log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY MAY 27, 2024 GOA Fishing season folds up but Cutbona unchanged Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 340 2 GOA Power supply to Anjuna resort stopped over water pollution 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Quick tricks to treat dry body skin 10 SPORTS Alcaraz makes confident start at French Open, Osaka advances 12 Bus rams into hutment at Verna Panaji teen meets watery grave in quarry at Nanora IDC; 4 labourers killed, 5 injured COMPANY STAFF IN BUS ESCAPE UNHURT NIGHT SHIFT WORKERS FROM NEARBY FIRMS RUSH TO OFFER HELP ALCOHOL TEST CONDUCTED ON DRIVER, REPORT AWAITED THE GOAN I NETWORK VERNA Four workers died on the spot, while four workers and a driver sustained injuries when a company-operated bus crashed into temporary hutments in a major mishap at the Verna IDC late Saturday night. Providing details of the mishap, South Goa SP Sunita Sawant told media persons that the incident took place at about 11.30 pm when a bus was transporting about 15 employees of a company after their duties along an internal road of the Verna IDC from Titan Gate Junction towards Loutolim. “While negotiating a turn, the driver, Bharat Govekar of Cortalim, lost control and rammed into hutments by the roadside, which were occupied by labourers from Bihar who were working for a supervisor, Mehbooh Shaikh, in IN SHORT >> Turbulence hits Qatar Airways flight; 12 injured Lucky escape for 1 labourer The bus which rammed into a hutment at the Verna IDC late Saturday night. the construction of gutter and other works by the roadside,” said SP Sawant. “Eight workers, who were asleep inside the huts, were injured and four of them died in the mishap, while four others were shifted to the South Goa District Hospital at Margao.” The deceased labourers have been identified as Vinod Singh (44), Anil Mahato (39), Ramesh Mahato (41) and Rajendra Mahato (50), while the injured are Dinesh Kumar Singh (31), Tuna Mahato, Rajesh Kumar Mandal (27) and Naresh Singh (62). Night shift workers from nearby companies rushed to the scene to assist. Miraculously, the company staff in the bus escaped unharmed. VASCO: A phone call proved providential for one labourer as he had left the hut moments before a bus rammed into the structure, killing four co-workers and injuring four others. Speaking to reporters, the labourer said nine of them were staying in the hut while they were working on roadside construction works. On Saturday night, he had left the hut to make a phone call and while he was speaking on the phone, he was horrified to see the bus ramming into the hut. Four of his co-workers were killed while four others were injured in the mishap. He was visibly shaken after the incident as he had escaped unhurt. Govt to blacklist contractor, sub-contractors: CM VASCO: Describing the mishap in Verna which claimed the lives of four labourers while causing injuries to five others, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said all those responsible for the mishap would not be spared. He added that the contractors and sub-contractors who had constructed huts by the roadside will be blacklisted. In a message on ‘X’, Sawant stated, “accident near Commoscope company T Junction in Verna IDC, causing death & injuries is unfortunate.” “Procedure has been started to prosecute the driver of the >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS - IPL'S 'SUPER KINGS' 1 LONDON: Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said. Qatar Airways said in a statement that a small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention. 4 pedestrians hurt in Aquem mishap MARGAO: In a road accident at Aquem on Sunday, around four pedestrians were injured after they were hit by a Bullet motorcycle. Sources informed that the bike driver and four pedestrians were rushed to the South Goa District hospital for treatment. The injured included pedestrians, including migrants, who were walking alongside the road. WEATHER >> Max: 31 C Min: 29 C Humidity: 71% TIDES Low: High: 06:45 19:43 14:00 -------- Activity-based learning for Class X from this year The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has from 2024-25 academic year mandated that internal assessment of Class X students will have to be activity-based, including writing (literary) and other innovative activities For languages, the internal marks will be awarded on the basis of students' reading, writing, conversation, presentation skills and listening ability Detailed report on page 3 2 Kolkata Knight Riders’ players celebrate with the trophy after winning the IPL Twenty20 final cricket match against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Sunday. (Report on Pg12) 7 newborns die in Delhi hospital blaze; owner held, police probe irregularities PTI NEW DELHI Seven newborns were killed and five injured in a massive fire at a private neonatal hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar that was allegedly operating illegally with an “expired” licence and no clearance from the fire department, according to officials. Police said on Sunday they arrested the hospital's owner Dr Naveen Khichi and Dr Aaksh, who was on duty at the time of the incident on Saturday night. According to a report submitted by the District Magistrate (Shahdara) to the Delhi Divisional Commissioner, there were 12 babies admitted in the hospital at the time of the incident. While one died on the spot, 11 were shifted to a hospital in the vicinity where six were declared dead on arrival. The deceased children included four boys and three girls. All were 15 days old except one boy aged 25 days. The bodies have been shifted to the GTB Hospital for postmortem, the police said. A case has been registered at Vivek Vihar police station under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life and personal >Continued on P5 DHARGAL TEEN FEARED DROWNED IN TILLARI CANAL, SEARCH ON THE GOAN I NETWORK BICHOLIM It was a tragic Sunday in Nanora when one teenager from Panaji drowned in a stone quarry while another teenager from Dhargal was feared drowned in the Tillari canal in separate mishaps in different wards of the village. In the first incident, a 17-year-old boy from Santa Inez-Panaji drowned while two others were rescued from a stone quarry at Bhatwadi-Nanora on Sunday. According to reports, the incident took place when some youth from Panaji had gone to bathe in a quarry filled with water. Three youth began to struggle in the water and they raised an alarm. Locals managed to save two youth, but Mohit Kashyap (17) drowned in the quarry. A Bicholim fire tender later went to the site and retrieved the body of Kashyap. Bicholim Police later sent the body for an autopsy. Incidentally, a local youth Firefighters during an operation to search for a missing youth in the Tillari canal at Usap-Nanora. CM calls for caution while visiting water bodies BICHOLIM: Expressing grief and sadness over two incidents in Nanora, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has appealed to parents and youth to take all precautions while going to bathe in water bodies. “Such incidents are heart-wrenching and a great loss and trauma to the families. People should be careful while entering water bodies. The government has provided arrangements and has made rules, but parents should be responsible and children should take precautions to ensure their safety while visiting water bodies,” said Sawant, in an appeal to public.  >> See pg 2 from Dhangarwadi had drowned at Bhatwadi-Nanora in May last year. In the second incident, a teenager from Dhargal-Per- nem was feared drowned in the Tillari canal at Usap-Nanora. According to reports, a >Continued on P5 Loud music fails to die down at Anjuna coast AUTHORITIES UNRESPONSIVE DESPITE REPEATED PLAINTS THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA If the Calangute coastal belt in Goa is facing severe pressure on its road infrastructure due to an influx of domestic tourists, the Anjuna coastline remains plagued by the persistent issue of loud music. Despite repeated complaints from residents, music continues to be blasted by commercial outlets, particularly during weekends. The problem is particularly acute along the Anjuna-Vagator coastline, where popular nightclubs such as House of Chapora, Salud, Romeo Lane, etc regularly flout the rules. These establishments have become synonymous with loud music, especially on weekends when tourist influx peaks. Despite repeated complaints from the residents, the authorities seem unresponsive. Dr Inacio Fernandes, a resident of Anjuna, expressed his frustration: “It’s the same old story. Nothing has changed as the same culprits continue to blast music beyond the mandatory 10 pm deadline. There is no point in calling the cops NOISE POLLUTION: UNFULFILLED PROMISES „„The problem is particularly acute along the Anjuna-Vagator coastline, where popular nightclubs such as House of Chapora, Salud, Romeo Lane, etc regularly flout the rules „„These establishments have become synonymous with loud music, especially on weekends when tourist influx peaks „„Despite several directions from the High Court and even contempt as they refuse to attend to our calls. We know that the police are also under pressure.” The issue seemed to gain political attention when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured the public that stringent measures would be taken to curb loud music after 10 pm. However, this assurance appears to have been ineffective. Initially, there was a brief period when the volume was reduced, but the situation quickly reverted to the norm, petitions, there has been little to no enforcement of the regulations „„Many locals believe that these clubs operate with impunity due to their connections and political patronage with loud music resuming unabated. Local residents had placed high hopes on the CM’s statement, expecting a decisive crackdown on the perennial offenders. Sagardeep Sirsaikar, a resident of Vagator and one of the petitioners against loud music in the High Court, remarked, “We expected the CM’s statement would put fear among >Continued on P5 UK PM faces mass exodus as Triple treat as India shines at Cannes film festival THE HONOURS 78 MPs resign ahead of polls PTI PTI LONDON After declaring a general election for July 4, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly spending time with his closest advisers as he takes an “unusual step” of a day away from public events over the first weekend of the campaign. The 44-year-old Indian-origin leader is taking some private time out with his aides and family amid a mass exodus of senior members of Parliament from his embattled Conservative Party. Cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom became the latest Tory front- THE BIG BLOW? Cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom became the latest Tory frontliners to announce their decision to not stand for re-election in this summer's polls, taking the number of party members quitting the race to as many as 78 liners to announce their decision to not stand for re-election in this summer's polls, taking the number of party members quitting the race to as many as 78. Gove's announcement in a letter released on social media on Friday evening had been anticipated amid strong challenges to incumbent Tories in constituencies around the country. Leadsom released her own letter shortly after, writing to Sunak: “After careful reflection, I have decided not to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election.” In his letter, Housing Minister Gove wrote that he knew “the toll office can take, as do those closest to me…No one in politics is a conscript. We are volunteers who willingly choose our fate. And the chance to serve is wonderful. But there comes a moment >Continued on P5 CANNES t was a triple feat for Indian talent at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with Payal Kapadia's “All We Imagine As Light”, “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” by FTII student Chidananda S Naik, and Anasuya Sengupta of “The Shameless” fame winning major awards in each of the three competitive sections of the prestigious gala. The 77th edition of Cannes, which concluded on Saturday, was undoubtedly the best year for the country which found space at the fest through eight Indian, or India-themed, films. Kapadia, an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), charted history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand I Indian actresses along with director Payal Kapadia (3rd left) pose during a photocall after she won the Grand Prix for the film ‘All We Imagine as Light’. Prix award for “All We Imagine as Light”. “Thank you, Cannes Film Festival for having our film here. Please don't wait 30 years to have another Indian film,” she said in her speech. The movie earned the honour, the second-most prestigious prize of the gala after the Palme d'Or, which went to American director Sean Baker for “Anora”. “All We Imagine as Light”, a Malayalam-Hindi feature starring Kani Kusruti, Divya „„Kapadia charted history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for ‘All We Imagine as Light’ and the first Indian film in 30 years „„Production designer Sengupta, who starred in a key featuring role in Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov's “The Shameless”, became the first Indian to win the best actress prize in Un Certain Regard „„Chidananda S Naik “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” won the La Cinef first prize (film school fiction or animated films) Prabha and Chhaya Kadam, revolves around three women in Mumbai who go on a road trip to a beach town. Kapadia's movie, her feature directorial debut, is the first Indian film in 30 years and first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in main competition, last being Shaji N Karun's “Swaham” (1994). That “All We Imagine As Light” will win an award became almost certain when it received glowing reviews following its premiere, with some international critics describing it as a “portrait of urban connection” and >Continued on P5