1. Monsoon Delayed, Mumbai Records Longest Wait for Rains in a Decade
Mumbai’s wait for the monsoon this year is its longest in a decade, with the rains delayed by 10 days. Even though the weather bureau on Thursday declared the onset of monsoon in south Konkan and parts of south central Maharashtra, it said the arrival of the rains in the city and the north Konkan region is not expected for another four to five days.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), monsoon usually arrives in the city by June 10.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Rs 5 Minimum Fare for Normal Buses, Starting Fare of AC Buses Rs 6a
As part of a plan to revive the BEST bus service, the transport undertaking announced a new minimum fare of Rs 5 up to a distance of five km, against the earlier minimum fare of Rs 8 for a distance of two km.
This was the condition on which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) agreed to give BEST an initial grant of Rs 100 crore out of a promised Rs 600 crore.
A senior BEST official told The Indian Express there will now be only four fare slabs — 5 km, 10 km, 15 km and over 15 km. The fare will be Rs 10 for the second slab, Rs 15 for 15 km and beyond that the fare will rise to Rs 20.
(Source: Indian Express)
3. Infant Among 16 Rescued From Fire
A 13-day-old baby was among 16 rescued from a fire that broke on the first floor of a 21-storey building in Wadala on Friday. All 16 were rushed to KEM hospital, where they were treated for suffocation, said a fire official.
According to fire brigade officials, the building caught fire around 3.15 am but they got a call only at 3.33 am. A preliminary inquiry revealed that the fire was caused by a short-circuit, said a fire brigade official.
The infant was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.
(Source: Indian Express)
4. Skin of Adult Leopard Seized; 5 Arrested for Poaching
Forest officials from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) recently seized a leopard skin and arrested five persons for poaching.
The accused had brought the skin of an adult leopard from the forest area of Raigad, and tried to orchestrate its sale in the Yeoor range of SGNP, when officials intercepted their four-wheeler.
Bashir Mohammad Pathan, 50; Javid Dawood Pathan, 42; Kiran Raut, 42; and Madhukar Ramchandra Kank, 49, were arrested on Wednesday, while the fifth accused, Devji Hirve, 30, was arrested on Thursday morning.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. Navi Mumbai Civic Body Cuts Water, Power Supply of 3 Unsafe Buildings; Takes U-Turn After Protests
A few hours after Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) started taking action against dangerous buildings in the city amid protests on Friday, it called off the drive.
On Friday, NMMC officials disconnected water and electricity connections of seven buildings at Sector 9 in Vashi.
The residents opposed the move and sought support from political parties.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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