Stubble burning in one of the agriculture fields on the outskirts of the National Capital Region near Bagpat on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Delhi News Live Updates: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said that construction activities have been stopped across Delhi in view of the rising air pollution. This comes after Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality plunged into the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday with an AQI of 424, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4 pm bulletin. Of all 170 places in the country that were part of the CPCB’s air quality bulletin on Tuesday, Delhi recorded the worst AQI.
The CM also stated that directions have been passed to give Rs 5000/per month as financial support to each construction worker during this period, when construction activities are not permitted. BJP on Tuesday had blamed Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann for “criminal negligence” amid the rising pollution, and demanded resignations of the two AAP CMs. A spokesperson said, “The residents of Delhi and Punjab are breathing poison and that is only because of Delhi CM. Despite having facilities provided by the central government, the Kejriwal and Mann governments have done nothing to control the air pollution.”
In other news, amid the ongoing tussle between the AAP government and Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena over ‘Dilli ki yogshala’ programme, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday announced that the free yoga classes will continue in the capital, and he will fund the programme even if he has to “beg” to be able to pay teachers.
An anti-smog gun spraying water in Delhi. (Express/File)
Having been born and brought up at the Bhoomiheen Camp slum cluster in Kalkaji, 33-year-old Dolly was looking forward to her new address on Wednesday, when along with hundreds of other families she was given the keys to her new flat built by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). “We will have an electricity connection and water. And, the biggest change is that our address will change,” she said, as she waited for the inauguration ceremony to begin at Vigyan Bhawan.
Speaking at the inauguration of the flats, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the poor contributed to the development of the city, but had been made to live in deplorable conditions for decades. He handed over keys to a few of the beneficiaries of the in-situ slum rehabilitation project. Read more
The number of farm fires in Punjab saw a sharp spike on Wednesday, recording the season’s highest single day figure so far – 3,634. This is up from 1,842 recorded on Tuesday, according to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
IARI data shows that Punjab has recorded 21,480 paddy residue burning events from September 15 onwards. This is around 19% more than the figure of 18,066 recorded till November 2 last year, but lower than the figure of 37,756 recorded till November 2, 2020, and 22,720 recorded till November 2, 2019. Read more
The Delhi High Court on Monday acquitted three men sentenced to life for the 2009 murder of a 21-year-old Delhi University student, whose body was found wrapped in a bag at the house of one of them.
According to the prosecution, Nitika Singh, a BA final-year student of Aditi College, was found dead in West Delhi’s Mundka village. When Singh did not return home from college, her family filed a missing person’s report. On September 15, 2009, her father got a telephone call from an unknown number saying that one of the three men, Yashu, had shot his daughter dead and disposed of her body. The caller identified himself as Vikram from Kurukshetra. Police searched the house of Yashu, who lived in the same neighbourhood as Singh, and found her body wrapped in a black polythene bag and with a bullet injury on her temple. Read more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Centre’s aim was to make Delhi a “grand city” in keeping with its status as Capital, but at the same time holistic development would be incomplete without addressing the inequality within the city.
Speaking at the inauguration of 3,024 flats built by the Delhi Development Authority for the economically-weaker section (EWS) at Kalkaji in South Delhi, Modi said the poor contributed to the development of the city, but had been made to live in deplorable conditions for decades. Handing over keys to a few of the beneficiaries of the in-situ slum rehabilitation project, the Prime Minister noted the joy on their faces. Read more
In March this year, as a war raged between Russia and Ukraine, a Ukrainian mother had a bigger worry on her mind – her three-year-old child, who she had with an Indian national, had been kidnapped by the man. The war is still underway, and so is the 40-year-old’s battle to find her son.
On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Police to locate the boy as well as her husband (44), after she moved the court alleging that he had brought him to India after kidnapping the child. Malavika Prasad reports
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai Wednesday appealed to the residents of the national capital to contribute to the fight against pollution. Speaking at a press conference, Rai suggested five things people should follow to battle pollution, including working from home. Delhi’s AQI, which turned severe (424) for the first time this season so far on Tuesday and was the worst in the entire country, improved slightly to the very poor category (376) on Wednesday.
Hitting out at the BJP, Rai said the party and the Centre want to penalise farmers for stubble burning. The share of stubble burning in PM 2.5 on Wednesday rose to 32 per cent, up from 14 per cent on Tuesday and 22 per cent on Monday. Read more
The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued a notice in a plea moved by Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s investigation against him in connection with a 2020 money laundering case. A division bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Justice Anish Dayal sought the central agency’s response to the plea and listed the matter for December 15. The court, however, did not pass any order staying “coercive action” against Shivakumar as he had not moved an application for the same.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Shivakumar submitted, “Once you come to the conclusion that assets are disproportionate to the income then there can’t be money laundering after that as a matter of law”. Read more
While announcing that the AAP govt is starting special mohalla clinics for women, CM Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said that over 100 clinics will be inaugurated in the first phase of the project. Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia inaugurated the first Mahila Mohalla clinic in Delhi. The clinic is dedicated to children below 12 years of age and women.
