At least five people lost their lives and 30 injured in a major accident took place on Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Bhor Ghat on Monday morning.
According to the report, the accident took place in early morning at 5 am. The bus was heading towards Mumbai when the driver lost control of the vehicle after which the accident occurred. Reportedly, the bus went steep down by some 30 to 40 feet. There were more than 50 passengers on the bus including the bus driver and two helpers.
The deceased passengers have been identified as Sachin Thorat (3), Sneha Janardhan Patil (15), Janardhan Patil (45), Sanjay Shivaji Rakshe (50) and Pramila Ramachandra Mohite (50) .
Image Courtesy: ANI
As per the report, the vehicle crashed near a gorge but did not fall inside. The injured people have been rushed to MGM Kamote hospital, and Lokmanya hospital for treatment.
The reason behind the accident is yet to be ascertained. The officers are investigating the matter, further details are awaited.
Indian politics is often described as being feisty, vibrant, colourful, controversial, debatable, provocative, all of that and more. It all depends on which side of the spectrum you stand and there is a perspective, always. People are aware, concerned and involved, good or bad, it shows the vibrancy of politics in India. With the time, every common man is taking huge interest in politics of nation and some say Indian politics is much more entertaining than the cricket match. Perhaps, here comes the ‘Satta Bazaar‘ that seems to have received a big boost from the roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to social media campaigns. Opposition leaders say that ‘Satta Bazaar’ trends are manipulated by BJP supporters and are therefore not reliable. These days they don’t even trust EVM, they believe that the votes are too manipulated. Still, Assembly Elections 2019: Maharashtra’s ‘Satta Bazaar’ sizzles in electoral heat. The informal, black money-backed betting rackets have been fairly active but the clandestine nature of operations prevents verification of claims.
The financial capital of India’s ‘Satta Bazaar’, scandalous for swaying political trends with huge stakes, is sizzling in the political heat generated by the flabbergasted Assembly elections results. Insiders say the stakes are high and multi-targeted, from victories to defeats and margins. “So far, the wind is blowing and National Democratic Alliance‘s (NDA) forming the government. The Congress this time did fairly well in Maharashtra. NCP just bounced back, and both the parties proved that there are still voters for them. So the dream of Congress or NCP Mukt Bharat or Maharashtra is not possible ever. The Sena-BJP alliance has good support among betting circles. Punters were little cautious, when BJP could not get expected majority and Sena leaders were passing random comments over their demands. In 2014, BJP was assured of overwhelming mass support. But after five years in 2019, the voters escalated. BJP is a single largest party but they cannot form government on their own.
Betting circuits were cold till after the conclusion of assembly elections but have picked up after the tussles between Sena-BJP. Restive allies and rebellion in the ranks became trouble for the BJP. There were too many leaders from other parties joined BJP and the party could not accommodate its own leaders in the greed of appeasing outsiders flown in the party. The most anticipated elections results, if one goes by the odds placed on various parties and candidates in the illegal betting market. Devendra, punters believe, will be crowned the Chief minister for the second term. The price climbs to Rs 1.80 for Sena-BJP alliance. Some betting operators believe that the party is capable of reaching 150 seats on its own but that did not happen. A punter can bet any amount on a range of scenarios, for instance, on the BJP winning 150 seats. If this comes true, the bettor gets 22 paise on every rupee bet. If the bet was Rs 1 lakh, the punter gets back Rs 1.22 lakh. There’s an inverse relationship between odds and the chances of winning the latter declines as the former rises. Bookies said the level of interest is very high and they expect total turnover to cross Rs 10000 crore by the time elections are concluded, compared with Rs 5000 crore in the last election in 2014. Every opinion poll has suggested since 2003 that Congress will not win but still they returned. The BJP also seemed unwilling to take the betting market too seriously but most of the voters in the state want Devendra as CM and assessments are based on this public perception. In 2014 and 2019 assembly elections, bookies made a lot of money as nobody expected BJP and Sena will lock horns over their pre-promised demands.
