Seeking assistance in lowering the pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi government has written to the Centre asking for aerial sprinkling of water through helicopter.

In a letter to Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi&rsquo;s Environment Minister Imran Hussain has said that Delhi government is ready to bear the cost of the exercise.

&quot;In view of the continuous poor air quality in Delhi, it is requested that your good office may kindly propose to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India to carry out an exercise to sprinkle water aerially through helicopter/aircraft to settle particulate matters in Delhi. Government of NCT of Delhi is willing to bear the expenses from Air Ambience Fund of DPCC,&quot; Hussain said in his letter.

READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW:

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Delhi minister&#39;s letter to Harsh Vardhan (WION)
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Delhi registered a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/environment-minister-claims-very-good-air-quality-in-delhi-anand-vihar-continues-to-show-hazardous-aqi-22737">marginal drop in pollution levels</a> in days after Diwali, but many areas of the national capital have very poor air quality. With and Air Quality Index (AQI) of 569, the pollution levels at Delhi&#39;s Anand Vihar was marked&nbsp;&quot;Hazardous&quot; whereas the air quality at RK Puram and ITO was rated &quot;Very Unhealthy&quot; with 239 and 251&nbsp;(AQI) respectively.

This comes days after Harsh Vardhan tweeted to say that the&nbsp;air quality in Delhi has been very good this year.&nbsp;

&quot;We are on the right path,&#39;&#39; the minister said and added that good days have improved.

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-refuses-to-lift-ban-on-firecrackers-in-delhi-ncr-says-its-an-experiment-for-1-year-22393">Supreme Court had recently banned sale of firecrackers</a>&nbsp;to regulate the pollution caused by crackers during Diwali this year.

Delhi registered a marginal drop in pollution levels in days after Diwali, but many areas of the national capital have very poor air quality.

Seeking assistance in lowering the pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi government has written to the Centre asking for aerial sprinkling of water through helicopter. In a letter to Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi’s Environment Minister Imran Hussain has said that Delhi government is ready to bear the cost of the exercise. "In view of the continuous poor air quality in Delhi, it is requested that your good office may kindly propose to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India to carry out an exercise to sprinkle water aerially through helicopter/aircraft to settle particulate matters in Delhi. Government of NCT of Delhi is willing to bear the expenses from Air Ambience Fund of DPCC," Hussain said in his letter. READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW: Delhi minister's letter to Harsh Vardhan (WION) × Delhi registered a marginal drop in pollution levels in days after Diwali, but many areas of the national capital have very poor air quality. With and Air Quality Index (AQI) of 569, the pollution levels at Delhi's Anand Vihar was marked "Hazardous" whereas the air quality at RK Puram and ITO was rated "Very Unhealthy" with 239 and 251 (AQI) respectively. This comes days after Harsh Vardhan tweeted to say that the air quality in Delhi has been very good this year. "We are on the right path,'' the minister said and added that good days have improved. The Supreme Court had recently banned sale of firecrackers to regulate the pollution caused by crackers during Diwali this year.

To curb pollution, Delhi govt wants aerial sprinkling of water, ready to pay the bill

Prime Minister Modi today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-dedicates-first-all-india-institute-of-ayurveda-to-country-22531">celebrated Diwali with Indian troops at a forward military </a>post along the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Gurez sector.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/diwali-wagah-border-india-pak-troops-exchange-gifts-504">&quot;I have an </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/just-having-best-development-ideas-not-enough-prime-minister-modi-21272">opportunity to spend the festival of Diwali with you</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/diwali-wagah-border-india-pak-troops-exchange-gifts-504">.</a> The presence of brave soldiers at the border, on this festive occasion, lights the lamp of hope, and generates new energy among crores of Indians,&quot; the prime minister wrote in the visitors&#39; book.

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Modi arrived at Gurez on Thursday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/india-celebrates-diwali-503">morning </a>in an unannounced visit with Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Northern Command chief Lt General Devraj Anbu and Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu present during the celebrations along the LoC.

&quot;To accomplish the dream of &#39;New India&#39;, this is a golden opportunity for all of us to work together. The Army too is a part of it,&quot; the Indian Prime Minister said.

PM Modi offered sweets and exchanged greetings with the BSF soldiers at Gurez.

The PM said each Indian citizen must cultivate a new resolve as India celebrates its 75th independence in 2022, adding that he considers the Indian Army his family.

Modi encouraged the soldiers to practise yoga and said after leaving the armed forces they can become excellent yoga trainers.

