The BMC has stated on Friday that the water levels in Mumbai's seven reservoirs, which supply the city with potable water, have reached 98.55 per cent. Based on data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the combined water stock of the Mumbai lakes stands at 14,26,326 million litres at present, or 98.55 per cent of their capacity. Mumbai gets its water from the Upper and Middle Vaitarnas, Bhatsa, Tansa, Vihar, Tulsi, and Modak Sagar. The civic body's data on the Mumbai lakes indicates that Tansa's water level is 97.51 per cent. 97.24 per cent of the water stock is accessible at Modak-Sagar. In Middle Vaitarna 98.52 per cent, Upper Vaitarna 99.15 per cent, Bhatsa 98.74 per cent, Vihar 100 per cent and Tulsi 99.66 per cent of useful water level is available. In the wake of heavy rains, one more lake supplying water to Mumbai, Middle Vaitarna Lake, started overflowing on July 4. Lakes Vihar and Modak Sagar began to flood on July 25 due to persistently high rains. Around 4 pm on July 24, Tansa Lake started to overflow, increasing the amount of water stored in all seven reservoirs by 17 days in a single day. Approximately 400 million gallons of water are supplied to Mumbai by Tansa Lake, which is situated in the Shahpur region of Thane. On July 26, 2024, it overflowed. One of the two lakes that directly feed water to the BMC, Tulsi Lake, started to overflow on July 20 at around 8:30 am, mimicking the event that occurred on the same day last year at 1:28 pm, according to the civic body. Mumbai rains: MD forecasts light showers today The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light spells of rainfall in Mumbai on Thursday, as per the latest Mumbai weather update. The meteorological agency has forecast a "Partly cloudy sky with possibility of light rain in the city and its suburbs" for the next 24 hours in its most recent Mumbai weather update. It is anticipated that the city will have a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius and a low temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. A high tide of about 4.70 metres, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said on Friday, would be hitting Mumbai at 1.02 pm. The civic body also said a low tide of about 0.06 metres is expected at 7.17 pm on Friday.
20 September,2024 11:07 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light spells of rainfall in Mumbai on Friday, as per the latest Mumbai weather update. The meteorological agency has forecast a "Partly cloudy sky with possibility of light rain in the city and its suburbs" for the next 24 hours in its most recent Mumbai weather update. It is anticipated that the city will have a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius and a low temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. A high tide of about 4.70 metres, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said on Friday, would be hitting Mumbai at 1.02 pm. The civic body also said a low tide of about 0.06 metres is expected at 7.17 pm on Friday. Lakes supplying water reached 98.55 pc capacity The BMC had earlier stated on Friday that the water levels in Mumbai's seven reservoirs, which supply the city with potable water, have reached 98.55 per cent. Based on data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the combined water stock of the Mumbai lakes stands at 14,26,326 million litres at present, or 98.55 per cent of their capacity. Mumbai gets its water from the Upper and Middle Vaitarnas, Bhatsa, Tansa, Vihar, Tulsi, and Modak Sagar. The civic body's data on the Mumbai lakes indicates that Tansa's water level is 97.51 per cent. 97.24 per cent of the water stock is accessible at Modak-Sagar. In Middle Vaitarna 98.52 per cent, Upper Vaitarna 99.15 per cent, Bhatsa 98.74 per cent, Vihar 100 per cent and Tulsi 99.66 per cent of useful water level is available. In the wake of heavy rains, one more lake supplying water to Mumbai, Middle Vaitarna Lake, started overflowing on July 4. Lakes Vihar and Modak Sagar began to flood on July 25 due to persistently high rains. Around 4 pm on July 24, Tansa Lake started to overflow, increasing the amount of water stored in all seven reservoirs by 17 days in a single day. Approximately 400 million gallons of water are supplied to Mumbai by Tansa Lake, which is situated in the Shahpur region of Thane. On July 26, 2024, it overflowed. One of the two lakes that directly feed water to the BMC, Tulsi Lake, started to overflow on July 20 at around 8:30 am, mimicking the event that occurred on the same day last year at 1:28 pm, according to the civic body.
