Page 9 - Delhi

Delhi fire services handle 269 calls on Diwali night, no major mishap

The Delhi Fire Services received 269 emergency calls on Diwali night, an official said on Tuesday. However, no major accidents including loss of life or major injuries were reporters, he said. A senior DFS officer said the department remained on high alert throughout the festival, with all fire stations and quick response teams deployed across the city. "We received 269 fire calls till midnight. Fortunately, no major incidents were reported," the officer said. Most of the calls were related to minor blazes caused by firecrackers and diyas. The DFS had earlier cancelled all leaves of its staff and ensured that all vehicles and fire-fighting equipment were checked and kept ready for prompt response. The officer said detailed planning had been done in advance to ensure public safety during the festive period. "The Delhi Fire Services plays a crucial role during Diwali in combating fire-related incidents and ensuring the safety of citizens," the officer said, adding that last year, t

Delhi wakes up to toxic skies after Diwali, 36 of 38 zones in red

While most areas in the national capital recorded AQI levels above 300, several localities, including Greater Kailash and Patel Nagar, breached the 500 mark

Delhi breathes 'very poor' air on Diwali morning; Stage II curbs imposed

Delhi-NCR records 'very poor' air quality with AQI above 300 on Diwali; CM Rekha Gupta urges citizens to use only green crackers in the city

GRAP Stage 2 curbs kick in across NCR as Delhi's air turns 'very poor'

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR as the city's air quality slipped into the "very poor" category, with the AQI crossing 300 mark. The move came after the Sub-Committee on GRAP on Saturday reviewed the worsening pollution levels and forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which warned of further deterioration in the coming days. "The AQI of Delhi has shown an increasing trend since morning and has been recorded as 296 at 4 pm and 302 at 7 pm," the CAQM said, directing authorities to implement all Stage II measures with immediate effect, in addition to Stage I actions already in force since October 14. The Centre's air quality panel also asked all implementing agencies to keep strict vigil, particularly on dust mitigation and to ensure compliance with targeted timelines laid down under the comprehensive policy to curb a

Flight from Delhi delayed due to Dhaka airport closure: Air India

Air India's flight from Delhi to Dhaka was delayed on Saturday due to closure of the airport in the Bangladesh capital following a fire incident. On Saturday afternoon, a massive fire broke out at the cargo complex of Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, forcing authorities to suspend all flight operations. Air India was scheduled to operate the Delhi-Dhaka flight in the evening. "Due to closure of Dhaka airport for all flight operations, flight AI237 scheduled to operate from Delhi to Dhaka on 18 October has been delayed. "Consequently, the return flight AI238 set to operate from Dhaka to Delhi will also have a delayed departure," the airline said in a statement. While regretting the inconvenience caused to passengers, the airline said ground teams at Delhi and Dhaka are offering immediate assistance to them. Apart from Air India, IndiGo also operates flights to Dhaka.

Delhi air remains poor for 5th day, 9 stations in red zone ahead of Diwali

Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate on Saturday, remaining in the "poor" category for the fifth consecutive day, with nine monitoring stations falling in the red zone of the "very poor" category as pollution levels spiked ahead of Diwali. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 268 at 4 pm, placing it in the "poor" category. Within the NCR region, Ghaziabad recorded a "very poor" AQI of 324, while Noida and Gurugram remained in the "poor" category with AQIs of 298 and 258, respectively. Out of the 38 monitoring stations in the capital, nine reported air quality in the "very poor" category, with some locations inching towards the "severe zone. Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 389, followed by Wazirpur (351), Bawana (309), Jahangirpuri (310), Okhla (303), Vivek Vihar (306), Dwarka (310), and Siri Fort (307), according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to the

Akasa Air to boost domestic, international flights; Delhi becomes 3rd base

Three-year-old airline Akasa Air on Friday said it will be increasing services on domestic and international routes, including the introduction of non-stop services to Abu Dhabi from Cochin and Chennai. Delhi will be the airline's third operational base after Bengaluru and Chennai, and the airline will operate over 165 weekly departures from the national capital. Besides Delhi, the carrier will be enhancing services from Kolkata. "The airline will further expand its footprint across the Middle East with a 14 per cent increase in departures from Abu Dhabi, introducing non-stop flights connecting Abu Dhabi to Cochin and Chennai...and strengthening its codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways. "Departures from Jeddah will increase to 26 weekly flights, an around 270 per cent increase from Winter 2024, while frequency to Riyadh will be ramped up to 5x weekly," it said in a release. With a fleet of 30 Boeing 737 MAX planes, Akasa Air currently connects 24 domestic and 6 international

Delhi's first cloud seeding trial likely after Diwali, awaiting IMD nod

Delhi's much-anticipated first trial of artificial rain through cloud seeding will be held after Diwali, once the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) gives a green light, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said. During a media briefing on Wednesday, Sirsa said that pilots have already completed trial flights over the area where the cloud seeding operation is planned. The aircraft have been fully equipped for the process and the crew is trained and familiar with the region, he added. "The entire setup is ready from permissions to pilot training. The aircraft are fitted with cloud seeding equipment, and pilots have flown over the target areas to prepare. Now, we are just waiting for the IMD's approval," he said. The first trial is expected to take place the day after Diwali or shortly thereafter, depending on suitable weather conditions. The Delhi government's cloud seeding project -- a major commitment by the BJP-led administration -- has been postponed multiple times d

