The 60-day-long annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas will commence on 28th June 2018, the shrine board said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir Governor and chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board N N Vohra, presided over a meeting of the board to particularly discuss the implementation of the directions recently passed by NGT regarding Amarnath Yatra and to decide the further course of action.&nbsp;

Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has decided that 60 days long Amarnath Yatra would commence on 28th June 2018 and conclude on 26th August 2018.&nbsp;

Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath shrine stands at 3,888 metres, 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal.

Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has reviewed the 2018 Yatra Action Plan, including arrangements for medical care, installation of railings and of garbage in a scientific manner.&nbsp;

Amarnath Yatra would commence on 28th June 2018 and conclude 26th August 2018

The 60-day-long annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas will commence on 28th June 2018, the shrine board said on Tuesday. Jammu and Kashmir Governor and chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board N N Vohra, presided over a meeting of the board to particularly discuss the implementation of the directions recently passed by NGT regarding Amarnath Yatra and to decide the further course of action. Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has decided that 60 days long Amarnath Yatra would commence on 28th June 2018 and conclude on 26th August 2018. Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath shrine stands at 3,888 metres, 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal. Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has reviewed the 2018 Yatra Action Plan, including arrangements for medical care, installation of railings and of garbage in a scientific manner.

Amarnath Yatra to begin on June 28

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi government to consider shutting schools whenever air quality touches emergency levels to save the children from inhaling pollutants.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the AAP government to look into this aspect and incorporate it in its action plan to deal with the problem of air pollution.

&quot;Why don&#39;t you close schools whenever the particulate matter levels are found to be beyond 900 microgram per cubic meter. Ask the schools to run on Saturday and Sunday if required,&quot; the bench observed.

Advocate Tarunvir Singh Khehar, appearing for the Delhi government, said that this was difficult to implement because the children will have to suffer academically.

He said that air quality is bad in winter season for three months and if schools are closed during this period it would be difficult to complete their syllabus and examinations will have to be postponed.

The bench, however, expressed dissatisfaction and said, &quot;You don&#39;t do your duty and now you are giving reasons. You are spoiling the lives of children. Infants are taking antibiotics in Delhi. Why should they suffer?

&quot;In the last 12 years, the Delhi government has not taken a single step to bring down the ambient air quality within permissible limits. If the lungs of children are affected today, imagine the disease they will have after 20 years,&quot; it said while directing it to consider the suggestion.

The NGT also rapped the AAP government for not installing air purifier in government schools as per its earlier direction.

During the proceedings, the Delhi government submitted its action plan for the period when air quality touches emergency levels which it divided in three categories dealing with different levels of pollution.

The NGT said that it would pass a detailed order on ways to handle air pollution after perusing the action plans submitted by the Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments.

The tribunal had on December 6 slammed the AAP government and the neighbouring states over their action plan on ways to deal with severe air pollution in the city and directed them to file a detailed document to tackle the problem.

It had observed that air pollution was never at &quot;normal level&quot; in the national capital and directed the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan to file the action plan afresh.&nbsp;

The Delhi government said it would be difficult to implement because the children would suffer academically

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi government to consider shutting schools whenever air quality touches emergency levels to save the children from inhaling pollutants. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the AAP government to look into this aspect and incorporate it in its action plan to deal with the problem of air pollution. "Why don't you close schools whenever the particulate matter levels are found to be beyond 900 microgram per cubic meter. Ask the schools to run on Saturday and Sunday if required," the bench observed. Advocate Tarunvir Singh Khehar, appearing for the Delhi government, said that this was difficult to implement because the children will have to suffer academically. He said that air quality is bad in winter season for three months and if schools are closed during this period it would be difficult to complete their syllabus and examinations will have to be postponed. The bench, however, expressed dissatisfaction and said, "You don't do your duty and now you are giving reasons. You are spoiling the lives of children. Infants are taking antibiotics in Delhi. Why should they suffer? "In the last 12 years, the Delhi government has not taken a single step to bring down the ambient air quality within permissible limits. If the lungs of children are affected today, imagine the disease they will have after 20 years," it said while directing it to consider the suggestion. The NGT also rapped the AAP government for not installing air purifier in government schools as per its earlier direction. During the proceedings, the Delhi government submitted its action plan for the period when air quality touches emergency levels which it divided in three categories dealing with different levels of pollution. The NGT said that it would pass a detailed order on ways to handle air pollution after perusing the action plans submitted by the Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments. The tribunal had on December 6 slammed the AAP government and the neighbouring states over their action plan on ways to deal with severe air pollution in the city and directed them to file a detailed document to tackle the problem. It had observed that air pollution was never at "normal level" in the national capital and directed the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan to file the action plan afresh.

Close schools when air quality hits emergency mark: NGT to Delhi government

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today imposed a complete ban on the the sale, manufacture and storage of plastic items in towns located on the&nbsp;banks of the River Ganga in view of the pollution of the river caused by these items.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar banned items such as carry bags, plates and cutlery till Uttarkashi.

The ban includes the towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh.

The green panel, which hearing a plea of environmentalist MC Mehta,&nbsp;also imposed Rs 5,000 fine on those violating the order and said action will be taken against erring officials as well.

The NGT passed the direction after noting that despite its earlier order, plastic was being used in these areas and was polluting the river.

 
&nbsp;

The National Green Tribunal imposed a complete ban on the sale, manufacture and storage of plastic items in towns located on the?banks of the River Ganga in view of the pollution of the river caused by these items

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today imposed a complete ban on the the sale, manufacture and storage of plastic items in towns located on the banks of the River Ganga in view of the pollution of the river caused by these items. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar banned items such as carry bags, plates and cutlery till Uttarkashi. The ban includes the towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh. The green panel, which hearing a plea of environmentalist MC Mehta, also imposed Rs 5,000 fine on those violating the order and said action will be taken against erring officials as well. The NGT passed the direction after noting that despite its earlier order, plastic was being used in these areas and was polluting the river.

NGT bans plastic items in towns located along banks of Ganga

I am not religious, but I visited Amarnath.&nbsp;

Visiting Amarnath, standing in front of the Shivalingam gave me goosebumps. I have rarely experienced something like this. And believe me, I have travelled quite a bit around the world. I was crying uncontrollably. The CRPF jawans guarding the cave were staring at me from far, but would not walk up to me and ask me to leave as they were doing to other pilgrims.

I have never cried either before or after that in a public place and that also for no known reason.&nbsp;

Why was I so emotionally moved? Anything of exceptional beauty moves us and brings the tear to our eyes. Amarnath is all about ruggedness, snow-capped peaks. It is beautiful. But not in a soft filmy kind of way.&nbsp;

Gandhiji believed that trains are not good for the human civilisation. One reason he cited was that in ancient days pilgrims had to toil, very hard, to reach the holy places. But with the introduction of the railways, the toil and the effort involved in the process has vanished, making the act of pilgrimage trivial.&nbsp;

If you are planning to climb Amarnath by foot there is no way you can escape the toil involved. It is hard. Very hard indeed, particularly with so little oxygen available at that height. I lost all my toenails. I badly bruised myself.&nbsp; As I mentioned I was crying in front of the Shivalingam, it is because of the extreme hardship I suffered to reach the cave. I was muttering to myself or to God, I am not sure, that if I revisit, then it has to be because of an explicit directive from the Almighty. I will not come by choice. If there is a Supreme Being, it has to pull me in.

This is the first time, I am sharing such personal feelings about my Amarnath yatra. The reason being I am kind of stirred and divided over the rulings given by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The NGT has recently declared few guidelines about the Amarnath Cave that will guide tourists while in the area. The guidelines include, maintaining silence in front of Shivling, one-way queue of pilgrims, there should be no ringing of bells, no mobiles or belongings to be carried beyond the last check post.&nbsp;

The NGT justifies these steps to maintain the sanctity of the cave and to ensure no adverse noise impact on the Shivling.&nbsp;

I am on the same page with anybody asking for the conservation of historically, culturally and naturally unique sites. In its preciousness, Amarnath belongs to an exclusive niche. We have to ensure its longevity, and like other fragile places, such as Macchu Picchu, Petra, and the Mont Saint Michel, we have to ensure strict code of conduct for visitors.&nbsp;

The use of cell phones must be discouraged because it is a distraction. But asking pilgrims to deposit their belongings in a special locker room would create a big hassle and another long line for an exhausted group of people who often include elderly, people with special needs and women. If anyone of you have visited the Mughal Garden in New Delhi will know what I exactly mean. And, the Mughal Garden receives only a fraction of visitors that Amarnath gets every year.

But I am not sure why ringing of bells should stop and why there should be absolute silence in front of the Shivalinga. We are not visiting a moratorium or a sanctuary, we are visiting a religious site. We can promise and endeavour to keep it clean and safe but there is no need for this enforced silence.&nbsp;

Ringing the bell has been part of many religious rituals worldwide. All my life I have seen both my grandmas, my mom and mom-in-law to have rung the handbell, which they called the &#39;ghonta&#39; in Bengali while doing puja. The bell rings for a brief few seconds. The idea behind the act is to let the deity know that the devotee is there. Over the years, I have found a deeper underlying significance of ringing the bell; it acts as a referee&#39;s whistle. Once, the devotee enters the temple, the person rings to tell himself that it is now the time to focus on God alone. The bell marks the process of withdrawing from the material world to focus on the transcendental.

