Delhi Chief Minister Atishi blamed farm fires in neighboring states - excluding Punjab, where her party also governs - for the capital's air crisis
In-person classes will be suspended for all except for students of classes 10 and 12, the Delhi government announced on Sunday, as the city chocked under alarming levels of pollution for the fifth straight day. The announcement came hours after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked stricter pollution control measures for the Delhi-NCR under the Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, effective from 8 am Monday. "With the imposition of GRAP-4 from tmrw, physical classes shall be discontinued for all students, apart from Class 10 and 12. All schools will hold online classes, until further orders," Chief Minister Atishi said in a post on X. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) worsened on Sunday, reaching 441 at 4 pm and rising to 457 by 7 pm due to unfavourable weather conditions. According to the government's order, no trucks will be allowed into Delhi except for those carrying essential items or using clean fuel (LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric). Non-essen
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said on Saturday that about 10,000 Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) who were removed as bus marshals last year will return to work for four months from next week, and enforce various anti-pollution measures. The Delhi government has approved a proposal to this effect, she said. The call out notices will be issued to the CDVs from Monday and then they can start registration at respective district magistrate office on Tuesday and Wednesday, she said. Within two-three days of the registration, the CDVs will be deployed on duties like management of pollution hotspots, preventing dust pollution and garbage burning, she said in a press briefing. The CDVs were deployed as bus marshals in 2018 by then Kejriwal government to ensure women safety but the BJP under a conspiracy got them removed in October 2023, the chief minister alleged. "However, led by Kejriwal, AAP leaders and ministers fought alongside the removed bus marshals and got them their jobs back," she
The strategic combination of padyatras, committee formations, and the upcoming convention is part of AAP's broader strategy to consolidate its ground-level support and ensure a strong presence
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Sunday announced that the deployment of 10,000 civil defence volunteers removed as bus marshals last year will begin in the next 2-4 days to assist various agencies fighting air pollution. A detailed proposal for their permanent engagement will also be sent for approval of the Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena within a week, she said at a press conference here. The announcements come a day after the LG wrote to Atishi, saying despite his order to immediately reappoint the civil defence volunteers (CDV), he was yet to receive a proposal in this regard. "Of course, you and your party leaders may continue to do politics of taking credit for their reinstatement, but any more delay in the welfare of these economically weaker and helpless people is not right in any way," Saxena said in his letter. Around 10,000 CDVs working as marshals in public buses in Delhi were removed from their posts in November last year after objections were raised by the revenue and
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Atishi saying he is yet to receive any proposal for the re-appointment of civil defence volunteers (CDVs) who were removed as bus marshals last year. Around 10,000 CDVs working as marshals in public transport buses in Delhi were removed from their jobs in November last year after objections were raised by the Revenue and Finance departments. "Of course, you and your party leaders may continue to do the politics of taking credit for their reinstatement but any more delay in the welfare of these economically weaker and helpless people, is not right in any way," Saxena stated in the letter. In a post on X, the Raj Niwas said the LG has again written to the chief minister underling the non-engagement of CDVs till now and has asked her for their immediate re-appointment. The LG has also asked for a concrete scheme to be formulated by the government for their immediate as well as long-term engagement, it said. Saxe
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday declared a public holiday on November 7 for Chhath Puja celebrations. The announcement came hours after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena wrote to the chief minister requesting her to declare a holiday on November 7. Chhath is a major Hindu festival celebrated in the state of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Making the announcement on X, Atishi wrote, "I am happy to inform you that the Delhi government has decided to declare a holiday on November 7 for the festival of Chhath, so that all our brothers and sisters of Purvanchal can celebrate the festival with pomp and show." She also shared her signed order regarding the decision. "Chhath Puja is an important festival for the people of NCT of Delhi. Accordingly, the Government of NCT of Delhi has decided to declare November 7, 2024, as a public holiday on account of 'Chhat Puja," the order read. Earlier in the day, the Raj Niwas Delhi said in a post on X, "Hon'ble Lt Governor has written to
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will fulfil his promise and the women of Delhi will receive Rs 1,000 as monthly honorarium soon, Chief Minister Atishi said on Monday. Atishi -- who was taking part in a 'padyatra (foot march)' campaign of AAP at Hari Nagar -- said Kejriwal was the only person who could provide electricity, water, good schools, bus travel for women, treatment at mohalla clinics, and pilgrimages for the elderly for free. "We will now provide Rs 1,000 per month to every mother and sister in Delhi on the first day of each month.Therefore, in the upcoming February election, Delhiites should elect Arvind Kejriwal as chief minister for the fourth time with a massive majority," she said. Atishi urged people to vote for AAP and Kejriwal for a better future for their children and to continue getting free electricity, water and pilgrimages for the elderly. "The BJP governs 22 states but has failed to provide good schools, hospitals or free electricity. That's why they imprisoned .
