New Delhi, November 17
Scores of grieving kin today went through the pain of identifying mutilated bodies in hospitals, before taking them for the last rites.

It is gloom and shattered lives that the Laxmi Nagar mishap has left. It is not only human loss and the loss of productivity which have become a reality for several migrant families, but much more in the form of crushed hopes and ruined future that the ex gratia and compensation amount cannot rebuild.

Members of the bereaved families from Bihar's Katihar and Saharsa districts and West Bengal's Malda and Murshidabad districts waited mourning outside mortuaries in hospitals, mostly at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP) and the Lal Bahadur Bal (LBS) Chikitsyalaya, to identify bodies of their loved ones.

Anwar Hussain of Katihar who lost his two younger brothers - Kabul (14) and Pharinga (16) - was finding it difficult to identify them among the disfigured faces of the dead. However, he managed to confirm that their bodies were untraceable.

"I got to know about the incident from news reports. My parents are on their way to Delhi. When we find the bodies, we would take them back to our town for the last rites," said Hussain, who had come to the Capital with his brothers for work opportunities just a fortnight ago. While Anwar Hussain works in a hotel in Chandni Chowk, his brothers were engaged in the handicraft factory at the building which collapsed.

While most bodies lying in four city hospitals have been identified, there are many who are still awaiting takers. Five or six bodies are still lying unidentified in LNJP, two in LBS and two in Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital (GTB). Forty-two persons were brought dead to the LNJP Hospital. Of these, the hospital has already handed over 20 bodies to the relatives of the victims. The remaining ones are still lying the hospital's mortuary.

"The bodies of victims whose families stayed here have been handed over to them. While those whose family members stay out of Delhi, their bodies would be sent to their home districts at the expense of the state," said a hospital's mortuary staff. Arrangements are being made for the bodies to be sent to their home towns by Sampark Kranti Express tomorrow, he added.

According to sources in hospitals, almost all who have suffered injuries in the tragedy are stable.

LBS medical superintendent Dr R.A. Gautam said, "Eleven persons are undergoing treatment and are stable. The photographs of two bodies who remain unknown have been displayed and help has been sought from the resident commissioners of Bengal and Bihar."

Even as the official versions underline that seven bodies remain to be identified and chances of more being trapped in the debris seem to be remote, locals maintain that as many as 15 to 20 persons are still missing. Earlier during the day, many relatives of the untraceable people tried to enter the cordoned area near Lalita Park but were stopped, leading to a ruckus. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has instructed officials to allow the relatives of victims to search for their loved ones.

New Delhi, November 17
Rescue work at Lalita Park, where a five-storey building collapsed on Monday killing 66 people, has reached its final stage and officials said they should be able to extricate the bodies, if any still buried, by tomorrow.

Many said anywhere between 20 and 30 bodies could still be under the debris. What has made the task of estimating the number of people trapped inside the rubble difficult is the fact that nobody has an idea as to how many residents of the building where in town on the day of the collapse. Some residents, especially those from Bihar, are believed to away to their native places.

Some heavy concrete slabs hindering the shifting of debris were broken today evening amid efforts to protect bodies still believed to be buried.

Officials said they did not find any body during the day even as victims' kin accused them of trying to keep the death count low by dumping the bodies along with the debris.

The accusations of the relatives of the victims, who argued with cops and civic officials who made little attempt to understand their concerns, were partly caused by the officials' refusal to let them come near the site or show them the dead bodies for identification.

Many people still have no clue about their missing relatives.

A few women, like Shankari, who lost her little daughter and brothers in the tragedy, alleged that when she spotted the bodies in the debris, officials hid them and dumped them in the vehicles carrying the debris.

The alleged lack of transparency on the part of the officials only added to the suspicion and the victims took to shouting slogans against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and fiercely argued with cops.

Some claimed that the government was resorting to these tactics to contain the death count.

"Why are they not allowing us to see the bodies? Some officials asked us to show identification papers like ration card. But how can we have it when we have lost everything in the collapse," Namita Sarkar, a young woman who lost four of her family members, said.

