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Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Monsoon safety: BSES issues a handy advisory for Delhiites
Written by Shreyashi Gupta, With the Southwest monsoon likely to hit Delhi any day now, the BSES on Thursday issued an advisory urging all citizens to remain vigilant and follow essential safety precautions — including maintaining a safe distance from electrical installations — to help ensure a safe and incident-free season. A BSES official said, 'We are fully geared up to ensure a reliable power supply to our over 53 lakh consumers and more than 2.25 crore residents, while taking all necessary safety measures required during the rainy season. Consumers, too, have an important role to play in ensuring an incident-free monsoon by following a few simple safety guidelines. We urge all residents to stay alert, be cautious around electrical installations, and report any safety hazards promptly.' The monsoon season ushers in several safety challenges — torrential rain, waterlogging, strong winds, and falling branches can pose serious risks to electrical infrastructure. To tackle such potential problems, the BSES will set up war rooms and deploy Quick Response Teams to assist in tackling exigencies. It will also launch a social media campaign to sensitise consumers on safety precautions. The BSES has also warned that it may sometimes need to switch off power in vulnerable areas to safeguard lives and prevent equipment damage. -Residents should maintain a safe distance from electrical installations such as electricity poles, sub-stations, transformers, and streetlights, especially when areas are waterlogged. -Children should be strictly cautioned against playing near such installations, even if they appear barricaded, and to avoid playing in parks submerged in rainwater. -Households are encouraged to have all electrical wiring on their premises thoroughly checked and tested by a licensed electrical contractor (LEC). -In case of water seepage or flooding in the meter cabin, residents should immediately switch off the main power supply. The power should be turned back on only after ensuring all faults have been properly rectified. -Experts also recommend the installation of Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers (ELCBs), which can help prevent electric shocks and other mishaps. -Keeping a voltage tester at home is also advisable. If any switch or socket appears wet, residents should first use a tester to check for current leakage and must refrain from touching it with their bare hands. In case of doubt or emergency, a licensed electrician should be called in immediately. BSES also warned that power theft can pose a serious safety hazard, especially during the monsoon season, and has therefore appealed to all citizens to report such instances and not illegally draw electricity by hooking onto mainlines or electrical equipment. It also pointed out that unplanned digging for road repairs or underground pipelines leads to outages, posing a major safety threat both for residents and workers. Therefore, citizens must report any such activities to prevent accidents and service disruptions. BSES has also issued a list of emergency contact numbers for different parts of the city: For South & West Delhi: 19123 or 011-49516707 For East & Central Delhi: 19122 or 011-41999808 In addition to these helplines, power supply disruptions can be reported to BSES through multiple channels, including mobile apps, WhatsApp, and the official website. (Shreyashi Gupta & Anushka Srivastava are interns with The Indian Express)
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
‘A double blow': Imports of dry fruits hit, traders in Khari Baoli tackle challenges
Also by Shreyashi Gupta The traders in Khari Baoli in Old Delhi, one of India's oldest markets, stare at uncertain times. The imports of dry fruits from Iran have been hit amid escalating geopolitical conflict in West Asia. This latest blow comes at a time merchants are navigating a setback triggered by the closure of the Attari-Wagah border following tensions between India and Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Sharing his plight, Sudhir Jaggi, President of the Sarve Vyapar Mandal of the Khari Baoli market, said, 'First, the Attari-Wagah border was shut down… so goods from Afghanistan completely stopped coming in. And on top of that, this issue with Iran has happened — it's like a double blow. We have no idea what's going to happen next. The Afghanistan route has been shut for a while, and there's still no clarity. ' He added that the market is deprived of new foreign stock of dry fruits. 'Abhi to maal nahi aa raha, jo maal India mein tha wahi bik raha hai. Iran se dry fruits container se maal aata hai sea se, seedhe ports aur phir humare godowns mein utaarte hai, uske baad hum apni requirements ke hisaab se uska distribution karte hai. Abhi maal to kahi se bhi nahi aa raha (Right now, no new stock is coming in — only what's already in India is being sold. Dry fruits from Iran come by sea, directly to the ports, and then to our godowns. From there, we distribute it as per our requirements. At the moment, nothing is coming in from anywhere),' he said. The heightened tensions in West Asia have contributed to a surge in the prices of dry fruit imported from Iran. Jaggi highlighted that almond prices have increased by Rs 400-450 per kilo, whereas pistachio prices have increased by Rs 300 per kilo and now stand at over Rs 1,000 per kilo. Hari Om, a trader, said, 'Varieties of dates like Kimia, Mariam, Zahedi, Rabbi, and Irani, which are imported from Iran, are witnessing a surge in prices in the market.' Kimia Date boxes, which were earlier priced at Rs. 250 per kilo, are now being sold at Rs 400 per kilo, in the market. 