Modi said the Centre was committed to the welfare armed forces pointing towards the implementation of One Rank, One Pension.

Earlier in the day, Modi greeted the nation on Twitter as he left for the border to celebrate the occasion with the Indian troops.

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??????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????????? ?? ??????? ??????????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyDiwali?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyDiwali</a> to everyone!
&mdash; Narendra Modi PM (@Narendramodi_PM) <a href="https://twitter.com/Narendramodi_PM/status/920856845425680384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: PM Narendra Modi celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Diwali?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Diwali</a> with jawans in Gurez Valley, near LoC, in J&amp;K <a href="https://t.co/gu2HxLRtq0">pic.twitter.com/gu2HxLRtq0</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/920959324733583360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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PM Modi offered sweets and exchanged greetings with the BSF soldiers at Gurez.

Prime Minister Modi today celebrated Diwali with Indian troops at a forward military post along the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez sector. "I have an opportunity to spend the festival of Diwali with you. The presence of brave soldiers at the border, on this festive occasion, lights the lamp of hope, and generates new energy among crores of Indians," the prime minister wrote in the visitors' book. × Modi arrived at Gurez on Thursday morning in an unannounced visit with Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Northern Command chief Lt General Devraj Anbu and Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu present during the celebrations along the LoC. "To accomplish the dream of 'New India', this is a golden opportunity for all of us to work together. The Army too is a part of it," the Indian Prime Minister said. PM Modi offered sweets and exchanged greetings with the BSF soldiers at Gurez. The PM said each Indian citizen must cultivate a new resolve as India celebrates its 75th independence in 2022, adding that he considers the Indian Army his family. Modi encouraged the soldiers to practise yoga and said after leaving the armed forces they can become excellent yoga trainers. Modi said the Centre was committed to the welfare armed forces pointing towards the implementation of One Rank, One Pension. Earlier in the day, Modi greeted the nation on Twitter as he left for the border to celebrate the occasion with the Indian troops. ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????????? ?? ??????? ??????????? #HappyDiwali to everyone! — Narendra Modi PM (@Narendramodi_PM) October 19, 2017 × #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi celebrate #Diwali with jawans in Gurez Valley, near LoC, in J&K pic.twitter.com/gu2HxLRtq0 — ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2017 ×

Watch: Presence of brave soldiers at the border lights the lamp of hope, says PM Modi at LoC

The government launched the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July this year after much resistance from opposition and some sections of public. But the heat has still not subsided; this year, traders in Allahabad are selling Diwali firecrackers with a message condemning the&nbsp;GST pasted on the boxes&nbsp;to express their unhappiness with the government&rsquo;s decision.

&quot;We have launched &#39;GST Bomb&#39;&nbsp;to increase our sales. All these firecrackers are of good quality,&quot; said Kadir, a trader in Allahabad.

But there is more. A range of &#39;anar&#39; (flower pots), one of the most popular Diwali firecrackers, has been named &#39;notebandi (note ban)&#39; -&nbsp;a&nbsp;jibe at government&rsquo;s decision last year to replace the old Rs 500 and 1000 notes with new currency.

These items are a hit in Allahabad market. They are scaling new peaks as far as the sale is concerned, much higher than personality-based firecrackers like &#39;Yogi crackers&#39;, &#39;Modi rocket&#39; and &#39;Rahul Anar&#39;, launched in the market keeping in view elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

&quot;You can see&nbsp;the photos of many politicians&nbsp;on&nbsp;firecracker boxes here. I am here to buy firecrackers, and I&#39;m thrilled to see all this, how they capitalise on politicians&#39; names during election season,&quot; said Poonam, a resident of Allahabad.

The government has been claiming that GST will usher in a new unified tax regime&nbsp;and make it easier for companies to transact across state borders.

But many are finding that doing business is more complicated than ever.

Ambiguous rules under the new, multi-rate sales tax that went into effect on July 1 have left firms confused on how to price their products. The tax&rsquo;s complex structure - four main rates ranging from 5 to 28 per cent - has hurt sales and risks denting economic growth and government revenues in the months ahead.

Since the launch of the GST, there has been several meetings of the GST Council - a government panel headed by the finance minister - to revise the tax slabs. But traders aren&rsquo;t happy.

&quot;People are either overcharging or undercharging for their work,&quot;&nbsp;said Surinder Paul, who runs one workshop in South Delhi.

Billed as India&rsquo;s biggest tax reform since independence in 1947, the GST replaced more than a dozen federal and state levies and was meant to unify the country into a single market.

