New Delhi:

From Ladakh to Jharkhand and large parts of northwest India, a huge swathe of the country remained in the grip of an intense heat wave with the maximum temperature in Prayagraj touching 47.6 degrees Celsius while Nubra, nestled in the high Himalayas, recorded 26.2 degrees.

The weather office said maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (5.1 degrees Celsius or more) at most places in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

The national capital recorded maximum temperatures in excess of 45 degrees Celsius, which was seven notches higher than normal for the season, in the absence of thunderstorms and rainfall triggered by extra tropical weather systems called western disturbances.

Dehradun in Uttarakhand recorded a maximum temperature of 43.1 degrees Celsius, which was 9.5 notches above normal for the season, while Una in Himachal Pradesh recorded 44 degrees — 6.7 notches above average.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Katra recorded a maximum temperature of 40.8 degrees Celsius, which was 5.7 notches above normal, while the mercury touched a high of 44.3 degrees in Jammu.

Daltonganj in Jharkhand recorded a maximum temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, which was 9.1 notches above normal.

The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches.

A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.

Most of the regions over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh and east Madhya Pradesh experienced warm nights as minimum temperatures were 5.1 notches or more above normal.

The weather office has forecast no change in maximum temperatures over northwest India during the next 24 hours. The temperatures are expected to fall by 2 degrees Celsius thereafter.

However, central and eastern India will continue to reel from high temperatures for the next three days and expect some respite thereafter.

There was no let up in the ongoing heatwave conditions sweeping Punjab and Haryana for the last several days, with Bathinda reeling at 46.9 degrees Celsius.

While blistering heat swept Bathinda in Punjab, Pindara in Haryana’s Jind district also recorded a maximum temperature of 46.9 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest place in the state.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum temperature of 44.5 degrees Celsius, according to the local Met centre.

Faridkot in Punjab was also under the grip of severe heat at 46 degrees Celsius while Pathankot recorded a high of 45.8 degrees.

The maximum temperature in Amritsar was recorded at 45.8 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana at 44.6 degrees, Patiala at 45.4 degrees, Gurdaspur at 45 degrees and Ferozepur at 44.3 degrees.

In Haryana, intense heat scorched Faridabad and Sirsa, which recorded maximum temperatures of 46.6 degrees Celsius and 46.2 degrees, respectively.

Mahendragarh recorded a high of 45.2 degrees Celsius while Hisar registered 45.7 degrees.

Hot weather conditions also prevailed in Gurugram and Kurukshetra, where the maximum temperatures were recorded at 45.1 degrees Celsius and 44.5 degrees, respectively, the Met office said.

Rohtak sizzled at 46.2 degrees Celsius while Ambala and Karnal registered maximum temperatures of 44.8 degrees Celsius and 43.8 degrees, respectively.

Heatwave conditions intensified in Rajasthan on Monday, with several places recording maximum temperatures one to six notches higher than the previous day.

A spokesperson for the Jaipur Meteorological Centre said Ganganagar was the hottest place in the state with a high of 46.2 degrees Celsius, 4.9 notches above normal.

The maximum temperature in Pilani was 45.9 degrees Celsius, 6.5 notches above normal.

Churu and Karauli recorded highs of 45.4 degrees Celsius each, Dholpur 44.9 degrees, Alwar 44.8 degrees, Bikaner 44.3 degrees, and Bharatpur and Phalodi 44 degrees each.

The mercury crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark in several other major cities.

The Met official said the minimum temperature in most places of the state was recorded 2 to 8.1 notches above normal.

The night temperature in major cities was noted between 28.6 and 37 degrees Celsius, he added.

Alwar recorded a low of 37 degrees Celsius, 4.9 notches above normal, while Phalodi registered a minimum temperature of 34.6 degrees, which was 8.1 notches above average.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Rare stable auroral red arc event in Ladakh due to solar storms, creating spectacular northern lights in high latitudes

In Ladakh, astronomers at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve saw a red glow on the northwest horizon in the sky from about 1 am on May 11 that continued till early dawn.

“We were fortunate to witness Aurora activities on our all-sky camera during regular telescope observations,” Stanzin Norla, an engineer at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, told PTI.

