News Analysis India

Tag: Haryana

  • Meat shop attacked in Gurugram, police deny links to communal violence

    By PTI

    GURUGRAM: A group of attackers allegedly pelted with stones a meat shop near CRPF Chowk, police here said on Tuesday. The stones shattered the window glass of the meat shop.

    Mohammad Javed, who runs the shop on rent, suffered minor injuries in the attack, they said.

    The police, however, have denied that the attack was linked to the recent communal violence in Haryana in which six people, including two home guards and a cleric, were killed.

    Javed said in his complaint that he was working inside the shop when he heard the sound of glass shattering.

    After he was hurt by a stone, Javed’s nephew rushed out to find 10-12 people attacking the shop.

    Some of the attackers wore masks covered and had sticks in their hands, Javed said in his complaint.

    Following his complaint, an FIR was registered against the unknown accused under sections 323 (causing hurt),147 (riots), 149 (unlawful assembly), 427 (causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 5 police station late on Monday, the police said.

    A police officer said they are trying to identify the suspects and added that the attackers will be arrested soon.

    GURUGRAM: A group of attackers allegedly pelted with stones a meat shop near CRPF Chowk, police here said on Tuesday. The stones shattered the window glass of the meat shop.

    Mohammad Javed, who runs the shop on rent, suffered minor injuries in the attack, they said.

    The police, however, have denied that the attack was linked to the recent communal violence in Haryana in which six people, including two home guards and a cleric, were killed.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Javed said in his complaint that he was working inside the shop when he heard the sound of glass shattering.

    After he was hurt by a stone, Javed’s nephew rushed out to find 10-12 people attacking the shop.

    Some of the attackers wore masks covered and had sticks in their hands, Javed said in his complaint.

    Following his complaint, an FIR was registered against the unknown accused under sections 323 (causing hurt),147 (riots), 149 (unlawful assembly), 427 (causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 5 police station late on Monday, the police said.

    A police officer said they are trying to identify the suspects and added that the attackers will be arrested soon.

  • Internet services suspended till Aug 2 in Haryana’s Nuh after clashes break out between two groups

    By ANI

    NUH (Haryana): Mobile internet services have been suspended temporarily in the Nuh district of Haryana after clashes erupted between two groups on Monday.

    Suspension of the internet services will continue in Nuh district till August 2. 

    The Haryana Government, in an official notification, has said that the order has been taken to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through social media platforms.

    “In order to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc. on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities, Home Secretary, Haryana do order the suspension of the mobile internet services and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of district Nuh of Haryana State,” the order said.

    It further said that all telecom service providers of Haryana are directed to ensure the compliance of this order.

    Following the clash, Nuh Deputy Commissioner called a meeting of both parties today at 8:30 pm.

    The police force has been deployed in the area.

    Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Mamta Singh denied to comment on the incident.

    “Now, we are doing our duties. We are not in the situation of talking anything about the incident,” Singh said.

    NUH (Haryana): Mobile internet services have been suspended temporarily in the Nuh district of Haryana after clashes erupted between two groups on Monday.

    Suspension of the internet services will continue in Nuh district till August 2. 

    The Haryana Government, in an official notification, has said that the order has been taken to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through social media platforms.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “In order to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc. on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities, Home Secretary, Haryana do order the suspension of the mobile internet services and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of district Nuh of Haryana State,” the order said.

    It further said that all telecom service providers of Haryana are directed to ensure the compliance of this order.

    Following the clash, Nuh Deputy Commissioner called a meeting of both parties today at 8:30 pm.

    The police force has been deployed in the area.

    Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Mamta Singh denied to comment on the incident.

    “Now, we are doing our duties. We are not in the situation of talking anything about the incident,” Singh said.

  • 1,457 villages still affected by floods in Punjab

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: A total of 1,457 villages in Punjab are still affected by floods caused by the recent heavy downpour in the state, officials said on Saturday.

    Currently, 19 districts “Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Bathinda and Pathankot” are flood-affected, they said.

    A total of 27,221 people were evacuated from waterlogged areas and taken to safer places in the state, the officials said, adding 170 relief camps are operational in which 4,909 flood-hit people are staying.

    According to a report by the revenue department, 40 people lost their lives due to the floods and 15 were injured.

    Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by the recent heavy downpour that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of residential and agricultural land.