While teething troubles were expected, the ensuing chaos has some officials worrying about the repercussions for Asia&rsquo;s third-largest economy. Annual growth slowed in the July-September quarter to 5.7 per cent, its weakest pace in more than two years.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The government launched the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July this year after much resistance from opposition and some sections of public. But the heat has still not subsided.

The government launched the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July this year after much resistance from opposition and some sections of public. But the heat has still not subsided; this year, traders in Allahabad are selling Diwali firecrackers with a message condemning the GST pasted on the boxes to express their unhappiness with the government’s decision. "We have launched 'GST Bomb' to increase our sales. All these firecrackers are of good quality," said Kadir, a trader in Allahabad. But there is more. A range of 'anar' (flower pots), one of the most popular Diwali firecrackers, has been named 'notebandi (note ban)' - a jibe at government’s decision last year to replace the old Rs 500 and 1000 notes with new currency. These items are a hit in Allahabad market. They are scaling new peaks as far as the sale is concerned, much higher than personality-based firecrackers like 'Yogi crackers', 'Modi rocket' and 'Rahul Anar', launched in the market keeping in view elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. "You can see the photos of many politicians on firecracker boxes here. I am here to buy firecrackers, and I'm thrilled to see all this, how they capitalise on politicians' names during election season," said Poonam, a resident of Allahabad. The government has been claiming that GST will usher in a new unified tax regime and make it easier for companies to transact across state borders. But many are finding that doing business is more complicated than ever. Ambiguous rules under the new, multi-rate sales tax that went into effect on July 1 have left firms confused on how to price their products. The tax’s complex structure - four main rates ranging from 5 to 28 per cent - has hurt sales and risks denting economic growth and government revenues in the months ahead. Since the launch of the GST, there has been several meetings of the GST Council - a government panel headed by the finance minister - to revise the tax slabs. But traders aren’t happy. "People are either overcharging or undercharging for their work," said Surinder Paul, who runs one workshop in South Delhi. Billed as India’s biggest tax reform since independence in 1947, the GST replaced more than a dozen federal and state levies and was meant to unify the country into a single market. While teething troubles were expected, the ensuing chaos has some officials worrying about the repercussions for Asia’s third-largest economy. Annual growth slowed in the July-September quarter to 5.7 per cent, its weakest pace in more than two years. (With inputs from Reuters)

Firecracker traders take on government this Diwali with 'GST Bomb'

Over 1,200 kg of firecrackers have been seized and 29 people arrested by police as part of a drive being carried out after the Supreme Court order temporarily banning the sale of firecrackers.

After the Supreme Court order, Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik had directed the deputy commissioners of police of the 13 police districts to ensure that crackers are not sold in the city.

Special teams have been deployed in districts to monitor the situation.

In the crackdown, following the Supreme Court order, the police have seized 1,241 kilogrammes of firecrackers and registered 29 FIRs and arrested 29 people, said Madhur Verma, PRO, Delhi Police.

According to the data, eight cases have been registered in the north district against the people found selling firecrackers, the maximum among all the districts.

Police have seized 368 kilogrammes of firecrackers from the southwest district, the maximum among all districts with Rohini a close second at 344.5 kg.

Two Delhi Police personnel posted at the Mangolpuri police station in the outer district were suspended for allegedly failing to curb the sale of firecrackers in their beat areas.

After the Supreme Court order, Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik had directed the deputy commissioners of police of the 13 police districts to ensure that crackers are not sold in the city.

Over 1,200 kg of firecrackers have been seized and 29 people arrested by police as part of a drive being carried out after the Supreme Court order temporarily banning the sale of firecrackers. After the Supreme Court order, Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik had directed the deputy commissioners of police of the 13 police districts to ensure that crackers are not sold in the city. Special teams have been deployed in districts to monitor the situation. In the crackdown, following the Supreme Court order, the police have seized 1,241 kilogrammes of firecrackers and registered 29 FIRs and arrested 29 people, said Madhur Verma, PRO, Delhi Police. According to the data, eight cases have been registered in the north district against the people found selling firecrackers, the maximum among all the districts. Police have seized 368 kilogrammes of firecrackers from the southwest district, the maximum among all districts with Rohini a close second at 344.5 kg. Two Delhi Police personnel posted at the Mangolpuri police station in the outer district were suspended for allegedly failing to curb the sale of firecrackers in their beat areas.