He said a faint red glow was visible to the naked eye along the horizon and the event was captured in much detail by a DSLR camera installed at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve.

“It streaked through the sky from about 1 am till 3:30 am,” Stanzin said, adding that the skies turned red along the horizon and to a pinkish hue later.

Dorje Angchuk, an engineer at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, described the event as a stable auroral red arc, which was a rare occurrence over the skies at Ladakh.

“Auroras seen near the north or south poles are dynamic events. They keep changing. But the one witnessed at Ladakh was more stable. It is called the stable auroral red arc. The steady glow remained in the sky for a couple of hours”, Angchuk said.

Such events are rare at Hanle because it is located far south, Dibyendu Nandi, Head, CESSI at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, told PTI.

He said the chances of such events being witnessed at places such as Hanle become higher during intense disturbances triggered by solar storms.

“These auroral red arcs are likely caused by heating of the atmosphere by electric currents that are circulating between Earth and outer space,” Mr. Nandi said.

“These ring currents get enhanced during geomagnetic disturbances induced by solar storms and thus the likelihood of observing the red auroral arcs is higher at times when we are in the midst of a severe geomagnetic storm”, he said.

The CESSI said the sun produced strong solar flares beginning on May 8, resulting in five outbursts of plasma capable of disrupting satellites in orbit and power grids here on Earth.

“We are witnessing severe Space Weather at levels we have not seen in the last two decades. It might get worse as more solar storms are expected to impact Earth or maybe just more spectacular auroras for all,” Mr. Nandi said.

The U.S.’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is calling this an unusual event, pointing out that the flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth. An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

Rare stable auroral red arc event in Ladakh due to solar storms, creating spectacular northern lights in high latitudes

In Ladakh, astronomers at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve saw a red glow on the northwest horizon in the sky from about 1 am on May 11 that continued till early dawn.

“We were fortunate to witness Aurora activities on our all-sky camera during regular telescope observations,” Stanzin Norla, an engineer at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, told PTI.

He said a faint red glow was visible to the naked eye along the horizon and the event was captured in much detail by a DSLR camera installed at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve.

“It streaked through the sky from about 1 am till 3:30 am,” Stanzin said, adding that the skies turned red along the horizon and to a pinkish hue later.

Dorje Angchuk, an engineer at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, described the event as a stable auroral red arc, which was a rare occurrence over the skies at Ladakh.

“Auroras seen near the north or south poles are dynamic events. They keep changing. But the one witnessed at Ladakh was more stable. It is called the stable auroral red arc. The steady glow remained in the sky for a couple of hours”, Angchuk said.

Such events are rare at Hanle because it is located far south, Dibyendu Nandi, Head, CESSI at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, told PTI.

He said the chances of such events being witnessed at places such as Hanle become higher during intense disturbances triggered by solar storms.

“These auroral red arcs are likely caused by heating of the atmosphere by electric currents that are circulating between Earth and outer space,” Mr. Nandi said.

“These ring currents get enhanced during geomagnetic disturbances induced by solar storms and thus the likelihood of observing the red auroral arcs is higher at times when we are in the midst of a severe geomagnetic storm”, he said.

The CESSI said the sun produced strong solar flares beginning on May 8, resulting in five outbursts of plasma capable of disrupting satellites in orbit and power grids here on Earth.

“We are witnessing severe Space Weather at levels we have not seen in the last two decades. It might get worse as more solar storms are expected to impact Earth or maybe just more spectacular auroras for all,” Mr. Nandi said.

The U.S.’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is calling this an unusual event, pointing out that the flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth. An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

Leh:

With the Ladakh administration imposing prohibitory orders banning rallies on Sunday and a 24-hour reduction in internet speed, the Leh-based Apex Body said it has no intention of violating laws and hoped it will be allowed to carry out its proposed ‘border march’.

The Apex Body, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is spearheading the agitation to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Apex Body announced the ‘border (Pashmina) march’ to Changthang to highlight the condition of grazers, who are allegedly losing prime pasture land to huge industrial plants to the south and Chinese encroachments to the north.

