Dense fog envelops Delhi-NCR; average air quality remains ‘very poor’

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Dec 23 (IANS) Dense fog enveloped Delhi-NCR on Tuesday, severely reducing visibility and aggravating already poor air quality conditions. A thick layer of fog and smog blanketed the city during the early morning hours, disrupting daily life and posing serious challenges to commuters.

Low visibility continued to affect flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, with several flights being delayed or cancelled for the past few days due to persistent smog and dense fog across the national capital city. Road traffic was also hit badly, especially in areas such as the Rajokri flyover in south Delhi, where visibility dropped to extremely low levels. Vehicles were seen moving slowly with headlights and parking lights switched on.

Despite the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implementing all measures under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the NCR, air quality remained suffocating. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 7 a.m. on Tuesday stood at around 390, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category.

Several areas of the national capital recorded AQI levels above 400, indicating severe pollution. Srinivaspuri reported an AQI of 438, Mundka 422, Okhla 396, RK Puram 376, Anand Vihar 397 and Noida Sector 1 stood at 403. A layer of smog also blanketed the Akshardham area, where the AQI was recorded at around 384.

Air quality conditions remained poor in other NCR cities as well. Gurugram’s Sector 51 recorded an AQI of 386, while Vasundhara in Ghaziabad reported 374. Bahadurgarh, adjacent to Delhi, witnessed extremely low visibility, causing difficulties for motorists. The AQI in Bahadurgarh reached 308, while the minimum temperature there was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius. Cold winds were blowing at a speed of around 10 km per hour.

Weather stations also reported alarming visibility levels. At Palam, visibility was reduced to just 50 metres with west-southwesterly winds blowing at 5 kmph at 8 a.m., while Safdarjung recorded visibility of 100 metres with calm wind conditions.

Noida faced a double whammy of a cold wave and severe pollution. Pollution levels in several sectors reached the ‘extremely poor’ category. Sector 62 recorded an AQI of 396, Sector 116 at 426, Sector 125 at 420, Knowledge Park 3 in Greater Noida at 339, and Knowledge Park 5 at 407.

The concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 particles remained dangerously high across the region, raising serious health concerns for residents as winter conditions continue to worsen.

–IANS

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Lalu Yadav accuses BJP of misleading public over operation of special trains for Chhath festival

Patna, Oct 25 (IANS) As political activity intensifies in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the state also witnessed the beginning of Chhath Puja, one of its most revered festivals. This year, the festival of faith has also taken on a political hue, with parties using the occasion to connect emotionally with the people of Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls. Amid the festive fervor, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav launched a sharp attack on the BJP and the NDA government, accusing them of misleading the public over the operation of special trains for the festival.

Taking to social media, Lalu Yadav wrote, “The uncrowned king of lies and the master of empty promises boasted that out of 13,198 trains in the country, 12,000 trains would be run for Bihar during Chhath. This also turned out to be a blatant lie. Even during Chhath, they cannot properly run trains for Biharis who have suffered from migration for 20 years under the NDA government.”

The RJD chief further accused the NDA for neglecting Bihar’s development, saying, “My fellow Biharis are forced to travel in trains in inhuman conditions. How shameful is this? Due to the wrong policies of the double-engine government, more than 4 crore people from Bihar migrate every year for work. Since the UPA government, the NDA has not established any major industry in Bihar. These people are anti-Bihar.”

The Indian Railways had earlier announced the operation of over 12,000 special trains for Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath Puja, aimed at facilitating the travel of migrant workers returning home.

However, the Opposition alleges that this claim is misleading and that passengers continue to face severe difficulties in reaching their native places.

Meanwhile, with the nomination process completed, the first phase of voting in Bihar will take place on November 6, followed by the second phase of voting on November 11.

Political leaders from all major parties are currently touring the state, addressing rallies and sharpening their campaign messaging.

–IANS

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Assam CM Sarma meets NIA chief in Delhi

Guwahati, May 23 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA), Sadanand Date, in the national capital on Friday, officials said.

The meeting lasted for about an hour; however, the details of the discussion between CM Sarma and Date have not emerged.

The CM went to the official residence of the NIA chief this morning. According to sources, the discussion might have happened regarding the alleged Pakistan links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, but confirmation was awaited.

Earlier, CM Sarma upped the ante against Gogoi, asking why the Congress MP has not issued any public statement regarding his visits to Pakistan. “I have earlier said that Gaurav Gogoi went to Pakistan and stayed there for 15 days without taking any permission either from the Centre or the state. I believe that he must issue a public statement on the whole matter; however, instead of that, the Congress leader has dodged the questions several times.”

The CM also raised the citizenship issue of Congress MP’s children and said, “He (Gaurav Gogoi) often maintains a good relationship with the media outlets and journalists. Then why has he not said anything about these matters? If he issues statement in public on the topics, we can close the whole chapter easily.”

CM Sarma also mentioned that he would come up with big revelations by September 10. “I would request everybody to have patience till September 10. I will reveal everything before the public,” he added.

The CM doubled down on his explosive allegations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, claiming the lawmaker had visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s top spy agency.

CM Sarma went a step further, declaring that he would step down from his post if any part of his statement is proven false. “Gaurav Gogoi had gone to Pakistan on the invitation of ISI, and after returning had also opposed the purchase of Rafale,” he alleged, adding that the visit was for receiving “training” — a claim he described as “serious”.

Reiterating his stance, the Chief Minister said, “If even a single word of mine is proved wrong, I will resign from the post of Chief Minister.”

He further claimed his government possesses a document from the Pakistan Home Department that purportedly proves Gogoi’s visit.

CM Sarma said, “For the first time, I want to say that he went to Pakistan at the invitation of ISI. We have that document. He went there to receive training. It is a serious matter. After this, more considerable action will be taken.”

–IANS

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Left and Congress up in arms over Governor’s circular on ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 (IANS) A row has broken out in Kerala with both the ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition slamming Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar’s office issuing a circular directing the Vice Chancellors of state universities to observe August 14 as the “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day”.

This is the first time such a directive has been sent from the Governor’s office to universities in Kerala.

State Education Minister V. Sivankutty strongly opposed the move, calling it an RSS-backed programme.

“We will not accept this in any form. The Governor is attempting to run a parallel administration without the state cabinet’s approval, and this is not acceptable at all,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in 2021, coinciding with India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations.

Joining issue and attacking Arlekar was Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan, who demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan break his silence on this issue.

“It is unconstitutional for the Governor to take decisions and act in parallel to the state government, sidelining it. Through this circular, the Governor is sending a clear message that, despite holding a constitutional post, he remains a spokesperson for the RSS and its divisive politics,” he said.

“The Chief Minister and the state government must break their silence and make their stance clear. The Governor must be officially informed of the government’s protest against these unconstitutional actions,” said Satheesan.

The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions between the Governor’s office and the state government over the administration of higher education in Kerala. Incidentally, last month, Arlekar asked Vice Chancellors to attend the national education conference of a Sangh Parivar-affiliated organisation, “Gyan Sabha.”

The event saw four VCs – Kerala University’s Mohan Kunnummal, Calicut University’s P. Ravindran, Kannur University’s K.K. Saju, and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies’ (KUFOS) A. Bijukumar – taking part in the event.

–IANS

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