Potholes on road or road on potholes? –Part I

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November 5, 2019

The commercial capital of India is always like to be in news whether it’s related to politics, Bollywood, business or any other controversy. The city is also known as ‘Sapno ki Nagri’ (City of dream), where people come from various parts of the world to fulfill their dreams.

In Mumbai, nobody waits for anyone, as people are too busy in their personal and professional life. This is the city, which never sleeps. We all can find people on the road anytime, whether it is 4 a.m. or 1 o clock in the night.

Talking about the current scenario of Mumbai, the Mumbaikars are still witnessing heavy rain in the city. The monsoon, which is generally there for 4 months, is continuing in the city. According to the report, this year (2019) Mumbai rains have broken all past records. In the past 65 years, it has not rained like this in the metropolis. Reportedly, it has rained the highest after the Independence in Mumbai.

Due to heavy rains, the roads were flooded and turned into the river. The potholes on the road are dangerous to the life of people. In Mumbai after increasing the number of complaints with regard to potholes, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched a new app where people can register their pothole-related complaints.

A few weeks before BMC Standing Committee Chairman Yashwant Jadhav had said there were no potholes in the city. On that, the citizens slammed Jadhav and exposed the pathetic condition of Mumbai roads by posting pictures on social media which led to major embarrassment.

The BMC informed citizens about the new app through Twitter, they wrote, “We understand your concern regarding #potholes. So to smoothen the roads for you, we’ve smoothened the process of reporting and getting them fixed with Pothole Fixit app.”

As per the report, this is not the first time the BMC has introduced an app for potholes, reportedly there is already an app in place for the same. On the BMC new app for potholes, RTI activist Shakeel Ahmed had recently exposed the civic body for this. Reportedly, BMC spent nearly Rs 17,000 to fix a single pothole and that too with the substandard mixture is surprised at the move.

Its been reported that the civic body, in the previous 5 months, has at least received more than 54 per cent of complaints this year. It is been noticed that the maximum complaints of potholes came from areas like Andheri, Jogeshwari and Bhandup.

(This is the first part of the article and the remaining portion will continue tomorrow)

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 05 November, 2019

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Web Team

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November 5, 2019

E-cigarettes are harmful for health

There is a new trend hitting the market known as e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes), or vaping. Many people believe that e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) are better than the traditional cigarettes. But research shows just how unhealthy and harmful e-cigarettes are for everyone. Besides nicotine, e-cigarettes contain harmful and potentially harmful ingredients, including ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
The government of India has taken a very bold step in banning the manufacture, sale, import and export of e-cigarettes in the country. This decision taken by the government is to be lauded. By why ban just e-cigarettes? What about the other tobacco products like the regular cigarettes, gutkha and beedis? These too should be banned.
Life is precious and the youth of our country should know that cigarette smoking is injuries to health which leads to cancer of the lungs and several other health related diseases.

Jubel D’Cruz

Delhi residents having tough time breathing

Cricketers practising with masks, flights redirected to some other airports, schools and colleges shut, politicians on a blame game spree, drivers and owners of cars and vehicles pressurised to follow “odd even ” restrictions – well the last few days witnessed a series of action packed events in NCR Delhi which is suffocating with smog , the “villain” that has now made it a routine to visit the place during every November.

It’s like the people of Delhi and those visiting the state asking one another choking and coughing -“kya chal raha hai” and pat comes the reply out of the damaged lungs of Delhiites “smog chal raha hai.” Well sadly this is not a joke but something that has painfully made Delhi as a highly polluted city – one of the worst in the world and it’s really shocking that no serious measures were taken by the state or the centre though it was cent percent sure “smog” would attack Delhi this winter too.
Garbage burning, unchecked vehicular emissions, pyrotechnics and stubble burning are the main reasons for this condition but rather than long lectures and some actions and activities taken by those who should really care, nothing serious was done.
Measures on a war footing should be taken to find alternate ways for avoiding stubble burning, encourage the public to buy and use e-vehicles and this must be made mandatory. Global experts on pollution must be consulted on how to tackle this peril and above all the leaders must stop fighting with one another and stay united to fight smog. As the Supreme Court has put it – this can’t go on and the government at the centre and in Delhi cannot just pass the buck to each other, they should know that right to life is the most important and therefore urgent measures must be taken. The neighbouring states also should take measures to mitigate the menace.