In an apparent move aimed at countering the march, the District Magistrate (DM) of Leh Santosh Sukhadeve on Friday ordered the imposition of CrPC section 144 on April 7 and directed that no procession, rally or march should be taken without his prior approval.

He said the Leh senior superintendent of police has reported that there were reliable inputs indicating a possible breach of peace and public tranquillity in the district.

“No one shall use the vehicle-mounted or other loudspeakers without prior approval from the competent authority. No public gathering without prior approval of the competent authority shall be allowed. No one shall make any statements which have the potential to disturb communal harmony and public tranquillity and which may lead to law-and-order problems in the district,” the DM’s order said.

“All persons shall ensure that they follow the Model Code of Conduct and that all the activities are according to the law,” it added.

In a separate order, Additional Director General of Police of Ladakh S D Singh Jamwal ordered the scaling down of internet speed and mobile data services of 3G, 4G and 5G connections and public 5G Wi-Fi facilities to 2G within a 10-kilometre radius of Leh city from 6 pm on April 6 for 24 hours.

The DM of Leh, in another order, prohibited the posting or sharing such messages that have the potential to disturb communal harmony, peace and tranquillity and may lead to a law-and-order situation in the district.

“It shall be the responsibility of the admins of WhatsApp groups or social media platforms to monitor and filter such content immediately,” the order read.

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) termed the restrictions ahead of its proposed border march an “overreaction” by the administration and said it has no intention of violating the law.

“We have been holding a chain hunger strike for the past 31 days and we feel such a reaction is the result of some misunderstanding,” climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, flanked by LAB leader Chering Dorjay, told reporters here.

Wangchuk, who held a hunger strike for 21 days till March 26, said they strongly believe in peace and peaceful ways to highlight their demands, including those connected with the prevailing condition of the Pashmina grazers.

“If they stop us from marching ahead, it shows the government has something to hide and they do not want the real picture to reach the outside world… we are hopeful that the administration will allow our peaceful march if they have nothing to hide,” he said.

Wangchuk added that a meeting of stakeholders will be held to decide the future course of action within the next couple of days.

Dorjay said they will go ahead with the march and it will be peaceful.

Wangchuk also alleged that the police administration was calling volunteers to the local police stations and threatening them.

“Our request is not to spread unrest in the name of peace. This is a very sensitive region and we always cared for the country,” he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

Two days ahead of the planned border march announced by climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk to “highlight the ground realities in Ladakh”, including the alleged encroachment by China, the Union territory’s administration has issued prohibitory orders in Leh district and also announced that internet speeds will be reduced.

Thousands were expected to join the march, which is part of the agitation for statehood, to the Line of Actual Control on Sunday. The call for the ‘Pashmina March’, on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March, was given by Mr Wangchuk on March 27, a day after he had called off his 21-day hunger strike for statehood for Ladakh and the safeguarding of rights of its majority tribal population under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The innovator, who is spearheading the protests and is on a three-day fast again, hit out at the administration over alleged steps to scuttle the march and said the administration’s peace initiatives now sound “dangerous”.

‘Misuse Of Mobile Data’

The administration issued two separate orders on Friday. An order issued by the Additional Director General of Police, Ladakh, cited inputs from the police and intelligence agencies and said “there is every apprehension about misuse of mobile data and public WiFi facilities by anti-social elements and miscreants to incite and provoke general public through various means of social media”

The order said “it is absolutely necessary to reduce” mobile data services up to 2G, “thereby suspending the mobile data of 3G, 4G, 5G & Public Wi-fi facilities 5G temporarily”. It stated that the order would apply in Leh city and a radius of 10 km around it from 6 pm on Saturday to 6 pm on Sunday.

Another notice was issued by the District Magistrate of Leh, imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

According to the order, restrictions are imposed on, among others, any procession, rally or march, public gatherings and the use of loudspeakers mounted on a vehicle without permission.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Wangchuk claimed that despite a peaceful march being planned, the administration was taking steps to intimidate people taking part in the agitation and pressure them to sign bonds. He also claimed that the administration was getting directions from New Delhi since Ladakh is a Union territory.

