Delhi News Live Updates: Rain in the national capital region.Delhi-NCR Air Pollution Live Updates, November 9: After the rains led to a decrease in the concentration of pollutants, the Delhi government said it will postpone the implementation of the odd-even road-rationing scheme, which was to come into force for a week starting November 13. “There is a change in weather from last night onwards, and there is an improvement in pollution levels. The government has decided that the odd-even scheme, which was to be implemented from Nov 13 to 20, will be postponed. After Diwali, the pollution situation will be assessed,” said Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai.
Earlier, the Supreme Court is heard the odd-even vehicle scheme matter again today in which the Delhi government cited “findings of two independent and scientific evaluations by globally reputed institutions” and told the court that these studies had concluded “that the policy works as an effective emergency measure”. The Court had termed the scheme as “optics” in its November 7 hearing.
Following an all-minister meeting yesterday, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that all ministers of the Delhi government will get on the ground, and monitor progress and enforcement of GRAP-related restrictions in the city. While Rai will monitor the north and northeast districts, Minister Kailash Gahlot has been assigned the southwest and west districts, Atishi the east and southeast districts, Saurabh Bharadwaj the south and New Delhi districts, Imran Hussain the Central and Shahdara districts, and Raaj Kumar Anand the northwest district.
A cyclist rides amid smog in New Delhi, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. (AP Photo)
In a bid to reduce traffic congestion in Gurgaon, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Friday inaugurated the Vatika Chowk underpass that connects the Southern Peripheral Road with Golf Course Extension Road.
The 800-metre-long underpass, built at a cost of Rs 109.14 crore by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is expected to ease traffic between the Southern Peripheral Road and Golf Course Extension Road and reduce congestion at the Vatika Chowk traffic junction on the Gurgaon-Badshahpur Road.
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A Delhi Police constable was arrested for allegedly posing as a traffic personnel for issuing fake challans to truck drivers, police said on Friday.
Rohit Kumar (32) was caught red-handed by Assistant Sub-inspector (traffic) Banwari Lal and Head Constable Gaji Ram near a traffic light in Punjabi Bagh's Bharat Darshan Park on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, they said.
Kumar tried to flee and took off a white shirt, which is a part of the traffic police's uniform, he was wearing and threw it in a drain, police said He was arrested from the spot, they said.
Subsequently, he was also put under suspension, with immediate effect for allegedly indulging in impersonation, they said.
The matter came to the fore when he tried to issue a fake challan and extort money from a truck driver in Punjabi Bagh, but as the truck was carrying essential commodities, Kumar let the vehicle pass, they said. (PTI)
The Delhi Police has arrested two alleged sharpshooters of Neeraj Bawana gang, wanted in eight different cases of murder, attempt to murder and extortion, an officer said on Friday.
Tinku, 29, and Kabir, 20, both are from Haryana, they said.
"We got secret information that Tinku and Kabir will be coming to Bawana village. A team was formed and a trap was laid. Team intercepted a car, which was coming from Bawana side. When team asked them to stop, they tried to flee, but were overpowered," Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said.
Two pistols and 13 live cartridges were recovered from the two and the car on inquiry was found to be stolen, he said.
Yadav said the two had recently received four different assignments, which included killing a member of their rival gangs and to open fire at different locations at two persons who had refused to pay extortion money.
Tinku is involved in five and Kabir in three different criminal cases, said police. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court has refused to close criminal proceedings against a man accused of raping a minor, saying the subsequent marriage between the two was no reason for quashing the FIR and the charges against him were "serious in nature".
Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain referred to a Supreme Court ruling which said the offence of rape cannot be compounded and quashed on the basis of a settlement between the parties.
"The respondent no.2 (victim) in the FIR has alleged that the petitioner had sexual intercourse with her multiple times when she was just 16 years old. The respondent no. 2 also got pregnant due to this reason," the court noted.
"The allegations as levelled by the respondent no. 2 are serious in nature. The mere fact that the respondent no. 2 got married with the petitioner subsequently does not entail quashing of FIR. The present FIR pertains to offences punishable under section 376 IPC and section 6 of the POCSO Act which are serious in nature," it said in a recent order. (PTI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin during a bilateral meeting in New Delhi today.
(PTI Photos)
The Delhi University has declared an early winter break from November 13-19 in view of the air pollution in the national capital, according to an official notification released on Friday.
The winter break, which is usually given in December, has been revised keeping in mind the GRAP-IV measures being implemented amid the prevailing air pollution in Delhi.
All colleges and institutes of the university have been asked to declare the winter break.
However, all the pre-scheduled examinations and interviews will be held without any change. (PTI)
The JNU administration has received a complaint from some students over the alleged depiction of king Mahabali draped in the colours of the Palestinian flag in an Onam poster at the university's Convention Centre, officials said Friday.
