4 in 5 families in Delhi-NCR affected by air pollution, says survey
New Delhi (PTI): Amid rising pollution levels in the national capital and adjoining areas, a survey conducted by a community social media platform has found that four in five families in the region have someone facing one or more ailments due to contaminated air.
The survey conducted by LocalCircles also said that 91 per cent of Delhi residents believe authorities were completely or partially ineffective in enforcing the ban on transportation, distribution and sale of crackers this Diwali.
More than 34,000 responses were received from residents of Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad for the survey, a statement said.
Out of the respondents, 66 per cent were men and 34 per cent women, it said.
In the survey, the respondents were asked the kind of ailments faced by them since the last week as the Delhi-NCR's air quality turned severe.
In response, 16 per cent respondents said they were experiencing sore throat or cough or both, another 16 per cent said runny nose, congestion or burning eyes, while 16 per cent said they were facing breathing difficulty, it said.
Only 20 per cent of the respondents experienced no impact of the polluted environment. On an aggregate basis, four in five families in Delhi-NCR are now experiencing one or more ailments due to polluted air, the statement said.
There were 24 per cent people who experienced all the above mentioned issues, while eight per cent experienced at least two of the symptoms.
Nearly 22 per cent of the respondents said they or someone in their family have already visited doctors or hospitals regarding air pollution-related ailments.
Meanwhile, only 28 per cent families in Delhi-NCR plan to use air purifiers and 61 per cent anti-pollution masks to cope with the current situation.
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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.
