"The day ahead is likely to remain clear, but mist/haze can occur on Saturday morning," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature of the day is likely to hover around 30 degrees Celsius, the official said.

According to the weather office, the humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 96 percent.

Thursday's maximum temperature settled at 30.4 degrees Celsius, five notches above average and highest for the season.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 11.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, one notch below the season's average.

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Tropical Cyclone Winston, a category 5 cyclone, hit the Pacific Ocean island nation on February 20, claiming 44 lives.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj wrote to her Fijian counterpart Ratu Inoke Kubuabola to express her condolences, ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said adding that India had extended 1 million dollars as immediate assistance.

"In addition, today (Thursday) a C-17 Globemaster aircraft has left for Fiji with 45 tonnes of relief material, which includes food products such as noodles, biscuits, milk powder, rice pulses, flour and salt, as well as 5.43 tonnes of medicines and 300 tents and kitchen sets," Swarup said at a media briefing here.

People of Indian origin account for 44 percent of Fiji's population. Most are descendants of Indians who went in the 18th and 19th centuries to work as indentured labour in sugar cane plantations in the island nation.

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"The sky will remain partly cloudy throughout the day. Mist or haze is very likely to occur in the morning," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature of the day is likely to hover around 30 degrees Celsius.

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 84 percent while the visibility at the same time stood at 2,000 metres.

Wednesday's maximum temperature settled at 30.3 degree Celsius, five notches above the season's average temperature, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season.

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The quake tremors, epicentred in Sindhupalchowk district of central Nepal, were felt at 3.07 p.m. (local time). The district was badly hit in the April 25 quake last year, the National Seismological Centre said.

People came out of their houses and offices screaming when the tremors were felt.

A total of 435 aftershocks above 4 on the Richter scale have been recorded in the Himalayan nation during the past 10 months.

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The Fijian government was working to restore normalcy in the country after the cyclone also left 89 people injured and one person missing, Efe news agency reported.

Minister for Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu said the official casualty figures will rise further when the authorities will be able to access the areas most affected by the cyclone.

The cyclone struck the country last weekend with sustained wind speeds of 230 kmph (143 mph) and gusts of up to 325 kmph (202 mph).

"Although the worst of the storm has now passed, Winston has left a terrible trail of destruction," said Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

"The need is great and urgent... the reconstruction process will take time. Perhaps a long time. Nearly nowhere has been spared of the scars," said Bainimarama.

Fiji has a population of about 810,000 people, 87 percent of whom live on the islands of Viti Levu (west) and Vanua Levu (north).

Meanwhile, the Emergency Operation Centre reported that there were around 19,290 persons in the evacuation centres.

Aerial photographs taken by the military aircraft of New Zealand, offering support to the Fiji government, show entire villages wiped out by the cyclone.

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"The day ahead is likely to remain clear, but mist is very likely to occur on Thursday morning," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature of the day is likely to hover around 29 degrees Celsius.

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 86 percent while the visibility at the same time stood at 3,000 metre.

Tuesday's maximum temperature settled at 29 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season's average while the minimum temperature was recorded at 13.4 degrees Celsius, two notches above the average for this time of the season.

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Besides, at least 21 people were suffering serious injuries, Xinhua quoted Akapusi Tuifagalele, director of Fiji's National Disaster Management Office, as saying.

The toll may rise further as police were trying to get confirmation on some reports of missing persons.

Over 8,400 people were housed in evacuation centres around the country, Tuifagalele said.

Many people have been stranded and urgently need food and shelter following Winston, a category 5 cyclone, which swept through Fiji last Saturday and left a path of destruction.

The government has been working to coordinate rescue and relief efforts, and has established bank accounts to receive financial donations to help those affected by Winston, considered the strongest tropical cyclone Fiji has so far experienced.

The United Nations has begun its assessment of the needs for international assistance to Fiji, and the UN's Pacific Humanitarian Team was reaching out to the authorities in a bid to determine what expertise and support were needed.

Meanwhile, several countries have extended a helping hand to the Pacific island country.

The Red Cross Society of China extended an emergency humanitarian aid of $100,000 to the Fiji Red Cross Society on Monday.

Expressing heartfelt gratitude for the "timely donation", Cathy Wong, president of the Fiji Red Cross Society said China was the first country to donate to Fiji.

A New Zealand plane landed in Fiji late Monday, carrying relief supplies and a joint team comprising military, fire service and health staff.

China's Ministry of Commerce has declared that it was working on a plan to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Fiji.

Both Australia and New Zealand have pledged to provide disaster relief fund to Fiji.

The US Agency for International Development is providing an initial $100,000 in humanitarian aid to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for critical relief supplies and basic water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to Fiji.

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The maximum temperature of the day is likely to hover around 28 degrees celsius.

"The sky is likely to remain clear, but in the afternoon there will be a slight haze in the air," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 65 percent.

Monday's maximum temperature was recorded at 27.8 degree celsius while the minimum temperature settled at 14 degrees celsius, both three notches above the season's average.

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The sky would remain clear throughout the day and the maximum temperature is likely to hover around 26 degrees Celsius, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 73 percent.

Sunday's maximum temperature was recorded at 26.2 degrees Celsius, a notch above the average for this time of the season.

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Akapusi Tuifagalele, director of the National Disaster Management Office, confirmed the latest nationwide death toll, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, officials confirmed to the government-owned Fiji Broadcasting Corporation that at least seven fishermen from the Yasawas group of islands in Fiji's western division were missing at sea. The fishermen went out to sea on Friday and have not been heard from since.