New Delhi, November 17
The festival of Id failed to bring cheers to the residents of Lalita Park where a building collapsed on Monday night leaving around 85 dead and several injured.

In fact, the people from the neighbouring buildings of the same owner Amrit Singh were vacated today as these structures were also in disrepair with seepage in the walls.

The victims spend the day in open where evening spell of rain and cold made their lives even more miserable.

The families, around 25 in number, camped in a small makeshift in Lalita Park without food and water the whole day. They were vacated from their houses by the government agencies as a precautionary measure to prevent any further incident.

"We were asked to leave the building and sit in the park. They have told us to look for some other place to live in. They think it is so easy to find a new job and a house," said Anand Haldar from Bihar.

Neither the government nor the municipality had come to take stock of their condition by evening. "We had never imagined we had to celebrate Eid this way. We are not even sure how we are going to arrange food. Nobody has come to help us," said Khalid Baba.

However, the local residents were little kind to bring some food for the homeless in the evening. The resident welfare association (RWA) managed to distribute blankets to them so that they can at least stay in the chilly night.

"We have been trying to take care of their needs. We would get food cooked for them and also give them blankets," said Purushotam Kabdal, president of the RWA.

He said the RWA has spoken to the Delhi government and the MCD for help, but nothing has come so far. The area councillor was not even aware that the people had been displaced from their houses, regretted Kabdal.

New Delhi, November 17
On the basis of a survey carried out in Lalita Park and adjoining colonies, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today served vacation notices to 38 buildings where it was found that the Yamuna water had seeped into basements.

"It appeared that the water was stagnating in basements for a long time. MCD's technical teams assessed that the water might have seeped into the foundation of the buildings, thereby posing danger to the structures of the buildings. Owners and residents of these buildings have been served notice to vacate the place at the earliest," said MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur. He said that the divisional commissioner of Delhi government will organise relief arrangements for the poor affected by the vacation notices.

The MCD has constituted a team of three chief engineers and one superintending engineer to technical examine the building adjoining the one which collapsed. 

New Delhi, November 17
While the rescue volunteers and police working at the building collapse site in Laxmi Nagar have lost hope of finding anyone alive in the debris, the relatives of the victims spent the day searching the area with the hope to find any of their belongings.

People who escaped the tragedy are in double shock as they lost every bit of their earnings. The savings of their life-- cash, jewellery, bank documents and other things-lie buried in the debris. However, an uncertain hope has kept them motivated to explore the remains of the collapse for anything that they could find.

"I lost my husband and the money that we had saved to go to our village in Bihar this month. I do not know what I would do now. Nothing has left of my family," said Pooja, who lost her entire family.

The victims are clueless as to how will they begin a new life without anything left.

"I wanted to look for my gold jewellery, but it is so difficult to find anything here. The debris is being lifted," said a mourning Nirmala, another victim.

Similarly, another victim, a woman, was patiently witnessing lifting of debris, with her eyes eagerly looking for her box that contained important bank documents.

Though, general public was not allowed to come close to the collapse site, the relatives of the dead people were permitted to see the dug-up items.

"People have been anxious to find out their belongings," said a constable on duty.

According to locals, a couple lost Rs 2 lakh in cash, which they had got after selling their land in village. 

New Delhi, November 17
A city court today remanded Amrit Singh, the owner of the five-storeyed building that collapsed in east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar killing 67 people, to two days police custody.

Allowing the police's plea seeking the custody of Singh, metropolitan magistrate Bhawani Sharma said, "Custodial interrogation of the accused is necessary for the recovery of ownership documents of the alleged building and, hence, the application seeking two days of his police custody is allowed."

"Till now, 67 people have died in the mishap and the recovery of documents is necessary to ascertain various facts related to the 25-year-old house," the public prosecutor said.

The accused has been charged under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC, which prescribes life imprisonment as the maximum sentence.

The counsel for the accused, however, opposed the move saying that Singh could be booked under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC (which provides two years jail as the maximum sentence).

New Delhi, November 17
Unexpected showers drenched the national Capital yet again.

