#WatercutinMumbai leaves slum dwellers in despair

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November 22, 2018

It is a dream for Mumbaikars especially those living in MHADAs, SRAs, and slums, to get a water supply 24×7 in their residential area. After BMC’s decision of 10 per cent cut in water supply, this dream seems to be getting a little more distant with monsoon just ending in the last month. However, considering the amount of rainfall the city had observed, a step to conserve water is essential. Though, it raises a question that how is it justified on the part of the government or BMC to implement water cut neglecting the problems of citizens? This becomes an alarming issue for the slum dwellers, who will face severe water shortage with the decreasing tenure of water supply.

The city would witness a 10 per cent cut in water quantum supplied and a 15 per cent cut in water supply timings. The civic administration had tabled the information about the same before the civic standing committee to bring the water supply cut into effect from November 15. The decision has been taken keeping in view of the less amount of rainfall received this season. Besides Mumbai, the water cut will also be effective in Bhiwandi, Thane, and Kalyan, a statement from BMC read. Nonetheless, the oppositions had walkout from the standing committee meeting alleging that civic administration was misleading the city about the water crisis.

Congress MLA Bhai Jagtap commented, “According to me, it is not justified for the simple reason that the rainfall, particularly in all these lakeside areas was satisfactory. It is understood to cut the water supply in April or May when the water level goes down, we are yet in November.”

“See, there’s a desparity already and it will aggravate further problems. Particularly people living in areas like the slums are the main sufferers all the time of what I have seen. I have been observing this for the last so many years. Rather, what I will suggest the Municipal Corporation is that per head water supply must be maintained strictly irrespective of whether the person leaves in a high-rise or in chawls,” he further added.

Earlier, in July, just a month after the monsoon had begun, the BMC had declared that the city had already received more than 50 per cent of the season’s rainfall quota. If the data is to be believed, the corporation must have an adequate amount of water accumulated for supply until the next season. Later on, with a further in-depth analysis, it was revealed in September that this year, the city has witnessed the lowest amount of rainfall in the last 27 years and also, the city had received only 20 per cent of the required rainfall. The data disclosed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Santacruz, however, tells a completely different story.

If the Maharashtra government-led by CM Devendra Fadnavis claims the flagship on its water conservation programme, although, looking at the current parched-like situation in the state, the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan fails to solve the water crisis in the state.

BJP spokesperson Avadhut Wagh stated, “Basically, the total rainfall in the city this year was much less than the average rainfall and the total water availability for Mumbaikars is less than what we get generally. So, to take care of the total season up to June 2019, we have to start saving water which is a decision of hydraulic engineering department of the Municipal Corporation to cut the water supply by 10 per cent for a good amount of water supply in the months of May and June.”

He continued saying, “Recently, a dam has been dedicated to Mumbaikars named as Balasaheb Thackeray Madhya Vaitarna Dam and another one is also coming up. Rainwater Harvesting is also to be considered and Mumbai Mahanagarpalika is doing their level best. The municipality is trying to convert the sewage water into industrial usable water. Six sewage operation projects are going on at Versova, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Bandra, etc. worth around Rs 15,000 crore.”

As far as the population of Mumbai is concerned, it has increased to more than double in the 27 years. Given the tremendous human burden on the finite resources of a metropolis, with every bout of water shortage due to impoverished monsoons, there is rampant exploitation of groundwater by tanker owners. With the government looking the other way, some 5000 tankers do a brisk business in the city during summer by drawing from 300 private wells and 50 others belonging to various organisations. If we talk about housing societies, there are a few high-rise buildings or even slums for that matter have started rainwater harvesting. Moreover, housing societies are yet to wake up to the importance of water conservation.

Shreejit Guha & Twinkle Mehta

Trace absconding accused in Dabholkar, Pansare cases: HC

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the CBI and the Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID) to take concrete steps to trace the absconding persons wanted in connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare.

A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Bharati Dangre said since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the CID had dedicated teams to probe the killings of Dabholkar and Pansare respectively, they must make major headway in the cases in a time-bound manner.

The directions came after both the probe agencies submitted their respective progress reports in sealed covers before the bench.

