THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l sunday l october 25, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION travel insurance for railway counter bookings from Tuesday Passengers booking reserved train tickets through offline counters can purchase the optional travel insurance policy starting Tuesday follows recent supreme court order only digital payment accepted It comes days after the Supreme Court directed the Railways to extend the optional travel insurance facility to those booking tickets through the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters at railway stations. The Railway Board has instructed zonal railways to ensure that all PRS counters are suitably equipped to offer the facility from October 27 ■ ■ Only digital payment is applicable for those opting to buy the coverage. “The applicable premium shall be collected along with the ticket fare through digital means only,” the Railway Board said As per IRCTC, the premium is 45 paise per passenger. The insurance company is responsible for issuing policies and settling claims 11% of reserved tickets are bought via counters, according to railways 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 Sets NHPC office on fire, vandalises homes of three politicians, including two MLAs p r a s a n ta m a z u m d a r @ Guwahati THE proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) turned a massive flashpoint on Saturday as anti-dam protesters in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district set fire to an office of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and scores of vehicles parked on the premises of a police station, then vandalised houses of three politicians, including two MLAs, and later clashed with security forces that left several injured. The incident took place around 11 pm on Friday after a 12-hour bandh to protest against the hydropower project was over, Pasighat Deputy Superintendent of Police Tony Tatak said. The agitators vandalised the residences of BJP state unit president and former MLA Kaling Moyong, and Pasighat West legislator Ninong Ering, he said. The office of the Adi Bane Kebang, the apex body of the Adi community was , also ransacked, the officer said. Later in the night, violence broke out again in Pasighat town and adjoining Mebo in East Siang district, where clashes left several people injured. Pasighat remained shut on Saturday . The violence erupted hours after a bandh in Siang, Upper Siang and East Siang districts to protest against the proposed hydropower project was over, a senior police official said. The Union government had proposed SUMP , expected to generate 11,000 MW power, as a counter to a 60,000 MW Chinese project. The protesters are demanding scrapping of the hydro power project, withdrawal of armed forces from the region, deployed allegedly in connection with pre-feasibility report (PFR) or survey release of 10 arrested activists and re, instatement of some suspended village chiefs. The protesters fear displacement, loss of livelihoods and environmental and seismic risks. WITH THIS ISSUE Married to Menace PLUS 12 P AGES Joint protest The shutdown was jointly called by the Adi Bane Kebang United, SUMP Affected Area Youth Association, Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Wing and Adi Galo Welfare Society Industrial effluents from Surat’s textile hubs to be dumped into Arabian Sea J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi Representative image THE empowered committee of Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, as part of India’s largest deep-sea disposal project, has recommended dumping 650 million litres per day (MLD) of treated industrial wastewater from the textile and chemical hubs in Surat in deep sea near the Gulf of Khambhat in Arabian Sea. The effluents are proposed to be carried through pipelines to the landfall located near Danti Village in Navsari, and extend to outfall point offshore in Ubharat and Vansi of the Arabian Sea. The project vehicle, Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation, said the onshore pipeline network will extend approximately 67.5 km, while Threat to offshore pipelines will range marine ecology between 15 km and 17.9 km Ministry of Environment, Forest from the landfall point to the and Climate Change approved marine diffuser locations. India’s largest deep-sea disposal Under chairmanship of M S project in Surat Negi, chief of Expert Appraisal Committee on Coastal RegulaThe project aims to manage tory Zone, the proposal has 650 million litres per day of been recommended for cleartreated industrial wastewater ance in line with the CRZ Notifrom Surat’s textile and chemical fication of 2019, at a meeting on sectors and discharged into deep October 8, 2026. sea in the of Gulf of Khambhat In its recommendation, the Environmentalists criticise the committee highlighted the satlack of a zero-waste policy instead uration of existing effluent disof deep-sea dumping, which may posal systems from CETPs into damage marine ecology local creeks. “Treated effluent is currently discharged into nearby creeks. Due to limited carrying capacity, further discharge of effluent is not