If ringing of bells is turning into a cacophony, the ideal thing will be to restrict the number of pilgrims visiting the Amarnath cave every day.

This is a very common practise among all important sites. Macchu-Picchu imposes a strict rule on the number of people that can visit the site at the top of the hill. Petra does not even allow people to enter the tombs or the stone buildings.&nbsp;

Amarnath needs to implement similar rules but it should not be felt as an imposition. The devotees and others visit the site out of sheer emotional needs, to satisfy their spiritual quest. The rules should retain the essence of the place and not do away with it.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

The devotees and others visit Amarnath out of sheer emotional needs, to satisfy their spiritual quest. The rules should retain the essence of the place and not do away with it.?

I am not religious, but I visited Amarnath. Visiting Amarnath, standing in front of the Shivalingam gave me goosebumps. I have rarely experienced something like this. And believe me, I have travelled quite a bit around the world. I was crying uncontrollably. The CRPF jawans guarding the cave were staring at me from far, but would not walk up to me and ask me to leave as they were doing to other pilgrims. I have never cried either before or after that in a public place and that also for no known reason. Why was I so emotionally moved? Anything of exceptional beauty moves us and brings the tear to our eyes. Amarnath is all about ruggedness, snow-capped peaks. It is beautiful. But not in a soft filmy kind of way. Gandhiji believed that trains are not good for the human civilisation. One reason he cited was that in ancient days pilgrims had to toil, very hard, to reach the holy places. But with the introduction of the railways, the toil and the effort involved in the process has vanished, making the act of pilgrimage trivial. If you are planning to climb Amarnath by foot there is no way you can escape the toil involved. It is hard. Very hard indeed, particularly with so little oxygen available at that height. I lost all my toenails. I badly bruised myself. As I mentioned I was crying in front of the Shivalingam, it is because of the extreme hardship I suffered to reach the cave. I was muttering to myself or to God, I am not sure, that if I revisit, then it has to be because of an explicit directive from the Almighty. I will not come by choice. If there is a Supreme Being, it has to pull me in. This is the first time, I am sharing such personal feelings about my Amarnath yatra. The reason being I am kind of stirred and divided over the rulings given by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT has recently declared few guidelines about the Amarnath Cave that will guide tourists while in the area. The guidelines include, maintaining silence in front of Shivling, one-way queue of pilgrims, there should be no ringing of bells, no mobiles or belongings to be carried beyond the last check post. The NGT justifies these steps to maintain the sanctity of the cave and to ensure no adverse noise impact on the Shivling. I am on the same page with anybody asking for the conservation of historically, culturally and naturally unique sites. In its preciousness, Amarnath belongs to an exclusive niche. We have to ensure its longevity, and like other fragile places, such as Macchu Picchu, Petra, and the Mont Saint Michel, we have to ensure strict code of conduct for visitors. The use of cell phones must be discouraged because it is a distraction. But asking pilgrims to deposit their belongings in a special locker room would create a big hassle and another long line for an exhausted group of people who often include elderly, people with special needs and women. If anyone of you have visited the Mughal Garden in New Delhi will know what I exactly mean. And, the Mughal Garden receives only a fraction of visitors that Amarnath gets every year. But I am not sure why ringing of bells should stop and why there should be absolute silence in front of the Shivalinga. We are not visiting a moratorium or a sanctuary, we are visiting a religious site. We can promise and endeavour to keep it clean and safe but there is no need for this enforced silence. Ringing the bell has been part of many religious rituals worldwide. All my life I have seen both my grandmas, my mom and mom-in-law to have rung the handbell, which they called the 'ghonta' in Bengali while doing puja. The bell rings for a brief few seconds. The idea behind the act is to let the deity know that the devotee is there. Over the years, I have found a deeper underlying significance of ringing the bell; it acts as a referee's whistle. Once, the devotee enters the temple, the person rings to tell himself that it is now the time to focus on God alone. The bell marks the process of withdrawing from the material world to focus on the transcendental. If ringing of bells is turning into a cacophony, the ideal thing will be to restrict the number of pilgrims visiting the Amarnath cave every day. This is a very common practise among all important sites. Macchu-Picchu imposes a strict rule on the number of people that can visit the site at the top of the hill. Petra does not even allow people to enter the tombs or the stone buildings. Amarnath needs to implement similar rules but it should not be felt as an imposition. The devotees and others visit the site out of sheer emotional needs, to satisfy their spiritual quest. The rules should retain the essence of the place and not do away with it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Let's save Amarnath, not destroy its religious essence

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cabinet-clears-triple-talaq-bill-3-years-jail-for-guilty-husbands-in-proposed-law-26824">Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law</a>

The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill.

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-agrees-with-government-aadhaar-to-be-linked-with-all-schemes-till-march-31st-next-year-26795">Supreme Court agrees with government: Aadhaar to be linked with all schemes till March 31st next year</a>

Supreme Court has agreed with government&#39;s decision to link Aadhaar with all schemes till March 31st next year.

The five-judge Constitution bench also passed an interim order to extend the linking of Aadhaar with mobile phones in the country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-has-not-retired-from-politics-congress-26819">Sonia Gandhi has not retired from politics: Congress</a>

The Congress party dismissed rumours that its chief Sonia Gandhi was retiring from politics.&nbsp;

The clarification came after there were media reports quoting Sonia Gandhi as saying that she will retire from politics once her son Rahul Gandhi takes over the leadership of the party.

MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Randeep Surjewala clarified on Twitter that Sonia Gandhi had retired as president of the Congress and not from politics.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-bans-plastic-items-in-towns-located-along-ganga-banks-26834">NGT bans plastic items in towns located along banks of Ganga</a>

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today imposed a complete ban on the sale, manufacture and storage of plastic items in towns located on the banks of the River Ganga in view of the pollution of the river caused by these items.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar banned items such as carry bags, plates and cutlery till Uttarkashi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-approaches-sc-seeking-cross-verification-of-at-least-25-vvpat-slips-plea-dismissed-26829">Congress approaches SC seeking cross verification of at least 25% VVPAT slips, plea dismissed</a>

In a major set back to the Congress party, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their plea seeking directions to the Election Commission to count and cross verify at least 25 per cent of paper trails generated by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines with the actual vote tally in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal. Supreme Court agrees with government: Aadhaar to be linked with all schemes till March 31st next year Supreme Court has agreed with government's decision to link Aadhaar with all schemes till March 31st next year. The five-judge Constitution bench also passed an interim order to extend the linking of Aadhaar with mobile phones in the country. Sonia Gandhi has not retired from politics: Congress The Congress party dismissed rumours that its chief Sonia Gandhi was retiring from politics. The clarification came after there were media reports quoting Sonia Gandhi as saying that she will retire from politics once her son Rahul Gandhi takes over the leadership of the party. MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Randeep Surjewala clarified on Twitter that Sonia Gandhi had retired as president of the Congress and not from politics. NGT bans plastic items in towns located along banks of Ganga The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today imposed a complete ban on the sale, manufacture and storage of plastic items in towns located on the banks of the River Ganga in view of the pollution of the river caused by these items. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar banned items such as carry bags, plates and cutlery till Uttarkashi. Congress approaches SC seeking cross verification of at least 25% VVPAT slips, plea dismissed In a major set back to the Congress party, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their plea seeking directions to the Election Commission to count and cross verify at least 25 per cent of paper trails generated by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines with the actual vote tally in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

WION Evening News Brief, December 15, 2017

The National Green Tribunal(NGT) ordered the Delhi Development Authority(DDA) to construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with the compensatory amount of Rs 5 crores deposited by AoL(Art of Living) for &quot;causing damage to Yamuna floodplains&quot; in Delhi in 2016.&nbsp;

The green tribunal said further amount would be recovered from AoL if 5 crores fell short.

The NGT&nbsp;slammed the DDA&nbsp;for failing to protect the city&#39;s floodplains.

The NGT said the DDA did not impose penalty to protest Delhi&#39;s floodplains.

The tribunal had earlier asked the Delhi housing body to assess the damage caused to floodplains and complete the restoration cost in line with expert panel&#39;s recommendations.&nbsp;

In April, an NGT bench had asked the DDA to inspect the floodplains near Okhla in Delhi and submit a report.

The bench had said it had noticed &quot;massive, unauthorised and illegal constructions&quot; on the Yamuna floodplains.

In July, the NGT had asked the DDA to submit an action plan to restore the Yamuna floodplains following the festival by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar&#39;s Art of Living foundation.

The bench had said it had noticed "massive, unauthorised and illegal constructions" on the Yamuna floodplains.

The National Green Tribunal(NGT) ordered the Delhi Development Authority(DDA) to construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with the compensatory amount of Rs 5 crores deposited by AoL(Art of Living) for "causing damage to Yamuna floodplains" in Delhi in 2016. The green tribunal said further amount would be recovered from AoL if 5 crores fell short. The NGT slammed the DDA for failing to protect the city's floodplains. The NGT said the DDA did not impose penalty to protest Delhi's floodplains. The tribunal had earlier asked the Delhi housing body to assess the damage caused to floodplains and complete the restoration cost in line with expert panel's recommendations. In April, an NGT bench had asked the DDA to inspect the floodplains near Okhla in Delhi and submit a report. The bench had said it had noticed "massive, unauthorised and illegal constructions" on the Yamuna floodplains. In July, the NGT had asked the DDA to submit an action plan to restore the Yamuna floodplains following the festival by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation.

Construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with Art of Living compensation: NGT orders DDA

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After registering his career-best 243 runs in the third and final test match against Sri Lanka, Indian Cricket Team skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday moved three places up to grab the second spot in the ICC Test rankings. Kohli&#39;s first innings knock was followed by another half century, 50 runs, in the second innings taking his total to 610 in the three-match series against Sri Lanka which India won 1-0. The first and third test ended in draws in Kolkata and New Delhi respectively.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-us-threats-make-war-unavoidable-26132">US threats make war &#39;unavoidable&#39;: North Korea</a>

The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39;. The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea&#39;s action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/wait-what-19-year-old-zombied-angelina-jolie-look-alike-admits-she-lied-about-her-50-cosmetic-surgeries-26118">&#39;Zombied&#39; Jolie look-alike admits she lied</a>

The world was shocked by the news that Iranian teenager Sahar Tabar had undergone 50 cosmetic surgeries to look like her idol Angelina Jolie till recently. But now the teenager has admitted that she was lying. Tabar&#39;s Instagram post had left everyone shocked as the young girl, in an attempt to look like Jolie, looked &#39;zombie-like&#39; according to many of her fans.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-slams-dda-over-failing-to-protect-citys-floodplains-26129">Construct biodiversity park near </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-slams-dda-over-failing-to-protect-citys-floodplains-26129">Yamuna</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-slams-dda-over-failing-to-protect-citys-floodplains-26129"> with Art of Living compensation: NGT orders DDA</a>

The National Green Tribunal(NGT) ordered the Delhi Development Authority(DDA) to construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with the compensatory amount of Rs 5 crores deposited by AoL&nbsp;(Art of Living) for &quot;causing damage to Yamuna floodplains&quot; in Delhi in 2016. The green tribunal said further amount would be recovered from AoL if 5 crores fell short.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jerusalem-status-us-decision-a-serious-violation-of-international-law-says-pak-pm-abbasi-26120">Jerusalem status: US decision a serious violation of international law, says Pak PM Abbasi</a>

Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital. Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is &quot;time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel&quot;, adding that &quot;new approach&quot; was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A look at the five big stories of the day

After two double tons, Virat Kohli ranked No-2 in ICC Test rankings After registering his career-best 243 runs in the third and final test match against Sri Lanka, Indian Cricket Team skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday moved three places up to grab the second spot in the ICC Test rankings. Kohli's first innings knock was followed by another half century, 50 runs, in the second innings taking his total to 610 in the three-match series against Sri Lanka which India won 1-0. The first and third test ended in draws in Kolkata and New Delhi respectively. US threats make war 'unavoidable': North Korea The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called 'Vigilant Ace'. The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea's action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime. 'Zombied' Jolie look-alike admits she lied The world was shocked by the news that Iranian teenager Sahar Tabar had undergone 50 cosmetic surgeries to look like her idol Angelina Jolie till recently. But now the teenager has admitted that she was lying. Tabar's Instagram post had left everyone shocked as the young girl, in an attempt to look like Jolie, looked 'zombie-like' according to many of her fans. Construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with Art of Living compensation: NGT orders DDA The National Green Tribunal(NGT) ordered the Delhi Development Authority(DDA) to construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with the compensatory amount of Rs 5 crores deposited by AoL (Art of Living) for "causing damage to Yamuna floodplains" in Delhi in 2016. The green tribunal said further amount would be recovered from AoL if 5 crores fell short. Jerusalem status: US decision a serious violation of international law, says Pak PM Abbasi Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is "time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel", adding that "new approach" was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

WION evening news brief, December 7, 2017

The National Green Tribunal slammed the Delhi government Monday for not filing an action plan to curb air pollution.&nbsp;

&quot;Where is your action plan? Why have you not submitted it? What can we do if you keep on changing everybody? It&#39;s not our problem if people don&#39;t want to stick to you,&quot; PTI reported a bench headed by NGT chairperson as saying.&nbsp;

&quot;You keep on doing meetings but tell us a single action or step you have taken in the last four days to combat air pollution,&quot; the bench said.

The NGT also slammed the government for letting the India-Sri Lanka Test go ahead.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/3rd-test-play-halted-twice-due-to-pollution-lanka-players-wear-masks-while-fielding-25729" target="_blank">Pollution halts play three times, Lanka players wear masks while fielding</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricketers-vomiting-after-playing-in-polluted-delhi-sri-lanka-coach-25769" target="_blank">Cricketers vomiting after playing in polluted Delhi, says Sri Lanka coach</a>

&quot;Every newspaper has been carrying headline that the air pollution was going to be higher this week. Still you took no action. Even the players were playing match wearing masks. You should have not held the match if the air quality was so bad. Are people of Delhi supposed to bear this?&quot; PTI reported the bench as saying.&nbsp;

The bench also pulled up the city government for not introducing the odd-even car scheme considering the air quality is so bad.&nbsp;

The NGT had recently put a stop to all construction activity and the entry of trucks into the city.&nbsp;

It had however refused to allow any exemptions to women drivers, two-wheeler users, and government servants in the odd-even scheme which the Delhi government had wanted to roll out.&nbsp;

As a result, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had decided against rolling out the scheme.&nbsp;

The National Green Tribunal slammed the Delhi government on Monday for not filing an action plan to curb pollution

The National Green Tribunal slammed the Delhi government Monday for not filing an action plan to curb air pollution. "Where is your action plan? Why have you not submitted it? What can we do if you keep on changing everybody? It's not our problem if people don't want to stick to you," PTI reported a bench headed by NGT chairperson as saying. "You keep on doing meetings but tell us a single action or step you have taken in the last four days to combat air pollution," the bench said. The NGT also slammed the government for letting the India-Sri Lanka Test go ahead. Also read: Pollution halts play three times, Lanka players wear masks while fielding Also read: Cricketers vomiting after playing in polluted Delhi, says Sri Lanka coach "Every newspaper has been carrying headline that the air pollution was going to be higher this week. Still you took no action. Even the players were playing match wearing masks. You should have not held the match if the air quality was so bad. Are people of Delhi supposed to bear this?" PTI reported the bench as saying. The bench also pulled up the city government for not introducing the odd-even car scheme considering the air quality is so bad. The NGT had recently put a stop to all construction activity and the entry of trucks into the city. It had however refused to allow any exemptions to women drivers, two-wheeler users, and government servants in the odd-even scheme which the Delhi government had wanted to roll out. As a result, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had decided against rolling out the scheme.

Air is so bad, why have you not rolled out odd-even scheme? NGT asks Delhi government

The National Green Tribunal has called for a meeting of Ministry of Agriculture and states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on 28 November.

The NGT has also asked the&nbsp;NTPC to join the meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 11 am.

The meeting is convened to decide on transportation and use of stubble.

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NGT directs NTPC, Ministry of Agriculture and states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to convene a meeting at 11 am on 28 November to decide on transportation, subsequent use of stubble and compensating farmers adequately. Next date of hearing is 6 December.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/933236964009984000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The meeting will try to formulate a workable solution for stubble burning.&nbsp;

The Thermal Power plant has expressed its willingness to use agricultural residue in power plants. However, they can use it as five per cent of the fuel.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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NGT asks all the concerned states to provide workable solution for stubble burning. NTPC says they are willing to use agricultural residue in power plants, however it may not be possible to use it directly as they can only use it as 5 percent of the fuel.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/933236613148172289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The NGT&#39;s decision is in response to the rising level of air pollutant&nbsp;in Delhi and adjoining states.

The pollution level rises after the farmers resort to stubble burning to clear off the agricultural fields for next season.

The meeting is convened to decide on transportation and use of stubble

The National Green Tribunal has called for a meeting of Ministry of Agriculture and states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on 28 November. The NGT has also asked the NTPC to join the meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 11 am. The meeting is convened to decide on transportation and use of stubble. NGT directs NTPC, Ministry of Agriculture and states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to convene a meeting at 11 am on 28 November to decide on transportation, subsequent use of stubble and compensating farmers adequately. Next date of hearing is 6 December. — ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2017 × The meeting will try to formulate a workable solution for stubble burning. The Thermal Power plant has expressed its willingness to use agricultural residue in power plants. However, they can use it as five per cent of the fuel. NGT asks all the concerned states to provide workable solution for stubble burning. NTPC says they are willing to use agricultural residue in power plants, however it may not be possible to use it directly as they can only use it as 5 percent of the fuel. — ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2017 × The NGT's decision is in response to the rising level of air pollutant in Delhi and adjoining states. The pollution level rises after the farmers resort to stubble burning to clear off the agricultural fields for next season.

NGT called for a meeting of Ministry of Agriculture, states and NTPC on Nov 28

The Supreme Court has put a stay on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-caps-number-of-pilgrims-at-vaishno-devi-at-50000-ina-single-day-24101" target="_blank">National Green Tribunal&#39;s order</a> which directed temple authorities to open a new road for use by pedestrians and battery operated vehicles.&nbsp;

The tribunal had asked the Vaishno Devi Temple Shrine Board to devise a plan to replace the animals with a battery operated vehicles. The plan was to be implemented on November 24.&nbsp;

However, a stay was put on the order by a bench of Justice Madan B.Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta.

