BHUBANESWAR l monday l january 05, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l LATE CITY EDITION ‘Waterman of India’ slams Indore tragedy that killed 6 Water conservationist Rajendra Singh Sunday called the Indore drinking water tragedy a ‘systemcreated disaster’ which was avoidable Corruption has ruined the system: singh The Magsaysay Award winner expressed alarm that such a crisis could unfold in Indore, which has been ranked as India’s cleanest city. “If such a tragedy can occur in the country’s cleanest city, it shows how serious the condition of drinking water supply systems must be elsewhere,” Singh said, alleging that corruption has ruined the entire system AFTER INDORE, GANDHINAGAR SEES OUTBREAK ■ Officially, the death toll in Indore was put at six so far. Locals, however, claim the fatality count could be anywhere between 10 and 14, with another 200 people remain in various hospitals ■ After Indore, over 100 people have fallen sick with typhoid in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar following water contamination 30 Patients still in icu in indore following the diarrhoea outbreak CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI India walks diplomatic tightrope 2 killed in stone collapse at on Venezuela, calls for dialogue illegal quarry in Dhenkanal MEA terms the developments “a matter of deep concern”, but does not name the US J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi INDIA on Sunday expressed “deep concern” over the unprecedented US action to capture Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a late-night military operation. In its first reaction to the dramatic US military action in Venezuelan capital Caracas early on Saturday the Ministry , of External Affairs (MEA) said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation as the deposed Venezuelan leader has been brought to the US to face drug trafficking charges. Calling for a peaceful resolution of all the issues through dialogue, the MEA said India reaffirms its support for the well-being and safety of the people of the oil-rich South American country. “We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region.” The statement said the Indian embassy in Caracas is in contact with members of the Indian community and is providing all possible help. On Saturday, the MEA had issued an Screengrab of Nicolas Maduro (centre) escorted inside the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in lower Manhattan, New York | afp advisory urging Indian citizen to avoid non-essential travel to Venezuela. In its carefully worded statement issued on Sunday, the MEA did not make any direct reference to alleged violations of sovereignty or name the US, adopting a measured tone amid rapidly unfolding events. The MEA statement came a day after the Donald Trump administration announced that it had captured Maduro and his wife following a military operation that targeted Caracas as well as other areas. The operation was described by the US as part of a crackdown on what it called “narco-terrorism”. Washington launched the military action after putting pressure on Caracas for several months through a series of strikes on Venezuelan vessels accused of smuggling drugs. T h e l at est d eve l op men ts marked a sharp escalation in the long-running political and diplomatic crisis surrounding Venezuela. After he was ‘arrested’ by US forces in the audacious raid early Saturday, Maduro was brought to the US and is currently held in a New York detention centre. The deposed Venezuelan leader is facing drug trafficking charges and is likely to be produced in court on Monday . While Trump said the US would oversee the administration of the country until a transition of power takes place, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a television interview that Washington will use control of Venezuela’s oil industry to force policy changes. He also did not rule out putting US P11 troops in Venezuela.  Streets empty, shops shut Tense calm prevailed in Venezuela on Sunday with capital Caracas witnessing empty streets with few vehicles moving around. Most convenience stores, gas stations and other businesses were closed, in contrast to the rush usually seen on Sundays U.S. Lawmakers question action US lawmakers have raised questions about the operation, done without congressional approval. “Trump is undermining Constitution’s separation of powers,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, while Ro Khanna said Trump has set a dangerous precedent Rodriguez named interim prez Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez will be the acting president with the Supreme Court ordering her to take charge in Nicolas Maduro’s absence. Terming the US action illegal, Rodriguez said Maduro is the country’s rightful leader and must be freed China on mind, army to up the ante along LAC m aya n k s i n g h @ New Delhi THE Indian Army will conduct a major academic exercise on January 7 focussing on the Middle Sector of the Line of Actual Control with China, driven by growing concerns over Chinese assertiveness, enhanced infrastructure development across the border, and unpredictable People’s