Commonwealth Games scam

New Delhi: Investigators on Tuesday got cracking in the Commonwealth Games scam with the Enforcement Directorate filing a case for alleged Foreign Exchange violation while Income Tax sleuths swooped down on business premises at 30 places including that of businessman and BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal.



Simultaneously, the CBI also swung into action looking into separate complaints of corruption in the games projects. In another development, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) found discrepancies in tenders and alleged misappropriation amounting to about Rs 8,000 crore.

In the first case to be filed in the scam, the ED is proceeding against a few officials of the Games' Organising Committee(OC) for alleged FEMA violation as part of its probe into alleged corruption in the Games. The identity of the officials was not known.

The Income Tax department conducted searches in the premises of Mittal and some consortiums in and around Delhi and in Chandigarh and Ludhiana in connection with alleged financial irregularities in works related to the just concluded Games.



More than 200 officials of the I-T department searched about 30 premises of four business consortiums, with a foreign entity in each, to probe contracts worth more than Rs. 700 crore which were awarded to execute overlays and other works for the sporting extravaganza.

I-T department sources said the first consortium -- PICO international and Deepali Designs -- with Mittal as Director and his relatives as other stakeholders, has bagged contracts worth about Rs 230 crore.

Mittal, considered to be a close associate of former BJP president Rajnath Singh and late party leader Pramod Mahajan, had become a director in the company in February this year and the contracts were awarded after that, I-T sources said.

Sources in the department said the I-T probe will specifically look into the contracts awarded by the Games OC and the role of its officials and contractors including charges of bribing.



CBI studying complaints

Official sources said the CBI has also received 20 complaints regarding the Games which also include overlay works. A CBI team had even visited the OC office in New Delhi on Monday. "CBI is working in close coordination with the ED in connection with the case registered by the Directorate under FEMA," sources said.

He said the complaints received by the CBI also include those pertaining to CPWD works, which are being looked into. "CBI is awaiting for reports from the CVC, the CAG and the I-T department. The CAG has its own Central Technical Examiners and will do a financial audit. If something crops up, the CBI will move in," the sources said.

CVC exposes Rs 8,000-crore CWG scam

The Central Vigilance Commission, involved in probing the alleged corruption in various Commonwealth Games-related projects, has found discrepancies in tenders and alleged misappropriation amounting to about Rs 8,000 crore.

Official sources said the complaints received by the anti-corruption watchdog has already been forwarded to the Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) of concerned ministries or departments.

They said the discrepancies like payment to non-existent parties, willful delay in execution of contracts, over-inflated price and bungling in purchase of equipment through tendering have been noticed.

"The total misappropriation amount may touch a figure of Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 crore, which is quite huge and alarming. The Commission is still awaiting reports from various departments and cannot give the exact amount involved in the bunglings," a senior CVC official said requesting anonymity.

In reply to an RTI application filed by PTI, the CVC has given details of projects executed by different government agencies where discrepancies have been detected.



Complaints regarding alleged embezzlement of Rs 1.5 crore in the purchase of HOVA Courts for Badminton stadium, malpractices in the tender for kitchen equipment installation, misappropriation in video board tenders for remodelling and upgradation of Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium were received by the CVC and in all cases factual report is awaited from the Sports Ministry, it said.

Besides, the matter pertaining to appointments in OC and workforce consultants without adequate qualification and experience has been received and a report is awaited from the Sports ministry, the RTI reply said.

The CVC is probing at least 22 more Games-related construction and procurement works carried out by different government agencies here for alleged financial irregularities.

Out of the total projects, six were carried out by the Sports Ministry, four by the Delhi Development Authority, three by the Organising Committee and two each by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Central Public Works Department of the Delhi government.

One work each relating to Department of Commerce, Indian Meteorological Department and New Delhi Municipal Council is also being probed, the RTI reply said. The matter regarding alleged manipulation of tenders by Indian Meteorological Department and its senior officers is under investigation by the CVC, it said.

A complaint regarding alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for sound system, LED display boards and other communication systems for various Commonwealth Games stadia was also received and inspected by the CVC.

Though no amount was mentioned, the reply said CVC has noticed the national exchequer has incurred losses running into several crores of rupees. A report has been called for from the Central Public Works Department on September 8 and is still awaited, the Commission said while responding to the RTI query.