PEACEFUL LADAKH IS VERY CONFUSED!
After 31 days of extremely peaceful prayers & fasts…
Suddenly peace initiatives of the administration sounds more dangerous than anything !

PEACE AT ANY COST !!?#SaveLadakh#SAVEHIMALAYAS#SaveGlaciers#6thSchedule#SupportSonamWangchukpic.twitter.com/ZRbPZ3V8Kv

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) April 5, 2024

In a video posted on X, he said in Hindi, “Maybe the administration has been asked to maintain peace at any cost. Fasts have been on for 31 days and no incidents have happened. And yet, people are being taken to police stations and being given warnings of action if there is a breach of peace. I fear that this could actually lead to a breach of peace. I think there’s some misunderstanding, so I won’t say much right now.”

‘Will Go With Shepherds’

The activist had announced that thousands of people would join shepherds and march to the border area in the eastern region of the Union territory. He has claimed that over 4,000 square km of land has been grabbed by China.

“Like Mahatma Gandhi carried out the Dandi March, we are going for a march to Changthang. We will go with shepherds and they will show us up to what point our grazing land was and where it stands today” he had said.

Mr Wangchuk also asked the administration to keep prisons ready as a jail bharo andolan (movement for voluntarily courting arrest) would be launched after the march.

“If the need arises, we will be starting a non-cooperation movement in Ladakh in the coming weeks and months. The administration here will be paralysed,” he said.

Demands

Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union territory after the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir state was bifurcated and stripped of its statehood and special status under Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019.

Within a year, Ladakhis felt a political vacuum. Massive protests and hunger strikes began taking place earlier this year after leaders of Buddhist-dominated Leh and Muslim-dominated Kargil joined hands under the banners of the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution

While the Centre constituted a high-level committee to look into the demands of the people of Ladakh, a series of meetings with representatives of the protesters failed to find a resolution. On March 4, leaders from Ladakh met Home Minister Amit Shah and said he had refused to accept their demands. Mr Wangchuk began his 21-day fast in Leh two days later.

New Delhi:

Disillusionment and anger are palpable on the freezing streets of Ladakh capital Leh, where climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been sitting on fast for nearly two weeks. “People are asking whether declaring Ladakh a Union Territory was a ploy to sell of our mountains to industrial lobby and mining companies,” he told NDTV.

The BJP, Mr Wangchuk said, had promised — not once but twice — that their demands will be met. “It was one of their poll promises. They promised us that they would protect the identity of Ladakh under the sixth schedule. But sadly, promises have not been kept. Ladakh has no democratic representation,” he added.

Mr Wangchuk also claimed the morale of the soldiers was at its weakest. “The morale of Ladakhi soldiers is broken because Ladakh has neither democracy (Assembly) nor reservation (for locals),” he said.

Almost five years ago, when Ladakh was declared a separate Union Territory, the people had celebrated. But now, “People in Ladakh are disillusioned and feel they have been taken for a ride. I can only say that they (the BJP) only think about elections and how many seats they can get, but forget about people,” he added.

“We want reassurance from the Centre that even though they have failed to live upto their promise up till now, they will not do so again,” he said. The people, he added, now want a multi-party legally binding agreement.

“We want to educate people in other parts of the country about how false promises were made to us. But we are not just fighting for Ladakh. It is for our nation,” he added.

People from 20 cities spread across India — including Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad — have come out in support of Ladakh. Huge protests have been planned on March 20 and again on March 24. “We are also asking international communities to come out and support our cause,” he added.

The chief of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which develops and maintains road networks in India’s border areas, has said that India will be ahead of China in terms of infrastructure along the borders. Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry was speaking about the ongoing projects in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. The comment comes nearly a week before Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates 90 infrastructure projects built by the BRO at a cost of Rs 2,941 crore in 10 border states and Union Territories.

“Ninety projects are being dedicated to the nation on September 12. Out of that, 26 are in Ladakh and 36 are in Arunachal… so our focus is totally on these two states and we are going much ahead and much faster in these two states to in fact beat China, if I may say so, in another two to three years,” Lieutenant General Chaudhry, the Director General of BRO, told news agency ANI.