    Though the floodwaters have receded in many areas of Punjab and Haryana, work on plugging breaches in earthen embankments that have come up along the rivers was going on.

    Punjab Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Thursday issued instructions to speed up the work on plugging breaches along rivers at different places in the state.

    CHANDIGARH: A total of 1,457 villages in Punjab are still affected by floods caused by the recent heavy downpour in the state, officials said on Saturday.

    Currently, 19 districts “Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Bathinda and Pathankot” are flood-affected, they said.

    A total of 27,221 people were evacuated from waterlogged areas and taken to safer places in the state, the officials said, adding 170 relief camps are operational in which 4,909 flood-hit people are staying.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    According to a report by the revenue department, 40 people lost their lives due to the floods and 15 were injured.

    Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by the recent heavy downpour that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of residential and agricultural land.

    Though the floodwaters have receded in many areas of Punjab and Haryana, work on plugging breaches in earthen embankments that have come up along the rivers was going on.

    Punjab Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Thursday issued instructions to speed up the work on plugging breaches along rivers at different places in the state.

  • Flood fury: Death toll in Punjab, Haryana rises to 62 as both states ramp up repair, relief work

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: At least 62 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana during the recent spell of torrential downpour that battered parts of northern India, officials said on Sunday.

    With floodwaters receding in many areas of the two states, authorities have started working on restoring power and water supplies and repairing damaged infrastructure in flood-hit areas, they said.

    Relief work was still underway in several places, including the Sangrur and Patiala districts of Punjab, and breaches in earthen embankments along the Ghaggar river are being repaired.

    Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Sunday said schools that were ordered to be closed till Sunday will reopen from July 17. He also asked deputy commissioners to take decisions at their own levels in case any school is waterlogged or damaged.

    Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by heavy downpour last week that has left normal life paralysed. According to official data, 32 people have died in Punjab because of rain-related incidents and 30 in neighbouring Haryana.

    Over 26,000 people have so far been evacuated to safer places from waterlogged areas in flood-hit districts of Punjab and more than 5,917 in Haryana.

    The floods caused by the rain have affected 15 districts in Punjab and 13 in Haryana.

    The health department has been asked to take steps to prevent the outbreak of any water and vector-borne diseases in the flood-affected areas, the officials said.

    The water level at the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana’s Yamunanagar was 54,282 cusecs at 8 am which later rose to 81,430 cusecs at 2 pm and then dropped to 61,592 cusecs at 5 pm.

    Speaking to reporters in Rohtak on Sunday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar hit out at the AAP leadership for blaming his state over floods in parts of Delhi, saying the blame game is neither in the interest of humanity, the state nor the country.

    AAP leaders have alleged that the BJP-led government in Haryana released excessive water from the barrage which flooded the Yamuna river, with water flowing onto the streets and roads of the national capital.

    The officials said efforts were underway to plug the breach that appeared along the Ghaggar river in Punjab’s Mansa. The breach was formed on Saturday in an embankment near the Chandpura bundh in the Budhlada sub-division.

    The breach caused water from the river to enter the fields in the district’s Gorakhnath and Birewala Dogran villages. It is feared that water may enter other villages as well, the officials said.

    The Mansa district administration has already set up several relief camps for flood-affected people, they said, adding that the ravaging Ghaggar has also inundated swathes of agricultural fields in Haryana’s Fatehabad district.

    In Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, several villages in the Dasuya sub-division were inundated following heavy overnight rain, prompting authorities to shift some residents to safer places, the officials said on Sunday.

    Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the administration has started work on resuming the supply of drinking water, restoring electricity, and repairing the damaged infrastructure.

    “We have gone through a tough situation together and as things slowly return to normalcy, I want to thank each and every person for their patience and cooperation during this time,” Sawhney said to the people of Patiala.

    In Sangrur, the Moonak and Khanauri areas were the worst affected with a swollen Ghaggar inundating vast tracts of land.

    Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said water has started receding gradually in the Ghaggar river and the district administration has continuously been trying to plug the breaches.

    In Kapurthala, as the water level in the flood-affected areas in Sultanpur Lodhi started receding, the district administration said it is fully geared up to implement measures to prevent water-borne diseases. Public announcements were also being made in flood-hit areas, asking people to boil water before drinking. The authorities were also providing cattle feed and fodder in flood-hit areas.