20 September,2024 10:58 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAccording to sources from AAI, starting from October 27, 2024, Pune International Airport will begin operating daily flights to Dubai and thrice-weekly flights to Bangkok. This new development is set to boost the international connectivity of Pune and the surrounding regions of Western Maharashtra, offering residents more convenient options for travel to key international destinations. Murlidhar Mohol, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, confirmed the development and also expressed his enthusiasm for the enhanced air travel options. “Punekars and people of Western Maharashtra will benefit from this enhanced connectivity for their international journey,” he said, emphasizing the significance of these routes in facilitating both business and leisure travel. Good news for Punekars; Two new international flights! Delighted to announce that 27th October 2024 onwards, Pune-Dubai-Pune (daily) and Pune-Bangkok-Pune flights (thrice a week) will be operational from Pune International Airport. Punekars & people of Western Maharashtra… pic.twitter.com/i3zEPzqzRb — Murlidhar Mohol (@mohol_murlidhar) September 19, 2024 "The daily Pune-Dubai flight is expected to attract a large number of passengers, particularly business travellers and tourists, given Dubai’s status as a global hub. This will also reduce the passenger strain on Mumbai airport as earlier, passengers from western Maharashtra used to travel to Mumbai via road, train or flight just to board the Mumbai-Dubai sector," said an industry analyst from MoCA. "The thrice-weekly Pune-Bangkok flight will cater to tourists seeking to explore the Southeast Asian market which will also reduce the passenger load on Mumbai Airport," the analyst added.
20 September,2024 10:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariApple unveiled the iPhone 16 series on September 9, and the tech giant has now begun selling the new-generation iPhones in India. Enthusiasm for the new models is high, with various outlets across the country experiencing long queues of eager customers. A visual from the Apple Store in Mumbai's BKC shows a large crowd gathered to purchase the iPhone 16. A huge crowd gathered outside the Apple store at Mumbai's BKC, visibly excited to purchase the new iPhone 16, which boasts advanced features that enhance user-friendliness. The iPhone 16 Pro and its larger counterpart, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, both feature Apple's largest-ever displays, measuring 6.3 inches for the Pro and an impressive 6.9 inches for the Pro Max. These devices also showcase the thinnest borders ever seen on an Apple product, along with the advanced Always-On 120Hz ProMotion display technology. A customer, Ujjwal Shah, who came to purchase the newly launched iPhone 16, told ANI, "I have been standing in the queue for the last 21 hours. I’ve been here since 11 AM yesterday, and I will be the first one to enter the store today at 8 AM. I’m very excited... The atmosphere in Mumbai for this phone is absolutely electric... Last year, I stood in the queue for 17 hours." Another buyer, Akshay, told ANI, "I arrived at 6 AM and purchased the iPhone 16 Pro Max. I really like iOS 18, and the zoom camera quality has improved significantly. I came from Surat." Long queues were also seen outside the Apple store in Delhi's Saket. The iPhone 16 series comprises the iPhone 16 (base model), iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 Pro comes in an array of striking colours, including Dark Black Titanium, Bright White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and the new Desert Titanium. Notably, it promises the best battery life ever seen in an iPhone, thanks to optimized power management and larger batteries. The camera system is equally impressive, with a 48MP fusion camera featuring a 2nd-generation quad-pixel sensor and zero shutter lag. The new 48MP ultra-wide camera and a 5x telephoto lens with a 120mm focal length enhance the photographic capabilities, while Camera Control offers versatile options for capturing the perfect shot. New photographic styles allow real-time adjustments to colours and shadows, making each photo unique. On the video front, the iPhone 16 Pro supports 4K120 capture, enabling cinematic-quality recording with frame-by-frame colour grading in Dolby Vision. The device also features enhanced spatial audio capture, offering an immersive experience when viewed with AirPods or Apple Vision Pro. (With inputs from ANI)
