Mumbai stalled for pedestrian and vehicular traffic due to waterlogging

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July 5, 2022

waterlogging, mumbai, metro, mumbai water, mumbai rains, rains, bmc — Image: HT

Mumbai and its adjoining areas witnessed a heavy downpour on Tuesday morning, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted moderate to heavy rain in Mumbai and its suburbs over the next 24 hours, with a possibility of very heavy showers at isolated places. The island city received an average of 95.81 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Tuesday, while the eastern and western suburbs recorded 115.09mm and 116.73mm of rainfall, respectively, during the same period.

Jayant Sarkar, IMD said, “The situation is favourable. Maharashtra will receive widespread rainfall in the next 5 days. Heavy to very rainfall in scattered areas. Ghat areas are also expected to get good rains. In Mumbai, July 5,7 and 8 will see heavy rainfall. Red alert for Ratnagiri and Raigad.”

The chief minister’s office in a statement said CM Shinde is in touch with collectors of Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. The National Disaster Response Force has also been asked to remain alert.

Preeti Sharma Menon, Aam Aadmi Party leader told Afternoon Voice, “For last 30 years we have the same party in BMC and we have seen they are making money but not doing their work. People in the BMC are not serious about their job most of the manholes are uncovered, and no cleanliness is done in the rivers and gutters due to which it is getting flooded.”

Prabhat Rahangdale, ex-Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Disaster Management said, “Mumbai has always been and worked for its relief.”

Ekta, a resident of Virar East, “Currently in Virar east there is no waterlogging but I have come to Virar West there is waterlogged, people are getting late, stuck and some people returning to their home because of water logged. BMC is not also working.”

Nitin Sardesai, MNS leader said, “Every year BMC promises of no issues of waterlogging will happen on roads but still, there are many Waterlogging and there is a failure in the working system of BMC.”

IMD issues heavy rain alert for Maharashtra, Kundalika river crosses danger mark; CM asks officials to ensure no loss of life

The IMD on Tuesday issued a heavy rainfall alert for Maharashtra over the next four days, following which chief minister Eknath Shinde directed the state administration officials to take precautions and ensure there is no loss of life or property. The Kundalika River in Raigad district, located near Mumbai, has crossed the danger mark, as per an official statement. Mumbai and some of its neighbouring districts witnessed heavy rains and flooding on Tuesday morning.

Devendra is an able leader and the balancing act went against him

By

Vaidehi Taman

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July 5, 2022

devendra fadnavis, bjp, fadnavis, maharashtra, assembly,, maharashtra bjp — Image: Agency

Whatever happened in Maharashtra politics, there is an atmosphere of sadness among some state-level BJP leaders. In Maharashtra, the BJP surprised everyone by giving the chief minister’s post to rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde and making Devendra Fadnavis deputy chief minister. There are two reasons behind this, as I expected opposition leader Devendra to react on Hindu-related issues, which are the agenda of the BJP. From the mob lynching of two sadhus and their driver on the night of April 16 last year to the arrest of Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale for a Facebook post that was allegedly derogatory against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Devendra maintained calm, he did not take up these issues as it was expected to from him. AS opposition leader Devendra tried his best in balancing the situation.

This move of making Devendra a Deputy has come as a setback to Fadnavis and his supporters, but its signal should also be understood by the satraps of different BJP states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Tripura, especially where assembly elections are going to be held in the coming time. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s statement of the trust vote in the assembly was vivacious. He spoke candidly and attacked his opponents fiercely. The way he gave a befitting reply to all the allegations against him in the assembly after the government, led by him, won the trust vote, is commendable.

So now all eyes are on what will be Shinde’s next step. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis all are indebted to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for getting them back to power. While Shinde called Devendra Fadnavis a real artist, he also admitted that the number of MLAs of Shiv Sena is less than BJP. Even after this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his blessings. Before taking the oath, the Prime Minister had told Eknath that he would help him in all possible ways. Home Minister Amit Shah had said that he would stand like a rock behind him.

I won’t be surprised if Shine continues to be the CM in 2024; on multiple occasions, Fadnavis had lost favour with the party leadership for some time after his failure to form a BJP government in Maharashtra after the 2019 election, despite the party emerging as single-largest in the assembly. The reason for BJP’s inability to form a government at the time was the Shiv Sena walking out of its alliance with the BJP after the election, alleging that the BJP was reneging on its promise of sharing all posts, including the CM’s chair, equally. The Shiv Sena eventually cobbled together an alliance of ideological rivals, Congress and NCP, to keep the BJP out of power.

