1. After Spate of Deadly Blazes, Mumbai Fire Brigade Plans Surprise Checks at High-rises, Malls
The death of four people in Wednesday’s fire at Crystal Tower, where several safety rules were violated, has served as a wake-up call to the fire brigade and the Mumbai civic body to start conducting surprise checks at residential buildings.
After the tragic fire at two restaurants in Kamala Mills in December 2017, in which 14 people were killed, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had formed a fire compliance cell to check if commercial structures had fire-safety mechanisms in place.
Until July, this cell’s inspection were done only to provide clearance certificates, to mainly hotels and restaurants.
Source: Hindustan Times
2. Your Ticket to Smooth Travel on Bus, Train, Metro Is Six Months Away
The single ticket system for all modes of public transport in Mumbai and its satellite towns is likely to become reality in the next six months as chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and railway minister Piyush Goyal, on Thursday, overcame the final hurdle, which was the mode of payment. They also decided to fast-track major suburban railway projects stuck because of land acquisition and rehabilitation issues.
At a cost of Rs 130 crore, the Integrated Ticketing System (ITS) is the first-of-its kind project in the country, which allows commuters to use a single ticket for multiple modes of public transport such as rail, BEST buses, taxis and Metro.
Source: Hindustan Times
3. Allegations of Favouritism: Law Dept Says Approvals Not Taken While Giving Contract
Allegations of favouritism in awarding the city’s vehicle towing contract to a Nagpurbased private firm could turn out to be true, if a note prepared by the state government’s Law and Judiciary (L&J) department is anything to go by.
The L&J department, which was asked by the home department to give its opinion on whether the seven-year contract awarded to Vidarbha Infotech Pvt Ltd should be cancelled in the wake of a writ petition in the Bombay High Court, has called out several “irregularities” in the deal.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4.Ratan Tata, RSS Chief at Golden Jubilee Function
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat presided over a function to celebrate the golden jubilee of the RSS-affiliated Nana Palkar Smruti Samiti at Yashwant Natya Mandir, Matunga West, on Friday. Industrialist Ratan Tata was a guest of honour at the event.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
5. Byculla Zoo: A Week After, Penguin Chick Dies
Exactly a week after the first penguin to be born in the country emerged from a single egg that the parents had incubated for 40 days, the chick died on Wednesday night. A post-mortem conducted by a team of veterinary professors, including a pathologist, an avian expert and a microbiologist, concluded that the cause of the death was anomalies in the newborn, including a dysfunctional liver and yolk sac retention, or failure to absorb yolk. The first Humboldt penguin egg in India hatched on August 15 at Mumbai’s Veermata Jijabai Udyan, known as Byculla zoo.
The zoo authorities said the chick’s parents, Mr Molt and Flipper, had been providing good care to the newborn. “However, as a matter of surprise, the chick was found to be sinking despite good care by the parents on August 22,” said a statement issued by the zoo management. A team of veterinarians looking after the penguins in the zoo’s special penguin enclosure tried its best to treat the chick, but it was found dead the same night.
Source: The Indian Express
6. Wadias to Pay Rs 93 Lakh to City Firm
Bombay Dyeing served attachment warrant for failing to pay flooring company dues since 2011.
The historic Bombay Dyeing headquarters, Neville Housein Ballard Estate, was on Friday served with an attachment warrant for immovable property after the company did not honour an arbitration award directing it to pay a prominent wooden flooring supplier pending dues of over Rs 93 lakh including interest from 2011.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
7. 30-year-old Stabbed to Death in Panvel
Three arrested; one accused was victim’s neighbour; cops suspect enmity.
A 30-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by three persons in New Panvel in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday over personal enmity. The Panvel City police have arrested three persons in this connection.
The victim, Aashish Ashok Naik, is said to be a Bharatiya Janata Party worker.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
8. Drug Peddler, Who Used School Children to Supply Md, Nabbed
The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the city crime branch has arrested a drug peddler who used school children to supply drugs in Andheri’s DN Nagar area. Investigators said the accused, Asif Iqbal Khan, 34, promised the children chocolates and video gamesin return for delivering pouches containing mephedrone, also known as MD, to his customers, who were mostly college-goers.
“We had information that Khan was supplying drugs to several college going students in Andheri West. But our hands were tied as he never approached his customers directly and instead used his network of school children,” said an officer.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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