log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday WEDNESDAY MAY 25, 2022 12 pages PRICE ` 6 Covid cases rising, 26 test positive PANAJI: Single day Covid count in the State saw a sudden spike on Tuesday with 26 of the 714 samples testing positive for Covid. The positivity rate increased to 3.64 per cent. With 11 recoveries, the active caseload now stands at 99. IPHB workers end stir, contracts renewed PANAJI: Twenty-eight Patient Care Attendants at the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) withdrew their strike after the government renewed their contracts for another year.  >> See pg 3 IMD forecasts rain for next 5 days PANAJI: IMD has forecast the possibility of light rain and thundershowers in the State during the next 5 days. It said there was a rise in maximum temperature by around 1°C as highest maximum temperature of 33.2 was recorded in Panaji. Rider loses life in head-on collision PANAJI: In a head-on collusion between two bikes at Gudi-Paroda, a 20-year-old rider Prakash Naik from Avede died on the spot while the other Devidas Gaokar from Quepem sustained serious injuries. Qutub Minar not place of worship, says ASI NEW DELHI: The ASI opposed a plea before a Delhi court seeking restoration of Hindu and Jain deities inside the Qutub Minar complex, saying it is not a place of worship and the existing status of the monument cannot be altered. Andhra minister’s house set on fire HYDERABAD: A mob of angry protesters in Andhra Pradesh’s Amalapuram town set state Transport Minister P Viswarup’s house on fire on Tuesday over proposed renaming of the newly-created Konaseema district. Punjab minister sacked over graft PATIALA: Punjab Health Minister Vijay Singla was sacked from the state Cabinet Tuesday over graft charges, and was arrested shortly afterwards, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asserting his government has zero-tolerance to corruption. WEATHER >> Max: 34.1 C Min: 26.1C Humidity: 89% TIDES Low: High: 01.24 13.01 07.45 19.25 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VII, NO. 337 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 2 3 Cong sets eyes on 2024 battle; charts course, forms 3 groups Children helping to make families more eco-friendly IN SHORT >> Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday GOA 8 Repair of water bodies damaged by track doubling work unlikely before rains GOA Nauxim residents up in arms as developer fails to restore spring FOCUS TO BE ON RECONNECT WITH PEOPLE, 50% YOUTH QUOTA PTI NEW DELHI Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday formed three groups -- on political affairs for guidance on key issues, Task Force-2024 to implement the Udaipur ‘’Nav Sankalp’’ declaration and evolve the party’s strategy for 2024 elections and another to coordinate the October 2 ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. While Rahul Gandhi and two prominent members of the G23 -- Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma -- are part of the political affairs group, senior leaders P Chidambaram and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are in the Task Force-2024. Poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu, a former associate of Prashant Kishor, is also part of the Task Force that will chalk out the party’s future poll strategy. G-23 is a group of dissenting Congress leaders who have ROAD TO 2024: CONGRESS ACTION PLAN „„Political affairs for guidance on key issues „„Task Force-2024 to implement Udaipur ‘Nav Sankalp’ declaration „„Evolve party’s strategy for 2024 elections and another to coordinate October 2 ‘‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ „„Each task force member to be assigned specific tasks „„Focus to be on organiza- tion, communications and media, outreach, finance and election management „„Reconnect with people and provide 50% representations to youth at all levels „„One-family-one-ticket formula, with some exceptions also to be enforced demanded an organisational overhaul and have been vocal about their demand. Sonia Gandhi has also set up a group to coordinate the ‘’Bharat Jodo Yatra’’ planned from Kanyakumari to Kashmir from Gandhi Jayanti. “Following the Udaipur Nav Sankalp Shivir, the Congress president has constituted a Political Affairs Group that will be presided over by her, a Task-Force-2024 and a Central Planning Group for the coordination of the “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, an official communication from the party said. The Political Affairs Group, headed by Sonia Gandhi, comprises Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni, Digvijaya Singh, Anand Sharma, K C Venugopal and Jitendra Singh. The members of the Task Force-2024 are Chidambar- am, Mukul Wasnik, Jairam Ramesh, K C Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Sunil Kanugolu. “Each member of the task force shall be assigned specific tasks related to organization, communications and media, outreach, finance and election Management. “They shall have designated teams which will be notified subsequently,” the state- NIWS complex hits delay, to cost govt additional `17 crore THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The National Institute for Water Sports (NIWS) complex at Dona Paula is still incomplete eight years after work began on the project and now, complex is set to make a splash for all the wrong reasons as a delay in the project has escalated the cost by Rs 17 crore. “As the contractor abandoned the work, we had to terminate the contract and had to appoint a new contractor which caused the delay. Now, an additional Rs 16-17 crore fund is required,” said Union Minister of State for Tourism and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shripad