Fadnavis’ political capital took a further hit after his failed attempt to form a government with the support of a faction of NCP MLAs under Ajit Pawar, and a rushed midnight oath-taking ceremony. The government lasted only for 80 hours as Pawar and others returned to their party camp. However, the BJP leader has bounced back since then, helping the party’s campaign for major victories in the assembly elections in Bihar and Goa in 2020 and 2022, and most recently the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections in Maharashtra earlier this month, which kicked off the MVA’s turmoil.

According to political observers, Fadnavis has also worked hard to strengthen the party’s base in Maharashtra since the formation of the MVA government, extensively travelling through the state during the two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, and also taking stock on the ground after floods in different parts of Maharashtra last year. Fadnavis also kept the MVA government on its toes with scathing criticism of the MVA’s governance and using his influence within the state’s bureaucracy to target the government with official records on issues such as the Aarey Metro car shed, the Sachin Waze case and an alleged IPS transfers and postings racket.

The various probes by central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation, against more than a dozen MVA leaders, further boosted Fadnavis’ tireless attacks on the MVA. Fadnavis turned out to be a very successful opposition leader. He constantly had tours, and programmes, and kept the MVA government on the back foot with his criticisms. During the entire duration of the MVA government, he was setting the narrative for the political discourse and constantly tried to expose the rifts between the three parties of the MVA. Fadnavis’ clout within the BJP started surging after 2013 when the party appointed him as the state president at a time when senior leaders such as Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari were trying to push their own candidates. Fadnavis was seen as someone who did not belong to any particular camp.

Since then, over the last eight years, Fadnavis has tightened his hold over the Maharashtra BJP, distancing old guards such as Vinod Tawde, Eknath Khadse and Pankaja Munde, who could have potentially challenged his position within the party. A series of decisions by the Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership in recent days has left former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis looking isolated and weakened in a party that once projected him as Maharashtra’s fresh-face, savvy, Gen Next Hindutva leader, with potential for elevation to the national stage.

SpiceJet Q400 conduct priority landing in Mumbai, after windshield crack in mid-air

By

PTI

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July 5, 2022

In a second incident involving SpiceJet aircraft today, SpiceJet’s Q400 plane conducted a priority landing at Mumbai airport after its windshield cracked at 23,000 feet altitude, according to DGCA officials.

Earlier in the day, SpiceJet’s Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi as the fuel indicator started malfunctioning. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating the two incidents which took place today. Also, this is the seventh incident of technical malfunction happening on SpiceJet aircraft in the last 17 days.

Officials said the Kandla-Mumbai flight of SpiceJet was at 23,000 feet altitude when the windshield’s outer pane cracked. The pilots then conducted priority landing at the Mumbai airport, they said. Reacting on the latest incident, SpiceJet said, “On 5th July, 2022, SpiceJet Q400 aircraft was operating SG 3324 (Kandla – Mumbai). During cruise at FL230, P2 side windshield outer pane cracked. Pressurization was observed to be normal. The aircraft landed safely in Mumbai.”

ED raids vivo and other Chinese mobile manufacturing companies in money laundering case

By

Web Team

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July 5, 2022

Representative Image

In Amedabad a raid has been conducted by the Enforcement Directorate team on the Vivo company and it will be completing its searches in all the 44 places across the country under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids in different locations in which few are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other Southern States of India in the case of Prevention of Money Laundering Act and it they are linked to any other chinese firms.

The search has been carried in many locations in the Vivo offices and other chinese firms which were been raided.

In the month of April 30, 2022 ED officials seized 5,551.27 crore from Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited which were in bank accounts of those companies.

Ghatkopar house collapse due to landslide

By

Web Team

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July 5, 2022

Landslide Representative Image — Representative Image

The state of Maharashtra is going through heavy rainfall since last 2 days. In the area of Mumbai a place of Ghatkopar has reported an incident of landslide a house has been collapsed on Tuesday morning near Ghatkopar’s Panchsheel Nagar. The Mumbai fire brigade team reached the spot immediately to help the people.

When Mumbai fire brigade team reached the Ghatkopar’s Panchsheel nagar they saved the people and there were no casualties found in that area. The fire brigade team stated that house was badly damaged.

In a report Mumbai Fire Brigade team has stated “A landslide incident reported in Ghatkopar, Panchsheel nagar in Mumbai amidst heavy rains. When fire vehicles reached on the spot there were no casualties reported”.