Over 1,200 kg firecrackers seized in Delhi, 29 arrested post Supreme Court ban

US President Donald Trump lit a diya&nbsp;in the Oval Office surrounded by members of the Indian American community.&nbsp;

He remembered &quot;the People of India, the home of the Hindu faith, who have built the world&rsquo;s largest democracy.&quot;&nbsp;

He reaffirmed &quot;that Indian-Americans and Hindu-Americans are truly cherished, treasured and beloved members of our great American FAMILY.&quot;

&nbsp;And he said that he &quot;greatly&quot;&nbsp;valued &quot;my very strong relationship with Prime Minister Modi.&quot;

America&#39;s ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley was also present at the celebrations.&nbsp;

Trump posted a video of the lighting of the diya on Facebook, saying:

&quot;Our Indian-American neighbors and friends have made incredible contributions to our country &ndash; and to the world. You have made extraordinary contributions to art, science, medicine, business and education. America is especially thankful for its many Indian-American citizens who serve BRAVELY in our armed forces and as first responders in communities throughout our great land.&quot;&nbsp;

Watch video below:&nbsp;

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In a Facebook post, Trump remembered 'the People of India, the home of the Hindu faith, who have built the world?s largest democracy'

US President Donald Trump lit a diya in the Oval Office surrounded by members of the Indian American community. He remembered "the People of India, the home of the Hindu faith, who have built the world’s largest democracy." He reaffirmed "that Indian-Americans and Hindu-Americans are truly cherished, treasured and beloved members of our great American FAMILY." And he said that he "greatly" valued "my very strong relationship with Prime Minister Modi." America's ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley was also present at the celebrations. Trump posted a video of the lighting of the diya on Facebook, saying: "Our Indian-American neighbors and friends have made incredible contributions to our country – and to the world. You have made extraordinary contributions to art, science, medicine, business and education. America is especially thankful for its many Indian-American citizens who serve BRAVELY in our armed forces and as first responders in communities throughout our great land." Watch video below: ×

Trump lights Diwali diya in Oval Office, says 'greatly value very strong relationship' with Modi

US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali in the Oval Office of the White House along with senior Indian-American members of the administration, including Nikki Haley, Seema Verma and community leaders.

Cabinet ranking Haley is US Ambassador to the UN and Seema Verma is the administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Ajit Pai, Chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission and Raj Shah his Principal Deputy Press Secretary were among those from his administration.

Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka also joined the President in the Diwali celebrations.

Last year&nbsp;Ivanka, who is now a presidential advisor, had visited Hindu temples in Virginia and Florida as part of Diwali.

Trump, then&nbsp;the Republican presidential nominee, had addressed the Indian-American community from a public meeting in New Jersey wherein he lit the traditional diya&nbsp;(lamp).

The tradition of Diwali celebrations was first started by former President George Bush.

During his term, it was celebrated mostly in the India Treaty Room of the adjacent executive office building, which is part of the White House Complex.

President Bush never personally participated in the White House Diwali celebrations.

In the first year of his presidency, his successor Barack Obama&nbsp;lit the ceremonial diya in the East Rook of the White House. Thereafter he made it a point to celebrate the festival of lights in one way or the other.

The tradition of Diwali celebrations was first started by former President George Bush

US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali in the Oval Office of the White House along with senior Indian-American members of the administration, including Nikki Haley, Seema Verma and community leaders. Cabinet ranking Haley is US Ambassador to the UN and Seema Verma is the administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ajit Pai, Chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission and Raj Shah his Principal Deputy Press Secretary were among those from his administration. Trump's daughter Ivanka also joined the President in the Diwali celebrations. Last year Ivanka, who is now a presidential advisor, had visited Hindu temples in Virginia and Florida as part of Diwali. Trump, then the Republican presidential nominee, had addressed the Indian-American community from a public meeting in New Jersey wherein he lit the traditional diya (lamp). The tradition of Diwali celebrations was first started by former President George Bush. During his term, it was celebrated mostly in the India Treaty Room of the adjacent executive office building, which is part of the White House Complex. President Bush never personally participated in the White House Diwali celebrations. In the first year of his presidency, his successor Barack Obama lit the ceremonial diya in the East Rook of the White House. Thereafter he made it a point to celebrate the festival of lights in one way or the other.

Trump celebrates Diwali in Oval office

Nibesh Yadav must hit the road by 8 am sharp. He checks his motorcycle for fuel, loads the day&#39;s orders on his outsized backpack and off he goes to make &quot;khushiyon ki home delivery&quot;. 
 