Fiji has declared a state of natural disaster for a period of 30 days. A curfew imposed during the cyclone was lifted on Monday morning.

China's Ministry of Commerce was working on a plan to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Fiji.

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Winston, a category 5 tropical cyclone -- the highest possible level -- swept through Fiji between the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu with wind gusts of over 320 km per hour, tearing roofs, uprooting trees and cutting power supply as well as communications, Xinhua reported.

The government has declared a 30-day state of natural disaster and imposed a nationwide curfew.

Schools around the country were directed to be closed for a week.

The curfew remains in effect till 5.30 a.m. Monday, Bainimarama said, adding that the move was aimed at protecting lives and property.

Evacuation centres across the country have been opened for the public, and disaster relief teams were working hard to help people resume normal life.

The authorities were assessing the extent of damage to property.

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The day ahead would remain clear and the maximum temperature was likely to hover around 27 degrees Celsius, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the weather office, the humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 94 percent.

Saturday's maximum temperature was recorded at 27.8 degrees Celsius -- three notches above the season's average -- while the minimum temperature was recorded at 20 degrees Celsius, nine notches above the season's average.

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Delhi: Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a press conference in Delhi on Dec. 16, 2015. (Photo: Sunil Majumdar/IANS)

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) In an effort to enhance disaster preparedness in India, tech giant Google on Tuesday announced public emergency alerts for floods in the country.

Along with flood alerts, Google users will also be able to access "river level" information for more than 170 areas in which the Central Water Commission (CWC) has active observation stations, the company said.

"Timely information is the first step in disaster preparedness and has the potential to save thousands of lives lost to natural disasters each year. By making critical information more widely available to people, flood alerts will enable citizens across the country to make quicker and more informed decisions," said Payal Patel, product manager, Google India.

These alerts can be accessed on Google web search, Google Now cards in the Google app, Google Maps, and on the Google Public Alerts homepage, on both desktop and mobile devices. The alerts will be created and shared using data provided by the CWC.

Among all the natural disasters that occur in India, floods are the most common. Chronic floods during the monsoon season on an average affect more than 30 million Indians annually. According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), on an average 7.21 million hectares (roughly 72,000 sq km) go under floodwater annually, Google said.

Heavy rains and floods also account for nearly 1,700 lives lost annually.

In 2015, the internet search giant introduced cyclone alerts to show information about cyclones in India. Clicking on the alert help users find information with details about the hazard, including a map and expected timeline, as well as tips on how to stay safe.

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Patna, Feb 7 (IANS) It's an area prone to annual devastating floods but little empirical data about it was available to anticipate potential disasters and maintain resilient livelihoods for the millions of people inhabiting the area. Now a Kathmandu-based international organisation dedicated to environmentally sound mountain development strategies has set up an information system to tackle the threat.

"We have created a platform known as the Kosi Basin Information System (KBIS) that integrates data on climate change, land use, sedimentation, and water-based livelihoods to help individuals understand the changes happening in the basin," Shahriar Wahid, Project Coordinator for the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), told IANS here.

He said the platform also provides a 48-hour flood warning, using data collected from satellite technology and national weather agencies. Last monsoon, for the first time, Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology used the regional flood outlook to issue a flood warning, added Wahid, who was here for a two-day knowledge forum workshop.

The project's partners from Nepal, India and China have been working for the past two years to generate knowledge and help communities in the basin prepare for disasters and maintain resilient livelihoods.

"The data and information are used by several institutions in India, Nepal and China for collaborative and development-oriented research on water, food, energy and environment in the basin," Wahid said.

He said KBIS aims to facilitate data and information sharing and promote inter-disciplinary collaboration between different water stakeholders such as technical professionals, researchers and common people.

Floods and related disasters are a perennial concern in the Kosi basin, where seasonal monsoon rains and glacial melting frequently lead to dangerously high water levels in the river. Bihar, where the Kosi merges with the Ganga, is India's most flood-prone state, with 76 percent of residents in the northern regions vulnerable to recurring floods.

Bihar annually suffers the loss of life, property, infrastructure, and agriculture due to floods. According to the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, floods displaced 33,200 people in 2014.

Kosi is one of the most sediment-laden rivers in the world, making it highly prone to flooding. One of the most serious disasters occurred in August 2008 with the breaching of the Kusaha embankment near the India-Nepal border, resulting in flooding of five districts of north Bihar.

The floods killed over 400 people and rendered nearly three million people homeless and destroyed crops spread over 840,000 acres of land.

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New York, Jan 29 (IANS) An Indian American man, with the help of his son, has invented a snowmelt system that helps melt snow an inch and half per hour, the media reported on Thursday.

Raj Parikh, who has lived at the New Jersey house in the US since 1980, has radically redesigned it in accordance with nature, calling it as the “Zenesis House”, hardly had to do any shovelling in the last week's snow blizzard in the country.

The house has no furnace, no air conditioner and no hot water heater but has the ability to melt the snow right off the driveway, reported the www.nj.com.

Using the powers of nature to fight the snow, the Parikh family developed a geothermal snowmelt system that warms the water to about 100 degrees using solar collectors and geothermal pumps. That water is piped underneath the driveway and walkways.

The Parikhs use the sun and the ground to heat and cool the house as well. During the winter, the house intakes air warmed by the sun and carries it 12 feet underground to be heated by the ground before piping it inside.

