BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa Pradesh Youth Congress (OPYC) has warned that it will launch a statewide agitation if the State Government failed to check spread of cholera in the backward district of the State.

In a statement, OPYC president Pradip Majhi criticised the State Government for its inaction even though 140 persons have died of cholera and more than 500 are affected by the disease in Rayaga

This could be the road to another tragic Sariska, albeit of elephants, not tigers. In a span of about 45 days across April-May, at least 10 elephants have been confirmed killed at the Simlipal National Park, a tiger reserve in Orissa

Fourteen elephants have died at the hands of poachers at the Simlipal National Park tiger reserve in Orissa

BHUBANESWAR: At least 151 mines continued to be closed in Orissa since last year as they do not have statutory clearances, an official Friday said.

Debabrata Mohanty

A two-member expert committee of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has started its investigation into the biggest ever poaching of elephants inside Orissa's famous Simlipal Tiger Reserve after two wildlife activists of Mayurbhanj district took off the lid on the incident.

The Orissa government has now constituted a five-member committee to verify the records of all the mines in the state.

BHUBANESWAR: With unrelenting heatwave in most parts of Orissa, the death roll in the State due to sunstroke rose to 42 today.

Five more deaths were reported from districts. While Cuttack , Jharsuguda, Mayurbhanj reported one death each and two died of heat stroke in Ganjam.

BHUBANESWAR: An unrelenting heatwave continued to scorch western parts of the State, while coastal Orissa experienced humid conditions for the third consecutive day.