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☆ Dancing, drums and rituals: with zeal and joy, India celebrates Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Lex Harvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Huge crowds of devotees gathered across India this month to celebrate the Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi, marking the birth of the deity Ganesha, the elephant-headed, round-bellied god of prosperity and wisdom. Ganesh Chaturthi falls each year in late summer, during the Bhadra month in the Hindu calendar, and marks a celebratory time of year when families gather. Devotees parade with a large idol of elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh in Mumbai, India, on September 17, 2024. Saurabh Sirohiya/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesCrowds gather for rituals and celebrations during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India on September 17, 2024. Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty ImagesHindu devotees chant as they carry a statue of the Hindu God Ganesha on the last day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in New Delhi, India on September 17, 2024.

Persons: Ganesh, Ganesha, Ganesh Chaturthi, Saurabh, Ritesh Shukla, R.Satish Babu, Raj K Raj, Punit Paranjpe, Lord Ganesh Organizations: CNN, Getty, Geeta, Hindustan Times Locations: India, India’s, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Bay, Bengal, Chennai, Delhi Government, New Delhi, AFP

☆ India’s scorching heat and lack of water leave Delhi’s poor to suffer worst of climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Esha Mitra | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New Delhi CNN —There’s no fresh water in the slums of Delhi’s Chanakyapuri neighborhood. She tried to run back for it – but it was too late, the water had run out. Residents in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri neighborhood clamber to get water under baking heat on May 31, 2024. As record heat grips northern India, the Delhi government has been forced to ration these free water deliveries. But if they get to the hospital late and the intervention is late, the mortality rate is so high.

Persons: New Delhi CNN —, Shah, Vijay Bedi, ”, it’s, Poonam Shah, Ram Manohar Lohiya, Ajay Shukla, Anupam Nath, ” Dr Shukla, Kali Prasad, aren’t, Farwa Aamer, Aamer Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, Indian Meteorological Department, Ram, “, Workers, Asia Society Policy Institute Locations: New Delhi, Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, India, Delhi, Guwahati, South Asia

☆ Delhi heat wave: Indian capital breaks all-time heat record, as authorities impose water rationing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Esha Mitra | Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN —India’s capital territory of Delhi sweltered to its highest-ever temperature of 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, as an oppressive heat wave forced authorities to impose water rationing. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said the new record was measured in the suburb of Mungeshpur, surpassing Delhi’s previous high of 49.2 degrees Celsius (120.5 degrees Fahrenheit), observed in May 2022. The temperature in the city of Churu in the state of Rajasthan soared to 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit). Sirsa, a city in the state of Haryana, saw thermometers reach 50.3 degrees Celsius (122.5 degrees Fahrenheit), Indian authorities said. A man drinks water at a roadside stall serving free drinking water to commuters in New Delhi on May 22.

Persons: Atishi Marlena Singh, Singh, ”, Anupam Nath, Manish Swarup Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Indian Meteorological Department, Workers, Delhi, IMD Locations: New Delhi, Delhi sweltered, Mungeshpur, Delhi, Haryana, Guwahati, India, Churu, Rajasthan

☆ Indian capital resumes some activities despite hazardous air, river foam
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Kanjyik Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - India's capital Delhi re-opened schools and some building sites on Monday amid signs of receding air pollution, although it remained classified as hazardous, while a toxic foam besmirched stretches of the Yamuna river flowing through the city. The world's most polluted capital resumed its annual battle on pollution this month, despite government pledges to improve. Monday's air quality index (AQI) of 336 was down from Thursday's level of 509, but still "hazardous", Swiss group IQAir said. Delhi's air pollution gets worse in winter, when wind speeds drop and cooling air traps pollutants spewed by vehicles, industry and farmers burning agricultural waste in surrounding states to prepare for new planting. PM2.5 levels remained above 128 micrograms per cubic meter of air since Sunday in the National Capital Region, according to the federal pollution control board.

Persons: Anushree, IQAir, Ankit Srivastava, Gopal Rai, Kanjyik Ghosh, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Delhi's, Vehicles, National Capital, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Mumbai

☆ Indian scientists hope cloud seeding can clean Delhi's toxic air
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Shivam Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Air quality dips in Delhi ahead of winter every year, when cold air traps pollutants from a variety of sources including vehicles, industries, construction dust, and agricultural waste burning. The project, estimated to cost 10 million rupees ($120,000) for 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles), would involve spraying into clouds a mix of salts that include silver iodine, Agrawal said. "We don't expect that big a cloud that will cover entire Delhi, but a few hundred kilometres would be good," he told Reuters. The air quality index in the city was 506 early on Thursday, which is categorised as "hazardous" by Swiss group IQAir. Several countries have used cloud seeding to produce rain, improve air quality and water crops in time of drought, including Mexico, the United States, China, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Persons: Anushree, Manindra Agrawal, Agrawal, Gufran Beig, SAFAR, Beig, Shivam Patel, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Indian Institute of Technology, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Kanpur, Punjab, Haryana, Mexico, United States, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Mexico