They alleged that their religious sentiments were hurt by the depiction.
"See the political manipulation of King Mahabali who was a devotee of Lord Vishnu to support Hamas... A group of students belonging to Kerala have complained as it hurt their feelings," Vice Cancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, told PTI.
The students have raised objection to the extended festivities of Onam which was celebrated in August and suggested that the upcoming festival of Diwali could have been celebrated in its place, she added.
JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh claimed that no such complaint has been made by the students and alleged that the administration is lying due to the criticism received by several politicians over the cancellation of Onam celebrations at the university's Convention Centre. (PTI)
Taking cognizance of a viral video, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against an unidentified driver who allegedly dragged a barricade by his car on a city flyover, officials said on Friday.
The video that had gone viral on different social media platforms showed the car dragging the police barricade for more than 100 metres.
"Taking cognizance of this viral video, the Sunlight Colony police investigated the matter and found that the incident occurred on the Barapullah flyover. We have booked the unidentified car driver under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act," a senior police officer said. (PTI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a report from the vigilance minister on a complaint alleging Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar's son was employed by a relative of a landowner who received an enhanced compensation for land acquired for a road project, official sources said on Friday.
There was no immediate reaction on the matter from Kumar.
The chief minister marked the complaint, received by the Delhi government in October, to Vigilance Minister Atishi and sought a detailed report on it with facts, they said. (PTI)
A Delhi court on Friday extended till November 24 the judicial custody of AAP leader Sanjay Singh, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.
Special Judge M K Nagpal also allowed Singh to sign some documents related to development work as a Member of Parliament.
The judge also directed the authorities concerned to produce him before a court in Punjab after it was informed that a production warrant had been received from a court in Amritsar, Punjab, in a case there.
The anti-money laundering agency had arrested Singh on October 4.
The ED has alleged that Singh played a key role in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy, which benefited certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. (PTI)
On today’s rain in the national capital, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul says that the people have to pray only, sometimes wind comes and helps, and sometimes rains. “God may have heard the prayers of people and intervened, no thanks to the government,” says Justice Kaul as per ANI.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has been personally examining pollution hotspots in the city to address the issue, according to Aam Aadmi Party. Oberoi has plans to visit the pollution hotspot in Harkesh Nagar on Friday after visiting the hotspot in RK Puram on Tuesday, the hotspot in Punjabi Bagh on Wednesday, and the hotspot in Civil Lines on Thursday.
“Shelly Oberoi herself sprinkled water with a water sprinkling machine on Ground Zero,” Wednesday. She “slammed officials for negligence in pollution control,” Thursday, according to the Aam Aadmi Party’s press statement.
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A Delhi Court Thursday dismissed the revision petitions filed by Aam Aadmi Party leaders Raghav Chadha and Satyendar Jain and upheld an order passed by a magistrate court in the defamation case filed against them by BJP leader Chhail Bihari Goswami.
“…both these criminal revision petitions are dismissed and the impugned orders dated 16.02.2022 and 09.11.2022 are upheld being perfectly correct and legal on facts as well as in law,” said Special Judge MK Nagpal while dismissing the revision petitions.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast indicates that the maximum temperature on Friday is likely to be around 29 degrees Celsius, with cloudy skies and light rainfall or thundershowers. The next six days are likely to remain dry, going by the forecast.
The minimum temperature early on Friday was 16.2 degrees Celsius, and this is likely to drop to around 13 degrees by November 13.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks on Friday morning ahead of the high profile '2+2' ministerial dialogue.
Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Delhi for the fifth edition of the '2+2' foreign and defence ministerial dialogue which is aimed at taking forward India-US futuristic roadmap for deeper strategic cooperation.
The Indian delegation at the talks will be led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Jaishankar.
On the defensive after the Supreme Court called its odd-even vehicle scheme “optics”, the Delhi government, it is learnt, will likely rely on the “findings of two independent and scientific evaluations by globally reputed institutions” and tell the court that these studies had concluded “that the policy works as an effective emergency measure”.
Sources said the Delhi government’s response to the top court’s direction seeking clarification on the odd-even scheme will refer to two studies —
“Justice to litigants has always been a consistent goal of mine,” said Delhi High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma Thursday as he bid farewell to the HC following his appointment as the Supreme Court judge.
The SC collegium had on Monday recommended the appointment of Justice Sharma along with then Rajasthan HC Chief Justice Augustine George Masih and the then Gauhati HC Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta as judges of the top court. On Thursday, the Centre notified the three appointments, and in the evening, the three judges were sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court. Read the full report here
Overnight rain in Delhi has brought a dip in the AQI levels significantly
Overnight rain led to a visible improvement in Delhi's air quality on Friday morning after more than a week of hazardous pollution.
