Surat’s hunt for the finest designer

May 26, 2012

The Fashion show for the D' Designer 2012 runway to fame organized by one of India's top music stations took place in the diamond and textile hub of the nation, Surat.

An evening full of fun, entertainment and a lot of fashion was recently witnessed by the people of Surat. With the 'D' Designer, 2012 runway to fame' organized by Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM which started a month back with over 150 contestants, where the hunt for Surat's finest designer was on.

The rummage ended with the final six designers Bhavik Balar and Mittal Katrodiya, Parth Patel, Samkit Bhansali, Jyotika Pawar and Mayur Thorat, Sweety Jain and finally Mayur Amreliya. The finale had prominent panel of judges like Neeta Lulla India's top Fashion Designer, Sangeeta Choksi Gujarat's finest designer and eminent Fashion guru, Daniele Piatto the CEO of Brandhouse Oviesse Limited and RJ Rahil, Radio Mirchi's youth icon.

The show was hosted by RJ Niyati, RJ Priyanshi, RJ Vishruti and RJ Harsh. The Antriksh band made it a complete package of a sensual and a rhythmic evening with their performance that made the audience cheer for more.

The final top 6 designer's collection in Ethnic and Western wear was featured starting from Anarkali to Senorita to designers choice to the sexy Cocktail dresses and finally coming down to the Bridal wear. The show also featured OVS Italian Fashion's latest SS'12 collection which presented the ideal wardrobe for the young, combining several styles like romantic, rock, Seventies folk, vaguely retro and Eighties. The evening came to an end with the title of D' Designer 2012 finally being taken by Bhavik Balar and Mittal Katrodiya followed by Mayur Amreliya who was announced as the runner-up.
 

Shiyal Beyt to see light finally

May 25, 2012, 

RAJKOT: The residents of Shilyal Beyt - an island off Amreli coast - will finally see the light of modernity as underwater cables will soon be laid to provide electricity for them.
Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (PGVCL), a state-owned power distribution company, has awarded the contract to a Vadodara-based agency to lay the cables for the island in the Saurashtra region.

PGVCL officials said they had initiated the process to provide electricity to Shiyal Beyt three years ago and, in fact, had invited tenders as well but no competent agency had come forward. The officials said the agency would soon begin the work to lay underwater high-tension cables from Chanch Bandar to Shiyal Beyt in Jaffrabad taluka of the Amreli district. "It will be a three-phased cable connection work and we will establish four cables, including a spare one," said a PGVCL official. "All necessary clearances have been obtained from government departments concerned."
The length of the cable network will be 6 km. The project cost is estimated to be Rs 20 crore. "We will provide 500 residential connections; one each for a flour mill, water-works, streetlights; and three for cold storage facilities," said a senior PGVCL official. "The main occupation of Shiyal Beyt residents is fishing. So keeping in mind the industrial aspect, we will provide commercial connections which can service three cold storages.''
According to PGVCL officials, the project will be the second of its kind in the country. Earlier, a similar project was carried out at Beyt Dwarka, an island off the Jamnagar coast.

11 cricketers hurt in road accident

May 25, 2012

RAJKOT: At least 11 cricketers received minor injuries in a collision between a bus and a truck on the outskirts of the city on Friday.
Police said a bus of Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) was on its way to Khandhuri stadium carrying cricketers of Junagadh and Bhavnagar district teams when it was hit by a speeding truck near Madhapar Chowkdi, leaving 11 of them injured. They were rushed to a government hospital.

mong those injured were Mohit Jadeja (30), Jyortir Purohit (15), Shahrukh Tank, (19), Bhavit Joshi (25), Prayag Goswami (27), Gaurang Pithadiya (19), Jignesh Ravjka (22), Shaktisinh Vala (25), Dharmendrasinh Zala (30) and Sohel Bhurani (25).
The two teams after practicing on Race Course ground were on their way to Khanduri stadium, some 14 km away from the city, when the accident occurred.
The SCA has organized Jaihind Trophy Cricket Tournament in which eight teams, besides these two, from Saurashtra are taking part. At least two matches were to be played on Friday and one of them was between Bhavnagar and Junagadh teams. The match involving the two teams now has been abandoned.
Bus driver Ramesh Khorani has filed a police complaint against the truck driver.