Due to which most of the places are facing issues of waterlogging and long hours of traffic jam

Drop ‘juvenile insistence’ on metro rail crashed at Aarey: Mumbai Cong tells Centre, Fadnavis

By

Akash Nirmal

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July 4, 2022

aarey, aarey forest, aarey colony, protest, 2022, save aarey, — Drop 'juvenile insistence' on metro rail crashed at Aarey: Mumbai Cong tells Centre, Fadnavis 7

The decision to restart the work of the metro car depot at Mumbai’s Aarey colony was taken by the new government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his Deputy Devendra Fadnavis in their first cabinet meeting within hours of taking the charge. This decision has not gone well with Mumbaikar and especially environmental activists. Many local residents and social activists took to the streets to protest against this.

The Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap said, “We strongly oppose the construction of the metro car depot in green lung Aarey. The city unit chief Bhai Jagtap urged the Union government and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to drop their “juvenile insistence” on going ahead with the plan. One of the first decisions taken by the Eknath Shinde government was to allow construction of the car depot for Metro Line 3 at Aarey, a move that has met with opposition from environmental activists and some political parties, overturning the previous government’s plan to build it at Kanjurmarg.

Aarey metro depot controversy

Aarey controversy started in the year 2019 when then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government is bound to cut the trees of Aarey for the development in Mumbai. MMRC had announced cutting 2700 trees for building the metro car depot. Which is spread over 13000 hectares that is an abode for 27 Villages and a habitat for animals.

The Bombay High Court had rejected all the proposals to cut over 2500 trees in Aarey. In 2020 then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray declared 800 acres of land in the Aarey colony as a reserve forest and also had withdrawn the case against the protesters who were fighting to protect the Aarey and propose a new site for the metro car depot in Kanjurmarg.

On June 6, the Centre submitted the affidavit in the Bombay High Court calming the land ownership where the Maharashtra government proposed to build a metro car depot. The Bombay High Court decree granted ownership of a 6000-acre parcel of land to a private firm by saying “fraud was played on the court” After that BMC, the Maharashtra government and several other civil bodies clams’ ownership of the same land. In March this year, the Maharashtra government order the owner of the land to Adarsh Water Park and Resort in October 2020.

“Undeniably, a fraud of huge proportion has been played by suppressing the claim of other parties on the land. The decree order is a product of fraud played on the court by the parties. I have no doubt in my mind that the scam was done by the court itself,” Justice Menon had said while hearing

Local resident’s plight

A local resident Akshay Shimpi told Afternoon Voice, “Whatever decisions are made in regards to Aarey that remained on the paper but there is no movement on the ground. The government’s decision to construct metro car shade in Aarey was declared wrong by an earlier government, if this government wants to enjoy the power and see its citizen happy, then they should avoid taking such a decision. Earlier Thackeray government had provided multiple options for metro car shade. As the forest reduces pollution of the city and cutting would boost the level of pollution to an extreme level. Currently residents and activists are protesting peacefully against the decision but if the government doesn’t listen, they have an option to call for a protest march.”

Why are activists fighting for Array?

Zoru Bathane, an Environmentalist says “Since Devendra Fadnavis become CM, he wanted to make a metro car shed in Aarey. We are requesting that we do have another option like Kanjurmarg, but he wants to make it in Aarey only. When Uddhav Thackeray came into power, he shifted to Kanjurmarg but Fadnavis only stops the work. If workers do not stop it could have been done by now. After coming in power again he again starts the work in Aarey only. There are two issues with Fadnavis, the first is ego and the second is that Kanjurmarg property has been given to the builder.”

“Fadnavis lying since day one. Metro car shed cannot be shifted all the trees are being cut this all lie. There are still hundreds of trees over there. The whole plots are green only. For development, forests get harmed that we can understand. But intensely to take vengeance and destroy Aarey does not make sense. It’s not logical that car shed needs to be made in Aarey only,” Bethena further said.

Ashok Kurmi, Environmentalist and Social Worker told Afternoon Voice, “We do have the option to shift metro car shed but if we talk about forest, we cannot shift forest and its natural habitat for political reasons sacrificing something is not good. On the last environmental day, we disguised as Adivasi and spread awareness that if we cut forests then where their habitat will go. They cannot survive in City or town. This is not good.”

The legal side of the story

Advocate Asim Sarode said, “There shall be no development at the cost of environment is the basic principle which needs to be followed. Regarding Aarey and Metro project it is important to note that another optional place is available for the metro car depot. In a growing concrete jungle like Mumbai, Oxygen pockets or biodiversity refuges like Aarey forest are necessary. Construction in this area will destroy the local flora and fauna of this region. With such projects, the various cycles which take place in such forest regions will get affected. Politics should be kept away from environmental issues, instead, decision-makers should come together and work together to save the environment. Damage to such forests will be irreparable. Hence, I think the Aarey forest should be protected as it will be beneficial to maintain the last remaining green pockets of Mumbai. Any decision resulting in the destruction of ecology or environment can be challenged at The National Green Tribunal or High court to seek justice.”

