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Pollution emergency steps in Delhi-NCR from today, violators to face criminal cases

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Smog in Delhi

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As patients pour into hospitals with respiratory and allergic complaints and players participating matches fall sick, emergency measures to check pollution kicked in today (Thursday, November 1) in Delhi-NCR amid fears of air quality deteriorating further.

State pollution control bodies have been directed to initiate criminal prosecution against violators. A move to restrict or stop use of private vehicles was also contemplated.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1541071507856{border-top-width: 10px !important;border-right-width: 10px !important;border-bottom-width: 10px !important;border-left-width: 10px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #f4f4f4 !important;border-radius: 10px !important;}”]From vox.com:

A whopping nine in 10 people on Earth breathe highly polluted air, and more than 80 percent of urban dwellers have to endure outdoor pollution that exceeds health standards, according to the WHO’s World Global Ambient Air Quality Database.

But even among countries gasping for breath, India stands out for air that is consistently, epically terrible. Eleven out of the 12 most polluted cities on a World Health Organization list were in India.

Cities with the highest small particulate measurements in the world

Country City PM2.5 (µg/m³)
India Kanpur 173
India Faridabad 172
India Varanasi 151
India Gaya 149
India Patna 144
India Delhi 143
India Lucknow 138
Cameroon Bamenda 132
India Agra 131
India Muzaffarpur 120
India Srinagar 113
India Gurgaon 113

World Health Organization

WHO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A map of particulate air pollution in India on October 31, 2018. Berkeley Earth[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Measures for air pollution control to be in force from November 1 to November 10 include shut down of Mundka industrial area, ban on construction and excavation (digging) activities, shutting down of industries that run on coal and biomass, ban on stone crushers, brick kilns and hot mix plants. Diesel generators have already been banned and Badarpur power plant has been shut down since October 15, when the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) came into force.

The Supreme Court-appointed body Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has also warned that it could even ban private vehicles or introduce odd and even road rationing measures in the coming days after consulting the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) task force.

“These measures are pre-emptive and go beyond what is stipulated in the Grap. These measures are being introduced keeping in mind the forecast and the need for emergency actions to combat pollution,” said Bhure Lal, chairman of EPCA.

The EPCA urged Delhiites on Wednesday to use public transport for the next 10 days when the air quality is likely to deteriorate further. Noting that private vehicles contribute to 40 per cent pollution in Delhi-NCR, the EPCA urged people to reduce use of private vehicles and completely stop plying diesel vehicles during this period. There are a total of 35 lakh private vehicles in the Delhi NCR region.

An EPCA member had on Tuesday said in case of further deterioration of air quality, they are even contemplating regulating the use of private vehicles from November 1. On its part, the Delhi government on Wednesday said it is “fully prepared” to implement the emergency plan.

“The Delhi government is fully prepared to take measures as per Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), including the odd-even scheme are concerned. We will take them when needed,” Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said.

In 2016, the odd-even scheme was enforced twice — January 1-15 and April 15-30 in the city when vehicles having odd and even numbers were allowed to ply on alternate days. The GRAP is an emergency plan implemented in phases to combat pollution depending upon the air quality of the city. It came into effect from October 15.

Delhi Metro announced that it has introduced 21 additional trains on its network with effect from Wednesday which will provide 812 additional number of trips to passengers using public transport. This includes 14 trains with 730 trips of Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake to Shiv Vihar section of Line-7 also which has been thrown open to public from Wednesday.

The EPCA’s call to public comes as the city’s air quality deteriorated in the last two weeks with the pollution reaching severe levels on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue a slew of directions including ban construction activities along with halting operations of industries using coal and biomass as fuel between November 1 and 10.

From Thursday, there will be a halt of all construction activities involving excavation. Civil construction will remain closed in Delhi and other NCR districts, besides closure of all stone crushers, hot mix plants generating dust pollution in Delhi and NCR districts, according to a Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) order.

The DPCC has also directed the transport department and traffic police to intensify checking of polluting vehicles and control travel congestion in Delhi and other NCR districts during November 1-10.

“Ensure that we do not burn garbage and we report all instances of garbage burning and other pollution carefully and responsibly on the CPCB Facebook/Twitter accounts,” the EPCA said Wednesday.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed the state pollution control bodies of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to start criminal prosecution against agencies or individuals who do not comply with directives to check air pollution.

The overall air quality index of Delhi on Wednesday was recorded at 366 by the CPCB. An official with the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said the improvement in air quality can be attributed to increased speed of early morning winds.

“Early morning winds picked up, which came as respite and dispersed particles rapidly and pulled back air quality towards very poor range,” the official said. SAFAR further said the AQI for next two days would remain in “very poor” range but with increasing trend.

“Air quality is likely to deteriorate on November 3 as a result of post westerly disturbances which are likely to hit over Western Himalayas today,” SAFAR said.

Gurgaon recorded ‘severe’ air quality at 416, while it was ‘very poor’ in Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida. Ten areas in Delhi recorded ‘severe’ air quality while 23 areas recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, according to the CPCB data.

CPCB Chairperson SP Singh Parihar has also issued directions to construction agencies, municipal corporations and land owning industries to comply with the directions of the NGT and the CPCB and ensure corrective actions within 48 hours in cases of air polluting activities as reported by the CPCB inspection teams.

“Failure to which will make the defaulting agencies and individuals liable to criminal prosecution which may be initiated by the CPCB under appropriate provision of the law,” Parihar said in the letter.

