The Catch Up: 1 August

Aug 1, 2024

This episode features Rahul Gandhi, a prominent member of the Indian National Congress, and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the party's general secretary. They discuss the devastating landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, detailing their visit to relief camps and the challenges faced by rescue operations. They also touch on the need for immediate governmental response to disasters and the recent achievements of Indian athletes in the Olympics. The conversation blends grave realities with moments of hope and resilience.

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Current Events Overview: Natural Disasters and Olympic Triumphs

00:00 • 4min

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 1st of August and here are today's headlines.

In the devastating Kerala landslides, the death toll has risen to 277, with over 200 injured as of earlier this morning, following a series of landslides in the hilly areas near Meppadi in Wayanad district. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have arrived at the disaster site and are set to visit relief camps and the medical college to support and meet with the affected families. Additionally, CM Pinarayi Vijayan chaired an all-party meeting in Wayanad to address the crisis and noted the challenges faced in bringing in machinery to assist with the rescue operations but highlighted that the completion of the Bailey Bridge has significantly facilitated the efforts.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to today, introduce a bill to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in both Houses of Parliament. This comes amid devastating landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad. A day earlier, Shah had said that the Centre had given an early warning to Kerala on July 23 and again on July 24 and July 25, following which nine NDRF teams were dispatched to the state. He said the loss of lives could have been minimised had the Kerala government become alert following the arrival of NDRF teams.

Building collapsing in Kullu, roads being washed away, pilgrims being airlifted — these were the scenes in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh earlier this morning as multiple cloudbursts led to rain wreaking havoc claiming 5 lives in Himachal and 2 in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the areas affected by heavy rains in Baheda Tehri Garhwal to monitor the rescue and relief operations underway. Chardham Yatra registrations have been put on hold for the time being and a safety advisory has been issued urging the devotees to delay their travel due to the weather conditions.

Starting with India at the Olympics, it was another historic moment in the sport of shooting as Swapnil Kusale became the first Indian to win a medal in the 50m Rifle 3-Position event, clinching bronze with a fine fightback. Meanwhile, it’s an all-Indian clash with Lakshya Sen taking on HS Prannoy in the men’s singles round of 16 while PV Sindhu and Satwik-Chirag will also be in action in the women’s singles round of 16 and men’s doubles quarterfinal respectively.

The Israeli military confirmed today that the Hamas’ military wing chief Mohammed Deif was killed in an airstrike in Gaza on the 13th of July. This comes a day after a senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran. On July 13, the Israeli military hit a compound in Mawasi to the west of Khan Younis, which killed over 90 people and injured 300, according to Gaza health officials. At the time, there had been no immediate confirmation that Deif was killed.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.