The incoming air is also heated by exhaust air coming from the kitchen and bathroom. To cool the house, the air takes the same route; only it skips the solar collectors.

Heated driveways are widely available, but they usually burn gas or oil, Raj's son Asit was quoted as saying.

"They're burning fuel," he said. "There's no combustion in this system. It's just the earth and the sun."

The house also has systems to collect rainwater and the very snow it melts during winter storms.

“By capturing the sun's warmth during the day, and by utilizing 2 ground-source (geothermal) heat pumps and our proprietary heat exchange system, our snowmelt system keeps the driveway shovelled- even on blizzard day, ” Asit wrote on Facebook, expressing his happiness over the success of the system.

Indian American Raj Parikh Invents Geothermal Snowmelt System

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(160123) -- NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A pedestrian walks in snow in Queens of New York City, the United States, Jan. 23, 2016. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a travel ban in New York City Saturday. According to the ban, all non-emergency vehicles should be off the roads after 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference that the police would enforce the ban. He also urged Broadway theaters and restaurants to close immediately. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

Los Angeles, Jan 24 (IANS) Broadway shows and movie theatre screenings here have taken a severe beating following the unprecedented winter storm over the weekend that has dumped more than three feet of snow on the streets.

The Broadway League canceled all shows on Saturday in the wake of a government ban on travel and the suspension of some public transportation in the city, reports variety.com.

Even websites showed that screenings at some movie theaters in Manhattan had been suspended. Other social and cultural events in the city also were nixed, including a concert with actress-singer Rita Moreno at Lincoln Center.

The winter storm turned into a blizzard in the New York City area, with the National Weather Service predicting more snow. A ban was placed on travel and bus services were suitably altered. Even subway services were affected.

When it comes to cancelling Broadway shows, the Broadway League tends to follow the lead of the New York City and state governments as well as the MTA.

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(160123) -- WASHINGTON D.C., Jan. 23, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Young men run in heavy snow in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 23, 2016. Over 43cm of snow were reported in Washington D.C. on Saturday morning, as the snow storm keeps until midnight. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Washington, Jan 24 (IANS) Several National Hockey League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) games were postponed due to a major snowstorm that hit the United States east coast.

Philadelphia Flyers game with the New York Islanders on Saturday was called off because of the heavy snow and high winds, reports Xinhua.

The game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in Washington on Saturday afternoon was also postponed.

On Friday, the NBA postponed Utah's scheduled game at Washington and Boston's scheduled game at Philadelphia.

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(160123) -- NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A store closes due to heavy snow in Queens of New York City, the United States, Jan. 23, 2016. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a travel ban in New York City Saturday. According to the ban, all non-emergency vehicles should be off the roads after 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference that the police would enforce the ban. He also urged Broadway theaters and restaurants to close immediately. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

Washington, Jan 24 (IANS) A monster storm paralysed major cities from Washington to New York along the US East as it dumped more than three feet of snow in some places, disrupting road and rail traffic and grounding thousands of flights.

At least 19 storm related deaths were reported in several states, more than 160,000 people lost power, about 140,000 of them in North Carolina and South Carolina alone, travel was banned in New York and more than 10,000 flights were cancelled.

As of Saturday evening, Glengary in West Virginia reported the highest snowfall, with 40 inches. The storm ranked No. 3 in terms of snowfall accumulation in New York City history with at least 25.1 inches

Dubbed "Snowzilla" and "Snowmageddon 2016", it was among Washington's biggest too with Dulles International Airport getting 26.5 inches. The record for Washington is 28 inches, set in 1922.

As many as 11 states -- Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia -- declared states of emergency. Washington, DC, has declared a "snow emergency."

The storm caused major traffic tie-ups on highways in Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Road accidents Friday night caused a 7-mile-long backlog involving around 500 vehicles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, CNN reported.

In central Kentucky, some drivers were stranded along a 35-mile stretch of Interstate 75 for as long as 19 hours, from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning.

Mass transit services in Washington and Baltimore have been suspended for the weekend. US national railway Amtrak's service to and from the East Coast has either been cancelled or truncated.

In New Jersey, the storm's winds were pushing water from the ocean into the state's barrier islands.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

'Snowzilla' Paralyses US from Washington to New York

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The massive winter storm system pummeled the eastern US, dumping nearly 58 cm of snow in suburbs of Washington DC to New York. (Photo: NASA)

Washington, Jan 24 (IANS) The US space agency has captured stunning images of 'snowzilla' blizzard from space that has walloped the eastern US, killing at least 14 people and paralysing road, rail and air traffic.
The massive winter storm system pummeled the eastern US, dumping nearly 58 cm of snow in suburbs of Washington DC to New York, with two low-pressure systems merging into a potent nor'easter that dropped heavy snow from Virginia to New England.

A nor'easter (also northeaster) is a macro-scale storm along the upper east coast of the US and Atlantic Canada.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired the images of the winter storm system.

"Snow totals have topped 30 inches in at least four states, and at least 12 inches have been recorded at locations in eight states, with many more hours left to the storm," NASA said in a statement.

According to various news reports, at least, 14 people have died storm-related deaths and thousands spent a night stranded in cars and trucks on highways in Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

A CNN report said 14 people that were killed include six in North Carolina, three in Virginia, one in Kentucky, three in New York City and one in Maryland.

At least 9,500 flights have been cancelled and citizens were ordered to stay off the roads in some cities and towns.