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal asked Arvind Kejriwal what steps have they taken to reduce pollution in Delhi as their party has been in power for last ten years
Meanwhile, a total of 38 candidates have filed their nomination papers for five assembly constituencies in Assam to be contested for the by-elections
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva further stated, 'They should give an account of Rs 8,500 crores that was given by the Central government to clean the Yamuna'
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Wednesday wrote to Chief Minister Atishi citing road dust as the biggest contributor to air pollution in the city and suggesting it would be better to set one's own house in order rather than blaming others. The AAP, however, said the country's top three cities with the worst AQI levels are in BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which exposes the party's hypocrisy. It claimed Delhi was "breathing its cleanest air in the last decade" and noted today's Supreme Court order reprimanding the Centre for not taking stringent measures to control pollution. Citing studies and his own experience of visiting various localities, Saxena claimed in his letter that about 36 per cent of the air pollution in the city was due to dust on the roads, largely caused by unprocessed construction and demolition waste. He claimed the Delhi government might have little control over 26 per cent of the causative factors behind pollution due to parali (paddy stubble) ...
The BJP on Sunday, citing an unverified inventory, alleged that crores of rupees were spent on state-of-the-art household goods including a "missing" hi-tech toilet seat in the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow which was occupied for over nine years by the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi chief minister. Kejriwal after stepping down as the Delhi chief minister vacated the Flagstaff Road bungalow earlier this month. No immediate reaction was available from the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government which owns and allots the bungalow, on the inventory of items shared by the BJP. The bungalow was allotted to Kejriwal's successor Atishi who has yet to take its possession. Atishi in a press conference replying to the charges of the saffron party said "BJP can keep the house and allot it to any of its leaders. We don't care about the house, bungalow or car. We will work for the people of Delhi, even if we have to work from the street." BJP national IT department head Amit ..
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Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Sunday said one of the biggest contributors to pollution in the Anand Vihar area is the influx of buses from other states, adding the Delhi government will engage with the Uttar Pradesh government to implement anti-pollution measures at their bus depot near the national capital. She made these remarks while inspecting pollution control measures at the Anand Vihar bus depot along with Environment Minister Gopal Rai. Highlighting the issue, Atishi said, "Anand Vihar, which lies on the Delhi-UP border, remains a hotspot where AQI levels are the highest. This area sees a large influx of buses from outside Delhi, and there is also the Kaushambi bus depot nearby. While Delhi runs CNG and electric buses, the Kaushambi bus depot receives diesel buses. We plan to engage with the UP government to implement pollution control measures there as well. Constructions by the NCRTC and RRTS has also contributed to pollution levels in the area, she said, adding the Delhi
According to the Delhi police, no conclusive statement has been made yet on what caused the blast near the school
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will chair a high-level meeting regarding the pollution situation at the Delhi Secretariat today, Delhi CMO said."Delhi CM Atishi to chair a high-level meeting today regarding the pollution situation, at the Delhi Secretariat. Environment Minister Gopal Rai will also attend this meeting," Delhi Chief Minister's Office said.Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI) hit the 'Poor' category at 224 on Sunday as per the 4 pm AQI bulletin provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented in Delhi on Monday. Under Stage-I, actions include ensuring proper implementation of dust mitigation measures in construction and demolition (C & D) activities and effective environmental management of C & D waste.Earlier on Monday, Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced a ban on the production, storage, distribution, and use of firecrackers in the city until January 1."We have imposed a ban on
The Delhi government will set up 1000 "model ghats" for the Purvanchali festival Chhath across the city, Chief Minister Atishi said on Monday. The ghats will be constructed in each of the 70 assembly constituencies to facilitate Chhath Puja performed by lakhs of devotees in Delhi, she said. In a high-level meeting, the chief minister instructed officials to coordinate with Chhath Puja committees and incorporate their suggestions while making preparations for the festival including lighting, clean water, toilets, tents, security at the ghats, said a Delhi government statement. She assured that the Delhi government is committed to ensuring that the festival is celebrated without any inconvenience, it said. The ghats will have clean water, tents, electricity, toilets, security, medical facilities, power backup, CCTV cameras, and other necessary arrangements, the statement said. Atishi also instructed officials to pay special attention to cleanliness at the 'ghats'. The chief ministe
The AAP dispensation indulged in "the most devious and diabolic" exercise to "mislead" people over allotment of 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow by "subverting" norms and procedures and "hiding facts", a statement from the LG office charged on Saturday. A day after the bungalow was allotted to Chief Minister Atishi, the LG office blamed her also of being part of the exercise. The bungalow where Arvind Kejriwal lived as the Delhi chief minister for nine years came into a full blown tussle involving the AAP, BJP and the LG office over its vacation and fresh allotment. "Within a span of just about 48 hours, when the house was handed over by Kejriwal and allotted to Atishi, the AAP, ministers and even the chief minister, resorted to the most devious and diabolic exercise of misleading the people of Delhi and the entire country by way of subverting norms and procedures, hiding facts to this effect and abusing the LG incessantly," alleged the statement. Sources at the Delhi Chief Minister's ..
The Public Works Department (PWD) in Delhi has prepared an inventory of items in the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow, officials said on Thursday. Two inventories, one before issuing of the vacation certificate to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after he vacated the bungalow and the other after his successor Atishi left it on Wednesday, were prepared and now the call will be taken on its fresh allotment, said a senior government officer. "A list of household belongings was prepared along with taking pictures and videos of the inside and outside of the property to make sure everything was in order," he said. The bungalow where Kejriwal lived as chief minister for over nine years has come in the eye of a storm with the chief minister moving in and out of it in quick succession. AAP has alleged that the LG, at the behest of the BJP, got the bungalow "forcibly" vacated. The BJP on the other hand has alleged that the bungalow was occupied by the chief minister without proper ...