With Diwali only days away, this is the high season for online shopping and for delivery boys who traverse from one end of the city to the other dropping off everything, from eye pencils and evening dresses to mixer-grinders and mobile phones. 
 
Nibesh is among the thousands of delivery boys, who deliver up to 200 packages a day during peak shopping seasons, often for less than Rs 20 each. All the packages must be delivered by 8 pm. 
 
They are a familiar sight young men, in their 20s and 30s, with huge overloaded backpacks, climbing up and down floors, stepping into creaky lifts and wiping the sweat from their brows at red lights. 
 
With online portals offering irresistible Diwali sales, the delivery boys are on their toes, toiling for over 12 hours a day to ensure that the package you&#39;ve been waiting for reaches on time. 
 
&quot;It can be tough but this is what it is,&quot; said Nibesh with a philosophical shrug. 
 
Many are not directly employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra, but are &#39;outsourced partners&#39;, who come in handy during the festive season when the pressure to deliver is immense. 
 
Amazon, for instance, has 350 service partner nodes and 1,75,000 &#39;I Have Space&#39; store partners across the country. 
 
This is in addition to those directly employed at operational centres, said a company spokesperson. 
 
A Myntra insider added that the company deploys about 1,000 people to tide over the festive rush and also has a MENSA (Myntra Extended Network Through Store Activation) network of close to 2,000 stores across India to enable deliveries. 
 
While both Amazon and Myntra offer their benefits -- hospitalization and accident insurance, night shift allowance, fuel reimbursement, and provident fund -- to directly employed delivery personnel, these don&#39;t apply to &#39;store owners&#39; like Nibesh. Responses to Flipkart went unanswered. 
 
The hours are long, the money less. 
 
Nibesh said he has to pay for the vehicle and the fuel, and also bear the cost of any damage or loss of package. 
 
&quot;Amazon pays Rs 18 for the delivery of each packet, and Myntra and Jabong pay Rs 14,&quot; said Nibesh, who also delivers for Myntra and Jabong. 
 
He has employed another boy, and the two move around the city delivering over 100 packages on a regular day. This goes up to 200 packets during the festive rush. 
 
The packets are stuffed inside a big backpack, which itself weighs 1 kg. 
 
&quot;The bag ends up weighing something around 35-40 kg. We travel on our bikes and the backpacks on our shoulders make it difficult to balance, especially over speed-breakers. It increases the risk of accidents. There is also the danger of losing or damaging the packages,&quot; he said. 
 
In older residential colonies in the city, which do not have elevators, he has to carry the weight all the way up, sometimes five floors, and back. 
 
Praveen Kumar, another &#39;store&#39; owner who has been delivering in Delhi-NCR for over two years now, added that he makes two trips to and from his store every day, carrying 45- 50 packets every time. 
 
&quot;Sometimes the packets are too heavy, especially if there are shoes. So, I have to make two trips,&quot; he said. 
 
Managing time is crucial, because a delayed package can land delivery boys like Nibesh and Praveen in trouble. 
 
&quot;We must deliver all the packets for the day before 8 in the evening,&quot; Praveen said. 
 
Any delay in delivery, and the customer immediately shoots an email to the company. 
 
&quot;They do not understand that the delay is not on purpose. 
 
Sometimes it is the weather, other times it could be an accident or a tyre puncture,&quot; Nibesh said. 
 
Both lament the humiliating treatment meted out to them by customers. 
 
Sometimes, for instance, card machines provided by the companies don&#39;t function due to poor network. Some customers are kind enough to go to the ATM and get cash, most simply complain and shout at them. 
 
&quot;They are extremely disrespectful to us,&quot; said Nibesh. 
 
Customers celebrate, receiving and giving gifts, and portals rejoice at turnovers as another Diwali comes around.

Nibesh Yadav must hit the road by 8 am sharp. He checks his motorcycle for fuel, loads the day's orders on his outsized backpack and off he goes to make "khushiyon ki home delivery"