An analysis by Chief Technical Examination Wing of CVC had earlier found alleged financial and administrative irregularities in 16 construction and procurement projects. Six of them were done by the PWD, three by the MCD, two each by the CPWD, DDA, NDMC and one by RITES, a government of India enterprise, a CVC report said.



Official sources said a reminder has recently been issued to the CPWD, MCD, DDA and PWD asking them to submit their reports by this month. The move came after Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas objected to the "lackadaisical approach" and continuous delay by agencies in submitting replies to the queries raised by the anti-corruption watchdog, the sources said.

A senior Commission official said that based on their replies, the CVC will give its findings or final report to a committee formed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) V K Shunglu.

Source: Agencies

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

CWG gets back on track. Atmosphere improves dramatically

Faced with criticism from all corners over the last few days, the CWG 2010 finally made a comeback. Teams started coming in albeit with a note of caution, Fennell expressing his satisfaction and most importantly, 100 stray dogs getting nabbed. Well, looks like the smile is back



Around 100 stray dogs caught from Games Village, other venues

Around 100 stray dogs have been rounded up from the Commonwealth Games Village and other Games venues by the capital's civic authority in coordination with an NGO, an official said on Friday.

The stray dogs were having a free run of the Village and other areas, raising concerns among participating countries. They were rounded up by the the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Friendicoes SECA (Society for the Eradication of Cruelty to Animals) and temporarily relocated to a dog sterilization centre at Ghazipur. Similar drives are being carried out in all the 17 Games venues.

Gautam Barat, co-founder Friendicoes, which has volunteered for the cause with MCD, told IANS: "The rounded up stray dogs will be released in the same venue after the Games are over. Till then they will be kept in the Ghazipur sterilization centre."

Following complaints that dogs were straying into the Games Village complex, the drive was carried out by the civic body's veterinary department since Thursday. Two ambulances with six dog catchers are going around the venue to round up the dogs.

"The task was voluntarily taken up by Friendicoes. As an animal welfare organisation, we want to ensure that captured dogs are not harmed in the name of the Games. They will be maintained in a proper manner till the Games are over," Barat added.

Once taken to the Ghazipur sterilization centre, each dog will be given a token with details of the area from where it was picked up. This will help the civic authorities to later release the canines at their previous locations.

According to MCD sources, there are over 280,000 stray dogs in Delhi. The national capital reports some 15-20 dog bites every day, the sources added.



Kiwis finally decide to fly to Delhi

Battered by pull-outs and threats, CWG had some relief when 'trouble kids' New Zealand confirmed their participation. The decision was taken by the NZ Olympic Committee shortly after the Prime Minister John Key had said that he would have no issues going to Delhi and be a part of the CWG if he had the chance to do so.

Wellington: The New Zealand contingent will participate in the Delhi Commonwealth Games after the country's Olympic Committee gave a green to signal Friday, ending days of speculation following concerns of hygiene and security.

The decision to attend the Oct 3-14 Games was announced Friday by New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) president Mike Stanley and secretary-general Barry Maister.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key received an update on the security in Delhi and said the decision to send the New Zealand team still rests with the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC). He said he would go if he gets choose his own sport.

"Yeah, if I could pick my own sport, yeah I would go," Key was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald. "Obviously, the Olympic Committee feels that they need a bit more time before they can make a final call on the team's participation."

Key added, "It's very unlikely that New Zealand would pull out on its own. If we are likely to not send our team, then it will be because a large number of like-minded countries form the same view."



Sydney: India "shouldn't have been awarded the (Commonwealth) Games", Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said Friday. "In hindsight, no, they shouldn't have been awarded the Games," AAP quoted Coates as saying.

"The problem is the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is under-resourced. It doesn't have the ability to monitor the progress of cities in the way the Olympic Committee does."

The Commonwealth Games Federation has a staff of just five with which it has to monitor India's preparations. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), on the other hand, employs more than 400 employees.

The official said the IOC has contracts with London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) to meet deadlines regarding Games preparations. He added: "If that had been the case here (in Delhi), then certainly something would have been done a lot sooner because obviously the venues are not ready."



