"For instance, last year in Chennai, the PM 2."Such spots include Tuticorin, Mettur, Manali, Ennore and Cuddalore, he alleged. He alleged, "environment regulation has been so badly affected in the last two-three years. (Photo: File) Chennai: No south Indian city figured in the just- released global air pollution report of the World Health Organisation (WHO)."Tackling pollution is a continuous process involving multiple government agencies and the people too," he said.Such monitoring will help more in checking emissions which lead to air pollution.Kerala Pollution Control Board chairman, K Sajeevan, said though Kochi and Kozhikode faced pollution issues, contamination was still within limits in respect of PM 10 and PM 2.5 value ranged between 27 and 54 while the maximum permissible limit was 60. Our efforts are yielding results and pollution is not increasing as in the case of other cities," he said.Asked what helped in tackling pollution, a pollution control official in Tamil Nadu said efforts aimed at improvisation were always prioritised and such measures bore fruit.

Similar was the case in respect of other major cities like Coimbatore, he noted..5 or PM 10, the official said adding "it is much better when compared with other cities like New Delhi."Such "so-called high pollution levels," were confined only to some individual pockets reflecting isolated factors and does not reflect the true scenario in the entire city, he said.Municipal bodies, transport corporations were among the agencies being roped in to better tackle pollution."Regarding Andhra Pradesh, the state's Pollution Control Board Chairman BSS Prasad said constant monitoring of carbon emissions, particulate matter, suspended particulate matter, increase in green cover and a shift to clean energy sources helped in ensuring pollution levels are under check.Noting that monitoring stations has enabled them to take corrective steps, he said based on inputs region wise specific measures were taken like steps to curb dust pollution in Vijayawada."In Karnataka, Pollution Control Board chairman Lakshman said improved infrastructure, high awareness levels and emphasis on mass transport system contributed significantly in containing air pollution in the state, especially Bengaluru.

Such steps include the Vizag Port Trust and major industrial units like HPCL spending over Rs 1,700 crore to reduce pollution in their respective units. These regions are dotted with industries related to copper, fertiliser, plastic, chemicals besides thermal power plants.Checking fuel adulteration to rein in vehicle emissions, road widening and signal synchronisation to facilitate free # flow of traffic have helped combat pollution, he said..He demanded a complete 'overhaul' of TN Pollution Control Board to see tangible results to address pollution issues in the "real sense of the word.5/ 151/WHO data), he said it was "dynamic, and keeps changing all the time. Nobody is even bothered to check water, air or other form of pollution.Visakhapatnam, the port city that was classified as "critically-polluted" about eight years ago, has now got rid of the dubious tag, he said.5.Measures being planned to tackle air pollution better include putting in place advanced gadgets in industrial premises to enable real time monitoring, he told news agency PTI.

Declining to accept the "within the permissible range," data of the State pollution control board, noted environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman alleged that "Tamil Nadu is filled with industrial toxic hotspots."Pollution control has now become a focus for us.To a question on some real time air pollution (PM 2."A lot more needs to be done but steps are taken in this regard," he said.In Hyderabad, a Pollution Control Board official said based on the report of an expert committee many measures were being pursued to tackle air pollution better for several years now.He said one of the reasons for southern cities not figuring in the list was due to the highly humid South Indian environment.Initiatives like Bus Day, Less Traffic Day, construction of flyovers, pothole filling, road widening, shifting of bus stops to the outskirts too contributed well, Mr Lakshman said

The audio is clear, without any noticeable distortion — something that affordable Bluetooth headsets lack.(Also published on Deccan Chronicle). Zoook should have gone for some subtle LEDs to keep the light indications bare minimum. Zoook — hope you are hearing us here. These are difficult to reach — thanks to the odd position of the port and erratic rubber caps. Just a single button on both the earphones can control the same thing — receive or disconnect a call and play/pause the running music. Zoook should have allowed multiple click options to control your music, similar to how wired headphones operate. Even though the company claims 3.As for the personalised announcements, the ZB-Rocker Vibes have a built-in voice that prompts you to notify you about incoming calls, the connection status of each earbud and also the battery level. The ZB-Rocker Vibes have a negative point to counter every positive aspect about it. But then a micro USB charger is easier to find in case you need one. At first glance, you will associate it to be a device from the fraternity of AirPod-like devices as it has been shaped to look like one of the modern generation wireless earbuds. One cannot expect an active noise cancellation option in this price bracket, but Zoook could have worked out an option for at least providing passive noise cancellation.Verdict:If you are constantly on the move and are looking to buy a stereo Bluetooth headset but on a relatively affordable budget, then the Zoook ZB-Rocker Vibes should suit your needs.

