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The <keyword id="50190" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="asian-development-bank" source="Orion">Asian Development Bank</keyword> (ADB) has approved a USD 400 million loan to support the Indian government's <keyword id="706405" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="urban-reform" source="Orion">urban reform</keyword> agenda for creating high-quality <keyword id="557969" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="urban-infrastructure" source="Orion">urban infrastructure</keyword> and efficient governance systems. The programme also envisages integrated urban planning reforms to control urban sprawls and foster systemic and planned urbanisation through enhancing the entire ecosystem of legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms along with capacity building of ULBs and community awareness, ADB said. <br /><br />"The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 400 million policy-based loan to India for Sub-programme 2 of the <keyword id="8174895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sustainable-Urban-Development" source="Orion">Sustainable Urban Development</keyword> and Service Delivery Programme. <br /><br />"The programme aims to support the government's urban reform agenda for improving the quality of urban life through the creation of high-quality urban infrastructure, assured public services, and efficient governance systems," ADB said. <br /><br />While Subprogramme 1, approved in 2021, established national-level policies and guidelines to improve urban services, Subprogramme 2 is supporting investment planning and reform actions at the state and urban local body (ULB) levels. <br /><br />"India has recognised the potential for cities to be centres of economic growth and has emphasised the need to make cities livable through inclusive, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure, which is also in line with ADB Strategy 2030," ADB Principal Urban Development Specialist <keyword id="86074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Joshi" source="Orion">Sanjay Joshi</keyword> said.

ADB approves $400 mn loan to support govt's urban reform agenda

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Strong winds in the Chinese city of Nanchang killed at least four people on Sunday, per state media.</li><li>At least three of them were swept out of their high-rise apartments at around 3 a.m., local outlets reported.</li></ul><p>Three people died on Sunday in China's Jiangxi province after being torn from their high-rise apartments by heavy winds, local media reported.</p><p>All three were from the same waterfront neighborhood in the south of the city of Nanchang and were sleeping at around 3 a.m. when strong gales destroyed the outward-facing walls of their rooms, the Hubei-based outlet <a target="_blank" href="https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2024-04-02/doc-inaqkwze4261155.shtml">Jimu News reported.</a></p><p>A neighborhood chat group message published by Jimu News and other regional media identified three of the deceased as a 64-year-old woman, her 11-year-old grandson, and another 60-year-old woman.</p><p>Jimu News reported that it confirmed the deaths with local emergency authorities.</p><p>As of Tuesday morning Beijing time, state media had not acknowledged the specific circumstances of the deaths, but <a target="_blank" href="https://news.cctv.com/2024/04/01/ARTIZs0buOXpqLZ7pyoBt6of240401.shtml">national broadcaster CCTV</a> reported that four people died and more than 10 others were injured that morning due to "strong convective weather."</p><p>The 60-year-old woman's death has captured the nation's attention on social media, reaching 300 million views on Weibo, China's version of X, on Monday, per data seen by Business Insider.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/6418480627/O7IDDxyTX?refer_flag=1001030103_&amp;layerid=5018398897998989">Footage of her room</a> on the 11th floor, filmed by regional media, showed a destroyed floor-to-ceiling window with a gaping hole in the apartment that looked out over the urban landscape.</p><p>An empty bedframe and tattered curtains can be seen in the clip.</p><p>The woman's partner, identified only by his surname Wan, told local reporters that he woke at around 3 a.m. due to the storm and discovered that the gusts had shattered the glass panels in his balcony.</p><p>Wan said he and his partner slept in different rooms that evening, and he went to wake her.</p><p>"I urgently ran to this room to call my partner. I called out, but there was no response. There was no person to call," he said.</p><p>He later found his partner's body at the base of the apartment building, his daughter told Jimu News.</p><p>The 64-year-old woman and her grandson, identified by their surnames Liu and Xu respectively, slept in the same room and were swept downstairs with their mattress, <a target="_blank" href="https://static.cdsb.com/micropub/Articles/202404/251b870e5391f74de735e95d87598b4c.html">Chengdu-based Red Star News reported.</a></p><p>They were living on the 20th floor, per Red Star News.</p><p>Reporters from both outlets published photos of the neighborhood that showed apartments with missing glass facades and only mangled frames remaining.</p><p>On Monday, the <a target="_blank" href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZWrBlRvZ9f3sU0hxuISz5A">Nanchang Emergency Management Bureau</a> said that the strong winds and rainstorms are expected to continue in the region over the next three days, with temperatures likely dropping about six degrees Fahrenheit.</p><p>"Severe convective weather is the most common disastrous weather," the bureau warned. "It occurs suddenly, has a great impact, and has a high risk of disaster."</p><h2>A new blame game emerges</h2><p>The recent deaths have turned attention to the neighborhood's construction quality and its developer. <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/1681029540/O7OOz06gz?refer_flag=1001030103_">One media outlet</a>, Xinmin Weekly, pointed to a former manager at the developer being convicted of paying bribes to state officials from 2004 to 2019.</p><p>The ex-manager, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_25989897">Li Mengping</a>, was sentenced to 10 years and two months in prison in June.</p><p>While it's unclear if there's any link between Li and the neighborhood's build quality, the allegation touches on two hot-button issues that have dominated the conversation in China — the central government's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/xi-jinping-military-purge-china-disrupt-us-race-2024-1">crusade against rampant corruption</a> and construction flaws in the nation's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-housing-market-real-estate-crash-investors-outlook-construction-2024-3">now-ailing real estate market.</a></p><p>The affected high-rise neighborhood in Nanchang was completed in 2015, per <a target="_blank" href="https://nc.esf.fang.com/loupan/2310145070.htm">property listings of the area.</a></p><p>"Shouldn't your home be a safe haven from the wind?" <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/6342386132/O7OBtnyJl?refer_flag=1001030103_">one blogger wrote on Weibo. </a>"This basic function couldn't even be achieved. What really is the reason? The truth must be rigorously investigated,"</p><p>Others said associating Li's bribes with the integrity of the glass facades is tenuous at best.</p><p>"These were installed by a decoration company found by the owner. It has nothing to do with the developer," <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/1887259304/O7OPfvNPF?refer_flag=1001030103_">one person commented in a top post.</a></p>

3 people died after being ripped from their high-rise apartments by freak wind storms in China, local reports say