India lost focus along the way

The run up to the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi Oct 3-14 has been dogged by construction delays and lack of preparedness. While dismissing the fact that protracted monsoon season in Delhi could have added to the delays, he said: "You can't ever cut any slack when your focus should be on the best conditions for the athletes."

Coates said that he wouldn't recommend any team to stay home. "I'm certainly not going to be drawn into making a commentary on whether Australia and other countries should pull out from this part of the world," he said.

Some 7,000 participants and officials from 71 countries and territories are expected to attend the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games, India's biggest sporting event after the 1982 Asian Games it hosted in New Delhi.



CWG's pull-out woes continue. Cycling champions now join the list

The list of big names pulling out of the CWG 2010 seems unrelenting. A few months ago, the organisers were dreading if Usain Bolt will pull out. Now, the situation has become so bad that even stopping the smaller names from pulling out is proving to be a futile exercise. This morning, current and former world and Olympic champions have announced their withdrawal.

London: There is no stopping individual pullouts from the crisis-ridden Commonwealth Games with four leading cyclists becoming the latest to withdraw citing "fears of catching dengue fever and the unsanitary condition of the athletes' village".

Welsh world and Olympic champion Geraint Thomas, Isle of Man rider Peter Kennaugh and the England pair of Ben Swift and Ian Stannard, said they were opting out of the Games as they feared for their health after reading reports about the dengue outbreak and the "filthy" conditions at the Games Village.

"It's a massive disappointment first and foremost but with the hygiene and the risk of getting ill, it was a massive risk," said Thomas, who competes in the 4,000 metres individual pursuit, the road race and the time trial.




'Saving CWG is like saving a Titanic'

Wellington: New Zealand have already delayed the departure to Delhi and it would be another 24 hours before they take a final call on whether to participate in the troubled Commonwealth Games or become the first country to pull out altogether.

New Zealand's national team manager Dave Currie said attempts to ensure that the facilities were up to the mark were like "like trying to stop the Titanic". The New Zealand Olympic Committee will receive a report from its President Mike Stanley and secretary general Barry Maister on Delhi's preparedness today after the duo's arrival from the Indian capital.

New Zealand delayed the travel plans of their athletes by two days to give the beleaguered organisers time to spruce up the Games Village, which has been lambasted as "filthy and uninhabitable" by international delegates.



Former world champion too pulls out

Melbourne: Former world champion road cyclist Greg Henderson today became the first selected New Zealand athlete to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games, saying there are "too many risks" in going to Delhi for the troubled event.

Henderson, who was left shaken after seeing pictures showing "filthy" conditions at the Games Village, has informed the New Zealand cycling body about his decision to withdraw.

"There are just too many risks and in this situation the cons outweigh the pros. Who knows exactly what's gone on there," said Henderson, who is here to compete in the road cycling world championships next week.

"Realistically it's probably going to be OK and the Games will go on. But where I am in my career, at the moment the negatives outweigh the pros," he was quoted as saying by 'The Sydney Morning Herald'.



Indian athletes embarrassed

M.C.Mary Kom, who recently won her fifth world women's boxing title and is also one of the brand ambassadors of the Games, said she is extremely sad with the recent developments.

"I am very sad. India has been insulted by the criticism of the Games Village," Mary Kom told IANS. I hope everything is ready by Oct 3 otherwise it will be a big embarrassment for our country. I am not participating because women's boxing does not feature in Commonwealth Games, but I am keeping my fingers crossed."

India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal expressed her views on the CWG fiasco. "I am disappointed that many athletes have pulled out from the Games. This will make the field less challenging. But as a player my job is to work hard and perform well on the given day. I am ready for any challenge," said Saina

India's top squash player Saurav Ghoshal feels India had a great opportunity to show to the world that it can host a multi-disciplinary sporting event and hopes the last minutes glitches will be taken care of.

"I have been tracking the developments in the capital. It was really sad to see the (pedestrian) bridge (at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium) coming down (Tuesday). The image of our country has taken a beating. The organisers are trying to plug the holes. I hope they finish everything on time," World No 26 Ghoshal told IANS.



'Punish the wrongdoers severely'

The Games Organisers invited unremitting negative publicity after being levelled with corruption charges and the venues missing several deadlines.

Newly crowned world wrestling champion Sushil Kumar, who is also a Games brand ambassador, said there should be a crackdown on people involved in corruption.

