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Indonesia wary of forest fires during Asiad
Jakarta, July 24 (IANS) Indonesian military commander Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto said on Tuesday that more troops would be deployed to ensure that forest fires do not take place in South Sumatra province during next month’s Asian Games to be held in the province’s capital of Palembang.
“Now the personnel deployed by provincial military command were enough to anticipate the forest fire. If the developing situation during Asiad is considered necessary for more deployment, we would do so, depends on the needs on the field,” Hadi said during his visit to the province to inspect the handling of a current forest fire, reports Xinhua news agency.
Besides engaging troops, police and volunteers will also carry out surveillance from land and air.
Hadi said a joint operation carried out by provincial police and military personnel would be conducted to arrest those responsible for a fire in the forest.
The joint operation, code-named Posse Operation, would mostly be applied in the regencies around Palembang of Ogan Komering Ulu and Ogan Ilir which used to record forest fires in the past years.
“The BMKG has predicted that potentiality for forest fire in the province would be intense in the next five days. We can regard it as a reminder for our anticipating moves as 99 percent of forest fire was man-made,” the military commander said in the provincial forest fire monitoring centre, referring to the prediction made by the meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency of BMKG.
As of Tuesday, some 240 hectares of land around the two regencies was affected by a forest fire, according to data released by the monitoring centre.
Should forest fires continue to take place in those areas, it is feared that the haze from the fires could harm athletes contending in the Asiad.
Palembang and Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta will jointly host the 18th Asian Games from August 18 to September 2, with participation by over 11,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries and regions.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.