Kolkata faces severe rainfall impact while rupee hits record low amid economic concerns
Heavy rainfall in Kolkata has resulted in the tragic loss of at least seven lives, as the city experienced significant waterlogging in numerous areas. The Regional Meteorological Centre reported that the city received 247.4 mm of rain since 8:30 am on Monday, causing widespread disruption. Kolkata’s Mayor and state Urban Development Minister, Firhad Hakim, acknowledged the severe waterlogging affecting most parts of the city. In light of the hazardous conditions, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged residents to remain indoors for their safety. Additionally, she directed state government schools to commence Durga Puja holidays starting Tuesday and recommended that private schools also close for the next two days. This deluge arrives just days ahead of the Durga Puja festival, scheduled to start on September 28.
In another significant development, the Indian rupee has fallen to an all-time provisional low of 88.75 against the United States dollar. This decline occurred amid concerns over the increase in the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 by the United States, which forex traders believe could adversely affect remittances and the Indian Information Technology service exports. The rupee opened at 88.41, dipped to an intraday low of 88.82, and closed at 88.75, marking a decrease of 47 paise per dollar compared to its previous closing rate of 88.28. Prior to this, the rupee had reached an all-time low of 88.44 on September 11. As reported by Bloomberg on August 29, the rupee is currently the worst-performing currency in Asia this year.
In Jharkhand, a nun and 19 Adivasi children were questioned at the Tatanagar railway station after disembarking from a train. This incident occurred when members of the Bajrang Dal raised concerns regarding alleged religious conversions. The group, which included four boys and 15 girls, along with the nun, was detained for approximately five hours at the station. Investigators did not find any merit in the allegations made by the Hindutva organization. According to the nun, the children were traveling with her to participate in a life-skills training program, and she possessed permission letters from their guardians. The group was eventually allowed to proceed to the training program after the Bajrang Dal members departed. Meanwhile, Christian rights organizations claimed that the Bajrang Dal had shared photos and videos of the minors on social media, to which the local unit chief, Arun Singh, responded by stating that the action was taken to ‘gather evidence.’
In political news, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has been released from Sitapur district jail in Uttar Pradesh after serving 23 months. Although he has been convicted and sentenced in six cases, he has been granted bail in each of them, according to his lawyer, Jubair Ahmed Khan. Prior to his release, the Sitapur administration had imposed prohibitory orders to prevent gatherings around the prison. Despite these restrictions, a large number of supporters and Samajwadi Party workers gathered to welcome Khan upon his release. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party assumed power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Khan, a prominent Muslim leader of the Samajwadi Party, has faced multiple charges, including land grabbing, cheating, and criminal trespass. Police records indicate that he is facing charges in a total of 111 criminal cases.