People are glued to all news channels looking at the Sena-BJP leaders and their interviews. Who will be sworn in is bit confusing because Sena also declared that their leaders would be swearing in as CM, and on the other hand Devendra claimed that he would be swearing in on 8th of November. Whereas people on social network have their own opinion, anyways these are just speculations as the respective party leaders will decide the fate of political parties in respective positions.
Meanwhile, there are two interesting factors to be kept in mind while watching news channels. One, the money that is sponsored and paid for showing favour to one party, and other one is Satta Bazaar that is influencing people to bet more on certain party in association with TV channel telecast on speculation. The moment Television channels began broadcasting exit polls for Maharashtra, the Satta Bazaar shot up. The picture of BJP was very glossy. Maharashtra has definitively picked the BJP, according to most polls; the party appears to have retained here.
Apart from Satta Bazaar, there are many private bookies and gambling dens, who are sponsors to various news sources. The predictions are made for gaining business in terms of revenue and TRP, if you see in the past two years, the BJP has not been faring too well in the state elections, with the party facing debacles in key power centers like Bihar and Delhi. Then too bookies played it well, and now they are suggesting what they have to. Meanwhile, BJP is very much confident in forming its government. Let’s see, what happens ahead.
(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
Betting on cricket is more popular in urban areas as compared to rural areas. “The ‘Satta’ market believes Devendra has an edge over Shiv Sena and it will be Devendra Government,” the bookie said. The betting market has shown a lot of interest in Mumbai, with Devendra as CM and Aaditya Thackeray as Deputy CM.
“The minimum betting amount is Rs 10,000. We have different mobile apps, websites and direct investment is also possible. The bidding price fluctuates every day,” a bookie said.
Post Assembly election results and speculations on different possibilities; the underground betting market has reached a state of ecstasy.
The bookies of Mumbai and Vidarbha told Afternoon Voice on the condition of anonymity that the political betting has grown so big that it has even surpassed punting on the IPL or Cricket. Different estimates by them suggest that the size of the election betting market now stands at over Rs 10,000 crores, almost twice as big as it was in 2014. Since betting is unregulated and illegal, Afternoon Voice could not authenticate or verify this figure. The exponential growth of the ‘Satta‘ market has also been aided by mobile apps and websites, with many of them operating abroad – where betting is legalised.
“It is a multi-million dollar business. Bets change every day,” said a person familiar with the international betting market, referring to a website operating from Canada which offers daily betting rates for the BJP and Sena alliance government.
Nishant Vilas Birje, Yuva Sena Vasai Taluka Chief Coordinator said, “The ruling alliance has not performed well in the last five years. There is a slowdown in almost all sectors which has hit the business community hard.”
“The bookies have favoured BJP to perform well. The Congress is facing internal issues, many of their senior leaders have rebelled and joined BJP which would help the party to retain power in Maharashtra,” he added.
In Mumbai, the market predicts BJP’s CM and Sena-BJP to power. Bookies believe there is a tight triangular contest among the BJP, Sena and the NCP, but the saffron party leads on the back of PM Narendra Modi‘s popularity. “Though there is no Modi wave in the country, there is a hint of urban voters by and large casting their votes for the BJP said Mumbai based Bookies.
‘Satta Bazaar‘ predicts that the Sena-BJP will come to power, they will manage to form the government over lot of internal compromises. The Congress and NCP on the other hand will sit in opposition. Initially, there was huge betting on Sena-NCP alliance, but as time passes, the betting has comedown heavily on this combination.
This means for every rupee 1 placed on Sena- BJP, one would get 2 rupees, and if the BJP doesn’t come to power its rate will be Rs 100. On Rupee 1 played on Devendra as CM, would get 2 rupees. On other than Devendra if one Rupee played, one would get 200. In many cases, the party’s vote shares decide the betting rate.
All government and private schools up till Class 12 in Noida and Greater Noida will remain closed on November 4 and 5 in the wake of spike in the pollution level, officials said on Sunday. The air quality in the twin-cities adjoining Delhi has worsened since Friday and Saturday, as per the official data.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said the decision has been taken as the levels of particulate matter 2.5 and 10 have been excessive in the air since Diwali, resulting in a major dip in the overall air quality.
