Delhi in pollution chokehold as visibility drops, AQI breaches ‘severe’ mark in places; flights hit

NEW DELHI, Dec 19: With no respite from air pollution in sight, the national capital woke up to another day of dense fog, reduced visibility and an even more alarming air quality on Friday. The overall AQI in the city stood at 387 in the 'very poor' category but several parts saw readings crossing the 400-mark into the 'severe' category this morning.

Several airlines like Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet issued travel advisories for passengers warning that dense fog may hit flight schedules. The Delhi airport later confirmed that some flight ops were hit, assuring that officials were working to assist passengers.

Friday was another day of dense fog for the national capital early in the morning. Visuals from the city showed a thick fog engulfing the city as vehicles waded through the roads.

Similar visuals were seen at the Delhi airport too, where passengers were seen arriving amid a near-zero visibility.

Citing the weather department's dense fog warning in Delhi, several airlines like Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet warned of flight disruptions on Friday.

“Customers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport and allow extra time for travel, as low visibility may lead to slower traffic on the roads,” a part of IndiGo's tweet read. The airline witnessed mass cancellations earlier this month, disrupting travel plans of thousands of passengers.

SpiceJet also issued a similar advisory for its passengers, asking them to keep a check on their flight status.

Air India also informed passengers about their ‘FogCare’ initiative, through which they can receive advance alerts on their registered phone numbers, with the option to change their flights without any additional payment.

Gandhis Get Temporary Relief From Delhi Court In National Herald Case

NEW DELHI, Dec 16: A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering case against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and five others in the National Herald case.

The Rouse Avenue Court said the agency's prosecution complaint – filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, or PMLA – was not maintainable since the case was based on a private complaint - i.e., filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy - and not a First Information Report, or FIR.

The court also pointed out that Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing had already registered an FIR in this case, meaning it will be 'premature and imprudent' to now rule on the ED's submission.

The Enforcement Directorate can, however, continue its investigation, the court said.

The EOW filed its submission last month; Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and five others, including the Congress' overseas unit chief, Sam Pitroda, had been accused of conspiring to 'fraudulently take-over Associated Journals Limited', the now-defunct National Herald newspaper's parent company.

Responding to the criminal conspiracy charges, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi mocked the Bharatiya Janata Party for 'conjuring a case (out) of its own twisted mind' and said the charges were 'the BJP' recycled obsession'. The BJP responded with taunts of its own; the party's National General Secretary, Tarun Chugh, told reporters the Congress 'is in a state of panic, frustration, and outcry'.

Some of the Congress' allies, including Priyanka Chaturvedi from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, came out to bat for the under-fire party. "The National Herald charges are nothing but a political witch hunt... a tool the BJP applies time to time to attack opposition voices. Shame that agencies continue to bend backwards to please political masters."

The National Herald, founded by Jawaharlal Nehru and others in 1938, was a newspaper owned and published by AJL. The newspaper went offline in 2008 with debts of Rs 90.21 crore, but it retained real estate assets then worth an estimated Rs 2,000 crore.

These, the ED has claimed, are now worth Rs 5,000 crore.

In November 2012 Swamy filed a private complaint alleging the Gandhis and other senior Congress leaders had fraudulently taken over AJL; he claimed the Congress leaders had taken over the properties for a mere Rs 50 lakh. These included the Herald House in Delhi and properties in Mumbai.

These alone are worth, reportedly, a combined Rs 661 crore.

There are also allegations AJL had been using these properties - given by the union government of the time to only to run its newspaper operations - for commercial purposes. In other words, AJL had allegedly been getting rent worth lakhs of rupees.

These 'proceeds of crime', are worth Rs 998 crore, the ED has claimed.

UP highway pile-up & fire toll now 13, video shows scale of fog-triggered mishap

MATHURA, Dec 16: At least 13 people have died in a huge fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district after seven buses and three cars collided near Milestone 127 in a pile-up caused by dense fog in the early hours of Tuesday. The toll was initially four, who were charred to death, but there were about 25 people injured, of whom have nine have since succumbed, police officials said.

A video of the aftermath of the tragedy surfaced on social media. The video showed police and rescue teams on the spot.

“The incident took place at 4.30 AM on Tuesday at Milestone 127 of the Yamuna Expressway because of low visibility caused by dense fog. Seven buses and three cars piled up due to low visibility because of fog,” Mathura SSP Shlok Kumar told the media after reaching the spot of the incident.

“The traffic was diverted during rescue operation and injured are shifted by ambulances. Fire has been doused,” the SSP added.

Online Classes For Nursery To Class 5 In Delhi Schools Amid Severe Pollution

NEW DELHI, Dec 15: Students from nursery to Class 5 will have to study in virtual mode compulsorily due to rising air pollution, the Delhi government said today.

Until now, the Delhi government gave a choice to parents whether they want to send their children to school or attend classes online. Now, there is no such choice.