20 September,2024 10:11 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Mahalaxmi racecourse will allow a whopping 18 lakh square feet of area for construction in South Mumbai as the BMC proposed 1.33 FSI over the area of 211 acres of open space. The redevelopment of the racecourse has been a talking point for the last few years due to the massive open space and the construction of FSI. As the BMC published a notification inviting suggestions and objections for the proposed modification for the redevelopment of the Mahalaxmi racecourse, it is revealed how much area will be available to construct due to the massive space available at the Mahalaxmi racecourse. Zoru Bathena, an activist raised the que8over the massive use of FSI. "This means, the turf club RWITC can reconstruct their stand or clubhouse into a multistorey building. Using the entire FSI paves the way for a skyscraper." The users are permissible for development or redevelopment will be clubhouses, restaurants, stands, viewing decks, swimming pools, banquet, small departmental stores, conference rooms, and Gymnasium with indoor and outdoor sports like squash, badminton, billiards, table tennis, cricket nets, box cricket, football turf, pickleball and allied users such as security cabin, staff quarters etc and other compatible users as decided by the Municipal Commissioner. Out of 211 acres, (acres), Public Park/Theme Park is proposed on 29.4 acres area. Development stipulation in another 1.96 acres. Existing Amenity of Recreation Ground EOS(2.6) will remain unchanged on 77 acres of the land. The existing Mahalaxmi Racecourse Horse Stable will be in 26.32 acres of land. The existing Mahalaxmi Racetrack will cover 34.12 acres. The existing Mahalaxmi Club/Gymkhana will be on 32.17 acres where they can use the FSI.
20 September,2024 10:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Prajakta KasaleA 67-year-old man, identified as Kushal Dand, tragically took his own life after allegedly being threatened with a false rape accusation. According to the police, Dand was found dead on the railway tracks near Mulund station. He had left home to buy milk but never returned, prompting his family to start searching for him. They later received a call from the railway police informing them of his death. The police revealed that Dand had been involved in a dispute with the woman, a resident of the same building. Dand had been temporarily assigned the same parking spot as the woman, leading to a verbal altercation between the two. It is alleged that she threatened to falsely accuse Dand of rape, which may have contributed to his tragic decision. Both the woman and Dand resided in Manisha Pride Housing Society.
20 September,2024 09:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheThe Central Railway has a long-term plan to keep the Matheran Light Railway operational during the monsoon and has allocated a sum of Rs 5 crore for the project even as work has begun to resume services post-monsoon by October. Passenger services between Neral and Aman Lodge from June to 15th October during the monsoon every year. Shuttle services between Matheran and Aman Lodge will continue to run as per the current schedule in force. Aman Lodge is the station near Dasturi Point from where road vehicles are available. With an average of 40,000 passengers using the train every month, it has been able to ferry about 3.34 lakh passengers in the last six months while it was on. CR is working on a project to upgrade the narrow gauge line so that it works during the monsoon too. The plan involves strengthening the drains and other assets. "It is a long-term plan. Right now, the work has primarily begun in view of the restarting the train post monsoon," Central Railway chief public relations officer Dr Swapnil Nila said. “Matheran is the nearest and the most popular tourist destination for the citizens of Mumbai. Central Railway with its shuttle services for passengers between Neral/Aman Lodge and Matheran has been instrumental in popularizing this place as a major tourist destination. In addition to providing a comfortable journey to tourists, these services help in cheap and quick transportation of materials also,” a CR spokesperson said. Stated over a century ago in 1907, the latest figures indicate the priority role of railways in providing safe and comfortable travel to its passengers coming to this tourist destination even now. Central Railway has put in herculean efforts to restore the Neral-Matheran track which was washed out due to heavy downpours in 2019. The entire 21km stretch of narrow-gauge line was finally ready and services on the line were resumed last year on 22 October 2022. Before that, only shuttle services between a small 2-km stretch of Aman Lodge and Matheran were in service carrying passengers and parcels. The Neral-Matheran line was built over a century ago in 1907 as a family enterprise of the Peerbhoys and is now on the UNESCO tentative list for Mountain Railways of India.