“Transport vehicles like buses and minibuses, which a lot of schools use to ferry children, are a major contributor of PM 2.5 and PM 10. The movement of such vehicles in the city now could aggravate the situation,” District Magistrate B N Singh said in a written order.
“Hence, it is ordered that all schools up till Class 12 in Gautam Buddh Nagar will remain closed on November 4 and 5,” he said.
At 10.35 a.m. on Sunday, the air quality index (AQI) of Noida was 487, while that of Greater Noida was 470, both in the “severe” category, which means it affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.
On the other hand, Delhi was enveloped in a thick layer of smog on Sunday morning with the minimum temperature settling at 18.7 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season’s average. The city received 0.3 mm rain in the past 24 hours which slightly lowered the hazardous level of air pollutants in the air. Relative humidity was 85 per cent at 8.30 a.m., said a Met. department official.
The day is forecast to remain generally cloudy with light rain or drizzle expected later on. The maximum temperature will be around 28 degrees Celsius, he said. The air seed was around three knots at 8.30 a.m., the official said, adding the visibility was poor due to the smog. Some respite is expected from the heavy pollution, with strong surface winds forecast in daytime on Monday and Tuesday.
Blame game must be stopped by both national parties (Congress and BJP). Instead efforts should be taken to strengthen our Banking sector as well as mode of its lending by proper risk assessment. Credit rating agency’s quality is to be standardized and enhanced. RBIs “regulating” aspect must be carefully monitored. Our economic advisers have to pin point the areas where economic activity needs more attention.
In a recent outburst Dr. Manmohan Singh attacked NDA government for its failure to address major problems relating to the Indian Economy. He addressed a meeting recently and reiterated that ‘The main problem in our economy is the shortage of demand’. The event, titled “Words of Wisdom on Indian Economy” came rather late from the ex-prime minister of India creating a controversy. He went on to add that the government needs to at least fix economic crisis, if it cannot diagnose the problem. However, the problem commenced during the 10 year rule of the UPA government.
The slackness in our economy started over a decade back before BJP government took over. A silent statement during the time of scams now Manmohan speaks his mind. It was rather too late but came as a rejoinder to the BJP led government. It appears as though the pot is calling the kettle back. Despite Congress rule for so many years, why is it that the railways’ infrastructure increased only by a mere 30-35%, while the demand increased by 16 times. In this situation, it is natural that the railways should be overloaded.
The UPA regime under Dr. Singh had bequeathed a doddering economy to the nation and that all sorts of scams be it the telecom fraud of ₹1.76 lakh crore or the ‘Coalgate’ scam of ₹1.86 lakh crore occurred during the Congress-led government. Apart from that Suresh Kalmadi as an Indian politician and senior sports administrator involved in corrupt practices in relation to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. So India was facing trouble on economic front during his time but the buck was passed on to the present government. There were scams exploding all around Dr. Singh, who only had one answer: that these are the compulsions of coalition politics. DMK the main coalition partner exploited their position as the single largest party made money when the sun shines.
While we concede that the demand had been slow in the previous two quarters and the demand was generally subdued. The government exudes confidence that it would be successful in reversing the slowdown. The Finance Minister has taken a number of proactive steps gauging the economy from time to time and so both investment and demand will pick up soon. Before 2014 Anna Hazare had vigorously protested in Jantar Mantar and he also demanded the formation of Lokpal in 2014 and now it stands forgotten. Kiran Bedi has now become Governor of Pondichery and Baba Ramdev has become a leading businessman and Arvind Kejirwal is silenced.
Ex-PM felt that the government is obsessed with trying to somehow fix blame on its opponents. In the process, it is unable to find solutions that will ensure revival of the economy, particularly strengthening of our banking system. But most of the banking scams perpetrated from the UPA regime and that is pinching the present government as well. Had he felt the need of speaking then we would have been better of now and the national party would not have suffered such a humiliation. Corruption is the grass root for all the problems and the political parties need to admit this. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s regime was marked by rampant corruption and that every rule was disregarded and the basic tenets of transparency were discarded to the advantage of individuals and no one was ready to open the mouth then and there lies the crux of all the problems. It is time to stop blame game and there should be only constructive criticism and it should not be just for the sake of pointing fingers.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Babasaheb Ambedkar: The architect of Indian constitution
It’s heartening to know that the Ministry of Human Resource Development has requested schools and other educational institutions across the country to celebrate Constitution Day on November 26, 2019 and a series of events to follow. The celebration will end on Ambedkar Jayanti in January 2020.
