NEW DELHI: Over 9,000 birds across 131 species were spotted along Yamuna floodplains in the capital during the Asian Waterbird Census this weekend.The survey, carried out by a group of nearly 20 birders in collaboration with eBird, an online avian database, flagged several ecological threats to the habitat, including illegal sand mining on the floodplains, predation by stray dogs, dumping of construction and demolition debris as well as plastic waste along the river.Four teams of birders surveyed a 22-km stretch from Wazirabad Barrage to Okhla Barrage. Black-headed gulls (2,500) dominated the count, followed by 1,700 barn swallows. Pied avocet (136), ruddy shelduck (112), white wagtail (108) and house sparrow (90) were also spotted. The birders highlighted habitat degradation of these birds because of removal of aquatic reeds, cultivation on the riverbed and open burning of waste along the bank. They also flagged declining water quality of the river because of sewage and agrochemical runoff.

Four Teams Survey 22km Stretch On River Floodplain, Spot 131 Species

Pankaj Gupta, Delhi-NCR project coordinator of Asian Waterbird Census eBird, said, “If the condition of Yamuna floodplains is not improved, there is likely to be a decline in the number of waterbirds in future.”Akash Gulalia, director of Amaltas Nature Walks, said that the river ecosystem faces a massive threat due to increasing agricultural land on the riverbed and rampant use of chemical fertiliser in them. “Cutting and clearing of aquatic and riparian vegetation has left little space for these birds to breed. Illegal mining is another major issue,” said Gulalia. Apart from Yamuna floodplains, the birders will carry out surveys in smaller wetlands in north Delhi, including Rohini, later this month. Sultanpur, Chandu, Jhanjrola, Bhindawas, Dhigal, Mandothi, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Surajpur, Dhanuari and Dadri wetlands will also be covered. The census is coordinated by Wetlands International, a global organisation that works to sustain and restore wetlands and their resources, and is carried out in several countries every January.

Punjab minister Barinder Kumar Goyal (File photo)

Punjab minister and senior AAP leader Barinder Kumar Goyal on Tuesday criticised the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh for allegedly imposing an “illegal” financial burden of Rs 500 crore on the Bhakra Beas Management Board.Addressing a press conference here, Goyal, who holds the water resources portfolio, also said the proposed “new cess” is against the federal principles and has no legal basis.The move, which will directly harm Punjab’s interests, amounts to a conspiracy against the state, he claimed.The minister said earlier also the Himachal Pradesh government tried to impose a water cess, which was withdrawn after it was challenged for being illegal.“After the previous attempt failed, the Congress government has come up with another arbitrary levy without explaining under which law it has been imposed,” he said.Goyal also claimed that there is no clarity as to how the value of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) land, its machinery and infrastructure were assessed.He alleged that the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister (Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu) earlier spoke of imposing a 4 per cent tax, which was later reduced to 2 per cent, before finally declaring Rs 500 crore as the state’s share.Terming the decision unconstitutional, Goyal said Punjab has a major stake in the BBMB and the levy would adversely affect the state.The Punjab government had written to the BBMB, calling the levy illegal and unacceptable, he said.“We will fight this issue before the BBMB, in courts and at every appropriate forum,” Goyal said.The minister also accused the Congress of historically harming Punjab’s interests, particularly on issues of water.He criticised the Punjab Congress leaders for remaining silent on the issue, alleging that they are not standing up for the state.The AAP government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, will not allow any injustice or financial exploitation of Punjab, and will strongly oppose any illegal cess. PTI

AAP leaders protest in Delhi assembly

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest at the Delhi assembly premises on Tuesday, highlighting the rising air pollution and deteriorating AQI levels in the national capital. Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi assembly and AAP leader Atishi alleged that the BJP is “running away” from addressing the critical issue of pollution, accusing the ruling party of avoiding accountability and refusing to engage in meaningful discussions on the matter.

