entry - ACA should adopt this method too.

Anurag Charaborty After spending almost 2 hours, I was finally able to book my tickets. I’m very happy now, just waiting for the match on 10th October. But I also feel bad as many of my friends couldn’t book their tickets and now they have to either get it in black or watch the match at home.

Pallav Sinha Ticket booking was a joke for the citizens of Guwahati I guess. Majority of the seats were already booked for VIPs and the leftover were made available for sale, out of which majority tickets are now out for sale in black. A simple ticket of 2250 is now being sold at 7000. Wow! I even saw people selling tickets at OLX in black as well as on Facebook. Many people who could have enjoyed the match at the stadium will now sit at home just because of these high prices for tickets being sold in black.

Shreya Dhar Firstly, the cost of the tickets for the upcoming match in Guwahati is so damn high! One should go check out the ticket pricing for matches in other cities. By setting high prices it was already a problem for the local people to afford the ticket for the match and now with bookings at bookmyshow where majority of the tickets that were booked within one hour of the booking session are now being sold out in black and that too at 3X price. So in reality watching a match in stadium has become a dream for many and the high class are easily going to enjoy. There should have been proper price listing and more tickets should have been made available for the people. Though I have got my tickets the above is something which is not acceptable.

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Snippets Major accident at old Saraighat Bridge

ULFA (I) Chairman issues letter soliciting citizens’ cooperation for U-17 FIFA World Cup

U I

n a major accident that took place on Wednesday evening, a bus bearing registration number AS-01-FC-4554 lost its balance and fell off from the old Saraighat Bridge. Reportedly, the bus belonged to the 9th APBN. The bus was travelling

towards Borjhar and had 29 passengers. According to sources, most of the passengers were seriously injured and were taken to the nearby hospital. The accident led to a massive traffic jam on the bridge. n

nited Liberation Front of Asom (ULFAIndependent) has issued a statement for the upcoming U-17 World Cup to be held in India and has expressed delight at the fact that some of these matches are going to be played in Assam. “I, on behalf of my organisation, thank FIFA for bringing international football to this remote part of the world and give a warm welcome to the FIFA officials and players of different nations to Assam,” read the letter. The letter by Dr. Abhizeet Asom, Chairman, ULFA (I), also read that the that people of Assam

Drug peddler arrested at Athgaon

lia Begum, a drug peddler, was arrested at Athgaon by Bharalumukh Police Station. Led by ASI Saisuddin Islam, the arrest was made on October

5, 2017 at 7 am and the peddler was caught with 3 grams of heroin along with Rs. 3000 cash. The packet value of 3 grams of heroin is estimated to be Rs. 15000. n

Daylight robbery at Chandmari: 2 lakh rupees snatched away by robbers on bike

sensational robbery took place in Chandmari’s Indian Bank branch on Thursday afternoon. Reportedly, the incident took place when a medicine company’s employee had withdrawn an amount of Rupees two lakhs from the bank and had just come out of the bank when two robbers on a bike

snatched away the bag full of money. The victim lodged a complaint at the Chandmari police station immediately. Later, after some investigation, the police suspected the involvement of the bank’s employees and arrested four of them in this regard. n

IAF Mi-17 crashes in Arunachal Pradesh, 5 personnel killed

n Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 chopper crashed in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, early on 6th October. Five personnel were killed in the crash, while one person was critically injured. A court of inquiry has been ordered to probe the crash, PTI quoted an IAF official as saying. The crash

reportedly occurred during a training sortie. The victims who lost their lives in the tragic accident are: Wing Commander Bikram Upaddhyai, Squadron Leader S Tiwari, MWO A K Singh, Sargent Gautam & Sateesh Kumar, E Balaji & HN Deka (both are general duty soldiers). n

Thieves arrested by Jalukbari Police

alukbari Police on Thursday night arrested one notorious thief in connection with stealing cars and selling them after modifying. The apprehended has been identified as Manoj Das. Reportedly, the accused has been stealing parts of motor

vehicles from many people of the area since a long time. On Thursday night, Jalukbari Police arrested Manoj from Garigaon area. Police also arrested another miscreant named Sukur from Sadilapur, who had been accompanying Manoj in the theft cases. n

will be immensely benefitted by this experience, learning about international standards in football and the under-17 Fédération Internationale de Football Association

(FIFA) World Cup will help in cultural exchange. “Citizens of Assam with the characteristic generous nature our nation is famous for, I trust would open their hearts to the international citizens of tomorrow with exemplary hospitality so that they can remember Assam fondly. We at the organisation would be very grateful if our citizens cooperate with the organisers of the sporting event in all areas of the organisational matters for the same and help in maintaining peace and order and prevent any attempt by miscreants to damage the reputation of Assam.” – reads the letter. n

GOVERNMENT OFASSAM OFFICE OF THE PRINCIPAL-CUM-CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT JORHAT MEDICAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL, JORHAT No. SMEJ/JMCH/2146/2017/2900 ADVERTISEMENT In continuation to the earlier advertisement No. Janasanyog/7717/15 dated 20/09/15 and No. Janasanyog 4455/15 dated 14/07/15 in The Assam Tribune and Dainik Janambhumi and in partial modification, Online applications are invited for the following posts as shown below under the establishment of the Principal-cum-Chief Superintendent, Jorhat Medical College Hospital, Jorhat which will be available at the official website of Directorate of Medical Education, Assam. (www.dmeassam.gov.in) from 05/10/2017 to 20/10/2017till midnight. However, the candidates who have already applied in pursuance to the above mentioned advertisement need not apply again.

