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Mumbai is an incredible city
“Mumbai is an incredible city which is symbol of energy and optimism of India",
said US President Barack Obama
saluting the spirit of Mumbai as he addressed the press at Taj on
November 6, 2010. Obama mentioned that his visit to Taj is a clear message to terrorists while reiterating that India and US are
working closely than ever in the battle against terror.
According to annual Citi/Knight Frank Wealth Report on
April 2011, Mumbai has gained in importance as global business city by 118 percent followed by
Shanghai (91 percent) and Sao Paolo (66 percent). It said almost 40 percent of the worlds most exclusive residential
property markets increased in value during 2010: Of this six of the 10 biggest gainers were in Asia.
Mumbai Adarsh Housing Society scam.
The Opposition on November 9, 2010 joined forces in Parliament to raise the Adarsh Housing Society scam. “The entire
nation has been ashamed. Though Mr Ashok Chavan has resigned, mere removal of the chief minister is not enough. An independent
probe of Adarsh Housing Society scam is required. The government owes an explanation to the
people. Prithviraj Chavan nominated new chief minister of Maharashtra after the resignation of Ashok Chavan
India cannot abandon nuclear power programme at Jaitapur
India needs to learn appropriate lessons from the nuclear disaster in Japan and take additional safeguards, but the
country cannot abandon its nuclear energy programme, even Jaitapur nuclear project in
Maharashtra said the ex-Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh |
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Mumbai Marathon 2012
Mumbai monorail to integrate Metro, local
The opening of the 19.54km corridor between Jacob Circle to Chembur in
Mumbai some time later this year will announce the arrival of monorail
in the country. The 20-odd kilometre corridor, which runs through the city's most
congested parts, is being taken up in two sections. The 11.28km Jacob
Circle - Wadala section is likely to open first — some time in mid-2012. |
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The air we breathe in Mumbai
The environment status report published by the BMC in September
2011 lays the blame of greater pollution levels on construction in
Mumbai. The report reiterates what has been observed for the past couple of
years. A report concluded by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
last year had blamed construction activity for contributing to the maximum amount of pollution.
The air that Mumbaiites are breathing may make them more susceptible to
cancer. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s latest Environment Status Report
(ESR) for 2009-2010, released on September 3, 2010 shows that the amount of cancer- causing particulate matter in the air
has increased alarmingly compared to last year.
On 14th July, 2010 Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial area on land owned by the Mumbai Port
Trust. Nearly 76 people were treated in hospital and 10 people were in intensive care after the gas
leak Mumbai was poisoned by Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial area.
.Again our beautiful sea is continued to poisoned by oil spill and
chemicals. Two Panamanian cargo ships - MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia 111 - collided on August 7, 2010 off the Mumbai
coast causing an oil spill from one of the vessels. Oil continued to spill for
several days even as anti-pollution operations are being carried out by the Navy and Coast Guard to
neutralise the oil. "Polluter must pay and polluter will pay," the Union environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh told the Rajya Sabha on August
17, 2010. Also reported that nearly 100 containers that fell into the waters following the collision
between two merchant vessels off the Mumbai coast.
Mumbai is in the middle of a huge transition. New towers are coming up
every 500m, new modes of transport, like the Monorail and the Metro are
being laid, and mills and chawls are being brought down for multi-storied complexes. The key equipment for construction is heavier
and faster modes of transport: excavators, trailer cranes, dumpers and rollers, a senior transport department official said.
Latest statistics from Maharashtra's transport department state that Maharashtra has made a jump from 3,78,873 of JCB vehicles (excavators,
forklifts, cranes and diggers) in 2000 to 8,45,617 in 2009, which means an addition of more than four lakh
vehicles in nine years. The machines are classified under the category of articulated and multi-axle vehicles.
In Mumbai, there are as many as 16,023 of these machines, with 9,196 in
south Mumbai alone, 4,735 in the western suburbs and 2,092 in the eastern suburbs. Additionally, 24,061 machines registered in Thane,
17,075 in Navi Mumbai, and 3,886 in Dombivli and Kalyan are working at
various sites in the city. You can imagine how much pollution will generate? |
Ship carrying 60,000 tons of coal sinks off Mumbai
Mumbai, August 8 , 2011:Oil leaking from sunken cargo vessel MV Rak Carrier was emerging
as a major environmental hazard to the Mumbai coast Sunday afternoon.
The oil spill had spread to over seven nautical miles around the area where the Panama-flagged vessel had sunk three days ago.