However, if you are expecting some noise cancellation and heavy bass output, the ZB-Rocker Vibes could deter you. You could end up losing or dropping one of them when you are travelling in a crowded public transport. Apart from this, the earbuds are not as secure and don;t hold up extremely snug in your ear. We preferred to avoid using it in crowded places such as railway stations in order to keep people from looking at us with curious faces.Zoook has also put almost no controls on the ZB-Rocker Vibes. You can still compensate for that by playing around with your equaliser settings, but we still found them lacking that deep punches and thuds we were looking for. The charging ports are micro-USB, one on each bud.A wireless earbud should gel well with your attire and the ZB Rocker Vibes probably fail to do that. Zoook should have provided miniature charging ports rather than opting for micro USB ones. The company has bundled a dual micro USB (Y-cable) so that you can charge both the earbuds simultaneously. These earbuds are a tad bulky-looking — they ;kinda; protrude out of the ears to an extent that draws a lot of attention.5 hours of calls and 3 hours of music playtime, we managed to extract almost five hours of continuous average usage, which included a mix of calls and music.Zoook has two wireless earbuds — the basic one starts as low as Rs 2,500 (ZB-Rocker Vibes).

The rubber ear tips could have been designed to embed deeper into the ear canal to block as much external noise as possible.And then there’s the continuously flashing extra bright blue LED light on each of the earbuds.However, there’s a negative point to counter almost every positive area in the product. However, there are some worrying issues with the aesthetics of the ZB Rocker Vibes. Touch gesture controls could have been the best option, but the same could affect the price of the device. Though this is usually common with most recent Bluetooth earphones today, the voice is pretty subtle. This could give the user an additional control option from the earphone rather than reaching out to his smartphone to change the audio track. However, what takes away the glory of the two earbuds is the unwanted labels or markings (left and right ear) and the company;s warranty stickers, which ruin the entire appeal of the product. Rating: Since Apple unveiled its smart AirPods earlier in 2016, the demand for smaller and smarter wireless earbuds have risen ever since.

The overall audio quality is above average, and along with a commendable battery life, the price tag of Rs 2,500 is a great welcome.The earbuds look smart, groomed in a beautiful dark coloured and semi-glossy plastic casing.The ZB-Rocker Vibes are primarily meant for delivering your smartphone;s audio (or PC) to your ears, wirelessly, and we have to say that for the price Zoook sells these, they are definitely worth it. Charging the earbuds can top up the internal battery within an hour. The lights are so bright that they draw unwanted attention towards you and give the feel as though you are wearing some cheaper-quality, unbranded earphones (the usual Chinese stuff). The sound quality is good, with rich highs and decent mids.The Zoook ZB-Rocker Vibes are essentially good quality stereo Bluetooth earbuds, without falling into the ‘smart’ accessories bracket.The ZB-Rocker Vibes earbuds have an exceptionally good battery life. However, it clearly lacks the capability to render proper bass

Though he has succeeded in chasing his dream of having a farm, Anil says agriculture is still not a first choice for many youngsters as a profession. quit his job as an energy consultant and moved back to India to pursue farming. The farmhouse is equipped with environment-friendly amenities like solar power, biogas, etc. “We all are against deforestation.He also runs a cottage and a farmhouse where people can come and stay. Even though my job would take me to many places, I would miss those peaceful moments spent at my farm.The farm is also home to many medicinal plants. That’s when I heard about a natural farming method developed by Subhash Palekar, using gobar and urine of locally bred cows.

