Another dust storm may soon hit UP, Rajasthan; toll at 109, Agra worst hit

A severe dust storm followed by thunder showers hit parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan overnight, killing more than 100 people and leaving a trail of destruction. Houses collapsed and trees and poles were uprooted in the storm that also led to power outages. In Uttar Pradesh, the high-intensity dust storm left 73 people dead and 91 injured. In Rajasthan, 36 were killed, taking the combined death toll to 109. About 100 people were injured as winds over 100 kmph hit the region around 7 pm on Wednesday.

In UP, Agra district was the worst hit, accounting for 43 deaths and injuries to 35 others, officials said. Besides Agra, the other affected UP districts were Bijnor, Bareli, Saharanpur, Pilibhit, Firozabad, Chitrakoot, Muzaffarnagar, Rae Bareli and Unnao. In Rajasthan, Dholpur district was the worst affected with 17 killed.

Hemant Kumar Gera, Secretary, Disaster Management and Relief, said contigency funds have been released to the respective district administration. He said Rs 400,000 will be given to family members of deceased, Rs 200,000 to persons sustaining 60 per cent injuries and Rs 60,000 to people with 40 to 50 per cent injuries.

Patanjali to invest Rs 5,000 cr in current fiscal year, says MD Balkrishna

Patanjali Ayurved's managing director Balkrishna said here today that the company is planning to invest Rs 5,000 crore in the country in the current financial year.

"We are exploring possibilities to set up units in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, the North-East, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh," he told reporters here.

If all goes well, the company's food processing unit at Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 30 km from here, would be up and running by March, he said.

"Hopefully, the food processing unit will start production by March 2018 with an investment of Rs 500 crore," he said.

The plant will produce biscuits, suji, noodles and flour. It would process 1,000 tons of wheat daily, Balkrishna added.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has allotted 40 acres of land to Patanjali at the rate of Rs 25 lakh per acre, he said.

The company would also explore the possibility of processing fruits and vegetables in the state, he said.

"If the government provides us land, we will also set up a cow shelter in the state," he said.

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