<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-planet"></a></p><div type="image" title="An illustrated gif of a human figure in red, orange and yellow tones mimicking thermal imaging. The background is animated to have the colors appear to radiate heat." height="500" width="1000" msid="101764553" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/life-in-death-valley-one-of-hottest-places-on-earth-2020-8">Heat</a> is an unused <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/finland-electricity-prices-flip-negative-after-glut-of-hydroelectric-power-2023-5">energy source</a> that's all around us, from our bodies to our infrastructure.</li><li>Recycling waste heat to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/energy-crisis-europe-france-jackets-school-children-heating-cold-report-2022-10">warm homes</a> and businesses could save money and reduce fossil-fuel use.</li><li>Projects in Europe and Canada are learning to use heat from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/this-fuel-burns-like-coal-but-emits-no-co2-and-its-made-of-sewage-2018-10">sewage</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-running-out-of-water-data-centers-blame-microsoft-google-2023-6">data centers</a>, and underground.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heat-waves-are-dominating-summer-and-its-not-abnormal-anymore-2022-7">Heat</a> is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackouts-power-outages-more-common-climate-change-electric-grid-infrastructure-2023-3">energy</a>, and we waste a lot of it every day. As our machines, buildings, and bodies burn fuel to function, they emit heat into the atmosphere.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/phoenixs-chief-heat-officer-affordable-housing-key-preventing-heat-deaths-2023-4">Cities</a> are throbbing with this thermal byproduct; they get up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the surrounding countryside, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. The so-called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-investing-green-infrastructure-manage-climate-change-2022-3">urban-heat-island effect</a> can aggravate health issues and lead to mechanical failures as the world gets hotter.</p><p>On top of the dangers, all that heat is unused energy. The EPA has <a href="https://www.epa.gov/chp/chp-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> that more than 60% of energy in the US is lost as heat. By recovering those losses, businesses and governments could secure a reliable, local source of energy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/renewable-energy-strategy-oil-companies-switch-to-clean-energy-2023-4">that doesn't require fossil fuels</a>.</p><p>Projects in Europe and Canada are already capturing and using what's known as waste heat. In a Glasgow nightclub, sweaty partiers' body heat gets funneled to colder rooms. A London district is capturing heat from subway tunnels and channeling it to nearby homes. Pipes beneath a German road circulate fluid that absorbs the asphalt's heat in summer, which then warms and deices the road in winter.</p><p>Meanwhile, scientists are surveying the heat that escapes underground for possible future use.</p><p>These projects are small, but they're paving the way for other governments and businesses to tap into the heat all around us.</p><h2>A Vancouver neighborhood recycles heat from the sewers</h2><div type="image" title="white tubing beneath a green metal bridge in a concrete room underground" height="1297" width="1730" msid="101764554" hostid="261"></div><p>When you wash dishes, shower, or do laundry, hot water flows down the drain and into the sewers. If you live in the False Creek neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, the heat in that water may eventually come back to warm your home.</p><p>In most neighborhoods, sewage goes to a pumping station that pushes it to a wastewater-treatment plant. But in False Creek, the pumping station is also a heat-recovery plant.</p><div type="image" title="white and green tubing wall to wall in a concrete room" height="631" width="1201" msid="101764555" hostid="261"></div><p>Some sewage gets diverted to heat pumps that extract heat, transfer it to water in another system of pipes, and concentrate it to raise the water temperature as high as 80 degrees Celsius. The pipes then carry that hot water to homes in the area, where the heat is transferred once more through a device called a heat exchanger, which distributes it to the building's space-heating and hot-water systems.</p><p>The project, called the Neighbourhood Energy Utility, began in 2010 when the city built a sustainability-centric village for the Winter Olympics. To heat new homes with minimal fossil fuels, the city turned to the sewage system.</p><p>"That was a bold decision, and one that turned out to be a very good decision," Derek Pope, who manages the NEU project, told Insider.</p><p>The project started out heating nine residential buildings. Today NEU delivers recycled sewer heat to 44 buildings including more than 6,000 residential units, a university campus, a science museum, and commercial facilities.</p><p>Pope said the heat pumps have 300% efficiency: For every unit of electricity that powers them, the utility gets three units of thermal energy. By contrast, Pope said, when the system has to top off the heating supply with natural gas in periods of high demand, that has efficiency below 100%.</p><div type="image" title="tall stacks with rectangle purple lights on top glow in the night beside a highway" height="1050" width="1400" msid="101764557" hostid="261"></div><p>The system delivers a "modest return on the city's investment," Pope said, because it's run like a public utility for a slight profit.</p><p>In a 2022 report to the City Council, the utility found that for customers the cost of the recycled heat was in line with that of other local energy and heating options.</p><p>NEU's upgrades have expanded its customer base, adding buildings to its network. Now the utility is tripling its heat-recycling capacity by installing two more heat pumps.</p><div type="image" title="a large heat pump covered in white wrapping hangs from an outdoor blue scaffolding over a rectangular hole in concrete ground" height="1500" width="2000" msid="101764558" hostid="261"></div><p>NEU's success indicates that sewage-heat recovery may be a sustainable and cost-effective option when building new urban areas, like an Olympic Village.</p><h2>Data centers can heat homes too</h2><p>Across the ocean, Stockholm is tapping into a major heat source: data centers.</p><p>The world needs more and more of these warehouses of computer servers to process and store information. All that computing, concentrated in one building, gets hot.</p><p>"It seems very strange that we should let out excess heat when we can actually buy it," Johanna Nerell, a project manager at the utility Stockholm Exergi, told Insider. "We can make money for the company who delivers it."</p><p>The company buys captured waste heat from nearby data centers and funnels it to homes. It's part of what Exergi calls an "open district heating" system, which draws waste heat from different businesses in the city, including a yeast-production plant and a supermarket, as well as sewage. Data centers contribute the lion's share, accounting for 90% of open district heat, Nerell said. </p><div type="image" title="infographic shows pink lines flowing out of a data center underground and through a home with a shower and space heater an purple lines flowing back" height="1500" width="1125" msid="101764559" hostid="261"></div><p>All in all, Nerell said, this heat-recycling network accounts for 1.5% of the heat Exergi delivers throughout Stockholm.</p><p>"Most likely we will never get much higher than that," Nerell said. "That would've been different if we had industries surrounding Stockholm that produce a lot of excess heat."</p><p>Without heavy industries, only a few types of businesses can make the up-front investment to install the heat pumps and pipes needed to sell their heat, she said, adding, "That's where data centers are ideal."</p><h2>There's more untapped heat underground</h2><p>The urban heat island — the churn of activity that makes cities hotter — extends underground too.</p><div type="image" title="A man uses a newspaper to cool himself while on the tube." height="1665" width="2220" msid="101764560" hostid="261"></div><p>Excess heat can harm river ecosystems fed by groundwater, since fish and other life-forms there generally prefer cool water flowing from underground.</p><p>Overheated groundwater also affects drinking-water quality, since the warmth can breed bacteria or cause more heavy metals to leach from the surrounding soil.</p><p>But it's possible to cool the underground and cut fossil-fuel use by capturing the heat beneath the surface, researchers found in a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=c8855f14c0a6faa38393b17da416ceaede06ff6d6f3b91b2f610a89af384b97d&amp;postID=64765d768c8a4f7ad11eaf43&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41467-022-31624-6">study</a> published in Nature Communications in 2022.</p><p>"It's like two birds with one stone," Susanne Benz, an author of the study who researches subsurface heat, told Insider. "Carbon-free energy, and at the same time we get to reduce the impact of climate change and urbanization on our environment."</p><p>Benz and her colleagues assessed over 8,000 locations where measurements of groundwater temperature were available, mostly in Europe. They found that in about 25% of those places there was enough heat underground to recycle for energy.</p><p>That percentage will surely increase as the planet's average temperature rises, heating up the underground even more. The study's authors estimated that by the end of the century, 73% of the locations could fulfill all their heating needs with underground heat.</p><div type="image" title="worker in neon green vest hardhat and respirator mask stands at the side of a long tall dark tunnel deep underground" height="1500" width="1999" msid="101764561" hostid="261"></div><p>Tapping into flowing groundwater would allow municipalities to access that heat. Regions without flowing groundwater would have to lay pipes underground and cycle fluid through them to absorb the heat and bring it to the surface.</p><p>Benz says it's worth considering adding those underground pipes as part of new construction, especially building new streets, which absorb extra heat. Subway tunnels could also be an easy place to start. In 2020, the Islington neighborhood of London built a system in its subway to funnel heat from those underground tunnels to homes.</p><p>Of course, underground heat builds up the most in summer, when people don't need to heat their homes. But Benz said the ground would hold on to the heat until it's needed.</p><p>"Heat takes a little bit to travel in the underground. So if you time it right and put your heat pump or your pipes at exactly the right depth, all the heat from the summer reaches it in winter, when you actually need the heating," she said. "The ground is the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/northvolt-trying-fix-electric-vehicle-supply-chain-battery-recycling-2023-4">battery</a> in this case."</p><p><em>Correction: July 17, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated the process that transfers sewage heat from NEU's systems to homes. This is done by a heat exchanger, not furnaces and boilers.</em></p><p><em>This story has been updated. It was originally published on July 14, 2023.</em></p>

