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Rains bring yet another day
of chaos
Yamuna breaches danger mark
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DU hostel rents may go up after Games
Principal booked for hitting student of Class I
A rare show of Cong camaraderie
Rs 10 lakh looted in Ghaziabad
Girl accuses boyfriend of raping on marriage promise
2 held with Rs 70,000 fake currency
384 positive cases of dengue, but not an epidemic yet: MCD
2 held for killing, robbing woman
Rains to continue
Woody Allen film, tradition inspire designers at
fashion show
Robbers held
Speed guns to check Delhi’s rash drivers at night
RTV overturns in Rohini, 10 hurt
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Rains bring yet another day
of chaos
New Delhi, August 21 The only saving grace was that with all government and most private offices being closed today, traffic was relatively less. Though it had been drizzling since morning, around 2 pm, heavy showers began lashing the city. Traffic lights at many places stopped working, creating an absolute mess on the streets. Waterlogged roads affected traffic movement around Pragati Maidan, including the busy Ring Road, entire ITO, Mathura Road, Tilak Marg, Bhairon Marg, Bhagwan Dass Road, Purana Quila Road and Shershah Road. The Rajghat road and the road from Safdarjung leading to Dhaula Kuan were submerged in knee-deep water. Serpentine jams were seen in areas such as Vikas Marg, Connaught Place, AIIMS, IIT and Outer Ring Road. Vehicular movement was also slow on Badarpur Border, Azad Market and Kishan Ganj railway crossing. Meanwhile, areas such as Hauz Rani, Lajpat Nagar, MB Road, Saket Sports Complex, Durga Puri Chowk, Qutub Metro station, ISBT Kashmere Gate, Sarita Vihar flyover and Hanuman Setu also faced traffic snarls and waterlogging. Adding to the woes of the commuters was were several cases of vehicle breakdown reported from stretches like Shivaji Park-Punjabi Bagh, Janakpuri-Dhaula Kuan, Hanuman Setu-ISBT, Mukarba Chowk-bypass, Chandki Ram Akhra-Wazirabad, Wazirabad Bridge-Khajuri and Mehrauli-Mahipalpur. “The showers led to traffic jams on BRT Corridor. The stretch from Sheikh Sarai to Chirag Dilli, parts of Rohini and Mayur Vihar-III were the worst affected,” said an auto driver. Vehicles were also stuck on the DND flyover which connects Delhi to Noida, Nizamuddin and Vivekanand Marg, he added. “Thanks to the jams, I took over two hours to travel a distance that normally requires just 20-30 minutes. The rains have become more of a suffering than enjoyment,” said Manoj Kumar, a software professional on his way to South Extension. Shweta Verma, a 23-year-old resident of Greater Kailash had the same story to share. “It took almost one and a half hours to reach Lajpat Nagar from my place. On the BRT, people were driving their cars in bus lanes and even footpaths to beat the jams, but this was causing more snarls,” she said. |
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Yamuna breaches danger mark
New Delhi, August 21 Meanwhile, the government, in a statement issued in the evening, said the level of Yamuna had started receding and it was expected to get close to the warning level, 204.83, by 6 pm on Sunday. It said the divisional commissioner’s office had set up 10 camps at various places. The camps are operational at Usmanpur, Garhimandu, Badarpur Khadar, ISBT Bridge, Chilla Village, near Shakarpur Thana, near Akshardham Temple, old Yamuna Bridge, near Geeta Colony cremation ground and Okhla. Earlier, the Delhi government had sounded flood alert in low-lying areas and some families had been evacuated as a swelling Yamuna submerged a large tract of land. Officials said the water level in the Yamuna crossed its danger mark of 204.83 meters last night and the rains today pushed it to the level of 205 meters. Families, mostly poor migrants, were evacuated from some localities in east Delhi and rickshaws and hutments could be seen half-immersed into the water. Chief engineer of the Flood and Irrigation Department, VPS Tomar, said the rains since Thursday, a day when Delhi also received the heaviest downpour of the season, have been pushing up the water level and they are taking all the necessary steps to deal with the situation. "Our teams are on patrol in the Yamuna at different locations and we have set up tents for evacuated people," he said. Officials have set up flood control rooms at 25 places across the danger zone. Authorities have also stopped flow of the Yamuna water into canals in Jahangirpuri and Burari to stop them from overflowing. With the Met department forecasting more rains in the coming days, the situation could worsen. The Capital has received a total 617 mm of rainfall this monsoon, which is more than normal. However, officials said the situation as of now was under control and there was no need to panic. |
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DU hostel rents may go up after Games
