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The Jal Shakti Ministry’s revised target to achieve full rural tap water coverage and sanitation by 2025 underscores both the scale of India’s progress and the challenges that remain. The ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin have brought transformative changes to rural India, providing access to clean water and sanitation. Currently, 15.37 crore rural households out of 19.36 crore have been equipped with tap water connections under JJM, leaving around four crore households yet to benefit. While 11 States and Union Territories boast 100% rural tap water coverage, larger and more populous states like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Kerala, and West Bengal lag behind, with less than 60% coverage. Bridging this gap requires meticulous coordination, resource allocation, and robust implementation mechanisms. The sanitation story is equally commendable, with 95% of India’s villages now declared Open Defecation Free. This milestone proves the holistic approach of SBM-G, which goes beyond toilet construction to include solid and liquid waste management. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra have set benchmarks in achieving these standards, with Madhya Pradesh’s 49,000 “model” villages offering a roadmap for others. Yet, the remaining 5% of villages require targeted interventions to ensure no one is left behind in this sanitation revolution. Ecological restoration under the Namami Gange Programme adds another layer to the Ministry’s 2025 vision. The wetland conservation and afforestation efforts, signal a commendable commitment to restoring India’s riverine ecosystems. These ecological initiatives have also improved water quality, reinforcing the broader goals of JJM. India’s experience demonstrates that addressing basic needs like water and sanitation can catalyze social and economic transformation. However, the challenge lies in ensuring equitable access and sustainability. The next two years must focus on addressing regional disparities, strengthening grassroots participation, and leveraging technology to monitor progress. The Jal Shakti Ministry’s 2025 goals are not just about numbers; they represent a vision of healthier, empowered rural communities. Achieving these targets will require collective action and unwavering resolve, but the benefits will resonate for the coming generations.BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — A day after Buffalo Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams held a press conference that left the fanbase with more questions than answers. His team took the ice Saturday afternoon in front of those same fans. Having lost their last five in a row coming in. An abysmal second period put Buffalo behind by two goals and from there they continued to spiral in a 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club. The two goal scorers for Buffalo, Tyson Kozak the first of his NHL career, and fellow forward Jiri Kulich. At the end of the day the team’s 6th straight loss which had fans chanting “Fire Adams” and “Where is Terry” falls on one thing. Execution. "I think it's execution and getting back to our game. You can't go offside eight times in a game or I don't know how many times it was today," says forward Jason Zucker. "We just need to get back to executing at a high level like we know how to. "This is like mentally one of the weakest games I've seen where you go offside that number of times," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "You don't execute the small plays. The execution part in us, executing at a high level was not good enough. Just go back onto the ice, practice the simple stuff that leads to the better plays." This marks the longest losing streak for the Sabres since the 2022-2023 season when they lost eight in a row. And you may remember they ended up missing the playoffs by one point that year. They’re back in action at home Monday night against Detroit. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. EST.
DENVER (AP) — Amid renewed interest in the killing of JonBenet Ramsey triggered in part by a new Netflix documentary, police in Boulder, Colorado, refuted assertions this week that there is viable evidence and leads about the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old girl that they are not pursuing. JonBenet Ramsey, who competed in beauty pageants, was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in the college town of Boulder the day after Christmas in 1996. Her body was found several hours after her mother called 911 to say her daughter was missing and a ransom note had been left behind. The details of the crime and video footage of JonBenet competing in pageants propelled the case into one of the highest-profile mysteries in the United States. The police comments came as part of their annual update on the investigation, a month before the 28th anniversary of JonBenet’s killing. Police said they released it a little earlier due to the increased attention on the case, apparently referring to the three-part Netflix series “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.” In a video statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said the department welcomes news coverage and documentaries about the killing of JonBenet, who would have been 34 this year, as a way to generate possible new leads. He said the department is committed to solving the case but needs to be careful about what it shares about the investigation to protect a possible future prosecution. “What I can tell you though, is we have thoroughly investigated multiple people as suspects throughout the years and we continue to be open-minded about what occurred as we investigate the tips that come into detectives," he said. The Netflix documentary focuses on the mistakes made by police and the “media circus” surrounding the case. JonBenet was bludgeoned and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide, but nobody was ever prosecuted. Police were widely criticized for mishandling the early investigation into her death amid speculation that her family was responsible. However, a prosecutor cleared her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and brother