Our bodies, buildings, and computers give off a lot of waste heat. Cities and scientists are learning to harness it for energy.

<em><strong>By Debashish Biswas</strong></em><br /><br />India’s urban population is expected to grow from 377 million in 2011 (31% of total population) to around 600 million or 42% of the total population in 2030. It is estimated that in 2030, for five states – <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab, urbanisation levels will be more than 50% (Sources: Census of India 2011, McKinsey Global Institute and <keyword id="13071722" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN-World-Urbanisation-Prospects-2018" source="Orion">UN World Urbanisation Prospects 2018</keyword>). Indian cities will act as the engines of growth for the economy.<br /><br />As highlighted in the National Infrastructure Pipeline, an estimated ₹19,19,267 crores capital expenditure is estimated between FY20-FY25 in <keyword id="557969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="urban-infrastructure" source="Orion">urban infrastructure</keyword> (Source: National Infrastructure Pipeline, Volume 1). Around 21% of this capital expenditure is proposed to be funded through private sector participation. <br /><br />Given this, as part of Budget 2022-23, it is expected that urban sector development will continue to remain as one of the major focus areas. Budgetary allocations are expected to be made for:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong>Strengthening core urban infrastructure –</strong> Continued investments to reinforce core urban infrastructure like water supply, solid waste management, urban mobility, among others. Recently, in October 2021, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced AMRUT 2.0 which focuses on enhancing water connections in around 4800 urban local bodies, sewerage/ septage services in 500 cities as well as rejuvenation of water bodies, green spaces and parks (Source: AMRUT 2.0 guidelines). Further, <keyword id="6735318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="swachh-bharat-mission-urban" source="Orion">Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban</keyword> 2.0 was also announced in October 2021 with the aspiration of making all cities garbage free.</li><li><strong>Housing to remain a key focus area – </strong>Housing, specially providing affordable housing for all, remains a key priority for the country. It is also important to provide necessary incentives and improve various regulatory processes to attract private investments in the housing sector, especially in affordable housing.</li><li><strong>Developing smart digital infrastructure</strong> in terms of mobility management, digital service delivery, city management, safety and security, environmental management, etc. <keyword id="857936" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emphasis" source="Orion">Emphasis</keyword> may be provided on creating specific digital urban solutions leveraging the data being captured at the city level, specifically in the smart cities where the command control centers are already operational. Also, focus may be provided in creating cloud based shared digital infrastructure at state as well as district level so that even the smaller urban local bodies may get access and leverage digital infrastructure. </li><li><strong>Environment and sustainability focus:</strong> Given the focus of building environmentally friendly and resilient cities, the budget may provide specific emphasis on developing sustainable urban areas including increasing green cover, urban forest, water conservation, water recycling, waste reuse, renewable energy usage, energy conservation, etc. On the mobility front, focus may be provided on further developing non-motorized transportation and electric vehicle infrastructure. For facilitating developing environmentally friendly infrastructure, necessary policies and incentives may be considered. Funding available under CSR activities may be leveraged for implementing various environmentally friendly infrastructure at city level.</li><li><strong>Continue municipal reforms: </strong>To enable urban infrastructure growth, the ongoing municipal reforms should continue. These include -- a) strengthening municipal bond market – key steps to be undertaken by the urban local bodies are improving financial discipline; accounting reforms; improved governance and augment own source revenues; b) asset monetization and attracting private sector – creating an environment for attracting more private investments; and c) enabling user charges for funding urban infrastructure. Additional incentives may be provided to urban local bodies which undertake such overall reforms proactively. </li></ul>Overall, like last year, the current pandemic calls for a public investment led push for enabling economic growth. The FY 22-23 budget needs to focus on increased spending in overall urban infrastructure &amp; capital assets, which are likely to have a multiplier effect on demand generation and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Further, higher urban infrastructure spend will improve investment attractiveness, create more employment opportunities and enhance quality of life.<br /><br /><em><strong>Debashish Biswas is Partner with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP</strong> </em><br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/economic-budget-survey-2022-government-projects-8-to-8-5-growth-rate-in-year-2022-23/slidelist/89242472.cms">India’s Economic Survey projects 8-8.5 percent growth next year, here are other key points to note</a><br /></strong><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/despite-a-worldwide-chip-shortage-semiconductor-sales-cross-500-billion-for-the-first-time/articleshow/89242629.cms"><strong>Despite a worldwide chip shortage, semiconductor sales cross $500 billion for the first time</strong></a><br />

OPINION: There should be continued focus on building urban infrastructure and sustainable smart cities

<keyword id="6696781" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-development-ministry">Urban Development Ministry</keyword> today announced it would launch a mobile App for citizens to post their complaints about <keyword id="56059" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garbage">garbage</keyword> pile-up in their areas and seek timely redress of their grievance. <br /><br /> Named '<keyword id="3232838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-City-Solutions">Swachh City Solutions</keyword>', the proposed mobile and web-based application will be developed in partnership with an NGO 'Janaagraha' Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, to ensure timely and effective implementation of the <keyword id="2312336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> objectives in 4041 statutory towns in the country. <br /><br />

	A Memorandum of Understanding to the effect was signed today between the Ministry and the NGO 'Janaagraha' here. 
<br /><br />

	The application is likely to become operational by April and will give citizens access to the latest technology to lodge their complaint and actively participate in keeping their cities clean. 
<br /><br />

	Speaking on the occasion, UD Ministry Joint Secretary Praveen Prakash said, "Through this App, the government is providing the citizens with a platform to express their concerns regarding their areas and build community participation and consensus towards maintaining the cleanliness in their cities." 
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	Prakash, who is also the Mission Director for Swachh Bharat said "The App will also enable municipal officials/field engineers to see each complaint and update the status of the resolution along with photos, hence building accountability in the system by ensuring timely grievance redressal." 
<br /><br />

