National
40,000 New Trees Planted Along Delhi-Dehradun Corridor in ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ Initiative
This initiative is part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ campaign, with the goal of planting around 40,000 trees along the corridor. V Umashankar, Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, inaugurated the event by planting the first sapling.
Senior officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) also attended, including Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav, Member (Administration) Vishal Chauhan, Member (Technical) Alok Deepankar, Delhi Regional Officer Mohammad Safi, Uttarakhand Regional Officer Vishal Gupta, and Project Director (PIU Baghpat) Narendra Singh.
The event drew enthusiastic participation from the local administration and students. Notable attendees included Baghpat District Magistrate Asmita Lal, Superintendent of Police Suraj Kumar Rai, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Avinash Tripathi, and various district officials. Students from multiple schools also participated in planting saplings, promoting environmental awareness.
The Delhi–Dehradun Corridor is set to significantly enhance connectivity between the national capital and Uttarakhand. An official statement indicated that tree planting along the corridor will offer numerous ecological benefits, such as improved air quality, reduced soil erosion, and increased biodiversity.
“This dual emphasis on environmental sustainability and infrastructure development will establish the Delhi–Dehradun Corridor as a leading example of green infrastructure, setting a new standard for sustainable development across the country,” the statement noted.
Officials also reported that NHAI has already planted over 5.12 lakh trees along national highways across the country as part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ initiative. The long-term vision aims to saturate highway areas with plantations by involving multiple stakeholders in the creation of a sustainable transport network.
New Delhi: An 18-year-old MBBS student has accused a 20-year-old male friend of drugging and sexually assaulting her at a hotel in Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar area. The alleged incident took place on September 9, police officials said.
According to the complaint, the accused, who is also a medical student, invited the woman to “Hotel Apple” on the pretext of spending time together. Once there, he allegedly gave her a drink laced with drugs and then raped her.
The survivor told police that the accused recorded obscene videos and took pictures during the assault. He later threatened to make the content viral if she reported the incident.
The woman, a native of Jind in Haryana, is currently staying at the hostel of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College in Rohini, Delhi.
Based on her complaint, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. A search is underway to locate and arrest the accused, officials added.
In a separate case earlier this month, a school manager in Uttar Pradesh was arrested for allegedly raping a Class 8 student. In February, a tuition teacher in Delhi’s CR Park area was accused of repeatedly raping a 15-year-old student over three years and threatening her with blackmail.
Jaipur: Eight patients died after a fire broke out at the trauma centre of the state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur late Sunday night.
Officials said the blaze started in the storage area of the Neuro ICU, possibly due to a short circuit. There were 11 patients in the ICU at the time. Smoke quickly spread, causing panic among patients and staff.
Hospital workers and attendants tried to rescue patients, even moving them out on their beds. Firefighters controlled the blaze in about two hours.
Families of the victims alleged that hospital staff ignored early warnings about smoke and fled during the fire.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and other ministers visited the hospital to review the situation and assured a detailed probe into the incident.
Uttar Pradesh: A 75-year-old man who remarried in search of companionship died barely hours after his wedding, sparking shock and speculation in his village.
The deceased, identified as Sangruram, a resident of Kuchhmuchh village in Jaunpur district, had been living alone after losing his first wife a year ago. With no children, he supported himself through farming. Despite advice from relatives against remarriage, Sangruram wed 35-year-old Manbhavati, a resident of Jalalpur area, on Monday, September 29.
The marriage was first registered in court, followed by traditional rituals at a local temple. According to Manbhavati, the couple spent most of the wedding night conversing, as Sangruram assured her that she would take responsibility for the household while he would “take care of the children.”
However, by the next morning, his health deteriorated suddenly. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The unexpected death has triggered varied reactions in the village. While some residents believe it to be a natural occurrence given his age, others have expressed suspicion about the circumstances.
Relatives, including nephews residing in Delhi, have halted funeral rites until their arrival. They have also raised questions about whether a police inquiry or post-mortem examination will be conducted before the cremation.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding further investigation.
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