Delhi: Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, DG, Border Roads Organisation says, “90 projects are being dedicated to the nation on 12th September. Out of that, 26 are in Ladakh and 36 are in Arunachal…So our focus is totally on these two states and we are going much ahead and much faster in… pic.twitter.com/kfpPz8NHQZ

— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2023

The projects to be inaugurated by Mr Singh include 22 roads, 63 bridges, one tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh and two strategic airfields.

“It’s a great moment for the nation that so many projects are being made on the border areas and it is strengthening the security metrics of our army so they can get deployed as far forward as possible and take care of any critical situations if they arise,” the Army officer said.

The defence minister will also lay the foundation virtually (e-shilanyas) of an airfield in Nyoma, eastern Ladakh. It will be developed at a cost of Rs 218 crore.

Located at a height of 13,400 feet, Nyoma is about 46 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

The Milky Way at night sky in Hanle
| Photo Credit: Akshay Satish

A stunning view of the Milky Way in a 180 degree arc extending from the South to the North at the night sky in Hanle, Ladakh, India’s first dark sky reserve, is an unforgettable memory for a bunch of young students from Coimbatore. “Every inch of the dark sky was filled with stars, star clusters and constellations. It was magical,” recalls Akshay Sathish (18). A team of 11 children led by Obuli Chandran, founder of Mango Education and astronomy educator Mihir Athale are just back from their first expedition to Ladakh where they observed a spectacular view of the night sky at Hanle. “We teach astronomy to students who have a passion for it. Along with theory, we have done several star gazing trips in the South to places like Mudumalai, Hasanur and Udhagamandalam where the skies are clear and there is very less light pollution. This is our first trip with children to the Himalayas,” says Obuli.

Much before it became a dark sky reserve, Hanle was picked by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics to set up an observatory owing to its dry and cold weather. The high-altitude Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) located there at 14,764 feet, is one of the highest observatories in the world. “The IAO is a field station of IIA, Bengaluru,” says Dorje Angchuk, chief engineer in-charge at IAO, Hanle. “Our agenda is scientific research for the professional astronomer. Lately, we have been venturing into outreach,” says Dorje adding that every year, students from schools in and around Leh visit the reserve as a part of field trips. Along with his team, he has spent time and effort in orienting the locals to the wonders of astronomy.

The reserve has augmented facilities for night-time astronomy. After sun down, astronomy enthusiasts bring out their cameras and tripods and what follows is star hopping all through the night. “I have been studying astronomy for six years and my fascination with the night sky has increased after the visit to Hanle,” says Rishi Chander (16). For R N Vishnuvardhan (10), the youngest in the team, it was a first-time experience where he could catch a glimpse of the Andromeda Galaxy without using a telescope.

While there, the team also got to experience the nomadic lifestyle and traditions of the people of the region at the Nomadic Festival 2023 at Hanle village in Changthang district. “We could see some of the best of cultural performances, where cultural troupes from different villages in Changthang presented dance, songs and traditional sports. Nomadic communities in Ladakh lead a challenging but self-sufficient lifestyle, adapting to the harsh climatic conditions and high altitudes. They have a deep connection with nature and maintain a strong sense of community and cultural identity,” says Mihir.

The team also got an opportunity to visit the Druk Padma Karpo School in Ladakh that features in the Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots. Besides the night sky, the team also recall breathtaking views of cool blue lakes, snow-capped mountains, and a rejuvenating dip at Chumathang hot spring that bubbles from the ground near the banks of the ice-cold Indus River.

Dorje says they want to use astronomy to promote interest in science among students. “Being a remote observatory, Hanle is a difficult place to visit as it involves lots of travel and students are subject to AMS due to high altitude. Any group coming from the plains needs to be acclimatised for a minimum of two days before they can visit the observatory. We want to build excitement in astronomy with visits to such facilities and also give them an insight on the kind of instrumentation used for the same during day time along with a presentation of the research work carried out there,” he says, adding, “The objective is to make the pristine dark skies, a coveted destination for students.”

The Hanle Dark Sky Reserve is accessible throughout the year. For details on planning a trip from Coimbatore, call 9952243541/ 9894167141.