The CBI is handling the Dabholkar case, while the CID is probing Pansare’s killing.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the CBI, told the bench that the agency was waiting for a prior sanction from the state government to prosecute some persons in the case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

He said that waiting for the sanction was one of the reasons for some delay in the CBI probe.

CID counsel Ashok Mundargi told the bench the state agency had secured the custody of Amol Kale, one of the alleged key conspirators in the murders of anti-superstition activist Dabholkar and journalist Gauri Lankesh, on November 15 this year.

Mundargi said Kale is also an accused in the Pansare case and that the CID was still in the process of questioning him.

At this, the bench said while Kale’s custody was one positive step, the authorities must also make more effort towards tracing the other absconding accused persons.

“What are the steps taken to trace other accused persons? You must make more sincere efforts to trace other accused persons. You have dedicated teams to investigate both the cases and therefore, more is expected out of you,” the bench said.

It directed both the CBI and the CID to submit their reports of further progress by December 14.

Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013, in Pune during a morning walk.

Pansare was shot at on February 16, 2015, in his hometown Kolhapur and he succumbed to injuries on February 20.

Nashik civic chief Mundhe transferred, people stage protest

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

IAS officer and Nashik Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has been transferred to the Maharashtra government secretariat in Mumbai, his third posting in just two years.

Mundhe, known for his uprightness and integrity, has been appointed Joint Secretary (Planning) at Mantralaya (secretariat), according to an order issued Thursday by Sitaram Kunte, Principal Secretary (General Administration Department).

Mundhe’s abrupt transfer, announced Wednesday, triggered a protest in Nashik, where a large number of people gathered in front of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) headquarters Thursday demanding cancellation of his transfer order.

The protesters shouted slogans against Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also the Guardian Minister of Nashik district, local BJP MLA Balasaheb Sanap and Mayor Ranjana Bhansi, holding them responsible for Mundhe’s transfer.

In February this year, Mundhe took charge as the Nashik civic commissioner.

The 2005-batch IAS officer is said to have been transferred nearly a dozen times in the last 13 years.

Meanwhile, the protesters, who gathered in front of the NMC office under the banner of ‘Amhi Nashikkar’ (We are Nashikites), hailed Mundhe as an able administrator.

They said soon after taking charge as the NMC chief, the IAS officer had ensured discipline and accountability in the functioning of the civic body.

According to the protesters, Mundhe had launched a drive against encroachments in Nashik and punished erring civic employees, among other things.

Mundhe had started a public contact programme, ‘Walk With Commissioner’ – held every Saturday – where he would interact with the people of Nashik and address their grievances. This had made him popular among local residents.

Osmanabad Collector Radhakrishna Game has been named the new NMC commissioner.

Elgar Parishad: HC extends relief from arrest to 3 activists

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

The Bombay High Court on Thursday extended till December 14, the interim protection from arrest to activists Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde, and Stan Swamy, in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case.

A bench of Justices B P Dharamadhikari and Sarang Kotwal also directed the Pune Police to file an affidavit by December 5 this year on its probe into the case.

The bench’s direction came after the state’s counsel, additional government pleader Aruna Pai opposed a plea filed by Navlakha seeking that the FIR in the case against him be quashed.

Pai told the bench that while the police had “enough material evidence against Navlakha, it could not yet make the same information public”.

She added that at the present stage, Swamy and Teltumbde were mere “suspects” in the case and that the police’s probe against the two, and the other activists were still ongoing.

The bench, however, took a strong exception to Pai’s statement and said that the prosecution was bound to place on record all the relevant information in the case.

“File an affidavit putting on record whatever stage your investigation is right now. Since you are saying you can’t make the details public or known to the other party, place the reasons behind your inability to make it known, also in the affidavit. All that is necessary and relevant to the case must be brought on record,” the bench said.

The bench also directed the three petitioners to file their counter-affidavits within a week from the date that the police files its affidavit.

Navlakha has challenged before the Bombay HC, an FIR registered against him and some other activists on January 1 this year in connection with the Elgar Parishad event held on December 31, 2017.

According to police, the Elgar Parishad event was funded and supported by Maoists.

At the event, held a day before the January 1 clashes at Bhima Koregaon near Pune, the activists allegedly made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements that contributed to the Koregaon Bhima violence, the police said.

Several activists were named in the FIR.