The winter storm forced postponement of hundreds of events -- including the National Basketball Association games in Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

Eleven states declared states of emergency: Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia.

Washington has declared a "snow emergency".

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New York, Jan 23 (AFP) A travel ban was slapped today on New York and its suburbs, with authorities shutting roads and canceling rail service as a massive snow storm pummeling the US East Coast took aim at the Big Apple.

Road travel in the so-called downstate area of New York, Long Island and the lower Hudson valley was to begin at 2:30 pm, state Governor Andrew Cuomo announced.

Commuter trains connecting the suburbs to Manhattan were to be suspended from 4:00 pm, along with above-ground subway service. Bus service in New York has also been cut off.

"Public safety is job 1," Cuomo said on Twitter.

"This will very likely be one of the worst storms in City history. Go home. Stay home. Stay safe today," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted.

Public transit in Washington was shut down for the weekend, as was most rail service in Philadelphia as the monster storm -- dubbed "Snowzilla" -- dumped mounds of snow along the US East Coast.

Up to two feet was expected in major cities.

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Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) A monster snowstorm clobbered the US East Coast from Washington to New York leaving major cities, railways and airports immobilised with the American capital right in the bull's eye buried under mounds of snow.

Up to 85 million people are in the storm's path that has left at least 10 people dead nationwide. Over 160,000 homes in 13 states are without power and over 9,290 flights were cancelled from Friday, according to various media reports.

Hundreds of motorists from Kentucky to Pennsylvania were stranded on icy inter-states. Nearly a 1,000 traffic crashes and 800 disabled vehicles were reported in Virginia alone.

Eleven states -- Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia -- declared states of emergency. Washington has declared a "snow emergency".

Dubbed "Snowmageddon 2016", the storm has already surpassed the one in February 2010 when 17 inches of snow fell on Washington and it looked like topping the calamitous "Knickerbocker Storm" of 1922, which dumped 28 inches on the capital.

The weatherman offered no hopes of a letup warning of 18-40 inches of snow in some areas with 55 miles per hour (88 km per hour) wind gusts possible in Norfolk, Virginia.

Snow arrived in Washington on Friday afternoon and quickly intensified, with a depth of two feet possible by the time the last flakes fall on Saturday night, according to city Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Public transportation in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., was shut down as officials called on residents to hunker down and stay off the streets for the second day.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the expected snowfall for parts of his state has been upped "to about 16 to 24 inches".

While things are "so far, so good", Cuomo said Saturday morning "conditions will start to deteriorate" once the centre of the storm hits New York City around 11 a.m."

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Vasudev Lokhande is the beneficiary of an ambitious Maharashtra government programme to permanently transform the lives of farmers devastated by a record-setting drought, but he is unhappy about its benefits.

In an agrarian eastern corner of Indias most industrialised state, Lokhande a weathered, unsmiling farmer clad in sandals, crumpled brown pants and a dusty white shirt pointed to little pipe that poked through the stone wall of a well on the edge of his fertile, black-soil farm, five acres of cotton and pigeon pea.

The pipe is the outlet for a channel built to funnel rainwater into the well instead of letting it soak into the ground. It is part of the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan (Irrigated Farmlands Programme), on which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government has spent, for its first phase, Rs.1,400 crore in 2015 to make Maharashtra dushkal-mukt, or drought-free.

For Lokhande, the governments efforts have not worked. With rainfall over the last two years in three of the worst-affected districts that IndiaSpend visited comparable to the lowest in the 20th century, very little water made it to the well. Like many local farmers, he had to spend about Rs.30,000 to install a pipeline and a pump to bring in water from a natural pond half a km away.

I could bear the cost of pipeline and motor, said Lokhande. The majority of the farmers in my village cannot.

IndiaSpends investigation of the programme reveals that the government is spreading itself thin in its efforts to reach more farmers as the droughts efforts worsen. Lokhandes village, Ghodkhindi, is now one of 34 up from five earlier this year listed for the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan in Yavatmal taluka in the cotton-rich eastern district of the same name.

When the programme began, the worst-affected villages were selected, an agriculture officer told IndiaSpend on condition of anonymity. Later, we were told to include all the villages that were now receiving drinking water from tankers.

While the weekly tanker data of the states water supply department showed no tanker supplying water to Yavatmal taluka in 2015, the district collectors office reported 10 tankers plying in the summer of 2015, up from 3, 1 and 11 in 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively.

The original government order mandated at least five villages per taluka, which takes the village count to 1,800. As distress spreads, that number is now up to anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000, according to a government official who requested anonymity.

As many as 1,109 farmers in Maharashtras water-stressed Marathwada region of eight districts ended their life in 2015, according to an Indian Express report.

Rainfall over the last two years in three of the worst-affected districts that IndiaSpend visited (in Marathwada and Vidarbha) was comparable to the lowest in the 20th century.

Nine of Indias 29 states Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal declared a drought in 2015, seeking as much as Rs.20,000 crore in Central aid. The centre has given Maharashtra the highest agricultural aid: Rs.3,049 crore.

A staggering 302 of the countrys 640 districts are living with drought-like conditions. The success or failure of Maharashtras drought-proofing programme is likely to be closely followed by other states.

Rain so inadequate that wells dry up in November

The purpose of Jalyukt Shivar is to irrigate the village in times of utmost scarcity. Now, state officials argued, low rainfall has crippled the programme.

