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O HERALD O The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, sunDaY, maY 23, 2010
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Sports: Sangakkara wants fair chance for Lanka Pg 16 IN BRIEF 13-yr-old youngest to reach Everest A 13-year-old American boy from California today became the youngest summiteer to reach top of Mount Everest, moving closer to achieving his dream to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. -- (PTI)
25 kg of RDX seized in Kishtwar An arms cache, including 25 kg of RDX and two improvised explosive devices, was seized by security forces from a militant hideout in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir today. -(PTI)
pRiCE Rs. 3.00 (air surcharge Rs 1.50) pages 16+6
World: Pakistan detains at least four over New York plot Pg 11
India: Shammi uncle’s a kid -- Ranbir Pg 9
AI plane crashes in Mangalore; 158 dead PTI MANGALORE, MAY 22
In the country’s worst air disaster in a decade, a Boeing 737 plane of Air India’s low budget carrier overshot the airport runway here and burst into flames early this morning killing 158 persons but eight others survived. As the Air India Express flight from Dubai came into land at the Bajpe airport at around 6.30 am in cloudy weather but good visibility, it went beyond the touchdown area, broke up and caught fire even as some passengers jumped out. The aircraft, carrying 160 passengers and a crew of six, hit a concrete localiser instrument, a navigation aid, and fell into a ravine 200 to 300 metres deep. The passengers included four infants and 19 other children. Rescuers battled inclement weather and rough terrain in their search for survivors. Nine passengers, including some who had jumped off the plane, survived and were taken to hospital but one died on the way. The cause of the crash was subject of considerable speculation but Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel who announced a statutory probe, said the plane had overshot the runway. The Boeing 737-800 was less than three years old and the flight was piloted by a British national of Serbian origin Captain Zlatko Glusica, 53, who had 10,200 hours of flying experience of 19 previous landings at the ‘table top’ airport here. Copilot H S Ahluwalia had landed here 66 times. Two air hostesses were among the four-member cabin crew. By tonight 152 bodies were recovered from the from the crash site. The eight survivors including four with minor injuries while three sustained
Praful offers to quit, PM says no PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 22
Owning “moral responsibility” for the Mangalore air crash, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel is tonight believed to have offered to resign to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who reportedly turned down the offer. Patel, who met Singh after visiting the crash site in Mangalore, conveyed his “deep sense of anguish” over the tragedy. He is understood to have told Singh that over the last six years he had done a lot for the development of civil aviation sector and whatever might have been the cause of the accident, he had (Continued on page 11)
RUNWAY ‘TRICKY’, SAYS KRISHNA
50 VICTIMS ARE KERALITES
RS 2 LAKH COMPENSATION
US, BRITAIN, PAK OFFER CONDOLENCES
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said it was known that Mangalore airport “is a very tricky” runway and that skills of a pilot would be put on maximum test while landing there.
The crash plunged Kerala into deep sorrow as at least 50 of those killed are believed to be Malayalis. While 14 of the victims from Kerala had been identified, going by the names of the passengers.
Family members of each of those killed in the crash will get up to Rs 76 lakh as compensation. PM has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to each crash victim family and Rs 50,000 each to those hurt.
The US, Britain, Russia, Germany, Pakistan and several other countries today condoled the death of 158 people in an Air India plane crash in Mangalore, the worst air disaster in the country in a decade.
major injuries. One person also escaped unhurt, Patel said. The plane broke into two and smoke billowed from the main fuselage. The plane was almost completely burnt with only its
tail visible. A majority of the victims were Keralites. The entire six-member crew including the two pilots perished in the accident. The passengers comprised 105 men
Govt agencies task cut off to save Colva’s ecology: GSPCB HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 22
Will the various government agencies at least now put their act together and get down to the serious business of putting an end to environment degradation with the Goa State Pollution Control Board compiling a damning report on the state of affairs in Colva? Well, even the Pollution Board is of the considered opinion that the situation pertaining to the indiscriminate discharge of sewage by various commercial establishments in Colva warrants immediate concerted action of all concerned government departments. A perusal of the Pollution Control Board report indicates that multi-government agencies have a task cut off for them to save further environmental degradation in the village. Take for instance, the health services. Having unearthed that most establishments discharge sewage and kitchen waste in the open, the Board wants the health services to inspect the residential apartments, restaurants, eateries vis-à-vis the dis-
… says creek is polluted
Analysis of water samples from the Colva creek has indicated that the levels of Dissolved Oxygen are below the permissible limits. The water is greenish in colour, emitting an offensive smell and a thick layer of scum was found floating on the surface. The Pollution Control Board has said that the creek water does not meet the primary water criteria for Class SW III water. The Board has pointed out that discharge of sewage and kitchen water into the Colva creek, storm water drains and fields would only lead to a health hazard and cause environmental degradation in the coastal village. Sadly, the authorities connected the Colva creek to the Arabian sea ostensibly to drain off the contaminated waters, but promptly abandoned the plans after local villagers cried foul over the illconceived decision of the government agencies. posal of sewage and kitchen waste and to stop discharge of the waste into storm water drains, Colva creek and adjacent fields. The Food and Drugs Administration also has a task cut out to verify the unhygienic conditions prevailing in the restaurants, eateries and initiate necessary action. During inspections, Board officials had observed unhygienic conditions prevalent at a number of hotels, restaurants, eateries and shacks located in the village. That Colva, like many other
coastal villages, lacks a sewage system has attracted the attention of the Pollution Control Board. In fact, the Board has now recommended to the State Government and the PWD to consider a sewerage scheme to ensure proper treatment of sewage and sullage water. This recommendation assumes significance as it was unearthed during inspections, that many establishments have installed sewage treatment plants, but have not been put into operation to save power costs. (Continued on page 11)
and 32 women. An Airport Authority of India(AAI) official said there was no distress call from the pilots when they got clearance for landing the plane, about seven
Pak blocks 800 URLs PTI ISLAMABAD, MAY 22
Pakistani authorities have blocked 800 URLs that feature “blasphemous” and “sacrilegious” content in the wake of the ban on Facebook and YouTube, a representative of the country’s association of internet service providers said today. Acting on an order of the Lahore High Court, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority initially banned popular social networking website Facebook over a page featuring a contest for “blasphemous” cartoons of Prophet Mohammed. The ban was later extended YouTube and other links. The move also affected access to Wikipedia and Twitter, internet users said. “So far, two sites and about 800 URLs have been blocked to prevent access to blasphemous and sacrilegious content,” Wahaj-us-Siraj, a spokesman for the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan told PTI. Siraj said that since the author of the page on Facebook featuring the blasphemous cartoons had been removed, the PTA “probably needs to go back to the Lahore High Court, and then the court could lift the ban”.
