Indian expats excited about new air service to Delhi
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the UAEs newest budget carrier and the first out of capital Abu Dhabi, has announced a new service to New Delhi starting November 24…reports Asian Lite News
Travellers from the UAE will now be able to fly direct to the Indian capital four times a week with scheduled flights to depart Abu Dhabi every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10.35 am, arriving in Delhi at 3.20 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).
Indian expats excited about new air service to Delhi
The return flights will depart Delhi on the same days at 4 pm IST and arrive back in the UAE capital at 6.40 pm UAE time.
Long-time Indian expats living in the UAE said that this announcement has come at the right time with the UAE in the midst of a festive season.
“This new service means more options for people like us while planning our travel to and back in a busy holiday period,” said long-time Dubai resident Kritika Mathur, whose extended family lives in Delhi.
Another Indian resident said that he hoped the new service will help keep airfares low during the upcoming holiday season.
“We were planning a visit this winter break and I think this new flight will give me more room to choose, especially while returning with my family members, who are also keen to see Expo 2020 Dubai,” said Partho Mondal, also a Delhi resident, who lives and works in Abu Dhabi.
The new service has sprung hope among many other Indian expats from Delhi’s neighbouring cities and states.
“For years, we have struggled to find the right flight and often had to fly via Lucknow because of expensive tickets to Delhi at peak seasons. We hope to reach our home quicker using this service,” said Faisal Javed, who hails from Aligarh, about 160 km from Delhi.
Customers can book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Delhi by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.
With services to Cochin, Calicut and Trivandrum, this will be the 16th route for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi since the launch of the carrier’s service from the Abu Dhabi International Airport last July.
Israeli embassy conducts free health clinic for underprivileged in Delhi
The Embassy of Israel in partnership with NGO Khushii and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute is conducting the health clinic…reports Asian Lite News
An Israeli medical delegation from Sourasky Medical Centre in Tel-Aviv, led by gynaecologist Dr Ronit Almog, held a ‘Woman Health Clinic’ here on Tuesday to create awareness about women’s health issues in the urban slums of South and North Delhi.
The clinics will go on for five days till November 19 in Sangam Vihar, South Delhi, and Mukandpur, North Delhi. Eminent doctors from Israel and India participated in these clinics.
Israeli embassy conducts free health clinic for underprivileged in Delhi
Ambassador of Israel to India, Naor Gilon said: “We are happy to be part of this important collaboration that promotes women’s health and awareness education. Israel and India share strong values of friendship, but equally important are the relations between the Indian and Israeli people. Through cooperation and the combination of India and Israel’s medical prowess, we can find effective solutions that will help people on both sides, as well as the world.”
The Embassy of Israel in partnership with NGO Khushii and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute is conducting the health clinic. This initiative aims to increase awareness of women’s health issues including cancer prevention and early detection. The delegation includes four senior doctors in obstetric, gynaecologists, women oncologists and breast surgeons.
The clinic will provide free services like blood pressure, blood sugar check-ups, disbursement of medicines, gynaecological check-ups and pap smear tests. Upon examination, patients may be referred to specialist doctors, if needed, for free diagnosis and treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute.
Dr Ronit Almog said, “I’m thrilled to visit India and be part of this important collaboration between the Israel Embassy, KHUSHII organization and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute.
The clinics also encompass awareness education sessions by expert community health specialists on topics such as family planning, maternal anaemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer and breastfeeding.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) for New Delhi at 7am stood at 384, reports Asian Lite News
New Delhi’s air quality improved marginally on Monday morning, inching up to the “very poor” category after the Capital experienced three consecutive days of “severe” air quality due to the double impact of firecrackers burst during Diwali and stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) for New Delhi at 7am stood at 384.
On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI was 428, which was in the “severe” category. On Friday, the day after Diwali, blatant violation of a ban on firecrackers had resulted in the AQI shooting up to 462 – the worst post-Diwali air quality in New Delhi since 2016.
The CPCB classifies an AQI of zero to 50 as “good”, 51-100 as “satisfactory”, 101-200 as “moderate”, 201-300 as “poor”, 301-400 as “very poor” and above 401 as “severe”.