Sl No 1 2 3

Name of the posts

Minimum Education Qualification

LDA/Computer operator

HSSLC passed or equivalent with 1 year diploma/certificate in computer application HSSLC passed or equivalent with 1 year diploma/certificate in computer application HSSLC passed or equivalent with 1 year diploma/certificate in computer application Graduate in Arts/Science/Commerce from a recognized Board or University with Medical Record Officer training from recognized Institute. HSSLC passed or equivalent with 1 year diploma/certificate in computer application

Clerk cum Record Keeper Receptionist cum Clerk

Medical Record Officer

Store Keeper cum clerk

Scale of Pay

Total no. of vacant post

Category

14000-49000+GP-5600

UR-2

14000-49000+GP-8700

14000-49000+GP-5600

Reservation: Reservation of posts for woman candidate and physically handicapped candidates will be as per prevailing Govt. rules. Age: Candidate should not be less than 18 years and not above 43 years as on 01.01.2017.The upper age limit in relaxable by 5 years for SC, STP, STH Candidates only. Fees: The application fee of Rs.250/- (Rupees Two hundred fifty) only for General Category Candidates and Rs.150/- (Rupees One hundred fifty} only for OBC/MOBC, SC, ST(P) & ST(H) category candidates will have to be paid through Treasury Challan to the Head of Account “0210-M&PH-03-MET&R-105-Allopathy” and the scanned copy of the challan to be uploaded while submitting the online application form. No fee is required for BPL candidate and they are required to upload their BPL certificate from the competent authority for such exemption of fee along with the application. Terms & conditions: 1. Interested candidates shall have to fill up the online Application Forms available at the official web site of Directorate of Medical Education, Assam (www.dmeassam.gov.in). 2. The following documents in original will have to be produced at the time of document verification and photocopies of all certificates etc. are to be submitted: (a) 2 (two) Copies of recent passport size colour photograph duly self attested. (b) HSLC admit card or birth certificate for age proof. (c) All marks sheets and pass certificate (d) Caste certificate (where applicable) (e) Permanent resident ship certificate (f) Employment Exchange Registration Certificate. Certificate of training experience Extra Curricular etc. 3. Detailed list of eligible candidates for each post along with the details of written test shall be notified in due course of the time and shall be displayed in the website www.dmeassarn.gov.in. The date of uploading in the website shall be published in the local newspaper for information of the eligible candidates. Principal-cum- Chief Superintendent Jorhat Medical College & Hospital,Jorhat Janasanyog No: 1674/17

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Trotter

Villagers bring down 7.8 metre python and feast on it

giant python attacked an Indonesian man, nearly severing his arm, before hungry villagers chopped up the reptile and ate it, a police chief said on Wednesday. Security guard Robert Nababan crossed paths with the giant creature while patrolling an oil palm plantation in the remote Batang Gansal, subdistrict of Sumatra island on Saturday. “The python was 7.8 metres long (25.6 feet), it was unbelievably huge,” local police chief Sutarja said. Sutarja said the 37-year-old Nababan, who sometimes liked to eat snake, tried to catch the giant python and stuff it in a gunny sack. But the huge serpent fought back and bit him on his left arm,

nearly severing it from his body. Nababan was then rushed to a hospital in a neighbouring town for treatment. Hungry locals later killed the snake and displayed its body in the

village before dicing it up, frying it and feasting on it. Giant python, which regularly top 20 feet in length, are commonly found in Indonesia and the Philippines. (Source: NDTV)

New tech turns any object into TV remote

cientists have developed a technology that can turn everyday objects such as teacups or toy cars, into remote controls for televisions. Researchers from Lancaster University in the UK show a novel technique that allows body movement or movement of objects, to be used to interact with screens.

The ‘Matchpoint technology’, which only requires a simple webcam, works by displaying moving targets that orbit a small circular widget in the corner of the screen. These targets correspond to different functions such as volume, changing channels or viewing a menu. The user synchronises the

1000-year-old Chinese porcelain bowl sells for $37.7 Million

1,000-year-old bowl from China’s Song Dynasty was sold at an auction for $37.7 million, breaking the record for

Chinese porcelain auction. The small piece – which dates from 960-1127 broke the previous record of $36.05 million set in 2014 for a Ming Dynasty wine cup which was sold to a Shanghai tycoon. Bidding started at around $10.2 million and the auction lasted for 20 minutes before the winning offer came from a phone bidder. The bowl, originally designed to wash brushes, is an example of extremely rare Chinese porcelain from the imperial court of the Northern Song Dynasty and one of only four pieces in private hands, according to Sotheby’s. (Source: The Guardian)

direction of movement of the target with their hand, head or an object, to achieve what researchers call ‘spontaneous spatial coupling’, which activates the desired function. The technology looks for rotating movement so it does not require calibration or the software to have prior knowledge of objects. This provides much more flexibility and ease for the user as it works even while hands are full and while stood or slouching on the sofa. The technology can also be used with other screens. For example, YouTube tutorials, such as mending bikes or baking cakes, could be easily paused and rewound on tablet computers without users having to put down tools or mixing bowls. (Source: India Today)

Man climbs onto telephone wires to avoid paying bills

man in China went to obscene lengths to avoid paying his hotel bill. He climbed onto telephone wires dangling outside the hotel and tried to cross over to another high-rise building. But his luck ran out and he was found hanging midair after getting stuck between two wires. The unidentified man was hanging close to high-tension power lines, reportedly 19 floors above the ground. The incident happened in China’s Guizhou and was caught on camera by several people standing below. The videos showed the man precariously hanging from the wires and struggling to keep his grip. It’s not clear as to how much the hotel bill was, but safe to say it wasn’t worth risking his life. He was rescued by the fire department and taken away. (Source: Daily Mail)

Caught at Vizag Airport with 14 Gold biscuits in tummy

octors at a hospital in Vizag recovered 14 gold biscuits from a Sri Lankan national’s stomach, each weighing 100-150 grams. The passenger was detained by customs officials at Vizag Airport after they found 2 gold biscuits inside his rectum. The passenger landed in India on a Sri Lankan Airways flight and caught the attention of customs officials because of the way he walked. The passenger, according to a daily, walked ‘awkwardly’ and was seen rushing through the green customs channel meant for people who have no dutiable goods to declare. He then confessed that he had swallowed gold biscuits safely wrapped inside polythene, to prevent digestion. Officials had initially suspected he was carrying cocaine, not gold. The passenger

was sent to King George Hospital in Vizag where X-ray showed 14 gold biscuits lodged inside his intestine. Doctors however, didn’t have to operate on the man to take out the gold biscuits as nature did its job. Yesterday, the man passed seven gold biscuits. Today, he passed the remaining seven biscuits. We recovered the gold biscuits without any surgery,” hospital superintendent told news agency ANI. The 54-year-old smuggler, whose condition is said to be stable, will be handed over to customs officials for further interrogation. Last month, a 45-year-old Sri Lankan national flying to India was caught at Colombo Airport trying to smuggle about 1 kilo of gold in his rectum. (Source: Worldvibe)

