1. No Mention of Environment in Saffron Poll Manifestos
Two major political parties fighting the polls – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena –have not included environmental problems in their manifestos.
While the BJP released its manifesto on Tuesday, the Sena released its manifesto on 12 October. The state has witnessed floods in different parts of the state owing to extreme weather events and loss of green zones such as Aarey, mangroves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. “It is an alarming state for Maharashtra’s environment, with every facet under threat,” said Madhav Gadgil, ecologist.
Maharashtra diverted 11.3 sqkm of forest land, equivalent to 2,277 football fields, in 2018 for various development projects, according to central government data.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Four-Year-Old Killed as Portion of Slab Collapses in Virar
A four-year-old girl died after a portion of the balcony slab of a four-storeyed building fell on her in Nityanand Nagar, Kopri in Virar (East) on Tuesday night.
Bhoomi Vinod Patil was playing in the passageway of the common balcony on the third floor when the concrete portion fell on her, said a Vasai-Virar fire brigade officer.
“The building was illegal and around 80 families who residing there were evacuated safely. Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) also disconnected the power supply to the building,” the officer said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Aarey Not an Election Issue in Jogeshwari East
While cutting of 2,000 trees to build the Metro-3 depot at Aarey Colony may have led to protests, in Jogeshwari (East) constituency, which houses most of Aarey Colony, it is not even an election issue. Delay in slum rehabilitation projects, traffic snarls and road infrastructure are things that matter more to the residents.
The constituency includes Jogeshwari east, the area along the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, Aarey Colony and Meghwadi, among other areas. There are seven candidates in the fray. Sitting MLA is Shiv Sena’s Ravindra Waikar, who is also the minister of state for housing in the current BJP-Sena government in the state.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Maha Polls: In Mahim, It Is Article 370 vs Local Issues
Mahim constituency is the Marathi heartland, the place where two parties that endorse sons-of-the-soil agenda – Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) – were born. But the issues the two are raising are completely different. While the Sena is invoking Article 370 to seek votes, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is keeping its focus on local issues.
The two parties are in a direct fight in Mahim constituency that includes a significant part of Dadar including Prabhadevi and Shivaji Park, where both the Shiv Sena and MNS were founded, Matunga and Mahim.
The constituency is also prestigious for the Sena because it houses its headquarters, the Shiv Sena Bhavan. In 2009, the newly formed MNS won the seat, while the Sena wrested it back in 2014.
This time, too, both the Sena and MNS are locked in a bitter tussle. The Shiv Sena has renominated sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar, while the MNS has fielded its senior leader Sandip Deshpande. The Congress has fielded Pravin Naik, an architect.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. In Centenary Year, WIAA Holds Its 99th AGM
Celebrating its centenary year, the Western India Automobile Association (WIAA) held its 99th Annual General Meeting on Tuesday.
The event took place at the ball room of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the same venue that hosted the first ever AGM of the association back in 1919.
A statement from the WIAA said, “We are 99 years on and the core principles of WIAA have not changed. We stand for responsible automobile ownership along with social commitment.”
The WIAA was formed on October 15, 1919 and its first Chairman was Major General W D James.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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