Page 43 - Delhi

Delhi AQI crisis triggers Grap stage 2: What it means for the capital

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that Delhi's AQI will remain in the 'very poor' range over the coming days

Watch: CCTV video captures moment of blast near CRPF school in Delhi

A loud blast took place near a CRPF school in Prashant Vihar area in Delhi's Rohini on Sunday morning. No one was injured in the incident, officials said.

A day after Delhi explosion, three CRPF schools receive bomb threats

Panic gripped Delhi on Sunday morning following a blast near a CRPF school in the Prashant Vihar area of Rohini, with initial investigation suggesting it could have been caused by a crude bomb

Delhi school blast: Telegram channel claims responsibility, police probe on

Delhi Police has sought information from Telegram about a handle named 'Justice League India' after it claimed responsibility for the Rohini school blast

CPCB imposes GRAP second stage in Delhi as daily average AQI hit 310 level

The Central Pollution Control Board on Monday invoked the second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan in the national capital amid deteriorating air quality levels, imposing restrictions on the use of coal and firewood as well as diesel generator sets. The Centre's Sub-Committee for operationalisation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will invoke an 11-point action plan as per Stage II of the revised GRAP in the entire National Capital Region from 8 am on Tuesday. The decision was taken after comprehensively reviewing the air quality scenario in the region, an official statement said here. Parking fees will also be enhanced in the city under stage II of GRAP to discourage private transport, it added. Delhi recorded a daily average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 310, which falls in the 'very poor' category, on Monday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). There is a likelihood of the daily average AQI of Delhi staying in the 'very poor' category (between

Delhi School Blast: Telegram handle ‘Justice League India’ claims responsibility

A day after a blast rocked a CRPF school in Rohini, Delhi Police are probing a Telegram handle, ‘Justice League India’, which claimed responsibility. Authorities have sought Telegram’s assistance.

NCLAT upholds order to allow govt to takeover Delhi Gymkhana Club's mgmt

Appellate tribunal NCLAT has upheld an order to allow the central government to take over the management of the prestigious Delhi Gymkhana Club. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) set aside the petition filed by the erstwhile management members against the order passed by the Principal Bench of the NCLT. On April 1, 2024, the NCLT allowed the plea filed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for taking over the Delhi Gymkhana Club management citing "violations" of the Company Law and said there was "sufficient material" for holding that, as it is a case of mismanagement. In its 149-page order, the NCLT had also allowed the ministry to nominate 15 persons as directors on the club's general committee as well as manage the affairs of the club. The said order was challenged before the appellate tribunal, which has been now upheld on Monday by a two-member bench, comprising Chairperson Ashok Bhushan and Member Arun Baroka. However, the NCLAT bench also also directed the

Material used in blast outside Delhi school resembles bomb, probe underway

A mysterious blast took place near a CRPF school in Prashant Vihar area in Delhi's Rohini on Sunday morning. No one was injured in the incident, officials of the Delhi Fire Services said. Fire engines, bomb squad a police forensic team have been rushed to the spot near the CRPF school, Sector 14, Rohini to ascertain the source of the loud blast. The wall of the school, nearby shops and a car received damage, police said. DFS officials said, "We received a call regarding a blast near the boundary wall of CRPF school at 7.50 am. We immediately rushed two fire engines to the spot. There was no fire and no one was injured due to the blast, so our vehicle returned." Senior police officers, including from the crime branch and the Special Cell, reached the spot. "Our forensic team and crime unit are at the spot to collect samples from the blast location. It could be a firecracker, but we are investigating the entire matter from all angles," a senior police officer said. Police said that

Delhi wakes up to a blanket of smog; AQI drops to 'very poor' in many areas

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts unfavourable weather will continue, keeping pollution levels high until at least Sunday

Delhi in red: Air quality dips further; many places log 'very poor' index

Delhi's neighbours Uttar Pradesh's Noida and Haryana's Gurugram also reeled from poor air quality levels. Delhi's Mundka logged one of the poorest AQIs at 377, which is very close to 'severe' mark

Electronic DLs, registration certificates may replace smart cards in Delhi

Delhi government is considering to replace the current smart card system on driving licenses and registration certificates with electronic versions that could be downloaded like Aadhaar cards, officials said on Wednesday. The new move would allow citizens to download and print their e-DL and e-RC in a format similar to the Aadhaar Card, featuring a unique ID and QR code that could be used by traffic police for verification, they said. A senior official of the Delhi Transport department said that the electronic documents could either be printed or accessed via apps like DigiLocker or mParivahan, offering citizens a convenient way to present their documents when required. In 2023-24, Delhi's transport department issued 1.6 lakh licenses and 6.69 lakh RCs as of May this year, and under the new plan, only e-DLs and e-RCs would be issued, he added. The downloadable PDF format, available on the Parivahan Sewa portal, would include a QR code to confirm authenticity, and links would also b

