New Delhi, October 9
Coming as a big relief to the city’s problem of dumping garbage, which is nothing less than 8,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has finally started using its new landfill site at Narela-Bawana in northwest Delhi.

“We have started using the new landfill site and the garbage is now being dumped there,” said Subhash Arya, the Leader of the House in MCD.

The new garbage-dumping ground is in addition to the existing three landfill sites: Ghazipur in east Delhi, Bhalswa-Jehangirpuri in north Delhi and Okhla in south Delhi. They were filled to their capacity long ago.

The new landfill site will take care of refuse from Rohini and Civil Lines zones and has an initial capacity to handle 1,000 tonnes per day. There is a plan to expand its capacity to 4,000 tonnes per day. This Narela-Bawana landfill site has also been notified under the Master Plan 2021.

The agency had come under severe criticism for its inability to manage waste as the overflowing landfill sites were also getting construction and hazardous wastes leading to contamination of soil and groundwater.

The Rs 70-crore integrated solid waste management facility has been developed to meet Delhi’s garbage disposal needs for the next 20 years. The site has been developed as the first engineered landfill site in the city and is spread over 150 acres. Besides, approximately 50 acres has kept aside for disposing of construction and demolition wastes.

“The site has been developed as the first engineered landfill site in the city. It is spread over 150 acres and around 50 acres has been kept aside for dumping of construction and demolition wastes. One compost plant and the other to produce refuse-derived fuel have been installed,” said a senior MCD official.

The civic agency said that the site is scientifically developed keeping in view all the environmental norms to prevent groundwater contamination and is insulated from human habitation.

Besides, the MCD’s controversial Okhla ‘waste-to-energy’ project will start generating power from this month itself. “We will start running the plant in October only. It will get around 2,000 tonnes of garbage daily to generate 16 MW power approximately,” said Arya.

Earlier, the plant had been criticized for violating environmental norms. The residents of seven colonies near the plant had voiced strong opposition to its setting up near the residential area. 

New Delhi, October 9
The city seems to have plunged into darkness due to the ongoing shortage of coal and water supply to various power plants.

According to officials, the water supply to Badarpur Thermal Power Station (BTPS) has further reduced, compounding the issue and cutting the power supply by around 100 MW (total 300 MW).

“The power supply to Delhi continues to fluctuate leading to reduction of supply from BTPS. The supply to Delhi reduced by as much as 1000 MW on certain periods, forcing the discoms to overdraw from the northern grid,” said a discom official.

Sources have expressed concern, saying the situation may persist for another seven days.

The official said the power supply to the city suffered a dual blow of shortage of coal and water.

“NTPC’s Dadri I, II, Singrauli, Rihand–II, Farakka and Kahalgaon I and II were able to generate and supply significantly less power than their installed capacities,” said the official.

Mining and loading of coal has been badly affected due to heavy rains and the ongoing festival season in the mining areas in the east, he said.

As far as power generating stations in Delhi are concerned, BTPS, Gas Turbine and Rajghat are cumulatively producing around 410 MW less power due to a temporary closure of the Agra Canal. They normally supply around 1100 MW to Delhi.

“While efforts are being made to manage the situation, Delhi discoms are constrained to undertake loadshedding on a rotational basis. The Delhi load was comparatively less today as was also the quantum and duration of loadshedding,” said the official. 

New Delhi, October 9
As Divali is approaching, shopkeepers in malls as well as other markets have expanded their shops on to the footpaths to display their items though there is a fear of security threat also. This came to light during a survey conducted by an Assocham team.

The team interacted with about 125 shopkeepers and individual store owners in the traditional markets of Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, Janpath, Sarojini Nagar Market, Lajpat Nagar Central Market, Sunder Nagar, Khan Market, Greater Kailash, Connaught Place and Green Park. The survey was conducted to check as to how they lure customers and increase the footfalls in these markets.

Nearly all the traders in these markets said that there are loopholes in security arrangements and appealed to the Delhi government to do something about it. They demanded the deployment of more security personnel and setting up of doorframe metal detectors at these crowded sites.