    In Punjab, a total of 148 relief camps are functioning where 3,731 people have been sheltered, the officials said.

    A total of 1,414 villages in 15 districts have been affected by floods in the state, they said.

    Meanwhile, Khattar said a report of assessment of the losses caused to life and property in the state is expected to come from affected districts in the next two days.

    “But according to the information so far, 30 people have lost their lives, 133 houses have been completely damaged, 183 houses partially damaged and 110 animals have died,” he said.

    Khattar said farmers will be asked to register their losses on the ‘e-fasal Kshatipoorti’ portal and after that, a survey will be done.

    In Haryana, 5,917 people have so far been evacuated to safe places with nearly 1,300 villages being ravaged by the floods.

    Thirty-seven relief camps have been opened in the state where 2,852 people have taken shelter, according to Haryana government data updated till 5 pm on Sunday.

    The government said 1.72 lakh hectares of agricultural area were destroyed in the floods.

    CHANDIGARH: At least 62 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana during the recent spell of torrential downpour that battered parts of northern India, officials said on Sunday.

    With floodwaters receding in many areas of the two states, authorities have started working on restoring power and water supplies and repairing damaged infrastructure in flood-hit areas, they said.

    Relief work was still underway in several places, including the Sangrur and Patiala districts of Punjab, and breaches in earthen embankments along the Ghaggar river are being repaired.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Sunday said schools that were ordered to be closed till Sunday will reopen from July 17. He also asked deputy commissioners to take decisions at their own levels in case any school is waterlogged or damaged.

    Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by heavy downpour last week that has left normal life paralysed. According to official data, 32 people have died in Punjab because of rain-related incidents and 30 in neighbouring Haryana.

    Over 26,000 people have so far been evacuated to safer places from waterlogged areas in flood-hit districts of Punjab and more than 5,917 in Haryana.

    The floods caused by the rain have affected 15 districts in Punjab and 13 in Haryana.

    The health department has been asked to take steps to prevent the outbreak of any water and vector-borne diseases in the flood-affected areas, the officials said.

    The water level at the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana’s Yamunanagar was 54,282 cusecs at 8 am which later rose to 81,430 cusecs at 2 pm and then dropped to 61,592 cusecs at 5 pm.

    Speaking to reporters in Rohtak on Sunday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar hit out at the AAP leadership for blaming his state over floods in parts of Delhi, saying the blame game is neither in the interest of humanity, the state nor the country.

    AAP leaders have alleged that the BJP-led government in Haryana released excessive water from the barrage which flooded the Yamuna river, with water flowing onto the streets and roads of the national capital.

    The officials said efforts were underway to plug the breach that appeared along the Ghaggar river in Punjab’s Mansa. The breach was formed on Saturday in an embankment near the Chandpura bundh in the Budhlada sub-division.

    The breach caused water from the river to enter the fields in the district’s Gorakhnath and Birewala Dogran villages. It is feared that water may enter other villages as well, the officials said.

    The Mansa district administration has already set up several relief camps for flood-affected people, they said, adding that the ravaging Ghaggar has also inundated swathes of agricultural fields in Haryana’s Fatehabad district.

    In Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, several villages in the Dasuya sub-division were inundated following heavy overnight rain, prompting authorities to shift some residents to safer places, the officials said on Sunday.

    Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the administration has started work on resuming the supply of drinking water, restoring electricity, and repairing the damaged infrastructure.

    “We have gone through a tough situation together and as things slowly return to normalcy, I want to thank each and every person for their patience and cooperation during this time,” Sawhney said to the people of Patiala.

    In Sangrur, the Moonak and Khanauri areas were the worst affected with a swollen Ghaggar inundating vast tracts of land.

    Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said water has started receding gradually in the Ghaggar river and the district administration has continuously been trying to plug the breaches.

    In Kapurthala, as the water level in the flood-affected areas in Sultanpur Lodhi started receding, the district administration said it is fully geared up to implement measures to prevent water-borne diseases. Public announcements were also being made in flood-hit areas, asking people to boil water before drinking. The authorities were also providing cattle feed and fodder in flood-hit areas.

    In Punjab, a total of 148 relief camps are functioning where 3,731 people have been sheltered, the officials said.

    A total of 1,414 villages in 15 districts have been affected by floods in the state, they said.

