Star Cement  Director abducted

 GUWAHATI, Sept 03:Director of Star Cement Private Limited Narenda Kr Nimodia was reportedly abducted by unidentified miscreants from Jorabat-Sonapur area this afternoon. Nimodia, according to police sources, disappeared around 2:45 this afternoon. Senior Superintendent of Police (City) Pradeep Chandra Saloi informed that the incident happened when Narendra Kumar Nimodia, the brother-in-law of the proprietor of Star Cement Private Limited, got down from his Scorpio vehicle (ASOI AP 1000) without saying anything to the driver after which the driver parked the vehicle by the roadside in Jorabat area. “When he did not turn up after almost an hour or so, Binod Barua, the driver of the car intimated the Star Cement office about it,” Saloi said, adding, “Involvement of any group behind the abduction is yet to be established.” In the meantime, an anonymous caller is said to have called up the Star Cement office informing that Narendra Kumar Nomodia has been abducted. Though Barua, the driver, told police that the Nimodia went to have his lunch in a restaurant in the area, neither police nor the management of the restaurant are endorsing it. Barua is being questioned by the investigators in this connection.Top officials of the police department have rushed to the spot and a manhunt has been launched. All police stations have been alerted. A case has also been registered with the Jorabat police station.

Heavy rains inundate city localities

 GUWAHATI, Sept 03: Rains yet again resulted in inundation of many areas of this capital city of Assam this morning calling for a major revamp of the drainage system of the city. Though water receded in many areas in the afternoon hours, some low-lying areas are reported to be still under water.Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) sources here said that the Borjhar Airport in the city recorded a heavy rainfall of 130.3 mm of rainfall between 8-30 am of September 1 and 8-30 am today, while the Khanapara Rain Gauge Station reported 10 mm of rainfall during the period.Monsoon activities have been reported to be normal over Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and Meghalaya meteorological subdivisions of the NE region, said the RMC sources, adding Nalbari recorded 115.4 mm of rainfall, Tangla recorded 75.2 mm of rainfall, Majbat recorded a rainfall of 59.4 mm and Matanga recorded a rainfall of 57.4 mm during the above period.Rains inundated many parts of Lachitnagar area, the Rajgarh Road area between Bihutoli and Bharalu Bridge, Nabinnagar and Anilnagar areas, RG Baruah Road areas between Gauhati Commerce College and Rajdhani Nursery, Pub-Sarania Road areas, AT Road/Dinesh Goswami Road in front of the Himantsingka Petrol Pump, Chatribari area near Himatsingka Petrol Pump, ML Nehru Road near Panbazar Railway Overbridge, part of the GS Road near Christianbasti, Dinesh Goswami Road between Dunlop Railwaybridge and Jalukbari Rajiv Gandhi Chawk, etc places. Panjabari areas including the Panjabari main road, Mathuranagar bye lanes and Tarunnagar areas were also reported to be submerged by the storm water during the morning hours. Though water on the Panjabari main road receded in the afternoon hours, the localities along the road are still reported to be submerged by the storm water. Water on the RG Baruah Road also started receding by 11 am. However, the people of some of the localities situated along this major road reportedly continued to struggle with storm water till the evening hours.

Floods hit over 45,000 in Morigaon

 Morigaon, Sept 03: More than 45 thousand people, mostly marginal farmers were badly hit by the five consecutive floods of the Brahmaputra in Bhuragaon and Mayong revenue circle of Morigaon district this year.According to official sources, the bodo crop cultivation in Mayong revenue circle was completely devastated by the first wave of the Brahmaputra’s flood during the first week of May. More than 70 thousand hectares of standing bodo crops were completely destroyed pushing the marginal farmers into a deplorable state. In Bhuragaon revenue circle, which is famous for vegetables and jute cultivation were severely damaged. Moreover the very existence of Bhuragaon has been threatened as the Brahmaputra’s erosion took a serious turn in Nathgaon. Meanwhile, thousands of families have been rendered homeless in Lahorighat, Bhuragaon, Mayong revenue circles as their homes and paddy fields have been submerged by the Brahmaputra. Meanwhile, the Bhuragaon revenue circle has launched relief operation among the flood-affected people distributing rice, salt etc. The public health engineering (PHE) department also took steps for smooth supply of drinking water among the flood affected people.Atul Bora, Arun Kr Sarma and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta underlined the dangers the big dams would pose to the people of Dhemaji, Gogamukh, Lakhimpur, Dhakuakahana and Majuli etc. Atul Bora blamed the Assam Government as well as the Central Government for not stopping the work on the big dams in Arunachal Pradesh. Terming big dams as ‘water bomb’ they called upon the people to voice their protest against big dams for their survival.