Delhi breathes easier as air quality improves to 'poor'category

News Network
November 17, 2019

New Delhi, Nov 17: After reeling under a layer of hazardous levels of pollution for almost a week, the air quality in Noida significantly improved but remained in the 'poor' category.

According to data provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) at Sector 62 Noida docked at 221, which falls in the 'poor' category. The current AQI is down from 573 (severe) that was recorded on Saturday.

Isolated pockets of the region were covered in a thick blanket of smog due to the spike in pollutants in the air. The smog cover also reduced visibility at major junctions of the city in the wee hours.

It is to be noted that all government and private schools in Gautam Budh Nagar district remained closed on November 14 and 15 due to rising pollution levels in the region, as the AQI had entered the 'severe' category, forcing people to limit their outdoor activities.

"Pollution has increased in the last few days. Schools were closed and this has affected my studies. We cannot breathe if we don't put a mask. I used to play for around one hour, but since pollution levels have increased, I cannot go out," Aditi, a youngster, told ANI.

Echoing similar sentiments, Shailendra, another resident in Noida, said, "Pollution levels have decreased because of the winds. However, it is still a dangerous situation. Schools were closed as pollution levels spiked and have affected the studies of children. They cannot go out and play as well. We are doing our activities indoors."

Elsewhere in the National Capital Region (NCR), the air quality came out of the 'severe' category due to strong surface winds, which helped in clearing out the pollutants from the atmosphere.

In Gurugram, the AQI at NISE Gwal Pahari area read at 301, which falls in the 'very poor' category, as per the CPCB data.

In Delhi, major pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10, read at 218 and 217 at Lodhi Road area respectively, both of which falls in 'poor' category, according to SAFAR.

Residents in the Delhi-NCR have been gasping for fresh air since due to the noxious smog that has enveloped the region owing to incidents of stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab.

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News Network
March 19,2020

New Delhi, Mar 19: Lawyer of Mukesh Singh, who is one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, on Thursday mentioned a petition before the Registrar of the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing in the matter.

Advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, through the petition, sought directions to bring call record, documents and reports of his client through any probe agency and passed appropriate directions and measure to ensure justice in the matter.

The petition, however, has not sought a stay on the execution, which is scheduled for the morning of March 20. The petition is likely to be taken up for hearing today.

Earlier today, the apex court dismissed the curative petition of Pawan Gupta, another convict in the matter, who claimed juvenility at the time of the crime.

This comes as the four convicts -- Mukesh Singh, Akshay Singh Thakur, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta -- are scheduled to be hanged at 5.30 am on March 20.

Meanwhile, several other petitions are also pending in the matter in different courts.

The case pertains to the brutal gang-rape and killing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in the national capital. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: With 3,604 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases reached 70,756, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday. 87 deaths were reported during the period.

As per the tally, 46,008 patients are active coronavirus cases while 22,454 patients have been cured/discharged and one patient has migrated.

With 87 deaths due to COVID-19 reported in the last 24 hours, the number of deaths has risen to 2,293.

As per the ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of coronavirus cases with 23,401 cases with 4,786 patients being cured/discharged while 868 deaths have been reported in the state.

Gujarat is second on the list with 8,541 cases that include 2,780 patients recovering from the disease and 513 fatalities.

Tamil Nadu's tally reached 8,002 cases, including 2,051 recoveries and 53 deaths.

While Delhi's tally stands at 7,233 cases with 2,129 patients recovered and 73 deaths.

Meanwhile; Mizoram (one case reported--now recovered), Goa (seven cases reported and all seven recovered), Manipur (Two cases reported and both patients recovered) and Arunachal Pradesh (one case reported--now recovered) have reported no new cases in the last 24 hours.

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Agencies
January 16,2020

New Delhi, Jan 16: United Forum of Bank Unions has decided to observe a two-day strike on January 31 and February 1, demanding early wage revision settlement which has been due since November 1, 2017, said the All India Bank Employees Association.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget on February 1.

Banks will also hold a strike on March 11, 12 and 13. Also, an indefinite strike will be held from April 1.

General Secretary, All India Bank Officers' Confederation West Bengal Sanjay Das has stated that the nationwide strike has been called over several demands.

"The demands include--wage revision settlement at 20 per cent hike on payslip components with adequate loading thereof and scrapping off New Pension Scheme (NPS)," said Das.

There are several demands to hold the strike including the merger of special allowance with basic pay, updation of pension, improvement in the family pension system, five-day banking, allocation of staff welfare fund based on operating profits and exemption from income tax on retiral benefits without a ceiling.

"Other demands include-- a uniform definition of business hours, lunch hour etc in the branches, introduction of leave bank, defined working hours for the officers and equal wage for equal work for the contract employee," said Das.

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