    Meanwhile, Khattar said a report of assessment of the losses caused to life and property in the state is expected to come from affected districts in the next two days.

    “But according to the information so far, 30 people have lost their lives, 133 houses have been completely damaged, 183 houses partially damaged and 110 animals have died,” he said.

    Khattar said farmers will be asked to register their losses on the ‘e-fasal Kshatipoorti’ portal and after that, a survey will be done.

    In Haryana, 5,917 people have so far been evacuated to safe places with nearly 1,300 villages being ravaged by the floods.

    Thirty-seven relief camps have been opened in the state where 2,852 people have taken shelter, according to Haryana government data updated till 5 pm on Sunday.

    The government said 1.72 lakh hectares of agricultural area were destroyed in the floods.

  • Man ‘cremated’ by family members found ‘alive’ in Haryana

    By IANS

    PATNA: A man who was cremated by his family members was found alive in Haryana’s Panipat district, an official said on Monday.

    Santosh Kumar Rai, the SDPO of Sasaram, said that a man named Mukesh Tiwari, a native of Naudiha village in Jharkhand, had eloped to Panipat with a girl.

    “He disappeared from his house on April 2 and a body was found in Sonhar village in neighbouring Kaimur district on April 13. The family members of Mukesh Tiwari claimed the body and cremated it. Mukesh’s father alleged that six persons were involved in the murder of his son,” Rai said.

    “During investigation, it appeared that Mukesh is alive. We have investigated the case with the help of technical and physical intelligence and located the hideout of Mukesh in Panipat. We have arrested him and brought him to Sasaram. He was produced in the district court for further action,” Rai said.

    PATNA: A man who was cremated by his family members was found alive in Haryana’s Panipat district, an official said on Monday.

    Santosh Kumar Rai, the SDPO of Sasaram, said that a man named Mukesh Tiwari, a native of Naudiha village in Jharkhand, had eloped to Panipat with a girl.

    “He disappeared from his house on April 2 and a body was found in Sonhar village in neighbouring Kaimur district on April 13. The family members of Mukesh Tiwari claimed the body and cremated it. Mukesh’s father alleged that six persons were involved in the murder of his son,” Rai said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “During investigation, it appeared that Mukesh is alive. We have investigated the case with the help of technical and physical intelligence and located the hideout of Mukesh in Panipat. We have arrested him and brought him to Sasaram. He was produced in the district court for further action,” Rai said.

  • Taking advantage of govt schemes, women in Haryana trying their hand at shrimp production 

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Turning adverse conditions into an opportunity, women in Haryana are now trying their hand at shrimp production with the help of government schemes that promote alternate or unconventional farming.

    Sirsa district’s Veerpal Kaur is one such example, who started white shrimp farming in 2016-17 on 2.5 acres of farm, but now with the entire family getting involved in the project, they have spread it to 50 acres.

    “Generally, saline water is considered a curse for agriculture, but for shrimp production, it is proving to be a boon,” she told PTI over the phone. Her husband Gurpreet Singh said the family has taken land on lease.

    “Seventeen acres of our farm is in Mithri village, Sirsa, ten acres are in village Chormar and 22 acres in Ahmedpur Darewala in Dabwali block of Sirsa district,” he said.

    In Sirsa district alone, this shrimp farming is done by several farmers on nearly 5,000 acres now, and many women have taken to this business, he added.

    According to a recent government statement, Kaur today not only has paved the way for other women like her to choose this business but has also set an example of how the saline water, which is considered a curse for agriculture, can prove to be a boon.

    “Like Veerpal Kaur, a beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, six other women of the same village have also started the business of white shrimp production,” as per the statement.

    Kaur said the government support also helps as under the PMMSY, a 60 per cent subsidy is given to the women belonging to scheduled caste while 40 per cent is given to the general category.

    Her husband pointed out that buyers from Odisha, Telangana, West Bengal and some other states come to Sirsa to buy white shrimp.

    “Later, most of it is exported to countries like the US, Canada, Russia and other nations,” Singh said.

    The rate of white shrimp is decided as per the demand in the international market, he added.

    “While last year, the demand was good and per kg shrimp fetched us about Rs 450, but this year the price varies between Rs 350 to Rs 360 per kg,” he noted.

    Haryana, once known for its contribution to the green revolution, is now working on a mission mode to swiftly move towards the blue revolution, according to the statement.