Harley-riding Ravana gets ‘challaned’

ussehra signifies the victory of good over evil. A good triumphed over evil again as Ravana paid for his deeds – this time for a traffic violation. Actor Mukesh Rishi, who plays the role of Ravana in the Delhi Ramlila, was challenged by the Delhi Traffic Police for riding a motorcycle wearing a crown instead of a helmet. A video of him riding a Harley Davidson near Rashtrapati Bhavan in his Ravana avatar had gone viral, prompting the police to send him a notice. “Traffic personnel also made videos of him and sent it to the Road and Safety cell headquarters in Todapur. After tracing the vehicle owner, we sent a notice to his registration number, communicating that he had violated traffic norms and a challan would be issued,” said DCP Traffic. He reached the Delhi Traffic Police headquarters today and paid the fine of Rs. 100, said a senior officer. He told that he

did it intentionally to send the message that no one is above the law. (Source: NDTV)

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Reviews Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Svar Kamble, etc Director: Raja Krishna Menon

vie Mo view Re Chef

aja Krishna Menon’s remake of Jon Favreau’s Chef may not contain much fresh-off-the-oven food for takeaway thought, but the film does radiate enough warmth, intelligence and energy to make for a worthwhile cinematic repast. This is an elegantly mounted film that stresses the importance of the human touch that makes all the difference between a truly mouth-watering meal and a passable one - a rule that might be applied equally to movie-making - while it underscores how second chances, when tapped right, can turn things around. It does both without resorting to heavy-handed means. Chef delivers its wares with gentle flair and without self-consciously calling attention to its methods. Leading the performances is Saif Ali Khan. The actor is in brilliant form, both as the hot-headed ‘menopausal’ man and later as the caring father/husband who is keen to cement ties. He receives sturdy support from the actors around him. Padmapriya is like luscious chocolate that leaves you with a craving. Chef receives its biggest booster shot from the performance of young Svar Kamble, who plays the role of Roshan’s son. Sobhita Dhulipala (Vinnie), who shows up briefly as Roshan’s coworker and friend is good too in her role. Overall, Chef serves up a feast garnished with subtle spices. Its aroma is mild and delicate, but the after-taste lingers on for long. n

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, etc Director: Denis Villeneuve

lade runner 2049 is much more than the film you expect it to be - a visual masterpiece, but also a mainstream storytelling triumph. It’s an intelligent, challenging piece of big budget cinema you see so rarely nowadays. It’s not just a faithful continuation of the Blade Runner mythology but also the beginning of a whole new direction into the franchise, a peek into the vast possibilities of a dark, neon lit futuristic world full of desensitized human and even darker androids. The best way to enjoy Blade Runner 2049 is to go in completely blind, not knowing absolutely any plot details. All you need to know is – the film picks up a few years after the events of the first one. The world that was built continues to exist, and androids from the Nexus 6 program continue to be hunted by the task force of Blade Runners. Villeneuve makes his audience ache for the film’s climax and has perfectly cast Gosling to play the stony-faced protagonist who rarely breaks, even when his world is crashing. Ryan Gosling plays K, a Blade Runner whose mundane day at work eliminating Replicants turns more interesting when he chances upon a box buried outside a house. The discovery sets him on a path that will shake the entire foundation of everything he knows about the world he lives in. n

vie Mo view Re

Cinepolis Christian Basti Judwaa 2 09:00 AM 09:40 AM 02:20 PM 04:00 PM 05:20 PM 08:20 PM 09:10 PM Chef 09:50 AM 03:10 PM 06:00 PM 08:50 PM Blade Runner 2049 10:35 AM 12:40 PM 04:55 PM 08:20 PM Newton 12:00 PM Tumi Aahibaane 12:40 PM Spider-Man: Homecoming 01:55 PM Mission China 07:00 PM

Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968 Gold Mine 11:00 AM Blade Runner 2049 11:30 AM Haunted House 12:00 PM 05:00 PM Forest Adventure & Aero Bike 02:00 PM 08:00 PM Chef 02:15 PM Judwaa 2 05:15 PM Aei Maatite 08:15 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Blade Runner 2049 09:00 AM 03:25 PM Chef 10:00 AM 06:45 PM Judwaa 2 12:15 PM 03:35 PM 06:40 PM 09:50 PM Aei Maatite 12:45 PM Newton 09:30 PM

Blade Runner 2049

Galleria Cinemas HUB 09706989143 Judwaa 2 09:30 AM 05:45 PM Chef 12:10 PM 09:00 PM Blade Runner 2049 02:45 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Judwaa 2 09:45 AM 02:30 PM 05:45 PM 08:45 PM Blade Runner 2049 11:00 AM 03:00 PM Chef 06:15 PM

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166 Mission China 11:00 AM Judwaa 2 11:15 AM 02:15 PM 05:15 PM 08:15 PM Chef 02:00 PM 08:00 PM Aei Maatite 05:00 PM

Gold Cinema Lakhtokia 0361 2735367 Judwaa 2 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Call For Fun 11:15 AM Chef 02:15 PM 05:15 PM 08:15 PM

Pragjyoti Cinema Maligaon 0361 2570777 Judwaa 2 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 08:00 PM Aei Maatite 05:00 PM

Gadget Review

Google unveiles latest Pixel & Pixel Pods

he all new Google Pixel 2 comes in two sizes – regular and XL which are fitted with the highest rated smartphone camera ever. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL share many core features and specifications, just like their predecessors - both phones are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 SoC and have 4GB of RAM with either 64GB or 128GB of storage. You can't expand storage, just like with the original Pixels.

the Pixel 2 XL, starting at $850 They do have IP67 -- try to tap into Google's 19 years in the search business. The most ratings for dust intriguing tie-in doesn't even have and water to do with the phones themselves. On Tuesday, Google introduced resistance, as well Pixel Buds, a $160 set of wireless as stereo (Bluetooth) earbuds with touch and voice controls. They work with any speakers, phone. which Though they'll inevitably draw brings them up to speed with the rest of today's flagships. Both comparisons to Apple's equally feature aluminium unibodies, with priced AirPods for the iPhone, the fingerprint sensors on the back. Pixel Buds offer one feature that's Both also run on Android 8 Oreo exclusive to the Pixel phone: a realand updates are guaranteed for a time translation mode that works long time. The phones come with with Google Translate. Tap the side unlimited free storage for photos of the right earbud to trigger the and videos and the fast charging voice controls, say "Help me speak feature gives 7 hours of life from 15 French" -- or any of the 40 other supported languages, including minutes of charging. The new Pixel phones -- the Greek, Swahili and Vietnamese -Pixel 2, priced starting at $650, and and then speak a phrase you want

