Devotees perform prayer in River Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja in New Delhi (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)Delhi Live News: A day after BJP MP Parvesh Verma started preparations for Chhath Puja at Yamuna Ghat, the AAP gave a guarded response to the move on Tuesday, saying he can celebrate the festival on the banks of the Yamuna if L-G Anil Baijal and the Delhi Police allow him to do so.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai accused the BJP of playing politics on the festival and said the Delhi L-G has banned Chhath Puja celebrations on the Yamuna banks, not Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Verma, the BJP’s MP from east Delhi, had on Monday performed rituals and started preparations for Chhath Puja at the Yamuna Ghat near the ITO here despite a ban by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on the celebration of this festival on the banks of river Yamuna.
On the first day of Chhath Puja, Manish Sisodia said 800 ghats have been set up for the festival with necessary amenities and asked people to celebrate with precaution. According to the DDMA guidelines, devotees cannot perform rituals at the banks of Yamuna river.
Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, while the minimum temperature is set to dip further by the end of the week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast indicates.
Meanwhile, Delhi has seen three more dengue deaths, and over 2,700 cases, according to the report released by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday. The total number of fatalities reached nine – the highest number recorded in a year since 2017, when the cumulative death count officially reported was 10.
The court noted that an initial inquiry was conducted by the Inspector (Vigilance) and the matter has been closed as if nothing noteworthy or actionable happened. (File)
BJP leader and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the pollution in the Yamuna river and said he cannot escape the "sin of disrespecting the faith of the people".
AAP leader Raghav Chadha hit back, accusing the Union minister of being "interested in making political statements" on the issue "rather than bothering to call a meeting between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to understand the real problem and find a solution".
"His (Shekhawat's) statement reflects the tendency of the Narendra Modi government to hide their own failures and non-performance by making mere allegations," Chadha said.
Pictures and videos showing devotees offering prayers in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja on Monday with toxic foam floating on the surface of the river have triggered a political slugfest between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Delhi. (PTI)
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Tuesday imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for violating environmental norms by dumping debris in the paper market in Kondli.
According to an official order of the civic body, the executive engineer DDA (ED-12) opposite Taj Enclave Geeta Colony was found "dumping malba/broken road surface" in the paper market in Kondli on November 9.
It is causing environmental pollution and is in violation of the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the order said.
"In pursuance of the NGT order you are directed to pay compensation of Rs 50,000 for polluting the environment to be paid by banker cheque/draft in favour of Commissioner East Delhi Municipal Corporation within three days," the order addressed to the executive engineer DDA (ED-12) said. (PTI)
Amid criticism over the formation of foam in the Yamuna -- a sign of its hazardous water quality -- the Delhi government on Tuesday deployed 15 boats to remove the froth with the help of ropes.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) conceived the plan and implemented it with the help of the Irrigation Flood Control Department and Revenue Department, officials said.
"Fifteen teams have been deployed to remove the foam in the river. The exercise will continue till the current frothing episode comes to an end," an official said.
Officials said the idea entailed the deployment of boats parallel to each other and then roping the foam. (PTI)
Delhi University announced on Tuesday that classes for first year undergraduate students will commence from November 22, while exams will be held in March next year.
The university has released its academic calendar for first year students.
According to the calendar, the classes will commence for the first semester on November 22, while the exams will be held from March 21 to April 4 next year. The preparatory break will be from March 11 to March 20 next year.
Classes for the second semester will start from April 7, with the exams being held from August 5 to August 22 next year. The new session will commence for the students from August 26 next year. (PTI)
Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala hit back at AAP leaders in Delhi blaming his state for the frothing in the Yamuna river, saying it has become the Arvind Kejriwal government's "habit" to blame the neighbouring state for everything.
Responding to reporters' questions, he said Delhi banned firecrackers but violations occurred on Diwali leading to the air quality nosediving to the 'severe' level and Haryana was blamed.
