Delhi's pollution levels worsen, air quality still in 'poor' category
New Delhi:Delhi's pollution levels worsened on Wednesday even as the air quality index remained in the 'poor' category, with a government agency forecasting improvement in the situation on Thursday with cleaner easterly wind coming in.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 268 on Wednesday morning. However, the data updated in the evening showed the average AQI of the past 24 hours at 256.
The figures are based on data collected from 34 monitoring stations in the city.
The 24-hour average AQI was 223 on Tuesday and 244 the day before. It was 254 on Sunday and 287 on Saturday.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
However, the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said the AQI has deteriorated to the lower end of 'very poor' category.
"Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) has marginally deteriorated and is in the lower end of the 'very poor' category as of Wednesday morning. It is being forecast that the air quality may improve by tomorrow and be in 'poor' category due to cleaner easterly wind intrusion," SAFAR said.
It said the AQI will be in the 'poor' category in the coming days.
The SAFAR synergised stubble burning fire counts around Haryana, Punjab and neighbouring regions stood at 849 for Tuesday.
The share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM 2.5 pollution stood at 15 per cent on Wednesday, the agency said adding it is likely to reduce on Thursday owing to expected change in wind direction.
The Delhi government has kickstarted its 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' anti-pollution campaign for which it has deployed 2,500 environment marshals at 100 traffic signals across the city to generate awareness and curb vehicular pollution.
The drive will go on till November 15 from 8 am to 8 pm. It is an awareness drive by the Delhi government and no person will be issued challans, the government had said.
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Man held for blackmailing woman using explicit photos, videos
Bengaluru (PTI): A 46-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly blackmailing a woman using her explicit photos and videos to force her into a sexual relationship with him, police said on Saturday.
The accused, Haniyur Chandregowda, is a member of the Child Welfare Committee in Ramanagara, they said.
Obscene photos of several other women were also found on his mobile phone during examination, police said.
The case came to light after a 43-year-old woman, who works as a make-up artist, filed a complaint at the Rajarajeshwari Nagar police station on April 30, they said.
According to FIR, the woman met Chandregowda in 2021. He told her he was connected to TV serials and took her phone number on the pretext of offering make-up work. The woman had been living separately from her husband for about eight years.
The accused started visiting her house frequently and told her he was a lecturer with a good salary and promised to marry her and entered into a physical relationship with her, she alleged.
Police said Chandregowda later used private photos and videos of their intimate moments to threaten her. He allegedly warned that he would make them public if she did not agree to his demands, and continued the relationship under pressure.
The FIR also stated that in 2024, he rented a house using the woman's documents by falsely claiming to be her husband.
The woman also alleged that he used a fake ID claiming he was a Superintendent of Police to avoid paying toll fees.
She claimed that he had taken around Rs 5 lakh from her since 2021 and had not returned the money.
The FIR further stated that he added his name to the educational documents of the woman's daughter, pretending to be her husband.
Based on the complaint, a case under sections 69 (sexual intercourse by deceitful means) and 204 (impersonating a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered. He was later arrested, a senior police officer said.