"We got all the support from the government. So, I have nothing to complain on that front. But it is sad to see such negativity when the Games are just 10 days away. In my view, severe punishment should be handed out to people involved in any wrongdoing," Sushil maintained.

Meanwhile, ace shooter Ronjan Sodhi, who won gold in the men's double trap in Turkey, seemed optimistic about India hosting a successful Commonwealth Games.

"There are problems with the Village but the stadiums are fantastic. I have seen the shooting range myself, it is right up there among the best in the world. The small problems should be sorted out by the time the Games kick off. I am sure we will be able to pull it off," Sodhi said.



Bollywood calls it a dark comedy

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Games, which are under fire from all quarters, on Thursday were on Bollywood radar too with realistic film maker Madhur Bhandarkar comparing the Games with a dark comedy.

"I think a dark comedy film title GAMES is being played in CWG where bridge is collapsing, ceiling coming down," Bhandarkar tweeted.

Actor Arjun Rampal, tweeted, Rs. 70,000 crore spent on CWG, Sensex shoots past 20K but poverty line in India stays constant. Is this a democracy or just plain Hypocrisy?
While actress Shilpa Shetty feels this was a great opportunity to make our country proud but unfortunately CWG has not brought us the pride and honour we thought it would.

Arjun tweeted, the explanation for the overhead bridge given is that it wasn't meant for officials or sportsmen but for the common man...Unbelievable. Kalmadi and the whole gang need to explain this is just sad as this is not my India.

The lack of hygiene and the overall state of the Games Village also drew flak as New Zealand and Scotland expressed shock at the unsafe and unfit accommodation.

On similar lines, veteran singer Asha Bhonsle tweeted, CWG construction dirt being dusted under the carpet or into the bin?
CWG will also become recipient of great Indian phrase, Sab Chalta Hai, Chalne Do. Aage Badho Bhai. Idhar Sochne Ka Time Nahi Hai ("Everything will be fine. Keep moving as there is not time to think)," Asha tweeted.



Anand, Paes and Usha: Just focus on Games

Former sprint queen P.T. Usha feels it is indifferent form and injuries and not the recent controversies that have resulted in the pullout of some top foreign athletes from the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.
A number of athletes have withdrawn citing reasons ranging from unhygienic conditions and security fears in the Indian capital.

"I do not think it has anything to do with the security or controversies related to the Games. Some of them are injured and others are not in form and therefore not willing to participate. The discuss thrower (Dani Samuels) who pulled out competed only twice this year," Usha said on the sidelines of the Olympic Gold Quest's launch of 'Power your Champion' programme.

"I would like to say to the Indian athletes to concentrate on their performance. I know they will be feeling bad with all these controversies and players pulling out. They have worked very hard for the Games and I feel they should focus on their performance and not let all this affect them."

World chess champion Viswanathan Anand also felt the Indian athletes should not get distracted by the brouhaha surrounding the Games.

"I would not like to talk about what all is happening in the Commonwealth Games. I just hope that our athletes do not get distracted by all this and focus on winning lots of medals for our country," Anand said.

Multiple Grand Slam winner Leander Paes resonated the same view. "I know right now there is a lot happening around the Commonwealth Games. But I would not like to meddle into all this. I am focussed on representing my country and doing my best at the Games," he said.

World's biggest bus depot opens in New Delhi

New Delhi: Chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday inaugurated a bus depot spread over 60 acres near Indraprastha Park in east Delhi, claimed to be the biggest such facility in the world.



The bus depot, built at a cost of `61 crores, has parking space for around 1,000 low-floor buses besides facilities including five workshop-cum scanning centres, a logistic centre and two CNG filling stations.



The depot has been built to park the buses to be used during the Commonwealth Games. It has a baggage checking centre where sophisticated equipment will scan the luggage. "It is a wonderful peace of infrastructure which will help properly maintain our low floor bus fleet," said Ms Dikshit.



Transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said commissioning of the "biggest-ever public transport bus depot" will help in providing better transportation.

"It is the biggest ever bus depot in the world. Earlier, Israel had the distinction of having the biggest bus depot," he said.



World's biggest bus depot opens in New Delhi

The depot has a control room which will monitor movement of buses, fitted with GPS system, during the Commonwealth Games and ensure proper movement of the fleet.