The rare variety of fruit harvested at Anil’s farm Whenever he visited his home back in Kerala in between his busy schedule, Kannur resident Anil K.. And it is a plastic-free zone,” says Anil. So I thought of coming back and getting into farming,” he says.Anil K. And when it comes to farming, people are not bothered about cutting trees or clearing forest land.It is kept cool throughout the year by the breeze from the Arabian Sea that filters through the natural forest canopy in the Western Ghats. Unlike the conventional practice of cultivation of one major crop on the entire stretch of the field, this concept allows the cultivation of as many as four or five crops on a small piece of land, in layers. Anil’s farmhouse is also a place for discussions and get-together for famers who have similar ideas.

We also promote agriculture. Spread over 10 acres, about 2 km from Josegiri, one of the trekking spots in the area, the farm is located close to the Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, at an altitude of 2,800 ft. The land in which my farm is situated is near the forest and when I started farming, I wanted to do it without affecting nature. “This is a convenient place for families, social and educational gatherings. In 2011, when Anil was going about his work, somewhere near Tanzania’s capital of Dodoma, he suddenly got the urge to stop what he was doing and return back to India.

From 2011, he started to meet farmers, seeking help and learning about how to grow vegetables, fruits and grains. According to Anil, one of the biggest reasons for deforestation in our place is agriculture itself. Since then, I have been following that at my farm,” he adds.After six year’s hard work, his Pukayunni Farm is home to almost 75 varieties of exotic fruits, including the rare miracle fruit, Synsepalum Dulcificum, a plant known for its berry which when eaten causes sour foods subsequently consumed to taste sweet.

Clearing the forest for planting crops or raising livestock is as bad as doing it for expanding cities or mining. never forgot to spend time at the small field near his home.Lemon wine, ackee apple, velvet apple, strawberry guava, milk fruit and soap tree are some of the other varieties in his collection. So I learned about four-layered farming, which is comparable to a natural forest

Now though, the couple - who met six years ago while working at a fast-food restaurant - are overjoyed to have welcomed a healthy baby girl, who was born on May 23 this year.After ordering the £3 syringe from Amazon and a £5 Tupperware box from Morrisons, for Ali to collect his sperm in, the pair chose a quiet night in October 2016 to start trying.Kerry Allen and Ali Thomson gave birth to Lanah in May, after carrying out artificial # insemination at home. Seeing Lanah (their baby girl) for the first time completed them.”Ali, a barman, and Kerry, who worked in Burger King until her pregnancy, say they 'just clicked' when they met – and have been best friends ever since.”He agreed and finding resolution after a few glasses of wine, Kerry asked Ali what he thought about having a baby with her.At home, Ali would collect his sperm in the Tupperware before collecting it in a medical syringe, which Kerry would then insert into her vagina and inject its contents before letting nature take its course.

The morning after, Kerry asked Ali if he was still interested in her plan – and he was.Kerry who shared her home in Berwick-upon-Tweed with Ali and their baby said that being parent was something they both wanted for a long time.Straightaway the pair started researching how they could get pregnant without having sex and found the 'turkey baster method' which sounded like the best, cheapest and easiest type of artificial insemination to suit their needs.The friends agreed they did not want to have sex and instead ordered plastic medical syringe from Amazon, and using the 'turkey baster method', where sperm is put directly into the vagina. Neither of us have ever had any sort of romantic feelings for each other and we wouldn't have the relationship we have now if he was.Last August, they decided to try for a baby for a second time - using the same £3 syringe as before, which they had kept on the bathroom shelf, and just sterilised. 

 A single mum has revealed how she gave birth to a baby girl fathered by her gay best friend after making a pact to become parents on a drunken night out.The best friends moved in together in 2014 and a year later, during a drunken night out, Kerry had a light-bulb moment.“Feeling broody, when I looked at Ali, I knew he would make a perfect dad.However, tragedy struck at 19 weeks when the pair were told, in 2017, that their child’s heart had stopped beating.The woman, Kerry Allen, 29, and Ali Thomson, 27, from Northumberland, gave birth to Lanah in May, after carrying out artificial insemination at home.On May 23 – two days overdue and after a five-hour labour – she gave birth to 6lb 11oz Lanah Allen-Thomson with Ali by her side again.She went on to add, “People do ask me, 'Don't you just wish Ali was straight?' But I don't.Despite their grief, the pair were determined to fulfil their wish to start a family, now even more sure they wanted to be parents together

