Page 2 - Delhi

Delhi stays under blanket of poor air as AQI holds at 229, NCR air worsens

Uttam Nagar records the highest AQI at 339; Noida, Gurugram and Greater Noida also report elevated pollution levels

Delhi's liquor booking app goes live, but doorstep delivery stays absent

The app allows customers to check liquor stocks, book bottles and pay online, but orders must be collected in person within 48 hours

Delhi wakes to 'poor' air as AQI hits 228, two stations cross 300

Vivek Vihar records the highest AQI at 316, followed by Jahangirpuri at 305; Noida and Greater Noida also report elevated pollution levels

Thick smoke emanates from Delhi's North Block, six fire tenders on site

Thick smoke was seen billowing from the Union secretariat's North Block here on Monday, prompting authorities to rush six fire tenders to the spot, an official said. A police officer said some repair work was underway at the building, which might have led to a minor fire. No casualty has been reported so far. Delhi Fire Services received a call at 11.10 am reporting smoke emanating from the building, following which six fire tenders were dispatched, the official said.

Delhi urbanises 48 villages, opening new avenues for realty developers

Delhi's move to urbanise 48 rural villages could unlock new real estate opportunities, but infrastructure development, land-use permissions and implementation will be crucial

Delhi records best AQI for Oct 24 in 10 years excluding Covid period: Govt

Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 191 on Saturday, the lowest for October 24 in a decade, excluding the Covid period, the Delhi government said, attributing the improvement to sustained pollution control measures. According to a statement issued by the Environment Department, the AQI stood at 306 on October 24 in 2024 and 275 on the corresponding date in 2025, before declining to 191 this year. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the improvement reflected the government's efforts to tackle pollution through enforcement, monitoring and public participation. An AQI of 191 falls in the 'moderate' category. The government said nearly 9,883 vehicle challans were issued in the last 24 hours as part of its anti-pollution drive. During the same period, 2,810 km of roads were mechanically swept and 1,075 km covered through water sprinkling to control dust. Authorities also removed 12,702 metric tonnes of waste, lifted 2,223 metric tonnes of construction and demolitio

SIR protest march heads towards ECI HQ amid tight security in central Delhi

A march against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began in central Delhi on Friday, with participants heading towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters to protest against the alleged deletion of voters. The march, called by the Delhi Coordination Committee of People Against SIR -- a people's collective -- started near Gole Dak Khana, at the intersection of Kalibari Marg and Bhai Vir Singh Marg. Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI) have extended their support to the protest, with activists from Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh participating as well. Security was tightened near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, with Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel deployed in large numbers ahead of the march. The organisers have appealed to farmers, workers, youth, women and people from different sections of society to join the march carrying the national flag. They said the march would remain peaceful a

3 schools in Delhi receive bomb threat emails, search operations underway

Three schools in Delhi allegedly received bomb threat emails on Friday morning, prompting authorities to launch search operations, officials said. No suspicious object has been found during searches so far, they said. Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodi Estate, Venkateshwar Global School in Rohini, and Salwan Public School in Mayur Vihar received the threat emails, following which authorities were informed. Delhi Fire Service said teams rushed to the schools after receiving information about the threats, and the premises were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Bomb disposal squads, dog squads, fire department and police personnel are conducting searches at the premises, officials said. Investigation is underway to trace the source of the threat emails, they added.

Centre extends deployment of CAPF in Delhi till Oct 31 amid protest fears

The Union home ministry has extended for the second time the deployment of 273 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies in the national capital till October 31 in view of the possibility of "flash protests" by political and other groups, official sources said on Friday. The companies were brought to Delhi for the protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) earlier this month. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed the Delhi Police and the respective CAPFs on October 22 to coordinate the deployment, the sources told PTI. The extension was approved at the request of the Delhi Police, they said, adding that a similar extension had been sanctioned in mid-October. Officials said the Delhi Police had informed the ministry that there was a possibility of flash protests being undertaken by political and other outfits in various "sensitive" locations of the city. The extension of the deployment was essential in order to ensure proper law and order, they said. The MHA has approved

