Page 104 - Delhi

Delhi govt on high alert as water discharge from Hathnikund rises: Atishi

Revenue Minister Atishi on Saturday said the Delhi government is on high alert due to discharge of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna. Some parts of Yamuna Khadar (floodplains) might get inundated if the water level in the river rises to 206.7 metres but the government is ready for evacuation, she said in a statement. According to Central Water Commission (CWC) data, the flow rate at the Yamunanagar-located Hathnikund Barrage crossed the 1 lakh-mark at 9 am and oscillated between 2 lakh and 2.5 lakh cusecs between 10 am and 4 pm. The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till July 25. Atishi said regular 'munadi' (announcement) is being done in vulnerable areas to inform residents about the threat of flooding. Relief camps have been inspected and preparations made for people to stay there. The Delhi government is on high alert due to the discharge of more than 2 lakh

Jailed former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain undergoes spinal surgery

Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, currently on interim bail in a money laundering case, underwent a spinal surgery at a private hospital in the city and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal prayed for his speedy recovery on Saturday. Jain was recommended a critical spinal surgery by three major hospitals. He underwent the surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital Friday evening, sources said. In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal said, "Pray to God that Satyendar Jain returns home after getting well soon. He worked for the health of crores of people as a minister of the Delhi government. God's blessings and prayers of crores of people are with him. He will return to the service of the people after getting well." Jain is currently on interim bail for his medical treatment. He was taken to Safdarjung Hospital earlier in May due to a rapidly deteriorating spinal condition, resulting from a fall in Tihar Jail. Sources claimed Jain has become "extremely frail and weak" and finds it difficult to eve

Heavy rain in upper reaches poses risk of another spell of floods in Delhi

A surge in discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna following heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is expected to increase the water level of the river in Delhi and impact relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-affected low-lying areas of the capital, officials said on Saturday. The river water level, which has been hovering around the danger mark of 205.33 metres for the last few days, dropped below the threshold again on Saturday morning. The Central Water Commission's (CWC) data showed the water level dropped to 205.16 metres at 4 pm on Saturday. It may drop further before the impact of rain in upper catchment areas becomes clear. The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till July 25. In Uttarakhand, Haripur (126.8 mm) and Haldwani (122 mm) reported very heavy rainfall, while Mussorrie (112mm), Chakrata (83 mm), Loharkhet (68 mm), Dunda (91 mm), Purola (90 mm), Mor

Delhi's green cover to be increased to 25% in coming years: CM Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said Delhi's green cover has to be increased from the existing 23 per cent to 25 per cent in the coming years to make the national capital world's greenest and cleanest city. Kejriwal, attending a Van Mahotsav where Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena was the chief guest, said this year, more than one crore saplings will be planted across the city. He said, 27.5 lakh saplings have already been planted. Kejriwal said, at 23 per cent, Delhi's green cover was higher than cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru as well as London and New York. During the event held at Asola Bhati Mines wildlife sanctuary, 5.5 lakh saplings were planted.

Yamuna level at Old Railway Bridge continues to stay above danger mark

After days of receding, the Yamuna water-level in the national capital once again crossed the danger mark of 205.33 meters on Friday evening

NCCSA should wait for meet as related bill to be tabled in parl: Kejriwal

The National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) should wait for its next meeting in view of the bill related to its establishment being scheduled to be tabled in Parliament, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind has suggested. In a note written by the chief minister's office to the secretary of NCCSA and the principal secretary (home) of the Delhi government on Thursday, it was said "Chief Minister/Chairperson (NCCSA) has observed that since the Bill replacing the Ordinance is being placed before the Parliament in coming week, Authority should wait for its next meeting." The note said that otherwise the next meeting of the authority will take place at the chief minister's camp office at 5 PM on July 28. The chief minister had on July 7 deferred a meeting of NCCSA to July 14. The authority was established through an ordinance in May. The bill to replace the ordinance will be tabled in Parliament in the ongoing Monsoon session. The Central government ordinance under which the authority

Yamuna water level crosses danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi again

The water level of the Yamuna in Delhi crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres yet again on Friday, further delaying rehabilitation efforts in the flood-affected low-lying areas. The Central Water Commission's (CWC) data showed the water level reached 205.34 metres at 6 pm on Friday and may rise further to 205.45 metres by 11 pm. There have been marginal fluctuations in the water level over the last two-three days amid rain in the upper catchment areas, primarily in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Yamuna had been receding gradually after reaching an all-time high of 208.66 metres on July 13. The water level dropped below the danger mark by 8 pm on Tuesday after flowing above the threshold for eight days. It receded to 205.22 metres at 5 am on Wednesday, before it started rising again and breached the danger mark. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh till July 22. In case of h