While the AQI marginally improved on Saturday and climbed down to 437, the share of farm fires in New Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution was at the season’s highest so far at 48% on Sunday.
According to the data shared by the Delhi government on Sunday, 21,623 stubble burning incidents were recorded by Nasa’s satellite in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh between November 1 and November 6.
The CPCB will hold a meeting on Monday to review the air quality situation and discuss whether it’s necessary to consider implementing Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) measures mandated under the “severe” category.
Currently, steps under the “very poor” AQI category such as a ban on diesel generators and a three-to-four times increase in parking fees are in force across the city.
Earlier on Sunday, the ministry of earth sciences’ air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said the AQI was expected to improve by Sunday evening.
On the weather front, New Delhi is likely to experience partly cloudy skies on Monday as per the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast.
The minimum temperature on Monday was likely to be 14 degrees Celsius, while the mercury was later predicted to go up to a highest of 29 degrees Celsius.
On Sunday, the highest temperature was 29.1 degrees Celsius and the lowest was 14.2 degrees Celsius, with no deviation from the normal.
WHO warning on air pollution
Several cities across the country are currently battling severe deterioration in air quality. While air pollution, in general, is hazardous to health, it is particularly harmful for children, Livehindustan, Hindustan Times’ sister publication, has reported citing international bodies such as World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef. According to the two organisations, pollutants attack kids the most as their bodies are yet to fully develop.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government intensified various initiatives, including installations of anti-smog guns in various locations of the national capital to fight the increased pollution that reached ‘severe category’.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will visit ITO, Near Old PHQ for the installation of Anti-Smog Gun on Friday, according to Aam Aadmi Party sources.
The @WHO has announced new guidelines for air pollution, which disproportionately affects children, older people and people with lung and heart conditions. It’s now time for the Government to act on WHO’s warning and prioritise this public health crisis: https://t.co/VbMPCSW6uppic.twitter.com/AwUrwBvtdm
An anti-smog gun is a device to combat air pollution which will spray atomised water to settle the dust and other suspended particles in the atmosphere.
Equipped with a water tank on a vehicle, it can spray water up to a height of 50 meters to settle dust particles and PM 2.5.
Earlier in October, the Minister had claimed that the first smog tower installed at Connaught Place has reduced air pollution in the vicinity by up to 80 per cent.
Last November, the government had installed 23 anti-smog guns at key intersections and construction sites across the city, and assured that this number will be increased, if necessary.
Earlier, the government had made it mandatory for all construction sites of 20,000 square meters or above to use anti-smog guns and ensure minimum dust pollution.
To curb increasing pollution, the Delhi government had also banned the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers in the city ahead of Diwali.’
Thereafter, it will remain within “very poor” category as surface winds are becoming stronger and will help disperse air pollutants….reports Asian Lite News
The air in Delhi is continued to be poisonous as the pollution index crossed 800 on Saturday evening at some places. The overall AQI of Delhi was in “severe” category (450) as forecast by SAFAR, but is likely to improve to the upper end of the “very poor” category by Sunday and further in the next two days.
Thereafter, it will remain within “very poor” category as surface winds are becoming stronger and will help disperse air pollutants.
Strong transport-level northwesterly winds coming from Punjab and Haryana regions enhanced stubble-burning related intrusion. Share of crop residue burning in PM2.5 as estimated by the SAFAR model was 41 per cent, highest so far for this season and effective fire count by SAFAR also peaked on Sunday to 5,159.
Wind speed at both airports, IGI and Safdarjung, was reported between 10 to 15 kmph till 4 p.m., which then slowed down to calm or light winds. Direction remained from westerly to north-northwesterly direction. Visibility remained at 800 to 1,200 m later in the day in smog.
At 7 p.m., the AQI at Sector 1 Noida was 360, at Sector 62, Noida, it was 648, Vasundhara Ghaziabad was 414, Sriniwaspuri, Delhi was 804, Pusa Delhi was 392, Dr Karni Singh shooting range, Delhi, was 526, according to the data from AQICN of World Quality Index project.
