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Delhi records first clean air of 2019 as rain cools the city (Lead)
New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) Delhi witnessed its cleanest day of the year on Tuesday as rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the city causing the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) to reach ‘moderate’ levels against the usual ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’.
“Monday night’s rain along with sufficient wind speed was enough to wash away air pollutants. More than the rain, it is faster winds which cleaned up Delhi air significantly,” System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research said.
The agency said that although the impact of rain will last for some time, AQI is predicted to remain in the ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’ range for the next three days.
Earlier, the national capital saw ‘moderate’ air quality days in November and December, for a day each, a Central Pollution Control Board official told IANS.
The overall air quality of Delhi at 4 p.m. on Tuesday was recorded at 104 (moderate), a drastic improvement from Sunday’s ‘severe’ air quality of 404.
In the national capital, Faridabad at 87, Greater Noida at 95, Gurugram at 98 and Noida at 95 fared much better than Delhi in the ‘satisfactory’ category. Ghaziabad, however, was recorded in the same category as Delhi with its AQI at 104.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this sudden change in the weather is due to two western disturbances over the northern hills and its induced cyclonic circulation over the northwestern plains which is expected to remain till the end of the week.
The IMD said that due to clouds covering the northern plains, the maximum and minimum temperature would drop and increase by three and four degrees Celsius, respectively.
“On Wednesday, the maximum temperature is expected to further drop to 19 degrees Celsius, against Monday’s 22.6 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is likely to hover around 10 degrees Celsius,” an IMD official said.
According to the Met, during the next 48 hours, rains might fade away from Delhi. “There might not be rain on Wednesday, however, some drizzle is expected on Thursday,” it said. Friday onwards, rain is unlikely to occur again and moderate to dense fog might envelop the national capital.
On Thursday, across 35 areas in Delhi, where pollution is actively monitored, the average concentration of PM 2.5 and PM 10 was 51 and 74 microgrammes per cubic meter, respectively.
The concentration of PM 2.5 and PM 10 across 48 monitoring stations in the NCR stood at 50 and 72 microgrammes per cubic meter, respectively.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.