Akhilesh orders probe into Varanasi stampede

The chief minister has constituted a one-man inquiry commission to probe into the stampede, a government release issued here said today.

The commission will be headed by retired Judge of Allahabad High Court, Justice <g data-gr-id="33">Rajmani</g> Chauhan, who has been asked to submit his report within two months, the release said.

As many as 25 people, mostly women, were killed in the stampede on the overcrowded Rajghat Ganga bridge in Varanasi on Saturday.

The incident happened when thousands of Jai Guru Dev followers were on their way to attend a religious congregation, two <g data-gr-id="34">kms</g> away in a village in Chandauli district.

New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated to the nation three hydro-electric projects (HEPs) with a generating capacity of 1,732 MW in Himachal Pradesh.

All the three power projects -- Koldam HEP (4x200 MW) of NTPC, Parbati HEP Stage-III (4x130 MW) of NHPC and Rampur HEP (6x68.67 MW) of SJVN -- are equipped with generating equipment supplied and commissioned by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), state-owned BHEL said in a statement today.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Union Health Minister J P Nadda and Power Minister Piyush Goyal were present on the occasion.

BHEL has a vast experience in hydro-electric projects having contracted more than 500 hydro generating sets with a cumulative capacity of more than 29,000 MW of various ratings in India and abroad.

BHEL's hydro installations are in operation in India and across the world in Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Malaysia, Nepal, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Rwanda and Vietnam.

The company is executing HEPs of around 3,300 MW in the country, which are at various stages of implementation, in addition to major hydropower projects in DR Congo and Bhutan.

More of <g data-gr-id="30">hydroprojects</g> means <g data-gr-id="36">reduction</g> of greenhouse gas emission, which helps in achieving a low carbon path. The government is contemplating inclusion of large hydro projects in the fold of renewable energy to provide an impetus to these projects.