M Pradyu

Restaurants should abolish service charges

It refers to highly irresponsible Guidelines No. J-24-9-2014-CPU(pt.) dated 21.04.2017 issued by Department of Consumer Affairs (Government of India) wherein consumers going to hotels and restaurants for enjoying food are advised to approach Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum against malpractice of certain restaurants and hotels charging compulsory service-charge in their invoices instead of the Department imposing ban on such levying of service-charges or even providing column for tip. Guidelines doubt of some under-the-table deal with associations of hotels and restaurants, because everyone knows that consumers go to hotels and restaurants for enjoyment and relaxation rather than fighting for their rights through cumbersome court-procedures.

If eateries are really sincere for staff-welfare, they can increase their wages at their own. Also since there is no limit on served food-prices, they can increase prices rather than adopting back-door route to fool consumers through unfair service-charge. Law must be tightened for incorporating prison-provision for eatery-owners levying service-charge in bills. Rather paying and accepting tips otherwise should be made an offence since gifts and tips are polished form of bribes. Provision of writing tip-amount on credit-card pay-slips must be abolished.

Central government should go ahead with its proposal to reduce GST on services provided by restaurants including also by air-conditioned ones to 12-per cent slab by abolishing corruption-generating provision of Input-Tax-Credit (ITC) of raw material. Any objection by restaurant-owners against abolition of ITC must not be entertained.

Madhu Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Police seized sand boa snake worth Rs 50 lakh, arrested one in Panvel

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Web Team

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November 5, 2019

A red sand boa snake, which is a protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, has been seized and one person arrested from Maharashtra’s Navi Mumbai Township, police said on Tuesday.

According to police they got a tip from their sources and following which they kept a watch near a bus stand in the Panvel area of Navi Mumbai and seized the snake, worth around Rs 50 lakh in the illegal wildlife market. Navi Mumbai police’s assistant inspector Nilesh Rane said, the accused who was trying to sell the reptile, was arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Wildlife (Protection) Act. The accused identified as Prasad Jadhav (20).

Sand boas used for making certain medicines, cosmetics, and black magic, and are in huge demand in the international market.

Rand further said, “The non-poisonous snake has a blunt tail with a rounded tip. A rounded head similar to the shape of its tail gives rise to a misbelief that it has two heads and is used to cheat people by claiming that it will bring good luck.”

Currently, police are questioning the accused to whom he wanted to sell the snake.

Sena leader Sanjay Raut says, next CM of Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena

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Web Team

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November 5, 2019

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday asserted that the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena only.

Addressing a press conference, Raut said, “The Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena only. The face and politics. of Maharashtra are changing, you will see. What you call ‘hungama’ (commotion), is not ‘hungama’. It is a fight for justice and rights and the victory will be ours.”

Raut played coy upon being asked about rumours of Shiv Sena forming a government with the support of Nationalist Congress Party and Congress. The NCP won 54 and Congress won 44 assembly seats.

“The decision of Maharashtra will be taken here only. Uddhav Ji will do it. Have Sharad Pawar or Sonia Gandhi come out with a statement? In politics, rumours fly everywhere and there are also people who peddle rumours. That is all I have to say on this matter,” Raut said.

After meeting the Maharashtra Governor on Monday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut stated that his party was not an obstacle in the formation of any government in Maharashtra.

“We are not an obstacle in the formation of the government of any party. Whosoever has the majority can form the government,” Raut said.

This comes when the BJP and the Shiv Sena are engaged in back-channel negotiations on the government formation and a positive outcome is expected to be announced in a few days, said BJP sources.

“The positive direction of backchannel talks has put an end to speculation about the government formation,” they said.

Sources also confirmed that initially, 12 to 14 MLAs will take oath as Cabinet ministers along with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Shiv Sena has said that the two parties had a ’50-50′ power-sharing agreement before the elections but Fadnavis has clarified that Shiv Sena was not promised the post of minister for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP has emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly polls while the Shiv Sena has got 56 seats in the 288-member state Assembly.

Airfares hiked due to closure of runway at Mumbai airport

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Rashika Shinde

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November 4, 2019

Passengers travelling to Mumbai will have to face disruption as the main runway of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will remain closed from November 4 to March 28 for repair and maintenance work. The airport will be closed from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm from Monday to Saturday. The second runway of the airport will be operational during this time. Earlier this year, both the runways were closed from February 7 to March 30 due to maintenance work. Last time, more than 200 flights were cancelled in a single day due to closure of the main runway at Mumbai airport. Airfares had also increased by about 5-10 per cent for flights originating and landing at Mumbai airport during that period. Mumbai airport’s main runway to remain shut for six days a week from November 4. Closure of runway will result in cancellation of flights thereby paving way for increase in air fares. At a time when the new year is approaching increased fares and cancelled flights will cause huge inconvenience to passengers.

