Kala Ghoda Arts Festival returns
The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) returns on February 3rd, when the streets of Kala Ghoda will be turned into workshop spaces, theatres, and dance stages. Restaurants in the area will also be showcasing curated menus for the occasion.
The popular nine-day festival, founded in 1999, draws visitors from Mumbai and around the world. It showcases multicultural arts, crafts, urban design and architecture events and is considered as one of India’s largest street art festivals. Kala Ghoda, in south of Mumbai, is known for its heritage buildings and cultural spaces such as museums, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and educational institutions.
Source: Outlook India
Mumbai sees a drop in road accidents
Mumbai saw a 30% decline in fatalities due to road accidents in 2022 as compared to the previous year, according to the data released by the city’s traffic police. In 2022, the number of fatalities stood at 268 and in 2021 a total of 376 died in road accidents.
Even though the total fatalities due to accidents dropped, data shows that people in Mumbai have not been adhering to traffic rules. Last year, the traffic police recovered Rs 398.11 crore in fines; this was an increase when compared to ₹222.67 crore in 2021.
Source: Hindustan Times
Thousands left TB treatment against medical advice between 2013 and 2021
Alarming data released by Sewri’s Tuberculosis (TB) Hospital, which states that 6,000 TB patients quit treatment mid-way in the past nine years. According to the data, a total of 5,704 TB patients were discharged against medical advice from the hospital between 2013 and 2021.
Read more: How community health workers conduct annual TB, leprosy survey
The number of TB patients who left the hospital against medical advice stood at 640, 729, 736, 656, and 511 in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. However, the figure rose to a high of 853 in 2018 and dropped to 570 in 2019. This number decreased to 471 at the start of the pandemic in 2020 but slightly increased to 538 in 2021.
If TB patients do not stick to the treatment plan, they not only become susceptible to drug-resistant TB but also increase the risk of spreading the infection to those around them.
Source: The Indian Express
Install air purifiers in Mumbai: CM Shinde tells BMC
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to install air purifiers in the city. The move comes as the city has been recording poor air quality for the past several weeks.
Read more: Mumbai’s AQI worsens every winter, who is responsible?
According to the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), on 3rd February, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 273, which falls in the ‘poor’ category. Shinde has also suggested that in the upcoming civic budget, BMC lay more emphasis on pollution control measures, strengthening of the health system and beautification works.
Source: The Times of India
India’s first AC double decker electric buses to hit the roads of Mumbai mid-Feb
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) will be rolling out India’s first AC double decker electric buses by mid-February, more than five months after union minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the service.
The contractor Switch Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, is to deliver 50 buses in the first phase and 10 of them are expected to arrive soon. Each vehicle costs Rs 2 crore and it can carry around 90 passengers. BEST plans to introduce a total of 200 such buses, named EiV22.
Source: Hindustan Times
Compiled by Eshan Kalyanikar
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