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 COVID-19 pandemic, it has taken a total of 3 years to complete.
Source: Mid-day
Mumbaikars continue to suffer from heat
A slight dip in temperatures was recorded on April 22nd as the maximum temperature was 37.7 degrees Celsius, a degree below the previous day when it was 38.9 degrees Celsius. However, residents have claimed that the fluctuation has made no difference to the discomfort, despite a slight drizzle on the morning of April 21st.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted the maximum temperature at 37 degrees for a few more days, with dry weather conditions. For a coastal city like Mumbai, a daily temperature touching 37 degrees Celsius is considered a heatwave.
In 2021, the maximum recorded temperature in the city was 38.8 degrees Celsius. The highest recorded temperature in the city, ever, was 42.2 degrees Celsius on April 14, 1952.
Source: The Times of India
Read more: Rising temperatures in Mumbai call for mitigation measures, but where are they?
BMC admits over 11,500 students to public schools
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mission Admission has admitted over 11,500 students to 1,150 Mumbai Public Schools (MPS) in just five days since it launched.
The project was launched in 2022 to increase enrollment as the city resumes normal schedules in the upcoming academic year starting June. The focus of the mission is students who dropped out of school during the COVID-19 pandemic. The larger aim is to admit a lakh of students to the MPS along with the existing students’ enrollment.
Since the launch of the project on April 18th, a total of 11,549 students were admitted to the schools. The BMC is creating awareness through social media videos, photos and other content, as well as training teachers to dedicate two hours a day to looking for eligible children from nearby areas who are currently not in school.
Source: Indian Express
Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway to be partially opened on May 2nd
The first phase of the 700 km-long Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway will be inaugurated by Mumbai Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on May 2nd, according to Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) officials.
In the first phase, a 210 km-stretch between Nagpur and Shelu Bazar in Washim district will be opened. The rest of the Expressway will be opened later, in phases. The entire stretch may take up to 2023 to be opened.
According to a study, around 1,50,000 vehicles are expected to ply between Nashik and Mumbai. The speed limit has been set at 120-kmph on the Expressway.
The stretch between Mumbai and Nagpur will have 26 toll booths, where light motor vehicles like cars and jeeps will be tolled Rs 1, 212 one way. The toll will depend on the km one wants to travel.
Source: Hindustan Times
For the first time since January, Mumbai’s case positivity exceeds 1%
On April 20th, Mumbai’s daily test positivity rate (TPR) crossed 1% for the first time since January 2022. 98 fresh COVID-19 cases took the city’s tally to 10,58,060. The TPR currently stands at 1.03% of the 9,514 tests conducted so far.
“There is a minor spike in the daily cases and this is happening due to community transmission which is the result of people not following COVID appropriate behaviour in the city,” said Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state COVID task force.
According to the BMC, the rise in cases is expected considering the state lifted all restrictions, including mask-wearing, on April 2nd. The civic body added that there is no cause for alarm since hospitalisation is below 1% and the mortality rate is equally low. Citizens are being urged to follow COVID appropriate behaviour regardless of the ease in restrictions.
Source: Hindustan Times, The Times of India
[Compiled by Saachi D’Souza]