Our govts reducing stubble burning, BJP-ruled states doing nothing: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday alleged that central government data reveals that stubble burning in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are "major contributors" to air pollution in Delhi. The AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab are the only ones that are reducing pollution and providing relief to the people, party leader Jasmine Shah said in a statement on Wednesday. In the period between October 1-14, Shah claimed that in comparison to last year, there was a 27 per cent reduction in incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year, while such incidents increased in BJP-ruled UP and Haryana. "From October 1 to 14, (according to) the data from the central government agency Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), 1,105 stubble burning incidents were reported in Punjab. This year, the number has reduced to 811, a 27 per cent decrease in stubble burning incidents in the state," he said. In Haryana, during the same period, there were 341 incidents last year, that increase

Delhi-Gujarat haul: Drugs brought from S America, purified in Ankleshwar

Amid a series of drug busts in Delhi and Gujarat, police here on Monday said that around 1,300 kg of narcotics was brought from countries in South America to a pharmaceutical company in Gujarat for purification before being supplied to the national capital. According to officials 1,289 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana, worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, have been recovered from Delhi and Gujarat so far. The latest haul came on Sunday when a joint operation of Delhi and Gujarat Police seized at least 518 kilograms of cocaine worth around Rs 5000 crore from Gujarat's Ankleshwar, and arrested five people. The officials said the new seizure was connected to the recovery of 700 kilograms of cocaine in Delhi. A day after the latest recovery of cocaine from Avkar Drugs Limited Company in Gujarat's Ankleshwar, Delhi Police on Monday said the consignment was refined there by mixing chemical before being sent to Delhi. Of the five who were arrested from Gujarat, three -- Vijay

Delhi sees 55% spike in malaria cases this year so far, no deaths recorded

The national capital has reported a huge jump in malaria cases this year so far, with infections jumping nearly 55 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. The city has, however, not recorded any malaria-related deaths so far, according to official data. According to Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) data for the period from January 1 to October 5, this year marks the highest number of malaria cases in the corresponding period in last five years with 511 confirmed infections. A total of 329 cases were reported during the same period in 2023, 153 in 2022, 127 in 2021, and 189 in 2020. While there have been no deaths attributed to malaria in Delhi this year, this contrasts with previous years when one fatality was reported each in 2020, 2022, and 2023. The data also highlights that the highest caseload was recorded in September every year since 2020; this year, there were 193 cases in September, compared to 106 reported in August. In the current month, up to the

Delhi govt to prepare 1,000 'model ghats' for Chhath Puja: CM Atishi

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

Grap stage 1 kicks in as Delhi registers 2nd consecutive day of 'poor' AQI

The Centre's air pollution control panel for Delhi-NCR on Monday directed state governments in the region to implement the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as the capital's air quality was in the 'poor' category for the second consecutive day. The Stage I of GRAP, a set of winter-specific anti-pollution measures, focuses on controlling pollution through dust mitigation at construction sites, proper waste management, and regular road cleaning. It mandates strict checks on polluting vehicles, better traffic management, and emission controls in industries, power plants, and brick kilns. The first stage also bans open burning of waste, limits the use of diesel generators, and prohibits the use of coal or firewood in eateries. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 234 (poor category) as of 4 pm on Monday. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)'s Sub-Committee, tasked with implementing GR

Atishi meets PM Modi, seeks cooperation of Centre's in Delhi's development

Atishi took oath as Delhi Chief Minister in September following resignation of Arvind Kejriwal. Atishi became the third woman Chief Minister of Delhi, following Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit

Air India Mumbai-New York flight diverted to Delhi after bomb threat

A New York-bound Air India plane carrying 239 passengers from Mumbai was diverted to the national capital early morning on Monday due to a bomb threat, according to officials. Police said following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted and no suspicious item was found inside the aircraft. "Flight AI 119 operating from Mumbai to JFK on October 14 received a specific security alert and on instructions of the government's security regulatory committee, (it) was diverted to Delhi," Air India said in a statement. "Staff on ground are working to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected disruption, it said. All 258 people onboard the aircraft have disembarked and are currently undergoing security procedures. Once the security protocols are completed, the passengers will be moved to hotels, it added. There were 239 passengers and 19 crew members onboard the plane. The flight has been rescheduled and will now depart for New York from De

Consumer affairs minister slams air purifier firms for false claims

Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday criticised air purifier manufacturers for making false claims about their products, and called for increased consumer awareness ahead of winter when air pollution worsens in Delhi due to crop stubble burning in neighbouring states. Addressing an event commemorating World Standards Day, Joshi expressed concern over misleading marketing tactics adopted by some air purifier companies. "Discussion on air pollution has begun. Looking at Air Quality Index (AQI) on mobiles, people out of fear, go and buy air purifiers. Air purifiers make such false claims. ...We see air purifiers and so much is written but nothing is there in it. There is just a fan in it, yet claims are still made," the minister stated. Joshi called for a collaborative approach involving the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the consumer affairs ministry and consumers to address the issue. While praising the BIS for their "exceptionally wonderful job" in recent years, the

Air India Mumbai-New York flight diverted to Delhi after bomb threat

According to Delhi Police, the aircraft is currently stationed at the IGI Airport, and all standard safety protocols are being diligently followed to ensure the safety of passengers