The liquid goes into plastic tanks to ferment, often for as little as 12 hours, after fermentation, it’s about as strong as the average beer. Often, these drinks are made with local ingredients you may not find elsewhere, giving your taste buds a special memory of a place. The drink’s low alcoholic content and unique sweet taste is bound to be a hit with Indians. Whether beer, wine, liquor or even non-alcoholic drinks, regional beverage specialties can be a great way to delve into the local culture. The potatoes are mixed with caraway seeds to produce a potent liqueur. Finally, add schnapps until the coin is visible again. Pulque is a traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage produced from the fermentation of the fresh sap known as aguamiel (mead) extracted from several species of Agave (maguey) plants that grow in the Central Mexico plateau.Springbok from South Africa: A springbok is typically served as a shot.

With the addition of fruit juices, it comes in flavors such as guava, mango, coconut, strawberry and pineapple. It is a popular winter pick-me-up or a fine way to end a meal. The nickname Black Death is pretty exciting and its typically bottled at 37.Coffee punch from Denmark: First, you take a cup and put a coin in it. The drink mimics the colour of the springbok and veld, and the jersey of the Springbok team, by layering creamy Amarula over a vibrant green peppermint liqueur and green créme de menthe. As time passed by, different versions of mead in making were accepted. Different drinks are part of a country’s fabric, their culture, their celebrations, even their religion as long as you don’t go overboard, that is. In Danish, it’s referred to as kaffepunch. Coffee punch comes from a small island called Fano off the Esbjerg coast of Denmark.Brennivin from Iceland: Brennivin is a type of schnapps made from fermented potato mash. In Lithuania, the mead has been declared a national heritage product.

Even though many of these drinks may seem odd to you and me, they are all worth trying at least once. With every variation of “Cheers!” around the world, there’s often a traditional drink to complement the toast. It is the signature liquor and as the national drink of Iceland, it is also the traditional drink of a big mid-winter festival that takes place there. The fermented product is a milky white, viscous, and slightly acidic liquid beverage with an alcohol content between 4-6%. This fermented drink is made from honey, water, yeast, herbs and vegetable seasoning. Then you pour coffee in the cup until you cannot see the coin anymore.

It is a popular shooter named after the long-legged buck and the same-named South African rugby team that wears gold and green.There are more than 1,000 types of local produce beverages around the world and I strongly believe food and drinks are a major part of any destination.Mexican pulque: You talk of Mexico and you take a shot of tequila it’s that simple, but here I would like to draw your attention to a drink, which is a cousin of tequila and mezcal. It is said to be the national shot of South Africa.Lithuanian mead: It is said to be one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world and its root can be traced back to India. Every culture has at least one unique drink that visitors must try

There’s the gun milling machine that can finish a handgun’s frame in about an hour with minimal human interaction.Gunrunning remains the most profitable business in many parts of the world. The illegal sales of countrymade guns are more of a problem in India, which has one of the tightest controls on firearms ownership, even if corruption dilutes the principle behind such rigid controls. File photo of people fleeing from the open air Route 91 Harvest country music festival, Las Vegas, after a gunman opened indiscriminate fire at the audience. (Photo: AFP) The Las Vegas gunman increased his firepower manifold with a “bump-stock” on two semi-automatic weapons, converting them into fully automatic death dispensers shooting 400 to 800 rounds per minute with just one touch of the trigger. Making that one element at home means the entire process of assembling a working weapon requires no identification, no background check, no waiting period, not even a serial number that would allow the Department of Justice to track the gun’s existence,’ says the Wired magazine article.

Under US laws, the frame thus made is the only regulated part of the pistol. Wilson’s objective is universal access to arms, this being the gun creed of a radical libertarian who feels compelled to take on every restriction imposed, be it gun control or clamping down on hate speech. And now, Wilson is on to making a ‘ghost gun’ — a concealable, untraceable and entirely unregulated metal handgun, according to Wired magazine. How do you solve a problem posed by people with such beliefs? Technological advances, when used to suit a specific nefarious purpose, can be deadly. As technology gallops, spotting guns may be getting even more difficult. This may not happen elsewhere as hotels routinely scan luggage and handbags as guests pass through metal detectors. While the US may be fundamentally wrong in allowing just anyone to buy a firearm, emerging new tech may make any controls redundant.