"Since Saturday night, oil has been leaking from the sunken vessel at an
approximate rate of 1.5-2 tonnes per hour," a senior ICG official said.
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Crime on Mumbai trains up by 15% in 5 years
The CAG report in Jauanry 9, 2012 states that crimes in trains have increased by 15% in the
last five years. This shows that passengers continue to be easy targets and that it was
high time that rail security teams got their act together. Slamming the railways, the latest 2011 report states that there is a
lack of security on part of the railway administration, despite recommendations by the high-level committee on Security Plan.
Mumai
battered by heavy rains
Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial
area on 14th July 2010. |
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A step to reduce pollution and ease traffic congestion in Mumbai
The first bridge built over the sea in India
Congress president Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the first bridge to be built over the sea in India
on July 1, 2009. in Mumbai. It was built to ease traffic congestion and to cut traveling time between the western suburbs of Bandra with Worli
over the Arabian Sea. It has eight lanes and aims to reduce journey time from 45 to six minutes.
The sea link is being hailed for reducing the travel time from Bandra to Worli to seven minutes from the current 40. This could help save fuel and
reduce pollution. An estimated 50,000 vehicles are set to ply on the eight-lane wonder. The city has more than a million vehicles. Officials say
the bridge is a way to ease Mumbai's traffic problems. But the critics do not believe the bridge will help ease traffic congestion in a city which adds several hundred new vehicles to its roads every
day.
Mr Jairam Ramesh announced recently that the setting up of new private helipads would not be permitted
infuriating many, but also earning the support of other citizens. The
Maharashtra government had sought clearance for four helipads to be used in emergencies as well as for security purposes. Mr Ramesh has said
he will give permission only for government-owned helipads but not privately-owned ones to be built on rooftops of highrise buildings. At
present, some businessmen have their own helipads while many others are interested in acquiring them.
Mumbai's first monorail
One more step to ease traffic congestion and pollution is the
trial run of Mumbai's first monorail on 61st Republic Day of India. The trial run of Rs 2, 460 crore monorail project will be done on a 108 metre track at
Wadala. The proposed route of this monorail is between Jacob Circle and
Chembur will be ready by the year 2011, The Monorail Mumbai will be a substitute of local trains and other road transportation.
According to the sources, initially, 14 Monorails with four coaches each with the capacity of 500 passengers .
The Mono Rail is free of air and noise pollution. It will also help save all the fuel needed for public and private transport. And the
vibration-free Mono will save Mumbaikars’ time too! Once completed, the Mono rail will soon take the city towards reduced pollution and carbon emissions. Since the Mono Rail does not require any fossil fuel for its
operation it remains free of air pollution and as it runs on a narrow 0.8-meter beam with the help of rubber tyres it makes very little noise.
Monitoring bio-medical waste for disposal
Now all vehicles carrying hazardous bio-medical waste for disposal in
Maharashtra will be monitored with global positioning system (GPS) devices fitted on them, vo/a pollution board official said.
The system has been designed and implemented for the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) by TATA AutoComp.
Mobility Telematics. MPCB is the first state-level pollution control authority in India to
use the sophisticated tracking device to check proper collection and
disposal of bio-medical wastes to prevent environmental damage and health hazards, the official claimed.
MPCB has fitted the GPS devices on more than 140 of its trucks to trace their movements online from a control centre.
Mumbai pedals for green cause
'Burn fat, not fuel' was the message that participants were trying to spread as Mumbai witnessed it's first ever Cyclothon on February 21, 2010. With over 7,000
participants at the Mumbai Cyclothon 2010, the event boasted of six different categories and each saw a decent flow of entries. "Finally, youngsters are
inspired to take this sport seriously," said one of the senior participants.
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On World Environment Day
on June 5, 2010, Mumbaikars too join citizens the world over in doing their two bits for Mother
Nature. With a series of activities and events, such as movie screenings, plantation drives and cycle rallies, being planned
throughout the day and the weekend, organisers are hoping to create awareness about the environment and inculcate the green spirit among people.
Mahasrashtra colleges and university campuses to go green
University and colleges in the state have been asked to replicate the
"Green Campus" project started by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai that aims to reduce the environmental impact of large residential
campuses. On October 26, 2010, university vice chancellors and college principals
were told by the state environment department that they will get financial and technical help if they build green buildings in their
campuses and create facilities to conserve energy and water.