☆ Reeling under toxic air, India's capital shuts schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People and vehicles are seen on a road amidst the morning smog in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Reeling under hazardous air quality levels, India's capital New Delhi shut down all schools for an extended period on Wednesday, the latest in a series of measures to protect residents from growing air pollution. Air quality levels in the city were over 320 on the air quality index, a level categorised as 'hazardous' by Swiss group IQAir, although it was not as bad as the 400 range hit earlier this week. Schools in the capital city would remain closed from Thursday until Nov. 18 on a winter break, which was originally scheduled for January, the Delhi government said in a notification. Primary schools in the city had already been shut, as part of measures to protect young children against smog and growing air pollution.

Persons: Anushree, SAFAR, Shivam Patel, Manoj Kumar, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Swiss, Delhi, Farmers, Punjab, Haryana

☆ Asthmatic players skip practice, Bangladesh coach says Delhi air 'not ideal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Amlan Chakraborty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Altaf Hussain/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Asthmatic Bangladesh cricketers remained indoors while Sri Lankan players wore masks as poor air quality in smog-shrouded New Delhi remained the talking point ahead of Monday's World Cup clash between the two nations. "Our doctor is keeping a close eye on the players," Hathurusinghe told reporters on Sunday. "Some of the players didn't turn up for practice as they are asthmatic, so they stayed indoors. "Team selection won't depend on air quality. Most of the Sri Lankan players wore masks when they arrived at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the afternoon.

Persons: Altaf Hussain, Chandika Hathurusinghe, Hathurusinghe, Skipper Kusal Mendis, Mendis, they've, Amlan Chakraborty, David Goodman, Pritha Organizations: REUTERS, Asthmatic, Sri, Bangladesh, Indian, International Cricket Council, ICC, Arun, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Asthmatic Bangladesh, Sri Lankan, Delhi, Sri Lanka

☆ Delhi shrouded in toxic smog
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[2/10]Share this photoA man exercises on a playground of the school after primary classes were ordered shut by the Delhi government for Friday and Saturday as the air pollution increased and the air quality index (AQI) plummeted, on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 3. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Organizations: REUTERS Locations: Delhi, New Delhi, India

☆ Air pollution sparks alarm, dims World Cup cheer in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Blassy Boben | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows residential buildings and a stadium shrouded in smog in New Delhi, India, October 27, 2023. Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 415 on a scale of 500 in the capital's Anand Vihar area on Thursday, indicating "severe" levels of pollution that can affect healthy people and those with existing ailments. The dip in air quality in the region during the winter months is often accompanied by a spike in respiratory illnesses, spurring school and factory closings. The worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup as fans flock to stadiums across Indian cities. Players have expressed concern about the toxic air, with England's Joe Root complaining of breathing difficulties during a game and India's Rohit Sharma urging change for "future generations".

Persons: Altaf Hussain, Anand, Joe Root, India's Rohit Sharma, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, BCCI, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Pakistan's Lahore, Swiss, India's Mumbai, AQI, Mumbai, Sri Lanka

☆ India’s capital renews firecracker ban to combat pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Blassy Boben | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Sept 11 (Reuters) - India's New Delhi has reimposed a ban on firecrackers ahead of the Diwali festival to curb air pollution in the winter, when air quality reaches hazardous levels, the capital city's environment minister said on Monday. "Manufacturing, storage, sale, online delivery and bursting of any type of firecrackers is completely prohibited in Delhi," Minister Gopal Rai said at a press conference, adding that police have been instructed to stop issuing licenses for fireworks. Firecrackers are a part of celebrations for the Hindu festival of Diwali, which falls in mid-November this year. The government said that the city reported its best air quality since 2015 last year, driven by measures including a push for greener vehicles. Reporting by Blassy Boben; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gopal Rai, Blassy Boben, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Thomson Locations: DELHI, Delhi, New Delhi, India

New Delhi CNN —The bulldozers and government officials arrived just before dawn, tearing down the row of shanties as its bewildered residents watched inconsolably nearby. CNN has reached out to the New Delhi and federal governments but is yet to receive a response. Rhea Mogul/CNN“I can’t explain how distraught everyone was as they bulldozed the homes,” Savita said. The demolitions are being done with extreme cruelty.”Savita helps her children with homework at a temporary home in Delhi. Modi sees India as a confident and modern superpower, a voice for the voiceless seizing the 21st century.