Advocate Ali Kaasif Khan Deshmukh said, “Anyone can file the PIL. In our Mumbai, the major oxygen source is Aarey only. It is also protecting the wildlife as well if we cut it will create issue only. The earlier government also support this but after BJP came into power, they again start working on this. But people have the power to stop this work after filling PIL in the Supreme Court or the Bombay High Court to protect forests. In short, they can PIL Public interest litigation for its protection.”

Maharashtra Assemble floor test Eknath Shinde wins

By

PTI

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July 4, 2022

Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Political Crises, Mumbai — Image : Agencies

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday won the floor test in the state Assembly on the last day of the two-day special session of the House.

In the 288-member House, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it. Three legislators abstained from voting, while Congress’s Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar were among those absent during the trust vote.

Speaker Rahul Narvekar announced that the trust vote was carried by a majority vote.

After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA recently, the current strength of the Assembly is reduced to 287, thus the majority mark is 144.

Last month, Eknath Shinde launched a rebellion against the Sena. Majority of MLAs sided with him, which led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

Shinde was sworn in as CM on June 30, a day after Uddhav Thackeray quit the post. BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the deputy CM.

During the floor test, MLAs Abu Azmi and Rais Shaikh (both of the Samajwadi Party) and Shah Farukh Anwar (AIMIM) abstained from voting.

Eleven Congress MLAs – Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar, Dheeraj Deshmukh, Praniti Shinde, Jitesh Antapurkar, Zeeshan Siddiqui, Raju Awale, Mohan Hambarde, Kunal Patil, Madhavrao Jawalgaonkar and Shirish Chaudhary – were absent during the floor test.

Chavan and Wadettiwar came late and were unable to enter the House at the time of the vote.

The NCP legislators absent from the House were – Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik, Dattatray Bharane, Anna Bansode, Babandada Shinde and Sangram Jagtap. Deshmukh and Malik are currently in jail following arrest in separate money laundering cases.

The BJP MLAs – Mukta Tilak and Laxman Jagtap – both of whom are seriously ill, also did not come to the House, while BJP’s Rahul Narvekar could not vote as he is the Speaker.

AIMIM legislator Mufti Mohammad Ismail also did not attend the session.

Ahead of the floor test, Sena MLA Santosh Bangar, from the Uddhav Thackeray camp, joined CM Shinde’s faction, taking its tally to 40.

Speaking in the House after the floor test, Fadnavis said when some MLAs were voting, members from the opposition benches shouted “ED, ED”.

“It is true the new government is formed by ED, which stands for Eknath and Devendra,” the BJP leader remarked.

Without taking the name of former CM Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis claimed Maharashtra witnessed a “deficit of leadership availability” in the last few years.

“But, there are two leaders in the House (Shinde and himself), who will always be available for people,” Fadnavis said.

On Sunday, in a jolt to former CM Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar reinstated Eknath Shinde as the Shiv Sena legislature party leader, removing Ajay Chaudhary.

Narvekar had also recognised the appointment of Bharat Gogawale from the Shinde camp as the chief whip of the Sena, removing Sunil Prabhu, who belongs to the Thackeray faction.

Following is the party position in the Assembly: Shiv Sena 55, NCP 53, Congress 44, BJP 106, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi 3, Samajwadi Party 2, AIMIM 2, Prahar Janshakti Party 2, MNS 1, CPI (M) 1, PWP 1, Swambhimani Paksha 1, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha 1, Jansurajya Shakti Party 1, Krantikari Shetkari Party 1, and Independents 13.

Defamation lawsuit filed by a BJP leader’s wife, a Mumbai court issues a bailable warrant for Sanjay Raut

By

PTI

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July 4, 2022

Sanjay Raut, MVA, Maha Vikas Agadhi, Shivsena — Image : Agencies

A Mumbai court on Monday issued a bailable warrant against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut after he failed to appear before it in connection with a defamation complaint filed by former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya’s wife Medha Somaiya.

The Sewri metropolitan magistrate’s court had last month issued a process (summons) against Raut, asking him to appear before it on July 4.

However, neither Raut nor his lawyers were present in the court on Monday, Medha Somaiya’s lawyer Vivekanand Gupta said.