	Citizens will have features that will allow them to view complaints posted nearby, and show support by 'Voting up' on various complaints. 
<br /><br /> The App, in addition to enabling the creation of a community around complaints, leading to community participation and faster complaint resolution, will also enable the Ministry to rate and rank the 4041 <keyword id="6374279" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-local-bodies">urban local bodies</keyword> (ULBs) in India, based on their efficiency of redressing citizen grievances. <br /><br /> The application aims at realising the vision of Swachh Bharat Mission towards a clean and <keyword id="1459267" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garbage-Free-India">garbage free India</keyword> by 2019. <br />
	<br />
	(Image credits: Reuters)

Swachh City Solutions App for garbage free India by April

New Delhi, Mar 21 () To ensure that the basic services provided by local bodies are not affected amid coronavirus scare, the Centre has released Rs 5,140.15 crore pending instalment of the grants to six states under the 14th Finance Commission that had been withheld pending local bodies elections.<p> "Due to #COVID2019, the local bodies have to especially focus on providing basic civic services and ensure cleanliness. The amounts to Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu have been released for urban and rural local bodies wherever applicable," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a tweet.</p><p> "The amount released totals Rs Rs 2,570.0813 crore, with Rs 940.8063 crore for rural local bodies and Rs 1,629.275 crore for urban local bodies. The amounts have already been credited to the accounts of the respective State governments. #IndiaFightsCorona," another tweet said.</p> Tamil Nadu will be the biggest beneficiary as its urban local bodies will get Rs 987.85 crore followed by Andhra Pradesh which will get Rs 431 crore and Odisha Rs 186.58 crore.  DP  MKJ

Centre releases Rs 5,140 cr pending grants for local bodies of six states

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Graveyards in Portugal are running out of space, partly because bodies aren't decaying as expected. </li><li>The country has taken to reburying bodies years later to save space — but some just don't rot.</li></ul><p>A spate of human bodies mysteriously not decomposing after burial is causing a crisis in Portugal, where bodies have been observed naturally mummifying after being buried. </p><p>Under local laws implemented to save space, bodies need to be routinely exhumed so that skeletal remains can be laid to rest in smaller containers.</p><p>But many just don't decompose, causing trauma for families whose loved ones are repeatedly unearthed only to be put back to continue decaying.</p><p>A fundamental problem is that nobody really knows what happens to bodies buried in coffins.</p><p>Scientists in Portugal are now working to uncover the cause of the strange mummifications.</p><h2><strong>Grave recycling to fight overcrowding</strong></h2><p>Faced with <a href="https://www.talkdeath.com/cemetery-overcrowding-leading-europe-recycle-burial-plots/">drastic overcrowding in its cramped urban cemeteries</a>, Portugal introduced the concept of temporary graves in the early 1960s.</p><p>The idea is simple: a decomposed body takes up less space. Bones can be packed into a smaller coffin and moved to a less spacious final resting place, like in dedicated drawers in the walls of the cemeteries.  </p><p>"We don't have space to establish new cemeteries or upgrade cemeteries that already exist" in cities, said Angela Silva Bessa, a forensic anthropologist from the university of Coimbra who has been studying Portuguese cemeteries.</p><div type="image" title="A crammed walled cemetery in Mértola, southeastern Portugal is shown against a backdrop of a forrest." height="983" width="1966" msid="95278293" hostid="261"></div><h2>The bodies that refuse to rot</h2><p>Three years after the burial, the deceased's family can often receive a letter warning them that the remains will need to be moved soon.</p><p>Per the law, the body can only be moved if it has decomposed so that it is just a skeleton, with no remaining soft tissue.</p><p>To check this, gravediggers have to dig up the body to look at it. If it isn't decomposed enough, it gets buried again and the process repeats every two years until it is.</p><p>A survey of cemeteries in Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, found that <a href="https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/bitstream/10216/87894/2/158915.pdf">55% to 64% of bodies between 2006 and 2015 were not fully decomposed after their first exhumation.</a></p><p>Paulo Carreira, funeral home owner and chief executive of the national funeral association of Portugal, told Insider that families usually deal pretty well with the first time.</p><p>But the repeated unearthings can be very emotionally damaging.</p><p>In some cases, it can take decades of repeated burial and reburial until the body reaches a final resting place, per Carreira.</p><p>And for a subset of those bodies, the process is effectively endless: they mummify.</p><p>Unlike Egyptian mummies, preserved on purpose, this happened spontaneously. Natural mummification usually happens when a body dries so quickly that decomposition simply stops. It has been observed in extreme environments like deserts or glaciers, or in intense heat and cold.</p><p>The reason it happens so much in Portuguese graves has so far proved elusive.</p><div type="image" title="Silva Bessa analysing properties of soil samples taken from a grave." height="1498" width="1997" msid="95278295" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>A quest to understand death<br /></strong></h2><p>Silva Bessa and her colleagues <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6756/2/4/47">have been investigating what could be slowing down the decomposition</a> of these bodies in Portugal as part of her PhD thesis project, a first-of-its-kind study.</p><p>With the consent of the families, she has been collecting samples from bodies and the soil around them from five cemeteries. </p><p>"It's quite astonishing," she told Insider. "In the same section of the cemetery, I have different stages of decomposition." </p><p>Some bodies are fully skeletonized while others are still decomposing, she said. Others will be mummified head to toe. </p><p>"Even on the same body, I might have all the body skeletonized, the pelvis area is in putrefaction, and the hands mummified. So you can find a little bit of everything," she said.</p><p>Silva Bessa tested eight properties of the soil which might affect decomposition including temperature, acidity, moisture, density, heavy-metal contamination, and organic matter.</p><p>So far, she has yet to find a breakthrough. "I honestly thought I would at least find a relation between the soil properties and the state of the composition of the body," she said, "And I didn't."</p><p>Her next step will be to test whether substances the people took in life, like whether they smoked or took certain medicines could be a factor.</p><div type="image" title="Silva Bessa analysing properties of soil samples taken from a grave. The soil is shown in several shades of brown." height="1500" width="2000" msid="95278296" hostid="261"></div><h2>Body decomposition is still mysterious</h2><p>Tristan Krap, a lecturer in forensic sciences who studies the decomposition of bodies at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, said he's not surprised that the bodies aren't decomposing fully within three years.</p><p>He said he'd expect a "normal body" in a grave to take about five years to decompose, though he admitted that was mostly guesswork.</p><p>Scientists like Krap use facilities that have access to donated bodies to study decomposition, so-called body farms.</p><p>But these tend to focus on what happens to the body above the ground, which is useful for instances like murder investigations but is less helpful for understanding regular burials.</p><p>A lot less work looks at what happens to the body after it has been buried in a grave, which is likely to be a lot more complex. The body is like "a huge biological bomb," that introduces <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-die-2019-2">bacteria, tissues, and various juices into the soil</a>, which itself has a complex ecosystem, Krap said.</p><p>One factor, Krap said, could be variations between people's bodies like overall size, muscle mass, and fat levels.</p><p>You can read more about the decomposition process <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-human-bodies-decay-2016-11">here.</a></p><h2>A lasting effect on culture, and grief</h2><p>"This has a social impact, which is quite a big deal for my own country," Silva Bessa said. </p><p>Faced with the shortage of graves, people have been turning to cremation, Carreira said, and his business adapted alongside.</p><p>"Fifteen years ago, we had four crematoria. Today, we have 38," he said. </p><p>To an extent, it works — if everyone was cremated, there would be no problem.</p><p>But, as Silva Bessa noted, for the Portuguese "it's quite the tradition to bury the bodies not to cremate them." And for now, lack of space and a yawning gap in science is squeezing it out of existence.</p><p>For now she is continuing her work, determined to find a parameter that could help.</p>

