Dense fog will make a comeback on Saturday evening in Delhi and cold weather conditions on Sunday. (File)Delhi News Highlights: Earthquake tremors were felt in Delhi at 1.19 am on Sunday. The earthquake, measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale, originated in Jhajjar, Haryana at a depth of 5 kilometres.
The air quality in the national capital dipped to “very poor”, as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city reached 369 on Saturday morning. With air quality deteriorating in Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management has issued various advisories for the citizens including – working from home, carpooling to work and using public transport Meanwhile, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, dense fog will make a comeback on Saturday evening and cold weather conditions on Sunday.
With more than 16,500 police personnel, 1,000 traffic personnel, 1,600 pickets and 125 anti-drinking points – the Delhi Police said they are ready with an elaborate security and traffic plan for the New Year’s Eve celebrations, as they are expecting a large number of people visiting markets, eateries, tourist spots and bars in the city. Exit from Rajiv Chowk Metro station will not be allowed from 9 pm onwards on New Year’s eve to ease overcrowding, officials said Friday. However, entry of passengers will be allowed till the departure of the last train from the Rajiv Chowk Metro station.
Hitting out at the BJP-led central government’s ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan’ scheme, senior AAP leader and MLA Atishi Friday claimed that the party is shifting slum dwellers to Narela despite promising them a flat at the newly built EWS apartment at Kalkaji. Ahead of MCD polls, BJP took slum dwellers from across the national capital to the newly built flats and were promised similar flats under the in-site rehabilitation programme. She alleged that on Thursday evening, the DDA issued a notice and posted it at the Navjeevan Camp and the JLN Camp saying that people living in the camp will be moved to Narela.
Restro-bars in four and five-star hotels in the national capital will soon operate round-the-clock, and clubs can also serve liquor to their guests till 1 pm, in what is seen as a big push to the hospitality sector as part of an ambitious plan to boost the city's night-time economy.
On the eve of New Year, Lt Governor V K Saxena gave his go-ahead to a liberalised licensing regime, allowing extended hours of opening of bars and restaurants, simplifying application process with less paperwork, which will come into force from January 26. (PTI)
To bring down the number of unlit areas and keep a tab on the functioning of streetlights, the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) is planning to install smart sensors and geo-tag all streetlight poles with the help of a centralised software, an official said.
The main aim behind the initiative is the illumination, repair and maintenance of all streetlights across all key busy stretches, besides ensuring the safety of women and children, officials added. Read more
Traffic will be thrown out of gear in south and southeast Delhi from Sunday with the Ashram flyover set to be shut for 45 days. One of Delhi’s busiest stretches, the flyover is being extended to meet the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) Flyway.
While the carriageways below the flyover will remain open, the extension work on the flyover would mean that traffic will be heavily affected. Read more
The Delhi state health department has received a fresh stock of Covaxin vaccine from Haryana, officials said. However, the Covishield vaccine stock from the Centre is yet to arrive, officials added. With China and East Asian countries reporting an increase in Covid-19 cases, Delhi has been witnessing a vaccine shortage at all free vaccination centres. Read more
To ensure a safe New Year’s Eve for everyone in the national capital, the Delhi Police have made elaborate traffic and security arrangements across districts in Delhi. More than 18,000 personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order.
The Delhi Police said they have restricted complete vehicular movement in Connaught Place after 8 pm. India Gate is open for pedestrians and vehicles till midnight. However, the police said they will block traffic movement through C-Hexagon, India Gate area in case of ‘heavy pedestrian movement’. Read more
Three members of a family, who were abducted in Greater Noida over a property dispute on Friday, were rescued hours later, the police said, adding that they are on the lookout for the accused. The police identified the accused as Shakhawat, Sedaqat, and Arshad Ahmed.
“A complaint was received at the Beta-2 police station where complainant Chhote Khan said that his younger brother Fazruddin and his nephews Nazru and Jumma were kidnapped by three men and some others by forcibly putting them into a vehicle near the Rampur Golchakkar,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Abhishek Verma said. Read more
The driver of the Haryana roadways bus, who was among the first to come to Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s rescue after his accident near Roorkee on Friday and called the emergency helpline number alerting police and highway authorities, said that he initially feared that the cricketer had died in the accident.
Susheel Kumar (42), a Haryana roadways bus driver at Panipat depot, told The Indian Express that his bus, ferrying over 30 passengers from Haridwar to Panipat, had left around 4.25 am on Friday. Read more
An eight-year-old boy was allegedly abused by a group of unidentified boys inside an NDMC school in South Delhi, police said. The accused allegedly tied a thread to the minor’s private parts and harassed him, officers added. The minor, however, did not inform his parents about the bullying and abuse from other students in his school for days.
The child is currently undergoing treatment and is stable, the police said. As per the complaint lodged by the boy’s parents, the child was harassed inside the school washroom by a group of three to four older boys. Read more
The key man responsible for the Bihar hooch tragedy which caused the death of at least 80 people in the state was arrested by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch, a senior officer said on Saturday.
The accused has been identified as Ram Babu Mahto, a resident of Saran district of Bihar, they said.