Speaking to reporters, Atishi drew attention to the severe public health impact of Delhi’s worsening air quality. She said young children are now “forced to take steroid inhalers,” major hospitals like AIIMS are filled with patients struggling to breathe, and senior citizens are facing life-threatening consequences due to pollution.She said, “The BJP-led Delhi government is running away from the issue of pollution. Pollution is the biggest problem in Delhi today. Young children can breathe only through steroid inhalers. Senior citizens are dying. The beds of AIIMS and every other big hospital in the city are filled with people who are not able to breathe. When AAP demands a discussion on pollution, the BJP offers excuses to avoid it. For the first time in history, in the assembly, the ruling party is protesting the opposition. The ruling party left the assembly as a sign of protest. Why is this drama happening?… The BJP wants to avoid discussing pollution because they have no answers.”Atishi further accused the Delhi government of “theatrics”, claiming that AQI data is being manipulated through water sprays and that the situation demands immediate legislative attention. “The whole country knows how the AQI monitors are being manipulated. Water is being sprayed to manipulate the readings. People are dying due to the pollution. We demand that this theatrics be stopped and a discussion on the issue of pollution be held immediately…,” she added.AAP MLAs had also staged a protest inside the Delhi Assembly on Monday, pressing for urgent policy measures and accountability on the capital’s air quality. Party leaders demanded stricter action to curb pollution, including controlling emissions from vehicles, industrial discharges, and stubble burning in neighbouring states.Meanwhile, several Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Guwahati, woke up to a layer of fog on Monday morning. Air quality varied from ‘poor’ to very poor’ category across several parts of the national capital, while several flights were delayed at the IGI Airport.According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded AQI at 260 in the ‘Poor’ category by 8 am on Monday.Visuals from Akshardham showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 294, falling in the ‘poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCM). At ITO, the AQI was recorded at 256, categorised as ‘poor’, while Anand Vohar reported a sharper decline of 320, placing the area in the ‘very poor’ bracket.Chandni Chowk remained among the worst-affected areas, recording an AQI of 337, classified as ‘very poor’. Reduced visibility due to fog and smog disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, with several flights delayed in the early hours.Notably, in Delhi, the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the NCR and adjoining areas lifted Stage-III restrictions on Friday evening, citing significant air quality improvement due to favourable meteorological conditions. (ANI)

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it has both the power and constitutional competence to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing that it is duty-bound to ensure that no foreigners are included in voter lists.The submissions were made by senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the EC, before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.Also read: 2.89 cr voters removed from draft electoral roll in UP; 46.23 lakh declared dead after SIRThe bench resumed final hearings in a batch of petitions challenging the EC’s decision to undertake the SIR exercise in several states, including Bihar. The petitions raise constitutional questions on the scope of the poll panel’s powers, citizenship, and the right to vote.Dwivedi argued that the Constitution makes citizenship a foundational requirement for holding public office. Citing provisions such as Article 124(3), which governs the appointment of Supreme Court and high court judges, he said all key constitutional functionaries across the three organs of the State must be Indian citizens.He added that citizenship is also a prerequisite for holding offices such as president, vice president and prime minister.Also read: 4 brothers, 3 of them state & defence docs, get SIR call“All vital appointments … no appointments can be made unless the person is a citizen, so our Constitution is citizen-centric predominantly,” Dwivedi said, according to news agency PTI.Referring to the constitutional scheme, he said, “The (constitutional) article, when it says citizens, that is something which has to be inquired by the competent authority. What should be the nature, summary etc., that is a different question…. There is a constitutional duty to ensure that on the electoral roll, there should not be any foreigners.”Dwivedi told the court that the Election Commission cannot be expected to respond to political rhetoric.“I am not commenting on the political parties, as the Election Commission, our duty is that no foreigner should be there…. It is to be seen that the power is there and the competence is there,” he said.Resuming his arguments, Dwivedi framed what he described as the central constitutional issue: whether Article 324, which grants the EC powers of superintendence, direction and control over elections, is completely displaced by statutory provisions or whether its application must be examined on a case-by-case basis.He submitted that Articles 324, 325 and 326 of the Constitution, read together with Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, do not bar the EC from exercising its authority in revising electoral rolls.“The field is not totally foreclosed,” he said, asserting that the Commission retains constitutional competence to ensure the purity of voter lists.Also read: ‘EC using BJP-developed app for SIR’: Mamata levels fresh charge; calls exercise ‘illegal’Tracing the evolution of voting rights, Dwivedi took the bench through colonial-era electoral practices, beginning with the introduction of separate communal electorates in 1909 and the limited franchise under the Government of India Acts, when only about 15 per cent of the population had voting rights. He argued that the expansion of the franchise was a central goal of India’s freedom struggle.“Not only Article 326, but the entire Constitution, when it speaks of a democratic republic, reflects an intention to create a citizen-centric polity,” he said.Addressing concerns that the SIR exercise could resemble a parallel citizenship determination similar to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Dwivedi stressed that the two serve fundamentally different purposes.“The NRC includes all persons, whereas the electoral roll includes only citizens above the age of 18,” he said, adding that persons of unsound mind or otherwise disqualified are also excluded from voter lists.“On the face of it, the electoral roll is not like the NRC,” he said, reiterating that Article 326 permits only citizens to vote and that citizenship must be determined by a competent authority.Even if “10 or thousands” of foreigners are found on the electoral rolls, they must be removed, Dwivedi said, clarifying that the EC is not making political judgments but fulfilling its constitutional obligation.The senior advocate is scheduled to resume his arguments on Thursday, January 8.Earlier, the bench had questioned whether the EC is barred from conducting inquiries in cases of doubtful citizenship and whether such an inquisitorial process falls outside its constitutional mandate.