Dead bodies are randomly mummifying in Portugal, baffling scientists and sparking a crisis in its graveyards

A local's ultimate guide to visiting Milwaukee

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky<ul class="summary-list"><li>I was born and raised in <keyword id="12048089" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="louisville" source="Orion">Louisville</keyword>, and I'm sharing the <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-things-to-do-atlanta-georgia-according-to-local-2021-8">best things to do, see, and eat</a> there.</li><li>Tourists should visit Cave Hill Cemetery, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the <keyword id="11918256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kentucky" source="Orion">Kentucky</keyword> Derby Museum.</li><li>They should eat and drink at The Silver Dollar, Full Stop, North Lime, and Spinelli's Pizzeria.</li></ul><p>Louisville is perhaps best known for hosting the Kentucky Derby and making baseball bats, but there's plenty to explore beyond that.</p><p>As someone who was born and raised in the <keyword id="11899688" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="city" source="Orion">city</keyword>, I've spent my life popping in and out of museums and dining at some of the best restaurants.</p><p>Here's a list of <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-things-to-do-philadelphia-pennsylvania-according-to-local-2021-6">must-visit</a> hotels, sites, and restaurants from across Louisville.</p><h2>Things to know before you go</h2><div type="image" title="sunsetting over the ohio river in louisville kentucky" height="2361" width="3149" msid="86023511" hostid="261"></div><ul><li><strong>COVID-19 PROTOCOL:</strong> There are no formal <keyword id="11896628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="travel" source="Orion">travel</keyword> restrictions in Louisville or in Kentucky. But with the Delta variant surging, the city is experiencing high community transmission, reporting about <a href="https://covid-19-in-jefferson-county-ky-lojic.hub.arcgis.com/">66 cases per 100,000 people</a> as of September 7. <a href="https://govstatus.egov.com/ky-travel-advisory">The state government</a> is discouraging unvaccinated people from unessential travel.</li><li><strong>WEATHER: </strong>Louisville is a four-season destination. Leaves will typically start changing colors in mid-to-late October, and summers can be pretty humid. People sensitive to pollen should also be aware that Louisville is said to be one of the <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2019/06/04/how-to-deal-with-seasonal-allergies-and-high-pollen-levels-in-louisville/1337193001/">worst cities</a> for those with seasonal allergies.</li><li><strong>CURRENCY: </strong>The area uses US dollars, and many businesses accept credit cards.</li><li><strong>WALKABILITY: </strong>Though certain neighborhoods near downtown are fun to explore on foot, you'll likely require a car for anything beyond the city center. The bus service, the Transit Authority of River City, isn't the most efficient, but a free service called the LouLift can take riders from downtown to Churchill Downs.</li></ul><h2>Where to stay</h2><h3>Central Park Bed and Breakfast has Victorian charm</h3><p>It may surprise visitors that Louisville is home to one of the <a href="https://www.oldlouisville.org/visitors">largest contiguous collections of Victorian mansions</a> in the US. The homes are stunning to see from sidewalks, but staying in one is even more immersive.</p><p><a href="https://www.centralparkbandb.com/">Central Park Bed and Breakfast</a> is a gorgeous converted Victorian that's easily accessible from downtown via public transit. Rates range from $140 to $220 a night.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> To fully appreciate the neighborhood's history, check out an <a href="https://www.gotolouisville.com/directory/historic-old-louisville-walking-tour/">Old Louisville walking tour</a>, and consider the nighttime <a href="https://www.gotolouisville.com/directory/david-domin%C3%A9s-louisville-historic-tours/">ghost-tour</a> option.</p><h3>21c Museum Hotel is modern and memorable</h3><p>Nestled between popular museums on Main Street, <a href="https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/louisville">21c Museum Hotel</a> is hard to miss, with a bedazzled limo parked in the front and bright-red penguins perched on its roof.</p><p>Its main floor features an art gallery, and guests can choose between traditional and artsier rooms ranging from about $200 to nearly $600 a night.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Whether or not you're staying at 21c, its rotating galleries and interactive exhibitions are free to visit.</p><h3>The Seelbach Hilton is steeped in history</h3><p><a href="http://www.seelbachhilton.com/">The Seelbach</a> is a baroque-inspired hotel that's served many notable guests including <a href="https://www.insider.com/relationship-timeline-john-jfk-jackie-kennedy-2018-9">John F. Kennedy</a> and Al Capone.</p><p>Located downtown, it's close to the action on museum row and the riverfront. Rates start at $160 a night for a double.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> The Seelbach is the birthplace and namesake of a bubbly bourbon cocktail.</p><h3>Airbnbs can help you get to know quirky neighborhoods</h3><p>Though Louisville's core tourist attractions are downtown, some of the best restaurants and stores are beyond the city center.</p><p>Germantown, Crescent Hill, the Highlands, and even southern Indiana are just a few places you can hunt for Airbnbs and explore local businesses.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Be prepared to rely on a car, or at least a bike, if you're not staying directly downtown.</p><h2>Things to do and see</h2><h3>The Speed Art Museum has an extensive collection of global and local art</h3><p><a href="https://www.speedmuseum.org/">The Speed's</a> rotating exhibits have featured work from Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Isabelle de Borchgrave.</p><p>Its existing collections feature old masters like Rembrandt and contemporary artists like Ebony G. Patterson.</p><p>It's open only on Fridays and weekends.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> The museum's core collection and some special programming are <a href="https://www.speedmuseum.org/events-programs/sunday-showcase/">free</a> every Sunday.</p><div type="image" title="statue at the speed art museum in louisville kentucky" height="2251" width="2994" msid="86023512" hostid="261"></div><h3>Historic Cave Hill Cemetery is one of the best places to see wildlife</h3><p><a href="https://www.cavehillcemetery.com/">Cave Hill Cemetery</a> is the final resting place for some Louisville legends including Muhammad Ali and Colonel Harland Sanders, <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-of-the-kfc-sides-reviewed-photos">KFC's</a> founder.</p><p>Beyond the must-see celebrity graves, the cemetery's sprawling lakes and grounds are visited by a variety of duck species, foxes, owls, and river otters.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Make sure to grab a map, as navigating the plots can be confusing.</p><div type="image" title="Cave Hill Cemetery" height="1000" width="1333" msid="86023513" hostid="261"></div><h3>Bardstown Road is great for shopping</h3><p>Whether your vibe is vintage fashion or artsy boutiques, <a href="https://www.gotolouisville.com/neighborhoods/the-highlands/">Bardstown Road</a> is the perfect place to window-shop.</p><p><a href="https://www.carmichaelsbookstore.com/">Carmichael's</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/acornapparel/?hl=en">Acorn</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Gift-Shop/Edenside-Gallery-468367473214430/">Edenside Gallery</a> are some of the many stores worth popping into. If you need a snack break, <a href="https://kizito.com/">Kizito Cookies</a> is a nearby Louisville staple.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> If you're in town on a Sunday, check out farmers' markets on the 1700 block of Bardstown Road or in the Douglass Loop.</p><h3>Actors Theatre of Louisville highlights performing arts in the city</h3><p>A performance nonprofit, <a href="https://www.actorstheatre.org/">Actors Theatre</a> has for decades served the Louisville community with both original plays and theatrical favorites.</p><p>Its fan-favorite seasonal shows include "Dracula" in the fall and "A Christmas Carol" in the winter.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Actors Theatre is releasing its schedule on a rolling basis, featuring outdoor performances and an on-demand repository of digital performances.</p><h3>The Muhammad Ali Center is home to an interactive museum about the Louisville legend</h3><p>With exhibits that highlight the famous boxer's childhood, career, and activism, the <a href="https://alicenter.org/">Muhammad Ali Center</a> celebrates the six principles that guided Ali's life: confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality.</p><p>Admission costs $14 for adults. Discounts for children, seniors, and students are available.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> The tiles on the side of the building may not look like much up close, but from a distance you can decipher an image.