The apex court stay came after the temple shrine told the court that it was impossible to open the new road from November 24, as construction was ongoing.&nbsp;

Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi told the bench that the new road would be opened in February. It will cost around Rs 40 crore.&nbsp;

The NGT had earlier restricted the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine in Jammu and Kashmir to 50,000 per day.&nbsp; 
 
It had also instructed the temple authorities to put a fine of Rs 2000 on anyone found littering roads as well as the bus stop in Katra town.

The Tribunal had also asked the authorities to stop all construction activities around the Shrine.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The tribunal had asked the Vaishno Devi Temple Shrine Board to devise a plan to replace the animals with a battery operated vehicles. The plan was to be implemented on November 24

The Supreme Court has put a stay on the National Green Tribunal's order which directed temple authorities to open a new road for use by pedestrians and battery operated vehicles. The tribunal had asked the Vaishno Devi Temple Shrine Board to devise a plan to replace the animals with a battery operated vehicles. The plan was to be implemented on November 24. However, a stay was put on the order by a bench of Justice Madan B.Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta. The apex court stay came after the temple shrine told the court that it was impossible to open the new road from November 24, as construction was ongoing. Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi told the bench that the new road would be opened in February. It will cost around Rs 40 crore. The NGT had earlier restricted the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine in Jammu and Kashmir to 50,000 per day. It had also instructed the temple authorities to put a fine of Rs 2000 on anyone found littering roads as well as the bus stop in Katra town. The Tribunal had also asked the authorities to stop all construction activities around the Shrine.

Supreme Court stay on NGT order on Vaishno Devi

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has hit out at the AAP government, saying lack of preparedness in tackling pollution in the national capital shows &quot;failure of governance&quot;, and pitched for a Centre-led panel to deal with the issue of pollution.

Dikshit also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation for making &quot;pronouncements&quot; but not following them up, and said the government used its run-ins with the Lieutenant Governor (LG) as an &quot;excuse&quot; for not delivering.

The veteran Congress leader said the Delhi government &quot;failed&quot; to anticipate the pollution crisis despite it being a repeat of that last year when stubble burning was again supposed to have been a major cause for toxic air.

&quot;It is nothing that has happened which wasn&#39;t expected and not to be prepared for it is a failure of governance,&quot; Dikshit told PTI here in an interview. 
She called for a committee to deal with the issue.

&quot;I personally feel now that the government of India should make a committee of people representing Punjab, Haryana, UP and of course Delhi and see that before the stubbling takes place, a method is found on how to deal with it (stubble burning),&quot; the three-time chief minister of Delhi said.

A &quot;substantially knowledgeable&quot; panel has to be formed, she said, adding that it must comprise experts, who can find a solution to the problem of increasing pollution.

On the issue of stubble or crop residue burning, Dikshit said the Delhi government should have worked with the Punjab, Haryana and the Uttar Pradesh governments to find an alternative to it.

She also suggested that governments look into pooling in resources to deploy machines which can roll up the stubble so that it can be used for something else rather than being burnt, which significantly leads to smoke and pollution.

The National Green Tribunal had earlier this month issued a slew of directions to deal with the worsening air quality in Delhi and neighboring states, banning construction, industrial activities and entry of trucks, while lambasting the Delhi government and civic bodies for the situation.

Dikshit, who was the chief minister of Delhi from 1998- 2013, also said there was a need to have a vision for Delhi which was &quot;all collapsing&quot; as a capital city.

Slamming the AAP dispensation for not following up on their promises, she alleged that even the work which her government had started, such as north Delhi&#39;s Signature Bridge project, was not being completed.

On the LG-AAP government frequent confrontations, she said Delhi did not have full statehood and so it lacked the kind of freedom that UP, Madhya Pradesh or Haryana enjoyed. 
The government has to work within the framework of the Constitution applicable to Delhi and it is to be done with the central government&#39;s cooperation, the 79-year-old leader said.

&quot;But to keep on saying (that the Centre is not allowing them to work) now looks as though it is an excuse not to do anything,&quot; she said, adding that under her administration Delhi changed despite the system and the Constitution is the same.

&quot;You are finding excuses for not working, blaming everybody else except yourself. Why are you not working,&quot; Dikshit said about the AAP government. 
Stressing that cooperation was an important factor in governance, she said the AAP government should resolve its differences with the LG and the Centre for the good of Delhi&#39;s residents.

&quot;Everybody is interested in making this look like a real capital city and it had started looking like a capital city. It is one of the top capitals of the world but now it&#39;s all collapsing,&quot; Dikshit lamented.

&nbsp;

The former Delhi chief minister pitched for a Centre-led panel to deal with the issue of pollution

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has hit out at the AAP government, saying lack of preparedness in tackling pollution in the national capital shows "failure of governance", and pitched for a Centre-led panel to deal with the issue of pollution. Dikshit also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation for making "pronouncements" but not following them up, and said the government used its run-ins with the Lieutenant Governor (LG) as an "excuse" for not delivering. The veteran Congress leader said the Delhi government "failed" to anticipate the pollution crisis despite it being a repeat of that last year when stubble burning was again supposed to have been a major cause for toxic air. "It is nothing that has happened which wasn't expected and not to be prepared for it is a failure of governance," Dikshit told PTI here in an interview. She called for a committee to deal with the issue. "I personally feel now that the government of India should make a committee of people representing Punjab, Haryana, UP and of course Delhi and see that before the stubbling takes place, a method is found on how to deal with it (stubble burning)," the three-time chief minister of Delhi said. A "substantially knowledgeable" panel has to be formed, she said, adding that it must comprise experts, who can find a solution to the problem of increasing pollution. On the issue of stubble or crop residue burning, Dikshit said the Delhi government should have worked with the Punjab, Haryana and the Uttar Pradesh governments to find an alternative to it. She also suggested that governments look into pooling in resources to deploy machines which can roll up the stubble so that it can be used for something else rather than being burnt, which significantly leads to smoke and pollution. The National Green Tribunal had earlier this month issued a slew of directions to deal with the worsening air quality in Delhi and neighboring states, banning construction, industrial activities and entry of trucks, while lambasting the Delhi government and civic bodies for the situation. Dikshit, who was the chief minister of Delhi from 1998- 2013, also said there was a need to have a vision for Delhi which was "all collapsing" as a capital city. Slamming the AAP dispensation for not following up on their promises, she alleged that even the work which her government had started, such as north Delhi's Signature Bridge project, was not being completed. On the LG-AAP government frequent confrontations, she said Delhi did not have full statehood and so it lacked the kind of freedom that UP, Madhya Pradesh or Haryana enjoyed. The government has to work within the framework of the Constitution applicable to Delhi and it is to be done with the central government's cooperation, the 79-year-old leader said. "But to keep on saying (that the Centre is not allowing them to work) now looks as though it is an excuse not to do anything," she said, adding that under her administration Delhi changed despite the system and the Constitution is the same. "You are finding excuses for not working, blaming everybody else except yourself. Why are you not working," Dikshit said about the AAP government. Stressing that cooperation was an important factor in governance, she said the AAP government should resolve its differences with the LG and the Centre for the good of Delhi's residents. "Everybody is interested in making this look like a real capital city and it had started looking like a capital city. It is one of the top capitals of the world but now it's all collapsing," Dikshit lamented.

AAP inability to tackle pollution governance failure: Sheila Dikshit

The National Green Tribunal on Thursday ordered all Delhi government schools and colleges to add rainwater harvesting systems within two months, said reports.&nbsp;

School and college who fail to follow the order will be subjected to pay environment compensation of &nbsp;Rs. 5 lakh, said NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.&nbsp;

The tribunal directed schools and colleges to approach a committee constituted by it. The committee will inspect the premises and grant permission to institutions for operating the system.

According to reports, senior officials from the education department of the Delhi government, Delhi Jal Board, Public Works Department, representative of Central Groundwater Authority and others were asked to deal with the applications from schools and colleges.

&quot;The committee shall meet twice a month and deal with the application of the schools and colleges expeditiously,&quot; the bench said.

&quot;Upon inspection, if it feels that there is no possibility of setting up such system, then the panel may issue exemption certificate,&quot; the bench said. Rainwater harvesting systems will then be installed in nearby areas, consisting of parks, PTI reported.

The green panel has told the director of Delhi education department and Delhi Jal Board issue to send notices to the selected schools within three days.&nbsp;

According to Mahesh Chandra Saxena, an associate with an NGO has claimed that some of the institutions have either not installed rainwater harvesting systems or have systems which are damaged.&nbsp;

School and college who fail to follow the order will be subjected to pay environment compensation of ?Rs. 5 lakh, said NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.?

The National Green Tribunal on Thursday ordered all Delhi government schools and colleges to add rainwater harvesting systems within two months, said reports. School and college who fail to follow the order will be subjected to pay environment compensation of Rs. 5 lakh, said NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar. The tribunal directed schools and colleges to approach a committee constituted by it. The committee will inspect the premises and grant permission to institutions for operating the system. According to reports, senior officials from the education department of the Delhi government, Delhi Jal Board, Public Works Department, representative of Central Groundwater Authority and others were asked to deal with the applications from schools and colleges. "The committee shall meet twice a month and deal with the application of the schools and colleges expeditiously," the bench said. "Upon inspection, if it feels that there is no possibility of setting up such system, then the panel may issue exemption certificate," the bench said. Rainwater harvesting systems will then be installed in nearby areas, consisting of parks, PTI reported. The green panel has told the director of Delhi education department and Delhi Jal Board issue to send notices to the selected schools within three days. According to Mahesh Chandra Saxena, an associate with an NGO has claimed that some of the institutions have either not installed rainwater harvesting systems or have systems which are damaged.