The AQI at Ashok Vihar was 450, Chandni Chowk 442, Dwarka 450, Mandir Marg 440, IGI Airport 428, Lodhi Road 419 and North Campus 440, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor”, then 401 to 500 “severe”.
Aerial view of the city is engulfed in heavy smog in New Delhi, India, 05 November 2021, as Delhi's air quality hits the 'hazardous' category after Diwali festival. (Pallav Paliwal)
At 8 a.m., AQI at Delhi’s Ashok vihar was 464, Chandni chowk(371), Dwarka (472), Mandir Marg (466), IGI Airport(458), Lodhi road (459) and North campus (453) according to CPCB…reports Asian Lite News.
The air quality index (AQI) crossed the 600-mark at several places across the national capital with a few places in east Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida crossing the 800-mark on Friday morning, hours after the people burst firecrackers on Diwali night making the Delhi-NCR air hazardous.
The already severe condition of the air quality on Thursday evening deteriorated further with pm2.5 concentration at 467 and pm10 concentration at 631 at 9 a.m., according to SAFAR data. There was moderate fog early in the morning, indicative of air quality may not improve much for the day.
The fog conditions intensified in Delhi-NCR on Friday with moderate fog at visibility 200 to 500m range reported at its two airports from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) Palam lowest visibility was 350m while the city side had a poorer visibility at 200m, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD)
At 9 a.m., AQI was 920 and 904 in Noida’s sector 116 and in Sector 62 respectively; 617 in Ghaziabad’s vasundhara; 897 and 699 in Delhi’s Patparganj and Sriniwaspuri respectively, according to the data from World Quality Index project, a non-profit organisation.
However, the data given by CPCB did not reflect these station’s and showed much lesser AQI levels for other stations.
At 8 a.m., AQI at Delhi’s Ashok vihar was 464, Chandni chowk(371), Dwarka (472), Mandir Marg (466), IGI Airport(458), Lodhi road (459) and North campus (453) according to CPCB.
The Meteorological agencies had predicted an AQI of 500 plus for Thursday and Friday if Delhiites burst firecrackers on Diwali day. However, none of the stations touched the 500-mark
According to the India Meteorological Department, there will be partly cloudy sky in Delhi and maximum temperature is expected to be 29 degree Celsius and minimum temperature is expected to be 14 degree Celsius.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, then 401 and between 500 is considered “severe”.
Delhi’s air quality on Monday morning was pegged at the “very poor” category with its AQI settling at 302 and by evening, it increased to 306….reports Asian Lite News
Delhi’s air quality is likely to deteriorate “significantly” on November 5 and 6 and may reach the upper end of the “very poor” category with PM2.5 being the predominant pollutant, Ministry of Earth Sciences forecast on Monday.
In its outlook for the subsequent five days, the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, that comes under the Ministry, said that the air quality is likely to deteriorate on November 5 and 6 significantly and may reach the upper end of the “very poor” category. PM2.5 to be the predominant pollutant.
“From November 4 onwards, the wind direction will change from the present easterly to north-westerly which are highly favourable to the intrusion of stubble burning,” System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) founder and project director Gufran Beig told IANS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJZIIO7f-nY
“Even if 50 per cent of the firecrackers burst in 2020 happen to be lit this Diwali, then the air quality will deteriorate to ‘severe’, and without crackers, the air quality will settle at upper end of ‘very poor’ on November 5 and 6,” he added.
Delhi’s air quality on Monday morning was pegged at the “very poor” category with its AQI settling at 302 and by evening, it increased to 306.
The level of PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollutants in the air this morning stood at 122 and 256, respectively, whereas by evening, the level of PM 2.5 pollutants increased to 128, according to the SAFAR.
“Delhi’s AQI is in the ‘very poor’ category and likely to improve to upper end of ‘poor’ for Monday (November 1) and Tuesday (November 2) due to expected change in wind direction to westerly/south-westerly reducing transport of emissions from stubble burning. Isolated rainfall is likely in upwind region that would improve air quality. Share of crop residue burning emissions in PM2.5 is about 8per cent (Effective fire count 1,734). Prevailing shallow mixing layer height reduces dispersion of pollutants,” SAFAR stated this morning.