New Delhi, August 21 “After the CWG, the hostels will be refurnished. There are talks that because of the better facilities, the rents may be increased. Nothing is decided as of yet, but it is fair to pay for the facilities availed,” said Rajinder Singh, member, hostel committee, Kirori Mal College. Through a relay hunger strike on the Arts Faculty campus, many students and teachers of the university are already protesting against the eviction of students from college hostels to accommodate tourists during the Games. However, the hunger strike that entered its day tenth day today, has till now failed to evoke any response from the college authorities. The group also wrote to the National Commission for Women highlighting the problems faced by female students in searching for accommodation outside the campus. However, there has been no response so far from here also. “Why are students being made to pay for the Commonwealth Games? Earlier they paid anything around Rs 20,000 annually for hostel accommodation. But now they are forced to pay up to Rs 30,000 for three months in private hostels,’’ said Bonojit Hussain, DU student and one of the activists. He added that the cost of rooms in paying guest (PG) accommodations has gone up as much as three times, affecting not just the 1,200 students evicted from college hostels, but also those who are already staying as PGs. “While the colleges get to charge tariff from the tourists who come for the Games, the students are being forced to pay exorbitant rents outside,” said Bikram Bohra, a second year history student at Ramjas College. “I am now staying in a flat at Vijay Nagar with three others. The stay costs me Rs 10,000 per month,” he added. “Our bigger concern is that after the Games, the colleges may hike the hostel rents, which is wrong. They have received adequate funds for refurnishing of hostel rooms, so why should the students pay extra for it,” said Praveen Kaushal, an M.Phil student of the university. With such high rents, most of the students have cramped themselves into any available flat. After almost a month of house-hunting, Aniket Mishra, a third year student from Hansraj College, found a place that he now shares with three others. “Four of us adjust in a room which can barely accommodate two people. We shell out Rs 8,000 for a small room, which, until a few months ago, costed Rs 4,000. However, we consider ourselves lucky. We at least have a roof above our heads. There are hundreds of students who have not been able to find a flat. The situation is tragic,” said Mishra Meanwhile, rains are adding to the troubles of the students who are having a tough time commuting to and from the university. The plight of the handicapped students is worse. |
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Principal booked for hitting student of Class I
Ghaziabad, August 21 According to the student’s family, five-year-old Sanjog Kumar of the Brightland Public School at Govindpuram was badly beaten by his principal Balvin Khandelwal. “During the interval time, Balvin Khandelwal had come to the class. On seeing Sanjog outside the classroom, she slapped him and asked him to go inside,” the child’s father Sanjay Kumar alleged. “But after some time, the child came out. On seeing this, the principal got annoyed and hit the child with a wooden stick. Due to the force of her blow, the child hit a wooden bench and suffered injuries on the head,” Sanjay said. “They did not even give him the first aid. The school staff also changed his clothes as they were entirely stained with blood,” Sanjay said. The child was taken to MMG Hospital where he had seven stitches on his forehead, the parent alleged. Superintendent of Police A.K. Vijaita said: “We are enquiring into the incident. We would also send a report to the district administration about the incident.” A complaint has been filed against the principal. Reacting to the allegations, Khandelwal said: “We are extremely sensitive about each of our children. We have instructed all our teachers not to physically harm any child.” “The child, Sanjog Kumar, is hyperactive. He was not hit by me but was injured when I was taking him inside the classroom,” she said. “We tried to give the child first aid, but his parents stopped us from doing so saying that they would get him treated on their own,” Khandelwal said. — IANS
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A rare show of Cong camaraderie
The Congress ministers in the Delhi government are not known to present a united face. But on Friday they came together to defend one of their colleagues who was under opposition attack for bungling NDMC funds meant for development works. Opposition MLA Karan Singh Tanwar levelled the charge against public works minister Rajkumar Chauhan. A member of the NDMC committee, Tanwar seemed to be going after Chauhan hammer and tongs but a united intervention from Chauhan’s ministerial colleagues took the wind out of his sails. They said NDMC’s functioning is independent of the government and turned the tables on Tanwar, saying that he should know more as he was a member of the committee. He was asked to move the judiciary instead of wasting the Assembly’s time with “frivolous” allegations. At the end of the debate, it was Chauhan who looked to be most pleased. Monsoon
merriment