Install rainwater harvesting system in two months: NGT to Delhi schools, colleges

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said Centre is ready to help Delhi government in tackling pollution, adding that odd-even car rationing scheme is not going to help.

&ldquo;The Delhi government should add electric buses in its transport fleet if it wants to curb pollution. The Centre is ready to help in every possible way,&rdquo; Gadkari said in a letter to Union environment minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

In the letter, Gadkari suggested forming a panel of experts before deciding a course of action to combat pollution in Delhi. &ldquo;The odd-even scheme is not going to help,&rdquo; Gadkari said.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi governments on the petition on stubble burning and dust pollution.

Stating that it&#39;s an emergency situation, the Supreme Court sought expeditious action from the authorities.

The Delhi High Court had on November 9 issued a slew of directions to improve air quality of Delhi.

Calling it an &quot;emergency situation&quot;, the high court had asked the government to consider the option of &quot;cloud seeding&quot; to induce rainfall artificially, as an immediate step to bring down the dust and particulate matter in the atmosphere.

It had directed the Delhi government to seriously consider a ban on further construction in the city to the extent possible and implementing the &#39;odd-even&#39; vehicle usage scheme as a short term measure.

?The Delhi government should add electric buses in its transport fleet if it wants to curb pollution. The Centre is ready to help in every possible way,? Gadkari said in a letter to Union environment minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said Centre is ready to help Delhi government in tackling pollution, adding that odd-even car rationing scheme is not going to help. “The Delhi government should add electric buses in its transport fleet if it wants to curb pollution. The Centre is ready to help in every possible way,” Gadkari said in a letter to Union environment minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. In the letter, Gadkari suggested forming a panel of experts before deciding a course of action to combat pollution in Delhi. “The odd-even scheme is not going to help,” Gadkari said. The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi governments on the petition on stubble burning and dust pollution. Stating that it's an emergency situation, the Supreme Court sought expeditious action from the authorities. The Delhi High Court had on November 9 issued a slew of directions to improve air quality of Delhi. Calling it an "emergency situation", the high court had asked the government to consider the option of "cloud seeding" to induce rainfall artificially, as an immediate step to bring down the dust and particulate matter in the atmosphere. It had directed the Delhi government to seriously consider a ban on further construction in the city to the extent possible and implementing the 'odd-even' vehicle usage scheme as a short term measure.

Odd-even won't help, Centre ready to step in: Nitin Gadkari on Delhi pollution

The Delhi government has filed a fresh review petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding odd-even policy.

The state government has again requested that two-wheelers and woman drivers be exempt from the scheme for one year or till 2,000 additional buses are engaged by the city.

The state government has also requested neighbouring states to implement the odd-even scheme.

The NGT had earlier today refused to exempt women and two-wheelers from the odd-even scheme.

It also directed the government ensure that over-10-year-old diesel vehicles be taken off the city&#39;s roads without delay.

Expressing concern over the rising pollution in Delhi, the bench said the city should &quot;not gift infected lungs to its children&quot;.&nbsp;

NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also asked the AAP government to identify the most-polluted areas in the city and sprinkle water on them from high-rise buildings.

The NGT however allowed non-polluting industries which manufacture essential goods to continue functioning.&nbsp;

The Delhi government had scrapped its plan to implement the odd-even scheme from November 13 after the NGT said there would be no exemptions from the scheme for women drivers, two-wheelers, and government servants.

The state government has again requested that two-wheelers and woman drivers be exempt from the scheme for one year or till 2,000 additional buses are engaged by the city

The Delhi government has filed a fresh review petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding odd-even policy. The state government has again requested that two-wheelers and woman drivers be exempt from the scheme for one year or till 2,000 additional buses are engaged by the city. The state government has also requested neighbouring states to implement the odd-even scheme. The NGT had earlier today refused to exempt women and two-wheelers from the odd-even scheme. It also directed the government ensure that over-10-year-old diesel vehicles be taken off the city's roads without delay. Expressing concern over the rising pollution in Delhi, the bench said the city should "not gift infected lungs to its children". NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also asked the AAP government to identify the most-polluted areas in the city and sprinkle water on them from high-rise buildings. The NGT however allowed non-polluting industries which manufacture essential goods to continue functioning. The Delhi government had scrapped its plan to implement the odd-even scheme from November 13 after the NGT said there would be no exemptions from the scheme for women drivers, two-wheelers, and government servants.

Odd-even: Delhi government files fresh review petition with NGT

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has capped the number of pilgrims who can visit the Vaishno Devi shrine in a day at 50,000.

The tribunal, in its order, said any pilgrims over that number will be asked to stop at either Ardhkumari or Katra

The NGT has also put on hold the new construction taking place inside the shrine complex.

The NGT had last year directed the CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to furnish a detailed report of solid waste and sewage treatment plants installed at the shrine complex.

The NGT had also asked for details of&nbsp;remedial measure taken to tackle the waste problem after a plea complained that a large amount of untreated solid and liquid waste generated by pilgrims, horses, ponies, and mules was being disposed directly into a bad-polluted Ganga&nbsp;river.

Vaishno Devi is a Hindu shrine located at Katra, Jammu and Kashmir in the Trikuta mountains.

Interestingly, the shrine was discovered by a local Kashmiri Muslim.&nbsp;

And for a long time&nbsp;he and his family looked after the shrine, until the government took over the shrine and the pilgrimage to it.&nbsp;

In other news, it was also reported the new path to Vaishno Devi exclusively for pedestrians and battery-operated cars will open from November 24.

The National Green Tribunal has also put a stop to the construction taking place within the shrine

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has capped the number of pilgrims who can visit the Vaishno Devi shrine in a day at 50,000. The tribunal, in its order, said any pilgrims over that number will be asked to stop at either Ardhkumari or Katra The NGT has also put on hold the new construction taking place inside the shrine complex. The NGT had last year directed the CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to furnish a detailed report of solid waste and sewage treatment plants installed at the shrine complex. The NGT had also asked for details of remedial measure taken to tackle the waste problem after a plea complained that a large amount of untreated solid and liquid waste generated by pilgrims, horses, ponies, and mules was being disposed directly into a bad-polluted Ganga river. Vaishno Devi is a Hindu shrine located at Katra, Jammu and Kashmir in the Trikuta mountains. Interestingly, the shrine was discovered by a local Kashmiri Muslim. And for a long time he and his family looked after the shrine, until the government took over the shrine and the pilgrimage to it. In other news, it was also reported the new path to Vaishno Devi exclusively for pedestrians and battery-operated cars will open from November 24.

Vaishno Devi: NGT says only 50,000 pilgrims a day can visit shrine

The Delhi government has filed an appeal in the National Green Tribunal seeking certain changes in NGTs previous directions.&nbsp;

The Tribunal will hear the plea tomorrow.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Delhi Government files an appeal in the National Green Tribunal seeking certain changes in NGT&#39;s previous directions. Tribunal likely to hear the plea, tomorrow <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OddEven?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OddEven</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirPollution?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AirPollution</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929992993062371328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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To reduce the pollution level, the Delhi government had ordered the implementation of the odd-even rationing of vehicles from today.

However, the decision was dropped by the Delhi government after the National Green Tribunal&#39;s(NGT) said none of the vehicles would be exempted.

The government had exempted women, government officials and two-wheelers from the rationing.

The government claimed&nbsp;that the exemption was&nbsp;done keeping in mind the security of women in the city.

Also, the two-wheelers were exempted because the city does not have enough bus services to support the increase in the passengers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The Delhi government has filed an appeal in the National Green Tribunal seeking certain changes in NGTs previous directions. The Tribunal will hear the plea tomorrow. Delhi Government files an appeal in the National Green Tribunal seeking certain changes in NGT's previous directions. Tribunal likely to hear the plea, tomorrow #OddEven #AirPollution — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017 × To reduce the pollution level, the Delhi government had ordered the implementation of the odd-even rationing of vehicles from today. However, the decision was dropped by the Delhi government after the National Green Tribunal's(NGT) said none of the vehicles would be exempted. The government had exempted women, government officials and two-wheelers from the rationing. The government claimed that the exemption was done keeping in mind the security of women in the city. Also, the two-wheelers were exempted because the city does not have enough bus services to support the increase in the passengers.

Delhi government files plea in NGT seeking changes in its previous directions

A day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-smog-69-trains-delayed-22-recheduled-eight-cancelled-24069">Delhi government decided not to implement the odd-even</a> scheme for cars, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea seeking immediate measures to curb&nbsp;rising pollution in Delhi-NCR.

The CJI bench will hear the matter at the end of the board today.

