Raj Bhavan opens bonsai garden, guv eyes export market

Times of India | 13 hours ago | 21-09-2022 | 04:41 am

Panaji: The Raj Bhavan is home to 72 varieties of bonsai following the setting up of a Vamanavriksha Kala garden.“We will become the greatest exporters of bonsai very soon,” Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai said, speaking on the sidelines of a day-long event to popularise the concept of natural farming organised by the directorate of agriculture at the Raj Bhavan.He said that owing to the term ‘bonsai’, it is often assumed that China and Japan are its pioneers. He refuted this claim and said that the art of growing and training miniature trees in pots originated in India.“Today China may be the largest exporter of bonsai, but actually, it originated in India. Vamanavriksha Kala has been a very important part of our traditional system. It was started 5,000 years ago. India is therefore the pioneer of the plant art,” he said.Like bonsai, the art of Vamanavriksha Kala entails nurturing miniature trees.He also said that a gaushala or cattle shelter has been started at the Raj Bhavan. Dedicated to the indigenous Goan cow breed ‘shwetakapila’, which is said to give the highly nutritional A1 quality of milk, the gaushala was inaugurated on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 72nd birthday, on Saturday.

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Home restriction order against 5 Bangladesh nationals in Goa

Times of India | 19 hours ago | 20-09-2022 | 09:50 pm

Times of India

19 hours ago | 20-09-2022 | 09:50 pm

PANAJI: The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Goa has issued a home restriction order to five Bangladesh nationals, who have been staying at Bicholim for the past five years without valid documents. All five persons are involved in the collection of scrap, and have been staying in Goa for almost 10 years, including five years in Valpoi. A senior police officer said that during intelligence gathering, the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Goa police, including police inspector Vilesh Durbhatkar, suspected that five persons are Bangladesh nationals. After keeping a watch on them for a few days, ATS sleuths approached them. During inquiry, police confirmed that they are from Bangladesh. Police said that they had moved to Goa from Bengaluru. The five persons who are placed under home restriction are M D Anoar Akhon, Hilal Akhon, Hasan Miyn, Noor Jahan Begum and Raja Akhon. ATS has been keeping continuous vigil to identify Bangladesh nationals living in the state. The FRRO officer said that the home restriction will be renewed every month and that Bicholim police will keep an eye on them. In case they are not traceable during the renewal, then a first information report (FIR) will be filed against them. Details such as address in Bangladesh and the address of the local police station in that country will be obtained, and the ministry of external affairs will contact the high commission of Bangladesh to issue the family emergency travel documents as these persons don’t have passports and visas, the officer said. Once that is done, custody of the family will be handed over to the Border Security Force to deport them.

Goa: 55 new Covid infections, positivity at 10.3%

Times of India | 1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:57 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:57 am

PANAJI: Goa reported 55 new Covid-19 infections on Monday with a case positivity rate of 10.3%. This is against the all-India average of 2.8% reported on the same day. A total of 535 samples were tested. There were nil Covid deaths and nil hospitalisations, with all the 55 opting for home isolation. Active cases have dropped to 444. There were nil discharges from the hospital. Fifty three persons recovered over the past 24 hours.

Overall seasonal rainfall likely to be 7-10% less than normal in Goa: IMD

Times of India | 1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:44 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:44 am

PANAJI: The state average rainfall is 7% less than normal, which compared to 2021 during this time of the year was 5% higher than normal. With only two weeks of the season left, the India meteorological department (IMD) said that the overall monsoon season is therefore expected to be slightly lesser than normal this year. "This August, the rainfall has been 50% lesser than the normal rainfall in Goa owing to which rainfall activity on the whole has been lower compared to the past three to four years. In 2019 and 2020, a huge quantum of rainfall was recorded in August and September," the IMD said. This season, in August, there were many systems over the Bay of Bengal, which enhanced rainfall activity over other parts of the country, but the location of those systems were not particularly ideal for rainfall in the Goa region. As a result, August saw less rainfall in Goa. It is, however, not for the first time that such low numbers were recorded. In 2018, the total state average rainfall was minus 19% and this year, so far, it has been minus 7%, which may become minus 10% by the end of this season. "We are not expecting any increased rainfall activity in the coming two weeks or back-to-back heavy rainfall days. There is a good probability that even in this season as a whole, monsoon rainfall will be within the normal ranges, but probably around 7-10% less than normal," IMD said.

Goa: Questions over facelift works as exterior beams of Adil Shah palace in shambles

Times of India | 1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:39 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:39 am

PANAJI: The poor condition of the wooden beams hanging from the first floor of the Adil Shah Palace has raised questions on the quality of work undertaken to revive Panaji's first building. These dilapidated beams are not only an eyesore for its visitors - students and tourists - but also pose a threat to commuters passing by the Old Secretariat owing to rainfall accompanied with windspeeds. The Goa state museum, which is housed on the ground floor, has prepared an estimate for the repairs of the parts of the building - roof tiles, wooden framework for the base of the ceiling, primer and paint work. The beams, however, are also in dire need of repairs. "We occupy only portions of the building. The directorate of art and culture must write to PWD to fix the beams," said museum director Pundalik Khorjuvekar. The heritage building was renovated by GSIDC and thereafter changed hands from PWD to the directorate of art and culture. "We have asked PWD to prepare the estimate for repairs. PWD will recommend the best wood which will be durable and competent for installation on the building," said director of art and culture Sagun Velip. Despite being restored in 2011 by GSIDC, the palace remained unused for a few years until it witnessed hustle-bustle with the launch of the Serendipity Arts Festival in 2016. The very next year, the Goa state museum shifted its 8,600 artefacts into the ground floor of this heritage building overlooking the River Mandovi. Soon after, a few departments of the Kala Academy and the Smart City also found an abode at the palace's first floor. However, torrential rainfall and weather conditions have been an annual issue plaguing the pre-Portuguese era building and its new occupants. "There is no maintenance of the building. Earlier, PWD would place tarpaulin sheets for two years during monsoon which stopped after two years after our shift there. With other offices also occupying the space, care should be taken of the building," former museum director Radha Bhave said. PWD officials did not comment on the matter despite attempts by TOI to reach out to them.

Goa: Nigerian gets 2-year jail term after 9.5 years in drugs case

Times of India | 1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:32 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 20-09-2022 | 11:32 am

PANAJI: Nine-and-a-half years after he was arrested for being in possession of narcotics, a North Goa court has sentenced Ugochukwu Solomon Ubabuko, a Nigerian national, to two years imprisonment. The court stated that the period of detention undergone by him during investigation and trial be set off against his sentence. Ubabuko was convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, after he was found in illegal possession of cocaine and tablets containing ephedrine. The court considered that this is the first conviction against him and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for six months and fined him Rs 10,000 under Section 21 (a) of the narcotics act and to rigorous imprisonment for two years and fined him Rs 25,000 under Section 25 A of the act. Both the sentences are to run concurrently, special judge, Panaji, Sherin Paul stated.

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