    “The state has started making blue revolution a success story by promoting it at the grassroots level with the formation of a cluster demonstration farm of shrimp farming and organising workshops for progressive shrimp farmers of the Sirsa district,” it added.

    Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), white shrimp farming was started in Haryana in 2014-15, and after its success, this farming was implemented in Karnal, Sonipat, Faridabad, Gurugram, Mewat, Palwal, Rohtak, Jind, Bhiwani, Hisar, Sirsa, Rewari, Jhajjar, Fatehabad and Charkhi Dadri districts.

    During 2021-22, a record production of 2,900 metric tonnes of shrimp was done on 1,250 acres.

    In 2014, one lakh metric tonnes of different types of fish were produced in Haryana in a total farming area of 43,000 acres, and this year the target has been increased to 54,000 acres.

    Besides, the state government has also set a target of increasing production to 2.10 lakh metric tonnes.

    CHANDIGARH: Turning adverse conditions into an opportunity, women in Haryana are now trying their hand at shrimp production with the help of government schemes that promote alternate or unconventional farming.

    Sirsa district’s Veerpal Kaur is one such example, who started white shrimp farming in 2016-17 on 2.5 acres of farm, but now with the entire family getting involved in the project, they have spread it to 50 acres.

    “Generally, saline water is considered a curse for agriculture, but for shrimp production, it is proving to be a boon,” she told PTI over the phone. Her husband Gurpreet Singh said the family has taken land on lease.

    “Seventeen acres of our farm is in Mithri village, Sirsa, ten acres are in village Chormar and 22 acres in Ahmedpur Darewala in Dabwali block of Sirsa district,” he said.

    In Sirsa district alone, this shrimp farming is done by several farmers on nearly 5,000 acres now, and many women have taken to this business, he added.

    According to a recent government statement, Kaur today not only has paved the way for other women like her to choose this business but has also set an example of how the saline water, which is considered a curse for agriculture, can prove to be a boon.

    “Like Veerpal Kaur, a beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, six other women of the same village have also started the business of white shrimp production,” as per the statement.

    Kaur said the government support also helps as under the PMMSY, a 60 per cent subsidy is given to the women belonging to scheduled caste while 40 per cent is given to the general category.

    Her husband pointed out that buyers from Odisha, Telangana, West Bengal and some other states come to Sirsa to buy white shrimp.

    “Later, most of it is exported to countries like the US, Canada, Russia and other nations,” Singh said.

    The rate of white shrimp is decided as per the demand in the international market, he added.

    “While last year, the demand was good and per kg shrimp fetched us about Rs 450, but this year the price varies between Rs 350 to Rs 360 per kg,” he noted.

    Haryana, once known for its contribution to the green revolution, is now working on a mission mode to swiftly move towards the blue revolution, according to the statement.

    “The state has started making blue revolution a success story by promoting it at the grassroots level with the formation of a cluster demonstration farm of shrimp farming and organising workshops for progressive shrimp farmers of the Sirsa district,” it added.

    Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), white shrimp farming was started in Haryana in 2014-15, and after its success, this farming was implemented in Karnal, Sonipat, Faridabad, Gurugram, Mewat, Palwal, Rohtak, Jind, Bhiwani, Hisar, Sirsa, Rewari, Jhajjar, Fatehabad and Charkhi Dadri districts.

    During 2021-22, a record production of 2,900 metric tonnes of shrimp was done on 1,250 acres.

    In 2014, one lakh metric tonnes of different types of fish were produced in Haryana in a total farming area of 43,000 acres, and this year the target has been increased to 54,000 acres.

    Besides, the state government has also set a target of increasing production to 2.10 lakh metric tonnes.

  • Many places in Punjab, Haryana report ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ air quality

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: After Diwali, several parts of Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday morning recorded air quality in the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories.

    Gurugram in Haryana and Ludhiana in Punjab reported their respective air quality index (AQI) at 313 and 269 at 10:10 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) data.

    Among other districts, Faridabad, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Ambala, Bahadurgarh, Sonipat, Jind, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, and Panipat reported their AQI at 311, 301, 291, 241, 279, 214, 296, 211, 276 and 192 respectively.

    In Punjab, Amritsar, Mandi Gobindgarh, Patiala, Jalandhar and Khanna the AQI was recorded at 249, 208, 225, 260 and 212 respectively — all in the ‘poor’ category.

