Patna Diary - Solar-powered colleges, Hyderabadi flavours and low temperatures

Postgraduate departments of Patna University (PU) and colleges affiliated to it are set to have solar energy panels installed on all buildings on their campuses in order to conserve energy.

College campuses to go solar

Postgraduate departments of Patna University (PU) and colleges affiliated to it are set to have solar energy panels installed on all buildings on their campuses in order to conserve energy. The varsity administration has also decided to revamp the lighting systems inside the buildings by using LED bulbs. PU vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh, who chaired a meeting of the college principals and NSS programme coordinators on Friday, said saving money on power consumption is among his priorities this year. The move was apparently prompted by PU’s chronic inability to pay electricity dues and the risks of power disconnection. Power supply to PU campuses was disconnected twice last year due to non-payment of around Rs 6 crore dues. Power supply was restored after the energy minister intervened.

Alert over military fuse theft

Police in Patna are frantically trying to trace the fuses for explosives stolen from a train as it passed within the city limits. Nearly 8 kg of security fuses, meant for use by the Army, went missing from the parcel van of Himgiri Express between Patna Junction and Patna Sahib stations on Wednesday night. The fuses, loaded on the train in Pathankot in Punjab, were to be received by the Army officials at Howrah station. Raids conducted by the cops at several places in Patna district for three days have remained futile. With fears that the fuses could land in the hands of the Maoists, an alert has been issued to police stations. A probe has found the role of RPF personnel suspect as they had seen the parcel van’s lock broken at Patna Sahib station.

Hyderabadi flavours for Patna palates

Avid gourmets among Patnites have got an opportunity to sample the many varieties of Hyderabadi cuisine under one roof. The spices and herbs that turn the food items of Telugu speakers into a delight are the theme of a nine-day food festival that opened at Takshila restaurant at Chanakya Hotel in Patna on Saturday. Iconic dishes such as Hyderabadi Biryani, Gosht Dum Biryani, Murg Dum Biryani and Murg Korma are among over two dozen items on the menu, said chef Rasheed Khan. Knowing the taste of Patnites, the food festival has, in fact, got a blend of Mughlai and north-Indian cuisines, said TK Sinha, the senior general manager of Chanakya Hotel. “The festival has some truly awesome, lip-smacking dishes of Hyderabadi cuisine,” said Annu Sinha, a visitor.

Freezing in the chill, buzzing still

Cold-wave conditions and lingering layers of dense fog in Patna over the past five days have given many in the city quite a scare. The minimum temperature of 4.7 degrees C was the season’s lowest recorded in the Bihar capital on Friday. Schools in the city and across the district were ordered to stay closed till January 8. In many districts, the mercury dipped to sub-4 and sub-5 degrees C, slowing down the normal flow of life. In Gaya, the minimum temperature was a bone-shaking 3.8 degrees C. Such cold conditions are, however, a normal winter phenomenon in most places in Bihar. Despite the dense fog reducing visibility to as low as 50 metres in Patna and other places, no road mishap has taken place so far.

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The New Indian Express
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