Sultry weather pushes peak power demand in Delhi to year's record high

The sultry weather in the national capital pushed the peak power demand in the city to 7,398 MW Friday afternoon the highest this year so far. The State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) Delhi's real time data showed that the peak demand was 7,398 MW at around 3.10 pm. The peak power demand measures the power consumption in megawatt at any given time within 24 hours of a day. The previous highest peak demand in this year was 7,226 MW on June 14. The highest even peak power demand of Delhi was recorded at 7,601 MW in June last year, officials said. The power discoms in the city have estimated the peak demand to shoot up to 8,100 MW this season. The demand was successfully managed by BSES discoms - BRPL and BYPL- in their respective distribution areas, said a company spokesperson. A Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) spokesperson said the peak demand was 2,163 MW in the discom's area that was met successfully, without any network constraint and power outage. The peak power demand

Will examine if Parl can abrogate constitutional principles for Delhi: SC

The Supreme Court has said a five-judge constitution bench will examine the "contours of the power" of Parliament to make law for Delhi and also if it can "abrogate the constitutional principles of governance" for the city dispensation by making a law to take away its control over services. Eight days after a constitution bench held that the Delhi government will have control over services, the Centre on May 19 promulgated an ordinance on the Delhi services matter by exercising its powers under Article 239-AA, a special provision in the Constitution pertaining to the national capital. The top court, which on Thursday referred to a constitution bench the Delhi government's plea challenging the ordinance, framed two legal questions in its 10-page order to be dealt by a larger bench on the ordinance which set off a fresh tussle between the two power centres. "We accordingly refer the following questions to a constitution bench: (i) What are the contours of the power of Parliament to ..

Yamuna's water level likely to rise, Delhi govt directs to maintain vigil

The Delhi government has directed officials to maintain vigil in vulnerable areas and make arrangements to shift people to safer locations after the Central Water Commission forecast a rise in the Yamuna's water level. The water level in the Yamuna in Delhi dropped below the danger mark of 205.33 metres early on Thursday. At 12 noon on Friday, the water level stood at 204.95 metres. According to a Central Water Commission forecast earlier in the day, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge is likely to reach 205.45 metres between 10 pm and 12 midnight on Friday, subsequently rising further. Following the forecast, the city government advised the officials to maintain vigil in their respective areas and take necessary action at vulnerable points. The officials have also been advised to warn people living close to river embankments and make arrangements to shift them to safer places. The Yamuna had been receding gradually after reaching an all-time high of 208.66 metres on July ..

Flood water from Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat completely pumped out

Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat has been freed of waterlogging, a week after waters from the Yamuna river inundated the complex. Officials on Friday said, Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena who was supervising the operation to drain flood water from the lawns and pathways of the memorial, visited Rajghat and took stock of the situation. "Water from the main area of the memorial was completely pumped out and it was dried and cleaned now. Senior officers of the Delhi government, including the chief secretary, were constantly monitoring the work on the L-G's instructions," an official said. Last week, waters from the Yamuna inundated the Ring Road and the situation worsened with backflow from a drain in the area inundating the memorial area. The operations to drain out flood waters started on Sunday and 10 pumps were used, officials added.

Will examine if parl can abrogate constitutional principles for Delhi: SC

The Supreme Court has said a five-judge constitution bench will examine whether Parliament can "abrogate the constitutional principles of governance" for the Delhi government by making a law to take away its control over services. The Centre recently issued an ordinance on the Delhi services matter by exercising its powers under Article 239-AA, a special provision in the Constitution pertaining to the national capital. The top court, which on Thursday referred to a constitution bench the Delhi government's plea challenging the Centre's ordinance, uploaded its order on its website containing the legal questions to be dealt by the larger bench. "We accordingly refer the following questions to a constitution bench: (i) What are the contours of the power of Parliament to enact a law under Article 239-AA(7); and (ii) Whether Parliament in the exercise of its power under Article 239-AA(7) can abrogate the constitutional principles of governance for the National Capital Territory of Delhi

TMC to protest in Delhi on Oct 2 to demand release of state funds: Abhishek

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday announced that the party will launch a massive protest in Delhi on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) against the BJP-led Central government for blocking funds of Bengal under MGNREGA and other schemes. Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, said the entire country is resonating with the slogan that BJP will be ousted and the newly formed opposition alliance - I.N.D.I.A - will form the next government in 2024. The Centre, because of vendetta politics, has stopped funds for Bengal. As I had said earlier, we will launch a massive protest in Delhi against the BJP-led Central government against blocking funds of Bengal under MGNREGA. On October 2, we will organise a protest outside Krishi Bhavan, he said while addressing the Martyr's Day rally here. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee also supported the call by Abhishek.