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of muhammad ali center in louisville kentucky" height="2891" width="3855" msid="86023514" hostid="261"></div><h3>The Kentucky Derby Museum is fun for all ages</h3><p>If you're not prepared to shell out for exorbitant hotels and flights to visit Louisville during Derby weekend, there are other ways to appreciate Kentucky's horse-racing culture.</p><p>The Churchill Downs horse-racing complex is open to the public on select weeks throughout the year, and <a href="https://www.derbymuseum.org/">the Derby Museum</a> is a year-round attraction.</p><p>It costs $16 for adults and $10 for kids.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> General admission includes a tour of Churchill Downs that leaves every half hour.</p><div type="image" title="churchill downs in louisville kentucky" height="2251" width="2994" msid="86023515" hostid="261"></div><h3>You literally can't miss the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory with its 120-foot-tall bat outside</h3><p>It may seem ironic that <a href="https://www.insider.com/50-over-the-top-attractions-2018-1">Louisville</a> makes famous baseball bats when the city doesn't even have a major-league team. But the <a href="https://www.sluggermuseum.com/">Louisville Slugger Factory</a> says it produces 1.8 million baseball bats a year and is the official bat of Major League Baseball.</p><p>Admission is $16 for adults and $9 for kids, and it requires advance tickets. Admission includes a factory tour, entry to a museum of baseball history, and a mini souvenir bat.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> For years, the Transportation Security Administration at Louisville's airport had a <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/telstar/309924706">glass box</a> full of confiscated bats. The airport <a href="https://twitter.com/annekevk/status/1230153593052942336">now allows passengers</a> to stow the museum's small bats in carry-ons, though they still need to pack full-sized bats in checked luggage.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of the baseball bat in front of the louisville slugger museum and factory" height="2658" width="3545" msid="86023516" hostid="261"></div><h3>Bernheim Forest is a scenic retreat</h3><p>One of the best places to enjoy <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-fall-hikes-in-the-us-2018-10">hiking</a> and biking near Louisville is <a href="https://bernheim.org/">Bernheim Forest</a>, about a 30-minute drive from the city.</p><p>There's a recommended donation of $10 a car for entry, and its trails are open from dawn to dusk.</p><p>The arboretum hosts rotating installations. Currently, massive wooden forest giants by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo are perched at different points on a marked trail.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Bernheim Forest isn't far from some of the <a href="https://www.insider.com/places-to-go-if-you-love-bourbon-2019-4">Kentucky Bourbon Trail's</a> most popular destinations if you're looking to visit a distillery.</p><h2>Where to eat and drink</h2><h3>Heart and Soy is vegetarian, Pan-Asian comfort food</h3><p>On a bustling section of Bardstown Road, <a href="https://www.heartandsoy.net/index.php">Heart and Soy</a> has the perfect menu for easy <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-vegetarian-dishes-from-around-the-world-2019-6">vegetarian</a> carryout or quick dine-in service.</p><p>The restaurant also supplies its own tofu - you can see the tofu press in action as you wait for your food.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> If you're looking for a full-service sit-down restaurant, visit Heart and Soy's sister restaurant, Roots.</p><h3>The Silver Dollar is a bourbon lover's dream</h3><p>With a honky-tonk atmosphere, <a href="https://www.whiskeybythedrink.com/">The Silver Dollar</a> serves plenty of Southern comfort food and <a href="https://www.insider.com/stay-at-bourbon-distillery-jim-beam-in-kentucky-2019-10">local bourbon</a>.</p><p>During the coronavirus pandemic, the bar converted its parking lot into an outdoor patio, so there's plenty of room to enjoy the libations and music.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> The restaurant's <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-to-know-about-bourbon-2018-10">bourbon list</a> goes on for pages, so don't be afraid to ask for a recommendation.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of the neon sign in front of the silver dollar in louisville kentucky" height="2832" width="3776" msid="86023517" hostid="261"></div><h3>If you can't decide between sushi and Tex-Mex, try Dragon King's Daughter</h3><p>The menu at <a href="https://togoorder.com/web/4608#/o/2/f/1/m/12267//s/180518/items">Dragon King's Daughter</a> highlights creative sushi rolls and Asian-fusion tacos and quesadillas.</p><p>Its drink menu offers plenty of local brews for craft-beer lovers.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Make sure to visit the restrooms. The toilets have elaborate features like bidets and heated seats.</p><h3>Full Stop is not your typical neighborhood convenience store</h3><p>What was once an auto-body shop is now a minimalist restaurant/convenience store.</p><p><a href="https://www.fullstopstation.com/">Full Stop's</a> menu features local foods and sweet pastries. You can dine inside or at a colorful umbrella-covered picnic table.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Driving an electric vehicle? You can use the restaurant's free charging station.</p><div type="image" title="plates of food at full stop gas station in louisville kentucky" height="2268" width="3024" msid="86023518" hostid="261"></div><h3>Ramsi's Cafe on the World features a globally inspired menu with a whimsical garden patio</h3><p><a href="http://www.ramsiscafe.com/">Ramsi's</a> on Bardstown Road opened in 1994 and has become a Louisville destination.</p><p>The menu can meet nearly every dietary preference. And whether you choose to dine outdoors or indoors, the atmosphere is eclectic.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Get there early if you want a spot on the patio - it can fill up fast on summer and fall weekends.</p><h3>Toast on Market serves up an indulgent brunch</h3><p><a href="https://www.toastonmarket.com/">Toast</a> has served Louisvillians decadent <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-and-worst-brunch-dishes-to-order-chefs-say">breakfast fare</a> for years.</p><p>It's in the trendy NuLu (New Louisville) district, close to local artsy stores.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Ask about the specials. They sometimes include bread-pudding pancakes or piña-colada French toast.</p><h3>Queen of Sheba is a local destination for Ethiopian food</h3><p>Opened in 2004, <a href="https://www.queenofshebalouisville.com/">Queen of Sheba</a> was Louisville's first Ethiopian restaurant.</p><p>It has since become a staple known for its soft injera (Ethiopian flatbread) and hearty entrées.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Ethiopian food is traditionally served on one large platter, so be prepared to share or ask for separate plates.</p><div type="image" title="plate of food from queen of sheeba in louisville kentucky" height="3024" width="4032" msid="86023519" hostid="261"></div><h3>North Lime is a must-try doughnut shop</h3><p><a href="https://www.northlime.net/locations-contact">North Lime</a> offers plenty of traditional round <a href="https://www.insider.com/chefs-favorite-doughnuts-2019-8">doughnuts</a> with a hole in the middle, but its classic flavors are square-shaped.</p><p>The shop is a popular destination for a quick, sweet breakfast.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> North Lime always features at least one option for gluten-free and vegan patrons.</p><h3>Spinelli's Pizzeria is a late-night classic</h3><p>Louisville may not be able to compete with big names like <a href="https://www.insider.com/pizza-styles-in-the-us-2019-5">New York and Chicago</a> when it comes to pizza, but <a href="https://spinellispizzeria.com/">Spinelli's</a> brought Philadelphia-style pies to Louisville.</p><p>Its three locations across the city, open from 11 a.m. to 5 a.m., are great spots to visit any time of night.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Delivery is also available.</p><h2>Final tips before your trip</h2><div type="image" title="Cherokee park in louisville kentucky" height="2274" width="3024" msid="86023520" hostid="261"></div><ul><li><strong>Check out the city's event calendar.</strong> Louisville's main tourist attractions are open year-round, but the city also hosts pop-up events like <a href="https://thefleurdeflea.com/index.php/special-events/fleur-de-flea-waterfront">riverfront flea markets</a> and an annual <a href="https://louisvillehalloween.com/louisville-zombie-attack-walk/">zombie walk</a>.</li><li><strong>Enjoy the city's parks.</strong> Frederick Law Olmsted may be best known for designing New York City's Central Park, but he also designed Louisville's Cherokee, Iroquois, and Shawnee parks.</li><li><strong>If you want to visit during the Derby, plan ahead.</strong> The Kentucky Derby is on many people's bucket lists, so hotels can fill up quickly.</li><li><strong>Don't be afraid to explore beyond Louisville.</strong> Kentucky is perhaps best known for its bourbon, and though Louisville features a growing number of urban distilleries, the <a href="https://kybourbontrail.com/">Bourbon Trail</a> will take you through the more rural ones.</li></ul>