Air quality of Delhi starts deteriorating as winter approaches the national capital due to stubble burning in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. It often leads to a rise in toxicity by increasing the level of PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollutants in the city’s air.
Fuel price hike continues for the sixth consecutive day
Petrol and diesel prices increased again on Monday, the sixth consecutive day of increase, as global oil prices failed to relent and continued to remain firm…reports Asian Lite News
Accordingly, the pump price of petrol in Delhi increased by 35 paise per litre to jump to Rs 109.69 a litre while diesel prices also increased by the same margin to reach Rs 98.42 a litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.
In the financial capital Mumbai, petrol prices have now risen to Rs 115.50 per litre while diesel to Rs 106.63 a litre, the highest among all metros.
Fuel price hike continues for the sixth consecutive day
Across the country as well petrol and diesel prices increased between 35-40 paise per litre, but their retail rates varied depending on the level of local taxes on petroleum products.
The fuel prices have now increased six consecutive days by 35 paise per litre. Before this after holding for a couple of days, fuel prices again had risen on previous five days by about 35 paise per litre.
Diesel prices have now increased on 30 out of the last 38 days taking up its retail price by Rs 9.90 per litre in Delhi.
With diesel prices rising sharply, the fuel is now available at over Rs 100 a litre in several parts of the country. It is very close to breaching the mark even in Delhi where it had rapidly climbed to Rs 98.42 a litre on Monday.
Petrol prices had maintained stability since September 5, but oil companies finally raised the pump prices last week and this week given a spurt in the product prices lately. Petrol prices have also risen on 27 of the previous 34 days taking up the pump price by Rs 8.50 per litre.
Crude price has been on a surge, rising over three year high level of over $ 85 a barrel now as global demand remains firm while OPEC+ continues to move slowly on increasing production. It has fallen a bit to around $84 a barrel after China released some oil from its reserve to address supply concerns.
Since September 5, when both petrol and diesel prices were revised, the price of petrol and diesel in the international market is higher by around $9-10 per barrel as compared to average prices during August.
The plan is subject to discussions with the Indian authorities to finalise necessary approvals…reports Asian Lite News
Australia’s flag carrier Qantas on Friday announced its plans to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi in December with three return flights per week, building to daily flights by end of the year.
The plan is subject to discussions with the Indian authorities to finalise necessary approvals, according to the company’s announcement on Friday.
Qantas to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi
If approved, it would be the first commercial flight for Qantas between Australia and India in almost a decade, reports xinhua news agency.
The flights would initially operate until at least late March 2022, with a view to continuing if there is sufficient demand.
Flights from Sydney to Delhi would operate via Darwin, while flights from Delhi to Sydney would operate non-stop.
The new route is among an array of movements as Qantas and Jetstar gear up for accelerated border opening.
Qantas flights between Sydney to Singapore will resume on November 23 this year, four weeks earlier than scheduled, operating three days per week.
Jetstar will fly from Melbourne and Darwin to Singapore from December 16 this year.
Qantas flights between Sydney to Fiji will be brought forward to December 7 with four return flights a week. Jetstar flights to Fiji will resume on December 17.
Flights from Sydney to Johannesburg will resume on January 5, 2022, three months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week.
Flights from Sydney to Bangkok will resume on January 14, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with five return flights a week.
Jetstar will also resume flights from Sydney to Phuket on January 12, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week.
Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December this year, with other destinations to restart in the new year.
Due to the current border policy, all these flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families and parents, but Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said he expects tourists from Singapore, South Africa and India to take advantage of these flights once borders reopen to international visitors.
Delhi Airport
He also hailed the scraping of hotel quarantine for arrived international travellers by the state of New South Wales (NSW).
“The decision by the NSW government to join many cities from around the world by removing quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers means we’re able to add these flights from Sydney much earlier than we would have otherwise,” said Joyce.
For domestic routes, Qantas and Jetstar are also preparing to ramp up capacity between Melbourne and Sydney as quarantine-free travel is set to resume between Australia’s two largest cities.