If you think the monsoon rains are all about overflowing drainage, waterlogged roads and traffic snarls, think again. Groups of people have come up with different ideas to jazz up the rainy times. Five bikers have formed a group, The Knights, and rains bring them out on roads with their mean machines. They race and carry out stunts much to the surprise and amusement of harried onlookers. “We maintain absolute safety, but there is a wild thrill in these stunts that only rains can provide,” they say. If the youngsters have their wacky idea of fun, then the elders have their own to enjoy the rains. Some resident welfare associations organise mini parties over snacks and tea. “Good music, good snacks and lots of chitchat is how we celebrate monsoon,” said Shanti Singh, secretary, Lajpat Nagar Resident Welfare Association. Dengue puts govt in the soup
The outbreak of dengue has put the Delhi government in a tight spot even as cleanliness in the city and fumigation, which is crucial to controlling the vector-borne disease, is the job of the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Health minister Kiran Walia and the MCD have been trading charges over the spread of dengue which has affected over 384 persons so far. What has helped the MCD to deflect some of the blame is that many of the CWG venues and construction sites have been found to be breeding grounds for the aedes mosquito, which causes dengue. The MCD says it is the government’s job to clear the debris from these places, a charge that has stuck. RTE blues
As people are getting aware of the Right to Education Act, the complaints against school management allegedly flouting the law have turned from a trickle into a flood. So much so that the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights is finding itself unable to dispose of the cases on time. Its chairperson Amod Kanth says they have so far dealt with 1,000 cases, but a whopping 8,000 complaints are still pending. A majority of these are about either schools denying admissions to poor children or hiking their fees. Authorities say many cases, especially those about increase in the fees, are complicated and by the time they dispose of one, many more complaints come in. (Contributed by Syed Ali Ahmed, Jyoti Rai, Ananya Panda, Charu Singh) |
Rs 10 lakh looted in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad, August 21 The incident occurred around 4.30 pm at Navyug market. A company employee, Veer Singh, has been detained, the police said. Two robbers, apparently in their teens, armed with pistols barged into the office of S.R. Trading company dealing in steel and escaped with a bag containing Rs 10 lakh. ”A case has been registered and the mobile phones have been put on surveillance to nab the criminals,” said Superintendent of Police (City) A.K. Vijaita. At the time of the incident, the company’s owner Mahesh Gupta and friend Deepak Gupta were present in the office. The robbers threatened the two and forced them to part with the bag containing the cash, the police said. Mahesh Gupta in his police complaint said another employee of his, Hari Om, took an advance of Rs 5,000 on Friday and he did not attend office today. Hari Om knew a payment was scheduled to be delivered in the office today and could also be behind the robbery, the police said. — IANS
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Girl accuses boyfriend of raping on marriage promise
New Delhi, August 21 A report in this regard was registered by the girl yesterday. He has been arrested. The accused has been identified as Akash (19), a resident of Tuglakhabad. He was working with a private firm in Gurgaon. Akash met the victim Seema (name changed) three years back. They became friends and soon developed intimate relationships. Now, Seema has alleged that Akash had established physical relationship with her on the promise of marriage. “From the beginning of our affair, he forced me to have physical relationship with him saying he would marry me soon. This carried on for about two years,” Seema said. Seema further said that a few months later, when Akash had settled in his job and she asked him to marry her, he started ignoring her. He even threatened to kill her, she has alleged in her complaint. On August 3, with the intention to sort out the matter, when Seema went to meet Akash, he gave her a drink mixed laced with some intoxicating substance. When she lost conscious, Akash allegedly raped her. When she confronted Akash, he threatened her with dire consequences. Yesterday, the two decided to meet once more and Akash came to Seema’s uncle’s house in Safdarjung Enclave. However here also, Akash raped Seema after making her unconscious by again mixing some intoxicating substance in her drink. It was then that Seema filed a police complaint against Akash. |
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2 held with Rs 70,000 fake currency