Scores of people died of spurious liquor earlier in the month in Saran district of Bihar, where sale of liquor is banned. Police here are investigating seven cases related to the supply of illicit liquor.
Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said that police had received a tip-off which said Mahto was hiding somewhere in Delhi.
The crime branch's inter-state cell worked on the tip-off and coordinated with Bihar Police while searching for Mahto. (PTI)
The driver of the Haryana roadways bus, who was among the first to come to Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s rescue after his accident near Roorkee on Friday and called the emergency helpline number alerting police and highway authorities, said that he initially feared that the cricketer had died in the accident.
Susheel Kumar (42), a Haryana roadways bus driver at Panipat depot, told The Indian Express that his bus, ferrying over 30 passengers from Haridwar to Panipat, had left around 4.25 am on Friday.
“When we reached near Gurukul Narsan around 5.15 am, I could see that about 300 metres ahead, a car was approaching at high speed from the Delhi side. The car seemed to have lost control. Within seconds, it hit a divider, jumped across it, and turned upside down. For a minute, I feared the car may hit our bus… muje laga bachna mushkil hai, so I slowed down and quickly turned the bus to the right to avoid contact,” he said. (Read More)
Three members of a family, who were abducted in Greater Noida over a property dispute on Friday, were rescued hours later, the police said, adding that they are on the lookout for the accused. The police identified the accused as Shakhawat, Sedaqat, and Arshad Ahmed.
“A complaint was received at the Beta-2 police station where complainant Chhote Khan said that his younger brother Fazruddin and his nephews Nazru and Jumma were kidnapped by three men and some others by forcibly putting them into a vehicle near the Rampur Golchakkar,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Abhishek Verma said. (Read More)
Traffic will be thrown out of gear in south and southeast Delhi from Sunday with the Ashram flyover set to be shut for 45 days. One of Delhi’s busiest stretches, the flyover is being extended to meet the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) Flyway.
While the carriageways below the flyover will remain open, the extension work on the flyover would mean that traffic will be heavily affected.
The stretch sees over 3 lakh vehicles, including heavy trucks, passing through each day. The junction has been in different stages of construction for several years now, starting with the Delhi Metro, an underpass and now the flyover construction underway at the site. (Read More)
To bring down the number of unlit areas and keep a tab on the functioning of streetlights, the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) is planning to install smart sensors and geo-tag all streetlight poles with the help of a centralised software, an official said.
The main aim behind the initiative is the illumination, repair and maintenance of all streetlights across all key busy stretches, besides ensuring the safety of women and children, officials added.
Officials said the PWD is also replacing old halogen lights with LED lights across the city. The new streetlight poles and LED lights will have the aforementioned features embedded. (Read More)
The Faridabad police Thursday arrested two members of an inter-state gang for allegedly running a fake call centre in Delhi and conning over 1,700 people across the country under the pretext of offering lucrative ‘work from home’ jobs. Police said that 14 phones, 13 SIM cards and Rs 64,000 cash were recovered from the possession of the accused.
The police have identified the accused as Prabhat and Om Prakash, both from Bihar. Two other gang members are on the run, police said. It was found in the preliminary probe that Prabhat, the mastermind of the gang, had been operating a bogus call centre in Rohini area and that the accused had conned 1,784 people across the country. (Read More)
Snatching cases witnessed a rise in Gurgaon in 2022, with 216 cases being reported as compared to 170 cases last year — a rise of over 27 per cent — according to data released by police on Friday.
The data shows that heinous crimes reported a decline in 2022 compared to 2021. In crimes against women, cases lodged under sections 376 (rape) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC and POCSO Act declined this year.
According to police data, 187 cases of rape were lodged in 2022 as compared to 220 last year, while molestation cases (under section 354 IPC) declined from 234 in 2021 to 214 this year. POCSO cases reported a 21 per cent decline with 161 cases being reported in 2022 as compared to 204 cases last year. (Read More)
With New Year around the corner, the Excise department has intensified surprise raids in Delhi and recovered more than 1,800 bottles of high-end liquor brands over the last few days.
The latest seizure was made from a godown in Tagore Garden Extension area Thursday, said officials in the department.
The department had received information that a large number of liquor bottles of prominent brands — Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Black Dog, Chivas Regal, Teacher’s, Jack Daniels, Bacardi, Absolut, Grey Goose, Jacob’s Creek, Gold Reserve and Johnnie Walker Black Label — had been hidden at the godown. (Read More)
The Delhi state health department has received a fresh stock of Covaxin vaccine from Haryana, officials said. However, the Covishield vaccine stock from the Centre is yet to arrive, officials added.
With China and East Asian countries reporting an increase in Covid-19 cases, Delhi has been witnessing a vaccine shortage at all free vaccination centres.
According to officials, 19,000 Covaxin doses were received on Friday night, and these will be distributed to the free vaccination centres. (Read More)
With air quality deteriorating in Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management has issued the following points for citizens. “Citizens may be urged to adhere to the citizen charter and assist in effective implementation of the GRAP measures aimed towards sustaining and improving the Air Quality in the region, as under:
• Choose a cleaner commute - share a ride to work or use public transport or walk or cycle.