Naik. He said the revised estimate money will be provided by the tourism ministry. The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) is undertaking the work of constructing the NIWS complex. Naik and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday inspected construction work of the NIWS complex. Later addressing media persons, Naik said around 75-85 per cent work has been completed and due to some technical reason, the work was ment said, adding the Task Force will also follow up on the implementation of the Udaipur Nav Sankalp declaration. The members of the task force also met at the party headquarters and held its first meeting on Tuesday to chalk out its course. The task force will be the body that will bring about organisational changes as decided at the three-day brainstorming session of Congress in Rajasthan’s Udaipur. The party announced that it will reconnect with the people and provide 50 per cent representations to youth at all levels in the Congress, besides also enforcing the one-family-one-ticket formula, with some exceptions. All members of the task force and all heads of the Congress’ frontal organisations will be ex officio members of the central group, the statement said. slow and still incomplete. “The building is complete and what is left is the compound and swimming pool. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 57 crore. Payment has been made to the contractor. Work will start soon and will be completed by December 19,” Naik added. The NIWS has already started imparting courses in Goa and after inauguration, the building will be handed over to the institute. Pandya, Miller shine as GT beat RR to enter final Govt to digitise patients’ data THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State government plans to digitise and have a centralised record of patients visiting the community health centres, district hospitals and Goa Medical College within the next three months. “The Goa Infotech Corporation in collaboration with the health services will run the centrally funded digitisation programme,” said Goa Infotech Corporation Chairman Dr Chandrakant Shetye. “These services will start within the next three months,” said Dr Shetye. “This will save lot of paperwork. Also, diagnosis will be better,” said Dr Shetye, who runs a hospital in Mapusa. “Some patients forget what treatment was given to them or even what health problem they had. The centralised data will help doctors to get medical history of the patient”, said Dr Shetye. Dr Shetye also informed that the digitisation project is funded by the central government and the government has given Rs 1 crore for the project. THE GOAN I NETWORK A woman sows paddy seeds in her field at Agassaim on Tuesday. With monsoon round the corner sowing operations have begun across the State.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Govt eyes own music fest in Dec THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI It is unclear if Sunburn will get permission to hold its Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival this year, but the State government is planning its own music festival during the same period in December. “The government is trying to have its own music festival and if it organises its own fes- 12 HEALTH STATS „„Digitisation project funded by central government, Rs 1 crore sanctioned „„Modalities to be worked out before the project kicks off „„Data operators to be positioned at health centres, district hospitals and GMC to enter data of patients „„Project likely to commence within three months “Modalities have to be worked out before the digitisation project can be implemented,” said Dr Shetye. The data operators will be positioned at health centres, district hospitals and GMC, to enter the data of patients. “We have to ensure that all health centres, district hospitals and GMC have internet connectivity before implementing the process. We have to see how much funding is required to run the programme and after that, work will actually start,” added Dr Shetye. Burglars strike gold in Margao, jewellery worth `20L vanishes FIELD DAY! MoU with NIWS mooted to reserve seats for Goans PANAJI: Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said Goa needs to sign an MoU with the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) for reservation of seats to Goan students in the institute. “Around 2500 students can take advantage of this benefit,” he said. Khaunte informed that around 2,458 Goan students have completed courses from the NIWS so far. SPORTS tival this year, it will not give permission to organise a Sunburn festival during the same period,” Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte told media persons in Panaji on Tuesday. Anticipating that it would get permission, the Sunburn organisers have already started advertisements and registrations for the festival. Asked to comment on this, Khaunte said no one has ap- proached the tourism department for the permission to the music festival till date. Khaunte however did not elaborate about the place where the Sunburn festival is going to be held. Sunburn organisers have announced a three-day music festival at Vagator beach from December 28. Online registration for the festival already started from May 9. MARGAO Madgavkars woke up on Tuesday to hear the shocking news of a major burglary in a bungalow at Rawanfond, where the burglars struck gold valued lakhs of rupees. Initial estimate prepared by the bungalow owner Asif Sheikh has pegged the total loss of gold and silver valuables, besides other items and cash, to a whopping Rs 20 lakh. The family of Asif Sheikh, which was celebrating brother’s marriage in the last two days, was shocked to find the house