New Delhi, July 14
Still recovering from the bruises of two consecutive accidents at the Zamrudpur construction site, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today resumed its clearing operations. About 200 workers along with 30 engineers have been involved in site-clearing activities throughout the day.

Traffic flow towards Amar Colony has been restored both ways. However, the rush was such that the whole stretch had to be guarded by traffic police. DMRC hoped to reopen traffic movement from Nehru Place towards Moolchand by tomorrow. Meanwhile, traffic is being diverted via East of Kailash.

The debris that lay scattered around the accident site yesterday was accumulated under the elevated section last night. “We have been working on clearing the stuff that has lain all over the place since last evening. After the second incident, the place has become even more cluttered,” said a worker on the site.

“Most of the iron launcher is lying on the ground. The 72-metre-long metallic launcher has been lowered to the ground and is being cut into small pieces by a gas-cutter,” said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson, DMRC.

About 15 metres of the launcher has been dismantled and is being transported away from the site on trailers. DMRC officials it was likely to be completed tonight or by tomorrow morning.

After the iron girder launcher, the concrete girder located between pier numbers 66 and 67 would be taken up for dismantling. This concrete girder would first be supported by special metallic trestles, which would ensure complete safety during the dismantling operation. After the concrete girder has been safely supported, the concrete segments will then be cut by using seven different types of diamond-disc concrete cutting machines and core-cutting machines. This operation will probably be completed in six days.

Two of the three cranes damaged yesterday have been removed from the site while the one that toppled over has been stabilised. Two 100-tonne cranes and four smaller capacity hydra cranes are being used for lifting and removing the debris and parts of the launcher from the site.

Onlookers are adding to the problems. “Police has put barricades to keep the crowd away, but additional forces had to be deployed to facilitate work,” said Karamchand Sharma from Civil Defence.

New Delhi, July 14
The evening showers at few places rendered a sigh of respite to denizens who had an uneasy time due to soggy weather conditions.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 37.5° C, two degrees below normal. People in markets and roads had a troubled time due to high humidity level at 86 per cent.

Those passing through the AIIMS had a searing time during the afternoon when more than half-an-hour congestion left them stuck in prickly climate. But, when rains were experienced at ITO, Akshardham, Anand Vihar, Sarita Vihar, Delhiites were rejoicing.

However, the Met department did not record any rainfall from its observatory stations at Safdarjung and Palam. The officials said the monsoon phenomenon was due to the upper air cyclonic circulation over north Rajasthan and neighbourhood and another over north MP and south UP. The rainfall activity can also be attributed to the low-pressure area over coastal areas of Orissa and the adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal.

Meanwhile, Delhiites can expect light rain or thundershowers tomorrow. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 37.5 and 27.5° Celsius.

New Delhi, July 14
The threat of dengue has hit the national Capital when Naval Kishore (27), a resident of Malviya Nagar, was diagnosed positive with the disease at Fortis Hospital on Saturday.

The case, as said by the treating physician Dr Haresh Sidhwa, was an allied or secondary finding for the doctor who initially treated him for typhoid.

“The patient came on July 7 with low platelet count, and my primary diagnosis has been typhoid, but his incidental blood test based on lab report, showed him serologically positive for dengue. But, in the final report his blood culture grew to have salmonaella typhi, the bacteria causing typhoid,” stated Dr Haresh.

He added that from the very first day the patient looked less clinically a case of dengue and more for typhoid, and presently he is on oral medication for typhoid at his home. The patient was discharged today while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has collected the blood samples of other members of his family to avert the danger of any more infections of dengue or other vector-borne ailments.

Last year, the Capital reported two dengue-related deaths, while over 1,000 cases in total had surfaced.

Chief medical officer of MCD N. K. Yadav today said that there is nothing to worry as the civic body has already started a third-geared drive against dengue from June 1, and MCD officials are engaged in instituting measures to contain the outbreak of all vector-borne ailments like dengue.

He added, “We are carrying out public meetings in 272 wards with the support of resident welfare associations (RWAs), schoolteachers to educate the people about the preventive methods. The MCD has 3,200 domestic breeding checkers, who are doing house-to-house inspection and making sure that insecticides are sprayed in the city.”

Besides, 12 teams have been deployed to finetune the surveillance of domestic checks towards combating the disease.

New Delhi, July 14
In its efforts to ensure smooth induction of students during the opening of the new academic year, Delhi University (DU) has taken anti-ragging measures.

The colleges affiliated to the university were asked today to strictly enforce the rules and regulations issued from time to time, especially the ordinances pertaining to maintenance of discipline, prohibition and punishment for ragging.