The ministry has directed the institutions to conduct activities connected with our Constitution and fundamental rights. This no doubt will help in creating more awareness about the constitution and fundamental duties among the younger generation. The celebration also will give students a beautiful picture of the deeds ,achievements and the role played by the architect of our Indian Constitution – Babasaheb Ambedkar in the nation’s history. A role model for every Indian Babasaheb Ambedkar played a vital role in the overall development and well-being of Indians. His role in uplifting the downtrodden and those suppressed by casteism make him a legendary leader. Babasaheb always stressed on education as he taught the Indians that only through education that one can progress and prosper and also it is the only tool that can be used to eliminate social evils. The events will definitely give first hand knowledge to the students about Babasaheb who was a multifaceted person – a jurist, educationist, social reformer, historian and above all a leader of the mass who dedicated his whole life for the commoners.
M Pradyu
Need to have permanent amnesty scheme in form of elephant bonds
According to media-reports, a high-level government-committee led by economist Surjit Bhalla has recommended an amnesty scheme in form of elephant-bonds wherein those declaring undisclosed money or assets could pay 15-per cent tax after investing 40-per cent of undisclosed amount in 20-year elephant-bonds yielding nominal 5-per cent annual interest. Central government should take decision on the proposal soon because currency-circulation after demonetisation of old currency on November 8, 2016 has increased by about 20-percent instead of anticipated reduction. Only paving way for cashless economy can increase revenue-earning, check tax-evasion and corruption both. Rather thought should be given to have permanent amnesty scheme in form of elephant bonds by modifying modalities for 30-percent tax and 50-percent investment in elephant-bonds for ten years with interest-yield of 5-percent per annum as a permanent way to check currency-circulation, revenue-earning and investment in infrastructure in turn creating employment also.
Simultaneously instead of any demonetisation, those having rupees-2000 currency notes may be asked to deposit these in bank-accounts and withdraw if needed immediately or as per need thus not affecting common people or having accounted cash in form of 2000-rupee notes. It will automatically make those having unaccounted cash in form of rupees-2000 notes to avail amnesty scheme in form of elephant-bonds.
Madhu Agrawal
Shrinking core sector worries
According to the Index of Eight Core Industries, September’s contraction came after a marginal growth of 0.1 per cent registered in August. The contrast in output pace was even more evident on a year-on-year basis, when the growth rate stood at 4.3 per cent in September 2018. The eight core industries include coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. The Index of eight core industries, barring fertilisers, all the other seven sectors contracted in September. The core sectors comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). Core sector performance in September 2019 has been the lowest in the last 12 months and negative for the first time and it is alarming situation to give a boost to the core industries in India.
Gundu K. Maniam
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
From forthcoming January 1, Indian ships will prohibit on board a large number of single-use plastic products, including ice cream containers, hot dish cups, microwave dishes and potato chips bags.
The decision has been taken in larger public interest by the Directorate General of Shipping following an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 to “take the first big step” towards freeing India of single-use plastics.
Not only a large number of single-use plastics will be prohibited to be used on board Indian ships but will also be banned in foreign ships when in Indian waters.
The Directorate General of Shipping has come out with an order prohibiting a large number of single-use plastics in Indian ships and foreign ships in Indian waters from January 2, 2020.
The list of items contain bags, trays, containers, food packaging film, milk bottles, freezer bags, shampoo bottles, ice cream containers, bottles for water and other drinks, dispensing containers for cleaning fluid and biscuits trays.
Items prohibited also include hot drink cups, insulated food packaging, protective packaging for fragile items, microwave dishes, ice cream tubs, potato chips bags and bottle caps.
Besides, the Directorate has banned use of single-use plastic cutlery, plates and cups, up to 10 litres of bottles for water and other drinks, garbage and shopping bags and dispensing containers for cleaning fluids which are less than 10 litres volume with immediate impact.