Maharashtras situation its agricultural output is Indias second largest is universally difficult, with rainfall short by 40 percent in 2015, the third year of deficit (it was 30 percent short in 2014, 20 percent in 2012 and above average in 2013).

Maharashtra has Indias greatest stock of water for irrigation: 35 percent of the countrys large dams and the second-largest amount of annual water resources that can be replenished, after Uttar Pradesh.

A closer look at Ghodkhindi, farmer Lokhandes village, reveals why the Jalyukt Shivar struggles. The village has 40 micro-irrigation projects, of which the taluka agriculture department claims to have completed 15.

A third of the households (89 of 230) in the village depend on full-time farming, while agricultural labourers comprise 42 percent (471 of 1,135) of the population, cultivating small tracts of land, according to census data.

Experts and farmers told IndiaSpend that Jalyukt Shivar uses a piecemeal approach that does not account for the geological underpinnings of traditional watershed systems. It creates two problems: it spreads itself thin by benefiting only a few farms, and, instead of a long-term measure to make an area drought-free, it offers only temporary relief.

It doesnt help that the rainfall is now lower than the lowest that anyone remembers. But this is no longer news to swathes of Maharashtra.

Many areas now live in drought-like conditions

For the last four years, drought-like conditions have prevailed in the central Maharashtra district of Beed in the Marathwada region, once part of the Nizam of Hyderabads arid dominion.

The scarcity, said experts, is beyond the normal deficiency in the last 20 years. Erratic, unseasonal rainfall unsettling Indias agriculture, economy and politics are no aberrations, IndiaSpend reported last year.

Extreme rainfall events in central India, the core of the monsoon system, are increasing and moderate rainfall is decreasing as a part of complex changes in local and world weather according to a clutch of Indian and global studies.

In Maharashtra, successive years of low rainfall have resulted in falling groundwater levels and early drying of natural streams.

While the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan struggles to cope with the magnitude of Maharashtras rural water crisis, it has, as we shall explain subsequently, worked in some cases mainly for farmers with large land holdings. The successes and failures indicate how the programme might need to be reworked.

(First of a two-part series. On Jan 25: Why Maharashtra water plan benefits large farmers)

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform, where Waghmare is a policy analyst. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. The author can be contacted at respond@indiaspend.org)

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Washington, Jan 23 (PTI) A life-threatening blizzard which is expected to pound a record 30 inches of snow has hit most part of the US' east coast including Capital Washington DC, leaving more than 120,000 homes without electricity and paralysing lives of millions of people in the region.

The States most effected by the blizzard are North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York, in addition to Washington DC.

As per the latest count, more than 120,000 homes were left without electricity as the monstrous snow storm with gusty winds started pounding several inches of snow across the region yesterday.

A State of emergency has been declared in about half a dozen States along the region and the national capital of Washington DC as the blizzard is expected to pound a record 30 inches of snow over the weekend.

"We have a forecast that we did not had in 90 years. It has life-and-death implication, and all the residents of the District of Columbia should treat it that way," Washington DC Mayor Miriel E Bowser said, adding the District National Guard has been deployed for duty.

"The combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds will produce whiteout conditions and extremely dangerous travel," the National Weather Service said.

According to the National Weather Service, the blizzard is expected to last about 36 hours and leave more than two feet of snow in some places.

In a tweet, the service said "the real teeth" of the storm would be felt midnight through today afternoon.

"Heavy snow, increasing winds, lightning threat," it said.

In Virginia, local media reported a large number of accidents took place yesterday evening.

Virginia State Police responded to more than 800 traffic accidents.

With temperatures below the freezing temperature, people stayed indoors and found safe shelter to stay warm.

Local governments across the region have deployed hundreds of plows and salt trucks to clear out snow on major roads and highways.

Unlike a normal Friday night festivities, most of the downtowns, malls and restaurants wore a deserted look and there was hardly any traffic on the road.

Several thousand flights have been cancelled and public transportation system have been shut down as a precautionary measure.

One weather-related fatality was reported in Chesapeake on Friday afternoon, police said.

In a statement, North American Telugu Association urged community members to stay indoors and take all precautions for safety.

Virginia has a large number of Telugu population.

A number of temples and other places of worships including gurdwars in the entire region have opened up its door for shelter less people.

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Washington, Jan 22 (IANS) US East Coast braced Friday for a winter blizzard of epic proportions with about 75 million people in the storm's path and the American capital right in the bull's eye. Preparing for what people are calling "Snowmaggedon 2016" that could bring up to 30 inches of snow to Washington starting Friday afternoon and into Saturday night, schools and colleges across the region announced closures.

Fearful of the coming blizzard, lawmakers took early flights out of town and the region's mass transit system took the rare step of announcing it would shut down for the weekend.

The governors of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia declared states of emergency Thursday, as did the Mayor of Washington.

All urged people to stay off the roads and stock up on food and emergency supplies as a relatively light dusting Wednesday left an unprepared Washington metro area a slippery mess along mostly untreated roads Thursday morning.

Even President Barack Obama's motorcade was caught in the gridlock as his motorcade using hazard lights Wednesday made its slippery way from Joint Base Andrews to the White House.

"Heavy snow and blowing snow will cause dangerous conditions and will be a threat to life and property," the National Weather Service warned.

"Travel is expected to be severely limited if not impossible during the height of the storm Friday night and Saturday."