"Delhi is blaming Haryana for their own mismanagement. They failed to improve things even after spending crores of rupees. For anything happening in Delhi, they have only one answer, blame Haryana," Chautala said.
Rejecting AAP leaders' claim that Haryana has been releasing gallons of untreated wastewater into the river, the deputy chief minister said, "It has become their habit to blame Haryana for everything." (PTI)
The police has informed the Delhi High Court that it concluded investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl here and is providing round-the-clock security to the parents of the victim.
Delhi Police told Justice Yogesh Khanna, who was hearing the parents' petition for the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) for a court-monitored probe, that after the filing of charge sheets, the matter was now listed for framing of charges before the trial court.
On providing full-time security to two other witnesses, it said there are many cases pending against them and there is no cogent material to show any threat perception. The police said that it would nonetheless take proper action on the complaints lodged by the two witnesses on being threatened twice.
The investigating agency informed that the four accused persons were still in judicial custody. Considering that the matter was now under trial, the court said that nothing further was required and disposed of the parents' petition. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it expects the Lieutenant Governor to look into and take a decision at the earliest on the issue of giving approval for additional staff relating to a dedicated COVID-19 facility at the 1,241-bed Indira Gandhi Hospital so that its functioning is not hampered. The high court listed the matter on February 1 next year for reporting further progress.
"We hope and expect that the LG will look into the same to take a decision at the earliest considering the requirement of hospital and so that the functioning is not hampered,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said.
The bench said it appeared that the Delhi government was making an endeavour to stick to the timelines, regarding completion of project, placed before the court earlier.
It also said that the government must make an endeavour to make the super speciality facilities functional in the hospital by March next year, instead of July. (PTI)
In what has become a repeat occurrence in the city, a layer of froth was seen floating over parts of the Yamuna river near Kalindi Kunj on Monday, with Chhath devotees standing in toxic foam-laden water to offer prayers. But what causes frothing in the Yamuna? Read explainer by Abhinaya Harigovind
The Delhi High Court Tuesday said there is an apprehension of rise in COVID-19 cases and the infrastructure for hybrid hearings in district courts and other quasi judicial bodies here must be in place.
“Our anxiety is the same. Again there is an apprehension that there may be an increase in the number of cases. The apprehension is...by that time, everything should be in place. It has to be done on a quicker footing. It can't take so long,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said.
The high court was hearing two pleas by lawyers Anil Kumar Hajelay and Manashwy Jha seeking various prayers including conducting hybrid hearings in district courts on physical hearing days because of the COVID-19 threat. (PTI)
Delhi On Tuesday recorded 33 new Covid-19 cases and no death. The positivity rate is now at 0.06 per cent. On Monday, the city had recorded 25 fresh cases.
Delhi recorded only four deaths due to the infection in October, while five people had succumbed to the viral disease in September. No Covid death has been reported in the city in November so far. With the new cases, the coronavirus infection tally in the city climbed to 14,40,176. Of this, over 14.14 lakh patients have recovered from the disease. (PTI)
Amid demands by student bodies to reopen campus, a senior Delhi University official on Tuesday said it cannot be reopened till the time the DDMA allows 100 per cent seating capacity. The official also said that they will hold a meeting after 10 days to decide on reopening.
"How can we reopen until and unless the DDMA allows 100 per cent seating capacity. Sixty per cent of students of the university are from outside Delhi. We can't ask them to come here, stay in a hostel and take online classes since only 50 per cent seating capacity is allowed," Delhi University Registrar Vikas Gupta told PTI.
He said till the time District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) gives clear guidelines on 100 per cent seating capacity, they cannot take a decision on complete reopening. (PTI)
On day 1 of Chhath Puja, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said 800 ghats have been set up for the festival with necessary amenities and asked people to celebrate with precautions. “Despite Covid, we decided to celebrate Chhath Puja in full swing. Till 2015, there used to be 80-90 ghats which were set up by BJP and Congress samitis,” he said.