to be translated. The translated sentence comes out of the Pixel's speaker. When the person replies in French, the English translation is piped directly into your ears. But the translation feature highlights the sorts of things Google can do to try to make its phone stand out, using machine learning and all the data it's collected from billions of users over time. There are other features exclusive to the Pixel, too. Google Lens is Google's attempt at visual search. Take a photo of a book with your phone and you'll get information on the author and see reviews. Eventually, you'll be able to point the phone's camera at a restaurant and see reviews and pricing information on a little digital card that pops up on the screen. The service is coming

exclusively to the Pixel phone, for now. Google says it will be offered on other Android phones as well. Another Pixel-only feature is called Now Playing. It's an opt-in service that automatically detects what music is playing in the environment, and tells you the name of the song and artist. The information comes from a Googlegenerated database. It's like Shazam but happens automatically. Again, not groundbreaking, but a nice touch. In India, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL can be bought from November onwards. Prices start at Rs. 61,000 for the 64GB Pixel 2 and Rs. 73,000 for the 64GB Pixel 2 XL, which makes them quite expensive. The phones will be competing with the likes of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Entertainment

Manto visits city

“Health is Wealth”: Vivek Bora’s success mantra Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

Chandan Sarmah

hile no story of the Partition can remain aloof from the bloodletting, rape, plunder and the ruthlessness of human beings in the pointlessness of violence in the name of religion, Saadat Hasan Manto brings alive the period through simple prose deeply rich in irony. Personally Manto’s stories are haunting, raw, truthful, chilling, and touching. They portray wonderfully both the confusion and the inhuman fervor present at the time of Partition. It was the enduring hallmark of journalist, screenwriter and legendary short story author, the controversial Saadat Hasan Manto, who showed his contemporaries that literature and fiction didn’t have to shroud society’s hypocrisy for the sake of ‘decency’. Born in 1912 at Samralaa Village in Ludhiana District of undivided Punjab of British India, Manto had Kashmiri origins but grew up speaking Punjabi. He began his career as a translator of Russian and French works into Urdu, briefly studied at the Aligarh Muslim University, and thereafter began to write short stories, essays, radio plays and even screenplays. He frequently wrote stories around those who were at the margins of the society — prostitutes, alcoholics and criminals — and humanized

them, which was uncommon, radical and nonconformist in those days. In the loving memory of National Award winning filmmaker and an eminent cultural personality Dhiru Bhuyan, Surjya and D’ Passion Collective will present two enchanting items. The first one, titled Who is Manto is the dramatized rendition of three short stories by Manto in English, Hindi and Assamese. And the second chapter, Park Bench Blues, is a presentation of a short play in the round, an inspired production based on a play Park Bench by Ayckbourn. The venue will be Surjya mini auditorium and the programmes will begin on October 11 at 7 PM and will continue till October 14. In fact, the entire programme is dedicated to Late Dhiru Bhuyan on the occasion of his birth anniversary on October 11. Late Dhiru Bhuyan had won the National Award for his film Pratham Ragini during the late 1980s. A multi-faceted talent, Late Dhiru Bhuyan’s most significant contribution to Assamese cinema was introducing Sher Choudhury, the celebrity musician and the only music director from Assam to have won a National Award after Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. The stories to be presented in

dramatized rendition are License, Khol Do and Kaali Saalowar, three of the most widely-acclaimed short stories of Manto. Khol Do is the story of a father who frantically searches for his lost teenage daughter in their journey across the border and finds her finally but his rejoice is abruptly cut short. Manto doesn’t use the words ‘Hindu’, ‘Muslim’, ‘Partition’ etc. to describe horrors — he didn’t have to. The characters are humans and don’t need labels for their actions to be comprehensible. The stories are usually just 3-4 pages long, driven by action and written in raw detail — similar to a journalist’s report in their straightforwardness. They instill confusion and bewilderment without halting to judge the characters or to dwell on context or tragedy. They present the cold, hard truth, in a detached tone. But in actuality, the Partition had taken its toll on Manto. The adaptation of the short stories and the play and designdirection are by Sattyakee D’com Bhuyan and its music is by Gyaan T’mok Bhuyan. A batch of seasoned and young artists will be on stage. They are: Jit Chaliha, Dr. Chinmoy Chakrabarty, Mala Goswami, Rohan Das, Pinyadrith Tarafdar, Hiya Bordoloi, Sonia Bhattacharya and Hrishit Agarwal. n

Diganta Hazarika starring “Blindspot” shines at India Film Project

iganta Hazarika, model turned actor, who made his Bollywood debut in the epic adventure film, Mohenjo Daro, recently featured in a short film titled “Blindspot: A wife’s dilemma”. Directed by Tania Deohans and produced under the banner of Candid Creations, the film

also features Dishoom actress, Anupriya Goenka. The film revolves around a newly married, young, urban couple. When Pooja (played by Anupriya Goenka) finds out about her husband’s (played by Diganta Hazarika) affair, she decides to turn things around in her marriage with the help of her friend instead of confronting the husband. In the course of the plan, things that were unknown to her, about herself and her marriage, surface. And just when Pooja thinks that things have started to get better, she’s taken over by surprise. But the best part of the short film is its ending when the real twist comes, without which

Blindspot would have been just another attempt around the cliché concept of marriage and its complications. The film is winning the internet and is being praised by the netizens. This weekend, Blindspot was adjudged the winner in Short Films category of Digital Awards for web videos held at the seventh edition of India Film Project. Talking to G Plus about the film, Diganta Hazarika said, “I’ve worked for a couple of short films earlier as well, but working for Blindspot was a different experience. Most of the people involved in the film were known to me and I really liked the idea behind the story.” n