Burke in 2008 based on new DNA evidence from JonBenet's clothing that pointed to the involvement of an “unexplained third party” in her slaying. The announcement by former district attorney Mary Lacy came two years after Patsy Ramsey died of cancer. Lacy called the Ramseys “victims of this crime.” John Ramsey has continued to speak out for the case to be solved. In 2022, he supported an online petition asking Colorado’s governor to intervene in the investigation by putting an outside agency in charge of DNA testing in the case. In the Netflix documentary, he said he has been advocating for several items that have not been prepared for DNA testing to be tested and for other items to be retested. He said the results should be put through a genealogy database. In recent years, investigators have identified suspects in unsolved cases by comparing DNA profiles from crime scenes and to DNA testing results shared online by people researching their family trees. In 2021, police said in their annual update that DNA hadn’t been ruled out to help solve the case, and in 2022 noted that some evidence could be “consumed” if DNA testing is done on it. Last year, police said they convened a panel of outside experts to review the investigation to give recommendations and determine if updated technologies or forensic testing might produce new leads. In the latest update, Redfearn said that review had ended but that police continue to work through and evaluate a “lengthy list of recommendations” from the panel. Amy Beth Hanson contributed to this report from Helena, Montana.By LINDSEY BAHR Do you have a someone in your life who plays Vulture’s Cinematrix game every morning? Or maybe they have the kitchen television turned to Turner Classic Movies all day and make a point of organizing Oscar polls at work? Hate to break it to you: They might be a hard-to-please cinephile. But while you might not want to get into a winless debate over the “Juror No. 2” release or the merits of “Megalopolis” with said person, they don’t have to be hard to buy gifts for. The Associated Press has gathered up some of the best items out there to keep any movie lover stylish and informed. “Interstellar” 4K UHD While Christopher Nolan dreams up his next film, fans can tide themselves over by revisiting his modern classic “Interstellar,” which will be back in IMAX theaters on the weekend of Dec. 6, followed by the home release of a new collector’s edition on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray ($59.95). A third disc in the set, available Dec. 10, contains more than two hours of bonus content, like a never-before-seen storyboard sequence, and new interviews with Nolan, producer Emma Thomas and famous fans Peter Jackson and Denis Villeneuve . A biography of Elaine May Elaine May does not give interviews anymore. But thankfully that didn’t deter writer Carrie Courogen, who did a remarkable job stitching together the life of one of our culture’s most fascinating, and prickly, talents. “Miss May Does Not Exist” is full of delightful anecdotes about the sharp and satirical comedian who gained fame as one half of Nichols and May and went on to direct films like “The Heartbreak Kid” and “Mikey and Nicky.” Courogen writes about May’s successes, flops and her legendary scuffles with the Hollywood establishment. It’s a vital companion to Mark Harris’ biography of Mike Nichols . Macmillan. $30. A “Matrix” hoodie The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has an exclusive new “Matrix” sweatshirt for sale in conjunction with its Cyberpunk exhibition. Brain Dead Studios designed and created several items, including the black hoodie ($140), a white rabbit tee ($54) and a pint glass ($18). An Academy Museum exhibition catalog If you can’t make it to Los Angeles to check out the “Color in Motion” exhibit for yourself, the Academy Museum also has a beautiful new companion book for sale ($55) charting the development of color technology in film and its impact. It includes photos from films like “The Red Shoes,” “Vertigo,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and images of rare prints from the silent era. The Academy Museum Store is having a sale (20% off everything) from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. A status tote Related Articles Things To Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things To Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things To Do | These holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more Things To Do | ‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained? Things To Do | Beer pairings for your holiday feasts Want to look like a real film festival warrior, the kind who sees five movies a day, files a review and still manages to make the late-night karaoke party? You’re going to need the ultimate status tote from the independent streaming service MUBI . Simple, to-the-point and only for people in the know. $25. The Metrograph magazine Film magazines may be an endangered species, but print is not dead at The Metrograph . Manhattan’s coolest movie theater is starting a biannual print publication “for cinephiles and cultural connoisseurs alike.” The first issue’s cover art is by cinematographer Ed Lachman (“Carol”), and contributors include the likes of Daniel Clowes, Ari Aster, Steve Martin and Simon Rex. There’s also a conversation with Clint Eastwood. It’s currently available for pre-order and will be in bookstores Dec. 10 for $25 ($15 for Metrograph members). Director style This is not a book about filmmaking styles, camera angles and leadership choices. It’s literally about what directors wear. “How Directors Dress: On Set, in the Edit, and Down the Red Carpet” ($40) has over 200 archival photos of filmmakers in action: Spike Lee in his basketball caps, Sofia Coppola in her Charvet button-ups, Steven Spielberg’s denim on denim and many more. With a forward by the always elegant Joanna Hogg and writing from some of the top fashion journalists, it’s a beautiful look at how filmmakers really dress for work — and might even be a source of inspiration.
LEO MCKINSTRY: It is frankly impossible for council employees to show the same commitment to their position when they are thousands of miles away sipping a pina colada