The survey suggested frisking, monitoring CCTV camera footage and deployment of paramilitary personnel and rapid action forces at heritage sites, vital installations, major markets and parking lots.

When the team asked about the sale of goods, 65 per cent of respondents in these markets said that they are giving rebates and increasing their product range apart from offering other perks like food coupons and loyalty bonus.

The mall owners are expecting an increase of over 100 per cent in visitor footfalls as retailers along with the consumer durable firms are offering a plethora of incentives like discounts, gifts and interest-free finance options.

The survey report said that “malls in and around Delhi are likely to spend anywhere between Rs 130 crore and Rs 150 crore on decoration during the festive season that started in the last week of September and will continue till early November”.

“Retailers and consumer durable goods’ makers are expecting an increase of 45 to 60 per cent in the sales during this period,” the report said.

During the festival season, the malls will have promotional activities involving product launches by celebrities, food festivals, mehndi and tattoo workshops by professional artists.

Besides, there will be cooking competition for women shoppers, gaming contests, gift vouchers, artificial jewellery and cosmetics for those who win the contests.

New Delhi, October 9
A trip to connect with their Indian roots has left a group of young Persons of India Origin (PIO) totally smitten and wanting to return as soon as they can.

The delegation of 28 PIOs was initially worried about hygiene, cleanliness and health issues, but their three-week stay has completely changed their perception of India.

The team is visiting India as part of the Know India Programme (KIP) initiated by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to help young PIOs settled abroad understand the country that their grandparents or great grandparents left years ago.

The group consisting of participants from Australia to Canada and Fiji to Surinam landed in Delhi on September 21 and is here till October 11. During the first two weeks, it travelled to several places in Rajasthan and is to visit Taj Mahal in Agra on Monday.

It is the group’s group’s first visit to India.

In Delhi, the visitors were taken to the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Akshardham Temple, Rajghat, Gandhi Smriti and some other heritage sites before having a networking session with young professionals organised by the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA). The team comprises a mix of students and young professionals in the age group of 18-25.

“I always wanted to come to India but somehow couldn’t make it. When I came to know about KIP, I was like I have to apply for it. I was regularly in touch with the Indian High Commission and got successful in my second attempt,” Sinnapam Manian, a native of Malaysia, told IANS.

The 25-year-old, studying bachelor of education in Kuala Lumpur University, says he was apprehensive before coming to India as his family members warned him about poor hygiene and bad quality of food.

“My parents were like I should not eat out else will fall ill. But in the last two weeks I have put on weight as I am eating so much and find the food really good,” Sinnapam told IANS with a smile.

He is the fourth generation to have been living in Malaysia. Sinnapan’s trip has inspired him to come back to India in search of his relatives whom the family lost touch with years ago.

“I am sure some of our relatives are in Chennai and Bangalore but we are no more in touch. I would like to come back in search of them,” said Sinnapam, who left his part-time job in an orphanage to come for the trip.

Some participants said their parents keep coming to India but they never take them along and so this was a great opportunity to see the country.

“My father keeps coming to Jaipur and Delhi for business, but he never brings me here. There are a lot of similarities between Australia and India, and it was not a cultural shock for me as I had presumed before landing here,” said Chanelle Singh, an accountant from Australia.

Dressed in a black formal suit, the 23-year-old said she would come again to India early next year as she has fallen in love with the country. “It is beautiful and so culturally rich. I don’t understand why my parents did not get me here for so long ... I am going to visit India frequently now,” she said.

Artika Devi from Fiji had imagined India to be as is projected in Bollywood movies but her visit to India made the 21-year-old realise there is so much more to it.

“I never thought Delhi is so modern and has such an advanced Metro. What I knew about India was from Bollywood movies - affluent Punjabi families... But it is different when you visit smaller cities like Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan,” said the banker, who kept a fast during the nine-day Navratri festival.

The group liked everything about India but hated the security arrangements made for them as they were not allowed to go anywhere on their own.

“I would have loved to go around Delhi on my own, but due to security reasons we always moved in a group with organisers,” said Thanarajan. K from Malaysia.