Complying with the Supreme Court directions, the CPCB has also put up guidelines for public to file complaints on air pollution in Delhi NCR on its social media accounts, CPCB website and also through an app developed by it called Sameer app.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Mumbai Police book 3 unidentified shooters in Tiger Shroff firing case

Mumbai Police have registered a case against three unidentified individuals in connection with the firing at Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area. The actor escaped without gunshot injuries, while two other people were injured.

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Mumbai Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against three unidentified individuals in connection with the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu area. The case is under investigation as police work to identify those responsible for the shooting.

The incident took place on Sunday evening, October 18, when unidentified assailants opened fire at the vehicle carrying Shroff. The actor escaped without gunshot injuries, while two other people sustained injuries in the incident.

FIR registered against unidentified suspects

The police case names three unidentified individuals in connection with the firing. Investigators are examining evidence to establish the identities of the suspects and determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.

The registration of the FIR marks a formal step in the investigation. However, the identities of the accused have not been established in the report, and the case remains under investigation.

What happened during the firing incident

The shooting occurred in Mumbai’s Juhu area as Shroff was returning after playing football. The assailants reportedly opened fire at his car before fleeing.

The actor’s driver was among the two people injured in the incident. Police have been investigating the circumstances of the shooting and examining available evidence to trace those involved.

Investigation continues

Mumbai Police are continuing their investigation into the firing. The motive behind the attack and the identities of those responsible remain key questions for investigators.

A claim of responsibility attributed to individuals allegedly associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has also surfaced on social media. However, the alleged gang’s involvement should not be treated as established fact without official confirmation from the police.

Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.

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Devendra Fadnavis says no one will be spared after firing at Tiger Shroff

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured strict action after gunmen opened fire at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area. Shroff suffered minor injuries, while two other people were injured.

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Tiger Shroff

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured strict action against those responsible for the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai. The chief minister spoke to the actor after the incident and directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to expedite the investigation and take action against the accused.

The shooting took place in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening, October 18, when gunmen opened fire at the actor’s car as he was leaving a football venue. Tiger Shroff did not sustain any gunshot injuries but suffered minor injuries to his left hand from gunpowder and broken glass. Two other people, including his driver, were also injured in the incident.

Fadnavis directs police to speed up investigation

Following the incident, Fadnavis contacted Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti to seek details of the firing. He instructed the police to conduct a swift investigation, trace the accused and take strict action against those responsible.

The chief minister also spoke to Tiger Shroff and assured him of the government’s support, saying the accused would be traced and apprehended at the earliest.

The police have formed multiple teams to investigate the incident and identify those involved. According to reports published on October 19, 15 teams have been formed to track down the assailants.

Tiger Shroff suffers minor injuries in Mumbai firing

The incident occurred in Juhu as the actor was leaving a football venue in his car. Unidentified men allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at the vehicle.

Although Tiger escaped direct gunfire, his driver sustained a gunshot injury. Another person, identified in reports as an autorickshaw driver, was also injured in the incident. Both were taken for medical treatment.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and examining available evidence to identify the attackers.

Alleged gang claim under investigation

Following the firing, an audio recording and social media claims attributed to people claiming links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang surfaced. The claims reportedly referred to Tiger Shroff’s association with actor Salman Khan. 

However, the authenticity of the claims had not been independently verified in the reporting available at the time. The claims should not be treated as confirmation of the attackers’ identity or the motive behind the shooting.

The investigation remains focused on identifying those who opened fire and establishing the circumstances behind the incident.

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Journalist files police complaint against Rahul Gandhi over push allegation

Journalist Richa Parashar has filed a criminal complaint against Rahul Gandhi and others, alleging that she was pushed while covering the Opposition’s march to the Supreme Court. The Congress has denied the allegation.

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Journalist Richa Parashar has filed a police complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over an alleged incident during the INDIA bloc’s march to the Supreme Court in New Delhi on October 12. She has sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Gandhi and others, alleging that she was pushed while covering the protest.

Parashar submitted her complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi district, on Friday, seeking immediate action. She has said she was three months pregnant at the time of the alleged incident and accused those involved of mistreatment, threats and the use of force.

What Richa Parashar alleged in her complaint

Parashar alleged that she was reporting on the Opposition’s march when the incident occurred. According to her earlier account, she was waiting near a gate on the Supreme Court premises to seek a response from Gandhi when he allegedly grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. She further alleged that his security personnel pushed her away, causing her to fall on the Supreme Court steps.

In her complaint, Parashar said she asked Gandhi questions before he allegedly pushed her towards a gate. She claimed that the force caused her to lose her balance and fall, and that her repeated requests not to be pushed were ignored.

Parashar has sought legal action against Gandhi and others whom she alleges were involved. The complaint reportedly seeks action under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Sections 74, 115(2), 131, 125 and 3(5). These provisions concern alleged assault or criminal force against a woman, voluntarily causing hurt, assault or criminal force, acts endangering human life or personal safety, and joint liability for acts committed with common intention.

The allegations and the sections cited in the complaint do not, by themselves, establish criminal liability.

Congress disputes the allegation

The Congress has challenged Parashar’s account of the incident. According to report, the party said a video released by the journalist did not show the sequence of events she described.

Congress leader Alka Lamba also questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident and accused those raising the issue of attempting to manufacture propaganda.

The allegations remain disputed. The complaint and the competing accounts should not be treated as an established finding of wrongdoing.

Incident took place during Opposition’s Supreme Court march

The alleged incident occurred on October 12, when Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders marched to the Supreme Court to submit a petition concerning alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Opposition has raised concerns about the voter-list revision process and alleged irregularities.

Parashar’s police complaint adds a legal dimension to the controversy surrounding the march. Any further action will depend on the police process and the relevant legal proceedings.

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