    An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

    The AQI in the Union Territory of Chandigarh, the joint capital of the two states, was recorded at 178.

    The Punjab government had allowed a window of two hours from 8 pm till 10 pm for bursting firecrackers on Diwali while the Haryana government had allowed only green crackers in the state.

    Farm fires also continued at many places in Punjab and Haryana.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for Rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

    CHANDIGARH: After Diwali, several parts of Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday morning recorded air quality in the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories.

    Gurugram in Haryana and Ludhiana in Punjab reported their respective air quality index (AQI) at 313 and 269 at 10:10 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) data.

    Among other districts, Faridabad, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Ambala, Bahadurgarh, Sonipat, Jind, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, and Panipat reported their AQI at 311, 301, 291, 241, 279, 214, 296, 211, 276 and 192 respectively.

    In Punjab, Amritsar, Mandi Gobindgarh, Patiala, Jalandhar and Khanna the AQI was recorded at 249, 208, 225, 260 and 212 respectively — all in the ‘poor’ category.

    An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

    The AQI in the Union Territory of Chandigarh, the joint capital of the two states, was recorded at 178.

    The Punjab government had allowed a window of two hours from 8 pm till 10 pm for bursting firecrackers on Diwali while the Haryana government had allowed only green crackers in the state.

    Farm fires also continued at many places in Punjab and Haryana.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for Rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

  • Haryana DSP’s killing: Three more held; lawyer of accused Ikkar claims he’s mentally ill

    By PTI

    GURUGRAM: Three more accused were arrested on Saturday in connection with the killing of a Haryana deputy superintendent of police, taking the total number of people held in the case to six, an official said.

    In a new twist, the lawyer of arrested accused Ikkar, the helper of the truck which ran over the Tauru DSP Surendra Singh on July 19, has claimed his client is mentally ill.

    Ikkar was arrested on the day of the incident. Bhuru alias Taufiq, and Asru alias Assaruddin, both residents of Pachgaon village, and Lambu alias Isuf of Gandwa village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district were arrested on Saturday, officials said.

    According to them, these three accused were produced in a court in Haryana’s Nuh which remanded them in police custody for two days.

    Inspector Naresh Kumar claimed that Lambu helped the main accused escape after the incident.

    Bhuru and Asru were allegedly with the truck driver Sabbir alias Mittar when he ran over the DSP, the police inspector said.

    “Our crime branch’s Nuh team today nabbed three more accused. So far six accused have been arrested and all of them are in our custody. They are being quizzed and raids are going on to nab the other accused in the case,” Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla said.

    The Tauru DSP was killed on July 19 when a truck he had signalled to stop in Haryana’s Nuh district drove over him.

    The DSP had gone to Pachgaon near Tauru to conduct raids against illegal mining in the Aravalli hills.

    Sabbir, the truck driver who is the key accused in the case, was arrested from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district a day after the incident following the questioning of Ikkar.

    Jabid, was arrested on Friday from Rajasthan’s Alwar for harbouring the key accused.

    READ HERE | After Haryana and Jharkhand, now another cop gets killed in line of duty, this time in Gujarat

    Meanwhile, Ikkar’s lawyer submitted a disability certificate to Nuh police, claiming that the accused is mentally ill and has nothing to do with this case.

    “Anyone who sees Ikram face to face will immediately understand that he is mad. We have submitted his disability certificate to the Nuh Police. We are waiting for a reply from the police, else we will approach the Human Rights Commission,” said Ikkar’s lawyer Imran Khan.

    When contacted, a senior police officer said that Ikkar reportedly has bipolar disorder, but they are verifying the claim.

    GURUGRAM: Three more accused were arrested on Saturday in connection with the killing of a Haryana deputy superintendent of police, taking the total number of people held in the case to six, an official said.

    In a new twist, the lawyer of arrested accused Ikkar, the helper of the truck which ran over the Tauru DSP Surendra Singh on July 19, has claimed his client is mentally ill.

    Ikkar was arrested on the day of the incident. Bhuru alias Taufiq, and Asru alias Assaruddin, both residents of Pachgaon village, and Lambu alias Isuf of Gandwa village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district were arrested on Saturday, officials said.

    According to them, these three accused were produced in a court in Haryana’s Nuh which remanded them in police custody for two days.