At a Proctorial Board meeting held on the campus, university administration stressed on taking punitive measures against cases of sexual harassment also.

“Besides giving instructions for strict implementation of Supreme Court’s judgement on ragging, two joint control rooms each in North and South campuses would be set up,” said AK Dubey, registrar, DU.

He added, “College hostels were asked to restrict the entry of outsiders and to prominently display rules regarding prohibition of ragging.”

Extra vigil would be maintained at all the eating points around the university campuses. Colleges would also put sealed complaint boxes in colleges and especially those with hostels and fixing responsibility regarding immediate redress of the complaints.

Paying more attention to the problem of ragging in the DU hostels, the board decided to organise regular unannounced inspections in the college hostels.

The university administration said the assistance of police would be sought whenever situation warrants direct intervention by them. “The Delhi police will continue to regulate traffic and safety in various sensitive locations in the university campus and whenever necessary may control entry through gates and barricades,” said the university administration.

In a new initiative mobile patrolling has also been introduced by the university to monitor incidents of ragging in and around the campuses. Special talks would also be arranged by the police officials, officials of proctorial board and dean of students’ welfare through the university’s FM Radio Station about steps taken for prevention of ragging.

In another order passed by the Proctorial Board defacement of walls by political parties or individuals using paint or posters was completely prohibited. Station house officers were authorised to take direct action against such defaulters for defacing the walls.

The ragging help-line number for North campus is 27667221 and for South campus is 24119832.

Noida, July 14
Bisarakh and Javer blocks in Gautam Buddh Nagar district are prone to polio as P-1 cases have been coming to light here at regular intervals. New polio cases have been identified in Bisarakh block during 2009 also.

Polio cases identified in adjacent districts have always increased risk to people and put pressure on the health department officials. New cases were identified in Aligarh, Bulandshahr and Ghaziabad districts as late as on July 11.

Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised Javer and Bisarakh blocks as highly sensitive to polio.

Defecating in the open spreads polio virus from one locality to another, according to the WHO. Even rainwater acts as its carrier, increasing the risk in the slums and jhuggi clusters.

Meanwhile, six polio cases in Bulandshahr, and one each in Ghaziabad and Aligarh have been reported, posing a big risk to G.B. Nagar district, according to doctors. Besides, the virus becomes more active during monsoon rains as it spreads to new areas.

According to Dr Dinesh Kumar, incharge of the WHO here, during raining season, chances of spread of polio virus are high, especially in unhygienic localities and slum clusters. Children face the maximum risk of being affected by the virus.

Sanitation and cleanliness is very important along with medication for its control. Many P-1 cases have come to light in Bisarakh and Javer that is why it is known as polio-prone belt. Most of unhygienic clusters are in Bisarakh block. In Surajpur area, P-1 cases were reported during 2002, 2006 and 2009.

In Javer block, P-1 cases were detected during 2002, 2003 and 2007 while in Dadri, new cases of P-3 were found in 2002, 2003 and 2007. In Dankore also, P-3 cases were detected in 2002 and 2006.

New Delhi, July 14
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today asked all civic agencies to carry out developmental works in unauthorised colonies in tandem so that the residents get basic civic amenities at the earliest.

Dikshit asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to organise camps to complete layout of 1,439 colonies. The corporation has assured to call representatives of 50 unauthorised colonies daily to complete the work.

The Chief Minister said the MCD had compiled information on the built-up area in such colonies. It has received input on 50 per cent built-up area in 511 colonies.

Dikshit said 200 colonies were on the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land. The DDA has apprised the government that it does not have any objection with the regularisation of 1,300 colonies. But the agency has not given clearance to the remaining colonies.

However, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has cleared 1,577 colonies and the forest department has cleared 1,334.

The Chief Minister directed all civic agencies to appoint nodal officers to help the department of urban development in carrying out the projects. Priorities of the projects were also discussed in the meeting. Colonies where no development has taken place would be given top priority.

The agencies have to lay water and sewer lines. They have been asked to provide power supply in the colonies before constructing roads.

The MLAs have been requested to furnish a list of unauthorised colonies in their constituencies.

Rs 1,977 crore has been released since 1998-99 to the agencies. The MCD was given Rs 427.47 crore, DSIIDC Rs 629.69 crore, irrigation and flood control department Rs 174.50 crore, DJB Rs 701.15 crore and discoms Rs 44.50 crore.

There is a possibility of allocating additional Rs 500 crore to the agencies. As far as water pipelines are concerned, work has been completed in 373 colonies and pipelines are being laid in 107 colonies. Proposal for laying water lines is in tender stage for 131 colonies.