Liberation Army patrol behaviour. The seminar, titled “Fortifying Himalaya: A Proactive Military-Civil Fusion Strategy in Middle Sector,” will be held in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, bringing together renowned experts, academia, and military leaders to explore civil-military integration redefining India’s defence architecture. Sources said the academic exercise aims to promote strategic thinking and understanding of civil-military fusion, providing a platform for academic exchange on frontier security . express read B’desh refuse to travel to India for T20 WC Cape Town: A day after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL squad at the instruction of BCCI, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally written to the ICC to relocate their T20 World Cup matches from India. While BCCI remains silent at the moment, if things don’t get sorted amicably, the entire World Cup schedule might have to be changed. Bangladesh, who are scheduled to play three matches in Kolkata and Mumbai, have now officially refused to travel to India amidst the rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries | P13 A file photograph of Indian troops on patrol duty along LAC. The middle sector of LAC is in focus due to the unpredictable patrolling of China’s PLA | Express Historically seen as less vulnerable than the Eastern and Western sectors, the Middle Sector has gained strategic importance in the wake of rising tensions and Chinese infrastructure expansion along LAC. The 545-km sector, spanning Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand borders, features unique challenges such as difficult terrain, limited infrastructure, environmental limits, and grey-zone activities. “Chinese assertiveness is no longer limited to traditional military manoeuvres. We have witnessed infrastructure push in sensitive zones, dual-use facilities, increased PLA troop movement, aggressive patrolling patterns, cyber probing, and rapid militarisation of border villages,” reads a synopsis of the seminar. The Middle Sector includes four valleys in Uttarakhand—Harshil, Mana, Niti, and Barahoti, with 22 passes serving as crucial mountain access points. Barahoti Valley remains among eight mutually accepted disputed areas with overlapping claims between India and China Since May 2020, when China breached agreements, the sector’s status has remained unclear, prompting major troop reorganisation. The seminar comes as trust deficit between India and China persists despite recent disengagement at Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh. E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar/Dhenkanal Two workers were killed after a large stone fell on them at an illegal stone quarry at Gopalpur village under Motanga police limits in Dhenkanal district on Saturday evening. The deceased were identified as Abhi Singh (25) of Balasore district and Budhu Munda (23) of Keonjhar. The incident occurred while the workers were engaged in drilling operations prior to blasting. Teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and the Odisha Fire and Emergency Service were rushed to the site soon after the accident. However, the rescue operation was suspended for the night and the bodies were recovered from the rubble on Sunday morning. Inspector general of police, northern central range, Satyabrata Bhoi confirmed the deaths and said no other workers were injured. “A large stone fell on the two workers during drilling. No other labourers were present at the site at the time of the incident,” he said. Sources said a major tragedy was averted as only a few workers are generally engaged during drilling, while more are Rescue workers recovering a worker’s body from the rubble at the mishap site present during blasting operations. Preliminary investigation revealed that the quarry was operated by one Manas Rout for the past six to seven years. However, its operating licence had expired on December 30 while there was no permission for blasting since September last year. Despite that, Rout was operating the quarry right under the nose of revenue and mining department officials. He has gone absconding immediately after the accident. Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar said a case had been registered against the quarry owner and further investigation is underway. Officials of the Odisha Fire and Emergency Service said the rescue operation lasted over two hours, with two teams, a dog squad and four hydraulic excavators deployed to break the collapsed stone and retrieve the bodies. Dhenkanal MP Rudra Narayan Pany expressed serious concern over the incident and talked to collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and SP Sonkar urging them to make proper enquiry and punish the culprits. He also sought adequate compensation for the victims’ families . Collector Patil admitted that the quarry was operating illegally and legal action would be taken against the owner. He said a thorough check would be conducted on all quarries and mining units in the district. The postmortem of the bodies has been conducted and they have been handed over to the families, police said.