ot too long ago, Vivek Bora’s role in the Gangs of North East created a buzz in the state and beyond. Born in Jorhat, Vivek did his schooling from Hemlata Handique Memorial Institute, before going on to pursue B.Com. from J.B. College, Jorhat. He thereafter moved to Guwahati to study M.Com. from NERIM. Vivek started his modelling career at a very early age. He won his first title - Saundarjya Mr. Assam - in 2012, after which his modelling career came to a halt due to his board exams. He resumed modelling in 2014 and went on to become the 2nd Runner up in Mega Mr. Northeast. After winning the title, he stepped into the entertainment industry with shows in different parts of the Northeast. It was during one of his shows that a renowned designer, Pallavi Talukdar, spotted him and offered him work in music videos. Consequently, he featured in ‘Hiyare Dolisa’ - his first music video. Vivek has worked in many music videos ever since including ‘Jiya Jaayena’ and ‘O Seni Mai’ by Babu Baruah. Vivek credits his popularity in the industry to these two songs saying, “O Seni Mai was a big hit in Assam and it was through this video that I gained popularity among the people of Assam and got the role in the film, Gangs of Northeast.” Debutant lead actor Vivek Bora shined in the entire film and gained much acclamation for his role as Ricky. On being asked about his experience in working for an action movie with Pradhan Deori as the Action Director, he said, “It was awesome working with Pradhan Deori. He was not just the Action Director, but also a part of the cast, performing the actions on his own. All the action sequences and weapons used in the movie were real and not staged. Also, no stuntmen were involved. We performed the stunts ourselves. Pradhan Deori is such an experienced person that we got to learn a lot and performed well.” During an interview, Director Rupak Gogoi had mentioned about portraying Vivek as the chocolate hero Assamese film industry. When asked about his views on this and his image as the chocolate hero, Vivek said, “Maybe I’m not handsome, I’m cute. Even I think the same about myself actually. So let’s see how far this image takes

me.” Vivek is currently working on an Assamese movie by Chandra Mudoi titled “Bhola Bom Bhola,” which is the first Assamese movie based on football. “I’m playing the role of a very simple and innocent boy in this movie. In Assamese, the boy can be perfectly described as ‘benga’ (nincompoop).” Talking to G Plus about his future course of action and where he sees himself in the coming years, Vivek fondly said that it is his dream to work further and work nationally. He further mentioned that he would like to work for Hindi television as well as shine on the big screen. The actor is up for exploring and working in all fields as long as the content is good and the efforts give out good results. We asked Vivek as to what he thinks of the current scenario of the Assamese film industry and he said, “The Assamese film industry is ever growing and ever changing. I believe that yes, we are lagging behind when compared to Bollywood or Tollywood. But it’s not that we’ve vanished because the people in our industry really do work hard.” Surprisingly, apart from being a model and an actor, Vivek is also a guitarist and an athlete. Vivek plays football and has also participated in sports events. He was adjudged the winner of National Arm Wrestling Championship, 2013 held in Mizoram, in the 65 kg category. The youth of Northeast have started to look up to Vivek for the amazing physique that he has maintained. To all those looking for a tip from the pro, Vivek has only one thing to say, “I believe that sleeping is the best exercise. The mantra that I follow is – Work hard, exercise, maintain a good diet, but at the same time, don’t forget to sleep well.” As his last remarks, Vivek added, “I’d just like to say, “Health is wealth.” If you’re fit you can accomplish anything and move past all hindrances that come your way.” n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Fun Horoscope of the week There could be a lot of discussion at home at the start of the week, and this could lead to some decisions that positively transform a key situation. On another note, your social life sparkles, particularly around Thursday, when the full moon in lively Aries could be the perfect time to hold a celebration or grand occasion. Know that it could be very boisterous, though. Putting yourself in your partner’s shoes over the weekend could help you understand his or her perspective.

You could be your own worst enemy this week, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’ve convinced yourself that there is nothing you can do, accomplishing something could certainly be more difficult. Give yourself a break and try to have a more positive approach. Think that you can do it and keep repeating this to yourself. You’ll find that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can accomplish whatever you put your mind to if you stick with it.

There is a possibility that you could earn more money, but there is also a chance that you’ll spend it all before the week is up. Making some wise investments, such as channeling extra cash into a creative project, could be worthwhile. And as long as you don’t decide to make some expensive romantic gestures around the time of Thursday’s full moon, you can benefit. The weekend could have a more serious bias, but a heart-to-heart talk could be very revealing.

It could be difficult to see eye to eye with certain family members, and this might continue over the course of the week. However, this could also encourage you to have a discussion to resolve this matter. If things reach a critical point, this could be a good thing because the energy around the situation is ripe for change. Be willing to listen to others’ feelings and you may find they aren’t so very different from yours after all. A compromise is possible.

A positive focus on your sign could make you eager to express yourself and share what is most important to you. There may be some things that need a solution that you’re more hesitant to talk about. The coming week could be an opportunity to listen to your intuition and gently broach the subject with a friend or trusted confidant. You may say more than you mean to, but this could release tension and leave you feeling much better as a result.

An intense aspect early in the week could mean you’re compulsively drawn to someone and find it hard to turn your attention to other things. This could be a temporary phase, but it could leave you feeling frustrated if the person in question doesn’t feel the same way about you. Thursday’s full moon in your wellness sector might encourage you to forget about your discipline and routines and go all out to enjoy yourself. Try not to overdo it!

You may draw some fascinating opportunities to you, but it’s also possible that you could resist them. This is unusual, as you’re the kind of person who delights in anything new and fresh. You may have mixed feelings that cause you to delay a decision. If you need more time, take it, but this option could work out even if it requires hard work. Your social life sparkles this week and over the weekend, with a lively encounter to brighten your days.

While you may be inspired to follow a new path that shows plenty of promise, you might feel edgy if it means moving too far outside your comfort zone. It’s really a question of belief. This can be a good time to jettison any that are outdated and holding you back. Nevertheless, a full moon in Aries on Thursday could bring some drama to the home front. It is also excellent for a celebration or get-together, even if it is a little boisterous.

If you’re thinking about going on a trip, the full moon might encourage you to go for it. If you’ve been busy with various tasks and chores or aspects of your life have been intense lately, getting away from it all might seem like the perfect way to unwind and feel good. There is a focus on change and transformation that could see you letting go of situations that no longer serve you. Certain friends might object to doing this, however.

You could experience some conflict regarding a goal or plan, and this might make it hard to progress as much as you’d like over the coming days. If you and another are finding it difficult to see eye to eye, putting yourself in their shoes could help you understand their thoughts and feelings. You don’t have to agree, but a compromise might help you to make the best of an awkward situation. Key insights could also change your perspective concerning 2 3 a financial4matter.

Sudoku 5 3 6 5 4 21 9 48 1 1 4 5 6 41 5 4 7 8 99 2 7 7 8 6 5 46 13 2 7 2 84 Daily Sudoku: Thu 5-Oct-20177 9

3 7

8 7 2 9 1 8 6 5 2 8 9 4 4 1 3

Daily Sudoku: Tue 26-Sep-2017

last week solution 5 4 9 3 6 75 84 21 99 48 63 36 19 84 75 38 12 57 23 96 44 73 86 15 52 21 99 62 77 84 17 28 45 61 39 89 51 34 46 13 92 67 73 58 21 Daily 6Sudoku: 5 Thu85-Oct-2017 2 7

Quick crossword no 14,757 Across

Luscious Venus makes some leading aspects this week. In fact, the days up to and including Thursday could rekindle the romance in a long-term relationship or encourage a budding connection to become more intimate. However, Thursday’s full moon could see you keeping private certain feelings between you and another. You have a lot of fun together, and no one else needs to know about it. The weekend could see a more serious side of your personality, when being conscientious could bring rewards.