    Inspector Naresh Kumar claimed that Lambu helped the main accused escape after the incident.

    Bhuru and Asru were allegedly with the truck driver Sabbir alias Mittar when he ran over the DSP, the police inspector said.

    “Our crime branch’s Nuh team today nabbed three more accused. So far six accused have been arrested and all of them are in our custody. They are being quizzed and raids are going on to nab the other accused in the case,” Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla said.

    The Tauru DSP was killed on July 19 when a truck he had signalled to stop in Haryana’s Nuh district drove over him.

    The DSP had gone to Pachgaon near Tauru to conduct raids against illegal mining in the Aravalli hills.

    Sabbir, the truck driver who is the key accused in the case, was arrested from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district a day after the incident following the questioning of Ikkar.

    Jabid, was arrested on Friday from Rajasthan’s Alwar for harbouring the key accused.

    READ HERE | After Haryana and Jharkhand, now another cop gets killed in line of duty, this time in Gujarat

    Meanwhile, Ikkar’s lawyer submitted a disability certificate to Nuh police, claiming that the accused is mentally ill and has nothing to do with this case.

    “Anyone who sees Ikram face to face will immediately understand that he is mad. We have submitted his disability certificate to the Nuh Police. We are waiting for a reply from the police, else we will approach the Human Rights Commission,” said Ikkar’s lawyer Imran Khan.

    When contacted, a senior police officer said that Ikkar reportedly has bipolar disorder, but they are verifying the claim.

  • Over 70 per cent voting in Haryana’s 46 municipal bodies

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Over 70 per cent polling was recorded in Haryana’s 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils on Sunday, State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh said. The polling started at 7 am and continued till 6 pm, he said, adding that according to report available at 6:30 pm, 70.40 percent polling was recorded.

    The final polling figure was being compiled, officials said. The results will be declared on June 22. Dhanpat Singh said that polling remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere. Thr highest polling percentage of 84.6 was recorded in Bawal municipal committee in Rewari, he said.

    In comparison, Bhiwani and Jhajjar municipal councils recorded slightly lower percentages at 63.6 and 61.60. While the ruling BJP-JJP alliance as well as the Aam Aadmi Party fought the polls on party symbols, many Congressmen entered the fray as independents.

    According to officials, polling was held to the seats of president and members of all wards of 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils. There were a total of 456 wards in 18 municipal councils, they said, adding that there were 12.

    60 lakh registered voters, out of which 6,63,870 were male, 5,96,095 female and 35 transgender voters. Dhanpat Singh said that 12,500 police personnel were deployed for the smooth conduct of polls. Officials said 6,450 polling staff and 82 duty had been appointed at these polling booths.

    There are 432 wards in 28 municipalities. A total of 5,70,208 voters, out of which 3,01,677 were male, 2,68,517 female and 14 transgender were eligible for casting vote. Adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, the provision of face masks and sanitizers were made at each polling station, the officials added.

  • Haryana RS polls: BJP’s Krishan Panwar, Independent candidate win, Congress’ Ajay Maken loses

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH The BJP’s Krishan Lal Panwar and Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma, backed by the saffron party and its ally JJP, have won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana, officials said early Saturday, after the counting of votes which was delayed by hours over allegation of violation of rules. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken did not get enough votes.

    According to a senior Election Commission official here, Panwar got 36 votes, while Sharma got 23 first preference votes and six transferred from the BJP, taking his tally to 29. Congress MLA and the party’s authorised polling agent BB Batra said while the party’s Kuldeep Bishnoi cross-voted, the vote of another party MLA was declared invalid.

    The counting of votes began past midnight Friday after the Election Commission gave the go-ahead. The counting was held up after the BJP and an Independent candidate backed by it had alleged violation of rules and demanded the votes of two Congress MLAs be declared invalid. Election Commission sources in Delhi said the demand was rejected.

    Panwar and Sharma had written to the EC, alleging Congress MLAs Kiran Choudhary and B B Batra showed their ballot papers to unauthorised persons after marking them and that the episodes were recorded by cameras.

    The Congress had also approached the Election Commission accusing the BJP of trying to defeat the process of free and fair election and demanded immediate declaration of results.

    89 of a total of 90 MLAs in Haryana had cast their votes while Independent MLA Balraj Kundu had abstained from voting.