Centre launches special nationwide drive against substandard helmets
New Delhi, Oct 26: The Centre has ordered district officials to crack down on manufacturers and sellers of non-ISI certified helmets, following concerns over road safety and substandard protective gear flooding the market.
The government has cancelled or allowed to expire 162 helmet manufacturing licences to date, while authorities have conducted 27 raids targeting violations of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) regulations, the consumer affairs ministry said on Saturday.
"Helmets save lives, but only if they are of good quality," Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said. "This initiative is crucial in removing unsafe helmets from the market."
The crackdown comes after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways implemented a Quality Control Order in June 2021, making BIS certification mandatory for all helmets under standard IS 4151:2015.
The officials have particularly targeted roadside vendors selling uncertified helmets, which have been linked to motorcycle accident fatalities. Consumers can verify manufacturer credentials through the BIS Care App or website.
District officials have been instructed to work with police and BIS officers to identify violations. The campaign will be integrated with existing road safety initiatives, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said.
Wearing helmets is mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, but the widespread availability of substandard gear has undermined safety efforts.
The ministry's branch offices will coordinate with local administration and police to support the enforcement drive, the statement said.
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Delhi BJP chief admitted to hospital days after taking dip in 'toxic' Yamuna
New Delhi, Oct 26: Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva was admitted to the RML Nursing Home on Saturday with complaints of itching and breathing difficulties, two days after he took a dip in the heavily-polluted Yamuna to highlight the alleged failure of the AAP government to clean the river.
On Thursday, Sachdeva took a dip in the Yamuna at the Chhath Ghat and slammed former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his "failure" to fulfil his promise to clean the river by 2025.
After taking the dip, Sachdeva faced skin rashes and slight discomfort in breathing for which he was examined at the RML Hospital where the doctors prescribed him medicines for three days.
However, on Saturday morning, the BJP leader was admitted to the RML Nursing Home after he complained of itching and breathlessness.
He doesn't have any past history of similar problems, Delhi BJP media cell said in a statement.
Wishing Sachdeva a speedy recovery, senior AAP leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that BJP leaders should now realise that their "theatrics" will not clean the river.
On Thursday, Sachdeva "apologised" to Yamuna for the AAP government's "failure" in cleaning its water, promising to form a separate authority for its rejuvenation if the BJP wins the Assembly elections scheduled in Delhi next year.
The politics over Yamuna intensified in Delhi after a layer of toxic froth appeared on the river surface due to heavy contents of pollutants, leading to a squabble between the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP.
The war of words has become even more intense in view of the upcoming Chhath festival that is widely celebrated in Delhi-NCR by the Purvanchali people.
Before the imposition of a ban, a large number of women used to gather along the banks of Yamuna during Chhath to worship the Sun god in knee-deep waters of the river.
The AAP leaders have been claiming that the toxic froth in Yamuna at Kalindikunj has been caused by the release of millions of gallons of untreated industrial waste-water into the river from drains in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, both BJP-ruled states.