permissible,” it said. Environmentalists have criticised this approach. Local fisherfolk in Navsari and Surat fear a loss of livelihood. “They are concerned that releasing such huge daily volumes of industrial wastewater will decimate fish populations and push thousands of fishing families into financial hardship,” said MSH Sheikh of Brackish Water Research Centre, a Surat based non-profit. Sindhu in pristine touch, storms into french final i n d r a n e e l d a s @ Chennai AT 31, badminton players usually start thinking about sipping a hot beverage within the confines of their homes watching their favourite movie or sport. The challenges of courts would not be as enticing as it would have been five years ago, especially if one is a multiple Olympic and world championships medallist. P V Sindhu is one such player who has a cabinet full of medals; most players would be envious of. She has won Olympic medals, Worlds gold and different medals and numerous other BWF Tour titles. Yet, when she should be slowly walking into the sunset, she is still conjuring wins like a regular top player. There is no sign of age slowing her down or mental f atigue due to a long career. At the French Open on Saturday, post a middling Asian Games campaign, she again showed vintage Sindhu signs. She had been struggling in the final games but not against Hina Akechi as she won 21-10, 20-22, 21-16. She will face World No 1 An Se Young in the final. There was some criticism when she lost the Asian Games in the quarterfinal but she can be excused for losing in her third match in less than 24 hours. The gruelling schedule was cruel. Despite such a long career, one big positive was her fitness. She has remained relatively injury-free. Something which she said was because she understood her body and played accordingly “It is important to . know your body she had said ,” at the Asian Games. “We use gadgets and know where we are straining, and when we need to take it easy and when I have to give my best: PV “I have to give her a good fight, a tough fight. Every point matters. I know we’ve played a lot of times and she’s been doing really well. But I think tomorrow is a different day. Every day is a new day. I just have to go out there and give my best. I’m ready to give a fight” PV Sindhu Anti-dam stir: Arunachal mob on the rampage 2nd Her second BWF Tour Super 750 final after Japan Open which she won we can give more than 100 per cent. Sometimes one may not be able to give 100 per cent. We need to preserve ourselves.” At World No 11, she is the best shuttler in the country, even now. With LA28 less than one and half years away, it augurs well. But for Sindhu it’s one tour nament at a time. For her, right now it’s best to “enjoy where am I at right now, and I enjoy the f ame.” For now, she has final to take care of against someone she has not won before. “But I think tomorrow is a different day,” she P11 said.  Multiple mudslides bring Nilgiris to knees; bus buried, driver killed A damaged police station in Pasighat | ANI CM’s appeal Chief Minister Pema Khandu, expressed concern over the vandalism, looting and damage to property. “The government’s doors are always open,” Khandu said E X P R E S S R E AD Lee friend’s statement likely against Gyanesh T’Puram: In what could be a fresh turn in the ongoing vigilance probe against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the police are likely to record the statement of a person said to be a friend of Lee See Been, the Malaysian engineer who died by suicide in 2006. There are indications that the statement would be against Gyanesh. P4 Clashes erupt in Paris as 4L protest across France Paris: Clashes erupted in Paris Saturday at the end of a major demonstration as more than 4,00,000 people protested across France over school funding and soaring living costs, challenging the government a week after widespread rioting and looting. P9 Cyclone Arnab effect: Red alert in 3 dists today S S e n t h i l K u m a r @ Coimbatore S h a i n u M o h a n @ T’Puram The driver of a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus was killed after being trapped for more than eight hours when a landslide buried their vehicle at Burliyar on the Coonoor-Mettupalayam ghat road in the Nilgiris in the early hours of Saturday . The conductor, who was also on board, was rescued. All passengers had alighted earlier after the bus developed a flat tyre. The driver, Janagaraj of Katteri, and conductor Kesavan of Kotagiri were looking for a suitable place to stop after the tyre went flat. The bus was travelling from Coonoor to Coimbatore when a tree fell across the road, forcing the driver to reverse. Another tree fell at around 10.30 pm, further restricting their movement, before a landslide sent trees, rocks and silt crashing down on the vehicle. Rescue personnel from the Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force (TNDRF) and the Fire and Rescue Services Department rescued Kesavan around 7.30 am on Saturday Janagaraj . was found dead around 11.10 am. The bus was severely damaged, with debris entering the vehicle and trapping the two occupants. Rescue teams could not reach the spot immediately as fallen trees and