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Delhi Govt Announces Early Winter Break In Schools Due To Severe Air Quality

By LokMarg 8th November 2023

In view of the ‘severe’ level of air pollution in the national capital, the Delhi government on Wednesday announced an early winter break for schools from November 9 to November 18.

“All schools shall observe winter break from November 9 to November 18, 2023,” said an order from the Education Department of the Delhi government.

The order referred to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV having been implemented in Delhi in view of the high level of pollution and said no respite is predicted in the near future.

“In the wake of the implementation of GRAP-IV measures due to the severe plus air quality prevailing in Delhi and seeing that no respite from such adverse weather conditions in the near future is predicted by the IMD, the winter break for the season 2023-2024 is ordered to preponed so that schools can be totally closed and both children and teachers can stay at home,” it said.

Heads of schools have been directed to convey this information to parents immediately.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday chaired a meeting of all concerned departments to ensure compliance with the instructions given by the Supreme Court yesterday regarding pollution.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot and Revenue Minister Atishi were also present.

“I want to thank the SC for giving the instruction to restart the smog tower, which was shut down by the DPCC Chairman. I want to thank the SC for giving instructions for the real-time study data to be published,” Rai said.

“I have been continuously appealing to the Centre that there should be a joint work. In Delhi, we are continuously implementing the rules of GRAP. But the way our neighbouring governments are sitting silently, I think that after the order of the Supreme Court, meetings will now be held and rules will be implemented… I have been continuously demanding that firecrackers be banned in the states around us. BJP wants to control pollution only by making statements. I think the Supreme Court order regarding the ban on firecrackers will have an impact,” he added.

Gopal Rai further said that the Delhi government will give complete information regarding the odd-even vehicle plan to the Supreme Court on Friday, after which a decision will be taken on whether odd-even will be implemented from November 13 or not.

Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Sunday announced the closure of primary classes of all schools until November 10 and said schools have the option of teaching online for classes 6 to 12.

“The Supreme Court has given its observations of what needs to be implemented in Delhi and we have called for a meeting with the concerned ministers and officers so that we can implement whatever instructions Delhi has got. The SC has given the order to end stubble burning in whichever state it has been happening,” Rai said.

Despite worsening air quality in several parts of the country and pollution levels posing a threat to the health of people, stubble-burning incidents were reported in the Mamdot area of Ferozepur, Punjab.

A thick toxic haze or ‘smog’, continued to hang heavy over the national capital as the air quality remained in the ‘severe’ category on Wednesday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the hazardous air quality in the national capital and directed that farmers should stop stubble burning forthwith in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, saying it was one of the major contributors to air pollution. (ANI)

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Arvind Kejriwal Winter Action Delhi Planning Department

Kejriwal To Announce Winter Action Plan To Tackle Air Pollution

By LokMarg 26th September 2023

The Delhi Government is tightening its grip on air pollution by intensifying its efforts towards implementing a comprehensive plan to combat winter pollution. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will announce the Winter Action Plan on 29 September, according to an official statement of the state government.

Providing further information, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said in a statement, “We are preparing a Winter Action Plan to curb winter pollution in Delhi on the basis of reports given by the departments. A joint meeting regarding the Winter Action Plan of all the 28 concerned departments was held on September 14 in the Delhi Secretariat and different responsibilities were assigned to the departments. Instructions have been issued to all construction agencies to strictly follow the norms related to dust pollution.”

In the meeting, officers from Environment Department, DPCC, Development Department, Delhi Cantonment Board, CPWD, DDA, Delhi Police, DTC, Revenue Department, DSIIDC, Education Department, DMRC, PWD, Transport Department, NHAI, Delhi Jal Board, DUSIB, NDMC were present. All departments were instructed to submit detailed action plans under the Winter Action Plan to the Environment Department by September 25.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, “Keeping in mind the phenomenon of rising pollution in Delhi during winters, the Delhi Government is preparing a ‘Winter Action Plan’. We conducted a high-level meeting of 28 government departments on September 14th in this respect. In that meeting, all the departments were given a unique goal, to be included in the Winter Action Plan.”

