1. Maharashtra Govt Gives Financial Nod for ‘International-Standard’ Zoo
After the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), armed with a Bombay High Court order in its favour, cut over 2,000 trees in Aarey Colony on 4 October, causing a furore among green activists, more trees may be hacked in the area after the state government approved the finances for the construction of an “international-standard” zoo in Aarey.
The forest department, in a government resolution (GR) on 9 October, approved a grant of Rs 60 lakh for the conservation wall of the zoo.
The wall will be constructed in the Tulsi forest area and the border of Marol, east of Goregaon in Borivali’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and Aarey. This will provide protection and demarcation of the zoo’s planned site.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Rahul Gandhi Attacks Centre Over Economy, Says BJP Distracting the People
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched an attack on the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, alleging India’s economy was in trouble owing to their decisions. He warned the situation could worsen in the next seven months and said the Modi government was diverting the attention of people from “real issues” with Article 370 and Chandrayaan.
Launching his campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly elections in Mumbai, Gandhi addressed rallies at Ausa in Latur district and Chandivli and Dharavi in Mumbai. “The trouble has just begun. Watch, things could worsen in six-seven months. The Congress and Manmohan Singh took years to improve India’s economy, which has been destroyed now,” Gandhi said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Maharashtra’s Prisons Overcrowded, Time to Increase Their Capacity: Officers
Top officers of five major jails in Maharashtra have written to the state’s director general of prisons and to various courts to urgently tackle overcrowding of under-trials and convicts.
The letter, which HT has seen, was written by authorities at Arthur Road jail, Byculla jail (both in Mumbai), Thane Central Jail, Yerawada Central Jail (Pune), and Aadharwadi Jail in Kalyan. It states that though the 60 prisons across the state have a capacity of 24,032 inmates, the current population is more than 50% higher at 36,195.
Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail was built to hold 804 prisoners, but it accommodates 3,650 at present, says state government data.
Thane’s central prison officially can house 1,105 prisoners, but its current strength is 3,850. In Aurangabad – 370 km north-east of Mumbai – the jail capacity is 579, but accommodates 1,743 prisoners. Pune’s Yerawada jail – one of India’s largest – officially houses 2,449, but has 6,000 prisoners. The story is the same for Nagpur, Kolhapur, Taloja and Amravati prisons as well.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. ‘Pet Blessings Day’ Marked at ST John Evangelist Church
The road outside St John the Evangelist Church in Ballard Estate had an unusual group of churchgoers on Sunday. Different breeds of dogs on leash, kittens in their baskets, birds in cages and fish swimming in cloth covered fish tanks waited patiently with their humans for the church to open its door.
The priest of the parish, Father Joe D’souza, greeted the animals and humans, and proceeded with his services of the mass, amidst much tail wagging and some faint bird calls.
It was the annual ‘Pet Blessings Day’ at the church, which drew pet-owners from the suburbs, and as far away as Navi Mumbai and Thane.
“On 4 October, we celebrate the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of animals and plants in our faith. I personally adore animals and all of God’s creatures. So, whichever parish I am at, I ensure that we organise ‘Pet Blessings’ on one of the Sundays in the month of October,” Father D’souza said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Mumbai Colleges Set up 200 Libraries in State’s Villages
Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the 60th anniversary of the National Service Scheme (NSS), colleges affiliated with the University of Mumbai (MU) set up over 200 libraries in villages across the state and plan to set up 150 more by the end of the academic year.
“We have noticed that villages in interior Maharashtra are least equipped with books and libraries. Therefore, all MU-affiliated colleges with NSS units decided to participate in a book collection drive, which could later be placed in any of the libraries across the state,” said Sudhir Puranik, in-charge director, NSS unit, MU.
Close to 350 MU-affiliated colleges are participating in this campaign and the idea is for each college to set up a library in their adopted village. While books are being collected by students across and beyond the city, NSS volunteers are very clear that they will not accept donations.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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