It has directed authorities to “ensure during surveys, inspection and audit of Indian ships that single-use plastics are not found used/stored on board any Indian ship” and added that in case of non compliance and repeated offence it will be a case for detention.
It also said that foreign ships intending to enter Indian waters will have to declare single use plastic items on-board and no such items will be discharged at Indian ports.
Quoting international reports it said most common finds during international coastal cleanups are, in order of magnitude – cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bottle caps, food wrappers, plastic grocery bags, plastic lids, straw and stirrer, glass beverage bottles and and other kind of plastic bags.
It said single-use throw-away plastics contaminate soil, river and water-bodies with irreparable damage.
According to International Maritime Organisation (IMO), marine litter presents a huge problem in oceans with some scientists warning that by 2050, the quantity of plastics in the oceans will outweigh the fishes.
As Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena continue to lock horns over power-sharing in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis could be the new Chief Minister as there are incorrigible whispers around. BJP is all set to form the government in the state on its own. The current scenario is that except the ruling parties of Shiv Sena and BJP, NCP are the most accepted parties in the state. The people of Maharashtra have shown love for them. The way Pawar pulled this powerful show during assembly elections, one thing is worth noticing that they have their set of voters and nothing can stop them if they try hard.
The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in Maharashtra by winning 105 seats. The party fought the election in alliance with Shiv Sena, which bagged 56 seats. However, after the election results were announced, Shiv Sena demanded 50:50 portfolio sharing formula in state. Devendra Fadnavis said that Shiv Sena was not promised CM’s post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was finalised before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. At this point neither Sena is in a mood to compromise, nor BJP is in a mood to agree upon Sena’s demands. So without wasting time, BJP is set to form the government on its own and would take an oath on November 5th or 6th. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The BJP is determined to form the government even if Shiv Sena keeps itself away from the alliance. Notably, the responsibilities for organising the oath-taking ceremony have been assigned to BJP MLAs Prasad Lad and Chandrakant Patil. Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told news agency that the party is firm on its demand of 50-50 portfolio-sharing formula. Right now things may look dicey, but later on very probable that after the usual going back and forth, the Shiv Sena and BJP will come together to form the government.
Since day one Shiv Sena quarreled for seat sharing. Then their strike rate is much lesser than BJP. The BJP will ideally like to take Shiv Sena’s support. However SS (Shiv Sena) would like to negotiate hard to get as many ministers in the cabinet and take the most important portfolios (Home, Finance, PWD, Irrigation etc). The BJP is in no mood to give into Shiv Sena’s demands and given NCP’s open offer of support may choose to form a government without Shiv Sena if Sena remains adamant. Eventually it will be Shiv Sena who will decide whether they want to work under BJP or not, but frankly speaking they have no options too. Party leaders from both sides have started hinting towards a possible reconciliation. Both parties have been deprived of power in the state from 15 years. They can’t afford to lose such an opportunity just for the sake of their ego.
Another weird but a possible combination could be that NCP forms the government with the support of INC and Shiv Sena but that is highly unlikely.
It is most likely that Shiv Sena has to offer support to BJP. This is because BJP governments in most states have had very good track record (Gujarat, MP, Chattisgarh). If BJP governs well in Maharashtra and Shiv Sena is not present in the government then in next election Shiv Sena will lose even more seats. Shiv Sena would not like to risk such a scenario and instead choose to partner with BJP so that it is able to maintain its position in Maharashtra. Essentially, the CM must be from the single largest party. Ministries should be allotted proportionately to the respective strengths. There is some room for bargaining either for DyCM or for a few important portfolios. If SS want CM, major portfolio and equal number of ministries it amounts to simple black mailing. BJP must not succumb to blackmailing. Now there are following options:
If both the parties fail to draw some conclusion, then re-election be ordered after a brief President’s rule. In this scenario, BJP must go alone. SS will lose like anything as it is on the verge of extinction like INC being a dynastic party. If Raj Thackeray is on extinction, Aaditya Thackeray is no better. In nutshell, BJP must not make any compromise beyond limit. In this scenario, Maharashtra may head for President’s rule if the new government in the state is not in place by November 7. The tenure of the existing Legislative Assembly ends on November 8.
