The suspected outbreak of enteric in ward 129 of Behala has highlighted the lack of financial control over tax-payers money. For mayor, Mr Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, today alleged local councillors have spent almost Rs 2 crore, allocated specifically for building a new canal in the area, on other purposes. Last Saturday, a meeting of civic officials held in the office of borough 13 and 14 had revealed the irregularity.

Met Says Spell Of Scanty Rainfall Usual, It Will Be A Wet Weekend The city is again on a boil with negligible rainfall and high levels of humidity making the heat seem more oppressive than the actual reading. And if you're wondering whether monsoon has taken a break, here's what the Met office has to say.

70 persons suffer snakebites in four months in Narayangaon area Ten-year-old Hrishikesh Wable from Junnar taluka in Pune district did not realise he was bitten by a snake till he was gasping for breath and could not walk. Villagers who wasted precious time thinking it was a "scorpion" bite instead took him to a "tantrik" to cure him. However. when he turned unconscious, the relatives rushed him to Narayangaon, 20 km away from the Wadgaon Sahane village where he was put on the sole ventilator at the Dr Jal Mehta Rural Critical Care Centre.

The citizens of Greater Hyderabad can boast of having good healthcare services, international airport, world class research and educational institutions among other things. But when it comes to monsoon, the city roads turn into virtual swimming pools. Even 11 mm or 1.1 cm of rainfall in an hour inundates the main roads resulting in traffic chaos. Houses in the low-lying areas are marooned and the inhabitants have to shift to community halls or schools.

The much-heralded early onslaught of monsoon showers took the weekend off, sparing Delhiites the unexpected downpours and soggy clothes. Up until Sunday evening, the Safdarjung Meteorological Department (SDM) recorded zero rainfall. Cloudy skies with spells of sunshine saw holidaymakers making the most of the outdoors, crowding around India Gate or boating in the historic moat of Purana Qila.

Delhi's IGI airport was yet again rocked by heavy rain and strong winds, resulting in diversion of five flights and delay of 15, when a storm hit the city on Friday evening. According to sources, strong winds and heavy rains disrupted movement between 4.40 pm and 5 pm.

The monsoon's early arrival has not only brought cheer on the faces of the farming community of this paddy-rich district but has also brought relief for agencies of the power-crunched state. Thanking the rain god, officials concerned said they were free from the tension of providing ample power to run tubewells for irrigating fields. A visit by a team of The Tribune to different parts of the district today revealed that due to timely rainfall, the state agriculture department and farmers expected a bumper crop this year.

The city government is gearing up to meet any flood-related challenges. The Flood Control Order

The jet-cum-suction machine that could have reduced the waterlogging in Howrah. Picture by Gopal Senapati A jet-cum-suction machine, worth Rs 24 lakh, has been lying idle at the Howrah Municipal Corporation, while several stretches of the town remain inundated. Civic engineers said the accumulated water could have been drained out from several areas had the machine been pressed into service.

Mohali villages High Court warns developers, government officials of action The building blocks of Mohali