20 September,2024 09:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarOn Thursday evening, around 7 PM, the slab of a 70-year-old ground-plus-two-story load-bearing building located at Goshala Lane, Diamond Market, Ratna Sagar Compound, Malad East, collapsed. The building, primarily used for storage, housed small businesses. The slab of the first-floor room (Room No. 11), measuring approximately 10 x 10 feet, suddenly collapsed. Two individuals working in the readymade garment industry fell with the collapsing slab and sustained minor injuries. The injured have been identified as Dinesh Bhagwan Solanki, aged 53, and Mahadevarao Mohite, aged 41. Fortunately, no one was in the ground-floor office at the time of the collapse. Local residents, along with the Dindoshi Police and emergency authorities, promptly arrived at the scene. The injured were swiftly rescued and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, thanks to the assistance of locals, according to an officer from the Dindoshi police station. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collapse, the officer added.
20 September,2024 07:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanSerious concerns have been expressed over the tailstrike incident of the IndiGo aircraft which took off from Delhi. Experts have red-flagged the decision of the pilots to continue the flight to Bengaluru despite the tailstrike happening at Delhi. One major concern, is the possibility of rapid cabin depressurisation mid-air if the tailstrike would have caused even a minor leak to the fuselage. The incident The incident happened on September 9 when IndiGo flight 6E 6054 (Delhi - Bengaluru) bearing the registration VT-IBI took off from Delhi around 4.17 pm from Delhi Airport where the tail of the aircraft struck the runway during the take off. The pilots decided to continue the journey to Bengaluru instead of initiating an emergency landing procedure. RA senior DGCA official said, “The flight data recorder has been sent to the instrument manufacturer for technical analysis. The results for the same are awaited.” The airline also confirmed the tailstrike. “On 9th September 2024, an IndiGo A321 was grounded in Bangalore due to a tail strike,” it said in a statement. Serious concerns Several pilots that mid-day spoke with wondered how the pilots could continued flying the aircraft after the tailstrike instead of carrying out an emergency landing. “Such an impact could possibly result in cabin depressurisation which would lead to a loss of air pressure in the cabin. Above a certain altitude, the concentration of oxygen in the air reduces and also, the air becomes thin which makes it very difficult to breathe. That is the reason, cabin pressure is very important,” a senior flight instructor said. “It may even damage the tail cone impacting aerodynamic functions as well as the sensitive equipment inside the aircraft such as hydraulics and flight controls. It may even lead to increased fuel burn which may lead to the issue of low or no fuel till the time the aircraft reaches its destination,” he said. Sanjay Lazar, an aviation expert said, “During the Gulf War, we had a similar situation. We developed a hole but the Pilot in Command decided to fly on. Obviously, his licence was suspended for years after that. It is very risky to fly in such cases as the extent of damage cannot be understood midair.” Were pilots informed? The incident came to light only after the aircraft landed in Bengaluru, and an aircraft maintenance engineer saw scrapes under the aircraft fuselage during an inspection ahead of the next flight. mid-day spoke to several A320 and A321 senior pilots to understand whether the tailstrike would have gone unnoticed by the pilots flying. One of the senior A321 pilots who is working in the aviation industry as a pilot trainer explained, “There is no instrument in the cockpit of an Airbus A320 or A321 to indicate that a tailstrike has occurred.” He added, “Sometimes a minor scrape can go unnoticed, especially in the longer A321s where there is an increased distance between the pilots in the cockpit and the rear section of the aircraft,.” However, he pointed out, “The cabin crew in the aft or rear section of the aircraft should have been able to relay the information to the pilots as they are trained to detect and respond to loud thuds and scraping noise.” When asked, a senior DGCA official told mid-day, “The cabin crew of the flight is also under investigation to understand whether they felt the tailstrike or any scraping or thud noises were heard.”