Sewer lines have been laid in 26 colonies, work in progress in 45 colonies and proposal in tender stage in 14 colonies.

Faridabad, July 14
Three persons died and one was injured when a truck collided with a trolley on Dehli-Agra national highway this morning.

The victims were coming to Faridabad from Delhi on a truck when it collided with the trolley parked on the highway. The trolley had no indicator.

Rajesh, Bhola Ram and Shiv Kumar driving in the truck died on the spot. The truck driver Arvind has sustained injuries and is critical. The victims were admitted to the Badshah Khan Hospital.

The deceased were migrant labourers from Bihar who worked for a contractor in Delhi. They were on their way to Faridabad to collect garbage from hotels.

According to sources, the trolley was facing Agra and was parked at Sector-28 on the highway. The truck hit the trolley from the rear side.

The police is trying to find out the trolley’s owner. By the time the police team reached the spot, the driver of the trolley had fled.

Greater Noida, July 14
The G.B. Nagar administration has issued a government notification prohibiting private school managements from charging hiked tuition fee, arrears and late fee from students.

All schools have been asked by the district authorities to submit their accounts for the last three years which will be considered by the special committee set up by the administration to evolve fee structue for each school. Through this notification, schools have been asked to adjust or refund the excess fee payments if already received by them.

Stringent action will be taken against schools which fail to comply with this directive, officials said.

The notification is expected to stem the four-month-old agitation on this issue. It has been clarified in the notification that all schools will receive the fee on the pattern of fee received during the last

academic session, the order says. This notification has become applicable with immediate effect.

The administration has set up a committee under chairmanship of the district magistrate. It will finalise the fee structure of private schools in view of their account statement of last 3 years.

The president of Parents Association C.P. Gautam has welcomed the official notification. The association had carried a four-month-long struggle against fee hike. Parents who had paid enhanced tuition fee will get relief in the form of refund.

New Delhi, July 14
A 32-year-old man was shot dead in broad daylight by two unidentified assailants near a school in Mahipalpur area of south Delhi this morning.

According to police, the deceased Satpal, hailing from Sonepat in Haryana, was on the way to his relative’s house when two assailants fired at him four to five times from close range, resulting in his instant death.

According to information, Satpal was accompanied by a relative when the assailants fired at him. The relative was not hurt in the incident.

Satpal, a bus conductor in Haryana, had been staying at his relative’s house for the past few days for treatment of some ailment.

Police officials of the district believe that old rivalry with someone could be the reason.

New Delhi, July 14
The bodies of Ansuman Das , Badam Singh and Niranjan, three among the six casualties of the Sunday’s tragedy, were handed over to their families after their postmortems today.

It was a tough time for the kin of the deceased to carry their dear ones, sleeping silently on stretchers in ambulances arranged by Gammon India, which is also supposed to pay a part of the compensation announced by the Delhi Metro. But, the payment is awaited and is likely to be received after the inquiry committee of Delhi Metro submits its report.

The Metro gave Rs 10,000 to those who sustained minor injures, Rs 50,000 to those with fractures, said Gopala, an injured at Jamrudpur.

Meanwhile, among four patients still in AIIMS trauma centre, Amar Singh who had sustained severe injury is still on life support system and in ICU, while Amarnath Choudhary is showing improvement.

New Delhi, July 14
The Delhi police's crime branch has arrested four persons for stealing trucks from Delhi and supplying them to Bulandsahar and Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh.

The accused have been identified as Shahid Ahmad, Mohd Anis, Nanhe Khan and Matloob Kureshi.

It was learnt that gang leader Shahid would come to a gurdwara at Majnu Ka Tila on Friday to dispose of one stolen tempo. A trap was laid and Shahid was arrested. His three accomplices were arrested later on his instance.

Shahid disclosed earlier he was arrested from Lakhimpur Gola in Uttar Pradesh with a robbed truck. He was released in 2005.

Shahid has been carrying out vehicle thefts for the last three to four years. He has stolen more than 75 trucks and tempos from Delhi. He then delivered the vehicles to Nanhe, Hamid and Hanif of Bulandshahar and Bhura and Bhola of Firozabad.

Shahid's accomplices used to dismantle the trucks and tempos and sold new vehicles after punching the engine and chassis numbers of the damaged vehicles. Such vehicles were sold with fake documents.

The tempo that was seized from Shahid was stolen on July 7 from the Kirti Nagar area. The gang had stolen one more tempo from the Punjabi Bagh area the same day.