Noida, August 21 “The accused were identified as Raj Kumar, a resident of Jahanabad in Bihar, and Ikbal Malik, a resident of the Sihani Gate area in Ghaziabad,” said V. C. Tripathi, deputy superintendent of police. “Fake notes of face value Rs 70,000 have been seized from them. The notes were in the denomination of 500,”said Trpathi. “Their interrogation has revealed that they used to buy fake currency from Nepal. Their customers included builders and property dealers. They would also dispose off the notes at petty shops in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad. They preferred rural areas as there they had less chance of getting caught,” said Tripathi. “A manhunt has been launched to arrest their accomplices, including the supplier, Javed,” said Tripathi. “They revealed that they were operating the racket for the past one year. They frequently changed their location to other towns in the NCR like Faridabad, Gurgaon, Sonepat etc. We are investigating their alleged ISI link,” said Triapthi. |
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384 positive cases of dengue, but not an epidemic yet: MCD
New Delhi, August 21 Besides the massive ongoing construction work for the CWG that has contributed to the mosquito density, the other possible factors attributable to the unrelenting spree of the aedes aegypti mosquito include the virus’ virulence and variation in the strain of the virus. According to experts, dengue follows a four-year cyclic trend, based on the mutation pattern of the virus. Though there is a constant marginal change in the strain pattern, a definite shift in the strain’s occurrence is likely this year and the microbiology department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been carrying out polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation. “All viruses undergo constant mutation. During the season, the four serotypes of dengue virus co-circulate and one strain during any season takes predominance over others. From 2006 to 2009, the dengue serotype 3 has been the strain that affected a majority of the people here. This time, it is yet to be ascertained and we are conducting PCR and isolating the virus. It would take about 10 days to be able to say anything,” said senior professor from AIIMS’ microbiology department, Dr Shobha Broor. The infection may go on to stay for a longer period this time, with the cases reported this season as of date—384 positive cases in Delhi—being much higher than what it was in the last few years, including 2006, when the national Capital was put on alert. “The number of people testing positive for dengue this year has been higher than the last few years. With 36 fresh cases, the number has gone up to 384 here though there is no death in the Capital today, said Dr N K Yadav, the chief medical officer of Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The cases are certainly more than those of the year 2006, but they are under control,” added Dr Yadav. After the Union ministry of health and family welfare in consultation with members from the National Vector Borne Control Programme, the MCD and city health department examined the dengue situation and all the 36 hospitals have been instructed to gear up for any emergency situation.
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2 held for killing, robbing woman
New Delhi, August 21 On the day, the PCR had received a call that foul smell was emanating from a house. On checking, the police found the decomposed body of a woman. The hands of the body were tied with a chunni and the neck with an electric wire. The neighbours identified the deceased as Shashi Mishra, who used to live alone in the flat for the past one year. The house was found ransacked. On investigation it was found that the Mishra had purchased the flat in July 2009. She is survived by her younger brother, Din Dayal Mishra. The police verified Mishra’s call details and got suspicious about Man Singh. He was arrested and on interrogation, confessed to have murdered Mishra in order to rob her. Singh revealed that around a year back, Mishra had taken Rs 33,000 from him, but later refused to return. In order to take revenge and rob her, he along with his friend Sharma conspired to kill Mishra. On August 8, Singh and Sharma contacted Mishra and told her that they would come to meet her at 11 pm. They went to her home and when Mishra was making tea for them, they strangulated her to death and then decamped with cash and jewellery. Singh worked as a sewadar at the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place. The police has recovered Rs 39,080, three gold bangles, three ear rings, a pair of gold tops and two gold chains with a locket that the accused had taken from Mishra’s house. Six out of 10 HIV positive women denied safe abortion by hospitals. 2 vehicle thieves arrested The Delhi police has arrested two men and claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of vehicle thieves, the police said today. The accused have been identified as Jay Dubey and Chhotu Kumar. With their arrest, the police has claimed to have worked out five cases of motor vehicle thefts. The arrests came while the cops were investigating the increasing number of motor vehicle thefts. Dubey was arrested first. He was nabbed at Shamshan Ghat Road after the police learnt that he changed his motor cycle quiet often. On sustained interrogation, he confessed to have stolen four motor cycles from the Molarband area and handed them over to Kumar. Kumar was also arrested at his instance.