2 17 52 41 68 33 96 75 84 9

1 2 6 1 4 5 7 9 2 8 5 3 8 7 9 6 3 4

7 33 82 98

79 13 64 51 45 27 26 82 51 94 1 3hard

Daily Sudoku: Tue 26-Sep-2017

8 65 79 46 (c) Daily(c) Sudoku Ltd 2017. rightsAll reserved. Daily Sudoku LtdAll 2017. rights reserved.

Both your love life and connections to your colleagues will be on the agenda this week. Regarding work, you might have to attend discussions and consultations. Whatever the relationship, you’ll fare better if you can avoid being too intense. This might be difficult at the time of the full moon on Thursday, however. But as long as you don’t say anything you might come to regret, you could find others show up with opportunities and options you might never have considered otherwise.

very hard

1 Greek dish with http://www.dailysudoku.com/ 8 aubergine (8) curio-city Word of the week 5 Cotton on — small 9 10 1 Which popular aggregator website was started by Senh Duong branch (4) in 1998 and was later bought over by Flixster and now owned by Aerie 9 Combination (5) Warner Bros? noun, plural [air-ee, eer-ee] 10 Dense mass of trees or 2 Which popular tourist destination of the NorthEast, derives its name shrubs (7) An apartment or office on a high floor from a word in Viswesmi dialect of the Angamis meaning ‘soul less 11 in a high-rise building 11 Major bike race (4,2,6) and dull’? Quick crossword no 14,757 13 White-coated stoat (6) 12 3 Muttiah Muralitharan is the leading wicket taker in test cricket; 14 Geronimo’s people (6) Across 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 however who was the first spinner to take 300 wickets in Test Crossword 1 Greek dish with 17 Gadding about (12) Cricket? 13 14 15 8 aubergine (8) 5 Cotton on — small 20 Annie Across or Mame, say (7) Down 9 10 branch (4) of 4 What unique record is held by Kadambini Ganguly, in the history 9 Combination (5) 16 21 Tree bearing (5)(8) 1 Greek dishcatkins with aubergine 1 Sledgehammer used to drive stakes and education in India 10 Dense mass of trees or shrubs (7) 5 Cotton on — small branch (4) wedges (4) 11 22 Pairs (4) 11 Major bike race (4,2,6) 9 Combination (5) 2 Alike all over (7) 13 White-coated stoat (6) the 17 18 5 Bobby Hano and Anup Kutty started which popular event of23 12 Type of tenure 14 Geronimo’s 10 Dense mass(8) of trees or shrubs (7) 3 City of the Golden Gate (3,9) people (6) NorthEast in 2012?

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Rotten Tomatoes 2. Dzukou valley at the border of Manipur and Nagaland 3. Lance Gibbs 4. First female doctor to pass out in India 5. Ziro music festival 6. Kip Thorne

curio-city

Identify the physicist, standing here with Stephen Hawking He was a consultant in the movie Interstellar and is a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics this year

11 Major bike race (4,2,6) White-coated stoat (6) Down13 14 Geronimo’s people (6) 1 Sledgehammer used 17 Gadding about (12) to 20 Annie orand Mame,wedges say (7) drive stakes 21 Tree bearing catkins (5) (4) 22 Pairs (4) 2 Alike all over (7) (8) 23 Type of tenure Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty

3 City of the Golden Gate (3,9) 4 Beatrix Potter’s Tom, say (6) 6 Rouse (5) 7 Collected (8) 8 Superb detail (anag) — shady (12) 12 Flavouring in Earl Grey tea (8) 15 (In music) with vigour (3,4) 16 American author of The Naked and the Dead, d. 2007 (6)

This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Luann By Greg Evans

17 Gadding about (12) 4 Beatrix Potter’s Tom, say (6) 20 Annie or Mame, say (7) 6 Rouse (5) 21 Tree bearing catkins (5) 22 Pairs (4) 7 Collected (8) 23 Type of tenure (8) 8 Superb detail (anag) —shady (12) Down 12 Flavouring in Earl Grey tea (8) 1 Sledgehammer used to 15 (In music) with vigour (3,4) drive stakes and wedges (4) Naked and the 16 American author of The 2 Alike all over (7) Dead, d. 2007 (6) 3 City of the Golden Gate (3,9) 18 Lariat (5) 23 4 Beatrix Potter’s Tom, 19 Outhouse (4) say (6) 6 Rouse (5) 7 Collected (8) 8 Superb detail (anag) — shady (12) 12 Flavouring in Earl Grey tea (8) 15 (In music) with vigour (3,4) 16 American author of The Naked and the Dead, d. 2007 (6)

18 Lariat (5) 19 Outhouse (4)

16 17

18 Lariat (5) 19 Outhouse (4)

Solution no 14,756 GOFORBROKE C R I E A O L E I P Z I G MAN I C O N Z A B T L VAST V I L LA I NY E C N I K D R E A SON UND I NE L L M G G S EX I T POL L C LOD A B R I L A A F R AME T R I V I A L B S C M R E F A L S EHOOD S

Last week’s solution Solution no 14,756 C L O V E R L E A F

GO R E I P N AST E X R F

FORBROKE I E A O Z I G MAN I C Z A B T L V I L LA I NY C N I K D A SON UND I NE L M G G S I T POL L C LOD B R I L A A AME T R I V I A L B S C M R E A L S EHOOD S