With all these decisions, the group’s 22,000 employees, who were stood down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be able to return to work in December.
“This is the best news we’ve had in almost two years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again,” Joyce said.
The IMD issues a forecast for three days and seven days outlook. Accordingly, there would be strong winds for next two days and there is no chance of rain…reports Asian Lite News.
Satellite images by NASA have shown the increasing instances of farm fires vis-a-vis stubble burning not just in Punjab and Haryana in the Indian side but also over large areas in Pakistan to the west of Punjab. A NASA satellite image tweeted on Sunday morning by India Meteorology Department (IMD) scientist Ashim Mitra shows clusters of red dots (denoting farm fires) spread across Punjab and Haryana and also in Pakistan.
New Delhi: Smog engulfs the national capital as the air quality worsens, on Nov 15, 2019. The air pollution emergency in Delhi has aggravated with the air quality index (AQI) spiking sharply to 528 on Friday morning.The AQI on Thursday was much lower at 470 in the ‘severe plus’ category. The PM 10 count was also in the severe plus category at 496 and PM 2.5 count was at 324.(Photo: IANS)
Despite several efforts by the Central and state governments to prevent farm fires, scores of farmers in Punjab and Haryana have started stubble burning ahead of the rabi season, air pollution from which is soon likely to travel towards Delhi-NCR.
The only saving grace for this week is that the number of fire counts is still very less and there are strong winds that dissipate this pollution faster. “The impact of these farm fires will not be felt much this week as the wind speed is strong and the number of fires is less,” IMD scientist in Delhi Urban Meteorological Services, Dr V.K. Soni said.
The IMD issues a forecast for three days and seven days outlook. Accordingly, there would be strong winds for next two days and there is no chance of rain.
But whatever little impact that these fires can have is already visible in the Air Quality Index (AQI) by the Central Pollution Control Board in the national capital. The AQI at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Anand Vihar was already at 289, Wazirpur was at 230, and Jahangirpuri at 197. At Shadipur, it was 189, at Okhla, it was 172, at Punjabi Bagh it was 166, and even at Lodi Road it was 140.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has been issuing a number of guidelines, the Delhi government has taken a number of initiatives to control dust and other pollutants and the Central government has said, it has provided harvester machines in large numbers for the farmers of Punjab and Haryana so that the stubble left from the kharif crop is not burnt.
Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals…reports Siddhi Jain.
Art is a ‘thapasya’ for people with an insight of creativity. Even though her association with art continued throughout her life, it is only now that the 79-year-old artist Todo Paintal is exhibiting her first solo show at a Delhi-based art gallery. Born in 1942, and married to an armoured corps officer-a war veteran who has fought the 65′ and 71′ wars, she turned to painting as a hobby and cathartic release.
Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals. Her recent explorations of Himalayan landscapes produce an utopian vision of an innocent world that is a refuge from the pressures of the city, free from noise, crowds, pollution, and in tune with natural processes.
Having spent her childhood in Dalhousie and a larger part of her life in far-flung army cantonments, she celebrates the experience of solitude and spiritual refreshment afforded by pastoral retreats in idyllic portraits of contented self-sufficiency. These portable mementos representing visual experiences share with us the wonderful energy of her artistic engagement, great fascination, and love for the mountains.
Being widely travelled, this is a theme she returns to frequently along with her emotional dialogue with her family — an unabashed ode to the pleasures and joys of a fulfilled life. She celebrates the radiant beauty of the natural landscapes and beautifully communicates the spirit of the place with a distillation of the tranquility it embodies in the people closest to her.
Paintal trained briefly at the Triveni Kala Sangam and later apprenticed with veteran artist Anjolie Ela Menon, as well as enjoying a brief stint at Arpana Caur’s Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi. After a grueling Montessori training she ran her own Montessori kindergarten school for nearly three and a half decades. On her retirement and at the age of 75, she returned to her artistic passion with a diploma in Fine Arts at the Delhi Collage of Art, under the mentorship of Ashwani Kumar Prithviwasi who helped her crystalize her signature vocabulary. She is currently pursuing her fourth year of advanced studies.