Northern coastline of Maharashtra has higher levels of pollution
The northern coastline of Maharashtra, which, according to a recent study done by the
Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) for the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), has higher levels of pollution than any
other coastline in India. The major reasons for industrial, domestic and port-based pollution
along the northern portion of Maharashtra's 720-km-long coastline are rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and a lack of control over the
dumping of chemicals and pollutants into the Arabian Sea, especially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, says the study.
"The higher levels of hazardous chemicals in inshore waters along the
northern Maharashtra coast as compared to the southern coast suggest high organic inputs due to anthropogenic activities, such as sewage,
leading to severe deterioration in environmental activity in many instances," says the survey.
Mumbai as top polluted city
Mumbai is now the second largest coastal city in the world and India's premier port.
The new Mumbai, located close to the largest chemical industry zone in Asia, is exposed to high levels of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals released by these industries.
According to WHO, Mumbai is next to Kolkata and
Delhi as one of the top ten most polluted cities in the
world In India, the urban agglomerations are restricted to a selected few cities, which
have attracted migration. Mumbai being the trade and commercial capital of India,
has been the destination for all types of population groups such as literates, illiterates; skilled and unskilled; and persons from all walks of life. The
population of Mumbai grew by 38 per cent during 1971-81 and, 20 per cent during 1981-91 to reach 10 million. Currently, the Mumbai’s population is standing at
18 million making it one of the most populous metropolises in the world. With
this increase in population there has been an increase in number of vehicles and industrial activities aggravating of air pollution levels. With this
growing peril of air pollution there is a serious threat to the health of its citizens (World Bank).
A recent report on air pollution and its sources in mega cities
by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and sponsored by the Central Pollution
Control Board reveals just how deep the pollution in Mumbai is. Construction
activity, including paved and unpaved road dust is responsible for as much as 38% of the emission load of particulate matter (PM) in
Mumbai. Power plants are the second biggest culprits accounting for 20.99% of air pollution, followed by landfill open burning at 10.84%. In
the vehicular category, heavy duty diesel (HDDV) vehicles contribute to 3.42% of emissions.
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Hazardous. Industries in the city
There are approximately 40,000 small and big industries in the city, of which 32 have been classified as hazardous. Industries
in the air-polluting category include textile mills, chemical, pharmaceutical,
engineering and foundry units. Process emissions and those from fuel consumption,
constitute the main sources of air pollution. Major air pollution sources include
a giant fertilizer/chemical complex; two oil refineries and a thermal power
plant, all based in CHEMBUR, a suburb on the eastern coast of Bombay (World Bank).
The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGB) monitors the air quality within the city limits; MCGB has measured ambient air quality
regularly at 22 monitoring stations in Mumbai for over 15 years. These monitoring stations
measured the air pollutant levels according to who prescribed guidelines and methods.
Air Quality Monitoring
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) latest
Environment Status Report (ESR) for 2009-2010, released on September 3, 2010 shows that the amount of cancer-causing particulate matter in the air
has increased alarmingly compared to last year. The report shows that the presence of benzo(a)pyrene, a highly
carcinogenic chemical released in the air, in the city has risen eight times from its minimum level of 0.13 µg/1000m3 in 2008-2009 to 1.09.
The maximum level has increased five times, from 0.54 µg/1000m3 in 2008- 2009 to 2.56. µg/1000m3 is a unit that measures the concentration
of particulate matter in a defined quantity of air. “The annual average of B(a)P levels has exceeded the Central Pollution
Control board standards of 1 µg/1000m3,” the report pointed out. “These carcinogens can cause cancer of the breathing tract and the voice
box as they are absorbed by the body while breathing,” said Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head and neck cancer surgeon with the Tata Memorial Centre in Parel.
Benzo(a)pyrene is part of a class of chemicals called polynuclear
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and is emitted from tar, automobile exhaust fumes and smoke from combustion of organic materials such as tobacco,
wood, plants and coal, among other materials. “A large number of studies have documented links between benzo(a)pyrene
and cancers,” the BMC report said.
The report also shows that the annual range of other PAHs —
phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene and benz(a)anthracene —
have also seen a significant jump compared to last year. PAHs, produced as byproducts of fuel burning, are potent atmospheric
pollutants and identified as both carcinogenic and mutagenic. “Long- term human exposure to these PAHs might lead to genetic damage,” said Dr
Chaturvedi. The BMC report attributes the rise in these carcinogenic chemicals to
increased construction activity and rapid industrialisation, among other factors. The report is based on data of ambient air quality recorded at six
air-monitoring stations at Worli, Andheri, Khar, Bhandup, Borivli and Maravli (Chembur).