Nibesh Yadav must hit the road by 8 am sharp. He checks his motorcycle for fuel, loads the day's orders on his outsized backpack and off he goes to make "khushiyon ki home delivery". With Diwali only days away, this is the high season for online shopping and for delivery boys who traverse from one end of the city to the other dropping off everything, from eye pencils and evening dresses to mixer-grinders and mobile phones. Nibesh is among the thousands of delivery boys, who deliver up to 200 packages a day during peak shopping seasons, often for less than Rs 20 each. All the packages must be delivered by 8 pm. They are a familiar sight young men, in their 20s and 30s, with huge overloaded backpacks, climbing up and down floors, stepping into creaky lifts and wiping the sweat from their brows at red lights. With online portals offering irresistible Diwali sales, the delivery boys are on their toes, toiling for over 12 hours a day to ensure that the package you've been waiting for reaches on time. "It can be tough but this is what it is," said Nibesh with a philosophical shrug. Many are not directly employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra, but are 'outsourced partners', who come in handy during the festive season when the pressure to deliver is immense. Amazon, for instance, has 350 service partner nodes and 1,75,000 'I Have Space' store partners across the country. This is in addition to those directly employed at operational centres, said a company spokesperson. A Myntra insider added that the company deploys about 1,000 people to tide over the festive rush and also has a MENSA (Myntra Extended Network Through Store Activation) network of close to 2,000 stores across India to enable deliveries. While both Amazon and Myntra offer their benefits -- hospitalization and accident insurance, night shift allowance, fuel reimbursement, and provident fund -- to directly employed delivery personnel, these don't apply to 'store owners' like Nibesh. Responses to Flipkart went unanswered. The hours are long, the money less. Nibesh said he has to pay for the vehicle and the fuel, and also bear the cost of any damage or loss of package. "Amazon pays Rs 18 for the delivery of each packet, and Myntra and Jabong pay Rs 14," said Nibesh, who also delivers for Myntra and Jabong. He has employed another boy, and the two move around the city delivering over 100 packages on a regular day. This goes up to 200 packets during the festive rush. The packets are stuffed inside a big backpack, which itself weighs 1 kg. "The bag ends up weighing something around 35-40 kg. We travel on our bikes and the backpacks on our shoulders make it difficult to balance, especially over speed-breakers. It increases the risk of accidents. There is also the danger of losing or damaging the packages," he said. In older residential colonies in the city, which do not have elevators, he has to carry the weight all the way up, sometimes five floors, and back. Praveen Kumar, another 'store' owner who has been delivering in Delhi-NCR for over two years now, added that he makes two trips to and from his store every day, carrying 45- 50 packets every time. "Sometimes the packets are too heavy, especially if there are shoes. So, I have to make two trips," he said. Managing time is crucial, because a delayed package can land delivery boys like Nibesh and Praveen in trouble. "We must deliver all the packets for the day before 8 in the evening," Praveen said. Any delay in delivery, and the customer immediately shoots an email to the company. "They do not understand that the delay is not on purpose. Sometimes it is the weather, other times it could be an accident or a tyre puncture," Nibesh said. Both lament the humiliating treatment meted out to them by customers. Sometimes, for instance, card machines provided by the companies don't function due to poor network. Some customers are kind enough to go to the ATM and get cash, most simply complain and shout at them. "They are extremely disrespectful to us," said Nibesh. Customers celebrate, receiving and giving gifts, and portals rejoice at turnovers as another Diwali comes around.

Diwali deliveries: those who shoulder the festive burden

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to modify its earlier order banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.

The&nbsp;court dismissed the plea of firecracker traders who had sought relaxation in the October 9 ban order and sought permission to sell crackers for at least a day or two before Diwali on October 19.

The court said it hasn&rsquo;t stopped people from celebrating the festival of lights. &quot;It&rsquo;s just an experiment for one year, we will take stock after that,&quot; Justice A K Sikri,&nbsp;who heard the case today, said.

The judge said its November 11, 2016 order suspending the licences &quot;should be given one chance to test itself&quot; to see if there is a positive effect of this, particularly during Diwali.

Justice Sikri also expressed anguish at people giving his order a communal angle.&nbsp;&quot;I am a very spiritual person but this is something different,&quot; Justice Sikri said.

The court had recently banned the sale of crackers in Delhi-NCR till November 1, dealing a body blow to the traders and businessmen dealing in them.

The court also said that the order passed by it last month, temporarily lifting the stay and allowing the sale of firecrackers, would be made effective only from November 1, 12 days after Diwali.

The Supreme Court passed the order on a petition asking for a ban on the the sale of firecrackers in the National Capital Region over alarming rise in pollution levels after Diwali.

After the order, the administration in Delhi and its nearby areas, which constitute the National Capital Region, has issued directives to the shopkeepers to stop selling firecrackers which make a lot of noise. The business community has raised concerns saying the order will adversely affect the sales in the festival season.