20 September,2024 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariA commuter who had suffered a cardiac arrest and fell unconscious at Marine Lines station on August 29 and was saved by a Western Railway (WR) staffer using an automated external defibrillator remained in a coma for several days at HN Reliance hospital and was discharged late last week, hospital authorities said. His survival, however, may not have been possible without the efforts of Dr Akshay Mehta, an interventional cardiologist affiliated with the Rotary Club of Bombay Airport, who has worked at leading hospitals like Nanavati and Breach Candy. He has trained railway staffers at 24 stations—10 on the Western line and 14 on the Central line—over the past year. “We are very happy he has been discharged,” said station superintendent Pradip Biswas, who performed CPR and used the defibrillator on the passenger who had collapsed on the platform. “Railway staffers are trained in CPR and many health camps are held for it. But this was the first time we were trained in using defibrillators,” Biswas added. Dr Mehta said that defibrillators are rarely found in public spaces like railway stations in India, unlike in other countries. “In September last year, I decided to change that, with help from donors through the Rotary Club,” he said. CPR alone, he said, has only a five to ten per cent success rate. “With defibrillators, the chances rise to 60 to 70 per cent. The sooner it is done, the better the chances of saving a life.” Using portable defibrillators, resuscitation efforts can be sustained for up to an hour. The process involves alternating between two minutes of CPR with a brief few second shocks from the defibrillator. “There are cases where a person is revived after 45 minutes. In this case, the passenger was revived in about 10 minutes,” Dr. Mehta said. Dr Mehta plans to extend his training to another 20 stations or possibly more over the next year. He said that he plans to cover the entire city and its suburbs. “This was the first time a layperson from the Railways has been able to save someone using a defibrillator. Previously, as far as I know, the standard response was to rush the person to a hospital, but by then, it was often too late, and the individual was declared dead. Everyone should receive basic CPR training and people should not be afraid to use it,” he added.
20 September,2024 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Eshan KalyanikarNavi Mumbai residents are now hopeful that the government may finally direct CIDCO to stop levying transfer premium charges from buyers of resale property. CIDCO has been levying a mandatory transfer premium as per the slab rate ranging anything between Rs 25,000 to Rs 10 lakh excluding GST depending on the size of the property. The charges are for issuing CIDCO NOC, without which banks would not release mortgage loans and society would not transfer flat, nor allot membership to the property buyer. Housing Society Federation members meet with housing society office-bearers Various citizen associations have started a people's movement in Navi Mumbai to put pressure on CIDCO to end this additional financial burden on resale property buyers. Transfer premium Bhaskar Mhatre “The transfer premium levied by CIDCO has skyrocketed ever since it was introduced in the nineties. The transfer premium for the financial year April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 ranged from approximately over Rs 25,000 (last year it was R23,000) plus 18 per cent GST for a 215 sq ft carpet area flat to Rs 10 lakh (last year it was Rs 8.35 lakh) plus 18 per cent GST for a flat or commercial space above 2,150 sq ft carpet area for properties notified between Airoli and Ulwe. Whereas for properties in notified areas of Dronagiri and Pushpak Nagar in Panvel the transfer premium varies from R24,465 for a flat (215 sq feet carpet area) to Rs 15.27 lakh for shops and godowns,” said Bhaskar Mhatre, secretary, Navi Mumbai Housing Federation. Privity of contract Mhatre said, “The contractual obligation of the society along with CIDCO is forced on the members of the housing society who have no privity of contract with CIDCO. We can understand that if there is a transfer of land by the society then certainly the society has to take permission and pay transfer charges to CIDCO. In case of resale of properties (flats / shops etc) there is only a transfer of membership that is transfer of shares which is regulated by the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act. Thus CIDCO by way of transfer premium is controlling the transfer of shares in housing societies.” Associations join hands