Morning Digest | 9 arrested in connection to the Morbi bridge collapse; Delhi police conduct searches at houses of  The Wire editors, and more

Here’s a select list of stories to read before you start your day

Morbi bridge tragedy: death toll rises to 140; nine arrested

A day after the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat, the police arrested nine persons, including the managers of private contractor Oreva Group and ticket clerks and security guards. The death toll in the bridge tragedy climbed to at least 140 on Monday. The PM is scheduled to visit the site and will likely meet the families of victims on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Modi also held a review meeting at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar and directed officials that all possible assistance be provided to families affected by the tragedy.

MHA empowers two more Gujarat district collectors to grant citizenship certificates to six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan; notification not related to CAA

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) empowered the district collectors of two more districts in Gujarat — Mehsana and Anand — to grant citizenship certificates to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Christian, Buddhist and Jain communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. This is not the first-time the district magistrates or collectors have been delegated such powers by the MHA, similar orders were issued in 2016, 2018 and 2021. The notification is not related to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 that is yet to come into effect.

Air quality turns ‘severe’ in Delhi

The air quality of the national capital on October 31, 2022 night deteriorated to the “severe” category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 403 at 10 p.m. on Monday. The air quality of Delhi is likely to remain largely in “severe” to “very poor” category for the next six days, according to the Central government’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. 

Decentralise MGNREGS for better implementation, says study