Noticeable reduction in vehicular movement on Delhi roads after GRAP-4 imposed: Govt
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government said a noticeable reduction in vehicular movement was observed on the city roads following strict enforcement of anti-pollution measures under GRAP-4, with increased public compliance with the Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms.
In response to rising air pollution levels in the capital, the Delhi government on Thursday undertook a comprehensive monitoring exercise to assess the impact of the stringent measures implemented for pollution control, said an official statement.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed feedback received from her cabinet colleagues and their respective departments, and observed that the measures implemented by the government have delivered positive results on the ground.
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Following the government's directives, a noticeable reduction in vehicular movement was observed on Delhi's roads compared to normal days.
In a significant trend, a large number of vehicle owners voluntarily obtained Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, which the government termed a positive indicator of growing public awareness.
The Delhi government asserted that it is fully complying with the directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). In accordance with these directions, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) is currently in force in the capital.
Under GRAP-4, intensive inspection and enforcement drives were conducted, and strict action was taken against violations, the statement said.
According to a joint report of the Delhi Transport Department and the Delhi Traffic Police, a total of 210 enforcement teams were deployed for this special drive, including 126 teams of the Delhi Traffic Police and 84 teams of the Delhi Transport Department. During the campaign, stringent action was taken against vehicles operating without valid PUC certificates, with a total of 3,746 challans recorded against such vehicles.
The government said monitoring and strict enforcement will continue in the days ahead to reduce vehicular emissions and provide immediate relief to public health.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
