3 jailed activists test positive for Covid-19
Three jailed activists – Akhil Gogoi, Bitu Sonowal and Dharjya Konwar – tested positive for Covid-19 at the Central Jail in Guwahati and were subsequently shifted to a hospital for treatment. Gogoi and Sonowal are the leaders of the peasants’ body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samitee (KMSS) while Konwar is a leader of KMSS’s student wing Chhatra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS). The trio were arrested by the NIA in the wake of violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December last year and booked under UAPA. Sonowal and Konwar have been granted bail by an NIA court and will be released after treatment.
Developing biofuels from non-edible seeds
A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-Guwahati), led by Dr. Kaustubha Mohanty, professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, has developed methods to produce biofuels from non-edible seeds. An IIT-Guwahati statement said there have been worldwide attempts to produce fuel from renewable biological resources to overcome future oil shortages in the world. Plants and trees found in India, such as Peela Kaner, Mahua, Gulmohar, Neem, rain tree, castor, Kusum, etc, produce seeds that have oil from which biofuels can be made. Dr. Mohanty and his research team use a heat-chemical route to produce biofuels from these and other such seeds that they painstakingly collect from various parts of the country.
Guwahati ‘unlocks’ after 3-week lockdown
Guwahati residents heaved a sigh of relief as the Assam government announced certain relaxations after a three-week-lock lockdown that was enforced on June 28. The city recorded around 400-500 cases every day during the lockdown. The government has allowed all shops and business establishments – except malls, street and footpath vending – to operate. However, they will open on alternative basis. The shops on one side of a street will operate on one day while the ones on the other side will operate the next day.
City gets electric crematorium
Guwahati has got its first electric crematorium, constructed at RK Mission Road in the Ulubari area at a cost of Rs.5.09 crore. It was inaugurated by Guwahati Development Department Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharyya. According to the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, this is the first electric crematorium in the city with modern-day crematorium facilities. The crematorium has two floors and the plinth of each is 526 sq mtrs. It has two electric furnaces. It has advanced pollution control devices like effluent treatment plants along with a chimney for a clean and hygienic atmosphere.
Prasanta Mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com