The plea was filed by Supreme court lawyer&nbsp;RK Kapoor.&nbsp;The plea seeks to&nbsp;immediate action&nbsp;against stubble burning and construction dust.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal(NGT) hit out at the&nbsp;Delhi government saying whether the officials were only &quot;informing&quot;&nbsp;the media about the review petition on the odd-even scheme, as no review petition had been filed.&nbsp;

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NGT asks whether the Delhi government was only informing the media about a review petition on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OddEven?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OddEven</a> scheme since no review petition has been filed as yet.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929942001696436224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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NGT further said that the Delhi government had still not moved modification on NGT on the issue of odd-even vehicle number plates.&nbsp;

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NGT on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> Smog and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OddEven?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OddEven</a>: Delhi Government has still not moved modification application on NGT on the issue of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OddEven?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OddEven</a>. NGT observes &quot;govt approaching us or was its minister&#39;s statement for press only?&quot;
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929943445967290368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday, the NGT had told the Delhi government to go ahead with the odd-even scheme but refused to exempt women and government vehicles. The Delhi government later decided not to go ahead with the scheme fearing safety&nbsp;for women.

Meanwhile, schools in Delhi reopened after being closed due to severe smog conditions, however, heavy smog continued unabated as Delhiites woke up on Monday morning.

(With inputs from ANI)

?The Supreme Court agrees to hear a fresh plea seeking immediate measures to curb?rising pollution in Delhi-NCR

A day after the Delhi government decided not to implement the odd-even scheme for cars, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea seeking immediate measures to curb rising pollution in Delhi-NCR. The CJI bench will hear the matter at the end of the board today. The plea was filed by Supreme court lawyer RK Kapoor. The plea seeks to immediate action against stubble burning and construction dust. Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal(NGT) hit out at the Delhi government saying whether the officials were only "informing" the media about the review petition on the odd-even scheme, as no review petition had been filed. NGT asks whether the Delhi government was only informing the media about a review petition on the #OddEven scheme since no review petition has been filed as yet. — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017 × NGT further said that the Delhi government had still not moved modification on NGT on the issue of odd-even vehicle number plates. NGT on #Delhi Smog and #OddEven: Delhi Government has still not moved modification application on NGT on the issue of #OddEven. NGT observes "govt approaching us or was its minister's statement for press only?" — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017 × On Sunday, the NGT had told the Delhi government to go ahead with the odd-even scheme but refused to exempt women and government vehicles. The Delhi government later decided not to go ahead with the scheme fearing safety for women. Meanwhile, schools in Delhi reopened after being closed due to severe smog conditions, however, heavy smog continued unabated as Delhiites woke up on Monday morning. (With inputs from ANI)

Delhi smog: Supreme Court to hear plea on pollution today

After improvement&nbsp;on Saturday afternoon, Delhi pollution hit the &quot;emergency&quot;&nbsp;level again, with the minimum temperature dropping to 13 degrees Celsius, a MeT department official said.

High humidity level at 98 per cent contributed to the smog, the official said.&nbsp;

At 9:00 am, Particulate Matter (PM) 10 Average Levels (24 Hourly) were recorded at 614&nbsp;micro grams/m3, while PM 2.5 Average Levels (24 Hourly) were recorded at 441.7 micro grams/m3, as per Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). In Delhi&#39;s Lodhi Road area, PM 10 levels were at 560, and PM 2.5 at 625, way above the permissible limit of 100 and 60.

In Noida, PM 10 levels were at 551, and PM 2.5 levels at 541.The air quality is categorised as &quot;severe&quot;, when pollution level hits 401 or above, in the Air Quality Index (AQI).

The city&#39;s air quality worsened ahead of winter as cooler air traps pollutants near the ground, preventing them from dispersing into the atmosphere.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified four reasons for the sudden onset of pollution -- temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and atmospheric boundary layer -- for the worsening Delhi air.

Due to the dense smog engulfing national capital, 34 trains running late, 21 were rescheduled and 8 trains were cancelled.

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Delhi: 34 trains arriving late, 21 rescheduled &amp; 8 cancelled <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/smog?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#smog</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929574229388836864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Delhi has been experiencing heavy smog for the past few days, forcing authorities to enforce emergency measures such as banning construction activities, barring trucks and heavy vehicles from entering Delhi and closure of brick kilns due to worsening air pollution.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government is also in talks with Pawan Hans Helicopter limited, for aerially sprinkling water in the city to settle the particulate matter.

The &quot;odd-even&quot; rationing of cars, which was supposed to begin on Monday, however,&nbsp;was called off by the Delhi government after the National Green Tribunal ordered the withdrawal of exemptions given to women and two-wheelers under the scheme. 
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After an improvement on Saturday afternoon, Delhi pollution hit 'emergency' level again, with the minimum temperature dropping to 13 degrees celsius, a MeT department official said

After improvement on Saturday afternoon, Delhi pollution hit the "emergency" level again, with the minimum temperature dropping to 13 degrees Celsius, a MeT department official said. High humidity level at 98 per cent contributed to the smog, the official said. At 9:00 am, Particulate Matter (PM) 10 Average Levels (24 Hourly) were recorded at 614 micro grams/m3, while PM 2.5 Average Levels (24 Hourly) were recorded at 441.7 micro grams/m3, as per Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). In Delhi's Lodhi Road area, PM 10 levels were at 560, and PM 2.5 at 625, way above the permissible limit of 100 and 60. In Noida, PM 10 levels were at 551, and PM 2.5 levels at 541.The air quality is categorised as "severe", when pollution level hits 401 or above, in the Air Quality Index (AQI). The city's air quality worsened ahead of winter as cooler air traps pollutants near the ground, preventing them from dispersing into the atmosphere. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified four reasons for the sudden onset of pollution -- temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and atmospheric boundary layer -- for the worsening Delhi air. Due to the dense smog engulfing national capital, 34 trains running late, 21 were rescheduled and 8 trains were cancelled. Delhi: 34 trains arriving late, 21 rescheduled & 8 cancelled #smog — ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017 × Delhi has been experiencing heavy smog for the past few days, forcing authorities to enforce emergency measures such as banning construction activities, barring trucks and heavy vehicles from entering Delhi and closure of brick kilns due to worsening air pollution. Meanwhile, the Delhi government is also in talks with Pawan Hans Helicopter limited, for aerially sprinkling water in the city to settle the particulate matter. The "odd-even" rationing of cars, which was supposed to begin on Monday, however, was called off by the Delhi government after the National Green Tribunal ordered the withdrawal of exemptions given to women and two-wheelers under the scheme.

Delhi Pollution hits 'emergency' level again

The National Green Tribunal has given its nod to the odd-even scheme.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLASH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLASH</a>: National Green Tribunal gives nod to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OddEven?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OddEven</a> scheme. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/zfL3204gh9">pic.twitter.com/zfL3204gh9</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929241977253642240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The scheme, as proposed by the Delhi government, will be rolled out on Monday.&nbsp;

During the scheme, cars with number plates ending with an odd number will be allowed to ply only on odd dates (1, 3, 5 etc). And vice-versa with cars with number plates ending with an even number.&nbsp;

While giving its nod, the NGT added that there would be no exemptions for two-wheelers, women, or government servants, as was the case the last time the scheme was rolled out.&nbsp;

Emergency vehicles however will be exempt.&nbsp;

The scheme, as proposed by the Delhi government, will be rolled out on Monday

The National Green Tribunal has given its nod to the odd-even scheme. #FLASH: National Green Tribunal gives nod to the #OddEven scheme. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/zfL3204gh9 — ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2017 × The scheme, as proposed by the Delhi government, will be rolled out on Monday. During the scheme, cars with number plates ending with an odd number will be allowed to ply only on odd dates (1, 3, 5 etc). And vice-versa with cars with number plates ending with an even number. While giving its nod, the NGT added that there would be no exemptions for two-wheelers, women, or government servants, as was the case the last time the scheme was rolled out. Emergency vehicles however will be exempt.

Odd-even gets NGT nod; no exemptions for two-wheelers, women, govt servants

India&#39;s emissions of the air pollutant sulphur<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-government-should-prove-odd-even-has-worked-else-will-stay-imposition-of-the-rule-ngt-23910"> dioxide increased by 50 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-government-should-prove-odd-even-has-worked-else-will-stay-imposition-of-the-rule-ngt-23910">per cent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-government-should-prove-odd-even-has-worked-else-will-stay-imposition-of-the-rule-ngt-23910"> since 2007, while China&#39;s fell by 75 percent,</a> claims a study which found that India is yet to implement emission controls like its neighbour.

The study led by researchers at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/smog-emergency-govt-plans-to-spray-water-on-delhi-from-a-height-of-100-metres-23913">University of Maryland in the US suggests that India is becoming</a>, if it is not already, the world&#39;s top sulphur dioxide emitter.

Sulphur dioxide is an air pollutant that causes acid rain, haze and many health-related problems. It is produced predominantly when coal is burned to generate electricity.

&quot;The rapid decrease of sulphur dioxide emissions in China far exceeds expectations and projections,&quot; said Can Li, an associate research scientist at University of Maryland.

&quot;This suggests that China is implementing sulphur dioxide controls beyond what climate modellers have taken into account,&quot; said Li, first author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

China and India are the world&#39;s top consumers of coal, which typically contains up to three per cent sulphur, researchers said.

Most of the two countries&#39; sulphur dioxide emissions come from coal-fired power plants and coal-burning factories.

In particular, Beijing suffers from severe haze problems because of the many coal-burning factories and power plants located nearby and upwind.

Starting in the early 2000s, China began implementing policies such as fining polluters, setting emission reduction goals and lowering emissions limits.

According to the results of the current study, these efforts are paying off.