A local's ultimate guide to visiting Louisville, Kentucky

<ul><li><keyword id="6361126" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="western-railway">Western Railway</keyword>, a government body that is known for its wit and humour on social media, had an important message to give this <keyword id="48284" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="navratri">Navratri</keyword>. </li><li>It launched a campaign called #HarNaariEkShakti to encourage more women to join the workforce.</li></ul>India’s busiest urban rail network, <keyword id="182986" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-locals">Mumbai locals</keyword>, that carries 80 lakh people every day, shut down on March 22 to curb the spread of Coronavirus, for the first time in its history. Now that Mumbai Locals have opened for women and essential services employees, Western Railway has upped its social media game. <br /><br />To celebrate Navratri, a festival that is about worshipping 9 Devis and women's strength, the government body uploaded one post each day that aimed to bring its women employees to the forefront. <br /><br />It launched a campaign called #HarNaariEkShakti to encourage more women to join the workforce, celebrate their female staff in different departments and break gender stereotypes that stop women from pursuing their dreams. <br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WesternRly" handlename="Western Railway" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/948537613899784195/3zCRyjco_normal.jpg" favoritecount="43" retweetcount="7" status="Showcasing the pillar of strength, hard work, patience, and pride of WR.This #Navratri, WR introduces you to its… https://t.co/yMZr0wpwv8" createdat="1603626073000" id="1320329562983559170"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WesternRly" handlename="Western Railway" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/948537613899784195/3zCRyjco_normal.jpg" favoritecount="69" retweetcount="9" status="दशहरा बुराई पर अच्छाई की विजय का प्रतीक है। इस अवसर पर आइए, मिल कर महिलाओं के खिलाफ रूढ़ियों को नष्ट करने का निश्चय… https://t.co/LJBHvhPLAm" createdat="1603606779000" id="1320248642096173056"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WesternRly" handlename="Western Railway" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/948537613899784195/3zCRyjco_normal.jpg" favoritecount="68" retweetcount="7" status="प्रीति कुमारी जी का बचपन से ही चुनौतीपूर्ण काम करने का सपना और संकल्प था।पश्चिम रेलवे की पहली महिला मोटरमैन बनकर उ… https://t.co/O1FAmVMvDd" createdat="1603616815000" id="1320290735501897728"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WesternRly" handlename="Western Railway" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/948537613899784195/3zCRyjco_normal.jpg" favoritecount="43" retweetcount="7" status="शायद ही ऐसा कोई क्षेत्र ऐसा होगा, जिस में महिलाएं काम नहीं करती होंगी। सरिता जी ऐसी ही बुलंद हौसले वाली महिला हैं… https://t.co/X0NRGvWrdT" createdat="1603455307000" id="1319613319724945408"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WesternRly" handlename="Western Railway" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/948537613899784195/3zCRyjco_normal.jpg" favoritecount="41" retweetcount="4" status="हौसलों की उड़ान! श्रीमती फाखरा पश्चिम रेलवे में असिस्टेंट लोको पायलट के पद पर काम कर रही हैं। मेहनत और परिवार के… https://t.co/AbgbN9ovKR" createdat="1603539987000" id="1319968494440476673"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WesternRly" handlename="Western Railway" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/948537613899784195/3zCRyjco_normal.jpg" favoritecount="35" retweetcount="7" status="श्रीमती जयवंती रावत ने पति के निधन के बाद  पश्चिम रेलवे में उनके स्थान पर काम मिलने पर अपनी जिम्मेदारी को अच्छी तरह… https://t.co/o9NnCs2Ezo" createdat="1603368767000" id="1319250346556862465"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WesternRly" handlename="Western Railway" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/948537613899784195/3zCRyjco_normal.jpg" favoritecount="82" retweetcount="9" status="मुंबई सेंट्रल कार शेड में कार्यरत सुश्री स्टेला नेल्सन पिछले 13 सालों से पश्चिम रेलवे में काम कर रहीं हैं।अपने सह… https://t.co/KaNzDwjjmM" createdat="1603280977000" id="1318882128294072322"></div><br /><br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="74865221" title="To break the COVID-19 chain, Mumbai locals stopped working; it is now using social media to reiterate the importance of social distancing" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br />

How Western Railway celebrated Navratri by bringing its women employees to the forefront