The four associations, the Navi Mumbai Housing Federation, Sahakar Bharati, Navi Mumbai Vyapari Mahasangh and Navi Mumbai Citizen Foundation have joined hands and have become vocal on this issue. They have appealed to the town planning authority (CIDCO) to stop levying transfer premium with immediate effect. “Recently members from these associations have started visiting residential buildings, educating them of their rights and also seeking their consent to support the cause. Out of 10,000 buildings 500 societies from Airoli to Panvel-Ulwe have been covered in our outreach programme and more societies will be invited to take part in the initiative. A meeting was also held last week with Vijay Kumar Singhla, CIDCO managing director and vice-chairman, who has been apprised about our concern. He has assured us to go through our contentions and would do the needful,” said Mhatre. Political support Vijay Nahata, former IAS officer and deputy leader of Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena Party The associations have already met the local political leaders from different political parties and they have all consented to support the cause of common man. Vijay Nahata, former IAS officer and deputy leader of Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena Party said, “Levy of transfer premium by CIDCO burdens the common man. I had recently appraised the CIDCO managing director too on the issue, and prima-facie, he is convinced with our contention and soon a proposal to the said effect may be sent to the state government, for seeking consent to put an end to the age-old practice of dual transfer premium.” What residents say Mangal Kamble, founder President of Swach Kharghar Foundation “What services does the CIDCO offer to the citizens post formation of municipal corporations (NMMC and Panvel)? Where does CIDCO utilise the amounts collected under the ambit of transfer premium charges? Until 1992, CIDCO had all the right to ask for transfer charges since it was the Town Planning Authority looking after the infrastructure of the satellite township. Now, for Kharghar and areas beyond, Panvel Municipal Corporation charges property tax from the citizens and CIDCO collects transfer charges. Isn’t the citizens forced to pay dual tax in fact they were charged service tax too. The state government should seriously intervene and put an end to CIDCO’s dual transfer charges being levied and should let the municipal corporations (NMMC and Panvel) to develop the areas under its jurisdiction, keeping in mind the concept of ‘One Municipal corporation one owner,’ said Mangal Kamble, founder President of Swach Kharghar Foundation. “At a time residents of Kharghar and others in Navi Mumbai were already saddled with the burden of dual taxation, retrospective taxes, etc., imposed on them by municipal authorities, the unprecedented extra premium to be paid on account of transfer charges mounts additional financial stress on residents. No other city development or municipal authority has used such strong-arm tactics to generate revenue,” said Binu Thankappan, resident of R S Residency CHS Ltd, Sector 34-B, Kharghar. Apex court view Advocate Shreeprasad Parab According to advocate Shreeprasad Parab, expert director, State Housing Federation, “The Hon’ble Supreme Court has held that an agreement to transfer shares of co-operative housing society or a limited company cannot amount to an agreement to sell an immovable property. Although the flat purchaser has a right to occupy the flat as a member of the society, the transfer of shares by itself does not amount to transfer of the immoveable property. The right to occupy is the legal effect of the consequence of the person purchasing the shares and occupying the flat in a co-operative society.” Writ petition filed The Navi Mumbai District Housing Federation has already filed a writ petition against the transfer premium levied by CIDCO from the members of the housing societies who desire to sell the flat. Similarly, there is a pressure from the elected representatives (MLAs and political leaders) from Navi Mumbai on the state leaders to convert the land from leasehold to freehold thus restricting CIDCO from levying transfer premium to the members of the housing society,” said Parab. Other side A CIDCO official, requesting anonymity said, “CIDCO through amendment mandated the transfer premium for transfer of membership in housing societies. A writ is already pending before the Bombay High Court.” Attempts made to contact Vijay Kumar Singhla, MD of CIDCO did not yield any result.
20 September,2024 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar MenonADVERTISEMENT