Sarvajit Chakravarti, deputy director general of ICWA, described it as an important programme of the government to connect to people of India origin abroad. — IANS

New Delhi, October 9
After 49 years, the ruins of the 14th century Tughlaq dynasty's Feroz Shah Kotla Fort in the national Capital will come alive with a spectacular presentation of renowned Hindi author Dharmavir Bharti's famous historical play 'Andha Yug' (The Blind Age).

The play is being presented by the Sahitya Kala Parishad, the cultural wing of Delhi Government, with an estimated Rs 3-crore budget to make it the grandest theatre performance Delhi has ever witnessed.

Last time, Andha Yug was staged at the fort way back in 1962 by renowned theatre personality Ebrahim Alkazi. Set in the backdrop of the historical remains, the play is now directed by eminent theatre personality Bhanu Bharti. It is a five-act depiction of the last day of the Mahabharata war.

Many eminent theatre and television personalities will be seen enacting the characters in the play that will continue for five days from October 15-19.

It will sport 53 characters, out of which 11 main characters will be there along with the supporting cast. The introductory voice-over will be lent by actor Om Puri.

Participating in the play will be veteran theatre personalities such as Mohan Maharishi as Dhritarashtra, Uttara Baokar as Gandhari, noted TV and Bollywood actor Zakir Hussain as Sanjay, Govind Pandey as Kripacharya, Teekam Joshi as Ashwathama, Ravi Jhankal as Vidhur, Danish Iqbal as Kritavarma, Ravi Jhankal as Yachak, Kuldeep Sarren and Amitabh Srivastava both as praharis and Kumud Mishra as mute soldier.

According to Shekhar Vaishnavi, secretary, Sahitya Kala Parishad, "The staging of Andha Yug is an attempt to popularize Indian theatre among the younger generation. Theatre is a rich, versatile and highly expressive medium of mass communication. It is often viewed as the medium of intellectuals. However, youngsters these days seem to be withdrawn from the world of theatre. Through Andha Yug, we hope to increase the interest of both the youngsters and general audience towards this wonderful medium."

On choosing the play Andha Yug in particular, Vaishnavi elaborated, "It is a classic play that beautifully outlines the fact that every act of violence inevitably debases not just the affected individuals but society also."

Director Bhanu Bharti said, "This play is very much relevant to the modern times. It is an allegory of the pathos and feeling of hopelessness felt by millions across the globe, as violence and hatred has deeply seeped today into the social fabric of various countries. Though its pretext is that of the historical events that occurred during the Mahabharata war, it accurately captures the sentiments of loss as felt by both the victim and the victor in modern times too." 

New Delhi, October 9
The weekend ended on a hot and humid note in the Capital, as the maximum temperature on Sunday was recorded at 33.6 degree Celsius - a notch above the average.

While the minimum temperature settled at 23.4 degree Celsius, two notches above the average, the humidity swung between 91 and 43 per cent. "The sky will remain clear throughout the day tomorrow," said an official of the IMD. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 34 and 23 degree Celsius, respectively. — IANS 

New Delhi, October 9
The Delhi police detained 13 Tibetan students from Dharamsala this afternoon. They were protesting outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi District and allegedly tried to enter it.

The students waved the Tibetan flag and shouted slogans such as “Free Tibet” and “We want freedom”.

Dharamsala is the seat of the Tibetan government in exile.

The police blocked the way of the protestors when they tried to enter the premises of the embassy.

A police official said that the students included seven girls and six boys, who were detained for a few hours till evening. The official added that it was a preventive detention.

The students violated a law that prevents more than four people from gathering in the area around the embassy, according to the police. 

Greater Noida, October 9
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati will dedicate a number of projects to the public during her visit to Gautam Budh Nagar district on October 14.

Officials are busy sprucing up the towns of Noida and Greater Noida and giving finishing touches to the dream projects of the Chief Minister, including the Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Park in Noida.

However, what is baffling people here is the unprecedented security arrangements, which is more than what is done for the visits of the Prime Minister or the head of a foreign state.

According to the SP of Noida, Anant Deo Tiwari, seven additional SPs, 19 DSPs and 200 sub-inspectors have been requisitioned for security duties during Mayawati's visit, besides 1,400 policemen, 12 companies of the PAC and women constables. The Gautam Budh Nagar district policemen will also be on duty.