The improvement is expected to be reflected in the air quality index as the day progresses -- the AQI at any given time is the average of readings taken in the last 24 hours.
At 7 am, Delhi's AQI stood at 408, improving from 437 at 4 pm on Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted a marginal improvement in air quality just ahead of Diwali owing to favourable meteorological conditions, including light rain.
IMD officials had also said a change in the wind direction from northwest to southeast due to a fresh western disturbance affecting northwest India will help reduce the contribution of smoke from stubble burning. PTI
Thanks to the rain in parts of Delhi-NCR, here's how the concentration of pollutants in Delhi's air dipped:
However, AQI continues to be in the 'severe' category as of this morning.
However, AQI continues in the 'severe' category as of this morning.
The Delhi government has decided to bear the entire cost of artificial rain to combat hazardous air pollution in the city and directed the chief secretary to present the government's views before the Supreme Court on Friday, officials said.
If the Centre supports the decision, the Delhi government can arrange for the first phase of artificial rain in the city by November 20, they said on Thursday.
"In a significant development, the Delhi government has decided to bear the cost of artificial rain that could be made to happen by November 20 if the Centre extends its support to the Delhi government," said a senior government functionary. "The chief secretary has been directed to inform the Supreme court that the Delhi government has in principle agreed, based on the advice of an IIT-Kanpur team, to bear the cost of Phase 1 and Phase 2 pilots (totalling Rs 13 Crore) for carrying out artificial rain," he said.
The Arvind Kejriwal government plans to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding technology to combat air pollution in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday after meeting the IIT-Kanpur team. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to ensure that the redevelopment work carried out in Chandni Chowk is continued and maintained.
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela in its November 8 order said the traders association also owed “some social responsibility” as the area is being developed for their welfare as well. (Read on...)
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has ordered a special audit into allegations of misuse of government funds in the functioning of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR).
The DCPCR, which is the Delhi government’s statutory watchdog on matters of child rights, including the protection of children from exploitation, abuse, labour, trafficking, violence and sexual offences among others, will not receive additional funds till the completion of the audit and an inquiry by the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), L-G House officials said. (Read further)
The Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha on Thursday recommended TMC MP Mahua Moitra‘s expulsion from the House after the panel adopted a draft report on the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, news agency PTI reported quoting sources. (Know more)
Delhi Congress leaders and workers protested today against the government over worsening air pollution in the national capital. Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Lovely said,"When people of Delhi are gasping for breath, BJP in the Center is busy in assembly elections while AAP government in Delhi is more concerned about whether to run the government from inside or outside (the jail)."
As the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee adopts its report on 'cash-for-query' allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, panel chief and BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar said, "The Ethics Committee had prepared a report regarding the allegations on Mahua Moitra. Today's single agenda was to adopt that report. The report has been adopted, in which six members supported it and four voted against it."
Following the meeting, Delhi minster Gopal Rai said, 'Pollutants are not dispersing due to atmospheric conditions, and to control sources of pollution (biomass burning, vehicles etc), GRAP stage-IV is in place across the NCR. We have been told that these restrictions are not being strictly followed on ground... The ministers have expressed their disappointment over this administrative negligence.'
He added, 'The ministers will issue directions to officials on duty in these districts, and will make ground visits, so that the restrictions can be strictly enforced. They will focus visits to the borders -- the Singhu border, Kapashera border etc -- construction sites, and bus depots.'
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai holds a review meeting on the pollution situation in the national capital.
Many parts of the country are already grappling with elevated pollution levels. As Diwali approaches in the next few days, the looming festival is expected to exacerbate the situation, posing a greater risk to the elderly population, who should exercise extra caution. The elderly should keep an eye out for pollution-triggered symptoms while also addressing crucial health and lifestyle factors to safeguard their well-being.
Dr Tushar Tayal, consultant, internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi addresses five key questions on why elderly must be more alert on bad air days. Read here.
The last train service from terminal stations will start at 10 PM on Sunday, said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The early conclusion of services will be due to the occasion of Diwali on Sunday. Usually the train services conclude at 11PM.
Metro services will commence on Sunday as usual. “Metro train services will commence from 6 AM onwards on all lines and sections, and from 4:45 AM on Airport Express Line this Sunday (on Diwali),” said the DMRC in a statement.
In view of the serious situation of pollution in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai has called a meeting of all the ministers of Delhi. The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat today. Finance and Revenue Minister Atishi, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, Social Welfare Minister Rajkumar Anand and Food and Supply Minister Imran Hussain will be present in the meeting: Office of the Environment Minister. (ANI)
Rohit Negi writes: "At this critical juncture, the issue requires deft politics in the truest sense of the term. So many party-political, commercial, and livelihood interests impinge on the matter in the north Indian airshed. Meaningful and effective action will benefit immensely from a consensus on the matter that sutures these divides. That a group of MPs cutting across party lines has emerged in the recent past to deliberate and advocate on the issue is an encouraging development."