&quot;Sulphur dioxide levels in China declined dramatically even though coal usage increased by approximately 50 per cent and electricity generation grew by over 100 per cent,&quot; said Li, who is also a research associate at NASA&#39;s Goddard Space Flight Center.

&quot;This suggests that much of the reduction is coming from controlling emissions,&quot; said Li.

Despite China&#39;s 75 per cent drop in sulphur dioxide emissions, recent work by other scientists has shown that the country&#39;s air quality remains poor and continues to cause significant health problems.

This may be because sulphur dioxide contributes to only about 10 to 20 per cent of the air particles that cause haze, according to Li.

By contrast, India&#39;s sulphur dioxide emissions increased by 50 per cent over the past decade. The country opened its largest coal-fired power plant in 2012 and has yet to implement emission controls like China, researchers said.

&quot;Right now, India&#39;s increased sulphur dioxide emissions are not causing as many health or haze problems as they do in China because the largest emission sources are not in the most densely populated area of India,&quot; Li said.

&quot;However, as demand for electricity grows in India, the impact may worsen,&quot; said Li.

To generate an accurate profile of emissions over India and China, the researchers combined emissions data generated by two different methods.

First, they collected estimated emission amounts from inventories of the number of factories, power plants, automobiles and other contributors to sulphur dioxide emissions.

The researchers&#39; second data source was the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA&#39;s Aura satellite, which detects a variety of atmospheric pollutants including sulphur dioxide.&nbsp;

The study led by researchers at the University of Maryland in the US suggests that India is becoming, the world's top sulphur dioxide emitter.

India's emissions of the air pollutant sulphur dioxide increased by 50 per cent since 2007, while China's fell by 75 percent, claims a study which found that India is yet to implement emission controls like its neighbour. The study led by researchers at the University of Maryland in the US suggests that India is becoming, if it is not already, the world's top sulphur dioxide emitter. Sulphur dioxide is an air pollutant that causes acid rain, haze and many health-related problems. It is produced predominantly when coal is burned to generate electricity. "The rapid decrease of sulphur dioxide emissions in China far exceeds expectations and projections," said Can Li, an associate research scientist at University of Maryland. "This suggests that China is implementing sulphur dioxide controls beyond what climate modellers have taken into account," said Li, first author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports. China and India are the world's top consumers of coal, which typically contains up to three per cent sulphur, researchers said. Most of the two countries' sulphur dioxide emissions come from coal-fired power plants and coal-burning factories. In particular, Beijing suffers from severe haze problems because of the many coal-burning factories and power plants located nearby and upwind. Starting in the early 2000s, China began implementing policies such as fining polluters, setting emission reduction goals and lowering emissions limits. According to the results of the current study, these efforts are paying off. "Sulphur dioxide levels in China declined dramatically even though coal usage increased by approximately 50 per cent and electricity generation grew by over 100 per cent," said Li, who is also a research associate at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "This suggests that much of the reduction is coming from controlling emissions," said Li. Despite China's 75 per cent drop in sulphur dioxide emissions, recent work by other scientists has shown that the country's air quality remains poor and continues to cause significant health problems. This may be because sulphur dioxide contributes to only about 10 to 20 per cent of the air particles that cause haze, according to Li. By contrast, India's sulphur dioxide emissions increased by 50 per cent over the past decade. The country opened its largest coal-fired power plant in 2012 and has yet to implement emission controls like China, researchers said. "Right now, India's increased sulphur dioxide emissions are not causing as many health or haze problems as they do in China because the largest emission sources are not in the most densely populated area of India," Li said. "However, as demand for electricity grows in India, the impact may worsen," said Li. To generate an accurate profile of emissions over India and China, the researchers combined emissions data generated by two different methods. First, they collected estimated emission amounts from inventories of the number of factories, power plants, automobiles and other contributors to sulphur dioxide emissions. The researchers' second data source was the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Aura satellite, which detects a variety of atmospheric pollutants including sulphur dioxide.

Impact of India's sulphur dioxide emissions may soon worsen: US study

The National Green tribunal said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-traffic-police-to-restrict-entry-of-goods-vehicles-23864">today that the Delhi government should prove whether</a> the odd-even scheme has reduced pollution in the past or else it &quot;will stay the imposition of the rule&quot;.

On Thursday, the Delhi government decided to enforce the odd-even number scheme for private vehicles as pollution levels in the capital rose alarmingly.&nbsp;

&quot;When the situation is improving, the government is trying to implement it. You should have done this earlier if you wanted to. This will now cause inconvenience to people,&quot; NGT said.

The hearing will continue tomorrow.

&quot;Keeping in mind the environmental emergency and odd-even, a special NGT bench will sit tomorrow, on a holiday and the Delhi government will have to answer why odd-even is necessary to be implemented now,&quot;&nbsp;Gaurav Bansal, lawyer in odd-even implementation matter in NGT, said.

Meanwhile, Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said today that Delhiites can travel free in all DTC and cluster buses next week when the odd-even scheme for private cars gets underway.

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To encourage use of public transport during Odd- Even, Delhi govt to allow free travel for commuters in all DTC and Cluster buses from 13-17 November.
&mdash; Kailash Gahlot (@kgahlot) <a href="https://twitter.com/kgahlot/status/928903202879127552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;To encourage use of public transport during Odd-Even, Delhi govt to allow free travel for commuters in all DTC and Cluster buses from 13-17 November,&quot; Gahlot said in&nbsp;tweet.

Delhi chief minister Kejriwal added it will encourage people to switch to public transport.

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This will encourage people to switch to public transport <a href="https://t.co/W3fPf4NL8C">https://t.co/W3fPf4NL8C</a>
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/928903842829279233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On Thursday, the Delhi government decided to enforce the odd-even number scheme for private vehicles as pollution levels in the capital rose alarmingly.?

The National Green tribunal said today that the Delhi government should prove whether the odd-even scheme has reduced pollution in the past or else it "will stay the imposition of the rule". On Thursday, the Delhi government decided to enforce the odd-even number scheme for private vehicles as pollution levels in the capital rose alarmingly. "When the situation is improving, the government is trying to implement it. You should have done this earlier if you wanted to. This will now cause inconvenience to people," NGT said. The hearing will continue tomorrow. "Keeping in mind the environmental emergency and odd-even, a special NGT bench will sit tomorrow, on a holiday and the Delhi government will have to answer why odd-even is necessary to be implemented now," Gaurav Bansal, lawyer in odd-even implementation matter in NGT, said. Meanwhile, Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said today that Delhiites can travel free in all DTC and cluster buses next week when the odd-even scheme for private cars gets underway. To encourage use of public transport during Odd- Even, Delhi govt to allow free travel for commuters in all DTC and Cluster buses from 13-17 November. — Kailash Gahlot (@kgahlot) November 10, 2017 × "To encourage use of public transport during Odd-Even, Delhi govt to allow free travel for commuters in all DTC and Cluster buses from 13-17 November," Gahlot said in tweet. Delhi chief minister Kejriwal added it will encourage people to switch to public transport. This will encourage people to switch to public transport https://t.co/W3fPf4NL8C — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 10, 2017 ×

Delhi government should prove odd-even has worked, else will stay imposition of the rule: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Delhi government to impose Rs one lakh fine on builders who violate its directives of halting construction work in the city.&nbsp;

The NGT has asked builders to stop&nbsp;construction work for few days to reduce the level of pollutants from the air.&nbsp;

It has also directed state governments to ensure that farmers are not burning crops.&nbsp;

The tribunal has said to charge a considerable&nbsp;amount of fine from the salary of the&nbsp;responsible officer if they continue to indulge in crop burning.

(With inputs from ANI)

NGT will put a fine of Rs 1 lakh on builders if they continue with Construction in Delhi

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Delhi government to impose Rs one lakh fine on builders who violate its directives of halting construction work in the city. The NGT has asked builders to stop construction work for few days to reduce the level of pollutants from the air. It has also directed state governments to ensure that farmers are not burning crops. The tribunal has said to charge a considerable amount of fine from the salary of the responsible officer if they continue to indulge in crop burning. (With inputs from ANI)

Delhi: NGT warns builders to fine Rs 1 lakh in case construction is reported

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hold a crucial hearing today on Delhi government&rsquo;s decision to implement the odd-even scheme to control traffic in view of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/delhis-anti-pollution-action-plan-stop-use-of-firewood-coal-in-eateries-6592">high level of pollutants</a> in the air.

The&nbsp;NGT has asked Delhi government on the rationale behind application of the car rationing scheme and&nbsp;produce before it the details of ambient air quality during earlier odd-even schemes.

It will hear the case at 2pm today.

On Thursday, Delhi Transport minister&nbsp;Kailash Gehlot had said that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-government-set-to-enforce-odd-even-scheme-for-private-vehicles-next-week-report-23820">odd-even number scheme</a> for private vehicles will be implemented from November 13-17 in the national capital.

&quot;Request people and all agencies to cooperate. Exemptions will be the&nbsp;same as&nbsp;last time,&quot; the minister had said.

Women drivers, two-wheelers and vehicles carrying children in school uniforms, besides VVIPs will be kept out of the ambit of the scheme under which cars bearing registration numbers ending with odd digits are allowed to ply on odd dates while those ending with even digits run on even dates.

Earlier on Wednesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had directed the transport department to start preparing for the odd-even scheme.

