HT Evening News Brief November 6: Grap 3 imposed in Delhi, FIR on Chawri Bazar collapse reveals ignored warnings

Good evening, readers. From worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR prompting Stage 3 Grap restrictions to fresh revelations about ignored safety warnings in the Chawri Bazar building collapse, here are the top stories making headlines this evening.

Grap 3 curbs implemented in Delhi-NCR

Authorities implemented Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) as Delhi's air quality index, currently at 382 in the ‘very poor’ category, inched closer to the 400 mark, which would put it under the ‘severe’ category. The restrictions aim to curb dust pollution and emissions across Delhi-NCR.

Under Grap-3, strict restrictions have been imposed on several construction and demolition activities across the National Capital Region, which includes cities of Uttar Pradesh's Noida, Ghaziabad as well as Haryana's Gurugram. Read more.

Contractors ignored warnings, says FIR on Chawri Bazar collapse

The contractors overseeing construction of the building that collapsed in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar on Thursday, killing at least two people, allegedly ignored warnings from workers about the poor quality of construction material and the structure’s inability to support another concrete slab, according to the first information report (FIR) registered in the incident.

In his statement to the police, complainant Firoz, a 37-year-old construction worker from Bihar who lives in Mandawali and survived the collapse, alleged that the contractors were repeatedly alerted about the structural concerns but insisted that the work continue, saying that making the changes would increase construction costs. Read more.

US midterm winner Saba Haider’s call brings joy to her mother in Ghaziabad

India-born Democrat Saba Haider has made history in the United States after winning a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, becoming the first South Asian woman to be elected to the state's General Assembly.

Her mother, Shahnaz Haider, who lives in Ghaziabad, expressed happiness over her daughter's achievement, saying the victory made years of hard work and dedication worthwhile. Read more.

Tanvi Patri wins silver after a gripping Youth Olympics final against China’s Zhang Yi Xin

15-year-old Tanvi Patri became the first Indian to reach the women’s singles final. No Indian had ever won a singles gold at the badminton event at the Youth Olympics, with HS Prannoy (2010) and Lakshya Sen (2018) coming close but eventually clinching silver.

Patri won the opening game but lost to the reigning BWF Junior World Champion in a match that lasted an hour and 22 minutes. Read more.

Anoushka Shankar calls Russell Brand ‘monster’ after he’s found guilty of rape and sexual assault

British Comedian Russell Brand was found guilty of rape of one woman and sexually assaulting three others on Thursday. The actor-comedian was found guilty in court on Thursday and will likely face a ‘significant’ sentence on Monday. Sitarist Anoushka Shankar reacted to the news on his Instagram, calling him a ‘monster’ and recalling his visit to her home. She also stated that it was horrific to see Russell’s misogyny being celebrated for years now. Read more.