rooms in the was the affected areas, but hope of finding more survivors is failing. to forget, you can always get the w news on the go. just download our app from the google play or from the apple app store. it'll give you access to all the latest use from around the world, as well as push notifications for any franky views. they're watching t w use up next d, w, use asia. i'm been fizzle, and thanks for watching. i'll see you again next hour with mobile shares in dallas. just wanted to check in austin you month. right. you will send this new detention. the gross must the end of a superpower. the collapse of the soviet union

rushes more in ukraine. one year since the invasion began. we take a look back and into the future. in the human slow brain. in february on d, w. c, up to date, don't miss our highlights. the d w program online. d, w dot com highlights visit the doctor news asia coming up today. accusations of deadly drinking water in india really doesn't dug normally say pollutants from nearby factories have contaminated that drinking supply and the government has done nothing to stop it. and move over valentine's. oh, hard days. yeah,

that's what an indian government advisory body is suggesting. people do on the 14th of february, serious cow love, or making a political point. ah . i british manager, welcome to d w. news asia. glad you could join us in a village, just north of delhi, sickness seems to touch every family. some are adults, but most around a 3rd of gung knollys youth report serious illnesses, physical deformities, neurological problems, even cancer. the villagers say they've identified the cause, years of unchecked pollution from nearby factories that has contaminated their drinking water. they've even won a court case over the issue, but they say authorities have failed to do to do anything to help them.

don't mean thing is a farmer, his whole family is think the 50 year old would normally spend much up his time feeding his capital. now, he has other we're ease his son. we need thing was born a healthy child. but as he grew up through homes became deformed out of blame it on the local water supply. that just that am what i would say like my sick son. there were so many of the children in this village with similar illnesses have me. some of even died at that given a doctor leha with the doctors told us that these diseases are a result of contaminated water. yeah, i thought i'd all of his drink this poisonous water. get on the go. if we don't have any other option. well, you're off done there 5 years ago, dot m himself that will operate a huge lump on his face. he says that sometimes the pain is unbearable and he can't afford to go to hospital to get treated or hot under some other families.

in this village of similar stories, every person sitting in this group is sick including the child and the village teacher on on and john, after an examination, i was diagnosed with cancer. some of it out, they operated on my mouth and cuts out the cancerous flesh even. it's all because of the contaminated water. in 2017 india stop and water mental pool. a national green tribunal confirmed that contaminated water was the primary cause of sickness in the area. and recommended that the sewage treatment plant be installed. but no action was taken by the thought of these. despite repeated calls, the local legislator was unavailable for comment. we decided to phone the waste water being discharged from a nearby sugar cane factory into it canal. we could see no evidence that the water

had been treated before being released up to being granted access to the refinery. that the villagers hold responsible for accommodating their water. we confronted the manager with allegations. he categorically denied that his factory released contaminated water was our factory has got equipment that cleans the water and then sends it outside. there were no harmful toxins, but the village heard rodriguez r t does not believe him. he took us to the city, were one of the water sources of the village. he told us it all changed after industries started moving into the surrounding area and contaminating the ground water. with the run off his cup i receive it used to have very clean water. now it has become toxic because of the factories that have been this water reaches our homes. they were me. yeah. and we drink is we're also we're helpless is amadine back in the village bottom. and his family are struggling to, sir,

while tom says the local government has done little to help them get clean drinking water. and despite years of suffering, it seems little as likely to change for the families in this village. a little. oh, a quick look now at some other stories making news in india. india has flown a 2nd verge of aid to turkey and syria for earthquake rescue efforts. more rescue teams are on their way to the disaster area along with the field hospital and other medical supplies. the def told from the disaster has reached 16000 and opposition lawmakers are demanding an investigation into the r dondo group. they accused the government of favoring the business conglomerate. u. s. based firm hindenburg research last month accused the group of stock manipulation and unsustainable debt . we stay in india with a government advisory body has issued an appeal for people to mark the 14th of

february as cow hug day instead of valentine's day. that's right, hoggard cow, not your partner. the p comes from the animal welfare board of india, which advises the government on animal welfare laws. i have the order right here and no, it is not fake news fit for that initially, what this uses you before he realized it was true. this is a tweet from moments zubair co founder of india's premier fake news checking website. old news. so the appeal to cow lovers is to celebrate cow hub day on the 14th of february, to quote, make life happy and full of positive energy. also because cow is the backbone of indian culture, and that does little of western civilization has had an impact on indian heritage. naturally, twitter has responded yes, a selection of tweets. this user is concerned about the dangers off hugging