Baijal had also ordered&nbsp;Municipal Corporations, DDA and SDMs to strictly enforce a prohibition on open burning.

Meanwhile, a&nbsp;graph containing the hourly-levels of ultrafine particulates PM2.5 and PM10 showed a distinct downward curve from around 12pm for the first time since Tuesday when the concentration of these pollutants breached the emergency scale.

A task force of the CPCB, which met to review the measures taken under the Graded Response Action Plan, concluded that the level of pollution will come down to the &#39;very poor&#39; category on Saturday, two notches below the &#39;emergency category&#39; prevailing now.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hold a crucial hearing today on Delhi government?s decision to implement the odd-even scheme to control traffic in view of the high level of pollutants in the air.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hold a crucial hearing today on Delhi government’s decision to implement the odd-even scheme to control traffic in view of the high level of pollutants in the air. The NGT has asked Delhi government on the rationale behind application of the car rationing scheme and produce before it the details of ambient air quality during earlier odd-even schemes. It will hear the case at 2pm today. On Thursday, Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gehlot had said that the odd-even number scheme for private vehicles will be implemented from November 13-17 in the national capital. "Request people and all agencies to cooperate. Exemptions will be the same as last time," the minister had said. Women drivers, two-wheelers and vehicles carrying children in school uniforms, besides VVIPs will be kept out of the ambit of the scheme under which cars bearing registration numbers ending with odd digits are allowed to ply on odd dates while those ending with even digits run on even dates. Earlier on Wednesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had directed the transport department to start preparing for the odd-even scheme. Baijal had also ordered Municipal Corporations, DDA and SDMs to strictly enforce a prohibition on open burning. Meanwhile, a graph containing the hourly-levels of ultrafine particulates PM2.5 and PM10 showed a distinct downward curve from around 12pm for the first time since Tuesday when the concentration of these pollutants breached the emergency scale. A task force of the CPCB, which met to review the measures taken under the Graded Response Action Plan, concluded that the level of pollution will come down to the 'very poor' category on Saturday, two notches below the 'emergency category' prevailing now.

Tell us rationale behind launching odd-even scheme: NGT asks Delhi govt

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned the construction and industrial activities in Delhi-NCR till November 14, alarmed over the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-air-quality-hazardous-41-trains-delayed-23785">skyrocketing levels of air pollution in the city</a>.&nbsp;

The tribunal pulled up the Delhi Government, Municipal Corporations and neighbouring states, and asked them to see the &quot;pitiable condition&quot;&nbsp;of people in hospitals and the way their lives are being played with. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;It is shameful for all the parties in this matter on what they&#39;re passing on to the next generation,&quot; the tribunal observed.

&quot;The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report has shown the extent of danger lurking in the air in Delhi NCR. Yesterday Particulate Matter (PM) 10 levels, supposed to be 100, had touched 986, while the PM 2.5 levels, supposed to be 60, had reached 420. This has been the situation for the past week,&quot; the NGT said. 
 
&quot;Even construction work taking place openly isn&#39;t being stopped, and when such a situation has ensued now action is being promised,&quot; the tribunal added.

Industrial activities cannot be carried about in Delhi till the next hearing on November 14, the NGT said, while also directing all public authorities to depute an officer to monitor the polluting activities.

&quot;All the constitutional authorities and statutory bodies measurably failed to perform their duties. So far as pollution is the concern, it is a joint responsibility of all the stakeholders,&quot; the NGT said.

&quot;Articles 21 and 48 of the Constitution mandate that it is the responsibility of governments to make sure that citizens get a clean and conducive environment. The Right to Life is being snatched from people since they&#39;re not getting a clean environment,&quot; the tribunal observed.

The NGT has also prohibited trucks from outside or within Delhi from transporting any construction material. the tribunal has also banned 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old&nbsp;petrol vehicles from entering the national capital.

The tribunal asked the Delhi Government on the steps taken to curtail pollution, the number of challans issued to violators and the number of construction sites where work has been stopped.&nbsp;It also directed the sprinkling of water where Particulate Matter (PM) 10 is found to be in excess of 600 micrograms per cubic metre. 
 
&quot;Why isn&#39;t rain artificially being triggered using helicopters,&quot; the tribunal asked.

The green tribunal also directed civic bodies to constitute teams to ensure there is no burning of waste in Delhi-NCR.&nbsp;

The NGT slammed the&nbsp;neighbouring states of Delhi -- Punjab and Haryana -- and raised questions on their seriousness on the prevailing situation. 
 
All pollution control boards of the concerned states have been asked to monitor all parameters.&nbsp; 
 
The NGT has asked all concerned authorities and pollution control boards to file a status report till the next date of hearing.

State governments should find economically viable solutions to crop burning: Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said today that crop burning would not stop until state governments found &quot;economically viable solutions&quot; to stop crop burning.

He also emphasised that crop burning would only stop if the central government along with the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana came together and &quot;put aside politics&quot;. &nbsp;

&quot;Until state governments don&#39;t find, it will not stop,&quot; Arvind Kejriwal said.

&quot;The high increase in PM levels in Delhi is not just due to local reasons. People and government of Delhi are ready to take all steps but these steps will not be enough until solution to crop burning is found,&quot; the Delhi chief minister said.

&quot;For a month (from mid October to mid November), the whole northern India becomes a gas chamber, not just Delhi,&quot; he added.

NHRC notice to Punjab, Haryana on crop burning

Meanwhile, alarmed over the &quot;life-threatening&quot;&nbsp;pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also issued notices issued to the Centre and governments of Punjab and Haryana on their action plan to tackle the same.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yesterday, the National Green Tribunal had pulled up the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board for not issuing orders to shut down construction and industrial activities in the capital despite the worsening air quality.

It also ordered Punjab, UP and Haryana governments to spell out the steps they have taken to prevent crop burning in the states adjacent to the national capital.

The green panel had directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to collect ambient air quality samples from different parts of the city and submit an analysis containing details of different pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and 10. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI, ANI) 
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No trucks from outside or within Delhi will be permitted to transport any construction material, the NGT said.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned the construction and industrial activities in Delhi-NCR till November 14, alarmed over the skyrocketing levels of air pollution in the city. The tribunal pulled up the Delhi Government, Municipal Corporations and neighbouring states, and asked them to see the "pitiable condition" of people in hospitals and the way their lives are being played with. "It is shameful for all the parties in this matter on what they're passing on to the next generation," the tribunal observed. "The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report has shown the extent of danger lurking in the air in Delhi NCR. Yesterday Particulate Matter (PM) 10 levels, supposed to be 100, had touched 986, while the PM 2.5 levels, supposed to be 60, had reached 420. This has been the situation for the past week," the NGT said. "Even construction work taking place openly isn't being stopped, and when such a situation has ensued now action is being promised," the tribunal added. Industrial activities cannot be carried about in Delhi till the next hearing on November 14, the NGT said, while also directing all public authorities to depute an officer to monitor the polluting activities. "All the constitutional authorities and statutory bodies measurably failed to perform their duties. So far as pollution is the concern, it is a joint responsibility of all the stakeholders," the NGT said. "Articles 21 and 48 of the Constitution mandate that it is the responsibility of governments to make sure that citizens get a clean and conducive environment. The Right to Life is being snatched from people since they're not getting a clean environment," the tribunal observed. The NGT has also prohibited trucks from outside or within Delhi from transporting any construction material. the tribunal has also banned 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol vehicles from entering the national capital. The tribunal asked the Delhi Government on the steps taken to curtail pollution, the number of challans issued to violators and the number of construction sites where work has been stopped. It also directed the sprinkling of water where Particulate Matter (PM) 10 is found to be in excess of 600 micrograms per cubic metre. "Why isn't rain artificially being triggered using helicopters," the tribunal asked. The green tribunal also directed civic bodies to constitute teams to ensure there is no burning of waste in Delhi-NCR. The NGT slammed the neighbouring states of Delhi -- Punjab and Haryana -- and raised questions on their seriousness on the prevailing situation. All pollution control boards of the concerned states have been asked to monitor all parameters. The NGT has asked all concerned authorities and pollution control boards to file a status report till the next date of hearing. State governments should find economically viable solutions to crop burning: Kejriwal Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said today that crop burning would not stop until state governments found "economically viable solutions" to stop crop burning. He also emphasised that crop burning would only stop if the central government along with the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana came together and "put aside politics". "Until state governments don't find, it will not stop," Arvind Kejriwal said. "The high increase in PM levels in Delhi is not just due to local reasons. People and government of Delhi are ready to take all steps but these steps will not be enough until solution to crop burning is found," the Delhi chief minister said. "For a month (from mid October to mid November), the whole northern India becomes a gas chamber, not just Delhi," he added. NHRC notice to Punjab, Haryana on crop burning Meanwhile, alarmed over the "life-threatening" pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also issued notices issued to the Centre and governments of Punjab and Haryana on their action plan to tackle the same. Yesterday, the National Green Tribunal had pulled up the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board for not issuing orders to shut down construction and industrial activities in the capital despite the worsening air quality. It also ordered Punjab, UP and Haryana governments to spell out the steps they have taken to prevent crop burning in the states adjacent to the national capital. The green panel had directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to collect ambient air quality samples from different parts of the city and submit an analysis containing details of different pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and 10. (With inputs from PTI, ANI)

Delhi pollution: National Green Tribunal bans construction, industrial activities till November 14

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