New Delhi, The Centre on Saturday said that all states except Tamil Nadu have availed benefits of "Special Assistance to States for <keyword id="112324" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="capital-expenditure">Capital Expenditure</keyword>".<br /><br />The scheme is aimed at boosting capital expenditure by the state governments, who are facing a difficult financial environment this year due to the shortfall in tax revenue arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.<br /><br />According to <keyword id="9291953" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-ministry-of-finance">the Ministry of Finance</keyword>, capital expenditure has a <keyword id="10421981" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="higher-multiplier-effect">higher multiplier effect</keyword>, enhancing the future productive capacity of the economy, and results in a higher rate of economic growth.<br /><br />"Therefore, despite the adverse financial position of the <keyword id="6357307" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Government">central government</keyword>, it was decided to extend a special assistant to the state governments in respect of capital expenditure, in the financial year 2020-21,"<br /><br />"The scheme has got very warm response from the state governments. So far capital expenditure proposals of Rs 9,879.61 crore of 27 States have been approved by the Ministry of Finance."<br /><br />As per the statement, an amount of Rs 4,939.81 crore has already been released to the states as the first instalment under the scheme.<br /><br />"The capital expenditure projects have been approved in diverse sectors of economy like, 'Health, Rural Development, Water Supply, Irrigation, Power, Transport, Education, <keyword id="111319" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-development">Urban Development</keyword>'."<br /><br />Besides, the scheme has three parts of which the first covers the north-eastern region.<br /><br /> "Under this part, Rs 200 crores is allocated to seven north-eastern states. In view of higher population and geographical area, Assam has been allocated Rs 450 crores under the scheme,"<br /><br />The second part of the scheme for all other states that are not included in part-I.<br /><br /> "An amount of Rs 7,500 crores is earmarked for this part. This amount has been allocated amongst these states in proportion to their share of central tax as per the interim award of <keyword id="9256069" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-15th-finance-commission">the 15th Finance Commission</keyword> for the year 2020-21,"<br /><br />In addition, the third part of the scheme is aimed at pushing various citizen-centric reforms in the states.<br /><br />"Under this part, an amount of Rs 2,000 crores is earmarked. This amount will be available only to those states who carry out at least 3 out of the 4 reforms specified by the Ministry of Finance in its letter dated 17th May, 2020 regarding reform linked additional borrowing permissions."<br /><br />Accordingly, the four reforms are - 'One Nation One Ration Card, Ease of doing Business Reform, Urban Local Body pr Utility Reform and Power Sector Reform'.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-irctc-hdfc-bank-tcs-tvs-motor-dalmia-bharat-ultratech-acc-ambuja-and-others/articleshow/79672813.cms">Top stocks to watch — IRCTC, HDFC Bank, TCS, TVS Motor, Dalmia Bharat, UltraTech, ACC, Ambuja, and others</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/best-smartphones-of-2020-in-india/slidelist/79675101.cms">Best smartphones of 2020 in India</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/reports-suggest-that-tata-adani-and-hinduja-group-are-interested-in-air-india-divestment-plan/articleshow/79675955.cms">Last date for Air India divestment plan nears — reports suggest that Tata, Adani and Hinduja Group are interested</a></strong><br />

All states except Tamil Nadu availed special capital expenditure scheme: Centre

<ul><li>In wake of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> outbreak, <keyword id="6361126" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="western-railway">Western Railway</keyword> is using the best ways possible to reiterate the importance of <keyword id="8897280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-distancing">social distancing</keyword> through its <keyword id="6354632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media">social media</keyword> pages. </li><li>It is using popular train songs and movie dialogues to remind people ‘how it stopped the train to break the chain.’ </li></ul>What do you say to your temptation of stepping out? “Not Today,” reminds Western Railway on Twitter. <br /><br />India’s busiest urban rail network, <keyword id="182986" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-locals">Mumbai locals</keyword>, that carries 80 lakh people every day, shut down on March 22 to curb the spread of Coronavirus, for the first time in its history. <br /><br />Amidst the nationwide lockdown, Western Railway is now reminding commuters in a social media campaign called ‘Ticket to Suraksha’ to stay put -- in the wittiest ways possible. Its latest strategy is to use vintage train songs to convey the importance of social distancing. <br /><br />It first referred to Ashok Kumar’s hit Bollywood song from 1968, ‘Rail Gaadi Rail Gaadi’ from the film Aashirwad to reiterate how it ‘stopped the train to break the chain.’ Playing with the last stanza, Western Railway said ‘<em>abhi toh sab station bole ghar pe hi ruk</em>,’ roughly translating to, now all stations are requesting you to stay home. <br /><br />It further said that “Staying quarantined at home is better than staying quarantined in a hospital later! Let’s stop #COVID19 from coming indoors by avoiding going outdoors. ”<br /><br />
  
  
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<br />Using another famous Marathi rhyme Jhuk Jhuk gaadi, it said that “We agree that your native place has more greenery and fresh air, but this lock-down is not the right time to travel to your native place.” <br /><br />
  
  
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<br />Not just now, Western Railway has always been famous for the ways in which it has been using humour to spread caution on social media. It has often borrowed from pop culture references to remind people that safety always comes first. <br /><br />
  
  
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<br />Even after the outbreak of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, Western Railways' spirit remains unshaken. From a play on the famous song ‘Keh do na, Soniya’ to latest Ganesh Gaitande’s ‘<em>Kabhi kabhi lagta hai apunich bhagwaan hai</em>,’ this government body has tried all rules in the book to speak to the millennials in their language. <br /><br />It has been reminding the youth to take all preventive measures such as avoiding touching their face, washing their hands, not stepping out, and keep using sanitizers. <br /><br />Here are a few of our favourites: <br />
  
  
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To break the COVID-19 chain, Mumbai locals stopped working; it is now using social media to reiterate the importance of social distancing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The daughter of a Miami firefighter was found dead at the <keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword> <keyword id="2266800" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="condo">condo</keyword> collapse, officials said. </li><li>The 7-year-old's father was working at the disaster site. Her identity hasn't been released yet.</li><li>At least 20 people have been confirmed dead, and more than 120 people are still missing.</li></ul><p>The young daughter of a Miami firefighter working at the disaster site of the deadly <a href="https://www.insider.com/part-of-miami-condo-block-from-ivanka-jared-caved-in-2021-6">partial Florida condo collapse</a> has been found among the victims, officials said on Friday.</p><p>Search-and-rescue crews "were able to identify a child whose father worked for the city of Miami Fire Department," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press briefing on the collapse.</p><p>The daughter was 7-year-old, officials said. They haven't released her identity yet.</p><p>"These are tough things for them," DeSantis said of the rescuers. "Obviously we focus on the families and rightfully so, but our folks have gone through a lot that are out there."</p><p>An anonymous rescuer <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/07/02/engineers-monitor-damaged-structure-as-rescue-crews-continue-their-search-for-victims-in-surfside/">told WPLG Local 10</a> that a fellow first responder, the child's father, made the heartbreaking discovery Thursday night as crews were searching through the debris at the crumbled 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside.</p><p>Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Alan Cominsky said members of the Urban Search and Rescue Team, Florida Task Force 2, found her.</p><p>"We're out there in different work groups. So out of the work groups that go through, they were a part," Cominsky said at the briefing. "The father wasn't part of that process, but obviously was notified."</p><p>Members of the search-and-rescue team carried the victim's body from the site and her father draped his jacket over her and put a small American flag on the gurney, the anonymous first responder told WPLG Local 10.</p><p>"Each rescue group, when we come across an individual, we pay our respect," Cominsky said.</p><p>"We do that and we honor all the loved ones we lost," he said.</p><p>At least 20 people have been confirmed dead in the horrific June 24 collapse of a massive wing of the oceanfront condo tower. More than 120 people remain unaccounted for.</p><p>Search-and-rescue operations at the site of the catastrophe were <a href="https://www.insider.com/florida-condo-collapse-rescue-workers-cracking-noises-2021-7">temporarily halted much of Thursday</a> over fears that the rest of the structure could collapse.</p>

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