Screenshot from video posted by Abhishek Banerjee

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday met Sunali Khatun, a day after she gave birth to her second child. She was brought back to India on the Supreme Court’s orders after being deported to Bangladesh on suspicion of being its citizen.Also Read | ‘Triumph of humanity’: Sunali, dumped in Bangladesh when pregnant, brought back to India after 6 months, gives birth to sonBanerjee said that at the woman’s request, he named the boy “Apon,” meaning “one’s own” in Bengali. Khatun is already the mother of another boy, who is eight years old and was brought back with her from Bangladesh.The Lok Sabha MP also drew parallels with the Mahabharata, saying that “Duryodhana and Dushasana”—a remark likely aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah—would face “democratic retribution” for inflicting “torture” and “humiliation” on a pregnant mother.“In the Mahabharata, the Kauravas met their downfall because of the grave sin of violating Draupadi’s dignity out of arrogance. The modern-day Duryodhana-Dushasana duo will face democratic retribution in Bengal for the unspeakable torture, insult, and humiliation inflicted upon a pregnant mother,” Banerjee posted on X, sharing a video of his meeting with Khatun in the hospital.Also Read | Kept saying we’re Indian, they didn’t listen: Sunali KhatunThe TMC leader, nephew of party supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, added that seeing the baby reminded him of the “sacred responsibility” public representatives have to defend the rights, honour, and dignity of citizens.“At Sunali’s request, I named the baby boy ‘Apon’ because no power on earth can make our own people feel like strangers. They are ours. They belong with us, among us, forever. I shall visit them again soon to ensure they receive every support they need,” he wrote.Banerjee announced on Monday that he would meet Khatun and her newborn.The woman and her elder son returned to India on December 5, nearly six months after being deported to Bangladesh on suspicion of being its national. Her husband, however, remains in the neighbouring country.The central government brought her back on “humanitarian grounds in view of her advanced pregnancy,” following the Supreme Court’s directive.

NEW DELHI: Providing an impetus to technology-driven river rejuvenation and pollution abatement measures, the Uttar Pradesh govt, in coordination with central agencies, has completed high-resolution aerial surveys of areas along the Ganga main stem in the state, generating precise geospatial datasets that are being integrated into a live GIS-based drain dashboard for round-the-clock monitoring.The dashboard with 2D and 3D visualisation capabilities enables basin-level pollution monitoring, identification of hotspots and prioritisation of drain remediation measures. This is the first-of-its-kind initiative where LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) based scientific data has been coupled with visual data generated through drone surveys.LiDAR, an active remote sensing technique, and drone surveys have been used to identify all drains discharging into the river, enabling a comprehensive response to drainage-related challenges through enhanced surveillance of sewage treatment infrastructure.The progress and deployment of such technology in the Ganga river basin was reviewed at a meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti minister C R Paatil on Monday.The meeting also saw stress being laid on the importance of reuse of treated wastewater, adoption of innovative and research-based solutions such as ‘aquifer mapping’ with a focus on Paleo-Channels, as well as initiatives relating to bioremediation and innovative sewage treatment projects and centralised effluent treatment plants.Paatil directed all states to expeditiously formulate the policy for safe reuse of treated water, in alignment with the national framework. The review exercise also emphasised promotion of reuse of treated water in states with clearly prescribed targets and an enabling environment through notification of policy provisions.Meanwhile, the National Mission for Clean Ganga — a central nodal agency for implementation of the Ganga rejuvenation programme — is introducing CCTV-based real-time monitoring systems. This will be integrated with an AI-enabled feature extraction system and a centralised dashboard to further enhance the monitoring and compliance framework of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).STPs are currently being comprehensively monitored through Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) which track key water quality parameters such as BOD, COD, DO, pH and TSS. “The new initiative will add a critical layer of physical and visual monitoring to address concerns related to effective operation of STPs,” said an official.

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