The air quality in New Delhi continued to remain severe even as the toxic haze cleared up after a light rainfall today morning. The weather agency expects the pollution to ease up ahead of Diwali on Sunday. The rains come amid the Delhi government’s ongoing discussions with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to conduct artificial rains across the national capital to combat the deteriorating air quality.

New Delhi is reeling after a week of severe pollution that has seen concentrations of harmful particles as high as 100 times the levels recommended by the World Health Organization

The overall air quality in Delhi at 7 am today was 407, according to data by the government’s air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR.

Some of the worst-affected areas were Ashok Vihar (443), Anand Vihar (436), Bawana (433), Rohini (429) and Punjabi Bagh (422). The situation isn’t any better in Noida, Gurugram and other neighbouring cities. Noida’s average AQI this morning was 475, Faridabad 459, Gurugram 386, and Ghaziabad (325).

The data showed major drop in the level of pollutants PM 2.5 and PM10 after 4am across the national capital and surrounding areas.   

Meanwhile, the Delhi government is making efforts to execute anti-pollution measures, and it is also considering the idea of ‘artificial rain’ to curtail the pollution issue. Several ministers of the Aam Admi Party were also seen on the ground on Thursday night inspecting the execution of anti-pollution initiatives.

The Supreme Court will today review measures already put in place to improve air quality, consider further tightening the rules on road traffic, and discuss the role played by dust raised from construction, one of the main contributors to the city’s pollution problems.  

Delhi needs heavy and widespread rain to wash away the pollutants, and light rains could worsen the situation, said Gufran Beig, the founder director of the federal government’s air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR.

Mr Beig added that current airflow is carrying smoke from crop residue burning in the states of Punjab and Haryana to Delhi, which also has its own pollution sources and where there is currently almost no wind.

A 24-year-old Indian student who was stabbed at a fitness centre in the US state of Indiana on October 29 died of his injuries at a hospital on Wednesday. Varun Raj Pucha, a computer science student at Valparaiso University, was stabbed in the head by Jordan Andrade, 24, police said. 

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Varun Raj Pucha. Our campus community has lost one of its own, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Varun’s family and friends as we mourn this devastating loss,” Valparaiso University said in a statement.

The accused has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery. Andrade reportedly told the police that Varun “was going to assassinate” him, according to newly filed charges in the case.

Andrade told the police that Varun and he had never spoken before the attack but the former said that “someone” told him that Varun was “threatening”.

“Officers also spoke with Planet Fitness staff who indicated that (the stabbed man) was a regular gym member and generally kept to himself, was quiet and reserved, nothing indicating that he was ‘creepy,'” police said.

The Attack

Andrade said he walked into the massage room of the gym and found Varun, whom he did not know, but found “a little weird”, the police said. He maintained that he felt threatened by Varun and reacted accordingly, stating in his own words that he “just reacted”.

The accused insisted that Varun remained seated during the entire altercation and did not initiate any physical contact. He further alleged that the only physical contact occurred when Varun attempted to push him away after Andrade had already initiated the attack.

Claiming to be a former high school football player capable of bench-pressing 260 pounds, Andrade described Varun as “pretty little”.

Andrade maintained that he acted in self-defence, portraying himself as a “defensive fighter” who eliminated a threat with a knife. Upon further inquiry about the details of the attack, Andrade allegedly responded with a vague explanation, “Uh, I just put it through.”

When further questioned about the attack’s specifics, Andrade reportedly remained tight-lipped, stating, “I don’t even want to say it,” according to police. “It was in the head.”

The 24-year-old acknowledged pulling the knife out of his pocket, a tool he typically uses for opening boxes at his workplace, Menards.

Memorial

A memorial service for Varun will be held on campus on November 16th. 

“Our university gives the family and friends of Varun Raj Pucha our deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with his family, and we pray for their healing,” said the university.

Varun, from Telangana’s Khammam district, was pursuing an MS in computer science. He began his studies in the US in August 2022.

An experienced train driver, who earned accolades for his services in the past, spent nine days in a mental hospital and underwent a special checkup to prove his mental fitness because he had threatened to commit suicide to highlight his grievances.

After Shyam Singh was declared fit in the special checkup, the Agra Rail Division has now asked him to go for a refresher course before getting back to driving.

Agra Railway Division PRO Prashasti Srivastava said the medical examination was required to find out if he was mentally sound to drive trains. “We need to take every single measure to ensure safe train operations. A loco pilot, who carries thousands of passengers, must have an attentive and sound mind.” Mr Srivastava also denied any discrimination or revengeful behaviour by the department towards Mr Singh in any manner.

Mr Singh, 48, who joined the railways as an assistant loco pilot in 1996, has been fighting a legal battle against alleged injustice and highhandedness of his seniors for the past one year.

Mr Singh’s plight started in October 2022 when he received a notice for committing minor violations while driving. In his reply, he not only denied all allegations but also accused his seniors of victimizing him due to personal enmity.

When Mr Singh felt that he was being treated unfairly and not heard properly by his seniors, he applied for voluntary retirement from service (VRS) on December 23, 2022.

However, after his well-wishers and sympathizers advised him not to go for VRS and instead fight back, he opted to withdraw the VRS application, which the department refused and relieved him of his services on February 10, 2023.

Mr Singh challenged it in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Allahabad and got a stay order.

“Though the CAT restored his services, the department turned vindictive and put him in junior positions. They knew that he was an experienced mail and express train driver, still he was asked to work as an assistant driver in freight trains against the railway norms,” Sanjay Pandhi, working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), said. The IRLRO is providing legal assistance to Mr Singh to fight this case.

Mr Pandhi added, “Singh has been awarded multiple times…for his hard work and quick response to avert accidents.” Meanwhile, Singh wrote several times to his department to put him back to mail and express trains but it was turned down. Out of frustration and to draw the attention of his seniors towards his plight, one day, he wrote on a crew complaint book that he wanted to commit suicide to get rid of his humiliation.

The department used it against him and issued a direction for a mental fitness test and a special brain test to find out if he was mentally sound to drive trains.

When Mr Singh questioned that under which rule he was being subjected to such a test, the department justified it in writing saying that it was important to find out his mental fitness as he drives passenger trains which carry thousands of people and hence it is important for the safety of rail operations.

“Instead of holding a counselling session and trying to understand his grievances, the department sent him to a mental hospital to frustrate him further. This is really pathetic and I request that the Railway Board should intervene in such matters and help employees get justice,” Mr Pandhi added.

Mr Singh spent nine days in a mental hospital only to get a fitness certificate. Even after the hospital declared him medically fit, the department got another test – Non-contrast Computed Tomography (NCCT) of Head – done which showed him normal.

“Now to victimize him further, the railways has asked him to go for a refresher course. Loco pilots are sent for refresher course after three years of driving and Singh’s refresher course is due in July 2024 but the department wants to send him just because of its revengeful behaviour,” Mr Pandhi said.

Divisional PRO Mr Srivastava said that as winters are approaching and loco pilots will encounter foggy weather, every loco pilot will have to undertake a refresher’s course to ensure safe train operations.

“The department has treated Singh’s case with care and compassion. All allegations of injustice or highhandedness are incorrect. We are doing everything possible to bring him back to his job ensuring safety in railways.”