• People, whose positions allow working from home, may work from home.
• Do not use coal and wood for heating purpose.
• Individual house owners may provide electric heaters (during winters) to security staff to avoid open burning.
• Combine errands and reduce trips. Walk to errands wherever possible.
With preparations for the annual budget of the Delhi government underway, priorities for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are also on the minds of senior AAP leaders.
According to sources, the main issues for which the Delhi government is expected to make an allocation for the MCD are sanitation and tackling landfill sites.
Sanitation and solid waste management are the responsibility of the civic body, and AAP had been attacking the erstwhile BJP-led MCD over the lack of cleanliness and the three garbage mounds in Delhi continuously over the past two years. (Read More)
The Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR against unidentified persons for allegedly assaulting a sanitation worker in East Delhi. This comes after the MCD Thursday filed a complaint against unidentified persons, who accompanied BJP MLA from Laxmi Nagar, Abhay Verma, for allegedly assaulting the worker.
A senior police officer said, “ The complainant mentioned some goons having close association with the MLA allegedly slapping the sanitation worker. A case has been registered against unknown persons under sections of obstructing public servant in his duty and assaulting a public servant.” (Read More)
On Friday morning, several students, clad in layers of sweaters and monkey caps, sat huddled on wooden benches in their “classroom” — which is nothing more than a tin roof supported by wooden sticks offering little protection from the winter chill. These children, among 500 enrolled in classes I to XII, study at Qaumi Senior Secondary School in Old Delhi’s Sadar Bazar, which has been struggling for decades to secure land to erect a permanent building.
Originally built in 1948 in Sarai Khalil area for those who remained in India after the Partition, the Urdu-medium school was demolished in 1976 during the Emergency. The Shahi Eidgah then provided space to the management on its premises to hold classes from a semi-permanent structure. In 2018, the school got relief from the Delhi High Court, which ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to allot 4,000 square metres of land nearby to construct a permanent structure. The Delhi government was also directed to start work in six months. (Read More)
In the wake of the New Year’s eve celebrations, the Noida Traffic police have issued an advisory listing diversions and restrictions of vehicles that will come into force from 4 pm on December 31. The curbs in the movement of vehicles are largely centered around commercial centres and malls of the city, the police said.
The traffic police have also said that the Sector 18 multilevel parking would be the key parking zone for these parts of Noida on New Year’s eve.
To clamp down on drink-driving cases, the traffic police have warned of using breathalysers extensively and the offenders would be fined. The police have also advised against parking vehicles on public roads in areas such as Kisan Chowk, Jagat Farm, and Pari Chowk, as the vehicles of those who have erred would be seized. The area from Nursery T Point to Atta Chowk and the Sector 18 metro station is also a ‘no parking’ zone, the police said. (Read More)
The Gurgaon police are expecting large crowds for New Year’s celebrations across the city and have selected designated parking spots for revellers on Saturday evening.
Expecting a large number of people to gather at malls, hotels, clubs and restaurants, the police will place an additional 60 barricade points to manage the traffic situation. Close to 4,000 police personnel will be deployed across several parts of Gurgaon to ensure there is no ruckus.
There are over 40 pubs and restaurants in Sector 29, which is where the police will concentrate their efforts. (Read More)
With more than 16,500 police personnel, 1,000 traffic personnel, 1,600 pickets and 125 anti-drinking points – the Delhi Police said they are ready with an elaborate security and traffic plan for the New Year’s Eve celebrations, as they are expecting a large number of people visiting markets, eateries, tourist spots and bars in the city.
Senior officers Thursday said more than 16,500 personnel will be deployed on the streets to keep a check on people. Almost 1,000 traffic personnel and 20 companies from other agencies will guard the streets all night.
Police said no vehicles will be allowed at Connaught Place after 8 pm. Only authorised vehicles can enter, and others will have to access roads outside Outer Circle, Mandi House, Minto Road, R K Ashram Marg etc. Parking arrangements have been made at Gole Dak Khana, Patel Chowk, Mandi House, Panchkuian Road, KG Marg etc. (Read More)
Police in Ghaziabad’s Trans Hindon and Rural zones have announced a series of security measures that will be implemented over the weekend on the occasion of New Year.
In the Trans Hindon area, teams with breathalysers will be posted near Kaushambi’s EDM Mall, near the Mahagun/Signature Mall, Mohan Nagar, Shalimar Garden, Shaheed Nagar, Maharajpur, Surya Nagar, Bhaupur T-point, Sikanderpur cut, and Farrukhnagar Chauraha, among other places, officers said. Police personnel will also be posted at sites where events will be possibly held, including malls in the city. (Read More)
Winter chill and dense fog are expected to return to Delhi in the New Year.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, dense fog will make a comeback on Saturday evening and cold weather conditions on Sunday.
“Due to light winds and high moisture near the surface over the Indo-Gangetic plains, dense to very dense fog is very likely in many pockets over Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi,” a statement issued by IMD said. (Read More)
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