Mr Lovely said that designer uniforms are being provided to all DTC conductors and drivers.



The city also became the first city in the country to introduce environment-friendly low-floor CNG-electric hybrid buses having almost zero pollution level.



Currently four such buses, each costing `1.5 crores, will be introduced in the DTC bus fleet.

A hybrid electric bus combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system.

Source: PTI

Third party motor covers to cost more

Mumbai/New Delhi: Your third-party motor insurance cover is set to cost more. Facing losses, general insurance companies have approached the regulator on seeking an increase in premium rates for these policies, which are mandatory. If the regulator agrees, not only will the premium go up but even third-party claims could be regulated.



Companies have already held talks with transporters to raise the premium for the only segment of the business that is regulated. Now, the companies have started discussions with the regulator - Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda). A senior official in the regulatory agency told Business Standard the companies have proposed to increase the premium by 75-100 per cent.

"There has been discussion on the issue. But the quantum of increase that has been proposed is not feasible. Industry is yet to come up with a formal proposal," the official said. This will be the first revision in over three years, with the last increase being of the order of 70 per cent.



"What we had asked for was a 150 per cent increase but we had to settle for much less. But given the claims ratio, the business is unsustainable in its present form," a source privy to the discussions told Business Standard.

To ensure the premium reflects the market reality and insurers do not have to seek government's intervention every time they want to increase the premium rates, companies are also contemplating an inflation-linked premium structure through which they can opt for an annual hike.

"The remedy to reduce high claim is to charge the right price. The price was so far borne completely by the public sector companies. But if the prices are not enough, the solution is to either charge actuarially-determined prices, which can be governed by the regulator, or open up so that companies will know what to do. The industry has proposed that Irda prescribes obligations on this, so you can always cherry-pick, or may be, pay a penalty and not underwrite the business," said the chairman of a public sector insurance company.




Apart from increasing the premium, insurance companies are also pitching for changes in third-party claim settlement. For instance, there is a suggestion to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, whose review is underway, to cap the liability.

Within this, insurance companies are of the view that liability of up to a specified amount, say Rs 5 lakh, be covered through the regulated premium. After the specified level, the insured would have to purchase a top-up cover at a market-determined rate.

Another suggestion is to provide for discussion between the insurer and the affected party to arrive at the settlement amount in case of accidents that do not cause grevious injury or those that result in death. If either party does not agree to the settlement amount, they can approach a designated agency, it has been suggested.



Third party motor covers to cost more

On the issue of premium, the exact quantum will be decided shortly. "The industry and the transporters have not settled on one rate. Private players want the pool (for sharing of premium and losses) to be abolished. The claim ratio in third-party motor is unsustainable," said S L Mohan Secretary General of the General Insurance Council, the industry group which also has representation from Irda.

At present insurance companies have a claims ratio of over 125 per cent. This means they are paying more in claims than the premium collected by them.



When the general insurance business, including motor, was freed from the controlled rate regime, the regulator and companies had agreed to stick to a regulated structure for third-party insurance, which is mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act. The premium for the own-damage part, which covers theft and damage due to accidents, is no longer regulated.

In case of third-party insurance, the premium earned by all companies is pooled and the losses are split proportionately.

Source: Business Standard

Dikshit: Yamuna flowing above danger mark, not to worry

New Delhi: The Yamuna continued to swell on Friday, flowing a metre above the danger mark of 204.83 Friday evening. However, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit maintained that the situation was "under control" and people living in low-lying areas had been shifted to safer places.



Locals smoke tobacco on a section of a bridge amidst rising flood waters of the River Yamuna in New Delhi on Friday. The water level in the Yamuna River has risen one meter above the danger mark, threatening to flood the nearby low lying areas prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of people living in the low lying areas, according to a news agency.

The Delhi government claimed there was no reason to worry as "all mechanisms have been put in place to deal with the situation" following the release upstream of a huge volume of water into the river by Haryana.




A man watches the rising water level of the River Yamuna in New Delhi on Friday.

According to an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control department, the water level in the Yamuna was recorded at 205.88 metre at 3 pm on Friday, while it was 205.81 an hour earlier.



Locals look at the rising water level of the River Yamuna in New Delhi.