The rains that hit the city and the surrounding areas this afternoon also brought down the temperature slightly.

The weather department has predicted more rains for tomorrow with the minimum and maximum temperature likely to fluctuate between 18 and 25 degree Celsius.

A low pressure area that developed over the city is said to be responsible for the rainfall.

"The Capital received 5.8 mm of rainfall. In some parts of the city, the showers went on for almost two hours. The rains, which began around 2 pm, continued till after 4 pm," said an official of the meteorological department.

With a cloudy day, the minimum temperature was recorded at 18.1 degree Celsius which was seven notches above the average for this time of the year. The evenings were chillier with the maximum temperature settling around 28 degree Celsius," the official added.

Travellers faced slow traffic on most roads in the evening.

However, the situation was not unmanageable as there was comparatively less traffic due to Eid.

New Delhi, November 17
The Right to Education Act may have been enforced, but its implementation leaves much to be desired.

The Act, which rules that children in the age group of 6-14 get free and compulsory education, is yet to fully translate into reality, as many children, especially those living below the poverty line, in the Capital and across the country remain unaware of it.

As a result, many poor children either never go to school or join one, but soon drop out to support their families' earning. In case of girl students, they drop out either to work as maids in houses or for marriage.

Rakesh Singhar, national secretary, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, an NGO working for children, says, "We all welcomed the RTE Act when it was passed, but much needs to be done at the grassroot level before it translates into reality for the poor children. Many of these children and their parents are still ignorant of the advantages of the Act. Moreover, many of these children have to work to support their families and are unable to study while others get married early and drop out of school."

"Also, in many cases, government schools in Delhi and small towns across the country remain unaware of the Act and its ramifications. A well-targeted sensitisation campaign needs to be carried out for both government schools as well as the poor families," Singhar added.

Singhar's point is supported by the story of 10-year-old Ashok Kumar whose parents work as labourers in Vasant Kunj. Ashok lives in a tent and works at a nearby tea shop. He does not attend any school and his parents are unaware of the RTE Act.

"It is my dream to study in school. But my father is poor and we cannot afford education. I work at a tea shop as a helper. My day starts at 7 am and I return home only after 8 pm. So, where is the time for school and also, where is the money," said Ashok.

On being told about the Act, Ashok was thrilled and asked, "Is it true that the school will have to give me admission. But how will I get the books and uniform… my father cannot afford them. Will the school provide me with these also? Please inform my father about the Act."

Ashok is not the only child who dreams of going to school, but has to work for a livelihood and is unaware of the RTE Act. This is the case with many children like him.

Another such child is 12-year-old Rani who works as domestic help in a south Delhi home.

"I have studied up to class II at my village in eastern UP. But my parents are labourers and they can no more afford to educate me. Now, I work in a household, sweeping and washing dishes and am treated well. The landlady even teaches me English," says Rani.

Like Ashok, Rani also did not know about the RTE Act and when told about it, her eyes filled with tears.

"I will ask my madam to write a letter to my parents telling them about the Act. But I have few hopes as my family needs the money I make working here. So it is unlikely that I can go to school," she added with a heavy heart. 

Noida, November 17
An ambitious plan to increase the green cover in the city has been drawn up by the Noida authority under which over three lakh saplings will be planted in the second phase of its plantation drive that began on November 1 and will continue till March 31 next year.

A budget of Rs 1 crore has been approved for this programme under which saplings will be planted in the parks, green belts and on roadsides. Besides, the authority has also mulled over the problem of open drains and pathetic conditions of parks in the industrial sectors.

The authority has decided to develop the green belt on both sides of the big drain that passes through Sector-50. This green belt was destroyed some time back due to the laying of the pipeline for Ganga water supply.

It has also been decided to spend Rs 18 lakh on this job. As many as 5,000 saplings of Neem will be planted on both the sides of the drain that passes through A and B blocks of Sector-50 and also the drain that passes through Barola village and Sector-50.

"Neem trees will help counter the stink from the drains and also purify the atmosphere," said B. Prabhakar, director (horticulture), Noida Authority.