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Lifestyle

VAASTU SHASTRA

Beauty and Luck

ften, we mistake pride for arrogance and those who have arrogance mistake it for pride. But there is a clear distinction. Arrogance is being insensitive. When there is no humility in pride, that pride turns into arrogance. When there is no awareness in pride, that pride turns into arrogance. When there is no love or service along with pride, that pride turns into arrogance. It is the same knife. With just a little twist to it, you can either cut your butter or hurt your finger. Arrogance goes with the small mind. The small mind, being

unaware of the magnitude of existence, thinks it is the greatest, the biggest, and the highest. Pride brings joy and in joy there is pride, but if you become insensitive, you get lost in your joy and pride. Pride accompanied by humility brings awareness of goodness, of beauty, of one’s luck, of one’s heart. Luck is a language of the heart. When the heart says, “lucky” or “unlucky”, it is referring to something that is beyond one’s capacity, beyond one’s mind, beyond one’s abilities. Something that is beyond the smallness of mind, something that is out of reach, something that is enormous, you call luck. Isn’t it? The mind or head knows only facts, while the heart makes everything big. Poetry comes out of the heart. Poetry is exaggeration, and beauty is nothing but exaggeration. There is no fact in beauty. If you try to analyze beauty from your mind, the beauty is gone. Beauty is a language of the heart. The heart decorates, elaborates, and exaggerates. When you read a poem, when you sing a song, when you describe something beautiful, it’s always from the heart. Justice is from the head. A quality comes from the head. From the heart comes only uniqueness, specialty. Everything is made special from the heart, but often we get it backward. If there is some negativity, we deal with it from the heart and if something is positive, we say it goes to our head. We exaggerate problems. If a mistake has been made or there is some suffering, some misery, we blow it up beyond its dimensions. If a few people get sick in town, we say, “Everyone in town is sick. Everyone is always sick here.” We exaggerate and eternalize. Many newspapers

thrive on this exaggerated negativity, but if something beautiful happens, they say, “Let’s see the facts.” They want to look at it from their head rather than through the heart. We do the same thing, don’t we? We need to switch it around. When you see the negative quality in someone, analyze it. Why is this person being so negative? What is behind it? What

does he want? Reason it out. Don’t see negativity through the heart because then your heart becomes sore. Analysis of negativity brings compassion in you. An exaggeration of some good brings waves of beauty in you. You have to take a step to make this shift. If you see one beautiful quality in another person, decorate it, exaggerate it, and make it big. Whether the person is beautiful or not is immaterial. Those who exaggerate positive qualities become positive themselves because our body, which is nothing but space, gets filled with praise. You have heard the phrase, “Praise the name of the Lord.” You are asked to do it not because God is going to be greater because of your praise or some person will become great because of your praise. No. In the act of praising, you become beautiful. Whenever you have felt a sense of great beauty, that is when you have reached your home, that is when you have been in touch with your Self, because you are so, so beautiful. Whatever beauty you see in the world is only a projection of the being, of the Self -- a glimpse of the Self. Meditation helps you see the beauty within and the beauty outside. When you rejoice in beauty, the entire creation rejoices with you. The very purpose of such variety in this creation is to bring you back to your Self, to come to know that you are beautiful. And in that bliss, all that you need, all that you would want will simply keep happening.

shri shri ravi shankar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

Easy Vaastu tips for home

. Any household is embodied by its owner. So the name of the owner should be prominently displayed. Be it an apartment or an independent house, a name plate should be there. Make sure that the name plate does not get rusted or the name should not get erased due to atmospheric conditions. A nameplate is supposed to bring in opportunities. 2. The fire element is capable of destroying a lot of negative energy and it wards off evil energy. So it is very auspicious to light an earthen lamp in the morning and in the evening. Dark rooms and corners should have bright lights kept lit in between for the same purpose. 3. The fire element is enhanced by placing the kitchen in the southeast area of the house. If this is not possible, at least ensure that the stove is placed in the southeast corner of the kitchen. 4. Hindus hang lemons and chillies on a thread on the doorway and change it every Saturday and Tuesday. The lemons can absorb negative energy. You can also keep it in a glass of water with salt. Plain salt can also absorb negative energy. Change it regularly when it becomes dirty. 5. DO NOT keep medicines in the kitchen. They should be kept in the northeast area of the house.

6. Mirrors should be avoided in the kitchen. However they can be kept at north or east of the dining area. 7. Meditation can dispel negative energy. Those who cannot meditate should develop the habit of chanting mantras like the OM, AMEN etc 8. Keep holy water in the dark corners of the house and change it regularly. Holy water can be generated by keeping it in the place of worship. 9. Sacred symbols like the OM or the SWASTIK are very powerful. They should be displayed over the main entrance. 10. The sound of metallic bells is very soothing and it can break energy patterns as well as block negative energy. Wind chimes are very effective in this regard and they can be hung on doors and windows where the wind will make them chime. 11. Some religious rites like the Ganesh Puja or Vaastu Puja should be done in the house at least once in three years to cleanse the household. People of other religions can perform their own rituals which have cleansing effect. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

At The Crossroads Meet me at the crossroads Where death divides the world, Where the grass is green as it sleeps in its bed, Where the people of the world are alive but as I said, It is all too late for their hearts to mend, So meet me at the crossroads Where time breaks into eternity. Living at the crossroads Where there is no need to feel. The birds sing quietly the songs for the end Waves crash into themselves defining all that is left Call it a new beginning or a numbed hell We fall together At the crossroads Where fire and ice never clash. Leaving behind the crossroads, Where happiness isn’t a need, Because you never came to my side Because I think I’m finally tired of these lies But still I long to say my goodbyes Thinking you’ll meet me At the crossroads Where sorrow is nowhere to be seen. Sanjali Dixit BA Part 3 University of Allahabad

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Buzz

Sattriya Dance makes its way to the National Capital

“S

ahanartana - Series 3: An Evening of Sattriya Dance and Music” is being organised in New Delhi on 8th of October as the culmination of a 15-day workshop conducted by Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, Adhyapak Haricharan Bhuyan Borbayan, and assisted by Meenakshi Medhi and Srijani Bhaswa Mahanta. Organised at the Indira

Gandhi National Centre for Arts, the program aims at popularising the Sattriya dance form and teaching the youth the ethos of the Northeast associated with the dance form. The workshop saw participation of many nonAssamese dancers from other major Indian dance forms. And so, the workshop on Sattriya dance and culture marked an encouraging start.