burgled when they returned home at 1 pm on Tuesday. To their shock and surprise, they found the bungalow ransacked after Asif’s brother opened the door. The miscreants effected entry into the bungalow through the washroom window by removing the grills and the window glasses. The Sheikh family had gone out on Monday evening at 7.30 pm for the wedding reception and returned home at 1 pm, only to find the bungalow ransacked and the gold and silver valuables, besides a camera worth around Rs three lakh and cash of Rs 1.5 lakh miss- DARING ACT „„There was a wedding celebration in the Sheikh family and all had gone out „„Miscreants enter bungalow by removing the grills and window panes of the washroom „„Gold chains, bangles, two necklaces, silver coins, besides a bracelet, locket, mangalsutra etc stolen „„House also ransacked and even clothes -- new and old – were looted ing. The Margao police rushed to the spot no sooner the owners intimated the incident at around 1.5 am on Tuesday. The police, however, could not obtain any clues till Tuesday evening even as the dog squad and the finger print experts were roped in to assist in the investigations. Asif told the media that the family celebrated his brother’s marriage in the last two days. “Monday was the reception scheduled in the evening. >Continued on P5 26 ‘tomato flu’ cases Climate change is likely cause of heatwave in India: Study CLIMATE CHANGE STUDY: KEY POINTS detected in Odisha AGENCIES PTI BHUBANESHWAR At least 26 children have been diagnosed with the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Odisha but their condition is stable, a health official said on Tuesday. Commonly known as ‘tomato flu’, the infectious disease is caused by intestinal viruses and occurs mostly in children. The illness is rare in adults as they usually have immune systems strong enough to defend them from the virus. In most cases, the viral illness has symptoms like fever, painful sores in the mouth and rash with blisters on hands, feet and buttocks, according to the World Health Organization. Out of the 36 samples that were collected and tested in the Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar, 26 were found to be positive, Health Services director Bijay Mohapatra told reporters. Of the HFMD-infected children 19 are from Bhubaneswar, three from Puri and two each from Cuttack and Puri, according to Mohapatra. “Those infected are in the age group of 1-9 and have been asked to remain in isolation for five-seven days,” the official said. The condition of the patients is not serious and surveillance is being maintained, he added. PARIS  he punishing heatwave that scorched India and Pakistan in March and April was made 30 times more likely by climate change, experts in quantifying the impact of global warming on extreme weather events said in a rapid-response report. Before the onset of human-caused climate change, the chances of such an event occurring would have been roughly once every 3,000 years, senior author Friederike Otto, a scientist at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute said. Global warming to date of 1.2 degrees Celsius has shortened the so-called return period for extreme heat of T „„Before the onset of human-caused climate change, the chances of such an event occurring would have been roughly once every 3,000 years „„Global warming to date of 1.2 degrees Celsius has shortened the so-called return period for extreme heat „„If Earth’s average surface temperature rises a heatwave like this one can be expected once every five years „„The withering heat combined with 60-70% less rain turned wheat crop in India into an agricultural disaster „„As a consequence, India last week blocked millions of tonnes of earmarked wheat for sale abroad similar duration and intensity in South Asia to once-a-century, she and colleagues in the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium found. But as the planet continues to heat up, the interval between such killer heatwaves will shrink even further. If Earth’s average surface temperature rises another four-fifths of a degree to 2C above preindustrial levels, “a heatwave like this one would be expected as often as once every five years”, they con- cluded. A 2C world is an unsettlingly plausible scenario: current national commitments to curb carbon pollution under the Paris Agreement would see global warming of 2.8C. “Whether today’s most im- pactful heatwaves could have occurred in a pre-industrial climate is fast becoming an obsolete question,” said Otto. “The next frontier for attribution science is to inform adaptation decision-making in the face of unprecedented future heat,” she said by email. “This means the most important aspect of our study is what it says about a 2C world.” The March-April period was the hottest on record for that time of year in Pakistan and India. It will be months before the full toll of lives lost and economic damage can be calculated, including hospitalisations, lost wages, missed school days, and diminished working hours. More than 90 deaths have been directly attributed to the heatwave, but earlier hot spells over the last decade suggest that number will climb far higher, perhaps into the thousands. One impact was immediate. The withering heat combined with 60 to 70 per cent less rain than usual turned what promised to be a bumper wheat crop in India into an agricultural disaster. As a consequence, India last week blocked millions of tonnes earmarked for sale abroad, pushing up global prices. The unprecedented duration of the heatwave, which saw power outages as temperatures soared, suggests climate vulnerable countries are racing against the clock to prepare for a climate-addled future, the report said.