Airport official told Afternoon Voice, “There is no closure of runway, the airport is still operational. We have cross-runways; one is for maintenance and the other one for operations. The length of one runway is lesser than the other one. It is unable to accommodate the number of flights.”

The official further continued, “If the airport will close then we all will also suffer loss. But the safety is of prime importance. So we have shifted the operation of the first runway to the second runway. And the work is going on the primary runway.”

“The airlines have been informed about the unavailability of the primary runway at the Mumbai airport about a year back so that they could prepare their operations accordingly,” she added.

When asked about the increase in airfares she said, “Every authority is regulated and GVK controls everything. We will not allow any air companies to go beyond a certain margin.”

The Mumbai airport is the second busiest in the country and handles approximately 1000 flight movements in a day. Delhi is the busiest and handles nearly 1,300 flight movements daily. The primary runway at Mumbai airport can handle up to 50 arrivals and departure per hour.

Airhostess Kavina Joshi said, “The runway is closed due to maintenance so we can’t blame the authority. But yes because of closure of flights are getting delayed and cancelled. From the crew point of view, it becomes a little difficult for us to handle passengers because they get annoyed due to delay on the ground. However, after getting into the aircraft some understand that it’s not our fault but others simply try to remove their anger on us.”

“Due to maintenance work on the airport our duty time increases because of circling sometimes and not getting the slot for landing post closure,” she added.

The second runway will be operational during the stretch which can handle at least 36 flights an hour. During festival and holidays the main runway of Mumbai airport will be operational at all hours. According to a press release, the runway will be fully functional on December 25, January 1, February 19 and 21, March 10 and 25. With the partial closure, there will be a likely change in the routes of many aircraft. The timings of several international and domestic flights will be changed during this period.

Mumbai airport, the second busiest airport in the country, handled 48.5 million domestic and international passengers in 2018, according to data from the Association of Private Airport Operators. The airport witnesses more than 900 arrivals and departures every day. Due to monsoons, the runway maintenance work has been postponed, Mumbai airport operator GVK Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said. Earlier, the repair work of the runway was to start from November.

BJP is in no mood to come under pressure of Shiv Sena

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 4, 2019

Shiv Sena is not in a compromising mood, and BJP is on their stand of making Devendra Fadnavis a chief minister for second term. Today Fadnavis met Amit Shah to intervene and talk to aligning parties. One thing is sure that the BJP will make its government, but no one knows on what terms and conditions.

Since the election results are declared, BJP and CM Devendra Fadnavis have always maintained that they are forming government with Shiv Sena but on the other hand, Sena demanded a written assurance from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Home Minister Amit Shah or incumbent CM Devendra Fadnavis on the 50-50 power sharing formula and said that Maharashtra should have a Shiv Sena CM for 2.5 years. Only after which the party will lend support to BJP in forming the government.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had called a party meeting to decide about government formation in the state. The BJP and Shiv Sena contested the Assembly elections together. While the BJP won 105 seats, it failed to get a majority in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. Shiv Sena registered a victory on 56 seats, including the Worli constituency, from where their leader Aaditya Thackeray has been elected the MLA. If Shiv Sena’s condition is considered by the BJP, the CM’s chair for 2.5 years will go to Aaditya. He will become the youngest CM of Maharashtra in that case.

Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik told media, “It was decided and promised by Amit Shah that 50:50 formula before the Lok Sabha polls, similarly both allies should get chance to run the government for 2.5-2.5 years. Uddhav Thackeray should get this assurance in writing from BJP. Every time there are verbal assurances but nothing comes to fulfillment. This time, we will not be compromising on our demands”.

Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Survey emphasised stating, “We want Aaditya as our CM. This is our first and foremost demand. Before assembly election, both BJP and our party had agreed on 50-50 power-sharing formula, which we want to be implemented in letter and spirit.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

BJP leader fined for defying Odd-Even scheme in Delhi

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Web Team

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November 4, 2019

BJP leader Vijay Goel, protesting the Arvind Kejriwal government’s Odd-Even scheme enforced from today in Delhi, drove out of his home in an odd-numbered SUV, painted bright orange with messages on it, as a mark of protest. Barely 100 metres from his home, the vehicle (2727), was stopped and the MP was fined Rs. 4,000.
To this dramatic protest, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) response was equally dramatic. As soon as Vijay Goel, armed with a placard saying “Odd-Even – A Political Stunt”, returned home after his act of defiance, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot reached with a bouquet of roses.

The minister, handing the roses, urged Mr Goel to support his government’s anti-pollution measure by not defying the odd-even rule. Goel also produced a bouquet.

