1.Coach With Plane-Like Seats Set for Debut
A brand new coach with aircraft-like seat units (though not as cramped) has arrived in Mumbai and will be soon added to the Shatabdi Express. The air-conditioned chair car, built at a cost of Rs 2.84 crore, is from the railways’ Anubhuti luxury coach range, designed to improve passengers’ experience.
So far, 10 such compartments have been built at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. Western and Central Railways will get two each, while six have been allotted to the Northern Railway.
The 56-seat, executive-class coach that rolled into Mumbai has a blue colour scheme with artistic patterns of flowers and leaves. Inside, the reclining chairs have seat-back entertainment screens, USB slots, charging points, and tray tables that slide back into the space under the armrest. Like aboard aircraft, adjustable reading lights and call buttons to summon an attendant have been installed above seats.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. Bohras Can Only Wed in Community Halls
The Anjuman-e-Shiate Ali’s recent and sudden diktat has played spoilsport with several couples’ wedding plans in the city.
Sakina Furniturewala (name changed) was busy getting her wedding dress right last week, when she and her family were informed about a recent diktat issued by leader of the Bohra community. According to Anjuman-e-Shiate Ali, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin's council, weddings in the community can only be held at venues and halls shortlisted by it.
When the Furniturewalas decided to stick to their original plan for the wedding, which will take place next week, they realised that community members had been ordered to not attend weddings or events organised by those Dawoodi Bohras who ignored the order. Their caterer, also from the community, informed them that he would not be available unless they held the wedding at an Anjuman-e-Shiate Ali-approved hall.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. School in a Chembur Hsg Society (Classes in Flats With Stinky Loos)
For the past five days, around 288 students of a municipal school in Chembur have been calling this a classroom (see pic). While some have been studying next to an open loo, others have been forced to sit on the floor in a narrow verandah, with no desks or fans or even access to drinking water.
A total of 228 students from Class I to Class VIII (Marathi medium) of Ayodhyanagar municipal school in Chembur and 60 students of Telugu medium have been shifted to their new ‘school building’ in Suraksha Co-operative Housing society, which is a MHADA society, built for project-affected people.
Mumbai Mirror saw first-hand the filthy conditions the students have to endure. There is an open toilet adjoining one of the halls where classes are being held. There are no clean toilets which the children or teachers can use. There are no ceiling fans or tube lights or even drinking water facility in the premises.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4. MNS Chief Raj Thackeray's Son Amit Gets Engaged to Fashion Designer Mitali Borude
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit, 25, got engaged to fashion designer and long-time girlfriend Mitali Borude in a private ceremony at Tote On The Turf, Mahalaxmi racecourse, on Monday afternoon.
The date of the engagement, December 11, was chosen as it is also the wedding anniversary of Thackeray and his wife Sharmila.
At the small function attended by close family and friends, notably absent was Thackeray’s cousin and political rival Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family. A source close to the MNS chief said that Thackeray did not invite his cousin Uddhav, as he is upset with the Sena’s recent poaching of MNS corporators in the civic body.
Source: Hindustan Times
5. 10 New Electric AC Buses for BKC Lying Unused in Mumbai's BEST Depots for Three Months Now
Ten hybrid electric air-conditioned buses worth around Rs 1.61 crore each, procured by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to operate in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), have been gathering dust at the bus depot for more than three months now.
The MMRDA has ordered 25 hybrid electric buses that the BEST is meant to operate between BKC, one of the city’s biggest business hubs, and the railway stations closest to it, that is, Kurla, Bandra and Sion. Of these, they have received 10 buses, in two batches of five,” a source in the BEST said, on condition of anonymity.
The first batch arrived in September, and the second arrived in the beginning of October, the official said, adding that the buses are road ready as they have been registered at the Regional Transport Authority and have received permits. “The BEST has also given drivers who will operate these buses the necessary training. But there is no sign of these buses being introduced on the roads,” the official said. “They are just gathering dust at the BEST’s Anik, Kurla and Dharavi depots.”
Source: Hindustan Times
6.'Tree Care Not in Expert Hands'
The BMC has cited a host of factors like inclement weather, cyclonic rains and even a nearby well for the collapse of a tree in Chembur on Thursday in which a 45-year-old mother of three was killed, but what appears to be the bigger culprit is a systemic fault in selecting contractors for the delicate task of tree care and safety.
According to members of the Tree Authority, the civic body has outsourced the work of caring and maintenance of trees to inexperienced private contractors, who actually don’t have any specialised expertise on the subject. Under its existing policy, the BMC allows any registered vendor to bid for tree care to encourage fair competition and ensure more number of builders.
The only criterion BMC asks for is that the interested contractors ought to have at least one well-trained horticulturist on their payroll. This means that most of the contractors picked by the BMC for looking after the city’s green cover are engaged in various other jobs like road and bridge work.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
7. PM to Commission INS Kalvari on Thur
Scorpene-class submarines to strengthen the navy’s defence capabilities, will be commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The PM will come to the city and stay at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. After commissioning the new submarine at the Naval Dockyard the next day, he is expected to take achopper back to the airport.
Sources said the submarine, which was built at the Mazgaon Dockyard Limited, has finished most of the trials. MDL is constructing five more Scorpene-class vessels for the navy which would be delivered by 2020.
Kalvari boasts of state-of-the-art features such as superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, and as tube launched anti-ship missiles, while it is underwater or on surface. According to Indian Navy, Scorpene Submarine is designed to operate in all theatres including the Tropics.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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