People of Maharashtra have given mandate not to any party but to the alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and other parties. A new government will have to be in place within the stipulated time. But the main hurdle in government formation is Sena’s demand for Chief Minister’s post for 2.5 years. If Shiv Sena wants to form the government with options they have in hand, they should take risk, if not without wasting time they both should come to some sorts of agreement. No matter what, Devendra would be the next CM of Maharashtra.
(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
On Friday morning, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut posted a hard-hitting tweet stating. “Sahib, don’t feed your arrogance…many Alexanders have drowned in the ocean of time,” He believes that the people of Maharashtra want a chief minister from the Shiv Sena.
To validate his opinion, we spoke to many localities, some of them really endorse Raut’s statement but some refute his claim. Uttam Thakur the resident of Karjat said, change is the need of hour because BJP leaders have developed wrong attitude, they failed to take the success gracefully. This time if Sena forms government at least they will understand what went wrong.
Amol Birajdar, District General Secretary, BYJM, Latur told Afternoon Voice “I would like to see CM from the BJP side because it is a single largest party. And it has been a senior alliance partner. So, I think it should be BJP and they have won 105 seats.”
When asked him, why BJP has not got the expected majority this time?
He said, “There were lots of aspirants we (BJP) couldn’t accommodate all of them. So some of them turned against the party and they contested independently which has actually damaged BJP’s success ratio.”
Meanwhile Sanjay Raut said, “If Shiv Sena decides, it will get the required numbers to form stable government in the state. People have given the mandate to form government on basis of the 50-50 formula that was reached in front of people of Maharashtra. They want a chief minister from the Shiv Sena,”. There is no ultimatum to the BJP. They are big people,” he further stated.
Amit Badiricha – Shiv Sena social media team member said, “Uddhav Thackeray and Amit Shah have already discussed the alliance and which ministerial berth will be given to Sena, they both are the right people to take decision. I don’t know why and how Sanjay Raut is making different statements every day.”
When asked Sharad Pawar the NCP Chief, he denied the rumours of aligning with Shiv-Sena. On his meeting with Sanjay Raut he said it was not about government formation. The NCP has declared that the people’s mandate is for the party to sit in the opposition, along with ally Congress and other parties.
On the other hand Sanjay Nirupam an Ex. Member of Indian Parliament from Indian National Congress party, and former President of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. Nirupam served two terms as an MP in the Rajya Sabha first as a member from the Shiv Sena and then from the Congress Party. He has now warned Congress of not to get involved in Shiv Sena’s drama.
The Shiv Sena is adamant on its demand for an equal shot at the chief minister’s post in what its chief Uddhav Thackeray calls a “50:50” deal discussed with the BJP earlier this year, before the national election. Talk of the deal reemerged after the Maharashtra election results last week; the BJP won 105 of the state’s 288 seats and the Sena finished with 56. Together, they are comfortably past the 145-majority mark. Mr Pawar’s party won 54 seats and the Congress won 44, which means they can be spoilers if the Sena does make a radical move.
Interestingly, a farmer from Beed district in Maharashtra has offered to do what neither the Shiv Sena nor the BJP have been able to despite lakhs of farmers struggling to deal with mounting debts and crops destroyed by floods – name a Chief Minister. Shrikant Vishnu Gadale, a resident of Wadmauli village, wrote to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, asking to be made Chief Minister till the squabbling allies sorted out their differences. In his letter Shrikant Gadale, a farmer, said the floods that swept the state in August had heavily damaged crops and the state needed a functioning government as soon as possible to provide help to farmers in distress.
Nishant Vilas Birje, Yuva Sena Vasai Taluka Chief Coordinator said, “I never blamed BJP’s CM, but by looking at the current scenario, breaking promises and playing around makes no sense. Shiv Sena’s 63 MLA’s too visited Governor for the issues relating to droughts in Maharashtra and started their work towards relief.”