If the imaginativeness behind spy movies creating guns that won’t show up on scanners becomes real, the authorities will be the ones suffering the headaches. He has gone a step further in making a milling machine that could churn out an untraceable AR-15 rifle from a chunk of aluminium. If the printed gun seemed the worst nightmare of the authorities, imagine the sleepless nights China Changan Eado Instrument Panel Body Factory the ‘ghost gun’ will impose on those tasked with keeping order and making the laws stick. Take a person named Cody Wilson who created the world’s first 3-D printed gun, which is a deadly plastic weapon anyone who can afford the expensive 1,500 printer can make at home with a download and a few taps of the keyboard. But such procedures are unheard of in a city that came up in the middle of nowhere, with the original Italian Mafioso from the eastern seaboard seeking legitimacy by backing casinos in the Nevada desert.

The larger issue is the fear of printed and ‘ghost’ guns may be about to explode while American society remains chary of revisiting gun control measures. ‘Under current US law, every other part of the gun, from its barrel to its slide to its tiny firing pin, can be ordered online with no questions asked..DIY guns may add to the problem of gun control even as the Las Vegas massacre demonstrated the extent of unlimited firearm ownership

The songs on this double album were composed during the band’s memorable visit to Rishikesh, in February 1968, to attend an advanced Transcendental Meditation [TM] training course at the nearby ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.S. But we’ve also got some demos of the songs, so you get things stripped right back to just John’s voice and a guitar. The former Beatle released two new singles within two days of his birthday — the plaintive, soul-soothing “I Don’t Know” and the sing-along, uptempo “Come On To Me” – as teasers for his forthcoming main feature, ‘Egypt Station’, which is due for release on September 7. You just think, how good was John? Amazing! We were having a good time. ‘Egypt Station’ will be McCartney’s first album of original material since 2013’s ‘New’, and it really is hard to believe that it will be McCartney’s 17th studio album, keeping in mind that I first commenced following his solo career some 45 years ago with the release of 1973’s ‘Band On The Run’. Meanwhile, his Beatles colleague, drummer Ringo Starr, is rocking the world too with his ‘All-Starr Band’ commencing their 2018 tour on June 2 in Atlantic City, which includes members such as Toto’s Steve Lukather, Gregg Rolie [formerly of Santana and Journey], Men At Work’s Colin Hay, and 10cc’s Graham Gouldman. I received different types of memorabilia from the Club, including postcards, slides [since known as transparencies], and even special plastic bags containing the Wings insignia. That is because of the classic quality of their recordings, and the ongoing musical initiatives undertaken by the surviving members of the band, McCartney and Ringo Starr.S.. The album itself is very cool and it sounds like you’re in the room; that’s the great thing about doing remasters.”

“Something sparks another memory, but it’s really nice because we were a great little band – I think we can agree on that. Expectedly, the duo of John Lennon-Paul McCartney wrote the bulk of the 30 tracks that appear on the album, but it was notable for Ringo Starr writing his first, “Don’t Pass Me By” and, when the Beatles were informed that the Maharishi had made sexual advances to women attendees, Lennon wrote a scathing song titled “Maharishi”, renamed “Sexy Sadie” to avoid potential legal issues. Starr thereafter travelled to Europe for a series of summer dates through mid-July before resuming a North American leg that restarts September 1.”, “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da”, “Helter Skelter”, and Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, featuring uncredited guitar playing from Eric Clapton. launched it three days later], is on its way.After a busy schedule of his ‘One On One’ tour last year, McCartney initially announced only one concert for 2018, appearing at the 17th annual Austin City Limits Music Festival in October but, on July 3, he announced his “Freshen Up” tour commencing in Quebec on September 17. The album will contain 16 tracks, including opening and closing instrumentals entitled “Station I” and “Station II”. “It’s all in place,” said McCartney.The writer has been part of media and entertainment business for over 23 years. He continues to pursue his hobby and earns an income out of it. In fact, I became so much of a fan during the ‘70s, including with his albums such as 1975’s ‘Venus And Mars’ and 1976’s