With 7 to 15 inches of snow forecast by the end of the weekend in New York, the city's mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered some 4,800 sanitation workers charged with clearing streets to go on to 12-hour shifts Friday.

Ahead of the expected storm, airlines have begun to cancel flights from Washington area's three airports.

Nearly 2 feet of snow fell in February 2010's "Snowmageddon" storm, which cut power to hundreds of thousands in the region.

But it still fell short of the calamitous "Knickerbocker Storm" of 1922, which dumped 28 inches and killed nearly 100 people when the roof of a theatre by that name collapsed under the weight of snow, according to CNN.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

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Imphal, Jan 5 (IANS) The newly-constructed building of the Manipur assembly at Chingmeirong here was partially damaged due to Monday's earthquake, an official said here.

An engineer who visited the complex along with Works Minister T. Ratankumar on Tuesday morning said on condition of anonymity that the building might not withstand another earthquake of high magnitude.

Officials said once an expert committee submits a report, a decision will be taken on whether a new assembly secretariat should be constructed or the present one repaired and
strengthened.

Earlier, accompanied by engineers and high officials, Ratankumar visited the assembly complex on Tuesday morning to assess the damage to partially damaged buildings.

A temblor had jolted Manipur and other north-eastern states apart from West Bengal and adjoining countries of Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan at 4.35 a.m. on Monday. The quake's epicentre was in Manipur's Tamenglong district.

Lok Sabha MP T. Meinya said he had sanctioned Rs.10 lakh from his MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) funds for undertaking relief in his Inner Manipur constituency. "This is the first instalment. If necessary, more fund will be released," he said.

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Chicago, Jan 2 (AFP) Record flooding from the rain-swollen Mississippi River and its tributaries stressed dams and levees to the breaking point in parts of Illinois, one of several central US states reeling from winter storms that have killed some two dozen people.

As national guardsmen began helping hundreds of Illinois residents flee rising floodwaters, authorities warned today that levees in the state were under stress and that those along the entire Mississippi River were near capacity.

Authorities said they were continuing to search for more victims as the death toll continued to mount after several days of heavy rain deluged vast area of the US Midwest.

The US National Weather Service warned that a flash flood watch in affected areas would remain in place through late tomorrow.

Swaths of the United States have been buffeted over the holiday season by tornadoes, storms and torrential rain, while the US East Coast has seen unseasonably warm weather.

Missouri and Illinois have been particularly hard hit by the record-breaking and relentless deluge, with many river levels in the area at all-time highs.

The death toll from the flooding in the Midwest is now at 23, CNN said. Fifteen of the dead were in Missouri and eight in Illinois.

But the toll could rise, with increasing concerns about the fate of a missing Illinois teenager last seen several days ago.

Authorities said they have recovered the body of another teen who also went missing in the deluge.

There were growing fears too for residents in southern Illinois, where the rising Mississippi River reportedly topped a levee, putting several towns and rural communities at risk.

In all, 11 levees have failed in Illinois and Missouri, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Weather Service urged people to follow evacuation orders, saying levee failures could lead to "sudden and potentially deadly flooding."

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, who toured some of the affected communities, tweeted: "I have ordered Illinois National Guard soldiers into active duty to aid local efforts to save lives and mitigate flood damage in southern IL."

Forecasters warned that southern US states were in increasing danger in the days and even weeks to come.

"Major flooding is occurring or forecast on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and tributaries in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, with record flooding at several locations," the National Weather Service said.

"Major flooding is also occurring on the Arkansas River and tributaries in Arkansas. Floodwaters will move downstream over the next couple of weeks, with significant river flooding expected for the lower Mississippi into mid-January."

There was some relief, however, in the St. Louis area of Missouri, where flooding was at last receding.

For many, the big cleanup now begins. The less fortunate saw their homes wiped out.

"We're just basically homeless. We have nowhere to go," Damon Thorne, 44, told ABC News.

He and his 60-year-old mother Linda were staying at a Red Cross shelter at a church after their mobile home park in Arnold, Missouri was washed away by the surging Meramec River.

Search for More Victims As Deadly US Floods Stress Levees

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Beijing, Jan 2 (IANS)

Snow will hit northern and northeastern regions, while rain will sweep some parts in the southern areas on Monday and Tuesday, the National Meteorological Centre forecast.

There was a new yellow alert on Saturday for smog in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Sichuan, China Radio International reported.

China has a four-tier warning system, with red as the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The public has been warned to take protective measures when engaging in outdoor activities, and those who suffer from respiratory diseases are advised to stay indoors.

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Chicago, Jan 2 (AFP) The Illinois National Guard was ordered into action and hundreds of people urged to flee rising floodwaters, as the death toll from days of heavy rain in the US Midwest mounted.

Swathes of the United States have been buffeted in the last week by tornadoes, storms and torrential rain, while the US East Coast has seen unseasonably warm weather over the holiday season.

Missouri and Illinois have been particularly hard hit from the record-breaking and relentless deluge in the past week.

The death toll from the flooding in the Midwest rose to 22 after a man's body was recovered in Missouri, ABC News said.

Fifteen of the dead were in Missouri and seven in Illinois.

There were growing fears for southern Illinois, where the rising Mississippi River reportedly topped a levee, putting several towns and rural communities at risk.

Hundreds of people were urged to evacuate.

Bruce Rauner, governor of Illinois, tweeted: "I have ordered Illinois National Guard soldiers into active duty to aid local efforts to save lives and mitigate flood damage in Southern IL."