Abhishek Rai- Journalist said, “BJP’s manifesto is much more grounded in reality, and their promises are something that can be trusted. When it comes to accountability, we can any time trust BJP as they have worked towards development.”
Sumita Chakraborty, Editor of Stardust Magazine said,“I would prefer a BJP Chief Minister, preferably Devendra Fadnavis. I find him balanced empathetic to the people and strong.”
In the beginning of October, Mumbai hit headlines due to cutting of trees in Aarey Colony. Bombay High Court gave permission for this and on the very same day, government officials started felling trees in darkness of night. They cut over 2500 green trees despite protests by students and environmentalists. Aarey Colony forest is considered as lung of Mumbai’s environment. Cutting of trees is a matter of concern for residents of Mumbai because the air pollution is continuously increasing in the city. This matter reached to the Supreme Court. The apex court ordered the Maharashtra government not to cut even single tree in Aarey Colony.
Amid Aarey controversy, there is good news for Mumbaikars. The city has recorded the cleanest Diwali air in five years. Mumbai’s air quality has been best since 2015. Air quality monitoring began from the year 2015. On the other hand, the national capital Delhi registered a surge in air pollution on the occasion of Diwali. However, there was relief for Mumbai as Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city remained under 200. The data of the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) revealed it. SAFAR is air quality monitor of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
As per SAFAR, people of Mumbai breathed better air after Diwali. Major pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 docked at 32 and 43 respectively in Haji Ali area of the city. This level of pollutants comes in the ‘good’ category. According to SAFAR data, an AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe. Above 500 is emergency category. PM 10 and PM 2.5 are solid and liquid pollutants of less than 10 and 2.5 microns in size and are suspended in air. These particles can enter our respiratory system. It is harmful to health. These air pollutants may cause health complications over long span of exposure.
SAFAR monitored AQI levels on 10 locations in the city. All areas recorded ‘good’ air quality. Navi Mumbai has the cleanest air with AQI levels at 2, followed by Bhandup at 3. There was more pollution in Andheri area where AQI was at 25.
Mumbai received the heaviest rain fall this year. The rains wrecked havoc in the city and many people lost their lives. Rains continued till Diwali. But it proved beneficial for environment of the city. Rain washed away air pollutants suspended closer to the surface. It kept air free of pollution. Thus, if the city had the cleanest Diwali air, its credit goes to prolonged and heavy rain.
It does not mean that the threat of air pollution is averted. Few decades earlier, the Aarey forest in Mumbai was spread over 3,000-acre land. Later on, it was reduced to only 1,300 acres. In the name of development people cut this forest. As result of this, the air pollution rose in the city. Also, the risk of floods has been increased. During past few years, Mumbai repeatedly faced flood like situation. The city has been turned into a concrete jungle. Population and vehicular traffic are increasing continuously. Thus, pollution is also increasing without any respite.
Earlier this year, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) had also claimed that levels of particulate matter (PM) have declined in Mumbai. But the Union Environment Ministry tabled a report in the Lok Sabha revealing city’s level of PM 10 in 2018 was the highest in over 20 years. PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels in Mumbai have been steadily increasing. This report was prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the CPCB, the annual average of PM 10 levels in Mumbai had been at 166µg/m3 in 2018 and 151µg/m3 in 2017. The annual safe limit for PM 10 is 60 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). Thus, it indicates that air of Mumbai is polluted and steps should be taken to reduce it. More trees should be planted and greenery in the city must increase. For this, efforts should be made by both people and the government. Clean and pollution free Mumbai is necessary for every resident of the city. We must achieve this goal.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Betting on cricket is more popular in urban areas as compared to rural areas. “The ‘Satta’ market believes 
All government and private schools up till Class 12 in Noida and Greater Noida will remain closed on November 4 and 5 in the wake of spike in the pollution level, officials said on Sunday. The air quality in the twin-cities adjoining Delhi has worsened since Friday and Saturday, as per the official data.
Blame game must be stopped by both national parties (
From forthcoming January 1, Indian ships will prohibit on board a large number of single-use plastic products, including ice cream containers, hot dish cups, microwave dishes and potato chips bags.
On Friday morning, Shiv Sena’s 