City: Mumbai

Be it Fashion Street, Linking Road, Colaba Causeway or the buzzing Khau Gallis offering a variety of delicacies in various localities, Mumbai is known by its lively street markets run by hawkers. They have a distinct character that attracts shoppers from Mumbai and outside, and have even become a tourist attraction.  The book shops on pavements around Flora Fountain, which were an enduring source of knowledge, now invoke nostalgic memories for generations of book lovers. Similarly, Chor Bazaar is a source of art installations and furniture for art connoisseurs and collectors. Several useful services from typists to affidavit papers to…

Prepare to sweat. Temperatures in Mumbai are expected to see a steady incline, by two to three degrees Celcius, in the coming days. “There is a slight probability that the maximum temperature over Mumbai will be above normal,” says Sushma Nair, a scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). “But it will most likely oscillate around normal.” Although the temperature is unlikely to break 40 degrees Celcius in April, the increasing humidity will add to summer's discomfort. “The past few days had temperatures between normal to slightly below normal, because the winds were mainly westerly to northwesterly,” says Sushma. Humidity…

Max fatalities in fire accidents due to electrocution, common cause of fire in Mumbai are human errors Data shared by Prabhat Rahangdale, former chief fire officer in Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) and deputy municipal commissioner, disaster management, revealed that nearly 73% of human fatalities during fire incidents were caused due to electrocution after electrical circuit failures. Read more: Appapada fire: Did authorities do enough to support affected families? The data states MFB receives between 6000 and 7000 emergency calls in a year, of which nearly 90% were calls made for fire related complaints. Furthermore, Rahangdale also told The Indian Express…

On the night following the March 13th fire that gutted more than 1,000 houses in the Appapada informal settlement in Malad East, a mini tempo arrived with a few items of clothing for the families. Fights broke out whenever a person tried to take as many clothes as possible, only to have them snatched away by another person in need. Weeks later, the situation has not changed much. The residents are trying to rebuild their homes with the little aid that is coming to their rescue. Sheela Ruke, a contractual sanitation worker with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has been…

In a city that suffers a relentless monsoon with lightless damp days followed by a fleeting winter which is now marked by grey smog, spring is precious. And spring too is fleeting.  Avenue trees all across the city begin to jewel themselves in a new flush of leaves; coppers, maroons and fluorescent greens. And soon after, the flowers follow;  yellows, reds and purples. With bees buzzing on the crowns of flowering trees and birdsong cutting through the ever present traffic soundscape of the city. Spring in Mumbai is an act of resistance. Overworked, under-rested and always in a hurry, the…

BMC starts preparations for rise in COVID numbers BMC plans to make 4,000 beds for COVID patients available gradually and has requested all hospitals under its jurisdiction to make preparations accordingly. Additionally, it has also asked private hospitals to do the same if the number of cases rises. As of March 31st, there are 663 active patients in the city and 52 are admitted to hospitals. BMC officials told the press that the situation is being monitored closely even as patient admission is low. The civic body also plans to reactivate its "war room", a dedicated department set up when…

The Bombay High Court (HC) recently came down heavily against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demanding that BMC ensure that Mumbai’s footpaths be made walkable for pedestrians especially for handicapped and senior citizens. The HC suo moto asked BMC to clarify its policy on permitting various facilities on footpaths that hampered smooth movement of pedestrians. It took into consideration that walking on Mumbai footpaths has become dangerous as they are uneven, broken, disjointed or encroached and hence, unavailable to walk. Are footpaths in Mumbai dangerous? About 51% of all trips made by Mumbaikars are on foot. Even those who travel…

The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) recently decided upon two projects that raise questions about its intentions. It rejected the proposal to build a school by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) citing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules but approved the proposal for a Golf Course by Mistry Construction Co Pvt Ltd within a day of receiving it. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, regulates all developmental activities in Coastal Regulation Zones. It does so for “protecting and improving the quality of the coastal environment and preventing, abating and controlling environmental pollution in the Coastal Regulation Zone areas in the…

Mumbai and beyond catch the flu The recent spike in influence cases has taken the instances of H1N1 (swine flu) and H3N2 in the state to 425 and 264 respectively this year. Suspected cases in Maharashtra are over 3 lakh. Three deaths have been reported due to the former infection, and one is suspected of the latter. Doctors suspect the spread may be the see-sawing temperatures, going from hot in February to a cool spell in March. Precautionary measures are recommended, like wearing a mask, taking the influenza vaccine, and if elderly or with comorbidities, checking in regularly with physicians.…

With 45 lakh vehicles in Mumbai including 14 lakh cars till January-2023, the city has a vehicular density of 2250 vehicles per km, the highest in the country, says the Maharashtra's Economic Survey report. Not surprisingly, the city is teeming with parked vehicles on its streets, footpaths, building compounds, bylanes, even its parking lots and is struggling to make space for the ever-increasing number of private vehicles that are making their way in the city.  Current status of parking spaces in the city Currently, Mumbai has provision for parking 27,295 vehicles in its 31 functional parking lots.  Apart from this,…