Fatal road accidents in Delhi drop 2.9%, deaths fall 2.5% till September

The data compiled by the Delhi Traffic Police shows that deaths due to road crashes reduced from 1,178 in 2024 to 1,149 in 2025 till September

Cough syrup deaths: Delhi govt bans sale and distribution of Coldrif

The Delhi government has banned the sale, purchase and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup after it was declared "not of standard quality", an official order said. According to the order issued on Friday, Coldrif Syrup (Paracetamol, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride, Chlorpheniramine Maleate Syrup), manufactured in May 2025 by Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, Tamil Nadu, was found to be adulterated with Diethylene Glycol (46.28 per cent w/v), a toxic chemical known to be harmful to human health. All stakeholders are directed to immediately stop selling, purchasing, or distributing the said batch of the syrup. The general public has also been advised not to use the product, given its potential health risks, the order said. The assistance of all stakeholders is sought for the strict implementation and wide dissemination of the public advisory, which has been issued in public interest, it said.

SC allows 5 days trial for green fire crackers in Delhi-NCR; reserves order

CJI-led bench has allowed the bursting and sale of NEERI-approved green firecrackers for five days during Diwali in Delhi-NCR, with strict time limits and enforcement measures to curb pollution

Can Delhi stay awake? Govt move to revive the city's sleepy nightlife

Come midnight, when most capital cities party, Delhi starts to yawn. Now the Delhi government is considering allowing shops and market areas to remain open 24x7

Delhi Metro to begin early operations on Oct 12 for Vedanta half-marathon

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will start its train services early on four lines to facilitate participants of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon scheduled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on October 12. According to a statement by the DMRC, metro services will begin at 3:15 am from terminal stations on the Red, Yellow, Blue, and Violet Lines. The lines include Rithala-Shaheed Sthal (Red Line), Samaypur Badli-Millennium City Centre Gurugram (Yellow Line), Dwarka Sec-21-Noida Electronic City/Vaishali (Blue Line), and Kashmere Gate-Raja Nahar Singh (Violet Line). Trains will run every 15 minutes between 3.15 am and 4 am and every 20 minutes between 4 am and 6 am. Regular Sunday schedules will apply after 6 am, it added. Metro services on all other lines will start according to the regular Sunday timetable, the DMRC said. To assist runners, volunteers deployed by the marathon organisers will be stationed at key metro stations, including Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Jor Bagh, Janpat

Explained: All about Delhi’s new ₹55 crore collateral-free loan scheme | Women entrepreneur

The Delhi government has launched a new Rs 55-crore collateral-free loan scheme to help small businesses, startups, and women entrepreneurs get easier access to credit.

Delhi govt may double two-wheeler EV subsidies in upcoming policy

Delhi government's upcoming EV policy is expected to double two-wheeler subsidies, expand charging infrastructure, and offer tax perks for scrapping ICE vehicles

Delhi govt launches innovation challenge of ₹50 lakh to curb air pollution

The Delhi government has announced cash rewards of up to Rs 50 lakh for innovators and researchers who develop effective and scalable solutions to curb air pollution in the city. During a press conference on Friday, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa launched an innovation challenge for pollution reduction solutions, inviting individuals, startups, and research institutions to submit ideas aimed at reducing particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) emissions. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which is spearheading the programme, has invited proposals from innovators, technology developers, R&D institutions, universities, and registered entities across India. The challenge will focus on two main areas - reducing emissions from BS-IV or below BS-IV vehicles and capturing PM2.5 and PM10 particles from the ambient air, Sirsa said. The selection process will involve three stages: a preliminary scrutiny by the DPCC, a technical review and field trials by an ...

Soon, Delhi residents can apply for birth, caste certificates via WhatsApp

The Delhi government is working to provide several of its services in a faceless manner, with documents like birth and caste certificates being applied for and delivered using WhatsApp, officials said on Thursday. Nearly 50 services of different departments have been identified, for which one can apply through WhatsApp, they said. Under the 'Governance through WhatsApp' initiative, various services that can be currently applied for online, will be brought to WhatsApp using artificial intelligence, said a senior government officer. The users will be able to interact with a bilingual chatbot -- in Hindi and English -- that will help them apply for services and documents such as birth and caste certificates, upload necessary papers, and pay the fees, he said. The project is being prepared by the Information Technology Department, which used to operate the doorstep delivery of government services under the previous regime in Delhi. In order to execute the WhatsApp services model, a ..

IndiGo issues travel advisory as heavy rain causes flight delays in Delhi

Delhi experienced heavy rainfall on Tuesday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a yellow and orange alert for several areas

Delhi drinkers may soon pay Gurugram-like prices for premium liquor

Delhi government is weighing bringing premium alcohol prices at par with Gurugram and Faridabad, as fixed retail margins in the capital push buyers to neighbouring cities

Few Indian doctors trained in brain death certification, Aiims study finds

According to the findings, 37.3% of respondents said there was no fixed curriculum for resident training in BDC, and only 10% reported regularly training their residents