However, the administration has allowed those people who have already purchased firecrackers to burst them on October 19 (Diwali) during a stipulated time. The Gurugram authority has said that the bursting of firecrackers will be allowed between 6pm to 10pm.

The court had recently banned the sale of crackers in Delhi-NCR till November 1, dealing a body blow to the traders and businessmen dealing in them.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to modify its earlier order banning the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR. The court dismissed the plea of firecracker traders who had sought relaxation in the October 9 ban order and sought permission to sell crackers for at least a day or two before Diwali on October 19. The court said it hasn’t stopped people from celebrating the festival of lights. "It’s just an experiment for one year, we will take stock after that," Justice A K Sikri, who heard the case today, said. The judge said its November 11, 2016 order suspending the licences "should be given one chance to test itself" to see if there is a positive effect of this, particularly during Diwali. Justice Sikri also expressed anguish at people giving his order a communal angle. "I am a very spiritual person but this is something different," Justice Sikri said. The court had recently banned the sale of crackers in Delhi-NCR till November 1, dealing a body blow to the traders and businessmen dealing in them. The court also said that the order passed by it last month, temporarily lifting the stay and allowing the sale of firecrackers, would be made effective only from November 1, 12 days after Diwali. The Supreme Court passed the order on a petition asking for a ban on the the sale of firecrackers in the National Capital Region over alarming rise in pollution levels after Diwali. After the order, the administration in Delhi and its nearby areas, which constitute the National Capital Region, has issued directives to the shopkeepers to stop selling firecrackers which make a lot of noise. The business community has raised concerns saying the order will adversely affect the sales in the festival season. However, the administration has allowed those people who have already purchased firecrackers to burst them on October 19 (Diwali) during a stipulated time. The Gurugram authority has said that the bursting of firecrackers will be allowed between 6pm to 10pm.

Supreme Court refuses to lift ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, says 'it's an experiment for 1 year'

The sale of Chinese goods like lights, gift items, lamps and wall hangings may decline by 40-45 per cent this Diwali as compared to last year as Indians are likely to prefer domestic products like earthen diyas (lamps), according to a report.

Chinese products had recorded a 30 per cent decline in sales last year on Diwali, the festival of lights.

A survey by Assocham-Social Development Foundation mapped responses of wholesalers, retailers, traders in cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Mumbai to estimate the demand for Chinese products across India.

&quot;There seems to be a decline of about 40-45 per cent in consumption of Chinese products on this Diwali in comparison to last year. Chinese items that are most sought fancy lights, lampshades, Ganesha and Laxmi idols, rangolis and crackers etc. As per the findings, this Diwali, people are preferring Indian products over Chinese goods,&quot; Assocham said.

According to the survey, the demand of electronic items like LCDs, mobile phones and other items made in China has also declined by 15-20 per cent.

Shopkeepers who took part in the survey said most of the customers are demanding Indian lights or earthen diyas.

According to an estimate, the value of Chinese goods sold in 2016 during Diwali was around Rs 6,500 crore, out of which Rs 4,000 crore was for products such as toys, fancy lights, gift items, plastic ware, decorative goods etc.&nbsp;

Chinese products had recorded a 30 per cent decline in sales last year on Diwali

The sale of Chinese goods like lights, gift items, lamps and wall hangings may decline by 40-45 per cent this Diwali as compared to last year as Indians are likely to prefer domestic products like earthen diyas (lamps), according to a report. Chinese products had recorded a 30 per cent decline in sales last year on Diwali, the festival of lights. A survey by Assocham-Social Development Foundation mapped responses of wholesalers, retailers, traders in cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Mumbai to estimate the demand for Chinese products across India. "There seems to be a decline of about 40-45 per cent in consumption of Chinese products on this Diwali in comparison to last year. Chinese items that are most sought fancy lights, lampshades, Ganesha and Laxmi idols, rangolis and crackers etc. As per the findings, this Diwali, people are preferring Indian products over Chinese goods," Assocham said. According to the survey, the demand of electronic items like LCDs, mobile phones and other items made in China has also declined by 15-20 per cent. Shopkeepers who took part in the survey said most of the customers are demanding Indian lights or earthen diyas. According to an estimate, the value of Chinese goods sold in 2016 during Diwali was around Rs 6,500 crore, out of which Rs 4,000 crore was for products such as toys, fancy lights, gift items, plastic ware, decorative goods etc.

Diwali 2017: Chinese goods' sale may drop by 45%, says Assocham survey

Gold sales are likely to revive during the Diwali festival with the government revoking an order that mandated PAN and Aadhaar cards for purchases above Rs 50,000, an industry body said.

