City: Mumbai

Mumbai, India's financial capital, is admired for its fast-paced life and diverse culture, attracting many people from all over the country. However, the daily life of an average Mumbaikar revolves around managing work along with the stress of crowded trains and traffic-filled roads. Mumbai, with over 22 million people, is getting extensive 14-line, 360-kilometer network. It is expected to increase the use of public transport, reversing a three-decade decline. The Aqua Line alone is predicted to attract 85% of commuters from using roads. It aims to ease traffic and crowded trains, with authorities promising safety, comfort, and better connections across…

Mumbai is facing a significant challenge with garbage dumping and burning, adversely affecting the city's air quality this year. To address the escalating air pollution, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently imposed a ban on open-air garbage burning citywide. This action came on the backdrop of the air quality index (AQI) frequently deteriorating to the 'poor' category. Under the Guidelines for Air Pollution Mitigation, endorsed by Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, the BMC emphasised a complete prohibition on open burning within its geographical jurisdiction, especially at garbage dumping grounds and potential sites for trash incineration. Garbage disposal Disposal is a…

Approximately six months into the ongoing academic year, several autonomous colleges in Mumbai have already initiated the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, introducing a four-year undergraduate degree course. Meanwhile, non-autonomous colleges affiliated with Mumbai University (MU) awaited guidance and directives from the university. Following the academic council's (AC) endorsement of course structures, credit systems, and syllabi for new degree programs, MU recently announced its plan to implement the NEP across all its non-autonomous affiliated colleges starting from the academic year 2024-25. Aligned with NEP's goal of offering a diverse and adaptable education, the university has organised academic programs into six…

Winter is here, lowest temperature of the season It's time to pull out the scarves and (very light!) sweaters again. Marking the onset of winter, the temperature dipped below 20 degrees Celsius for the first time this season in Mumbai. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Santacruz observatory recorded a minimum of 19.7 degrees Celsius this week on 29 November. While the Santacruz station noted this temperature drop, the Colaba coastal observatory marked a minimum of 21 degrees, indicating a two-degree dip from the normal range. As the city encounters this decrease in temperatures, meteorologists affirm that the winter season…

Starting November, the first batch of shops from Chor Bazaar, Mumbai's popular and unique market for antiques, artifacts and cheap vintage knick knacks, have started moving into their allotted spaces in the new Al-Ezz towers in Bhendi Bazaar. A cloud of questions about if and how the new market will manage to retain its distinct identity in the new skyscrapers surrounds the shopkeepers, who have been there for generations.  About 122 shops from a part of Chor Bazaar will be shifted into the shopping arena of four 50-plus storied towers in the next few years, as part of the Bhendi…

The 148-year-old Sassoon docks, located at Mumbai's southernmost tip is set for a complete revamp to get rid of the foul smell emanating from the docks.  The docks were developed as a sea port over a century ago by Albert Abdul Sassoon, then a prominent textile trader. Today, it is Mumbai's oldest and biggest wholesale fishing harbour with an estimated daily fish catch of 150 tonnes brought in by around 600 registered boats.  The Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA), is the governing body of the 60,000 sq meters-huge dock (3.7 hectares of old dock and 3.8 hectares of new dock). It…

Rainfall yellow-alert over weekend The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, from November 25 to 27, issuing a yellow alert for large coastal areas. The IMD predicts thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (30 to 40 kmph) in some regions during this period. This forecast is attributed to the formation of a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal, causing unseasonal rainfall. The IMD expects this development to potentially alleviate air pollution in the city. Source: Hindustan Times  BMC introduces 'zero prescription policy' for direct hospital medicine access The BMC has introduced a 'zero prescription…

The Kolis are indigenous to Mumbai, have a deep-rooted connection to the city's coastal areas, living in settlements known as Koliwadas along the coastline. They have a rich cultural heritage and have been traditionally reliant on fishing as their primary occupation for generations. The Koliwadas, once thriving fishing villages, have been facing the looming threat of redevelopment due to various amendments to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) laws and urban development plans. This threat has put their traditional lifestyle and livelihoods at risk, leading to concerns about preserving their heritage and way of life amid modernisation and urban expansion. In the…

Nilesh Jadhav, a 28-year-old resident of Dharavi in Mumbai, viral fever and cold in the last week of October. Though he recovered from the initial infection within two days, he had persistent dry cough from the third day post-recovery.  Nilesh says, "While the cough was initially tolerable, it gradually worsened, sometimes causing chest pain due to prolonged bouts of coughing." Nilesh tried various remedies, including allopathy and Ayurveda, but none completely relieved his cough. It took nearly 15 days for Nilesh to overcome this lingering cough and regain complete respiratory comfort. Malan Adsul, a 43-year-old resident of Navi Mumbai, had…

It has become a norm now. We go all out for festivals. We need to fulfil our desires to celebrate and conform to practices laid down by ancestors or traditions that simply happened over time. And then, in hindsight, we take stock of everything - the money we spent, the bills we ran, junk we ate and the waste and pollution that we contributed to. We promise ourselves every year to do better next time. Until the cycle repeats over and over. This Diwali was no different. Not to mention the World Cup fever that only added to the feelings…