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Rains to continue
New Delhi, August 21 The metrological department recorded 17.4 mm of rains from 8.30 am to 5.30 in the evening today. |
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Woody Allen film, tradition inspire designers at
fashion show
New Delhi, August 21 Shantanu and Nikhil’s collection showcased here Friday was inspired by the heroines of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” and his focused engagement with the psyche of the city. They limited their colour scheme to black and white with a subtle influence of scarlet to bring in the element of mystique. “We believe that we are a combination of art and commerce in the creative world of fashion, and this mindset is what has prompted us to cross-synergize our background into something worthwhile,” said Nikhil. Delhi is the third stop for the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour after Chandigarh and Hyderabad. Neeta Lulla said her “collection is inspired from traditional Indian cuts. The combination of fluid drapes with rich embroideries makes it feminine and delicate.” Her line saw a blend of traditional designs with western silhouettes. But it saw a range of draped dresses, tunics, tops paired with dhotis, flared pants and embellished jackets. The colour palette was subtle with a range of black, azure and olive green. Besides many prominent models, actress Chitrangada Singh and actor Vivek Oberoi walked the ramp. Prominent designers like Nandita Mahtani, Surily Goel, Wendell Rodricks, Gavin Mingel, Gunjan & Rahul, Asmita Marwa, Mandira Wirk and Vikram Phadnis will showcase their collection over the three-day fashion event in the city.
— IANS |
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Robbers held
New Delhi, August 21 The accused have been identified as Shamim, Pradhan, Shamim, Danish and Pradeep. With their arrest, the police has claimed to have solved several cases. |
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Speed guns to check Delhi’s rash drivers at night
New Delhi, August 21 “We are in the process of procuring radar-based speed guns, which will be the latest in technology and would be able to operate at night as well. This will strengthen our already existing fleet of speed gun-mounted interceptor cars,” special commissioner of police (traffic) Ajay Chadha said. “We have given out an expression of interest for the new radar-based guns. After we receive the gun, the technical committee will look into the specifications and a tender will be floated. It may take around six months’ time,” he said. Minister of state for home affairs Mullappally Ramachandran had earlier told the Lok Sabha that “an amount of Rs 525 lakh has been earmarked for the procurement of compact modular speed measurement devices”. The radar-based guns would be an upgrade to the existing 11 speed guns mounted on interceptor vehicles, which are camera-based and ineffective in the dark as they can’t take pictures at night. “The new technology will allow us to take digital pictures even at night and the technology will be able to track more than one lane at a given time,” he added. The compact modular speed measurement device or the radar-based speed gun has a small Doppler radar inside that tracks multiple vehicles at any given time with far better accuracy than the present mounted or hand-held devices. The national Capital witnesses many road accidents at night due to the tendency to speed up after dark. Traffic police officials say the new technology promises to curb speeding and resultant accidents.
— IANS
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RTV overturns in Rohini, 10 hurt
New Delhi, August 21 The incident took place around 7 am near the Prashant Vihar area in Rohini’s Sector 11. The RTV was going towards the Rohini Metro station when suddenly an auto carrying schoolchildren came in front of it. To prevent collusion with the auto, the driver of the RTV applied emergency breaks. In the course, the RTV that was reportedly overloaded lost balance and overturned. The passengers of the RTV fell on the road. Ten of them, including three women, were seriously injured. They were rushed to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Hospital. Four of the injured are serious, said sources. The police reached the spot after the residents of the area informed it.
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Another spell of heavy rains that lashed Delhi today caused much inconvenience to the residents and brought familiar chaos on the roads.
The Congress ministers in the Delhi government are not known to present a united face. But on Friday they came together to defend one of their colleagues who was under opposition attack for bungling NDMC funds meant for development works.