The report also highlights the rise in suspended particulate matter (SPM) levels in the city, stating that the SPM levels have exceeded
permissible limits at all sites except Borivli. SPM is high in areas
that have high construction activities and emissions from bakeries, factories, hotels and stone-cutting units.
Air pollution causes asthma
A recent BMC survey in May 2010 showed that deaths due to respiratory tract infections have increased by
20.17 per cent, pushing even heart
Disease and Cancer
aside. The new killer diseases are bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disorders (COPD). Not surprising, given the dust, pollution and erratic lifestyles. Also, WHO ranks Mumbai among the top 10 polluted
cities in the world.
"General Asthma
levels in the city are anywhere between three to five per cent whereas in polluted areas, that increases to 10 per cent," says Dr Amita
Athavale, head of (EPRC) at KEM Hospital. She says while SPM doesn't directly cause asthma it causes increased incidence of asthmatic attacks among those already suffering from the disease and triggers
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among those prone to respiratory ailments. There
are cases of pulmonary fibrosis where lungs lose elasticity permanently, reducing the capacity to take in air. "In
pulmonary fibrosis, pollution works as one of the significant triggers. In the Seventies, we saw pulmonary fibrosis cases once every
year, now we are seeing one fresh case every week," says Dr Niphadkar
Proposed Jaitapur nuclear plants
The proposed Jaitapur
nuclear plant in the state of Maharashtra would be one of the biggest nuclear plants in the world with a total of six reactors
providing 9,600 megawatts of power. But the Jaitapur programme has attracted large protests from locals and
environmentalists who are concerned about the loss of land, the danger
of radiation and destruction in the ecologically-sensitive Western Ghats
region. Now Japan's struggle to avert a nuclear disaster on March
11, 2011 has led to new calls for a planned huge atomic power plant on the western coast to be scrapped.
``At a time when the Jaitapur nuclear power project is faced with stiff
resistance from locals, the Maharashtra government on June 3, 2011 gave energy generation from renewable sources a major boost.
The state cabinet approved setting up of two solar power projects with a
capacity to generate 154 MW power. Approval was given for setting up two units-one of 125 MW and another 25
MW-at Shivajinagar in Dhule. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan
said that the project would be among the biggest of its kind in the world. Approval was also granted for another 5MW solar power project at
Chandrapur. Chavan announced that the projects will be taken up by the state-owned
Mahagenco. The cabinet also agreed to fund 20 % (Rs 397.40 crore) of the collective project cost for the two projects, which was estimated at Rs1,987 crore. |
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Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, is home to the largest slum in Asia and almost half of the
city's inhabitants are slum-dwellers.
Slumdog Millionaire Oscars
Awards to India on children films was the story of Mumbai's slum-dwellers.
The location of the Mumbai airport too makes it vulnerable to smog. It
is not only situated well within the precincts of the city, but is also flanked by the industrial area near Kurla.
Mumbai imports and transports a lot of oil products. The refineries and depots have been identified as areas that cause substantial oil pollution.
Domestic wastes are discharged mostly in untreated condition due to the lack of treatment facilities. There are only available facilities for 390
million litres per day (MLD) as against the 1,200 MLD of domestic sewage that is generated.
Exceptionally high concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury have been observed in Thane creeks on the Mumbai Coast. |
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City's waste dumps sites
Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites after people
living near the landfill sites complained of the stench. The Deonar landfill site, one of India’s largest, was first used by the British
in 1927. Now festering pile covers more than 120 hectares and is eight story's high.
Everything gets dumped there; old food, rotten fish, rotten vegetables, plastic
bags, glass and metal items. Around 500,000 people live near the two dumps, which were once beyond the city
limits but have been caught up in the sprawl of one of the world’s fastest growing urban areas. The council has spent 4.8 million rupees on enough scent to last for
10 months, where more than half the population live in slums.
Most densely populated urban area in the world
Mumbai’s population of 18 million has more than doubled in the past 30 years,
making it the most densely populated urban area in the world. In March, Mumbai was ranked seventh in a list of the world’s 25 dirtiest cities
published by Forbes magazine, a worse rating than even Baghdad. India’s capital, New Delhi, was listed 24th.