A singular approach

Pollution-control plans must be coordinated across north India

NDMC to issue list of works exempt from building plan approval: Chairman

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will issue a detailed list of works that do not require building plan approval, along with a schedule specifying the nature of work for which prior sanction is mandatory, its chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said on Thursday. In a post on X, Dwivedi said a lack of awareness and clarity often leads building users to apply for permissions for work that does not require them. In some cases, "they face harassment in the hands of enforcement officials", he said. The NDMC will distinguish structural additions and alterations from routine maintenance and non-structural renovation, providing clarity on which works are exempt and which require prior approval, Dwivedi said. He said the civic body would also launch an awareness campaign to ensure building users are not inconvenienced or confused by compliance requirements. Dwivedi said not every repair requires building plan sanction, but works covered under sections 236 to 239 of the NDMC Act must be assess

Delhi HC to urgently hear pleas by CJP's Das, Ranka, AISA's Neha Bora

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to urgently hear Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka's plea against the extension of their judicial custody by a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM). Justice Subramonium Prasad will also take up a separate petition by the All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora against a Delhi Police's October 17 notice asking her to execute a bond before a SEM for "keeping peace". Das and Ranka have assailed the SEM's October 19 order remanding them to two days' judicial custody in the high court, which is shut this week due to Dussehra vacation. Bora's plea pertains to a notice dated October 17 under section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), asking the student leader to appear before the SEM on October 19 and show cause why she should not execute a personal bond of Rs 10,000 with one surety "for keeping peace for a period of enquiry". Section 126 empowers the SEM to require a person to execute a

2.5-lakh cap, ownership limits: What Delhi’s e-rickshaw draft rules propose

Delhi’s proposed E-Rickshaw (Registration and Operation) Scheme, 2026, seeks to cap the city’s e-rickshaw fleet at 2.5 lakh, introduce a mandatory digital compliance certificate, and tighten safety an

UN experts urge India to cease 'use of excessive force' to curb protests

India has repeatedly dismissed such criticism and cast it as interference ‌in the country's internal affairs

Best of Opinion: IDBI sale revives hopes for stalled disinvestment drive

Today's editorials and columns examine Sebi's revised closing auction framework, leadership vacancies in higher education, PSU disinvestment, insolvency delays and a book exploring Delhi's history.

The cities called Delhi

How Delhi has always been a work in progress, its story never quite complete

Dipke thanks Ramlila organisers for 'free publicity' over cockroach effigy

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday thanked the organisers of a Ramlila event in Delhi for what he called "free publicity" after they announced plans to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside those of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran. "Thank you for the free publicity," Dipke said in reaction to the development. CJP legal head Ratna Singh also reacted to the controversy, describing it as a "tamasha" (drama). The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual event in Pitampura, has said the cockroach effigy is intended to symbolise filth and dirt and promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns. Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel has maintained that the decision was not politically motivated and was intended to convey the message of the victory of good over evil while highlighting the importance of cleanliness. The development comes amid protests by the CJP in the national capital. The group initially prote

Delhi Police transfers trespassing case against CJP leaders to Crime Branch

Delhi Police on Monday transferred the trespassing case against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to its Crime Branch unit, shortly after their judicial custody was extended by two days, according to police sources. An FIR was registered at Connaught Place police station under Sections 223A (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 332 (house-trespass to commit an offence) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Another FIR was registered at Parliament Street police station under Sections 221 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS. Police have now transferred the case to the Inter State Cell unit of Crime Branch for further investigation. D

Oberoi Realty open to land buys, joint development deals across Delhi-NCR

Chairman Vikas Oberoi says the developer is exploring land purchases and joint development agreements across Delhi, Noida and Gurugram, while some launches await regulatory clearances

Cockroach protests pose fresh challenge for Modi govt amid voter roll row

Opposition demands for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over voter-roll revisions have put the government under pressure, as arrests and security restrictions risk fuelling wider protests