1. First AC Local Debuts With Revised Schedule Today
The Western Railway (WR) on Sunday changed the schedule of its air-conditioned local train, which debuts on Monday. According to WR officials, the change in schedule was made as they did not want to take the risk of starting the new service during rush hour. After testing the Borivali- Churchgate service for about a week, the WR will run the AC service in peak hours as well.
Now, the first AC local service will be flagged off from Borivali for Churchgate at 10.30 am.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. Fisher Folk Criticise Changes to CRZ Norms
After environmentalists, the state’s fishing community too has voiced concern over the state government’s plan to reduce the mandatory no-development zone in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The community protested at Cuffe Parade on Saturday with black flags and called for plan’s scrapping.
“Our beaches – from Dahanu to Vengurle – and the livelihoods of all those engaged in fishing-related activities were safe so far because of the Act. If the government is successful in implementing the changes, we will challenge it before the National Green Tribunal,” Damodar Tandel, President of the Akhil Maharashtra Machhimaar Kruti Samiti told Mumbai Mirror.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. Govt’s Lofty Plans For International Finance Centre Cut To Size
The state’s last-ditch attempt to secure a favourable opinion for developing a towering international financial services centre at Bandra Kurla Complex has failed and it will now have to comply with height restrictions that cover all construction there.
BKC falls in the Mumbai airport’s funnel zone, the area around an airport where high-rises cannot be built as they can pose safety risks to approaching aircraft.
MMRDA, the planning authority for the business district, had sought the opinion of the International Civil Aviation Organization if the building height limits could be relaxed there. But the global body, which sets safe aviation standards, said structures taller than 80 metres cannot be allowed in the area.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
4. Ensure Max Downloads For Swachhata App: BMC
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In a bid to improve its Swachh Bharat ranking, the BMC has instructed its staff to help popularise the Swachhata-MoHUA app and ensure that more citizens download it.
The BMC had ranked 10 in the 2016 Swachh Survekshan, but slipped to 29th rank this year. One of the reasons cited was a paucity of citizen feedback. The BMC has now asked all its senior officials to get more people to download the app and lodge complaints – something that officials are dreading. Once a citizens complaint is lodged on the app, officials are bound to solve it within 24 hours.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
5. Fearing Social Boycott, Bohras Cancel Weddings At Many ‘Outside’ Venues
Ever since the Anjuman-e-Shiate Ali, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin’s council, issued a wedding diktat in the first week of December that weddings in the Dawoodi Bohra community could now only be held at venues shortlisted by it, many wedding venues have received cancellation requests. Among these are at least four venues in Byculla and one in Marine Lines, which were hitherto sought-after by the community.
Fearing social boycott, the families of Dawoodi Bohra brides and grooms have opted to follow the recently issued diktat, even if it means taking a financial hit, rather than risking the community’s wrath. The families cancelling weddings at these venues will have to forfeit their deposits, which can go up to Rs 2 lakh per wedding.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
6. 20-Year-Old Woman Abducted, Gang-Raped By Four Men
A 20-year-old woman was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted by four men here, police said today. The four took the woman to a sugarcane field and then raped her, according to Iftekar Ahmed, the in-charge of Roja Police Station.
The girl subsequently lodged a complaint against Shahrukh, Naseemuddin, Arun and an unknown person. Based on the complaint, a case of gang-rape has been lodged against the four persons yesterday, Ahmed said today.
Source: Mid-day
7. Activist Hit By Auto Rickshaw Two Days Before Court Date
Just two days before he was set to appear in the Bombay High Court for a writ petition against a local corporator, anti-encroachment activist Imran Shaikh, 32, was hit by an unidentified autorickshaw. He alleges this was a deliberate act and not an accident.
The incident occurred on December 16, when Shaikh was driving back home in Malad West. "An auto came from behind and began giving sharp cuts in such a manner that the handle of my scooter got stuck in its metre," he said.
Source: Mid-day
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