Page 12 - Delhi

Delhi L-G orders curb on illegal construction after Saket building collapse

Days after the building collapse in Saket, Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed the MCD to strictly enforce building bylaws to curb illegal structural expansions in the city. Sandhu chaired a high-level review meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Tuesday to drive a comprehensive action plan for stronger urban governance, improved civic infrastructure, and enhanced structural safety across the capital, he said in a X post on Wednesday. The review was held following a building collapse in Saket on Saturday, that claimed six lives and left several injured. Several lapses related to the building have come to the fore even as the MCD has suspended two engineers over the incident. Sandhu emphasised strict enforcement of building bylaws to curb illegal structural expansions and directed the MCD to implement a time-bound strategy to tackle unauthorised constructions decisively. The LG also reviewed key civic priorities, including desilting of stormwater drains .

Over 75% of Delhi remained heat-stressed for six years or more: Report

About 75.78 per cent of Delhi's area remained heat-stressed for six or more years between 2015 and 2024, with a majority of construction sites, marketplaces and schools located in areas experiencing recurring extreme heat, according to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report, titled "Making Delhi Heat-Resilient: A Roadmap with the Focus on Vulnerable Groups", said that 98.72 per cent of Delhi's total area crossed the heat-stress threshold at least once during the decade. According to the study, 92 per cent of construction projects are located in areas where land surface temperatures crossed the 45 degrees Celsius threshold at least once between 2015 and 2024, while 77 per cent are in areas witnessing recurring extreme heat. About 84 per cent of the 643 mapped marketplaces, including major mandis, are situated in areas experiencing recurrent heat stress, while 76 per cent of mapped informal settlements housing nearly 1.32 million people are located in ...

House collapses after LPG blast in north Delhi; 11 injured, 1 critical

Many residents were feared trapped after a single-storey house collapsed in an LPG blast in north Delhi's Mukundpur area on Tuesday morning, an official of the Delhi Fire Service said. The incident happened at Gali No. 1, Part-2, Ishu Vihar, near the cremation ground, he said. A caller reported the blast at 9.37 am, saying residents may be trapped. "We got information that a blast took place and a building collapsed due to which some people are trapped. Rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched operations," the officer said. Five rescue vehicles were rushed to the spot, he added.

Death toll in Saket building collapse reaches 6; 2 MCD engineers suspended

Death toll in the Saket building collapse rises to six; FIR lodged, two MCD engineers suspended and a magisterial inquiry ordered

Several feared trapped as five-storey building collapses in Delhi

The entire five-storey structure collapsed, flattening into a massive mound of rubble, according to officials at the site

Lack of water, shelter at Delhi govt hospitals amid heatwave: Report

A field audit conducted by an NGO has flagged gaps in heatwave relief measures for homeless people and patient attendants outside government hospitals in Delhi, with many reporting lack of access to water, shelter and medical assistance during the ongoing summer conditions. According to the report released by Centre for Holistic Development (CHD) and its director Sunil Aledhia, all 35 vulnerable persons surveyed during the audit reported symptoms linked to heat-related illnesses while staying outside hospitals during the heatwave period. The report stated that 97.1 per cent of the surveyed people did not receive any medical screening, triage support or emergency assistance, while 85.7 per cent said they were unaware of official heatwave alerts issued by authorities. The NGO also claimed that only 20 per cent of respondents were able to access shelters run by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). It alleged that among those who accessed shelters, many reported lack of .

JAC Delhi Counselling 2026 registration begins, check how to apply & more

The Joint Admission Committee (JAC) has opened the registration and choice filling window with JEE Mains ranks to apply for the JAC Delhi counselling process. The deadline to apply is Jun 9

Air India's San Francisco-bound plane returns to Delhi after technical snag

After being airborne for over eight hours, a San Francisco-bound Air India plane, carrying around 230 passengers, returned to the national capital due to a technical issue on Wednesday morning, according to sources. "The aircraft landed safely and will undergo technical inspection in line with Air India's safety standards," the airline said in a statement. A source said there were around 230 passengers on board the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. "Flight AI173 from Delhi to San Francisco on May 27 has returned to Delhi due to a technical issue in accordance with the laid down procedures," the airline said. Information available with the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that the plane was airborne for over eight hours. The aircraft started diverting back to the national capital after being airborne for over three hours when it was in Chinese airspace. Regretting the inconvenience caused to the passengers, Air India said it was making alternative arrangements to fly them

Delhi to undergo SIR on June 30, final electoral roll on October 7

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters list will begin in Delhi with door-to-door visits by booth-level officers from June 30 in a transparent manner, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Kumar said on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference, Kumar said that from June 20 to June 29, training of booth-level officers (BLOs) and printing of enumeration forms and other papers will be underway as the in-house activity for the SIR. There are checks and balances at every step of the verification process, and political parties will be involved through booth-level agents (BLAs). All the information will be shared through the website of the CEO's office, he said. Awareness activities will be carried out, and special camps will be set up to help voters submit their enumeration forms, Kumar said. The voters will be provided two copies of the enumeration forms, one of which will be filled out and returned to the BLOs. The voters will also have the facility to submit completed enumeratio

Delhi records highest-ever May peak power demand of 8,439 MW: SLDC data

Delhi's electricity demand crossed 8 GW for the fourth time in six days as soaring temperatures pushed peak power consumption to a record May high

