Delhi reels under biting cold as mercury plunges to season's lowest
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi recorded its coldest morning of this winter season on Friday, with a biting chill gripping the city as the minimum temperature plunged to its lowest level so far, even as trace rainfall was reported at several places across the national capital.
The minimum temperature settled at 4.6 degrees Celsius, about 2.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal normal, marking the coldest morning of the season.
Weather stations across the city also reported trace rainfall during the early hours, adding to the wintry conditions.
Station-wise data showed that Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal normal, while Palam logged 5.0 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees below normal. Lodhi Road recorded a minimum of 5.2 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees below normal, while the Ridge station reported 5.4 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees below normal.
Ayanagar was the coldest among the listed stations, with the minimum temperature dipping to 4.8 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees below the seasonal average.
As for rainfall, Safdarjung and Lodhi Road recorded trace rainfall during the past 24 hours till 8.30 am, while Ayanagar received 0.8 mm of rainfall.
No rainfall was recorded at Palam and the Ridge station during the same period.
According to the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, drizzle is likely at a few places in Delhi, including Akshardham, Lodhi Road, Nehru Stadium, R K Puram, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Tughlakabad, IGNOU, Ayanagar and Deramandi.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin, said cold wave conditions are likely to persist over parts of north and northwest India, including Delhi-NCR, over the coming days.
"It is a chilly morning but no cold wave conditions are threatening yet," an IMD official said.
The maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to hover around 17 degrees Celsius.
Thursday marked the third coldest morning of the season as the mercury at the city's base station Safdarjung dipped to 5.8 degrees Celsius, 1.1 degrees below normal.
The second lowest minimum temperature of the season was recorded on December 4 and 5 last year at 5.6 degrees Celsius, followed by December 1, when it stood at 5.7 degrees Celsius.
Delhi had earlier recorded its first cold day of the season on January six, when the maximum temperature plunged to 15.7 degrees Celsius, 3.3 degrees Celsius below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 7.6 degrees Celsius.
Cold day conditions persisted on Wednesday as well, with the maximum temperature recorded at 16.7 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees Celsius below normal, and the minimum at 8.6 degrees Celsius.
According to the IMD, cold day conditions are declared when the minimum temperature remains below 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature falls 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius below normal, while cold wave conditions are declared when the minimum temperature drops by 4.5 to 6.4 notches below normal.
Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 325. As many as 26 monitoring stations reported 'very poor' air quality, deteriorating from poor levels recorded a day earlier.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board's classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
