Mercury Levels Drop in Mumbai, Pleasant Week Ahead
In what could bring respite to the city, which generally remains hot and humid for most part of the year, Sunday morning saw the minimum temperatures dipping to 17 degree Celsius and weather observers claimed that the city is likely to continue to experience pleasant weather this week.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, not only Mumbai but even interior Maharashtra will see temperatures going further down and several cities will experience the chill. “Not only the minimum saw a dip but even the maximum temperature also came down to 31.1 degree Celsius,” said an IMD official.
(Source: DNA)
City Gives Green Signal to Non-Plastic Milk Package
The impact of plastic ban is getting murkier with every passing day. Now, Maharashtra's dairy sector has decided to suspend the sale of milk in plastic pouches from 15 December. They have warned that consumers will have to pay more if milk is supplied in either glass bottles or tetra packs.
According to dairy-owners, the increased cost could be anything between Rs 10 to Rs 30. If this price is included, the cost of one litre of milk will rise up to Rs 60 to Rs 90. There is no clarity over the buyback of either glass bottle or tetra pack.
(Source: DNA)
BMC to Provide Sanitary Pads to School Girls, But no Disposal Plan
While on one hand, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is providing free sanitary napkins for girls in class 6 to class 10, on the other hand it doesn’t have a mechanism to dispose of the napkins. Social activists say incineration is also not a viable option as it harms the environment.
According to a recent proposal, girls in 6th standard and above will every month get eight sanitary napkins for free, except during two months of summer vacation. The BMC has approved the Rs 9 crore plan for three years.
(Source: DNA)
Long Distance Trains Hit: Residents Stage Rail Roko to Protest Against Demolition of Their Houses
As many as 500 residents of Pavali near Titwala station staged a rail roko between Titwala and Ambivali railway stations on Sunday, to protest the demolition of their houses by the Kalyan Region Forest Department. Many long-distance trains were affected.
In their demolition drive, the forest department demolished up to 300 houses around the railway station on Friday. According to Titwala Government Railway Police, 2,000 more houses were expected to be demolished on Sunday.
(Source: The Indian Express)
Mumbai is Upgrading, Finally
Reeling under the pressure of an ever-expanding city and its population, Mumbai’s public transport system is in dire need of an upgrade. But over the last month, crucial projects that have been in the pipeline for years have finally inched forward.
Earlier this week, the State Cabinet gave its sanction for a slew of rail infrastructure projects worth ₹54,777 crore under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3A (MUTP-3A), paving the way for further approvals at the Central level. And in November, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved the detailed project reports of three Metro lines.
(Source: The Hindu)
‘Aarey was Never Shown as a Forest in Our Records’
First, I want to clarify that the plot where the fire erupted is a private land close to Film City. It has nothing to do with Aarey Milk Colony. Though it spread near Aarey’s land, there was no harm to animals. We have not received any such complaint. I agree that the fire damaged the environment but what caused the fire and who is responsible has nothing to do with us, as it doesn’t come under Aarey Dairy area. If at all there was any damage to wildlife in Aarey, the forest department should have informed us.
(Source: The Indian Express)
Moolniwasis Join Hands to Address Their Problems
Representatives of Moolniwasis — Kolis, tribals, and east Indians — have, with support from the Aam Adami Party (AAP), joined hands to address the issues faced by them. The representatives were speaking at an event organised by Maharashtra Changemakers — an apolitical initiative for activists to build synergies across verticals — in Goregaon on Sunday.
While east Indian representatives said their culture and land is under threat, tribal rights activists like Kunal Babbar highlighted how lack of education and civic amenities has put the community in a pitiable condition.
(Source: The Hindu)
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