Page 94 - Delhi

Delhi residents on track to lose 11.9 years of life to pollution: Study

Delhi has emerged as the world's most polluted city in a new study which has also found that its residents are on track to lose 11.9 years of life if the current levels of pollution persist. The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) released by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago also showed that all of India's 1.3 billion people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the 5 g/m3 limit set by World Health Organization (WHO). It also found that 67.4 per cent of the country's population lives in areas that exceed the country's own national air quality standard of 40 g/m3. The study said fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens an average Indian's life expectancy by 5.3 years, relative to what it would be if the 5 g/m3 pollution limit set by (WHO) was met. The AQLI said that Delhi is the most polluted city in the world with its 18 million residents on track to lose 11.9 years of life expectancy on average relative to the WHO limit

G20 commemorative park in Delhi displays logo, flags of member nations

India's presidency of the G20 has been commemorated in a municipal park in south Delhi with a giant thematic logo of the influential grouping and flags of member nations mounted atop 20 decorative pillars installed in its lush gardens. The park is located in Greater Kailash and area MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said the heads of state and other delegates who will come for the G20 Summit next month, should remember the warmth extended by the city and its people. The G20 Leaders Summit is slated to be held on September 9-10 and a large number of prominent roads and other areas in the city have been cleaned and beautified in the run-up to the mega event that will be hosted at newly-built international convention centre at Pragati Maidan. Bhardwaj says many local residents have already started calling the park located in front of M Block Market at Greater Kailash-2, as the 'G20 park', even though it has not been formally named so. The placement of the pillars in a semicircular arc behind the

Next EV policy to boost charging infra: Delhi transport commissioner

Delhi Transport Commissioner Ashish Kundra on Monday said the next electric vehicle policy will be focussed on enhancing the charging infrastructure and expanding the financing basket for rolling out purchase incentives. The EV policy expired on August 8 after which the Delhi government extended the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, 2020. Kundra was speaking at a summit on clean transport organised by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) along with the Indian G20 Secretariat. The commissioner said the government will now go in for an electrification target under which by 2025, 80 per cent of the bus fleet would be electric. He said that the newer vehicle segment that could be targeted in the next EV policy could be light and medium-duty trucks or goods vehicles that are into intra-city operations. "For instance, garbage tippers or tankers or even school buses could be thought of," he said at the event.

Delhi's Town Hall gets facelift, mayor says tourists must witness heritage

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday visited the iconic British-era Town Hall and Ghalib ki Haveli in the Walled City and said tourists who will come to Delhi during the G20 Summit time should be able to see the rich heritage of the city. Mayor Oberoi accompanied by Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj visited the sprawling heritage building situated in the Chandni Chowk area. Town Hall, the over 160-year-old landmark -- and the original headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi -- has received a basic facelift in the last few months. They also went to the historic Ghalib ki Haveli in Old Delhi's Ballimaran area where poet Mirza Ghalib once lived. India is hosting the G20 Summit in Delhi which is a matter of pride for all of us. Roads and parks (under the MCD area) are being cleaned and beautified, and tourists coming here during the G20 Summit time will be able to see the rich heritage of the city and go back with fond memories," she said. The summit is slat

50 ambulances on standby at main venue, hotels, airport in Delhi for G20

Over 50 ambulances with adequate medical staff will be stationed at the G20 Summit main venue, hotels and the airport here to deal with any medical emergency, official sources said on Monday. Adequate arrangements have been made at Ram Mahohar Lohia Hospital and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in case of any exigency, they said. A state-of-art medical emergency facility with ICU services have been set up within the premises of the Bharat Mandapam (G20 Summit venue) to attend to any emergency. Health officers, including specialist doctors and nurses, chosen from various public hospitals will be deployed there, the sources said. The G20 summit will be held in Delhi on September 9 and 10. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is likely to take stock of the preparations for the Summit on Tuesday.

Delhi court to consider chargesheet against Supertech chairman on Sept 15

A Delhi court is likely to consider on September 15 on whether to take cognisance of a charge sheet against R K Arora, chairman and promoter of Supertech Group, in a money laundering case. Special Judge Devender Kumar Jangala took up the matter on Monday and said that the documents were lengthy as he adjourned the matter. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 24 filed the charge sheet against Arora, Supertech Group, and eight others in the money laundering case. They have been accused of defrauding at least 670 home buyers of Rs 164 crore. The nearly 100-page prosecution complaint, ED's equivalent of a charge sheet, claimed there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the accused. Arora was arrested on June 27 under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after three rounds of questioning. The money-laundering case against the Supertech Group, its directors and promoters stems from a clutch of FIRs registered by police in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar

Delhi Village Development Board sanctions 167 schemes worth Rs 115 cr

The Delhi Village Development Board on Monday sanctioned 167 schemes to develop roads, drainage systems, community facilities, green spaces, and sports infrastructure in rural areas, according to an official statement. A total of Rs 115.52 crore will be spent on works to be undertaken under these schemes, it said. Delhi minister Gopal Rai, who chairs the board, also issued strict directions to ensure timely completion of all village-centric projects. Pertinent issues surrounding pending and prospective development proposals were also deliberated upon, the statement said. Under the schemes, ponds and water bodies will be augmented to improve water resources. Also, the board plans to create recreational areas, crematoriums, sports grounds, gymnasiums, and libraries within the villages to bolster community infrastructure.

G20: Town hall gets facelift, mayor says tourists must witness heritage

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday visited the iconic British-era Town Hall and Ghalib ki Haveli in the Walled City and said tourists who will come to Delhi during the G20 Summit time should be able to see the rich heritage of the city. The over 160-year-old landmark -- the original headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi -- has received a basic facelift in the last few months. Mayor Oberoi accompanied by Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj visited the sprawling heritage building situated in the Chandni Chowk area. They later also went to the historic Ghalib ki Haveli in Old Delhi's Ballimaran area where poet Mirza Ghalib once lived. India is hosting the G20 Summit in Delhi which is a matter of pride for all of us. Roads and parks (under the MCD area) are being cleaned and beautified, and tourists coming here during the G20 Summit time will be able to see the rich heritage of the city and go back with fond memories," she said. The summit is slated to be

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PWD debars 6 contractors for delay in completion of projects in Delhi

The Public Works Department (PWD) has taken disciplinary action against six contractors for not completing projects on time, an official said on Sunday. A contractor, who was awarded the work of repairing roads in northeast Delhi has been debarred from tendering in Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for six months from the date of issue of order since he "had failed to complete the work", the official said. Similarly, another contractor firm has been debarred from tendering in CPWD for six months for not completing the work on the deteriorated portion of a road on Uttar Pradesh Link Road. Another contractor, who was awarded five contracts including the construction of the boundary wall of the new Rao Tula Ram Flyover, in 2021 was debarred from tendering for nine months. The other contractors have been disqualified for six months. All these contractors are registered with the CPWD. According to officials, these contractors were first served show cause notices, following which t

Delhi BJP, AAP quarrel over funding for city's G20 Summit makeover

The BJP on Sunday said Delhi's makeover for the G20 Summit has been funded by the Centre and accused the ruling AAP dispensation in the national capital of claiming credit for it. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit back, saying that it is shocked to see that the "BJP had to pass the developmental work done by the city government as its own". Asserting that the makeover the city is witnessing is funded by the central government, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that even the wall painting concept was introduced by the Centre first in the Pragati Maidan tunnel and later in the NDMC area. Sachdeva said it is regrettable that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers "are shamelessly trying to steal credit for Delhi's makeover by making social media posts". "I challenge Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal to cite even one project of beautification or development done by his government in Delhi for G20 preparations," he added. The Delhi BJP will soon hold a press conference an

Delhi govt launches portal to empower citizens to protect forests, wildlife

Delhi Environment and Forest Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday launched a portal to enhance public awareness about the forest and wildlife sanctuary areas that need protection. By knowing which regions are designated for conservation, Delhi residents can contribute to the preservation of their surroundings, a statement quoted the minister as saying. The portal, evanlekh.eforest.delhi.gov.in, introduces several features that empower citizens and streamline information dissemination. It utilises a geographic information system (GIS) platform to visualize data effectively, aiming to enhance the ease of doing business and living in Delhi. Also, users can generate KML files on the portal. It currently provides information on various aspects, including protected forest areas, reserve forest areas, morphological details, wildlife sanctuaries, buffer areas of wildlife sanctuaries, and administrative boundaries of the Department of Forest and Wildlife. Looking ahead, the portal's future ...

