Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Monday directed officials to modernise the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), strengthen fire prevention systems and improve emergency response across the Capital. 

His directions, issued at a review meeting at the Secretariat, came nearly a week after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta called for a city-wide firefighting audit following the May 10 blaze in Vivek Vihar, where nine persons, including a toddler, lost their lives.

Chairing a review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, Mr. Sood said the government is prioritising the technological upgradation of the DFS to ensure quicker and more effective responses to fire incidents. 

He asked divisional fire officers to coordinate with resident welfare associations, market associations, religious committees, park clubs and other social organisations to conduct fire safety awareness drives in their areas. The campaigns, he said, should include mock drills and sessions on preventive measures and the “dos and don’ts” during fire emergencies. 

Mr. Sood said divisional officers would be directly responsible for preventing and controlling fire incidents in their jurisdictions. 

According to an official statement, the meeting focused on reducing the DFS response time, modernising its internal communication network, developing a command-and-control system and providing advanced technical training to fire personnel in line with evolving technologies. 

Officials also discussed fire prevention measures, emergency preparedness, gaps in existing fire safety mechanisms, procurement of modern firefighting equipment and vehicles, and the proposed ‘Fire Fighting Master Plan’. The department has been asked to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the next three, 15 and 25 years, keeping in view Delhi’s growing population and rapid urbanisation. 

Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested six alleged sharpshooters and associates of the Rashid Cablewala-Hashim Baba gang and recovered 10 illegal weapons, including nine sophisticated pistols and a rifle, officers said on Monday.  

The gang was operating in the Trans-Yamuna region and was allegedly using encrypted messaging app, Signal, to coordinate with its kingpin Rashid Cablewala, who is believed to be operating from Dubai. Gangster Hashim Baba is lodged in Tihar Jail. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Harsh Indora said, “Rashid Cablewala had promised them financial support for legal expenses and offered criminal protection in exchange for carrying out criminal activities.” 

Police said the gang was involved in cases of murder, attempted murder, extortion and offences under the Arms Act. “The gang members had been involved in extorting money from local clubs and firing at a coffee shop in Preet Vihar on behalf of the syndicate,” said Raj Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch). 

The accused were identified as Nawajish, 32, Maaz, 24, Imran alias Teli, 37, Faiz Qureshi, 26, Affak, 24 and Arshad alias Chota, 25. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Crime Branch officers laid a trap outside a club in Karol Bagh, where gang members were expected to assemble. 

Four of the accused were arrested on May 7 at 4.05 a.m., police said. Officers recovered four illegal pistols, including two Italian Berettas, from their possession. A case was subsequently registered, and interrogation of the arrested men led police to the remaining two suspects, who were later apprehended. 

Police said efforts are under way to trace the supplier of the illegal firearms recovered during the operation. 

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said the Indian Railways has approved widening of the Haiderpur-Badli rail overbridge and an elevated loop between Shalimar Bagh and Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, expected to ease congestion in northwest Delhi, especially at Mukarba Chowk. 

The elevated loop, crossing railway tracks, received clearance after technical scrutiny and correspondence between the Delhi Government and Northern Railway, she said. 

“Northwest Delhi corridors have long witnessed heavy traffic movement. Once completed, the projects will reduce congestion and improve connectivity,“ Ms. Gupta said. 

She added that the Delhi government is identifying traffic bottlenecks to develop long-term solutions and reduce travel time for commuters across the city substantially. 

The Delhi government is looking at a possible revamp of the Kalindi Kunj barrage slope to solve the problem of froth in Yamuna river in the area, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh’s office said on Thursday. The Minister recently visited the barrage along with experts from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee and officials of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

The Minister said the slope at the barrage is one of the major reasons for the froth formation and a study will be carried out by IIT Roorkee to find a solution to this and whether the slope can be redesigned to reduce its height.

The government also plans to relocate the dhobi ghats in the area and stricter enforcement of norms at dyeing units in the area to reduce the pollution load in the river.

Every year during Chhath Puja, the pollution of the river returns to the headlines with national and international media publishing images of devotees standing in the polluted river covered with toxic froth at Kalindi Kunj.

For the past many years, DJB workers on boats spray de-foaming agent on the froth floating on the river to suppress it.

Froth is formed mainly due of the presence of surfactants such as phosphates in the effluents flowing into the river and when the surfactant-contaminated water falls from the barrage, it produces froth, the Minister’s office said.

The Delhi government also plans to build a new Chhath Ghat near the barrage at an estimated cost of ₹100 crore, as per the Minister’s office.

‘₹7,000-cr. fund’

Delhi, meanwhile, is also expected to receive Central funds to the tune of ₹7,000 crore in the current fiscal for works in priority areas, including road and infrastructure development, and Yamuna cleaning, officials said. Proposals worth ₹1,000 crore – especially for Public Works Department and DJB projects – have been sent for the Centre’s approval, they said.

(With inputs from PTI)

About 300 kms separate Delhi and Jaipur. The difference in quality of the cricket played by the franchises from the two northern Indian cities has been greater this IPL season.

While Rajasthan Royals is well placed to claim a berth in the playoffs, Delhi Capitals is lying in the bottom half. And after that nightmare of a match at home against Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier this week, Axar Patel’s men have to come up with a much better effort against Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Friday (May 1, 2026).

It has traditionally been one of the most keenly awaited fixtures in the domestic cricket calendar. Old-timers still reminisce about the fierce rivalry between Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay) and Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. When the marquee clash returns on Thursday after a three-year gap, it is likely to be one of the most subdued encounters between the two sides.

Mumbai, the more consistent outfit this season, has already secured qualification for the quarterfinals from Group D. Delhi, on the other hand, is out of contention after a season marked by constant chopping and changing in selection.

With little at stake from a team perspective, Delhi had hoped that Ayush Badoni — recently called up to India’s ODI squad — and Priyansh Arya, one of the finds of IPL 2025, would rekindle memories of the old rivalry by posing a stiff challenge to the in-form host.

Those plans were scuppered on Wednesday morning when the national selectors informed the Delhi team management that both Badoni and Arya had been included in India A’s squad for warm-up matches ahead of the T20 World Cup, forcing their withdrawal from the Ranji fixture.

As a result, Ayush Doseja, Delhi’s leading run-scorer in his maiden Ranji season, has been handed the captaincy. While Doseja struck a defiant note by insisting that “there are no stalwarts once you enter the field”, even he would be aware of the enormity of the task facing Delhi over the next four days at the MCA’s Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.

Mulani is back

Mumbai, meanwhile, will view the match as an opportunity to fine-tune combinations ahead of the knockouts. The return of Shams Mulani, who missed last week’s game in Hyderabad due to a bladder infection, and Sarfaraz Khan’s rediscovered run-scoring touch augur well for the hosts. With Tanush Kotian and Shardul Thakur still sidelined with shoulder and groin injuries respectively, stand-in captain Siddhesh Lad may also use the occasion to test the bench strength.

While the contest may lack the edge of yesteryear, Mumbai and Delhi’s storied rivalry ensures that there is still pride at stake.