Persons: ”, Joe Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak, Rhea Mogul, Narendra Modi, Harsh Mander, Jayanti Devi, Savita, ” Savita, “, ” Mander, Modi, ” Modi, …, ’, ” Devi Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, ”, British, CNN, Policy Research, Survey, India, ASI, CNN Homeless, Workers, Indian National Congress, Commonwealth Games, Global, “ Locations: New Delhi, “, Devi, Pragati, Rhea, India, Delhi, Mander, Ukraine, United States

☆ Indian EV cell maker Log9 flags production hit on delayed visas to Chinese experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Rama Venkat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"If the Chinese engineers don't arrive on time, then our cell line production will get impacted," Log9's co-founder and director, Pankaj Sharma, told Reuters. A delay of about four months in the issue of visas would hamper the speed at which its factory reaches peak production levels, Sharma said. Log9's Bengaluru factory, its only manufacturing unit currently, has an annual installed capacity of 250 MWh of battery production. Log9 has sold over 1,000 battery units so far in 2023 after clocking sales of 4,000 units last year, according to Sharma, who declined to disclose the production figures. The company will begin the next funding round by the end of this year or early next year, Sharma said.

Persons: Pankaj Sharma, Sharma, Amara Raja, Rama Venkat, Dhanya Skariachan, Eileen Soreng Organizations: Reuters, Maersk, Blue Dart Express, Quantum Energy, Hala, Malaysia's Petronas, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Bengaluru, New Delhi, China, India

☆ Taiwan’s Foxconn says it sees ‘billions’ of dollars in India investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A month after exiting an ambitious project to help build one of India’s first chip factories, Taiwan’s Foxconn says it remains bullish about the world’s most populous nation and is planning “billions” of dollars in investments there, as multinationals seek to diversify their supply chains beyond China. Foxconn’s India operations account for about $10 billion — or just under 5% — of the company’s annual turnover, which stood at $6.627 trillion new Taiwan dollars ($207 billion) last year, Chairman Young Liu told a Monday earnings call. “There is a positive energy for this market,” he said in response to a question from CNN. Foxconn, best known for making Apple (AAPL)’s iPhones, has more than 30 factories in India, including 20 dormitories that house tens of thousands of workers. It was seen as a blow to the New Delhi government’s plans to turn the country into a tech manufacturing powerhouse.

Persons: Taiwan’s Foxconn, Young Liu, ”, ” Liu, Foxconn Organizations: CNN, “, Apple, Vedanta Locations: China, India, Taiwan, Delhi

☆ From Titanic tours to space exploration: extreme tourism is on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Kukenan (L) and Roraima mounts are seen from the Tec Camp, near Venezuela's border with Brazil January 14, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File PhotoJune 21 (Reuters) - The $250,000-a-head expedition that vanished this week en route to the deep-sea wreck of the Titanic ocean liner is just one example of extreme tourism that is becoming more commonplace for those who can afford it. Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings said last week its first commercial spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", would launch between June 27 and June 30. Before he set his sights on space, Branson was one of an elite group of extreme hot-air balloon travelers, becoming the first to traverse the Pacific Ocean in a balloon in 1991. Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Donna Bryson and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Branson, Arthur Conan Doyle's, Julia Harte, Donna Bryson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Tec, REUTERS, SPACE, Virgin Galactic Holdings, SpaceX, Heli, Thomson Locations: Roraima, Venezuela's, Brazil, Indian Kashmir, India, Pakistan, New Delhi, Mount Roraima, Venezuela

Airbus and Boeing have both highlighted the scale and technology of existing investments in India, playing down the significance of final passenger jet assembly. Boeing said it buys $1 billion a year in parts and services from India, while Airbus said it buys $700 million. "There's a desire in every country to have as much manufacturing as possible ... and final assembly is a desire that you see all around the world," Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India, told Reuters. "The volumes that you would require for final assembly on the commercial part of the business are just far, far greater," he said. "Even without the C295 FAL, the Airbus industrial footprint in India already generates more foreign exchange value and jobs for the country than any modern assembly activity would," said Remi Maillard, president of Airbus India & South Asia, by email.

NEW DELHI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - New Delhi city authorities have warned Uber (UBER.N) and its rival Ola for allegedly violating local transport rules by providing two-wheeler bike taxis, a senior government official told Reuters on Tuesday. As of Tuesday, bike taxis continue to be available for booking on Uber and Ola apps in New Delhi. Uber says in 2022, more than 1.9 million trips took place to and from metro rail stations in Delhi on Uber Moto, its bike taxi service. For drivers of bike taxis, the penalties could be as high as 10,000 rupees ($121) and a jail term of up to one year. The enforcement of rules for bike taxis by Delhi government follows similar moves by Maharashtra and Karnataka states.