landslide debris blocked the road. They began the operation around 5 am after clearing the obstructions. Keralam is on high alert as ‘Cyclone Arnab’ that is gathering strength in the Bay of Bengal is set to influence the movement of a lowpressure area over the Arabian Sea, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy rain in the state for two days. A red alert has been issued for Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad districts on Sunday, and for Idukki and Palakkad on Monday . IMD director Neetha K Gopal told TNIE that the state is expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till Monday. “There is a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea off the Kerala coast, and it is interacting with Cyclone Arnab in the Bay of Bengal that is expected to intensify by October 26. Under its influence the low-pressure area is now expected to move eastward, cross Kerala, pass through Tamil Nadu, and dissipate,” she said. According to IMD, rain is likely to ease after October 27. “Rain activity will continue across the state until October 26, after which there will be a significant drop in rainfall leading to a prolonged weak spell from Tuesday said Neetha.  ● More on P4 ,” Rescue workers inspect a TNSTC bus after it was caught in a landslide near Burliyar on the ghat road in Coimbatore district on Saturday | S Senbagapandiyan 241 Keralam students stranded on ghat road rescued A group of 241 students and 25 teachers from Keralam, who were on a trip to Ooty, were stranded in seven buses due to the disruption of traffic on the Mettupalayam-Coonoor ghat road. Personnel from the TNDRF, Fire and Rescue Services and the police helped them reach safety, using minibuses and ropes to negotiate stretches affected by slush. Meanwhile, tour operators in Keralam have suspended trips to Ooty and nearby destinations, while tourists already in the hill station are returning home via the Kotagiri route.“The Mettupalayam-Ootty road is completely blocked and no vehicles are being allowed through the route. The Kotagiri route is open only for vehicles leaving Ooty and the entry is restricted,” said Sharath G Nair of Surya Travels, who owns a property in Ooty. He said tourists from Keralam were being transported back to their respective destinations. According to IMD data, Burliyar recorded 250 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 7 am on Saturday the highest in , the Nilgiris district during the period. The downpour triggered landslides at 19 locations, while trees fell at 18 locations across the district. The incident has revived memories of the 1993 Marapalam landslide, when two buses were reportedly buried, killing passengers. The district administration has suspended the movement of all vehicles, including TNSTC buses, between 6 pm and 7 am for three days. G a g a n y a a n a st r o n a ut - d esig n a te India well poised to help realise affordable space travel: Angad As w i n As o k K u m a r @ T’Puram Affordable space travel is a key aim of India’s space programme, and the country’s growth trajectory in the sector could make it a reality in the coming decades, said Gaganyaan astronaut-designate Angad Pratap. Speaking to TNIE on Saturday the 44-year-old from Praya, graj, Uttar Pradesh, described the participation of private firms in building space infrastructure ‘inevitable’. “It is one of our underlying aims to make human space flight affordable, something that other countries are also in- Over the next three to four decades, we can shape opportunities for the general public to at least take a sub-orbital flight. — Angad Pratap terested in. Just like how commercial aviation, which was not conceivable over a century ago, has now become commonplace, I believe this will also become a reality. Over the next three to four decades, we can shape opportunities for the general public to at least take a sub-orbital flight. A normal sub-orbital flight would cost you close to `3 crore in America. I can already see those costs declining in the coming years. And who better than us to do that!” he said. Amid discussions on the impact of the involvement of private enterprises in the space sector, Angad stressed that their participation is critical to the development of infrastructure. “Participation of the private sector in building human spaceflight infrastructure and ecosystem should be seen as essential in India, something without which we cannot go forward. Even ISRO is taking all possible measures to empower the private ecosystem,” he said. Angad, who is undergoing training for India’s first human spaceflight programme, was in Thiruvananthapuram to attend the 39th National Convention of Aerospace Engineers as a key speaker. Embarking on a journey that only a handful of Indians have experienced, Angad talked about how his years in Indian Air Force became the foundation of his training and upcoming space voyage. “My journey with the Air Force has helped me greatly, particularly with stress management. Another attribute has been my diverse flying experience. Around 70% of astronautics involves aviation, and that is my strength,” Angad said, recalling his days flying ● More on P4 MiG fighter jets.