“Hence, we made an application for the issuance of a warrant against him, which the court allowed,” Gupta added.

The court later adjourned the matter and kept it for hearing on July 18.

Earlier, the magistrate, while issuing summons, had held that documents and video clips produced on record prima facie revealed that the accused made defamatory statements against the complainant (Medha), so that it will be seen by the public at large and read by people in newspapers.

It was also prima-facie proved by the complainant that the words spoken by accused Sanjay Raut were such that it harmed the complainant’s reputation, the court had said.

Medha Somaiya, in her complaint filed through advocates Gupta and Laxman Kanal, claimed Raut had made baseless and completely defamatory allegations against her and her husband, accusing them of being involved in a scam worth Rs 100 crore over the construction and maintenance of some public toilets under the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation.

She had urged the court to begin proceedings against him on charges of defamation, as defined under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

The opposition to the project was to save the metropolis’ biodiversity : Aaditya Thackeray

By

PTI

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July 3, 2022

Protest by citizens in Aarey Colony 1 — Image : Agencies

Making a strong pitch again construction of a metro rail carshed in Mumbai green lung Aarey, former Maharashtra environment minister and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said the opposition to the project was to save the metropolis’ biodiversity.

He said there are daily sightings of leopards in Aarey, a forested patch adjoining the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the north-west part of the city, adding that

“Aarey isn’t only about 2700 plus trees, it is about its biodiversity that we are seeking to protect in our Mumbai”.

There are daily sightings of leopards and other smaller species in the carshed spot and around it, and the previous MVA government is proud to have declared over 800 acres of the site as forest, Thackeray said in a series of tweets.

One of the first decisions taken by the Eknath Shinde government was to allow construction of the carshed for Metro Line 3 at Aarey, a move that has met with opposition from environmental activists and some political parties, overturning the previous government’s plan to build it at Kanjurmarg.

“This is about sustainable development and better planning. This is about Mumbai’s development and we staying here instead of being handed over a badly planned project that destroys our Mumbai’s Aarey Forest,” Thackeray tweeted.

Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had also opposed the Aarey move of the Shinde government and asked it to not “stab the city in its heart” by going ahead with the project at the wooded site.

After becoming the chief minister in 2019, one of the first decisions taken by Uddhav Thackeray was to shift the carshed site to Kanjurmarg, though the site is embroiled in a legal dispute as both the Centre and the state have claimed ownership.

“While the carshed work was given a stay by the then CM, Uddhav Thackeray ji, the work on the Line 3 was fully supported to be carried on. The alternate location of Kanjurmarg, disputed by GoI, will fit in depots for metro lines 3,4,6,14 into 1 space, thus saving on cost & time,” Aaditya Thackeray tweeted.

He said Metro Line 6 would anyway need a carshed, either at Kanjurmarg, which was originally thought of in 2018, or at Pahadi Goregaon.

Having studied the two, both are feasible for Line 3 too. Metros don’t go to carshed after every trip, they need stabling lines, that are missing for Line 3, Thackeray said.

Dal Lake: free medical camp organised by India army

By

ANI

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July 3, 2022

Army Camp at Dal Lake 1 — Image : Agencies

A free medical camp was organized by the Indian Army in Srinagar, in association with local NGOs and doctors from Nasik and Mumbai.

A total of eight doctors with specializations in various fields attended many patients in this medical camp. The medical camp was organized in “Kashmir’s Floating Village Kachri Mohalla” which is located in the inlands of Dal Lake.

Patients from various Mohalla in the Dal Lake avail the medical facilities from this camp and doctors come from outside to give them good treatment.

“I belong from Kachri Mohalla. Indian Army and doctors from outside Kashmir have organised this camp.

Hospitals are nearly 5 to 5 kms away. We are very thankful to the people who have organised this camp,” Dr Snehal Shetty from Maharashtra told ANI.

She further said, “Women here suffer from body aches, joint pains, etc and I am really glad that we could at least help them to some extent”. “We have organised a medical camp with the support of the Indian Army.

We have organised it in Dal Lake’s Kachri Mohallah because there are no health centres here so people from Dal lake and other nearby areas can come here with their health problems free of cost”, Sheikh Saba, Co-Organizer of Camp.

The people over here are working as labourers and have very low incomes, so they prefer government hospitals instead of private medical facilities.

This medical camp helps these people by providing free checkups and medicines, which prove to be very beneficial for them.

The Indian army continued its efforts to serve the public by doing these free medical camps despite doing their own duties in the Kashmir valley.