675,000 potted foliage, flowering plants to adorn Delhi during G-20 Summit

After a preparatory meeting headed by the LG, directions were issued identifying agencies who would undertake this drive and they were tasked with procuring specific number of plants/pots

Prosecution pulled up for not submitting evidence in 2020 Delhi riots case

A court here has pulled up the prosecution for not submitting a video pertaining to the identification of the accused in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi riots case. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala, hearing a case on Friday, said it was "unfortunate" that the prosecution was "befooling" the court. He also warned the investigating agency not to repeat such conduct in future. The matter pertains to a case registered by the Dayalpur police station against Mohammed Farooq and others where the court had asked the prosecution to submit a video for identification of the accused. It is unfortunate that till date, the Special Public Prosecutor and Sub-Inspector Rajiv (the Investigating Officer) have been befooling this court in the name of the pendency of this video and the report before FSL, without actually having any information in respect of the same. The same should not be repeated in future, the ASJ said in an order passed on Friday. He said the prosecution

Ahead of G20 Summit, pro-Khalistan messages found on Delhi Metro property

Ahead of the G20 Summit, pro-Khalistan messages were found in at least five Delhi Metro stations, officials said on Sunday. A senior police officer said unidentified people wrote ''Delhi Banega Khalistan" and "Khalistan Zindabad'' on the walls of at least five Delhi Metro stations. Legal action is being taken, the officer said. A senior Delhi Metro Rail Corporation official said, "It is a law and order situation. We will cooperate with the Delhi Police." The alleged action comes ahead of the G20 Summit on September 9-10.

AAP to contest Bihar polls, party general secy holds meet in Delhi

Sandeep Pathak addressed the leaders of the Bihar Organization at AAP Headquarters in Delhi and said that it is necessary to have a strong organisation to contest elections in Bihar

Multiple backups, tech to ensure continuous power supply for G20 Summit

To ensure uninterrupted power supply for the G20 Summit, authorities are leveraging latest technology and have installed multiple backups at the venue, Pragati Maidan, officials said on Saturday. Power discom BSES has enhanced the supply to Pragati Maidan by establishing three separate power sources to ensure reliability. Cables measuring three km have been laid to connect to the ITPO grid, offering greater flexibility, they said. Additionally, the company has installed three 1,600 KVA distribution transformers to serve as a power supply backup. All three power sources for the Pragati Maidan grid now feature changeover systems or multiple levels of automatic backup, said a BSES official. "This means that in the highly unlikely event of one cable failing, the power supply will automatically and seamlessly switch to the second cable. If the second cable also fails, the system will switch to the third source," he said. In addition to these measures, BSES is establishing a 24x7 control

Ample parking space available for planes at Delhi airport for G20: DIAL

Delhi airport operator DIAL on Saturday said it has received requests from airlines for cancellation of 80 departing and as many arriving domestic flights during three days from September 8 in connection with the G20 Summit. The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a consortium led by the GMR Group, also stressed that the airport is fully equipped with ample parking space for aircraft during the summit period. "We take immense pride in India's role as the host of the G20 Summit 2023. Current news on cancellations of flights has no linkage to the parking of aircraft. We have already provided required parking," it said in a statement. Further, it noted that the decision on cancellations of flights has been taken by airlines possibly in light of traffic restrictions due to the G20 Summit. "So far, we have received requests for cancellation of approximately 80 departing and 80 arriving domestic flights over three days, which is a mere 6 per cent of the normal domestic operations at

Why previous complaints against rape accused official ignored: Atishi

Delhi cabinet minister Atishi on Saturday wrote to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar asking how the official accused of raping and impregnating a minor was allowed to work in the WCD department despite previous sexual harassment complaints against him. She sought a detailed report on the issue, including the timeline of receipt of complaints of harassment by the officer along with details of the person who handled them, by 5 pm on August 28. Premoday Khakha -- a deputy director in the city government's Women and Child Development (WCD) department -- allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021, according to the Delhi Police. His wife Semma Rani allegedly gave the girl medicine to terminate her pregnancy. Shortly before he and his wife were arrested in the case on Monday, Khakha was suspended from his post following a direction from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In her letter to the chief secretary, Atishi, who holds the charge of the Delhi WCD ...

70 students taken ill after consuming mid-day meal in Delhi govt school

Around 70 students were on Friday hospitalised after allegedly having a mid-day meal in a government school in southwest Delhi's Dabri area, officials said. The Delhi government has issued a show cause notice to the mid-day meal provider, they said. All the children were in a stable condition, a Delhi government official said, adding that the mid-day meal providers have been warned to ensure proper food was provided to the school children. "Anyone found guilty in the incident will not be spared," the official said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said around 6 pm, a PCR call was received at Sagarpur police station stating that around 70 boys of Class VI to VIII reported vomiting after having a mid-day meal in Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya School, Durgapark in Sagarpur. The students were shifted to DDU Hospital and Dada Dev Hospital, Dabri. The school authorities stated that after the mid-day meal, students were given soya Juice which caused stomach pain and vomiting,