Delhi news live: Part of Kamla Nagar Market shut for Covid violations

Two new cases of dengue and chikungunya each have been reported in Delhi in the last one week, a vector-borne disease report released by the municipal corporations stated on Monday. So far, forty cases of dengue have been reported in the city this year. This figure for the January 1-July 17 period is the highest since 2019, when the count stood at 32. During the corresponding period, 28 dengue cases were reported in 2020, 32 cases in 2019 and 43 cases in 2018. Delhi has seen 17 malaria and 10 chikungunya cases this year.

The incessant showers on Monday led to several road cave-ins, but none so spectacular as the one in Atulya Chowk in Sector 18, Dwarka, in which a Delhi Police constable just about saved his life after his car was sucked into a gaping hole in the macadam. The incident took place around 5pm, when constable Ashwani, who is posted with Delhi Traffic Police, was on his way home after meeting a relative. Suddenly, his car went nose first into the quicksand-like portion on the road. Since the rear of the car wasn’t pulled into the hole, Ashwani shifted to the rear, opened the door there and shouted for help before a person gave him a hand and pulled him free.

While the met department had issued an “orange” alert for heavy rain on Sunday, it was a day later that the skies opened up over the capital, giving Delhi its first heavy rainfall day of the season and the coolest July day in seven years. After strong morning showers, Delhi’s base weather station, Safdarjung, had recorded 69.6mm of rain till 8.30am on Monday. Palam had recorded 99.3mm and Narela 104mm. Since 8.30am, Palam added 66.6mm more in the next nine hours. Najafgarh, which got 95mm till 8.30am, got 64.5mm rain in the subsequent nine hours. As per the India Meteorological Department, more than 64.5mm in a day is “heavy” rainfall.

If you had cut a tree about two decades ago and did not submit a fine or carry out compensatory plantation for the same, you may receive a notice asking you to pay a penalty. The forest and wildlife department has initiated a drive to collect arrears from the year 2002 onwards with notices so far issued to violations occurring in the south division from 2002 to 2010. These include non-payment of amount for felling a tree, non-payment of amount for compensatory planting of saplings or not carrying out the mandatory plantation. Officials said the fines could range from Rs 34,500 to several lakhs. A senior forest official in the south division said the drive was initiated to recover dues that stretched over several years, with mandatory inspections carried out at sites after seven years of giving permission to carry out the felling.

Delhi recorded 36 fresh Covid-19 cases, the lowest single-day count in over a year, and three more fatalities on Monday. It was on April 15 last year that the national capital had recorded 17 cases. The positivity rate in the city stands at 0.06 per cent, according to the bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. Fifty-eight people recovered from the infection in the past 24 hours, it said. The total number of fatalities is 25,030 while the tally of cumulative cases has reached 14,35,565, the bulletin said.

The district authorities ordered a part of Kamla Nagar Market closed till July 21 for violating Covid-19 norms. In the order, the sub-divisional magistrate, Civil Lines, specified that Kohlapur Road and Inner Circle Market (Bada Gol Chakkar) would remain closed till 8pm on July 21, or until further orders. The shutdown decision was taken on Monday after an inspection of the market found heavy footfall and shopkeepers and showrooms unable to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.