☆ Top Delhi minister arrested in India liquor probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - India's federal investigating agency arrested a top local minister in the capital territory of New Delhi late on Sunday in connection with alleged irregularities in a liquor policy, the most high-profile arrest in the case so far. Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister in the Delhi government was arrested by India's federal crime agency, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) late Sunday night and will be produced in a local court on Monday. Sisodia was arrested in an ongoing investigation in "a case related to alleged irregularities in framing & implementation of the excise policy", the CBI said in a release. His arrest is dirty politics," Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister and head of the Aam Aadmi Party said in a tweet hours after Sisodia's arrest. India's financial crime-fighting agency, the Enforcement Directorate is separately investigating French liquor major Pernod Ricard for allegedly violating the same liquor policy.

☆ Uber says Delhi's plans to allow only electric bike taxis to impact millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Uber Technologies Inc FollowBENGALURU, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) said on Friday plans by the local government in India's Delhi city to only allow electric vehicles to function as bike taxis would risk "finishing off the sector" and impact the mobility needs of millions. Uber, in a blogpost, said any such move would put at risk the livelihood of over 100,000 drivers in the city. Uber has set a 2040 target for 100% of its rides to be in zero-emission vehicles, public transport or with micro-mobility, including in India. Earlier this month, Uber announced plans to introduce 25,000 EVs over three years in India. Uber, which offers bike rides in Delhi and many other states in India, did not respond to a Reuters request for a comment on the advertisement.

Pernod Ricard India said it strongly denies the allegations of the directorate, adding that it "will continue to fully cooperate with the Indian authorities in this matter." Benoy Babu, head for international brands for Pernod India, was arrested in November and remains in jail over the case. He faces allegations of money laundering under Indian laws and violating Delhi's liquor policy rules, but has denied wrongdoing. Under the 2021 Delhi liquor policy, hundreds of store licences were awarded to private players as the city government exited the retail business in a move to liberalise trade and boost local government revenue. One Enforcement Directorate document dated Nov. 10 says: "The main motive of Pernod Ricard in cartel creation was to ensure that the retail shops of the cartel partners purchased higher quantity of Pernod Ricard brands ... in lieu of the financial assistance provided."

☆ Indian court sends Pernod Ricard exec, Aurobindo director to agency custody
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The court's decision came hours after P. Sarath Chandra Reddy of Aurobindo Pharma and Pernod Ricard's Benoy Babu were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the country's federal financial crime-fighting agency. The ED last month raided several liquor companies, suppliers and distributors in a money-laundering investigation, according to media reports. Babu is a general manager at Pernod Ricard and handles the French company's international brands business in India, according to his LinkedIn profile. Spokespersons for Pernod Ricard and Aurobindo did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Shares in Aurobindo, which makes a range of medicines from antibacterials to antidepressants, fell by 11.75% by close of day.

☆ New Delhi wrestles with 'hazardous' air pollution, primary schools shut
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Tanvi Mehta | Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Authorities in New Delhi ordered primary schools to shut from Saturday, and told schools to stop outdoor activities for older children as air in the world's most polluted capital had become a severe risk to health. The chart below shows the daily maximum PM 2.5 concentration at the U.S. Embassy New Delhi since 2015. Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said going forward 50% of Delhi government employees would be told to work from home, and he urged private firms to take similar steps. School girls walk towards a school as they reopened after remaining closed for nearly 15 days due to a spike in air pollution, on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 29, 2021. According to data compiled by the Swiss group IQAir, New Delhi has been the world's most polluted capital for the past four years.

☆ Farm fires big culprit as Delhi air quality worsens
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The share of farm fires affecting Delhi's pollution has surged to more than 20% since the weekend, higher than the levels a year ago, government data showed on Tuesday as the Indian capital's air quality turned "severe" at many places. Delhi on Sunday suspended most construction and demolition activities, predicting a worsening of its air quality from Tuesday because of calmer winds and other meteorological conditions. Smoke from farm fires contributed to up to 26% of the tiny PM 2.5 lung-damaging pollutants in the city's air - the highest in the past two years during the period of mid-October to early November, according to data from the Ministry of Earth Science. Delhi's air quality index crossed the "severe" level of 400 at most of its monitoring stations on Tuesday as visibility dropped. "You don't need to add any filter on Instagram for Delhi sky photos.

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