'Even some medicinal herbs like Salam Mishri used in Ayurveda medicines are imported from Iran, and their price has also significantly increased,' said Sunny Kashyap, a trader selling dry fruits and medicinal herbs. Commenting on the crisis, Chandni Chowk MP and BJP leader Praveen Khandelwal said, 'The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel has naturally had an impact on traders in the Khari Baoli market. Prices of dates, saffron, and other spices imported from Iran may likely rise due to disrupted supply chains and increased freight costs.' He added that the government is taking all necessary steps to keep a check on the prices. Despite the setback, Rajan Bhargava, president, Khari Baoli Traders' Association, remains optimistic. 'There was a slight impact on the goods that used to come directly from Iran, but there was already stock here. Now that the war is set to end, the supply will hopefully resume,' he said. (Anushka Srivastava and Shreyashi Gupta are interns with The Indian Express)
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Fear, anger prevail in Batla House ahead of impending demolition
By Anushka Srivastava, Shreyashi Gupta 'Why were we given electricity meters? Why were water and gas supplies provided? Government agencies came and installed meters, collected revenue, and now, all of a sudden, we get a demolition notice,' said a frustrated Jawed, echoing the sentiments in Batla House area of Southeast Delhi's Okhla ahead of an impending demolition drive. Anger and chaos prevailed in the streets of Batla House on Wednesday as locals feared that bulldozers could come in at any moment. Many locals, who said they had been living in the area for five to six decades, said they were shocked when the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) put up demolition notices two weeks ago on May 26, announcing that the demolition was expected to take place on June 11. 'Mera makaan 1978 ka hai… humne koi aur arrangement nahi ki hai. Hume court pe poora bharosa hai.' (My house was constructed in 1978, we haven't made any other alternate arrangements as we have complete faith in the court,' said Sultan, another local. Roshan Begum (75) recalled living in a kuccha in the area since 1983. She and her family recently moved to a pucca house after taking a loan from their relatives. 'Agar ye toot gaya to pata nahi hum kaha jaayenge, aur karza to hume tab bhi chukana padega. Hum to bas yahi chahte hai ki hume wo mile jo humara haq hai.' (If this gets demolished, we have no idea where we'll go, and we'll still have to repay the loan. All we want is to get what rightfully belongs to us).' Her daughter, Naseem, broke down while explaining that they are seven brothers and sisters, each with two to three children. They all live in the same house. 'In the last stage of their life, if my parents see this house getting torn down, they would be rendered helpless and hopeless.' she lamented. Several families also challenged the DDA's claim, asserting that their homes did not fall under the disputed land. A few residents, like Ishrat Jahan, managed to get temporary stay orders. 'I didn't even cook Eid feast this year,' she said. 'I was busy collecting documents to prove our house is legal.' With most people lacking alternative housing options, they pinned all their hopes on the hearing in the Delhi High Court scheduled for Thursday afternoon on the larger petition filed by Okhla MLA and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Amanatullah Khan. When the petition was finally heard, the HC allowed the AAP MLA to withdraw his petition, saying it was non-maintainable. The court passed a general order of protection in a PIL of this sort was likely to jeopardise the case of individual litigants. Khan said he sought to withdraw the PIL so that the Okhla MLA, 'who is a public-spirited individual', can 'inform local residents of Batla House of their right to file appropriate proceedings before the appropriate forum within three working days.' The DDA, however, refused to give any written assurance to the court about the demolition. The HC had earlier refused to grant an urgent stay on the planned demolition. Earlier on May 7, the Supreme Court had passed an order directing the demolition of alleged illegal construction. Subsequently, on May 26, the DDA had put up the notices, which stated, 'The Hon'ble Supreme Court has directed that such action shall be taken after giving 15 days' notice to the occupants of such illegal/unauthorised structures… the demolition program shall be carried out from 11-06-2025 (Wednesday) without any further notice. The occupants… have been duly warned.' (The writers are interns with The Indian Express)