Mohalla clinics system is one of the flagship initiatives of the Kejriwal government and is aimed at boosting the primary healthcare system in Delhi.
The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued a notice in a plea moved by Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s investigation against him in connection with a 2020 money laundering case.
A division bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Justice Anish Dayal sought the central agency’s response to the plea and listed the matter for December 15. The court, however, did not pass any order staying “coercive action” against Shivakumar as he had not moved an application for the same. Read more
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said his government is starting special mohalla clinics for women where gynaecological services, tests, and medicines will be available free of cost for them. Mohalla clinics system is one of the flagship initiatives of the Kejriwal government and is aimed at boosting the primary healthcare system in Delhi.
The chief minister in a tweet in Hindi said, "Good news for the women of Delhi. Another new initiative is going to happen in the national capital's world-class health services from today.” (PTI)
Union minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday handed over regularisation letters to 308 sanitation workers working on compassionate grounds and as daily wagers at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The move is seen as an attempt to woo the sanitation workers ahead of corporation polls likely in December.
The regularisation of sanitation workers has been a long-pending demand of MCD workers. There are around 50,000 sanitation workers in the three erstwhile municipal corporations, out of which around 18,000 are working as temporary workers. Read more
Union minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday handed over regularisation letters to 308 sanitation workers working on compassionate grounds and as daily wagers at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The move is seen as an attempt to woo the sanitation workers ahead of corporation polls likely in December.
The regularisation of sanitation workers has been a long-pending demand of MCD workers. There are around 50,000 sanitation workers in the three erstwhile municipal corporations, out of which around 18,000 are working as temporary workers. Read more
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said that construction activities have been stopped across Delhi in view of the rising air pollution.
The CM also stated that directions have been passed to give Rs 5000/per month as financial support to each construction worker during this period, when construction activities are not permitted.
This comes after Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality plunged into the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday with an AQI of 424, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4 pm bulletin. Of all 170 places in the country that were part of the CPCB’s air quality bulletin on Tuesday, Delhi recorded the worst AQI.
Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate on a plea by Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar challenging the investigation initiated by probe agency against him in 2020 relating to a money laundering case.
Shivakumar has also challenged the constitutional validity of Section 13 of the PMLA.
A bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Anish Dayal issued notices on the plea and has now listed the case for further consideration on December 15.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is likely to have to wait longer for environmental clearance for the construction of 184 multi-storey flats for Members of Parliament at Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
Considering the proposal for clearance at a meeting held last month, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has referred the matter back to the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) to “physically examine and document geo coordinates of tree transplantation and availability of area to transplant 222 numbers of trees”, according to the minutes of the SEIAA’s meeting. Read more
With the academic year for newly-admitted students beginning today, most Delhi University colleges are conducting their orientations for the new students today.
The Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated SSK & KSC Hospitals has temporarily suspended the services of marshals and bouncers from the hospital. The bouncers and marshals were hired to ensure the safety and security of the doctors and the hospital.
The order issued by deputy director Dr V K Sharma on October 31 said that the services will be terminated with immediate effect. Read more
The Delhi transport department has published a list of authorised vehicle scrappers to help people get their ‘overage’ vehicles scrapped under the government’s scrappage policy. The list published on the department’s website has the address and contact details of eight approved scrapping centres. Read more
A Delhi court has set aside an order by the appellate tribunal of the municipal corporation (MCD) which ordered a trust working for communal harmony in Delhi to pay ten times the penalty amount to deseal its property and observed it was “absolutely wrong, perverse and unsustainable in law.”
The Quami Ekta Trust was empowered to sublet any part of its property “to achieve its objects and to raise funds to promote communal harmony”. The Ministry of Urban Development allotted a plot in 1988 to the trust in New Delhi’s Institutional area.
The court said the impugned demand by the NDMC levelling misuse charges amounting to 10 times the penalty is quashed and directed the NDMC to deseal the property within seven days failing which “the official(s) responsible shall be liable to pay compensation of Rs one thousand per day till such time the order is complied with, which shall be deducted from his/her salary on attachment and payable to the Appellant Trust.” Read more
A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by five men inside a hotel in Gurgaon, said police Tuesday, adding all the accused have been arrested and the investigation is going on. The minor said two of the accused were known to her and allegedly took her to the hotel where they called the other accused.
An FIR was lodged against the accused on the complaint of the girl’s father on Sunday. He alleged that the incident took place on Saturday morning. Read more
For the first time this season, Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality plunged into the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday with an AQI of 424, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4 pm bulletin.
PM2.5 was found to be the main pollutant. Of all 170 places in the country that were part of the CPCB’s air quality bulletin on Tuesday, Delhi recorded the worst AQI.
In the National Capital Region, Greater Noida and Faridabad also recorded AQI in the ‘severe’ category Tuesday. The AQI in Faridabad was 403, while it was 402 in Greater Noida. The air quality in Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad remained in the upper end of the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday. Read more
Delhi's air quality index plunged to the 'severe' category on Tuesday, with doctors flagging a rise in respiratory diseases among residents.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates from Delhi-NCR!