Delhi Cabinet approves ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 to flood-affected families

An ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 will be provided to the families affected by the floods in Delhi ahead of their return to their homes from relief camps, an official statement issued on Wednesday said. The decision to provide financial aid to families was taken after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met victims to assess the situation. He expressed his concern for the flood victims, said a government statement. "The implementation of the ex-gratia relief is aimed at providing immediate financial assistance to the affected families and helping them recover from the devastating impact of the floods," he stated. The decision is particularly important at this point as it provides timely aid to affected families at a juncture when they have just started returning back from relief camps, the statement added. As per the approved Cabinet note, families affected by the floods and currently residing in relief camps will receive an ex-gratia amount of Rs 10,000. This will be subject to verification o

Sad that nobody cares for 'headless' DERC, will appoint ad-hoc chief: SC

As the hearing began on Thursday, the apex court was informed that the chief minister and the LG failed to arrive at a consensus on the issue

'Sad no one cares', says Supreme Court on DERC chief appointment

After hearing arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court said that would appoint the chairperson of DERC as an ad-hoc measure

Delhi govt to turn Anganwadi into early childhood learning centre: CM

The Delhi government wants to turn Anganwadi into an early childhood learning centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday. Launching the early childhood care and education (ECCE) kit developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Delhi and Anganwadi team, Kejriwal said that children will soon be taught moral values and their emotional and psychological needs will be fulfilled at Anganwadi centres. "So far Anganwadi used to be considered to be a centre for providing midday meals and nutrition to children, but now, we want to change that concept. We will turn it into an early childhood learning centre, where children will be taught moral values and their emotional and psychological needs will be fulfilled," Kejriwal said. He further stated that the SCERT has prepared the "best" kit for the Anganwadi children to provide them with a proper early childhood programme. "The SCERT has prepared the best kit for the Anganwadi children. Every chi

Delhi may suffer losses of Rs 2.75 trn by 2050 due to climate change

Delhi is projected to suffer losses of Rs 2.75 trillion by 2050 due to the impacts of climate change, with changes in precipitation and temperature patterns posing significant threats to the lives of the most vulnerable populations. The warning comes from the city government's draft action plan on climate change. The plan, which is pending approval, highlights "heat waves/higher temperature and heavy precipitation events over fewer number of days" as major challenges that the city will confront in the upcoming years. India introduced its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008, following which state governments were instructed to create their own action plans. The State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) must be aligned with the strategies laid out in the NAPCC. In January 2018, the central government directed the states to revise and strengthen their SAPCCs, taking into account the evolving national and international climate action, science and policy ...

Delhi Gym Association issues advisory after man using treadmill dies

A Delhi-based gym owners' association on Thursday advised its members to ensure that there are no loose wires at their establishments after a 24-year-old man died of electrocution while using a treadmill at a fitness centre here. Saksham Purthi, an MNC employee in Gurugarm, was electrocuted while using a treadmill at Gymplex Fitness Zone in Rohini Sector 15, police said on Thursday. The incident occurred on Tuesday, they said, adding that the gym owner has been apprehended. According to the advisory issued by the Delhi Gym Association, members have been instructed to "get the earthing connection at their gyms checked immediately". They have been advised to ensure that no loose wires are hanging around the area where people exercise, it stated. All electrical points should be checked by electricians and other necessary measures need to be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. Chirag Sethi, the association's vice-president, claimed that the "unfortunate incident" took plac

No consensus between Delhi CM, LG on DERC chairperson appointment: SC told

The Delhi Government and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that they have failed to arrive at a consensus on the issue of appointment of DERC chairperson. The top court suggested that it may consider appointing a former judge for some time on an ad-hoc basis and for that, it will have to consult few judges. After a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was apprised that there was no consensus on the issue, the CJI asked, "Can you both not pick up one judge for appointment as DERC chairperson." Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the Delhi LG, said the top court can suggest names for appointment of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission(DERC) chaiperson and he or she will be appointed. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the institution can't remain headless and the bench can appoint the DERC chairperson. The bench, also comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra, said the parties can give names of thr