Read his full collumn here.
Secondary inorganic aerosols, biomass burning within and outside Delhi, and vehicles: These contributed the most to Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 levels in Delhi last winter, according to data from a study presented to the Delhi government this September.
The report on the real-time source apportionment study said results show the contribution of secondary inorganic aerosols, which are mostly expected to travel from far distances, to be the highest. The study, meant to understand sources of PM 2.5 in Delhi for the previous winter, was submitted to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) by IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Delhi and TERI.
Read full report here.
Five persons have been arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly smuggling and selling drugs to vagabonds and addicts in the Yamuna Bank area.
Police said that the arrests were part of Operation Cleansweep, a joint operation of the Anti-Narcotic Task Force of the Crime Branch and North district police, assisted by the Drug Departments of Delhi and UP, initiated especially in the Yamuna Bank area.
"During investigation, the joint team raided the premises of Nasha Mukti Kendra named Elegant Clinic in Jahangirpuri, whose in-charge was found to be involved in drug trafficking," said Special CP (Crime) Ravindra Yadav.
Police added that examination of registers and stocks of drugs revealed that the in-charge of the said premises, identified as Pradeep, was pilfering the drugs on the basis of Aadhaar cards of addicts undergoing treatment at the centre and selling them to drug trafficking gangs at higher prices, who further sold them to drug addicts and vagabonds on the Yamuna floodplains like Hanuman Mandir, ISBT, Yamuna Bazar, etc.
The accused persons, identified asK Kherunisha, Rashid, Amir, Asif and Pardeep, were found with syringes and tablets of Avil and Buprenorphine.
As part of the drive, till October 15, the Delhi Police has so far arrested 1467 narco-offenders in 1144 NDPS cases and recovered around 62.639 kgs of heroin/smack, 15.318 kgs of cocaine and 2802 kgs of ganja, among other drugs.
A 73-year-old man was assaulted allegedly by three of his neighbours over a parking dispute in West Delhi's Subhash Nagar, officers said on Wednesday.
The victim has been identified as Amar Singh, who is currently admitted to a hospital and is undergoing treatment. Police said that a fight broke out between the three accused, identified as Ram Kumar Madan, 58, Ayush Madan, 33, and Shubham Madan, 32, and the victim Amar Singh's son Abhishek over the issue of parking of vehicles.
The argument broke out in Sunday night and the accuser persons allegedly starting assaulting Abhishek, following which Amar intervenes and the accused persons assaulted him too.
Eventually, the father son duo were rescued by the neighbours and admitted to the hospital. They informed police about the matter.
Police said that a case under IPC section 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) has been lodged and the accused persons have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
The Directorate of Education has ordered advancing of the winter break for all the schools in Delhi in the wake of severe air quality levels prevailing in Delhi. According to the order, the schools will be totally closed from today to November 18 (Saturday) during which both children and teachers can stay home.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met LK Advani and extended birthday greetings to the veteran BJP leader, at the latter's residence today.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said Wednesday that reports on the effectiveness of the odd-even scheme would be submitted to the Supreme Court and that the government would proceed with the scheme on the basis of the court’s directions.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court referred to the odd-even scheme as “mere optics”. (Read further)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi government in a plea seeking to distinguish between “dharma” and “religion” and inclusion of “Dharma and Religion” in primary and secondary school syllabi to educate masses and control religion-based hatred and hate speeches. (Know more)
The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions appointed V. Chandrasekhar, a 2000 batch Gujarat-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, to the post of Joint Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for five years.
The 'Smog Tower' in Connaught Place has been made operational to curb air pollution after Supreme Court's direction.
Meanwhile, after the emergency meeting, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, "Based on the Supreme Court's order, we have decided that by tomorrow, the smog tower will begin functioning in full capacity. The real time source apportionment study will also resume. The transport department has been directed to put a stop to entry of app-based taxis entering the state from outside Delhi."
The Directorate of Education has ordered advancing of the winter break for all the schools in Delhi in the wake of severe air quality levels prevailing in Delhi. According to the order, the schools can be totally closed from November 9 (tomorrow) to November 18 (Saturday) during which both children and teachers can stay home. Heads of all schools in Delhi have been ordered to convey this information to the parents immediately.
As Delhi continues to register high levels of pollution in its air, Environment Minister Gopal Rai has called an urgent meeting to discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court’s observations regarding the odd-even scheme for the vehicles on the roads on of national capital, which will be enforced from November 13 to November 20.
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