Some of them, including Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, P Varavara Rao, and Gautam Navlakha, were initially put under house arrest on the directions of the Supreme Court.

However, all of them, except Navlakha, were recently re-arrested and taken into custody by the police.

In October this year, another FIR was registered by the Pune Police on the same issue, naming eight more activists, including Teltumbde and Swamy.

Teltumbde and Swamy are yet to be arrested in the case.

Pune-bound GoAir flight diverted to Mumbai due to Air Force movement

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

A Pune bound GoAir flight was diverted to Mumbai because of Air Force movement, the airline confirmed on Thursday.

“Flight G8 173, Delhi-Pune was diverted to Mumbai because of Air Force movement at Pune airspace. Anticipating that there could be a delayed landing, the crew decided to divert the flight to Mumbai for refueling as a safety measure,” read a statement from GoAir.

Soon after the air traffic got clear, the flight took off from Mumbai at 12.30 pm.

Bhima Koregaon anniversary: Bhim Army chief to address in Pune

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

Dalit outfit Bhim Army announced that its founder Chandrashekhar Azad alias Ravan would address a rally in Pune on December 30, ahead of the 201st anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon on January 1.

On Wednesday, the organisation said over 30,000 people were expected to attend the “Bhima Koregaon Sangharsh Mahasabha”.

The rally would be held on SSPMS grounds here and besides Azad, several other leaders of the outfit would be present for the event.

Datta Pol, the district president of Bhim Army, said that during the three-day programme, Azad would address the rally on December 30 and interact with some students of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) the next day.

He would visit the memorial at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, Pol said. “On January 1, Azad will first visit the obelisk at Bhima Koregaon and later shower flowers on it from a helicopter,” he said.

Pol added that they had applied to the city and rural police for permission to hold the ‘Mahasabha’ in Pune and also for the visit to the memorial.

“We are confident that we would get permissions… there is no reason for the police to deny permission for the events,” he added.

He said apart from Azad, other Bhim Army leaders, including Vinay Ratan Singh and Manjit Notiyal, would also be present at the Pune rally.

Last year, Dalit organisations had organised ‘Elgar Parishad’ on December 31 at Shaniwarwada in Pune to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Bhima Koregaon battle.

Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, JNU students leader Umar Khalid Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar and Bhim Army’s Vinay Ratan Singh were among the speakers there.

The police claim that the speeches at the conclave had played a role in instigating the violence on January 1 this year, in which one person was killed and several injured.

The Pune Police, investigating Maoist links in the Elgar Parishad, in their charge sheet against 10 activists stated that the months-long preparation of the conclave and speeches made during there “aggravated” the violence the next day at Bhima Koregaon.

Food adulterers in Maharashtra will face life sentence

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

Maharashtra government on Thursday said that it would make food adulteration a non-bailable offence and provide for life-term to the offenders.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Girish Bapat informed the Legislative Council that the government would amend the existing law, to provide for life imprisonment to offenders.

Bapat said amendments to the Prevention of Food Adulteration (Maharashtra Amendment) Act will be tabled in the House before the ongoing winter session of state legislature ends.

Responding to a calling attention notice by Congress MLA Bhai Jagtap, the minister said the government was aware of the consequences of food adulteration and is committed to stopping the malpractice.

Jagtap said milk processing companies collect milk from farmers but the liquid turns “poisonous” by the time it reaches consumers.

“Substances like detergent powder, urea, skimmed milk powder, caustic soda, glucose, refined oil, salt, and starch are mixed in milk to preserve it, thereby endangering lives of people who consume it,” he said.

People cannot detect food adulteration easily and despite surprise checks by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such malpractices continue unabated.

The minister said amendments to the Prevention of Food Adulteration (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 1969 will be tabled before the end of the session.

“Apart from making the offence non-bailable, the law will also provide for life-imprisonment to the guilty,” Bapat said.

Earlier, those found guilty of food adulteration could face imprisonment of six months but the government now plans to amend the Act, which will provide for life imprisonment to them, an official said.

Uddhav visits Shivneri fort, collects soil for Ayodhya tour

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday visited Shivneri fort, the birthplace of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji, in Junnar tehsil of Pune district and collected soil from there, which he will carry to Ayodhya during his visit on November 25.