 
Higher sales are expected on Dhanteras to be celebrated on October 17. Dhanteras is considered to be an auspicious day for buying gold, silver and other valuables and is largely celebrated in North and West India.

 
Gold prices were ruling firm at Rs 30,555 per 10 grams and silver at Rs 40,600 per kg in the national capital as of Saturday.

 
&quot;This is a big relief and there could not have been a better Diwali gift than this for both jewellers and consumers,&quot; All India Gems and Jewellery Federation Chairman Nitin Kandelwal said.

&quot;We are expecting sales to revive after a lull in preceding months. We will be more than happy if sales remain normal during Diwali,&quot; he said.

 
More than jewellers, consumers were affected with the notification as they were not comfortable showing PAN and Aadhaar documents. &quot;The rollback of this order will definitely improve ease of doing business,&quot; he said.

However, there is a need to create more awareness about the development among consumers, he added.

Echoing views, Kerala-based Kalyan Jewellers Director Rajesh Kalyanraman said it&#39;s a &quot;positive&quot; move and should help improve sales in the coming days.

&quot;Sales were down in last two months...We are hoping Diwali sales to be positive. We are expecting a 15 per cent growth from over year-ago period,&quot; he said.

During last Dhanteras, gold and jewellery sales had risen by up to 25 per cent on higher demand in view of good monsoon and favourable price levels, as per the industry body data.

Mobile wallet company Paytm Vice President Nitin Misra said: &quot;We have consistently held Paytm Gold buyers to the highest standards by ensuring 100 per cent digital transactions and fulfilling all PMLA requirements&quot;.

The company will continue to ensure best-in-class practices for customer KYC and provide a reliable and convenient platform for gold buying this festive season regardless of budget, he said in a statement.

In a notification issued on August 23, the government had brought jewellery dealers under the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) and were told to report on buyers making purchases over Rs 50,000. Therefore, PAN and Aadhaar cards were made mandatory as part of &#39;Know your customer (KYC)&#39; rule.

A decision to revoke the said notification was taken in the GST Council meeting held last week.

India is the world&#39;s largest gold consumer and imports a sizeable chunk of its total annual consumption of around 900-1,000 tonnes.

Higher sales are expected on Dhanteras to be celebrated on October 17.

Gold sales are likely to revive during the Diwali festival with the government revoking an order that mandated PAN and Aadhaar cards for purchases above Rs 50,000, an industry body said. Higher sales are expected on Dhanteras to be celebrated on October 17. Dhanteras is considered to be an auspicious day for buying gold, silver and other valuables and is largely celebrated in North and West India. Gold prices were ruling firm at Rs 30,555 per 10 grams and silver at Rs 40,600 per kg in the national capital as of Saturday. "This is a big relief and there could not have been a better Diwali gift than this for both jewellers and consumers," All India Gems and Jewellery Federation Chairman Nitin Kandelwal said. "We are expecting sales to revive after a lull in preceding months. We will be more than happy if sales remain normal during Diwali," he said. More than jewellers, consumers were affected with the notification as they were not comfortable showing PAN and Aadhaar documents. "The rollback of this order will definitely improve ease of doing business," he said. However, there is a need to create more awareness about the development among consumers, he added. Echoing views, Kerala-based Kalyan Jewellers Director Rajesh Kalyanraman said it's a "positive" move and should help improve sales in the coming days. "Sales were down in last two months...We are hoping Diwali sales to be positive. We are expecting a 15 per cent growth from over year-ago period," he said. During last Dhanteras, gold and jewellery sales had risen by up to 25 per cent on higher demand in view of good monsoon and favourable price levels, as per the industry body data. Mobile wallet company Paytm Vice President Nitin Misra said: "We have consistently held Paytm Gold buyers to the highest standards by ensuring 100 per cent digital transactions and fulfilling all PMLA requirements". The company will continue to ensure best-in-class practices for customer KYC and provide a reliable and convenient platform for gold buying this festive season regardless of budget, he said in a statement. In a notification issued on August 23, the government had brought jewellery dealers under the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) and were told to report on buyers making purchases over Rs 50,000. Therefore, PAN and Aadhaar cards were made mandatory as part of 'Know your customer (KYC)' rule. A decision to revoke the said notification was taken in the GST Council meeting held last week. India is the world's largest gold consumer and imports a sizeable chunk of its total annual consumption of around 900-1,000 tonnes.

Gold sales likely to revive during Diwali as KYC norms eased

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