Kasab gets 26/11 verdict copy, can appeal in 2 months Pak yet to approach Interpol PTI MUMBAI, MAY 22
Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, sentenced to death for killing 166 people in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been handed over a copy of the judgement by the jail authorities. Kasab was given a copy of the judgement yesterday and he kept it with himself in the cell, jail sources said today. According to the jail manual, a convict can appeal to the High Court by writing a letter within two months of receiving the judgement. At this stage, Kasab does not need a lawyer and he may inform the jail authorities that he intends to appeal against his
conviction by writing a letter. The jail authorities would in turn submit his petition (letter) to the Bombay High Court in a prescribed format. When the High Court hears the appeal, Kasab can engage a lawyer of his choice or, if he cannot afford to do so, the court may on his behalf appoint a lawyer. The trial court would also forward to the High Court a copy of the judgement along with documents and affidavits of witnesses for confirmation of death sentence awarded to Kasab. The process is on and would be completed soon, sources said. Meanwhile, Pakistani prosecutors were today caught on the wrong foot as an anti-ter-
rorism court hearing the 26/11 case was told that Interpol is yet to be approached for a Red Corner notice for Ajmal Kasab, weeks after they claimed the matter had been taken up with the Paris-based agency. The Rawalpindi-based antiterrorism court conducting the trial of LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects accused of planning and facilitating the Mumbai attacks adjourned the matter till June 5. Judge Malik Mohammad Akram Awan adjourned the trial after hearing arguments by the prosecution and defence on whether Kasab and Fahim Ansari could be made part of the trial.
km away from touchdown. The Flight Data Recorder (FDR), also known as the black box which could give vital clues to the cause of the crash, was yet to be recovered from the
wreckage, Patel said. Patel, who visited the crash site and personally supervised the rescue operations, later met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and briefed him
on the accident. The reason for overshooting of the aircraft will be known only after the high-level inquiry by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is completed, he told reporters after his meeting with Singh. Patel said preliminary observation showed there was no problem with the four-year-old runway or the aircraft Mangalore airport, which is in a hilly area, was shut down immediately after the mishap but reopened after about eight hours. One of the survivors Umar Farooq said the aircraft experienced turbulence. One eyewitness said a tyre of the ill-fated plane had burst on landing. Charred bodies, strewn luggage and mangled remains of the aircraft bore a grim testimony to the tragedy. “The plane shook with vibrations before it split into two. As soon as it hit the ground, I managed to get out and jump into a pit. There was smoke all over as the plane caught fire. After ten minutes, there was an explosion,” said Pradeep, one of the seven survivors. “I can’t believe I survived the crash,” he said reliving the moments minutes before the aircraft went up in flames. About 150 CISF personnel, airport officials and fire service personnel along with civilians and local police were quickly pressed into service to pull out any survivors out of the burning plane. Today’s air mishap was the first major plane crash in the country in nearly a decade. 61 people were killed when a Boeing 737 aircraft of domestic airline Alliance Air, crashed into residential area near Patna airport in July 2000.
Belgaum iron ore illegally dumped, transported to Goa! BY LOUIS RODRIGUES BELGAUM, MAY 22
The Belgaum Forest Department has found huge amounts of iron ore worth several crores of rupees being illegally dumped along Goa’s border with Belgaum district, from where it was reportedly being transported to Goa. Acting on complaints, the Forest Department recently found that the iron ore was being transported and dumped illegally in private lands located in the forests neighbouring Karnataka along the Goa border for the past few years. The Forest Department has
filed FIR against these illegal activities. According to some environmentalists, the activity is being carried out with the blessings of politicians and businessman from Karnataka and Goa allegedly having their vested interests in the mining business. The iron ore was being brought from parts of Hospet, Bellary, Chitradurga, Bagalkot and other areas and dumped in the forest areas near Goa, before allegedly transporting it to Goa, from where it is being sent to China and other nations. The illegal activity has been rampantly going at Ramnagar,
Jamboti and other areas neighbouring Goa. Karnataka’s Chief Conservator of Forests U V Singh had conducted a secret survey on the transportation of iron ore from parts of Karnataka to Goa recently and exposed the illegal activities. Deputy Conser vator of Forests Girish Hosur told Herald that during a recent survey, the Forest Department found that iron ore which is being transported to Goa via parts of Karnataka. “The activity was going on daily without relevant license and permission from the Forest (Continued on page 11)