But why does a Chief Minister, elected on popular vote, need such a heavy security arrangement to visit her native district? This is the question which is amusing the people here.

The CM is expected to lay the foundation stone of Knowledge Park-4 to be built over 5 acres in Greater Noida at a cost of Rs 300 crore. It will have a 21-storey building and be completed in three years.

She will also dedicate Dr Ambedkar Park, built in her native village Badalpur, to the people. The park has an 18-ft high statue of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. It also has trees, fountains, water bodies and criss-crossing pedestrian paths. This park has been built at a cost of Rs 101 crore.

At Gautam Budh University in Greater Noida, Mayawati will lay the foundation stone of a Buddhist museum. To be built at a cost of Rs 84 crore, the museum will provide information on the life of Lord Buddha.

It is expected to be ready in 18 months.

Though the construction of the Sant Kabir Das hostel for men at the university has already begun, the CM will lay the foundation stone for it also.

The hostel, being built at a cost of Rs 24 crore, will accommodate 350 students. The Birsa Munda hostel for men at the university, to be built at a cost of Rs 16 crore, will accommodate another 240 male students.

Another hostel, Guru Ghasi Ram, costing Rs 16 crore, will accommodate 241 boys of the university. The rooms in these hostels will be air-conditioned.

The Maha Maya Hostel for Girls, to be built on the Gautam Budh Nagar University campus, will cost Rs 22 crore and accommodate 370 girl students.

A guesthouse is also being built for the visitors at the university at a cost of Rs 26 crore. It will have arrangements for 100 persons.

Another project to be inaugurated by the CM is Mahatma Gautam Budh Park. The park has been built by the Noida Authority at a cost of Rs 47 crore.

The Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar helipad, developed in Badalpur, will also be inaugurated by the Chief Minister. Spread over 20,000 sq metres, it has been built at a cost of Rs 20 crore. 

New Delhi, October 9
The crime branch has arrested 33-year-old Aftab Alam, a sharpshooter and close aide of the arrested former MP from Siwan in Bihar, Shahabuddin.

The police said Alam was wanted in more than 20 cases of murder, kidnapping and under the Arms Act.

Ashok Chand, deputy commissioner of police (crime and railways) at a press conference today said Alam started his criminal career in 1990 when he committed a theft at the age of 14.

The DCP said he had killed 20 people.

"On October 3, Alam, who is a gangster of Bihar, was arrested from the Old Delhi railway station. He had come here to meet his acquaintances. We seized a 9mm bore pistol and four cartridges from him," said Chand.

Alam disclosed that he became a close aide of Shahabuddin in 1998-1999.

"After receiving Shahabuddin's patronage, he committed murders at his direction or to take revenge from his rivals. On Shahabuddin's order, Alam had allegedly killed 15 people," said the DCP.

The DCP added that Alam had shot dead 11 people in Mujahida village over a land dispute.

After Shahabuddin was arrested, the police started searching for his accomplices. Alam left Siwan in 2005 and settled in Chhattisgarh. There, he worked as a supervisor with a security firm and often came to Delhi to meet his accomplices in Zakir Nagar. 

New Delhi, October 9
A 22-year-old man was arrested for killing a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) driver who had refused to return a Rs 300 loan, the police said yesterday.

Sanjay was arrested from his native place at Palwal in Haryana on Friday, said deputy commissioner of police A.K. Ojha.

He was working as driver at Colonel Child Bloom Public School at Najafgarh in west Delhi, adjacent to the house of Ajit Singh whom he shot dead on October 5 night.

Sanjay told the police that Ajit Singh's son Vijay, who was his friend, wanted a SIM card and he purchased one for him for Rs 300. Ajit Singh had promised to pay him later.

Sanjay was in need of money for servicing of his bike a month ago so he approached Ajit Singh and asked for the money.

"Instead of paying, Ajit Singh accused him of stealing Rs1,000. Ajit Singh also rebuked Sanjay in front of a crowd," said Ojha.

To avenge the insult, Sanjay shot Ajit Singh outside his house and fled the spot on October 5. — IANS