Delhi sizzles at 44.6°C as IMD warns of a prolonged heatwave spell

Dry scorching winds and relentless heat turned Delhi into a furnace on Monday as the maximum temperatures breached the 44 degrees Celsius mark in parts of the national capital, with the city staring at an extended spell of punishing heat in the upcoming week. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi's base station at Safdarjung logged a maximum temperature of 43.4 degrees Celsius, 3 degrees above normal, while the minimum settled at 26.3 degrees Celsius. Though no heatwave conditions were officially recorded in the city, Delhi witnessed its hottest May day since 2024 on Monday. The last time the national capital recorded a higher temperature in May was on May 17 in 2024, when the mercury stood at 43.6 degrees Celsius. Among the other stations, Ridge was the hottest at 44.6 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees above normal, followed by Ayanagar at 44.4 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees above normal, Lodhi Road at 43.8 degrees Celsius, 4.8 notches above normal, and Palam at 43

Field hours for Census staff in Delhi rescheduled due to intense heat

The intense summer heat in Delhi has prompted the authorities to revise the field timings for the Census staff engaged in the ongoing house listing exercise across the national capital, officials said on Friday. The office of the divisional commissioner (revenue) has directed the enumerators and supervisors to undertake field visits only during morning and evening hours and avoid working during peak afternoon heat in view of the sharp rise in temperatures. The advisory aims to safeguard the health and well-being of field staff involved in door-to-door enumeration for the house listing and housing Census exercise, with the mercury reaching the 44-degree Celsius mark in Delhi in recent days. "In view of the rise in temperatures, the advisory emphasises undertaking field activities during morning and evening hours and avoiding peak midday heat to safeguard the health and well-being of the enumerators and supervisors," the order said. The direction followed an advisory issued by the ..

Delhi appoints Special Branch DCP as officer under new Immigration Act

The Delhi government has authorised a deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of the Special Branch to perform the functions of a registration officer under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, across the national capital, according to an official notification. The decision was notified through a Gazette notification issued under clause (r) of Section 2 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. According to the order, Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has empowered the DCP, Special Branch -- who also serves as the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) -- to discharge all duties assigned to the registration officer under the new law within the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Officials said the move is aimed at streamlining the monitoring, registration and regulation of foreign nationals residing in or visiting Delhi. The Special Branch of Delhi Police already deals with matters relating to foreigners' registration, visa compliance and security verification. Official

Explained: How SC order on idle power plant helps Delhi's residents

Consumers' bills may reduce after court bars recovery of charges for facility doesn't supply electricity

SC stays counting of Delhi Bar Council polls over tampering allegations

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the counting of votes for the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) elections following tampering allegations and asked the Delhi High Court to conduct day-to-hearing on the pleas. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing a plea filed by Birender Sangwan and others. The CJI transferred the matter to a division bench of the high court, urging the Chief Justice to constitute a special bench to hear the dispute on a day-to-day basis. "Learned counsels for the parties have fairly agreed that since effective adjudication of controversy might require summoning of original records, such as ballot papers etc., it would be apt, if matter is entrusted to a division bench of the Delhi High Court. "Consequently, we transfer these petitions to the Delhi High Court with a request to the Chief Justice to list the same before a special bench within this week," the bench ordered. The bench said till then the high

'Bhalswa, Okhla landfills to be flattened this year; Ghazipur by 2027-end'

Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi on Saturday said the MCD aims to clear the Bhalswa and Okhla landfill sites by end of this year, while complete remediation of the Ghazipur landfill will conclude by end of 2027. In an interview with PTI, the mayor elaborated on flattening Delhi's garbage mounds, while also outlining plans on sanitation, stray animal management, desilting works and revenue generation. Wahi said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is working continuously on biomining and remediation of the three legacy waste sites. "Our target is to finish Bhalswa and Okhla by the end of this year. Work on Ghazipur is also progressing and our target is to complete it by end of 2027," he said. He said machinery was being installed for the process and work would be expedited once installation is complete. On the issue of stray animals, including dogs and monkeys, Wahi said the civic body was acting in accordance with Supreme Court directions and was focusing on sterilisation drives and .

Ground report: How Modi’s gold appeal has impacted Delhi jewellers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to avoid buying gold for a year has triggered anxiety across India’s jewellery industry. In Chandni Chowk’s historic bullion market

Delhi voter list revision exercise to begin from June 30: Officials

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi's electoral rolls will begin from June 30, officials said Thursday, adding preparations for the exercise covering over 1.5 crore voters have been completed. The Election Commission earlier in the day announced the rollout of SIR in 16 states and three Union territories, including Delhi, in a phased manner beginning May 30. "We have already finished preparations for SIR in Delhi, including training. Further, refresher training will be imparted to the personnel, including the booth level officials (BLOs) for the exercise beginning June 20," said an official of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office. The final electoral roll of Delhi, following the completion of SIR, will be published on October 7. Over 13,000 BLOs will take part in the door-to-door verification exercise under SIR, he added. An awareness campaign will be launched from Monday to educate voters about verifying and matching their names with the 2002 voter list. The

Delhi CM orders curbs on official vehicles after PM's austerity push

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for austerity in view of rising global fuel prices, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced limits on official vehicles used by ministers, MLAs and other public representatives, while also bringing herself under the restrictions. In a post on X, the chief minister said it had been decided to limit the number of vehicles used for official purposes. Gupta said that in line with the prime minister's appeal, she herself, her Cabinet colleagues, BJP MLAs, public representatives, officers and Delhi government departments would minimise the use of official vehicles based on necessity and prioritise carpooling and public transport. She also urged Delhi residents to adopt carpooling and make greater use of buses and Metro services instead of private vehicles in view of the prevailing global energy supply uncertainty. Gupta's appeal came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for measures such as promoting work from home, ...

Siam divided over Delhi's proposed ban on CNG-powered three-wheelers

Deadline for responses to the draft EV policy ended on May 10 but siam may seek more time from the Delhi government to respond