Mumbai’s council now has plans to close part of the dumps and use the methane
the rest generates to help solve the city’s power crisis.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
(MPCB) is setting up 46 air quality monitoring stations in the state as part of its campaign against air and water pollution. The
programme, covering 27 urban centres, is called Pollution Assessment Monitoring and Surveillance
(PAMS) and is aimed at helping MPCB take stringent steps while dealing with cases of water and air pollution, an MPCB official said.
MPCB operates 62 such stations. The proposed air quality monitoring centres would come up at
Kalyan- Dombivali and Bhiwandi in Thane district, Mahad and Roha in Konkan region, Latur in Marathwada and
at Solapur, Sangli-Miraj and Ahmednagar.
Mumbai still has a very high incidence of chronic respiratory problems, arising from extreme air pollution.
The causes of pollution are mainly industries in the eastern suburbs and New Bombay, garbage burning by the BMC, and
insufficient control over emission levels from vehicles.
Firecrackers and noise pollution during Diwali
A 50-100% increase in pollution levels during Diwali days due to bursting of firecrackers, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)
monitored the ambient air quality at five places in the city and noise quality at 20 spots.
MPCB has banned manufacturing of crackers that make a noise of more than 125 decibels at four metre distance from the point of bursting.
The hazards of pollution caused by crackers include hearing loss, increase in blood pressure,
heart attack and sleeping disturbance. Sudden exposure to loud noise could also cause temporary deafness or permanent relative deafness.
Lung diseases register a sharp rise during Diwali due to the smoke emanating from firecrackers.
Disposal of e-waste
Mumbai generates about 23,000 tonnes of e-waste every year, but disposal has been very disorganised so far,” said Sanjay
Khandare, member secretary, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Three years ago Mumbai generated only 11,000 tonnes of e-waste. It now generates the most E-waste in the country.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has come up with in its latest environmental status report
(Sept. 2008) indicates that the end of the rains will bring even worse times for people suffering from diseases of the respiratory tract.
Panel chalks out plans to curb pollution
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has launched a series of short- term plans as well as long-term surveys to curb contamination in
critically polluted regions of Maharashtra, including Dombivali and Navi Mumbai on Februray 1, 2010.
This follows a study by the Central government which calculated a Comprehensive
Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) for 88 key industrial clusters in India.
The study, conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board and the IIT, Delhi,
showed that industrial hubs like Chandrapur, Dombavili, Navi Mumbai and Tarapur
in Maharashtra recorded alarming levels of pollutants in the air, water and land, exceeding a total CEPI level of 70.
The Centre has named these regions as ‘critically polluted industrial clusters/areas’ and has recommended temporary restrictions on consideration of
developmental projects in these regions.
Offshore wind power projects in Mumbai coastline
Wind power projects are the latest and among the fastest growing sectors within global energy today.
A long coastline, low installation costs and ready local availability of key raw materials have all made Mumbai a
favorite destination for offshore wind power, with global majors such as Areva, Siemens and GE queuing up to explore opportunities in the country.
High-profile investors such as Vinod Sethi, private equity major Blackstone and new clean technology funds have already invested in
offshore wind energy companies planning for India, as this sector is expected to offer electricity tariffs at 40% less cost than that
from traditional sources. “Offshore wind is the new growth area and has cheaper costs,” Areva Renewables global CEO Anil Srivastava said.
Since offshore wind projects can be built close to big consumption centres that are typically located in coastal areas, the long western coastline will
suit such a model as most large industries are situated along the country’s western coast. Mumbai is an ideal place for such wind power projects. |
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Mumbai enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites.
In Mumbai the population produces close to 8,500 metric tonnes of rubbish a day, most of which makes its way to the two sites.
Increasing emission levels from vehicles in Mumbai.
A 50-100% increase in pollution levels during Diwali days due to bursting of firecrackers
Wind Energy |
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Acute malaria outbreak in Mumbai
There is battling record levels of
Malaria a mosquito-born
infection in Mumbai, health officials said on August 20, 2010, with as many cases in the first half of the year as in the whole of 2009.
Authorities in the financial hub have drafted in experts from Medecins Sans Frontieres to tackle an outbreak which has seen nearly
4,000 cases this month alone, with the most virulent form of the potential killer having struck 10 to 15 percent.
A lush
green flamingos home reduced to a rubble
A 60-acre plot, one the most beautiful birdwatching spots in
Phunde village, few km away from Uran around Mumbai reduced to a rubble in just two yeras. Once it was a lush green visual delight
with flamingos and around 130 species of birds making it their home, is reduced to a rubble after the State approved its take-over under
Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (NMSEZ) in 2005. Destruction of this wetland started around two years ago when truckloads of sand
and cement and stones dumped here and completely killing every blade of grass.