The authority had decided to convert this erstwhile garbage dump into a park last year. The landscaping work has already been started. This park will have a centralized water fountain spread over 10 metres. Besides, a special area will be earmarked for morning walkers.

A large number of trees will be planted all over the park so that the smell from the nearby sewage treatment plant can be countered. "This park will benefit the residents of Sectors 22, 23, 33, 34, 53, 61 and 62," said Prabhakar.

Seized with the problem of undeveloped parks in industrial sectors across the city, the Noida authority has decided to redevelop the parks in the industrial sectors. Boundary walls will also be constructed around the parks.

New Delhi, November 17
With the classes in semester system on track in Delhi University now, departments of arts and commerce at the undergraduate level know that in their streams also, this mode is not far either.

The recent court judgment has paved the way for semester system which is going to stay for long. The university's new vice-chancellor has already hinted that if the current year executes semester system successfully, there will hardly be any delay in its implementation in other streams as well.

"It is too early to say anything but other courses along with arts and commerce will see semester system sooner or later. Many other courses will hopefully follow semester system from next year. However, the teachers and students will be consulted again and the best decision for the university will be taken," said Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh.

He added, "Semester system was a decision taken by the academic council back in 2009. Our primary focus is to get updated syllabus modules and more informative teaching. Let's see how the current year unfolds. I know we have many challenges ahead."

In his last media interaction before leaving office as vice-chancellor, Deepak Pental had claimed that departments, including Sanskrit, B. Com., Maths, History, Hindi and Economics had expressed their desire to take up the semester system.

With the High Court now upholding the system, most of these courses may start the semester mode in the next academic year.

Some teachers of the Delhi University Teachers' Association still believe that the semester system can be rolled back while others have accepted the reality.

"Semester is staying in the university for now. And sooner the teachers and students accept that, the better. The matter is still sub judice, so we cannot comment on the coming years. But yes, if semester stays this year, it is most likely that more courses will fall into its ambit next year," said a DUTA member, requesting anonymity.

New Delhi, November 17
With the arrest of three men - Sanjay (42), Balbir Singh (48) and Jaideep Singh (38) - the Delhi police has busted an inter-state gang allegedly being involved in human trafficking and preparation of forged travel documents.

The police learnt about a gang that allegedly duped people in getting visas for Canada, the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Syria.

It was found that the gang operated from the Rohini area of the Capital. Intelligence was developed and Jaideep Singh was apprehended from Sector 16 in Rohini. Initially, he kept on changing his version and tried to mislead the police. However, when two passports with forged visa and driving licenses were seized from him, he confessed to the crime.

At his instance, the latest machines installed by him for preparing forged travel documents, driving licenses, promissory notes worth lakhs and printed forged visas of various countries were seized.

A large number of rubber stamps, dry dye stamps, holograms of different nations, blueprints of visas of various countries, bar-code stickers, visa stickers and other devices to create features on visa in huge quantity were also seized, said a senior police official.

"A search to arrest his associates is on," said the official.

Jaideep Singh has confessed that he along with his associates Balbir, Kuldeep, Vijay and Sanjay ran a well-equipped unit for preparing forged travel documents. At his instance, Balbir Singh and Sanjay were arrested.

Greater Noida, November 17
The husband and in-laws of a woman allegedly poured kerosene and burnt her in New Abadi Colony of Dadri.

The victim, Farmeena, was admitted to a Delhi hospital by her neighbours. She died there.

Farmeena's brother Salimuddin has alleged that she was being harassed for dowry. It has been alleged that Farmeena's husband, a drunkard, used to beat her up daily.

On the day of the incident also, he was beating her. When she resisted, he along with his younger brother and sister set her on fire. On hearing her cries, their neighbours rushed her to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. But she died in night. The body has been sent for postmortem.

Salimuddin has filed a dowry death case naming Salim, his younger brother Chand and sister Roshan. The three are missing since the incident.

According to the police, Farmeena of Bulandshahr was married to Salim, a resident of Nai Abadi Colony in Dadri, eight years ago.