Forecasters warned that southern US states were in increasing danger in the days to come.

"Major flooding is occurring or forecast on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and tributaries in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, with record flooding at several locations," the National Weather Service said.

"Major flooding is also occurring on the Arkansas River and tributaries in Arkansas. Floodwaters will move downstream over the next couple of weeks, with significant river flooding expected for the lower Mississippi into mid-January."

There was some relief, however, in the St Louis area of Missouri, where flooding was at last receding.

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Washington, Dec 30 (IANS) Several locations along the Mississippi river from St. Louis down to the delta are anticipating major flooding, possibly even breaking record flood levels, the US National Weather Service said.

Extreme weather has affected the US over the past few days and residual flooding and/or the threat for flooding will persist from Oklahoma to Illinois, the weather service said on Tuesday.

Heavy rainfall, flooding and tornado outbreaks affected areas of the US from the Southwest through the Midwest from December 23-December 27.

NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission core satellite analysed extreme weather that affected the US over the course of five days.

GPM is an international satellite mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to provide next-generation observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours.

An analysis was made of the rainfall that occurred during the period from December 21 to December 28.

The analysis used data generated by NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG).

This analysis showed that during the past week the highest rainfall totals of almost 938 mm (36.8 inches) were measured by IMERG in the state of Alabama.

The powerful thunderstorm that moved from northern Mississippi into Tennessee generated two tornadoes. Fourteen deaths alone occurred with tornadoes that hit Benton, Mississippi on December 23, NASA said.

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New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) India is set to get its first early earthquake warning and security system with the launch of an advanced technology by Germany-based Secty Electronics early next year, the company said in a statement.

Currently operational in 25 countries, the system is being launched in India as a result of a joint venture with New Delhi-based Terra Techcom Pvt. Ltd.

"The system proposed by us is a complete and only system in the world for early earthquake warning along with all in one security features which includes building management system," said Bijender Goel, managing director, Terra Techcom.

Secty Electronics developed the early earthquake warning and security system about a decade ago with the collaboration of GFZ-Postdam German Research Centre for Geosciences.

"It is the right time for Indian Government to introduce this technology to the people. Department of Earth Science is responsible to look after of all such inventions. We are looking forward to have the approval and implementation of this technology by Indian Government so that we could serve our nation," Goel said.

"Our system is not only a seismic switch for the on-site early warning but capable of releasing early warning of an earthquake. It gets activated automatically and takes step automatically for the security and safety of people and infrastructure by shutting off lifts, electricity, gas supply, water supply, opens emergency gates and warn people of an earthquake by giving an alarm," Goel said.

He said the system was able to provide warning 30 seconds in advance of 2010 Chile earthquake.

It is a matter of record that there is no such technology available in the world that can pre-alarm much in advance of an earthquake.

The technologies, presently available, are based on detecting P-waves or primary waves of an earthquake and they can provide warning a few seconds before the earthquake.

However, even a few seconds could help reduce the effects of a disaster significantly especially by protecting government infrastructure, chemical Plants, highly sensitive laboratories/ plants, and hospitals, among other facilities.

Along with Japan, Nepal, Ecuador, Philippines, Pakistan, El Salvador, Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia, India is among the 10 most earthquake-prone countries, the statement said.

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An aerial image taken Sunday, December 27, 2015 shows the path of a tornado tornado through Garland, Texas. Violent storms ripped through the North Texas area late Saturday, spawning tornados that killed 11 people. (G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News)

Garland (Texas), Dec 27 (AP) Tornadoes that swept through the Dallas area caused substantial damage and at least 11 people died either from the storm or related traffic accidents and dozens of people were injured.

It's the latest in a succession of freakish winter-weather events across the country that could include heavy snow and massive flooding today from north Texas through eastern Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, western Arkansas and parts of Missouri.

Days of tumultuous weather in the Southeast have led to 29 deaths overall - those in Texas plus a total of 18 in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas.

The full extent of damage in Texas isn't yet known along a nearly 40-mile (64-kilometer) stretch from 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Dallas to northeast of the city, though there were reports of strong winds blowing the roofs off homes, mangling vehicles, damaging churches, downing power lines and toppling trees.

National Weather Service survey teams headed out today to determine the number and strength of the tornadoes.

Meteorologist Matt Bishop says the tornado outbreak at this time of the year for North Texas occurs "from time to time ... but it's certainly not something that happens regularly."

Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau said today morning that eight people have died and 15 were injured in Garland, which is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Dallas.

"This is a huge impact on our community and we're all suffering," he said.

Barineau said the single tornado hit about 6:45 PM and damage stretches across an area of 2 square miles (5.2 square kilometers).

At least three people who died were found in vehicles, said Barineau.

About 600 structures were damaged, the majority of which were single-family homes.

"Driving around the area, you can see that it's total devastation," Barineau said.

Three more people died in Collin County, about 45 miles (72.42 kilometers) northeast of Dallas, according to sheriff's deputy Chris Havey, although the circumstances were not immediately clear.

In the town of Rowlett near Garland, City Manager Brian Funderburk said today morning that 23 people were injured, though the extent of their injuries weren't known, but that there were no deaths.

In some instances, it looked like homes had been picked up and set back down in a big pile. On one side of a street, windows were blown out, on the other side of the street, the homes were destroyed.

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London, Dec 27 (IANS) Emergency teams are working to evacuate people from homes in York, as flooding continues to hit northern England, the media reported on Sunday.

