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Hans India
3 days ago
- Hans India
Delhi Police arrests interstate burglar, stolen gold jewellery recovered
New Delhi: In a breakthrough, the South West District Police have arrested a 19-year-old interstate burglar involved in a sensational house burglary case. The accused, identified as Sachin, a resident of Amba village in Khargaon district, Madhya Pradesh, was apprehended by a dedicated team from PS Sagarpur. With his arrest, the police successfully recovered 186 grams of stolen gold jewellery. The case was initially registered on May 23, 2025, at PS Sagarpur, after a local resident, Amit Gupta, reported a burglary at his residence. According to the complaint, around 500 grams of gold and Rs 20,000 in cash were stolen when two men posing as lock repairmen gained entry into the house under pretences. While the complainant and his wife were away at a nearby market, his mother was alone at home and allowed the men in. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused distracted her, accessed the almirah, and fled with the valuables. Under SHO PS Sagarpur and supervision of the ACP, Delhi Cantt Sub-Division, a team comprising SI Kapil Yadav, PSI Mukesh, Constables Anil, Rahul, and Lalit was formed. Police analysed multiple CCTV footage, which revealed that the suspects had used public transport and strategically tried to avoid detection by routing their journey through Tilak Nagar before reaching the crime scene. Police sources confirmed that Sachin is a habitual offender with a criminal history involving four previous burglary cases. According to the press release issued by DCP South West District, Amit Goel, "The accused was born and brought up in Amba village and dropped out of school after 5th grade. He gradually developed expertise in breaking locks and turned to theft for easy money." The second accused, identified as Aasan from Bhagwanpura, Madhya Pradesh, remains at large and is reportedly wanted by other state police forces as well. Further investigation is ongoing to trace the absconding co-accused and recover the remaining stolen items.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Over ₹238 cr released for NCR under EPC funds for clean-air plans: RTI
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has released more than Rs 238 crore to nine urban local bodies (ULBs) in the NCR as part of its efforts to support city-level air pollution control under the Environment Protection Charge (EPC) funds, an RTI reply has revealed. The funds were disbursed to ULBs in Gurugram, Jind, Narnaul, Nuh, Palwal, Greater Noida, Hapur, Bharatpur and Bhiwadi through the respective state pollution control boards (SPCBs), according to the reply provided by the CPCB's air quality management division to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act on June 17. Additionally, the release of Rs 18.56 crore for seven other cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) -- Bahadurgarh, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Daruhera, Karnal, Panipat and Sonipat -- is currently under process through the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), the reply said. The funds are meant to serve as gap-funding support for implementing the city action plans for air-quality improvement. According to the CPCB's guidelines, three-fourths of the annual EPC funds are earmarked for such initiatives across 19 NCR cities. In response to a query regarding projects under the EPC funds, the CPCB said it releases money to urban bodies as and when work orders are received for activities, such as the procurement of mechanical road-sweeping machines (MRSMs), anti-smog guns (ASGs) and pavement and road-improvement work. The RTI query was filed by Dehradun-based activist Amit Gupta, who said a significant amount remains unused under the EPC and EC funds. "It is high time that the CPCB starts using these funds effectively for pollution control," he said. He also pointed out that the peak pollution season is just three months away and emphasised that the EPC and EC funds could be effectively utilised to control pollution in Delhi-NCR and nearby areas. "I hope that the CPCB will ensure more transparency in the use of these funds," Gupta added. The reply also highlighted a major push to curb stubble burning by incentivising cleaner alternatives. Apart from infrastructure and mitigation efforts, the CPCB said it is also considering proposals for scientific studies related to air-quality assessment, pollution modelling, mitigation technologies and the health impacts of air pollution under the EPC funding.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
‘Chorabari glacier near Kedarnath retreating 7m per year'