"In view of the prevailing high AQI levels in Delhi, it has been decided that classes in physical mode for students of nursery to Class 5 are discontinued till further orders for all government, government aided and unaided private recognized schools of Delhi," the Directorate of Education said in a circular today.

"All heads of schools are hereby directed to ensure classes in online mode for the students of these classes. However, rest of the classes will continue to be conducted as per directions issued [earlier]..." it said.

Delhi's air quality index (AQI) stood in the 'severe' category on Monday with a reading of 427, after touching the second highest AQI on record for December on Sunday at 461.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality was 'severe' at 27 monitoring stations across the city on Monday, with 12 stations in the 'very poor' range. Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality at 475.

According to the CBCP, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Delhi Pollution Worsens, Air Quality Turns Severe, Thick Smog Covers City

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: The national capital, Delhi, on Sunday woke up to a thick layer of smog, with air quality lingering in the 'severe' category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 462 at 6 am.

All 40 monitoring stations in Delhi show 'red', meaning AQI in the 'severe' category. Rohini in North West Delhi recorded AQI of 499 with particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) as the major pollutant, followed by Jahangirpuri and Vivek Vihar reporting AQI at 495.

Several areas in Delhi also reported low visibility due to smog. Visuals from Patparganj in East Delhi, where AQI was recorded at 488 at 6 am, showed people driving slowly with headlights on.

The AQI is a public health tool designed to communicate air pollution levels or the quality of air. Eight pollutants namely particulate matter (PM) 10, PM2.5, Ozone (O3), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb) and ammonia (NH3) act as major parameters in deriving the AQI of an area, as per the CPCB.

According to CPCB, an AQI within 0-50 is considered 'good,' 51-100 'satisfactory,' 101-200 'moderate,' 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor,' and 401-500 'severe.' Each of these categories reflects the level of pollution and the associated health risks. For example, an AQI in the 'severe' category is hazardous even for healthy people, and one should avoid going out or exercising in the open.

4 tourists among 25 killed in fire at Goa nightclub

PANAJI, Dec 7: At least 25 people, including four tourists and 14 staff members, were killed in a fire that gutted Birch, a popular club in Goa. Preliminary investigations reveal that most of the victims died of suffocation after the fire broke out in the club’s basement, which lacked proper ventilation.

The fire broke out at the nightclub “Birch” in North Goa’s Arpora late Saturday night. Preliminary investigation reveals that the blaze began in the basement of the club at around 11.45 pm. It is suspected to have then spread to the first floor, which houses a bar and restaurant. At least 25 people, including four tourists and 14 staff members, were killed, and six others were injured.

Although police initially received information suggesting a cylinder blast, injuries sustained by the victims suggest otherwise. Goa DGP Alok Kumar said, “The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. We are also checking if the club had complied with fire safety norms and whether they had the requisite fire-safety NOC.”

Investigators are also examining whether the blaze may have been triggered by a pyro sparkle gun—often used at parties and events—that may have come into contact with flammable material on the roof, causing the fire to spread rapidly.

12 Maoists, 3 DRG jawans killed in Chhatisgarh

DANTEWADA, Dec 3: At least 12 Maoists and three District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel were killed during a gunfight in a major anti-Maoist operation that is underway in the West Bastar Division of Chhattisgarh along the Bijapur–Dantewada inter-district border, officials said.

The encounter began around 9am when a joint team of Dantewada–Bijapur DRG, the Special Task Force (STF), CRPF and CoBRA commandos launched a search operation in the dense forest region.

Intermittent firing between Maoists and security personnel continued throughout the day in which another jawan also sustained injuries.

Bijapur superintendent of police Jitendra Yadav said the operation is in a “decisive phase” and that an “aggressive offensive” against Maoists is underway. Additional reinforcement teams have been rushed and the entire area has been cordoned off.

The bodies of 12 Maoist cadres have been recovered from the site of the encounter, and forces have seized SLR rifles, .303 rifles and other weapons and ammunition. The identities of those killed are yet to be established.

Three DRG Bijapur personnel — head constable Monu Vadadi and constables Dukaru Gonde and Ramesh Sodi — laid down their lives during the gunfight. Another DRG jawan — Somdev Yadav — was injured and has been administered first aid. He is said to be out of danger, while further medical arrangements have been made.

With this, the number of Maoists killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh this year has risen to 270. Of them, 241 were eliminated in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts such as Bijapur and Dantewada. Twenty-seven were killed in Gariaband district of the Raipur division, while two were neutralised in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in the Durg division.

Sundarraj P, inspector general of police of the Bastar Range, said the anti-Maoist campaign remains “intense and strategically driven”. He added that since the operation is still in progress, detailed information cannot be shared at this stage.

“Further information will be released at an appropriate time once the operation is complete,” Sundarraj said.