Violators of traffic rules will be made to attend training sessions
NEW DELHI : The next time you jump a traffic signal or drive rashly, be prepared to attend awareness sessions by Delhi Traffic Police, besides paying prescribed fines.
The traffic unit will now conduct awareness workshops for traffic violators to prevent the rising cases of the breach of traffic rules.
Last year, 60.10 lakh challans were issued for traffic violations and in 2016, 40.25 lakh people for booked for violating traffic rules.
“We have organised such awareness drives in the past too, but the idea here is to inform the drivers of the repercussions of their carelessness has not just on their safety but also for other road users. The idea of prosecution is not to punish but to prevent these cases,” said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Garima Bhatnagar.
Another traffic official said that drivers held for committing ‘dangerous offences’, such as speeding, red light jumping or driving drunk, will be particularly targeted in these drives.
“As per the order of the Supreme Court, we are required to confiscate their driving licence for three months, which they can collect after paying fines in the court. But, the drivers will continue to commit offences if they do not know the rules,” the official said.
The 30-minute sessions will be organised at the traffic police headquarters in Todapur, in which the drivers will be taught traffic rules, even the minor offences, which most drivers are unaware of. For example, if a driver halts beyond the stop line, he might be challaned for jumping the signal.
“Most drivers cross the stop line, wait right before the traffic lights and expect that they will not be challaned. Since most driving schools only teach people how to drive and not traffic rules, we end up on the roads with our ignorance,” the official said. NEWDELHI: A leopard was spotted at Bawana Air Force Station here on Monday night.
Wildlife SOS, the NGO which that works with the Delhi forest department for rescue of animals, said they started getting calls on Monday around 7pm.
“A major part of the campus is a huge forest area. An air force staff had even shot a mobile phone video clip of the leopard strolling around on the campus. We, however, didn’t get any pugmarks. Now, forest department will send staff for patrolling. They will try and identify the movement and territory of the leopard,” Wasim Akram of the Wildlife SOS said on Tuesday.
A forest department official said they will set up a cage within a day to catch the animal.
“We have informed the local police to remain alert and will also ask nearby residents to be aware. Even though it is a restricted area, with no civilian footfall, we will try and capture the animal and release it elsewhere to avoid any possible conflict,” he said.
The forest department has also written to the air force base to release the video clip.
In September last year, rumours of a leopard sighting gripped Alipur, Outer Delhi. However, no conclusive evidence was found. While some had claimed to have seen a leopard, others said that it could not have been a dog or some other animal.
In November 2016, a leopard had trekked upstream along the Yamuna from Haryana and had entered the Yamuna Biodiversity Park in Delhi. It was later caught by forest officials and released in the Shivalik ranges near Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Faiyaz A Khudsar, the scientist in charge at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, said that particular leopard (trapped in November 2016) was a young, three-year-old. “Young ones tend to move around in search for its own territory. The one spotted in Bawana might be living in the area for some time but has been seen now,” he said.
Vidya Athreya, an ecologist working on human-leopard conflict, said many of such government institutes and defence areas, which are wooded, have wildlife.
“There is an air force facility in Chandigarh where leopards are spotted every now and then. At another IAF base in Nasik, there are wolves. Another facility in Sinnar, Nashik, has leopards and so does Tarapur nuclear facility. Another armament facility in Chandrapur has both tiger and leopards. There is a good mix of wild and domestic prey in these areas. As long as good precautions are taken, there is nothing to worry,” Athreya said.
YV Jhala, a senior scientist at the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India, said leopard sighting is not uncommon in urban areas. “The leopard must have been there in the area, it was spotted yesterday. In Mumbai at Powai, Goregaon and Borivali, for example, there are several leopards. Our campus has leopard for the past 25 years but no conflict with anyone,” Jhala said.
We have organised such awareness drives in the past too.the idea here is to make the drivers realise repercussions of their carelessness.