‘At The Speed Of Sound’, that I subscribed to McCartney’s band, Wings’ Fun [not “fan”] Club, which published a periodical magazine called “Club Sandwich”. As a precursor to the release of the two singles, McCartney filmed a ‘Carpool Karaoke’ segment for ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’ – where the host usually invites popular musicians to sing along to their songs while he drives on a planned route – in Liverpool on June 9 where, as part of the segment, McCartney performed a small gig at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Dining Rooms, where he played “Come On To Me” live for the first time.Beatles legacy continues even 48 years after its break-up.”Although the album was undoubtedly the beginning of the end of the Beatles for me, it is undoubtedly one of their finest efforts, both adventurous and fresh – containing songs that are now standards such as “Back In The U. Paul McCartney (right) in Carpool Karaoke with James Corden If one assumes that 1970 was the year in which the Beatles broke up — after all, it was indeed the year in which member Paul McCartney filed suit for the dissolution of the band’s contractual partnership – then it is 48 years since the group disbanded, but the popularity of their legacy remains unabated

“People always thought that homelessness in the city was about single male migrants but that’s not the case. I was shocked to see that many families have been here for multiple generations,” she says. “Very few people know that they have no connection to any village or semblance of a home outside Mumbai. They were born and raised right here, on the streets. They aren’t begging, but working. It was necessary to have a different outlook towards people who we walk past everyday and fail to notice,” she adds. Curator of the exhibition Rajeev Thakker from Studio X says, “Affordable housing and homelessness go hand in hand. No one actually considers this as a problem in the city,” he asserts. A messiah for the homeless in South Mumbai, Brijesh Arya has been working towards their welfare for seven years now, through Pehchaan. “We are also trying to highlight a 2010 Supreme Court order that mandates the government to build 125 shelters for the homeless. Currently there are shelters for women and children but nothing for families to stay together. They are not going to split up. They won’t go to shelters provided if they have to go alone. At present there are nine in the city and none for families,” he says. Anita Kharva Anita Kharva, 22, has lived her entire life on a footpath near Mumbai Central Station too. She earns her daily income through buying and selling old clothes. “My younger sister has a two-year-old daughter. I have been looking after her. I want to make her life better than mine. I don’t want her to be the way I am. I’ll teach her good English and make her self-sufficient.

I’ll make garlands, do the dishes — do what it takes to get her a better life. I want her to know that even if her maasi (aunt) was illiterate, she didn’t allow her to be one.”Sangeeta Ramesh Vaaghri32 -year-old Sangeeta Ramesh Vaaghri has been living near Mumbai Central Station all her life. Speaking about the challenges of living off the streets, she rues, "Sometimes there are drunkards that roam around our place at night. We swear at them and chase them away, but sometimes they are extremely drunk and it gets difficult to tackle them. I can’t sleep until 2 or 3 in the morning because I have to look out for my sister and me. If not shooed away, these men will come and sleep right next to us. So we have to stay up.”Radha Rajput A native of a village near Ahmedabad, 55-year-old Radha Rajput has been living on the streets near Charni Road for more than 50 years. Her paternal grandfather stayed at CP Tank initially, making garlands, until taxi drivers protested and authorities chased them away. “My grandfather used to stay here and now we are too. My grandfather did not know what a ration card was, so they just put up a tent and stayed here. We used to keep loitering around in search of a place to sleep. We used to wait for the shops to shut down so that we could go there and sleep.

There was no garden here. It used to be very secluded, but things are different now. I was married here and I know that I will grow old here as well.” Nasneem Mohammad Shah35-year-old Nasneem Mohammad Shah was born and raised on the footpath near JJ hospital. “My husband is a daily wage labourer and I have been residing here all my life. My father stays with me too and we are 10 members in the family. My kids go to school, but I’d love for them to have a place to keep their books, bags and uniforms. I work as a maid during the day and when officials shoo us away at night, we go to the shopkeepers nearby and sleep there. During monsoons, it’s all the more difficult because the plastic tarp is very costly.”On April 28, Studio X will host a panel discussion with Hilary Silver — Professor of Sociology and Urban Studies at Brown University; Brijesh Arya, Founder of NGO Pehchan; Carlin Carr,Founder, Megapolis India, Manish Jha, Dean — School of Social Work, TISS and Abha Singh, Lawyer