Alang-bound, Alaska fame oil tanker awaits ruling

GANDHINAGAR, May 12, 2012

The controversial foreign oil tanker, Oriental Nicety, supposed to be headed for the Alang ship-breaking yard off the Bhavnagar port in Gujarat for dismantling, is now stationed at the outer anchorage of the Mumbai port.

The ship coming to Alang will depend on the outcome of a legal battle in the Supreme Court, says Gujarat Maritime Board Managing Director Pankaj Kumar.

The ship, earlier known as Exxon Valdez, which was involved in one of the worst U.S. oil spills off the Alaska coast in 1989, has been held up in the high seas after a voluntary organisation, the Research Foundation for Science, filed a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to prevent dismantling in India of ships which were violating the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

Under the convention, no country can allow a ship to berth at its port for dismantling unless it has been decontaminated in the exporting country before being sent to foreign waters.

Gujarat government sources refused to comment on the issue, pointing out that the matter was under court consideration. Also, the government was not aware of the quantity of hazardous wastes Oriental Nicety was carrying. The sources, however, expressed the confidence that the Alang yard had the capacity to handle any amount of hazardous waste without causing environmental pollution.

Water supply projects launched in Saurashtra

May 5, 2012

The state government on Friday said that it had launched an ambitious project to prevent the Narmada water from flowing into the sea, and to supply one million acre feet of water each to the parched areas of Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs139 crore 32-km long water pipeline connecting Navda with Botad in Bhavnagar on Friday. He also performed groundbreaking ceremony of the projects to fill the Krishnasagar and Kaniad lakes and the pipeline projects of Goma and Sukhbhadar dams.

Modi said that the government had embarked on a major plan to fill the 77 dams as well as other water bodies in Saurashtra with Narmada water. He said that cost of the project would be more than the cost of Narmada project.

Modi used the occasion to lash out at the Congress-led UPA government for its anti-farmer policies. He said that country’s Capital New Delhi continued to face power issues, while even villages in Gujarat were getting round the clock power supply.

“Gujarat is willing to supply power to Delhi, but the Congress government does not have the transmission lines to do so,” he said.

Water supply and water resources minister Nitin Patel said that earlier drinking water was supplied in Saurashtra through trains, but this was not the case any more. He said that water availability had also led to higher agricultural output.

Swaminarayan’s vishwa darshan enthrals Bhuj

 Apr 27, 2012

The town is in a festive mood on account of a unique 'Vishwa Darshan' exhibition organised by the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of its Bhuj temple.

The 10-day-long exhibition, which has items of spirituality as well as modernity, was inaugurated by gadi sansthan chief Acharya Purushottam Priyadasji Maharaj in the presence of a large number of devotees from India and abroad on Wednesday evening. Both Acharya and the founder of the sect, Abjibapa, hail from here.

Swami Bhagwatipriyadasji, senior saint of the gadi sansthan, said that in the spirituality section of the exhibition the life and work of Lord Swaminarayan and his incarnation Abjibapa, Muktajivan Swamibapa and present sect head had been aptly shown with huge exhibits. Along with these there are exhibits of the world's best monuments, including the wonders of the world.

In fact, the entrance to Bhuj city opposite a newly built Rs130 cr hospital has a huge new emblem depicting a globe held in the hands wrapped with a wooden rosary. The main religious function will begin from Sunday. Many NRI devotees have already arrived here to participate in the celebrations.

Unseasonal rains lash Junagadh

Apr 27, 2012

RAJKOT: Unseasonal rains coupled with blowing winds lashed Junagadh city and outskirts on Thursday evening. According to weather officials, the weather was clear till noon but suddenly changed by evening.

People were caught completely unawares and commuters had a tough time as roads got flooded in no time. Heavy winds blew away hoardings in the city and uprooted trees at many places.

According to a mango farmer from Vanthali Ashok Bhut, "Fortunately, the rain was limited to Junagadh city and its surrounding areas only. It could have been major cause of the concern for mango growers if rains covered the entire district. However, we have seen mangos falling from trees due to weather change which might affect the production this season."

This was the second time when mango growers survived unseasonal rainfall in the last 20 days in the region. Earlier, weather officials issued a warning of unseasonal rain showers but did not rain. But this time, a there was no warning, but it rained heavily in Junagadh city.