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New Delhi: A severe cold wave continues to grip Delhi and the broader northern region, with Thursday recording the coldest morning in the national capital since January 2023. The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather monitoring station, recorded a minimum temperature of just 2.9°C, while Palam dropped to 2.3°C, Lodhi Road settled at 3.4°C, R.K. Puram at 4.5°C, and I.N. Nagar at 2.7°C. The low in Palam marks the coldest since 2010, highlighting the persistence of the current cold wave across the city. Forecasts indicate that these frigid conditions may continue into Friday, affecting daily life and outdoor activities. Air Quality Reaches Dangerous LevelsCompounding the weather woes, air pollution across Delhi-NCR has surged to hazardous levels. According to the Central Pollu...

New Delhi: Delhi Metro commuters can now look forward to smoother travel from metro stations to their homes and workplaces, following a landmark agreement between Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Bharat Taxi. Under the partnership, DMRC has collaborated with Sahakar Taxi Operative Limited to launch an integrated last-mile connectivity service. In the first phase, this service will be available at ten major metro stations across the city. Metro officials highlighted that reaching one’s home or office from metro stations has long been a challenge for daily commuters. The new arrangement aims to address this gap by providing seamless and convenient transport options from the station to the final destination. Pilot Project for Bike Taxi ServiceAs part of the initiative, a pilot...

New Delhi: As the severe cold wave grips Delhi-NCR, the plight of the city’s homeless has come under the spotlight. While the Delhi government claims to have 322 night shelters with a total capacity of 19,724 beds, an on-ground inspection reveals a starkly different reality. Field visits to major shelters, including the Moti Khan commercial building shelter, show that only a fraction of the reported beds are actually available. Though officially listed with a capacity of 540, inspectors found just 15 functional beds—less than 3% of the claimed number. Even if fully occupied, each bed would have to accommodate 36 people, which is practically impossible. Similar discrepancies were observed elsewhere: Chhabi Ganj Ward-I Community Hall, with a listed capacity of 100, had only 38 beds; th...

New Delhi: The Delhi government has unveiled an ambitious plan to provide 24-hour, seven-day-a-week water supply to over 5.2 million residents of the city. The project, estimated at ₹6,121 crore, will involve laying 2,741 km of new water supply pipelines and constructing 35 new underground reservoirs (UGRs) to store treated water. Water will be supplied from the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water command areas, with pressures of 17 meters and 22 meters, respectively. Delhi’s Water Minister, Parvesh Sahib Singh, stated that the government is working to ensure uninterrupted water supply across all parts of the city. Project Details: Chandrawal Water Command Area: Covers 96 sq km and supplies 9 assembly constituencies with a plant capacity of 95 MGD. New pipelines and capacity enhanceme...

New Delhi: The ongoing India Open Super-750 Badminton Championship at Indira Gandhi Stadium has come under scrutiny due to complaints about dirt and mismanagement. Danish player Mia Blichfeld expressed concern over the lack of improvement since last year, urging the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to ensure better venue conditions ahead of major tournaments. The championship, running until January 18, features 256 players from 20 countries. Another Danish player revealed via social media that he had skipped the India Open for three consecutive years due to Delhi’s severe pollution and hopes conditions improve for the World Championships. An inspection of the stadium revealed significant cleanliness issues. From the galleries to the VIP entry stairs, reporters observed trash, spit to...

New Delhi: Residents of Delhi-NCR continue to face severe disruption as the city battles an unrelenting cold wave combined with extremely poor air quality. The harsh winter mornings and evenings are making daily life difficult, while pollution levels remain dangerously high, raising concerns over public health, particularly for people prone to autoimmune diseases. According to AIIMS doctors, factors such as stress and sleep deprivation further increase the risk of autoimmune conditions. Dr. Uma Kumar, Head of the Rheumatology Department at AIIMS, explained that limited sunlight during winter leads to vitamin D deficiency, while pollution, viral infections, and mental stress compound the risk. Post-COVID, the number of such patients has also risen. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature...

New Delhi: The Delhi Zoo is under scrutiny after sensational allegations surfaced that a jackal was burned alive. Reports suggest that the animal was killed in the Himalayan bear enclosure, with chili and salt reportedly thrown on it, and its body later disposed of to destroy evidence. The incident dates back to November 22, 2025, when several jackals reportedly escaped from the zoo towards the Azimganj Sarai forest area. The zoo administration initially claimed that all escaped jackals had been returned. However, the National Zoo Workers Union’s General Secretary, R.S. Bhadouria, stated that one jackal never returned. According to allegations, upon discovering the missing jackal in the bear enclosure (Beat No. 4), zoo staff allegedly turned off nearby cameras, set fire in the enclos...

In a heartbreaking incident in southeast Delhi’s Jaitpur Pushta area, 20-year-old Tushar Kumar lost his life while trying to evade a pack of stray dogs. The tragic accident occurred on the night of January 10, around 10 PM. According to police reports, Tushar, who worked as a compounder at a local pharmacy, was riding a motorcycle with his friend, 29-year-old pharmacist Sudhakar Singh, when the incident occurred. The duo had ventured out in search of a relative, Uddham, who had left home intoxicated after a dispute. As they returned from a nearby colony, the motorcycle’s headlight stopped working, reducing visibility significantly. At that moment, a pack of stray dogs surrounded their vehicle. Attempting to escape, Tushar accelerated, unaware of a pothole approximately 1.5 feet deep....

Delhi experienced an unusually sharp cold on Wednesday morning, when a sudden blanket of dense fog engulfed the city, reducing visibility to nearly zero in a matter of minutes. According to reports, around 7:45 to 8:00 AM, Delhi-NCR was hit by an abrupt and thick fog that startled commuters and residents alike. The phenomenon, identified by meteorologists as “flash fog” or “rapid-onset fog,” forms and dissipates very quickly, unlike conventional overnight fogs. What Causes Flash Fog? Weather experts explain that flash fog is the result of a combination of cold air patterns, high humidity, and a sudden drop in temperature. Delhi’s air was already saturated with moisture overnight. When a sudden chill swept in with light morning winds, the ground temperature dropped instantly, causi...