So, if an earthquake of 4 magnitude hits the city, the port can get an impact of 6. “In soft soil, even if the size of the tremor is small, it can get aggravated as the soil fails to restrain it. Additionally, ground water level is just below the surface which further increases risk factor due to “liquefaction”. Later, despite repeated attempts, he didn’t reply to our calls or text messages. In cases of rigid or hard soil, the impact of the waves lessens. And the waves created from it travel underneath the surface. However, other than JNPT, all other centres were found safe as most of them are located on solid, hard soil, which would control the tremor.Research investigated seismic ground effect at four sites including JNPT, Mumbai Port, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS).

Moreover, the ground water level of the area is just below the surface of the port, which further increases the risk of adverse effects during any earthquake, said the research paper. But its Changan Eado Instrument Panel Body Factory characteristics get changed as it passes through layers of soil.”He highlighted the need to implement a region-specific study to survive during earthquakes and said “We can’t follow generalised techniques as the soil in India is diversified. However, its implementation in India is still limited and that’s why the mortality rate in India is higher. Professor Choudhury said, “Firstly, the soil of the area is soft and nearer to ground water. A file photo of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) is not only the busiest port in India, it is also the most susceptible to higher seismic hazard in Mumbai. The soil starts acting like semi-liquid and the surface loses weight, leading to the collapse of the construction on it.”

When The Asian Age contacted Anil Diggikar, chairman of the port, he first agreed to speak over the phone; however, when asked if he was aware of the situation, he disconnected the call.. However, it is just the opposite in soft soils,” said Deepankar Choudhury, professor, department of civil engineering, IIT-B, who supervised the research. The velocity of the waves depends on the nature of the soil that it passes through. Research revealed that the JNPT site shows highly plastic and compressible soft marine clay up to a depth of 13 to 15 metres. “During any earthquake, the tremor starts from an epicentre which lies kilometres away from the surface.Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) is not only the busiest port in India, it is also the most susceptible to higher seismic hazard in Mumbai

That would probably seal it for the genuine users who make up more than 99.Cards that operate with biometrics, cards that work only when the owner holds it. Of course, the confidence that a lost card cannot be used by anyone else thanks to the unique fingerprint of each person, is alone sufficient to banish the fear of accidental loss of a card.For years, users have been haunted by the possibility of not only losing the data on their cards by clever strategies of data thieves, who seem to be one step ahead regardless of what the world does to protect itself against their machinations, but also of misplacing the cards or losing them altogether.The time cannot be far off when a fingerprint and iris scan may be necessary as a two-step authentication to allow any sale or transaction.The key is biometrics. Use a card at the Kuala Lumpur airport for even an innocent act like buying a bottle of Scotch and your card company would want to replace your card the moment you land back in India for fear it has been cloned when the purchase was made. There is a tertiary step, which is facial recognition that has now come into some expensive smartphones.

The safest avenue for payments on offer right now is biometrics backed authentication from an encrypted digital template.Card companies can be quite helpful about waiving unproven debits, but even they are prisoners of the capacity for mischief of the card cloners, the data thieves and the seductive voices of shady BPOs who specialise in phishing scams, luring the unwary into an online maze from which recovery of stolen money is virtually impossible. The technology is adequate to keep the thieves busy working on how to get past this hurdle. It is reported that the authentication process will take place only if the finger remains on the sensor part of the card. Can cut if you likeRight now, biometrics is the best bet and any scenario like in Hollywood crime movies of a finger being chopped off to make authentication possible should remain in the realm of the imagination of movie makers. The nuisance value can be imagined if the loss of a card takes place while touring abroad!There is one other annoying habit of card users that places them at great risk — that of forgetting to take back the card after grabbing the notes that slip out of the ATM.The irritation of dealing with debits that were not run up by the owner of the card could well be a thing of the past if the fingerprint scanning cards become commonplace. There, after all, might be good news for all credit/debit card holders.9 per cent of card users