Karnataka's Dhaneshwari likely to take Hima's place in Indian 4x100m relay team
Patiala: Injured Hima Das' place in the women's 100m relay final on Tuesday is likely to be taken by Karnataka's AT Dhaneshwari as the Indian quartet makes a final bid for Olympics qualification during the ongoing National Inter-State Championships here.
Dhaneshwari had finished fifth in the 100m dash, won by S Dhanalakshmi of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, with a time of 11.71 seconds.
The other members of the quartet will be national record holder Dutee Chand, Dhanalkshmi and Archana Suseendran. Dutee had finished fourth and Archana third in the final on Saturday.
Hima sustained a hamstring injury while running the 100m heats on Saturday and is unlikely to take further part in the championships, unless she makes a dramatic recovery in the next 48 hours.
She is, however, listed among eight finalists for the 200m race to be run on Tuesday. The heat races for the 200m were not held on Sunday after Dutee, Dhanalakshmi and Archana pulled out.
The Athletics Federation of India said direct final will be held on Tuesday.
The absence of Dhanalakshmi and Archana could be to give them enough time to rest, while Dutee is recovering from a minor muscle tightness.
Dutee, who finished fourth in the 100m dash won by Dhanalakshmi, was seen having some discomfort after crossing the finishing line on Saturday.
"It is a minor issue, jut tightness in glutes (muscles of buttocks). She is is not running 200m but will run 4x100m relay," Dutee's coach N Ramesh said.
Dutee is expected to make it to Tokyo Games 100m sprint on the basis of world rankings though she could not breach the qualifying standard of 11.15 seconds. She is currently sitting pretty at 41st place in the Road to Tokyo list as 56 competitors will run in the event.
She had clocked 11.17 seconds to better her own national record during the Indian Grand Prix 4 earlier this month.
For the women's 4x100m relay, the Indian quartet will have to clock below 43.04 seconds to have any chances of qualifying for the Olympics, which opens on July 23.
The women's 4x100m relay final is also scheduled for Tuesday.
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Delhi polluted owing to Aravalli, says anchor Rajat Sharma; netizens troll him
Noida: India TV editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma has drawn sharp criticism on social media following remarks he made on air attributing Delhi’s air pollution partly to its geographical location and the Aravalli hill range.
Speaking during a recent episode of his prime-time show Aaj Ki Baat, Sharma said Delhi’s geography plays a major role in trapping polluted air.
“Geographical location is the main reason. Delhi is a big city and its shape is like a bowl, surrounded by the Aravalli hills on three sides. As a result, polluted air gets trapped and cannot disperse easily. Therefore, the problem of pollution in Delhi cannot be solved in one year or in any particular season,” he said.
His comments came amid a severe deterioration in air quality in the national capital. On Sunday morning, December 21, Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of toxic smog, sharply reducing visibility and causing widespread discomfort. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 390 around 7 a.m., placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Dense fog and smog also disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). As many as 110 flights were cancelled, while over 370 flights were delayed due to poor visibility. Of the cancelled services, 59 were arriving flights and 51 were departures. Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that departing flights faced an average delay of around 26 minutes.
Netizens troll Sharma
One user wrote on X, “Rajat Sharma is saying due to the Aravalli hills, there is air pollution in Delhi. He is defending mining and destroying the Aravalli hills like this. How can these people call themselves journalists?”
Another user accused him of political hypocrisy, comparing his earlier criticism of the Delhi government with his current remarks, and wrote, “In 2023 he blamed Arvind Kejriwal for Delhi air pollution. In 2025, he is blaming the Aravalli hills because BJP is in power. Hypocrisy = 100%, Journalism = 00%.”
Others termed the comments an example of the “godi media” narrative, alleging that geography was being blamed instead of governance, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, construction dust, and stubble burning. “When they fail to question power or policy, they conveniently shift the blame to nature,” another post read.
“Friends, what can one even say about today’s godi media? According to them, the reason for Delhi’s pollution is that the Aravalli hills surround the city from three sides, trapping polluted air inside. Seriously? So now Sudhir Chaudhary and Rajat Sharma want us to believe that nature itself is to blame? When they fail to question power or policy, they conveniently shift the blame to geography. Apparently, it’s not years of environmental destruction or administrative failure—it’s the Aravalli hills! Does this explanation make any sense at all?,” wrote another.
What is the Aravali issue?
The controversy arises over the Union government’s revised definition of what constitutes the Aravalli hills.
The decision has drawn protests involving environmental activists across Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of the Delhi-NCR region, who have raised concerns that the new definition could weaken protection for one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges.
Under the revised definition, an “Aravalli hill” is described as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above local relief, while an “Aravalli range” is defined as a cluster of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other. Activists fear this could open the door for mining, construction, and commercial activities in previously protected areas.
Environmentalists argue that the Aravalli range serves as a natural barrier against desertification, dust storms, and pollution, and plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance in the Delhi-NCR region.
They have demanded that the entire Aravalli range be declared a fully protected area with strict conservation measures.
Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has stated that the new definition, accepted by the Supreme Court based on a Centre-led panel’s recommendations, would not result in any relaxation of mining norms in the Aravalli region.
Rajat Sharma is saying due to Aravalli hills there is Air pollution in Delhi. He is defending mining & destroying Aravalli hills like this
— Veena Jain (@Vtxt21) December 21, 2025
How can these people call themselves Journalists even after doing such things 🤮
pic.twitter.com/osgDAYl6Nb
🚨 2023 : Rajat Sharma was blaming Arvind Kejriwal for delhi air pollution
— Amock_ (@Amockx2022) December 21, 2025
🚨 2025 : He is blaming Aravalli Hills for delhi air pollution because BJP is in govt
Hypocrisy = 100%, Journalism = 00% 🤣 pic.twitter.com/EHCrAmAfGY
Friends, what can one even say about today’s godi media? According to them, the reason for Delhi’s pollution is that the Aravalli hills surround the city from three sides, trapping polluted air inside. Seriously? So now Sudhir Chaudhary and Rajat Sharma want us to believe that…
— The indian guy (@Ab60307) December 20, 2025
