1. Ambedkar Followers Caught In Washout As Shivaji Park Turns Into Sea Of Brown Slush
Just like the rest of Mumbai, the civic body, too, was caught unawares by the rain. Barely days after the BMC was praised for its arrangements at Shivaji Park for followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar arriving in the city to mark the leader's death anniversary on December 6, last night it was criticised severely by political parties for not being prepared for the Monday downpour despite an IMD warning.
When mid-day visited Shivaji Park early this morning, it was a sea of brown slush with some water-logging in parts. The BMC staff was seen using bulldozers to level the ground that had become slippery. Head of the state Congress Scheduled Caste cell Dr Raju Waghmare, who was present at Shivaji Park along with his followers, said he was unhappy with the way BMC was handling the situation.
Source: Mid-day
2. CM Asks BMC To Rid Beaches Of Garbage
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stepped in to save city beaches from being littered with garbage and has asked Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta to draft a comprehensive marine litter policy and develop a mechanism to ensure that floating garbage is not dumped in the sea through nullahs that run along the beaches.
“I have asked the Municipal Commissioner to come up with a comprehensive mechanism to tackle marine litter on priority,” Fadnavis told Mumbai Mirror.
The CM directed Mehta after a request from BJP legislator Ameet Satam, last week. In a letter to Fadnavis, Satam requested him to instruct BMC about installation of trash boons at points where nullahs meet the sea so as to prevent the garbage from entering the sea.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. Mumbai Skywalk Audit: Santacruz East, West Walkways Are A Haven For Prostitutes
They created it with much fervour, and then, left it to crumble. That's the scene at the mega east and west skywalks in Santacruz — ignored right after being built and currently in a state of utter disrepair. The skywalk on the eastern side is connected with an old public bridge that connects to the western side.
Earlier, hawkers used to sit at the skywalk's entrance; it took the Elphinstone stampede for the police to remove them. The vendors' wooden benches, however, remain tied on the side railings of the skywalk.
Source: Mid-day
4. CSMT-Goregaon Direct Local Likely To Start By Early Jan
The much-delayed CSMT-Goregaon direct local is likely to get operational by early January next year. The work on the extension of the harbour line from Andheri to Goregaon is almost complete and the track will be commissioned before December 31, 2017, said Prabhat Sahai, Chairman and MD of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the executing agency.
The extended line that is expected to cost Rs 314 crore will benefit more than one lakh commuters.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
5. Lokhandwala To Versova In 15 Mins
The nightmarish traffic in Andheri (West) is set to ease a bit after the City Civil Court refused to stay the demolition of over a hundred structures which were encroaching upon the 120-feet Development Plan (DP) road in Versova. Commuters will get access to the road after 20 years, once BMC goes ahead with the demolition on December 15. The new road is set to cut travel time between Versova and Lokhandwala from 45 minutes to 15 minutes.
Slumdwellers squatting in the 120-ft Central Institute of Fisheries Road from Sunderwadi Flowers slum colony had moved the City Civil Court challenging the BMC’s demolition order of November 16, when 72 housing societies from Versova came together to form Yari Road Bachao Action Group (YRBAG) and filed a plea in court as affected societies of the area.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
6. Railways To Halt Trains Every Time Someone Travels On Rooftops
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The next time some daredevil decides to climb onto the rooftop of a local train, you may have to face delays as the Railways is mulling over halting the train every time this happens. The move is being seen as one of the last resorts to curb deaths due to electrocution from overhead wires. On an average, over 50 overhead wire-electrocution deaths are reported every year.
At present, personnel from RPF book passengers for travelling on the rooftop of a train under the Railway Act. However, all those booked are mostly those who have been injured in electrocutions. The RPF does not chase culprits who climb on rooftops as it leads to a chase on the tracks and inadvertently causes train accidents.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
7. Thieves Attempt To Steal Brass Equipment At Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Caught
Moinuddin Sayyed, who earlier used to work at the Mumbai Port, turned into a crook 17 years back. Over these years, he has not only developed his expertise as a railway thief, but has also managed to pay for his children’s higher education with the proceeds of the crime. However, his latest attempt to steal luggage from the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, has landed him behind bars along with four of his associates.
Modus operandi
According to sources in the Kurla Railway Protection Force (RPF), Sayyed, who already has over 20 cases against him, used to carry the thefts mostly on the Central Railway line. However, he has committed similar crimes on other railway divisions as well. The gang, which had a trained and well-tested approach, would travel as passengers and sneak into the luggage section by breaking locks. Some of the members would throw the bags onto the tracks from the moving train, while the others waiting along the line would collect them. They conducted the thefts on selected routes, mainly those that would be close to approach roads. The gang would steal valuables and then sell them at Crawford Market and the Turbhe wholesale market.
Source: Mid-day
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