The official said that the water level will continue to rise for the next few hours and is expected to reach 206.35 metres at 4 am on Saturday. He added that a similar situation had arisen last month too due to release of water by Haryana and the Yamuna had swollen to 205.97 metres.




A resident wades through rising flood waters as he comes out of his room near a Hindu temple on the banks of the River Yamuna in New Delhi.

Chief Minister Dikshit told reporters that the "situation is under control" and there was "no reason for people to worry and panic".



A hawker wades through rising flood waters as he enters the gates of a complex to return home, near the banks of the River Yamuna.

She said people living in low-lying areas have been evacuated and shifted to camps put up by the Delhi government. "We are providing them all facilities, including food, in the camps," she said on the sidelines of a function.




A resident wades through rising flood waters as he retrieves his belongings from his room at a Hindu temple on the banks of the River Yamuna, seen through alley right, in New Delhi.

"The situation is under control, don't worry. The huge amount of water which was to reach Delhi from Haryana has fortunately not reached Delhi. I, along with Flood Control Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, am monitoring the situation," she added.




Civil defense persons sit near the bank of the river Yamuna, in New Delhi. Incessant rains in the north India has led to the rising in the water level of river Yamuna, which yet again reached close to the danger mark.

In the meantime, Minister Raj Kumar inspected the low-lying areas near the river. He had held a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the situation.




A woman fills water from a hand pump on the banks of the river Yamuna.

Areas that had been flooded in 1978 included low-lying colonies like Batla House, Garhi Mandu, Yamuna Bazaar, Nigambodh Ghat, Shastri Park, Madanpur Khadar, ITO, Rajghat, Daryaganj, Model Town and Mukherjee Nagar as well as settlements along the river bank.



Children sit on a rickshaw as another, right, proceeds to collect food distributed by a voluntary organization near tents set up by civic authorities for flood victims along the River Yamuna.

However, government officials maintained that these areas were not under threat this time and the river embankments were higher than in 1978. More than 600,000 cusecs of water was released upstream from the Hathni Kund Barrage in Haryana Wednesday, causing the Yamuna to rise four-five cm every hour.



A flood-affected resident prepares to fetch drinking water through floodwaters in a slum near the river Yamuna in New Delhi.

Elaborating some of the emergency measures launched to tackle the situation, an official of the flood control department said that over 100 booster pumps had been fitted along the banks of the river to pump out the water. Orders had been issued for installing more pumps in low-lying areas such as Ring Road, Okhla, Majnu Ka Tila, Burari, Batla House and Jahangirpuri.




Yamuna above danger mark, Delhi shivers

A flood-affected resident wades through floodwaters in a slum near the river Yamuna in New Delhi.

The official said around 75 boats had been kept on the riverside and 68 divers/boatmen and a team of the National Disaster Relief Force deployed to deal with the situation.



Yamuna above danger mark, Delhi shivers

A flood-affected resident carries a child as he wades through floodwaters in a slum near the river Yamuna in New Delhi.

In the 1978 floods, the river had crossed 207.48 metres, affecting more than 250,000 people.



A Metro train moves on a bridge above the over flowing Yamuna river in New Delhi on Thursday.



A rickshaw puller checks his belongings retrieved from his flooded hut on the banks of over flowing Yamuna river in New Delhi on Thursday.



A man affected by flood waters of Yamuna, washes his clothes on the banks of the river in New Delhi on Thursday.



People drive their vehicles on the old Yamuna bridge, which is water logged after the river overflows, in New Delhi on Thursday.



A woman living on the banks of over flowing Yamuna River takes her animal to a safer place in New Delhi on Thursday.



Two boys whose house was submerged by the over flowing Yamuna River carry their cot to a safer place in New Delhi on Thursday.



A stray dog takes shelter on a parked auto rickshaw at a water logged street after heavy rains in Surat on Thursday.



Local people carry motorcycles on a hand-pulled cart as others wade through a water logged street after heavy rains in Surat on Thursday.



Army personnel conducting rescue operation for people affected by flood waters Tawi river, in Jammu on Thursday.

Yamuna above danger mark, Delhi shivers



Overflowing Yamuna near Delhi



Overflowing Yamuna near Delhi

Source: PTI, IANS