Month: September 2024

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Thursday slammed the Mamata Banerjee government for the treatment of two Bihar students who were assaulted by unidentified men in West Bengal. He shared a video of the incident on his social media platform X.

In his post, Singh questioned why the students were beaten and asked, “Are these children not part of India?”

“Red carpet for Rohingya Muslims in Bengal and Bihar kid beaten up for taking exam? Are these children not part of India? Has Mamata government taken the contract of only saving rapists?,” the Union Minister wrote while sharing the video.

News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the video or its location in West Bengal.

The purported footage, which has now gone viral, shows one of the men rudely questioning the students while another man records the assault. In the video, one man asks the student where he is from, to which the student replies that he is from Bihar and is there to take an exam.

The man then starts to abuse the student, questioning how he was allowed to sit for the exam if he is not a resident of Bengal. He further demands to see the student’s domicile certificate. The students are also forced to do the up-and-down punishments while holding their ears and can be seen pleading the man with their hands folded.

Women are breaking barriers in every field alongside men. One such inspiring example is a woman from Nashik who launched a vada pav stall to support her family. Today, she has transformed her venture into a successful enterprise, achieving a remarkable monthly turnover of Rs 2 lakh.

Megha Chavan has been running a vada pav center named ‘Mumbaicha Vada Pav’ near Pathardi Phata in the Nashik area for the past six years. She started her eatery to cope with rising inflation and to support her family.

Megha’s mother used to sell vada pavs before her marriage. The two of them started making vada pavs in the evenings.

When Megha’s husband was transferred to Nashik, she shifted along with him. Though she found herself in a new locality she overcame all challenges. Using her mother’s recipe and incorporating some new spices, Megha created a unique flavor for her vada pavs in Nashik.

Initially, Megha sold vada pav alone from a small handcart. At times, some of the ingredients would get spoilt.

Many people asked her why she was using the name ‘Mumbai’ for her stall in Nashik. Megha explained that her vada pav venture originated in Mumbai, and she aimed to bring the taste of the city to those living in Nashik through her vada pavs.

Megha’s business began to flourish as people appreciated the taste of her vada pavs. This led to a significant increase in sales. Initially, she could only sell 12 vada pavs, but now she earns around Rs 2 lakh per month from her stall.

Megha has also begun providing employment to women in need at her eatery. Currently, she employs four women at her eatery.

Megha Chavan’s shop, ‘Mumbaicha Vada Pav,’ is located just 100 meters from Nashik’s Pathardi Phata. This eatery is a must-visit for anyone looking to experience the authentic taste of Mumbai’s vada pavs.

Delhi has long ranked as the most polluted city in NCR, but now another city is going to surpass it. Even before winter has officially begun, a thick blanket of dust and polluted air has already settled over Delhi.

Residents of Noida and Greater Noida are now facing a significant crisis, as the air quality issues that afflict Delhi may soon impact them even more severely. According to recent data and environmental experts, Noida could become more polluted than Delhi in the near future.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board and UPPCB, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi has fallen into the poor or very poor category over the past three days. Meanwhile, certain areas of Noida, including Sector 125, have recorded AQI levels in the severe range, exceeding 400. Experts warn that this trend indicates a significant danger in the near future.

Talking to News18, Vivek Chattopadhyay, Principal Program Manager in the Air Pollution Control Unit at the Center for Science and Environment, said that Noida and Greater Noida can become more polluted than Delhi in the near future. He cited several solid reasons for this concern.

Chattopadhyay explains that pollution levels depend on wind speed and direction. A major reason for the increasing pollution in Noida and Greater Noida is their position downwind from Delhi. When weather patterns change, the wind direction can shift, allowing pollution from Delhi to flow into these areas. If the wind speed is low, the pollutants can get trapped, worsening air quality.

Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, and Sahibabad are more industrialized than Delhi. The numerous factories in these areas release gases and pollutants that contaminate the air. As a result, pollution levels here are higher than in residential neighbourhoods.

Power cuts are uncommon in Delhi, but Noida and Greater Noida experience frequent outages. As a result, industries in these areas rely on heavy diesel generators and other alternatives to maintain operations, which significantly contribute to pollution.

Public transportation in Noida and Greater Noida is less than half of what is available in Delhi. Services like the Metro and electric buses are available to a much lesser extent. Most residents rely on private vehicles, and ample parking space leads to many households owning multiple two-wheelers and cars. As a result, the emissions from these vehicles contribute to rising pollution levels when they are in use.

With millions of people moving from Delhi and other cities to Noida and Greater Noida, construction has surged to create residential spaces. There has also been a rise in industrial and commercial building projects.

Unlike Delhi, where construction is often halted due to pollution concerns, such restrictions are seldom seen in Noida.

As winter arrives and pollution levels rise in Delhi, the situation in Noida and Greater Noida could worsen. The air is already starting to become polluted, and if measures aren’t taken to address this issue soon, living in these areas could become increasingly difficult, Chattopadhyay added.