karthikc
Tape Ball Star
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2013
- Runs
- 779
Delhi will always face this issue due to temperature inversion because of its geographical location. It is not suitable to be a capital city
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India Open 2025: Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt slams 'unhealthy' stadium conditions
Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt lashed out at the playing conditions of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, which is hosting the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament. The Danish shuttler also criticised the pollution levels in Delhi, saying that such conditions were "unhealthy and unacceptable." The world no. 23 suffered a stomach infection but managed to stay alive in the second round before losing 21-13 16-21 8-21 to China's Wang Zhi Yi.
"Finally home after a long and stressful week in India. It's 2 years in a row now that I get sick during India Open," Blichfeldt wrote on Instagram. "It's really hard to accept that many weeks of work and preparing, gets wasted because of bad conditions. It's not fair to anyone that we have to train and play in smog, birds shitting on the courts, and dirt everywhere.
"These conditions are too unhealthy and unacceptable. @bwf.official. I'm happy that I managed the second round, but I'm far from satisfied." The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has responded to Blichfeldt's post, saying that the organisation faced "logistical challenges" after getting the venue just four days before the event.
"As the host and staging authority for the Yonex Sunrise India Open, the Badminton Association of India gains access to the stadium and its infrastructure only four days before the event, which poses significant logistical challenges," BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra said in a statement on Saturday.
"We are already in discussions with the BWF to explore alternative venues and are actively evaluating the infrastructure options," he added.
Blichfeldt had revealed that she was vomiting all night and barely able to reach the court for her second round match. "That night (Tuesday) was terrible. The only sleep I got was in the morning because I kept throwing up all night. I'm really tired now and my body is really dead," Blichfeldt had said.
"It's not so nice for me, but I'm happy with the match I pulled yesterday and the outcome today but I wish I could have gone to court at 100 per cent. It happened Tuesday evening. It took a lot of mental work (to get on court).
"It's really frustrating when you've been training to come to these tournaments and then this is one of the things that stops you from performing." French mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue had also expressed concerns about the weather conditions on Thursday.
"The playing hall is pretty nice. But the weather is pretty cold here in Delhi and the pollution is really high right now, so it's not easy to play, not the best conditions to play in," Gicquel had said.
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India Open 2025: Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt slams 'unhealthy' stadium conditions
India Open 2025: Badminton player Mia Blichfeldt criticised the playing conditions and pollution levels in Delhi, impacting performance and health.www.indiatoday.in
Petrol, diesel ban on old vehicles in Delhi starts today, 350 booths under watch
Diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 will not be allowed to refuel in Delhi starting today. A total of 350 petrol stations have been identified for policy enforcement and potential vehicle seizure.
This move was initiated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), in collaboration with the Transport Department, Delhi Police, and traffic personnel, in a bid to curb air pollution in the national capital.
The Delhi Transport Department, together with the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), has crafted a detailed plan to ensure this directive is upheld.
The first 100 petrol stations with the most EoL vehicles will be monitored by Delhi police teams, while officials from the Transport Department will manage 59 stations. Additionally, 91 particularly sensitive stations will be supervised by joint teams from both departments, and MCD employees will oversee the last 100. This strategy ensures vigilant oversight across all stations to deter any rule violations.
These enforcement squads possess the authority to seize vehicles or issue fines to owners of non-compliant EoL vehicles. Legally reinforced by the Supreme Court's 2018 decision, the initiative supports the 2014 National Green Tribunal's ruling that prohibits parking vehicles older than 15 years in public spaces.
Backing these actions, the Delhi government has outlined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), compelling petrol stations to log each refused fuel transaction. Additionally, stations must display notices stating, "Fuel will not be dispensed to End of Life Vehicles — i.e. 15 years old Petrol and CNG and 10 years old Diesel 01.07.2025." These signs will act as clear reminders to vehicle owners about the imposed limitations.
Compliance with CAQM rules is mandatory for fuel stations, which are also required to train their personnel accordingly. Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems will be in operation to ensure adherence to the policy, with the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) maintaining the systems' efficacy. These tech-based measures are vital for real-time compliance tracking.
Responding to findings from the VAHAAN database, it is noted that Delhi is home to approximately 62 lakh EoL vehicles, comprising 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers. The surrounding NCR districts in Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan add another 46 lakh EoL vehicles to the tally. This data underscores the extensive scale of the issue within the region.
Petrol stations that breach these directives will incur penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Reports detailing non-compliance are to be submitted weekly to both the CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for further proceedings. This accountability framework ensures strict adherence to the rules.
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Petrol, diesel ban on old vehicles in Delhi starts today, 350 booths under watch
Compliance with rules is mandatory for fuel stations in the national capital, which are also required to train their personnel accordingly. This move was initiated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in a bid to curb air pollution in the national capital.www.indiatoday.in