He continued, “Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will present this Winter Action Plan in front of the citizens of Delhi on September 29th, 2023. All the government departments will act in unison in the implementation of the Winter Action Plan to curb the rise of pollution in ensuing winters.”

He also said, “Last year, we worked together with all the agencies involved in the construction business in Delhi to keep a noose on pollution. Today, I am appealing to them to follow the norms related to dust pollution. Action would be taken against all those agencies who violate the law. A separate action plan will be made for 13 hotspots to reduce pollution. This time special monitoring will be done on hotspots to reduce pollution.” (ANI)

Delhi Airport Issues Fog Alert, 12 Trains Delayed

By LokMarg 5th January 2023

The Delhi Airport on Thursday issued a fog alert for all passengers. According to the authorities, low visibility procedures are in progress at the Delhi Airport.

All flight operations are currently normal and the passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information, the authorities added.
Many trains are also running late owing to the dense fog and visibility level today.

12 trains are running late and two trains were rescheduled in the Northern Railway region due to fog.

The fog has reduced visibility all over North India.

IMD said in a statement, dense to very dense fog and cold day conditions are likely to continue over North-West India during the next three-four days.

It said, “Cold wave conditions are likely to continue over northwest India during the next three days and the intensity will decrease thereafter.”

People in the wee hours were seen huddled around the bonfire.

“My shop gets opened 5 A.M. For survival I have to overcome the cold,” an e-rickshaw mechanic who was seen around the fire told ANI.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the minimum and maximum temperatures in January 2023 are most likely to remain below normal over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east, and northwest India. (ANI)

Esha Gupta Enjoys Delhi Winter With Boyfriend

By LokMarg 4th January 2023

Actor Esha Gupta recently dropped an adorable video with boyfriend Manuel Campos Guallar from Delhi’s famous Lodhi Garden.

In the video, the duo is seen enjoying Delhi’s winter by walking hand-in-hand at the Lodhi Garden,
“Delhi,” she simply captioned the post.

Esha made her relationship with Manuel, a Spain-based businessman, an Instagram official in April 2020. She dropped a picture with Manuel and captioned it, “te amo mucho mi amor,” which translates to “I love you so much, my love.” In the picture, Esha and Manuel can be seen with their arms around each other, wearing black, standing in what seems to be a hotel lobby.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Esha was last seen in Bobby Deol-starrer Aashram 3. Directed by Prakash Jha, the web show also stars Anupria Goenka, Adhyayan Suman, Darshan Kumaar, Sachin Shroff, and Tridha Choudhury. (ANI)

Death Toll Rises To 26 As Winter Storm Sweeps US

By LokMarg 26th December 2022

The death toll of people killed has risen to 26 as frosty winters continue to sweep large parts of the US, The Hill reported on Sunday.

As a consequence of the Arctic blast and the winter storm, numerous people have died as a consequence of weather-related road accidents or the cold.
Buffalo, N.Y. has been the hardest impacted city in the country, with at least seven people confirmed deceased as a result of the storm. As of 7 a.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service reported 43 inches of snow at Buffalo’s airport, The Hill reported.

The storm has sent temperatures well below freezing across the US and has destroyed Christmas eve for many. As it pounded regions, the storm delivered hurricane-force winds and whiteout conditions.

All kinds of transportation – planes, trains, and vehicles – were disrupted due to the storm this holiday weekend, closing hundreds of miles of road and air travel cancellations.

Total flight delays within, into, or out of the US amounted to about 4,000 as of Saturday morning, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, which showed that total US flight cancellations stood at around 2,000, as per CNN.

Plummeting temperatures were predicted to bring the coldest Christmas Eve on record to several cities from Pennsylvania to Georgia.

In New York, flooding along the Long Island Rail Road forced part of the Long Beach branch to temporarily shut down. (ANI)