Suddenly on February 19, 2011, Government stalled the acquisition of the plot.This plot was acquired under the ambitious
SEZ project promoted by India ’s top industrialists. However, State Revenue Department was unable to acquire nearly 16,900 acres
of land spread across 45 villages of Pen, Panvel and Uran in the stipulated time due to protests from villagers, and hence, the
project has been stalled. The State gained nothing, villagers are
still not sure about the status of their land, and in that fight, Mumbai lost a beautiful spot in its neighbourhood.
Now the State has promised to revive the spot and recreate the
wetland. Apart from doing everything it can, the Government wants corporate help for the project.
Mithi river has been reduced to a filthy nullah
Once a beautiful Mithi river of Mumbai is now reduced to a filthy nullah.
Now a report of the Central Pollution Control Board shows that Maharashtra has the largest number of polluted river
water stretches in the country. Environmental experts are worried that it is not only industrial
pollution, which is responsible for degrading the quality of water in state rivers. The rapid urbanisation across the state is a major culprit
as well. "Domestic sewage is a source of pollution besides industrial
and other sources,'' said an official from the union ministry of
environment and forests.
Mithi river of Mumbai is now reduced to a filthy nullah
Five years after the Mithi river overflowed and flooded parts of Mumbai,
and claimed more than 500 lives during the July 26 deluge, the city is yet to receive any of the funds the Central government had promised to
help widen and deepen the river, thus preventing a repeat of the disaster.
The Brihanmumbai Muni-cipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai
Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) recently sent a letter to the Centre, asking for Rs 1,300 crore, said Chandrakant Watve, BMC’s
chief engineer for stormwater drains. After the 2005 deluge, the Maharashtra government had asked for Rs 1,300 crore from central
government, under its urban renewal programme.
However, the Centre returned the proposal in 2008 on grounds that the
proposal did not mention Mithi as a river, but as a drain, and urban renewal funds could not be used to clean a drain.
The latest request from the BMC and the MMRDA is an attempt to get the
funds under a special category. The BMC has already spent Rs 400 crore while the MMRDA has spent Rs 300
crore on reviving the river. A lack of funds would further delay the project say civic officials. |
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BMC advises Mumbaikars not to store water for long
The local civic body has appealed to Mumbaikars on May 23, 2011 not to store
water for days so as to prevent the spread of Malaria .
In order to curb the malaria menace, the BMC will run a dry day campaign once a week, where the
civic administration will be appealing to people not to store water for eight days.
"It has been observed that regular water storage provides enough space or mosquitoes to multiply. As the water is not used for weeks there are
chances of mosquito breeding.
Mumbai Must Reclaim Its Mithi
Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh and former Union environment minister Suresh Prabhu released a
report and documentary film titled Making The Sewer A River Again: Why Mumbai Must Reclaim Its Mithi on June 9, 2011.
The report and film deal with the dreadful condition of the
city's river, which, along with its green estuary, works like a lung for a city choking on pollution.
"I think the collective apathy of the people of Mumbai, absence of
political will, and administrative lethargy are all responsible for the
current oppressive state of the Mithi," Singh said. The report was released in the picturesque Maharashtra
Nature Park along the Mithi. |
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Ganesh immersion in Mumbai
Ganesh Chaturthi the most
important festival honors to Lord
Ganesha (श्री गणेश) was celebrated ten days
this year from September 11, 2010 This festival culminates on the day of Ananta Chaturdashi when images of
Ganesha are immersed in convenient body of water.
The Ganesh idols, varying from gigantic ones measuring several metres
tall to tiny, hand-held ones, around 150,000 was taken out for immersion into the Arabian Sea at various locations, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs
and artificially-created immersion sites dotting the city and suburbs. |
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Navaratri in Mumbai
Navaratri is celebrated nine days and in nine days Goddess
Durga is worshiped in her various forms. The traditional dances of Gujurat, known as "garba" and "dandiya raas".
In Mumbai, dancing takes over stadiums and clubs throughout the city.While some of it has retained a traditional flavor, the introduction of
"disco dandiya" has given Mumbais Navaratri celebrations a glamorous
and modern twist. Nowadays, people unleash their dancing to a fusion of remixed beats and loud Hindi pop music. |
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