Thackeray had announced during the Shiv Sena’s Vijayadashami rally in Mumbai that he will visit Ayodhya on 25 November and “question” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of the construction of the Ram temple.

The Sena president reached Shivneri fort by helicopter on Thursday morning and after paying tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji, he collected soil, which he will carry to Ayodhya during his visit on November 25, party MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who was also present there, said.

In a bid to intensify his party’s campaign for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Thackeray has given a new slogan– ‘Pehle mandir, fir sarkaar’ (first the temple, then the government).

TMC, Mahindra signs MoU to provide end to end last-mile mobility solutions

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

Aimed at furthering the vision of a Smart City through an integrated smart mobility solution, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), as a part of the $20.7 billion Mahindra Group, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to provide end-to-end last-mile mobility solutions. This would be done through the deployment of Mahindra’s electric vehicles for first and last mile connectivity across Thane, including its recently launched electric three-wheeler, Treo, as well as the mass passenger carrier, e-Supro, etc. In the initial phase of the project, Mahindra will deploy 100 electric vehicles and the partnership would be active for a period of 5 years.

With a clear focus on building a full-fledged ecosystem around sustainable mobility, Mahindra and the Thane Municipal Corporation will jointly work toward building sustainable transportation for all, supported by the Eco-Cities Program of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The MoU was signed between Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd and the Thane Municipal Corporation.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “As the pioneers of electric vehicles and the EV mobility ecosystem catalyst in India, we are delighted to contribute to the sustainable development of Thane by deploying our electric vehicles for a greener, smarter future. I would like to applaud the Thane Municipal Corporation for this novel initiative of encouraging the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles. I am confident that together we will enable a major shift in the way the people of Thane commute and transition toward smart mobility and smart cities”.

Under the aegis of the MoU, Mahindra will scale up the first and last mile services through the deployment of its vehicles and daily vehicle and driver management services for an integrated smart mobility platform in Thane. It will bring different vehicle types onto one platform, available for citizens to access through bookings. The Thane Municipal Corporation will provide the requisite support in enabling the ecosystem and building up the infrastructure and space for installation of charging stations.

As part of the MoU, the Thane Municipal Corporation will also provide parking space for the electric vehicles in close proximity to the charging locations proposed by Mahindra. The TMC will also coordinate with other ecosystem players such as the power utility companies and other regulators to ensure low electricity tariff for electric vehicle charging and a seamless execution of the project.

There’s nothing wrong with my game: Ramkumar

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Afternoon Voice

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November 22, 2018

Ramkumar Ramanathan on Thursday defended his strategy of applying the serve and volley style on all surfaces this season but conceded he needs to cut down on the number of tournaments to remain fresh for big moments in close matches.

Ramkumar started the year at number 148 in the world and managed to remain in top-150 despite not going deep in most of the tournaments. He is at number 130 this week.

The KPIT Challenger is his 35th tournament this season apart from competing in two Davis Cup ties and at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

Often experts loathed the way Ramkumar persisted with serve and volley even when he was getting passed easily.

“When I was playing in the US last year, I was doing a lot of practice on serve and volley and I was using it in matches. I was building on that. I felt better on the court. The more I played serve and volley on big points, I started to feel confident. It’s not bad for me. I am tall, I cover the court well, so why not? Ramkumar told agencies when asked about his recent love for such tactics.

“But you should do it at right moment. Staying back also is not a bad idea for me because I grew up on clay. It’s actually a mix-up. It’s always good to have many patterns,” he said.

He savoured his best result of the season on grass, reaching his maiden ATP 250-level final at Hall of Fame Open in Newport.

The 24-year-old from Chennai blamed himself for the losses he suffered and not the style of play he chose.

In 18 tournaments he played on the Challenger Tour, he suffered eight first-round exits, lost five times in the second round, made three quarterfinals and reached only one final.

“I need to make a better plan. The Challengers rules are changing. I should start taking small breaks. Maybe play 25 tournaments instead of 35. Losing close matches is tough and when you a fresh, you can focus on those big points and moments better. Although playing tournaments is also good,” he said.

“I am right there, very close. I believe I can get into the top-100 and top-50, it’s just time. I am putting in the work and am focused,” he added.