1. Air Quality Continues to Be Poor in Mumbai for Third Consecutive Day
Air quality in the city on Friday remained in the ‘poor’ category for the third day in a row.
On Friday afternoon, the air quality index (AQI), a pollution indicator, stood at 234. On Thursday, Mumbai had recorded an AQI of 236; on Wednesday, it was 233.
The AQI level for PM2.5 pollutant — small pollutant particles that can easily enter the lungs and cause respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses — between 0-50 is good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and above 400 is severe.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Govt Tweaks Policy to Spur Redevelopment
The state revenue department has come up with relaxations in policy for redevelopment of old buildings which are on government land. This will help redevelopment of many old buildings that have come up on the lands leased by the state revenue department. Most of these lands are in Mumbai city and suburbs. There are at least 1,300 such plots in the island city and 300 in the suburbs.
The GR states that most of these buildings are occupied by middle class or lower middle class people, and the buildings are 40 to 50 years old. As a result, redevelopment has become necessary, it says.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
3. BMC Acts Against 85 More Engineers in Road Works Scam
The BMC has terminated services of two engineers and taken action against 83 others in the second and final phase of the road scam probe. This brings the number of engineers found guilty in the road scam to 180, with only five completely acquitted. The report was published by the BMC on Friday.
Mumbai Mirror has been reporting about Rs 352-crore road scam since it broke two years ago. On December 27 last year, Mirror was the first to report about a hundred engineers in the dock for irregularities in the road scam’s first phase probe that involved 34 roads. In the second phase, the quality of 200 roads was inspected and a detailed inquiry carried out.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
4. TISS Denies Withdrawing Scholarships
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on Friday denied it has withdrawn all forms of financial aid to students belonging to SC, ST and OBC communities, saying it continues to follow central government guidelines on scholarships.
Significantly, TISS Students Union is on strike alleging that the administration has withdrawn financial aid provided to students from these categories, who are otherwise exempted from paying the tuition fee, the dining hall charge and the hostel fee.
“TISS denies having stopped any scholarships for its students, and is continuing to follow all government guidelines on student welfare,” a release stated.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
5. BMC Pulls Down Shutters on Illegal Bandra Restobar That Violated Fire Safety Norms
After mid-day reported about illegal construction and fire safety violations in eateries dotting the ONGC Colony lane at Bandra Reclamation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has suspended the health licence issued to Door No. 1 and revoked its fire NOC for non-compliance of norms and conditions. While there's been no action against its neighbour Broaster Chicken as yet, it has carried out the same action against three other eateries in the lane.
As per the documents available, on February 17, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, H-west ward, Sharad Ughade ordered the suspension of the eating licence (issued in the name of Mogul Hospitality) of Door No. 1 for 15 days, till the premises were made fire-safe and illegal constructions removed.
(Source: Mid-Day)
6. Point Failure Disrupts CR Services
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Central Railway’s mainline slow local services between Matunga and Sion were disrupted from 11.15 am to 11.48 am on Friday due to point failure.
In another disruption, the engine of the long-distance Suvidha Express, which operates between Chhattrapati Shivaji Terminus and Patna Junction, failed near Kasara railway station at around 1.45 pm. Due to this, a few Kasara-bound trains were also affected.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
7. Commuters Come Together to Save a Three-Yr-Old’s Life
A group of train commuters has taken it upon itself to raise money to save the life of a three-year-old daughter of a Shahapur school teacher suffering from a rare blood disorder.
Ishwari Harane -- whose family has, with much difficulty, raised Rs 9 lakh of the Rs 25 lakh required for her treatment at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in Andheri -- suffers from Fanconis Anaemia, which prevents bone marrow from making enough new blood cells for a body to work normally.
Ishwari’s condition is so serious that the doctors have decided to go ahead with a bone marrow transplant procedure today, allowing her family to deposit the rest of money later. Doctors believe any delay in carrying out the transplant could further complicate her condition.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
8. Navi Mumbai Man Arrested for Forcibly Kissing Woman at Turbhe Station
The police arrested a 43-year-old man who allegedly forcibly kissed a woman at Turbhe railway station on Thursday.
Officers said the 23-year-old commuter was waiting to board a train towards Thane, when the accused, Naresh Joshi, approached her around 11.25 am.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. Child Rights Body Issues Notice to Papon Over Kissing Minor
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday issued notice to both singer Papon and a TV entertainment channel after a video emerged of the singer inappropriately kissing a minor girl, an official said."We have seen the video and have gone through the written complaint which came to us from Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan. We felt this is a provocative case. Necessary legal action will be taken," the official added.
(Source: The Quint)
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