cows. he warns about long, sharp horns and powerful legs another user is worried about whether bovine consent would be required before proceeding to hug. and lastly, what about cows? no one wants to hug this user on how sad that would be. right. let's get some more context on this from professor show, explain. he's a professor piece and conflict research at our university in sweden and a well known commentator on indian political and social life. professor swayne, there's many layers to this. but 1st, let's talk about valentine's day. why does a government advisory body have a problem with valentines day? and they have been and criticized by the hindu super. my sister group brought it in

the right way for a long time. they always have it as explain it door to door to people and this is a weston and, and this is some things which are indians will not do. so there have been also a number of groups which are usually take, you know, by use all sorts of illegal means even to hot us people, those who are couples and they do in the matter of course, they want some kind of some time to be alone or some privacy and the state, so they do all sorts of things to harass them. so, but to fund it, there have been always after this a number of these kind of issues even sometimes new christmas day they have objected to. but the valentine, there has been there for some time, so it's nothing quite surprising that they are a guest valentine's day. but the, what is surprising is that what does come out that the celebrities as

a cow hawks hugging cause, i mean, is this seriously road called love, or is there a deeper political pointer that has been made? you said, look how hugging is, is, is not an indian thing. it does it essentially been coming from the, you know, you have seen some places where ever a white car hogue has been replaced as, as i said well and, and they had its own problem for those people. but i think what has happened in the cow hogs, i just want to give you the importance to go. it is also to to this in do not my list are in the right wing, wants to for saw that how it is different, particularly to saw in a different light. the muslims and christians, that has been the cow has been center of indian politics for the last 89 years now after the hindu nationalist party came to power. and this has been in many ways too

hot or warm even to lynch for muslims and christians. the particularly movie dog, making this as a kind of be further politics of food politics that are a number of toys they are actually harassing even the profession. so do what muslims are in the proposed on. so for, you know, me productions and others that have been us that have been killed. so this is some things which is one sense you water, it guess the waste by, i wouldn't get guessed though. mom balanced it in another sense by putting the emphasis on how you are slowing, but how muslims and christians are to be so because their book are eaters, and we have the predictor of the call that local college. but how much appealed to do things like go hug day have, i mean, do you not think that the majority of the public will think of this says something rather absurd. it's quite strange things happening because you would

expect people to think that it's absurd people's will not take it seriously. but the kind of these in this kind of for walk a day that it will be a number of walk. we'll kind of, you know, some places where the people will try to hook our double play to put back on. but i think in one way, those people, those who are really being harassing and a couple of the, you know, the young people, those who are been in the box or in the public places on valentine's did. they were used to it. they will probably more in really hugging out that a lot. but the question is, i think it is somehow, i don't think it because we might laugh about it. but it has a strong political and really just connections with the borders on the, with the support or so they have and that's what they're playing. and that's what they're looking for. and i don't think we should take it lightly. of course,

if it's a white be jar for us any, any, any, any other way you think rationally. but if you look at in the list in the religious nationalism bids them then it makes a lot of sense that they're why they're doing it. do you see, do you think that they'd be more satcher? that's call them absurd suggestions coming from the side of the government or government related bodies like this in the future? then it will cease to surprise me. bill all was gone to come up with the all sorts of boys, particularly about the cow car uti in col, dong. you name it, document that a number of signs in susan's i've been asked to do research the on such up on, on the project based on possible benefits er benefits. are you doing about all these things which always comes in. so it's nothing new is that the cow hugging, replacing valentine's day is bit. i mean, if you look at it into here that you know exclusively, it looks like bit odd. but,

but if you look at, in the book complete package, what has been going on for the last, almost 890 years. this makes sense to me. and this sort of, you know, this is not surprising. so this is not surprised that it will not go many more things like this. certainly one of the strangest conversations we've ever had, but thanks so much for joining us today, professor. sure, so and from up select up select university. thank you so much. et cetera to this program is more on our website is here tomorrow. good bye on you, molly grammy. he he wasn't that bad right? in school in austria changed quite a bit during the time it what's it like when to sport in

a former college hotspot? check in next on dw with say what grade he will be with people who ah ah, ah, all aboard for this new edition of check.