“Sahanartana” literally means ‘an act of dancing together’. The instructors and the participants, thus, together embarked on a journey of unlearning and learning for 15 days. Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, Kathak Guru Shovana Narayan, and Bharatnatyam exponent, Arupa Lahiry, were present during the inaugural session of Sahanartana - Series III. Apart from the regular dance classes, the workshop had a talk titled ‘Approaching Indian Performative Traditions’ by Prof. TS Satyanath and screening of a national award winning Assamese short film ‘Yugadrashta - The Visionary’. Padma Shri Kathak Guru Shovana Narayan and Mohiniyattam exponent Dr Jayaprabha Menon will be present at the concluding event to encourage the dancers. n

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi flags off Bharat Yatra at Guwahati

hen Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi reached Guwahati, Assam to launch the Bharat Yatra from the Northeast Region, the well-known child rights activist lamented the rise in number of cases of sexual abuse of children across the country. The Bharat Yatra, launched by Satyarthi, kick-started on September 11 at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, and will culminate in New Delhi on October 16. The idea behind the Yatra is to create awareness about sexual abuse of children and why it is important to raise our voice against the growing malice in society. Addressing the students of Gauhati University where the march began, Satyarthi said the Yatra is aimed at initiating a mass movement calling upon each citizen to take urgent action to break the unacceptable silence about sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children every day. Giving statistics about the dismal scenario of child safety in the country, the founder of Kailash Satyarthi Children’s foundation said that every hour, two children are reported to be raped and six go missing, while 4.5 lakh children have been victims of trafficking, bought and sold for commercial and sexual exploitation. He further said

Assam’s Purnima Devi Brahma nominated for Indianapolis Award

nvironmentalist Purnima Devi Barman of Assam becomes the first Indian to be nominated for the prestigious Indianapolis Award 2018. Regarded as the world’s leading honour for animal conservation, the Indianapolis Prize is awarded biennially by the Indianapolis Zoo. The winner will receive an unrestricted $250,000 cash award while five finalists will receive $10,000 each. The winner will also receive the Lilly Medal to commemorate the occasion. Purnima Devi Barman, Ph.D. (Aranyak) is a renowned environmentalist who is focused on efforts to conserve greater adjutant storks in India. She is credited with creating a campaign to ensure the survival of the birds and bring pride to villages that are home to the species, changing an outlook that once viewed the birds as a bad omen. Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, said the 32 nominees represent many of the “most significant and accomplished wildlife conservationists in the field today.” “They are protecting species and creating successful conservation methods that ensure

future generations will live in a flourishing and sustainable world. We applaud their accomplishments and encourage individuals, organizations, companies, and governments to join them in advancing animal conservation,” Crowther said. This year’s nominees have focused on iconic and unique animals ranging from primates and marine mammals to reptiles and birds. They’ve also studied species in Asian ecosystems, including critically endangered orangutans, snow leopards, tigers and slow lorises. A nominating committee will select six finalists and determine a winner. All finalists will then be honoured at a gala on September 29, 2018. n

Puja Excellence Awards held in the city

that 80% of the people trafficked from Assam are minors. “Eighty% of people trafficked from Assam are minors, many of whom either land up in brothels or face sexual abuse. They are taken away with the promise of jobs or marriage and sold at a price less than that of a buffalo,” said Satyarthi. Bringing to light the horror of child trafficking cases from Assam, the Nobel Laureate narrated stories of a few girls from the north-eastern state who were trafficked and rescued by his team. He lamented the fact that children were not even safe at home or in school. He said 70% incidents of child abuse take place at home, their neighbourhood or in school. Stating that children are not

safe even in their own homes, Satyarthi said, “Even two-month old babies are raped. Many go unreported. This epidemic is kept hidden under social taboo, family and the children’s honour.” Asking people to speak up against child sexual abuse, Satyarthi blamed parents, teachers and elders for maintaining silence on the growing number of child sexual abuse cases. Satyarthi made the audience take an oath that they would never tolerate child abuse and if required, they would knock on the door of each household of the country to rescue children. The Bharat Yatra has been supported by President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief ministers of the states. n

fter the mega success over the past last eight years, this year again “Sharadiya Shrestha Sanman – Puja Excellence Awards” was organised to encourage the Durga Puja committees of Guwahati. This year over 25 Puja committees participated in the event that involved judging of the puja pandals by a panel of judges on 26-27 September, 2017. The awards went to Athgaon Sarbajanik Durga Puja Samiti for the Best Overall Puja, Nayantara Club for the Best

Lighting, Maligaon Kalibari for the Best Idol and Santipur Sluice Gate Sarbajanin Puja Committee for the Best Pandal. The winners were awarded cash prizes and a certificate. The jury panel included Professor Ashok Dutta (founding director of IIM Shillong), Sattyakee D’Com Bhuyan (founder director of the theatre group D’ Passion Collective, actor, director and anchor), Yankee Parashar (model and actor) and Mrs Hela Das (State awardee for her contribution in wooden sculpting). n

G PLUS | OCT 07 - OCT 13, 2017

Catching Up Most shared story of the week

Nikhi Gondha Gohain

New

Chick on the block

he France U-17 football team arrived in Guwahati on 2nd October for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Guwahati is the easternmost Indian city to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The match between New Caledonia vs France is scheduled to be held at Sarusajai Stadium, on 8th October

108

2.9K

Kamur

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of the week

‘S

ports sports everywhere, but not a single ticket to buy.’ The ticketing lines for the matches of FIFA Under 17 and India Australia T20 matches getting exhausted within a few hours of the ticketing lines being opened, is probably the biggest kamur of the week. To put in the words of one such frustrated cricket enthusiast, “One has better chances of scoring a lotto than getting one of this tickets.”

WHAT DID I JUST

‘F

About Me Greetings to all the readers of G Plus. I am Nikhi Gondha Gohain, a 26 year old resident of Guwahati. I am currently pursuing my M.Sc. in Dietetics and Food Nutrition from IGNOU. I started my journey in modelling with print shoots, and later moved to live fashion shows and ramp walks too. I did my grooming training under the guidance of Sandeep Cherian. I have been featured as cover model of popular regional magazines like Bismoy, Nandini, and Good Times. Mojo What started as my passion has brought me recognition. I started modelling because the whole idea fascinated me. I always wanted to know how I’d look on shoot photos. Route in Woods I want to keep a balance between my passion and my profession. I will pursue my career in Dietetics. I will keep my association with fashion too. I want to become a fashion choreographer someday. Photography by - Unique Borah Costume by - Moonmee Boruah

PIC OF THE

HEAR?

ake fielding’, a stunt that cricketers, especially Mahendra Singh Dhoni, used to pull to scare batsmen from taking extra runs between the wickets might now cost up to five penalty runs to the opponents. So much efforts to make Cricket a gentlemen’s game again!

WEEK

Back the Blue! FIFA fever grips city | G Plus Photo Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Janambhumi Press (P) Ltd., Kalapahar, Guwahati and Published at 4A, Royale Arcade, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007, Editor: Swapnil Bharali. Phone: 0361 2522444, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641