Dehradun: The Chorabari glacier, located above Kedarnath in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, is retreating at an average rate of nearly 7m per year, according to Doon-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Just below the glacier is Chorabari Tal, a moraine-dammed lake that breached in June 2013 after heavy rainfall and rapid snow and ice melt, triggering catastrophic floods in Kedarnath that killed over 4,000 people and destroyed more than 3,300 homes. WIHG shared this data in response to an RTI query filed by Dehradun-based activist Amit Gupta, noting that the glacier's ice-covered area shrank from 6.1 sq km in 2009 to 5.91 sq km in 2019. The institute said the retreat rate is consistent with broader glacial recession trends across the Indian Himalayas driven by rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. While the decline may appear modest, experts said that it signals long-term glacial degradation. Manish Mehta, senior scientist at WIHG, told TOI that there are many other glaciers in the Himalayas that were steadily retreating, like the Chorabari glacier. "In the case of Chorabari, the rate of retreat would have been significantly higher if not for the thick debris cover, which acts as an insulating layer, slowing down the glacier's melting", he added. A 2018 study by IIT Mumbai supports WIHG's findings. Using Landsat satellite data to track glacial retreat between 1976 and 2016, it found an average area loss of 0.8% per year, reinforcing concerns about sustained ice loss in the region. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Experts caution that continued glacial melt increases the risk of lake outburst events, and stressed the urgent need for sustained monitoring and broader climate action to reduce warming in the region. "It's clear that global warming and human activities are directly affecting the glacier near Kedarnath. There's an urgent need to regulate such activities and define a carrying capacity to prevent further damage. We must ask ourselves, at what cost are we pursuing development? It is our responsibility to protect Kedarnath's sanctity and ecological balance," said RTI activist Amit Gupta. WIHG has been monitoring the Chorabari glacier since 2003 through satellite data and field studies to track changes in snow cover and glacial dynamics. In 2011, the institute installed three automatic weather stations near the glacier to study local meteorology and surface mass balance, but they were destroyed in the 2013 floods.
Hans India
13-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Agrifields hosts health camp
Vizianagaram: As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) outreach, Agrifields, a global agricultural solutions company, organised free medical camp and school sports day on Saturday in Rellivalasa village, Pusapatirega mandal of Vizianagaram district. The health initiative included a door-to-door awareness drive followed by a full-day medical camp, benefiting over 200 villagers. Free screenings were conducted for blood pressure, sugar levels, and general wellness. Doctors provided consultations, medicines, and nutrition advice at free of cost. 'Many villagers learned of health issues for the first time. We began their treatment immediately,' said Amit Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO of Agrifields. In parallel, Agrifields supported a vibrant sports and academic celebration at Zilla Parishad High School, Rellivalasa. Over 250 students participated in games like kabaddi and kho-kho. Prizes were distributed to winners, and cash awards were given to five top-performing students, including a girl who lost both parents, in a gesture of encouragement.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Digital frauds surge in east UP; sharp rise in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Kanpur, rural areas: Airtel
A sharp rise in digital fraud cases has been reported across eastern Uttar Pradesh, with cybercriminals increasingly targeting users through fake delivery links, phishing messages, and bogus banking alerts, according to Airtel . Major urban centres, such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Prayagraj, have seen a worrying uptick, while districts such as Jaunpur, Kushinagar, Mau, Mirzapur and Kanpur Dehat that comprise large rural parts also witnessing growing instances of such cyber frauds, it noted. Airtel in a statement on Wednesday said as part of its nationwide rollout of AI-powered fraud detection system, it has successfully safeguarded more than 15 million users in Uttar Pradesh (east) within just 56 days of launching the advanced features. The telecom operator has 36,260,483 users in UP East, a company official here, citing TRAI data updated till May 2025. The figures for UP (West) were not immediately available, the official added. "With Uttar Pradesh ranked as one of India's most digitally advanced states, the threat of online fraud has grown in both its urban and rural regions. Fraudsters increasingly target users through phishing links, fake deliveries, and spurious banking alerts," Airtel said. "Cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Prayagraj, along with remote areas such as Kanpur Dehat, Jaunpur, Kushinagar, Mau, and Mirzapur among others, have seen a sharp rise in such fraudulent attempts," it added, without any specific numbers on such offences. On Wednesday, Bharti Airtel CEO Uttar Pradesh (East) Amit Gupta met Naveen Arora (IPS), ADG, Technical Services, Uttar Pradesh Police, to discuss Airtel's Fraud Detection Solution and explore collaborative measures to tackle the growing threat of cyber frauds in the state, according to the statement. The company said its advanced system that scans and filters links across SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, E-mail and other browsers are automatically enabled for all Airtel mobile and broadband customers. "It leverages real-time threat intelligence to examine over 1 billion URLs daily and blocks access to harmful sites in under 100 milliseconds," Airtel stated. PTI