With media cameras recording every second, the two rivals had a conversation that best showcased politics over how to combat deadly pollution in Delhi, where elections are due early next year.

” If stubble burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana are the problem (AAP’s main complaint), then how will odd-even help,” Goel asked. Gahlot replied: “Even if 50 per cent vehicles are off the road, we can say pollution will be less.” After this back-and-forth, the two finally shook hands, smiled, and went inside for tea.

Srikanth pulls out; Sindhu, Saina eye title at China Open

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Web Team

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November 4, 2019

Kidambi Srikanth has decided to give China Open a miss but top Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will have their task cut out when they begin their campaign at the USD 700,000 event, beginning on Tuesday.

Former world number one Srikanth was pitted against reigning two-time world championship and numero uno ranked Kento Momota of Japan in his opening round but he pulled out of the tournament.

Srikanth will now feature at the Hong Kong Open World Tour Super 500, next week.

Sindhu and Saina will once again be India’s best bet as they look to put up a good show this week.

All eyes will also be on men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who had reached the finals at the French Open last month.

Both Sindhu and Saina had made early exits in three successive tournaments at China, Korea and Denmark before somewhat regaining form with a quarterfinal finish at the French Open and the duo will be desperate to go deep in the draw.

Sixth seed Sindhu, who claimed the World Championship gold in August, will begin her campaign against Germany’s Yvonne Li, while eighth seed Saina will open against China’s Cai Yan Yan. Sindhu is likely to face either three-time World Champion Carolina Marin or World number one Tai Tzu Ying in the quarterfinals if she clears the initial rounds. Saina, on the other hand, might come across Japan’s second seed Akane Yamaguchi in the last-eight but has to trump her opponents in the first two rounds.

The BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament will also feature a host of Indian male shuttlers as they vie for honours this week.

Ananya Panday drops hint about her ‘next director’

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Web Team

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November 4, 2019

While she is new to the industry, Ananya Panday sure knows how to keep her fans on their toes and she did the same on Sunday!

The 21-year old who is currently awaiting the release of her upcoming outing — ‘Pati, Patni Aur Woh’ with Bhumi Pednekar and Kartik Aaryan, dropped a major hint about her upcoming collaboration, indicating that she is next set to work with filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan!

Sharing Farah Khan’s post on her Instagram story, the ‘Student of the Year 2’ debutant wrote, “We love u!! My next director.”

The post featured Ananya with her co-actors posing with Farah.

Any details about the project are still under wraps and it is to be seen what are the two working on.

Currently, Ananya apart from her venture with Bhumi and Kartik, is filming for ‘Khaali Peeli’ which commenced earlier in September.

The Maqbool Khan directorial has ‘Dhadak’ star Ishan Khatter opposite Ananya and is bankrolled by Ali Abbas Zadar and Zee Studios.

‘Khaali Peeli’ is scheduled to hit the theatre on June 12 next year.

Ananya, debuted this year in Karan Johar’s ‘SOTY 2’ which also marked the launch of Tara Sutaria.

The film was a sequel to the 2012 hit ‘Student of the Year,’ which introduced Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra to the celluloid world.

It’s so hard to shoot here: Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Delhi pollution

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Web Team

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November 4, 2019

Priyanka Chopra on Delhi Pollution,priyanka chopra, delhi pollution , rajkummar rao, delhi, pollution — Image Courtesy: Koimoi

Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who is currently in the national capital for the shoot of her upcoming film “The White Tiger”, has voiced concern over the rising pollution levels in the city.

On Sunday, Priyanka posted a selfie on her official Instagram page where she is seen wearing a pollution mask.

In the caption, “The Sky is Pink” actor said it was difficult to shoot the film, which also features Rajkummar Rao, in the city.

“Shoot days for #thewhitetiger. It’s so hard to shoot here right now that I can’t even imagine what it must be like to live here under these conditions.

“We are blessed with air purifiers and masks. Pray for the homeless. Be safe everyone. #airpollution #delhipollution #weneedsolutions #righttobreathe” Priyanka posted.

Delhi is witnessing one of the worst episodes of pollution and smog. Pollution levels in Delhi peaked to a three-year high on Sunday as hundreds of distraught people took to social media to say they wanted to leave the city due to poor air quality.

“The White Tiger”, an adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s novel of the same name, is set at Netflix.

The streamer is producing the project based on Man Booker Prize-winning novel in association with Mukul Deora while Priyanka will serve as executive producer.

The film, which will also mark the acting debut of Adarsh Gourav, will be directed by Ramin Bahrani of “Fahrenheit 451” and “99 Homes” fame. Bahrani is also writing the screenplay.