1.Metro Work, Diesel Price Hike Hit Garbage Collection
Contractor abandons garbage transportation work, citing rising fuel costs and traffic jams due to Metro construction.
Rising diesel costs and traffic jams due to the ongoing Metro work have hit garbage collection in the city. The BMC’s garbage collection contractor has refused to transport garbage anymore and has abandoned work. The contractor stopped transporting garbage last month and the BMC has now decided to blacklist the firm for abandoning the work.
Limbra Enterprises was awarded a Rs 60-crore contract to transport garbage from the BMC’s refuse station in Versova to the Deonar dumping ground.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. Lagging Behind Target, Govt Offers FSI Perks to Bigger Homes
Struggling to meet the target to build 19.4 lakh affordable homes by 2022, the BJP-led Maharashtra government on Tuesday dished out fresh sop for affordable housing projects on private lands. To bring more construction projects within the ambit of the government scheme, the state cabinet gave its nod to a proposal to extend floor space index (FSI) benefits even to middle income group (MIG) housing projects in this category.
In January, the Devendra Fadnavis government had opened doors for private builders to participate in the government’s “Housing for All” scheme under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY). Accordingly, builders utilising their own land for construction of homes for the economically weaker sections and the low-income segment were extended FSI incentives if they agreed to the condition that 50 per cent of the homes would be sold at rates determined by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
Source: The Indian Express
3. As Church Battles Sex Abuse Charges, Collection Plates Go Dry
In wake of Jalandhar bishop’s case, many parishioners stop contributing to tithe and Sunday Mass collections.
Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal has inadvertently prompted many in the city’s Catholic community to demand accountability in the church’s funds trail and to cut ties with a long-held custom. Many parishioners are now refusing to offer tithe, a practice of giving a chunk of one’s income as welfare fund to the church, out of fear that their donations are being misused.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4. Commuter Pushed Out of Local Train
A man was pushed out of the Badlapur-bound local after a brawl between two groups of passengers between Kalwaand Mumbra on Tuesday night.
According to the GRP, two groups of passengers from Kalyan and Diva got into an argument that soon turned violent.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
5. Co-passenger Molests Woman on Bangkok-Mumbai Flight
A 31-year-old man was arrested by the Sahar police on Tuesday for allegedly molesting a 29-year-old woman in a flight that was on its way to Mumbai International Airport from Bangkok. The incident happened in the wee hours of Tuesday.
According to the police, the accused, Chandra Tripathi, an Indian national, was returning to Mumbai in a late-night flight from Bangkok.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
6. Maharashtra: All-Time High Power Demand Recorded on October 22
With the October heat peaking, Maharashtra has recorded an all-time high power demand of 24,962 megawatts on October 22. Officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) said the demand in their areas was 21,580 MW, while it was 3,382 MW in Mumbai.
According to the MSEDCL, the demand on October 16 was 24,922 MW in the state, including 21,542 MW in MSEDCL areas. On October 17, it was 24,687 MW, including 21,223 MW in MSEDCL areas. On October 22, it shot up to 24,962 MW — an all-time high demand.
Source: The Indian Express
7. Mumbai: Monorail to Get More Rakes, 50 More Trips Daily
India’s first monorail system that runs between Chembur and Wadala will soon increase its services with the expected addition of two more rakes. At present, the monorail operator offers only 130 trips per day.
The Phase One of the monorail got back on track from September 1, after an almost nine-month layoff after a major fire grounded its operations. Currently, services are functioning with only four rakes, according to sources at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), with the shortage of rakes making it difficult to expand operations.
Source: The Indian Express