Articles by News Desk

IMD issues orange alert over heat wave in Mumbai The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert in many parts of Maharashtra including Chandrapur, Akola, Wardha, Yavatmal etc. Mumbai too has recorded above average temperatures. On April 28th, Mumbai’s maximum temperature was 4 degrees above normal, at 37 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature was 25 degrees, which is considered normal. IMD’s regional forecast suggests that sunny weather conditions will remain in coastal Maharashtra and Marathwada till May 2nd. Source: The Indian Express Read more: Rising temperatures in Mumbai call for mitigation measures, but where are they? Another…

Rivers, the lifeline of our economy, are drying up and/or becoming too polluted. Drought and floods are becoming frequent and more intense. Addressing these challenges involves making sound data-driven and evidence based decisions in the context of the river basin. In a mature democracy, data and evidence should be in the public domain, so citizens, including policy makers, can form informed opinions and take informed actions. Once, it was the Arkavathi river that sustained Bengaluru. Running dry and polluted for almost half a century now, Arkavathi river is today biologically dead, a ghost river. It stands as living proof of…

Wearing mask made mandatory in public places The Tamil Nadu Government has reinstated the rule that masks should be worn in Chennai and across the state while out in public . According to Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, the imposition of a Rs. 500 fine will be imposed for non compliance with the rule. The official told reporters that while fining was relaxed, at no point was there an exemption from wearing masks.  The official also mentioned that there was an overall drop in thermal screening, use of hand sanitisers and masking at public places. According to him, testing would be…

Byculla station goes through a restoration The 125-year-old Byculla station was restored and its completion will be inaugurated on April 29th. It is one of five heritage stations in Mumbai. "This project had been initiated by 'I Love Mumbai Foundation' in memory of BJP leader Shaina NC's father, the former Mumbai Sheriff late Padmashree Nana Chudasama with the support of Bajaj Trust Groups, and Abha Narian Lambah Associates as their CSR initiative with the guidance and co-operation from Central Railway," a spokesperson said. The restoration project aimed to restore the station to its original architecture within 8 months, but because of the…

Action after garbage trucks cause fatal accidents After three fatal accidents caused by BBMP garbage trucks, the city traffic police conducted a special drive and booked 307 trucks for violations such as signal jumps and defective number plates. BBMP has made fitness certificates mandatory for the trucks, and marshals have been deployed to inspect the vehicles at mustering points every day. BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said the new garbage contracts would include a clause mandating the use of new vehicles. BBMP also decided to install speed governors in 600 compactors to restrict their speed to 35 kmph. BBMP, along with…

With the swearing-in of the councillors, Chennai has an elected local body for the first time since 2016. The councillors who have taken office are a mix of experienced old-timers and those who have been elected for the first time. Half of the council is represented by women.  While these are promising developments, Chennaiites must be able to engage with their elected representatives and officials from the civic body to ensure effective administration. The push for ward committees and area sabhas is one way there can be an element of participatory planning in local governance.  Read more: Chennai in 2022:…

Low demand for booster dose Only 8,041 people in the 18-59 year age group had taken the COVID booster dose in Karnataka as of April 14, five days after private hospitals were allowed to administer it. Of them, 86.97% (6,994 people) are from BBMP limits. Bengaluru has the highest number of private hospitals and private vaccination centres in the State. Given the low demand, the offer by vaccine manufacturers to compensate the slashed vaccine prices with additional doses has not gone down well with private hospitals. Many want a refund from the manufacturers instead. Dr H M Prasanna, president of…

Slight spike in COVID-19 cases On April 12th, Mumbai reported 52 new COVID-19 cases, a 50% spike in the recorded cases in a day. On April 11th, 26 cases were reported. A general trend still suggests a decline in daily cases. On April 12th, there were 309 active cases in the city with the recovery rate at 98%. The positivity rate was at 0.005%, with a doubling rate of cases is 16,537 days. Since the emergence of the new XE variant some concern has risen but there is no evidence right now to prove that it is significantly different from…

Peripheral areas to get piped water supply According to the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), residents of OMR, ECR, Madhavaram, Thiruvottiyur and Manali will get piped water supply and an underground sewage system soon. The Metro Water board plans to call tenders for around Rs. 2900 crore for water supply and underground sewage systems in areas in Neelankarai and Semmencherry. According to a resident in Neelankarai, lack of effective septic tanks in the area have led to leakages, causing mosquito menace. In addition, the area is plagued by illegal brokers and bore wells. These areas actually came…

Mumbai reports first case of new COVID-19 variant  On April 6th, Mumbai reported the country's first case of the XE variant of COVID-19, a more transmissible sub-variant of Omicron. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed that a 50-year-old woman who travelled from South Africa in February was found asymptomatic with the variant. On her arrival on February 10th, the woman was found negative, but on March 2nd during a routine check-up at a suburban diagnostic centre, she was tested positive for COVID-19. The XE mutant is reportedly ten times more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, which so far was considered…