QMumbai: City Air 6x More Polluted; National Park In Trouble
If officials have their way, Mumbai may soon lose Sanjay Gandhi National Park thanks to seven or eight projects.
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1. City 6x More Polluted Than Norms
Data on air quality over the past two years has revealed that the pollution levels in the city are six times over the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards and at least twice more polluted than the Indian National Ambient Air Quality standards.
The air quality across Mumbai for 2016 and 2017 was seen at an annual average of 132 μg/m3 and 130μg/ m3 respectively for Particulate Matter 10 (PM10). The WHO annual standard is 20 μg/m3 and the Indian National Ambient Air Quality standard is 60 μg/m3. PM10 describes inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. Mumbai May Soon Lose Sanjay Gandhi National Park
If officials have their way, Mumbai may soon lose its lungs, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Some seven or eight projects that are likely to come up in the next few years, will crisscross, apportion and pretty much kill (conservations say) the 82.25-sq-km protected forest area that lies within the city limits. There are plans to build two tunnels under the park and a ropeway through the park - with the explicitly stated aim of diverting traffic right through the core area of the park - plus a multi-modal corridor. The rationale for all this is development, and purported attempts to reduce traffic on the roads circumventing the national park.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. Longer Halts Given To AC Locals Delay Regular Fast Train, Say Commuters
While the Churchgate-Virar AC local is undoubtedly a big step forward in terms of comfort, commuters are blaming the Western Railway (WR) for not sorting out the scheduling problems it has brought along. Daily commuters on the Western line, who travel by regular fast trains, say their trains are delayed, primarily because the AC local is given a longer halt at stations. On an average, the AC local halts at stations for more than a minute as it will not start till all its doors are shut. The commuters have claimed such is the cascading effect that trains following it are late by up to 15 minutes.
The WR officials have said the commuters are misinformed, as the AC local does not, in any way whatsoever, affect the punctuality, even as commuters said they have timed the entire schedule to prove longer halts for AC locals were indeed delaying their trains.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4. Popular Café Stops Serving Meat And Eggs
Just weeks after it withdrew separate plates for non-vegetarians from its dining halls, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) has waded into another veg vs non-veg controversy.
Civil, one of the institute’s most popular cafés, has ceased serving non-vegetarian food, including eggs, after objections were raised by a section of students and faculty.
In a circular dated January 20, a copy of which is with Mumbai Mirror, the departmental committee looking after the café cited objections raised by “some people” as the reason for the meat/egg ban.
Nearly every department in the sprawling IIT-B campus has its own café. Civil, as the name suggests, is attached to the Civil Engineering Department.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
5. Through Twitter, Woman Seeks Mumbai Police's Help Against 'Torture' By Husband
A woman today through a video on Twitter sought police help against "torture" by her husband, an automobile businessman.
Police said they were looking into the matter and would take necessary action after investigations.
In the video posted on Twitter by filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, the woman, a Khar resident, is seen weeping for "help and justice".
Source: Mumbai Mirror
6. BJP Trying To Upstage Us In Our House: Uddhav
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said yesterday the BJP was trying to “upstage” his party on its turf, thereby “violating an understanding” that underpinned the saffron alliance for over two decades. He reiterated his party will fight all elections alone.
Addressing a farmers’ rally at Paithan in Aurangabad district, Uddhav said, “The understanding in the alliance for the last 25 years was that the BJP will lead the country and we will deal with Maharashtra. Also, we didn’t want a division of Hindu votes. We always helped them. Now they are trying to upstage us in our own house. What should we do?”
Source: Mumbai Mirror
7. Posters Of Metro Chief Crop Up In Vile Parle (East)
While it isn’t unusual for pictures of political leaders and celebrities to be featured in hoardings that spring up on corners and roundabouts, residents of Vile Parle (East) were surprised to see posters of a senior IAS officer in their area on Sunday.
The posters, which read ‘Maajhi Mumbai, Maazha Metro’, invited residents to a public interaction on February 18 with Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) chief Ashwini Bhide on the Metro-III work which has come under sharp criticism for massive destruction of the city’s green cover.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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