Police advised between 300 and 400 people to evacuate near the Ouse and Foss rivers in York, with up to 3,500 properties at risk, BBC reported.

The York City Council said the Ouse river was expected to rise to over 5 metres - close to to its highest recorded level of 5.40 metres. The environment agency said the Ouse's water level had reached 4.65m on Sunday. Its typical level is between 0.5m and 1.9m.

Hundreds of flood alerts and warnings are in place for England, Wales and Scotland, including more than 30 severe warnings - indicating danger to life.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice in parts of Scotland, but no further weather warnings were in place on Sunday morning.

Electricity North West warned power may not be restored to some homes until Monday. It said there were 8,100 properties across north-west England without power.

Prime Minister David Cameron is due to chair an emergency conference called later in the day.

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Chicago, Dec 26 (AFP) Millions of residents in the southern United States struggled today to recover from fierce storms and floods that officials say have left at least 17 people dead in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas.

With more severe weather expected across the central US, forecasters are warning of airport delays and flooded roads as travellers return home after the Christmas holiday.

Feeding on unseasonably warm air, storms left a trail of destruction in rural communities from Alabama to Illinois.

More than a dozen tornadoes were reported yesterday in six southern states.

In Alabama, where Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency to deal with the heavy flooding, tornadoes uprooted trees and tore off rooftops, with one touching down in Birmingham, the state's most populous city.

"The damage was ... confined to approximately one square mile," Birmingham Fire Department Chief Charles Gordon told CNN. "We have three houses that collapsed."

No one died, but Gordon said victims were rescued from the debris.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant and Georgia counterpart Nathan Deal also declared states of emergency in counties affected by the weather.

In Mississippi, 10 people were confirmed dead today, the state emergency management agency said on Twitter. About 60 others were injured, it said.

Among the dead was a seven-year-old boy killed when a storm picked up and tossed the car he was travelling in, fire chief Kenny Holbrook told reporters in the town of Holly Springs.

Six fatalities were confirmed in Tennessee, including three people found dead Thursday in a car submerged in a creek, according to the fire department in Columbia, Tennessee.

Another person was killed in Arkansas.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service warned that while the heaviest rain was over for the southeastern United States, the central and southern plains states, especially Arkansas and Missouri, were now in for severe thunderstorms.

Flash flooding could be a "serious concern" from northeast Texas into Missouri, they said.

Flood warnings and advisories remained in effect today in parts of Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and other areas in the southeast.

The East Coast meanwhile was enjoying unseasonably warm weather, with record-setting temperatures during Christmas week in New York and Washington.

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Hyderabad, Dec 26 (IANS) Cold wave conditions have gripped Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with night temperature at many places falling two to three degrees below normal, Met officials said on Saturday.

The Hyderabad Meteorological Centre has warned that the cold wave conditions will prevail over the next five days in all districts of Telangana.

Mercury plummeted to 4 degrees Celsius in Adilabad on Saturday, making it the coldest place in Telangana. Medak recorded 8, Ramagundam 9 and Nizamabad 10 degrees Celsius.

Saturday was the coldest day of the season in Hyderabad with the minimum temperature falling to 13 degrees. Hamkipet on the city outskirts recorded 11 degrees.

The fall in temperature over the last two days caused severe hardships to people, especially the aged, children, beggars and those living on the streets.

Cold wave conditions prevailed in Karimnagar, Medak and Rangareddy districts.

Y.K. Reddy, director in-charge of the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre, attributed the cold wave conditions to the winds blowing from north India.

Minumuluru in Visakhapatnam district was the coldest place in Andhra Pradesh where mercury plummeted to 6 degrees. Other places in the district recorded low temperatures between 7 and 9 degrees Celsius.

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New Delhi, Dec 23 (IANS) From humble turmeric powder and Bugs Bunny's favourite carrots to adding oodles of dark chocolate to your diet, you can keep yourself fit and healthy this winter season by stocking up some easy-to-find superfoods.

Sonia Narang, nutrition expert, Oriflame India, lists out some superfoods to fight winter blues:

* Maca root - Ashwagandha root is a herb of the ages. It is the ginseng of ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicine of India and is considered an adaptogen -- a term used to describe herbs that improve physical energy and athletic ability, increase immunity and help fight the infections and increase sexual capacity and fertility.

* Turmeric - It has a global reputation for boosting immunity. It acts as an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral agent and helps in boosting the overall functioning of our immune system. It can be taken in warm milk for its best benefits.

*Chia seeds - These powerful seeds are an amazing source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids and important minerals. It is best taken when soaked in water overnight.

*Carrots - This root vegetable contains high amounts of beta carotene which the body converts into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a key nutrient in immune function, helping to protect against infection and reduce the risk and duration of respiratory illness by keeping our lungs healthy. It is an excellent food to protect the skin from ageing.

*Garlic- It has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of illness and disease. Its compound called allicin has potent medicinal properties which helps combat sickness, cold and cough.

*Fennel - This licorice-tasting winter vegetable offers more than just a unique tang. Fennel is low in calories yet high in phytonutrient anethole, which may help boost the immune response.

*Beetroot - It is packed with beneficial phytochemicals and antioxidants which protect the immune system by fighting off destructive free radicals, which harm healthy cells and their DNA.

* Dark chocolate - Cocoa-based dark chocolate is one of the best natural sources of antioxidants, iron, magnesium and zinc. Zinc, an important trace mineral, is important for immune function.

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