Daily Briefing: Tragedy strikes Queen of Hills

🚨 Big Story

At least 20 people were killed and scores remain missing after heavy rainfall battered Darjeeling, the Queen of Hills, nestled in West Bengal’s Himalayan region. The rain led to landslides and severe flooding, as water levels in rivers rose, stranding residents and tourists, and complicating rescue efforts.

Recap: Two bridges, one connecting the region to Sikkim and Kalimpong, and the other between Mirik and Dudhia, have collapsed, severing connectivity. NH10 and NH717A, the main arterial roads to the region, are also blocked by landslides. The weather department has issued a red alert, predicting more rainfall till at least Monday. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the affected areas today.

Man-made? The TMC-led government in West Bengal is also set to gherao the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) office in Kolkata today after Banerjee accused the agency of releasing water into the state and creating a “man-made flood” in north Bengal. Run by the Central government, the DVC oversees dams along the Damodar River. This, however, isn’t the first time Mamata has targeted DVC, opening up another front in her attack against the Centre.

Also read: Why landslides are so deadly for India

⚡Only in Express

God had written ‘ja hero ban ja tu, become a hero’

Indian cricketer Mohammed Siraj really came into his own at the England tour in the absence of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj finished with 23 wickets, leading India to level the series. He joins us for the latest Idea Exchange session to reflect on key moments from the tour.

📰 From the Front Page

Tragic: The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered the immediate stoppage of sales and distribution of Coldrif Syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, after it was found to be “adulterated”. At least 11 children from the Chhindwara district died between August and October, allegedly after consuming this contaminated cough syrup. Here’s what happened.

Green light? The Union Environment Ministry has proposed new rules to exempt “standalone cement grinding unit without captive power plant” from the requirement of prior environmental clearance. If approved, this will likely make it easier for the Adani Group to go ahead with its planned Rs 1,400-crore cement grinding plant in Kalyan, which has faced stiff resistance from the locals.

Sudarshan Chakra: On August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra — a nationwide air defence shield. The Indian Express spoke to insiders to get the details of the project, which would involve linking 6,000-7,000 radars (to track threats), satellites (to keep constant watch), and Directed Energy Weapons (to destroy targets), all into one integrated network. Know more here.

📌 Must Read

Inaccessible: Over eight days, spread across two weeks, The Indian Express correspondents posed as ordinary citizens with a rather modest goal: to meet the Chief Engineer of Chandigarh’s Municipal Corporation. The administration claims that its officials are easily accessible to the public, but at the level of the Chief Engineer, who oversees the city’s core infrastructure and services, the gates remain firmly shut. When citizens walk up to meet the official, they are met with one refrain: “He is in a meeting”. Read our investigation.

Survival mode: Did you know that camels, the desert icons, are now fighting for survival? Between 1977 and 2019, India’s camel population plummeted by a staggering 77% to just 2.52 lakh, mostly found in Rajasthan and Gujarat. These resilient animals are vital to the livelihoods of pastoral communities and the fragile balance of India’s arid ecosystems. Yet, camels have long been overlooked in mainstream livestock development. The government has finally taken notice and is planning a national mission to help bring the camel population back from the brink.

Do not disturb: In 2019, the Supreme Court refused to accept an ASI report that claimed that the Babri Masjid was built after demolishing a “pre-existing structure”. However, recently, the former Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud, contradicted the judgment and referred to the “very erection of the Babri Masjid as a fundamental act of desecration”. In our Opinion pages today, Faizan Mustafa writes why the controversy need not be reopened.

⏳ And Finally…

Five years ago, Punjab cricketer Nikhil Chaudhary boarded a flight to Australia to celebrate his birthday after a long domestic season. It was early 2020, and when Covid-induced lockdowns hit, Nikhil found himself stranded in Australia. What began as an unplanned stay turned into a new chapter. He joined a local Brisbane club and took up odd jobs, such as chopping onions at a Mexican restaurant or delivering parcels for Australia Post, all the while chasing his cricketing dream. On Saturday, his dream came full circle: Nikhil became a first-class cricketer in his adopted country — only the second Indian after Rusi Surti to achieve the feat. This is his story.

🎧 Before you go, do tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode, where we discuss the ‘I Love Mohammad’ row, the legacy of Jane Goodall and protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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