Ever since AAP came to power, he said, more such arrangements have been made: “This year, with the help of the government, people have set up tents at ghats. Besides this, arrangements have been made for water, security, LED display, mikes, etc.”
He added that those from Purvanchal make up a significant part of Delhi’s population. Read more
The Delhi High Court Tuesday dismissed with Rs 25,000 costs a plea challenging the appointment of a Technical Member of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel said there was no reason to entertain the petition filed by 'India Awake for Transparency' and directed that the costs be deposited with the Delhi State Legal Service Authority in four weeks.
The bench, also comprising Justice Jyoti Singh, noted that the Member in question was fully qualified and was duly chosen by a search-cum-selection committee under the Chief Justice of India in January 2020. (PTI)
A day after BJP MP Parvesh Verma started preparations for Chhath Puja at Yamuna Ghat, the AAP gave a guarded response to the move on Tuesday, saying he can celebrate the festival on the banks of the Yamuna if L-G Anil Baijal and the Delhi Police allow him to do so.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai accused the BJP of playing politics on the festival and said the Delhi L-G has banned Chhath Puja celebrations on the Yamuna banks, not Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Verma, the BJP's MP from east Delhi, on Monday performed rituals and started preparations for Chhath Puja at the Yamuna Ghat near the ITO here despite a ban by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on the celebration of this festival on the banks of river Yamuna. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court Tuesday said it will hear on January 11 a plea challenging the restriction on married individuals being considered for the Judge Advocate General (JAG) department, the legal arm of the army.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh allowed an early hearing application by petitioner Kush Kalra and permitted the Centre to file any additional affidavit on it. "List for hearing on January 11, 2022. If the respondent wants to file any affidavit, the same is permitted to be filed,” said the bench. (PTI)
A 31-year-old man has been arrested from North Delhi’s Burari for allegedly killing his former employer’s wife after she had supposedly asked her husband, an assistant professor at a Delhi University college, to remove the man from his job.
Initial investigation has revealed that the accused Rakesh Kumar, who used to work as a driver for the couple, strangled the woman to death and later gave her electric shock to ensure she was dead, said the police. He surrendered at the Burari police station on Monday evening. Read more
Three men were arrested after a brief exchange of fire with a Delhi Police patrolling team near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in South Delhi on Tuesday morning, said the police.
The men on a bike allegedly fired at the police party and tried to escape. In retaliation, the police fired two rounds, injuring one of the accused. No cops were injured, added the police. Read more
AAP leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said free spraying of bio-decomposer will be ensured in Punjab to curb crop residue burning if his party forms government in the state.
Farmers cannot be blamed for unrestrained crop residue burning in neighbouring states as it is the governments there which have failed to provide an alternative, Rai said.
The share of farm fires in Delhi's pollution rose to a three-year high of 48 per cent on Sunday, and on Monday, government agencies reported 5,450 farm fires, the highest this season, in neighbouring states of the national capital. (PTI)
Over 3.15 lakh people were fined between April 19 and November 8 for violating of Covid-related norms, of which the highest were for not wearing face masks, police said on Tuesday. According to the latest data shared by the Delhi Police, 3,15,772 challans were issued for such violations during this period.
The data showed that 2,79,198 people were fined for not wearing masks, followed by 30,379 for not adhering to social distancing norms and 3,046 for consumption of liquor, pan and tobacco at public places. Another 1,685 challans were issued for spitting in public places and 1,464 for holding large public gatherings and congregations, the data stated. (PTI)
A 26-year-old woman was allegedly tied up and attacked with an acid-like substance by a man in Bawana. Police said the woman had rejected the man’s marriage proposal on several occasions. The accused, Montu (23), told police he was “enraged” and decided to harm the woman and her husband.
On November 3, police received a call from locals saying that a man had thrown acid on a woman and fled. Police found the woman, tied up inside a house, with severe burn injuries. Read more