Sadanand Date took over as DGP of Mumbai Maharashtra from his counterpart Rashmi Shukla. After the retirement of Rashmi Shukla, the state government had recommended the names of senior IPS officers including Date, after which Date was made a contender for the post of DGP. Sadanand Date has also rendered excellent service as the head of the National Security Agency NIA. He has played an important role in the investigation of the Delhi Red Fort bomb blast, Pahalgam attack and the extradition of the main accused of Mumbai attacks, Tahur Hussain Rana. In 92% of the cases registered by the NIA, the accused have been convicted. Date was first transferred to the Maharashtra cadre and then he was appointed as Rashmi Shukla’s successor today. Other issues including administration in Maharashtra are also a big challenge for Date. Date is skilled in his work. He has previously worked in many sensitive places. Date has also rendered good service as the head of Maharashtra ATS. Apart from this, he also had the honor of being elected the first Police Commissioner of Mira Bhayandar Commissionerate. Sadanand Date is considered an honest and dutiful officer. First, he met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and then took charge of his post. Date is a 1990 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

Mumbai: Ahead of the January 15 Maharashtra urban local body elections, the ruling Mahayuti alliance has secured a major early advantage, with 68 seats already won unopposed, showing its strong grip over local bodies across the state.

The Mahayuti comprises the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). BJP leader Keshav Upadhye on Friday announced the unopposed victories, describing them as a major boost for the CM Devendra Fadnavis-led alliance ahead of polling. Of the 68 uncontested seats, 44 were won by the BJP, reflecting the party’s expanding footprint in urban local governance, a space traditionally dominated by regional parties.

In Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations, Mahayuti candidates have taken a clear lead even before voting began. Following the conclusion of the nomination withdrawal process on Friday, candidates from opposition parties pulled out in several wards, resulting in 68 candidates being declared elected unopposed. Of these, 66 belong to the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance, 44 from the BJP and 22 from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, while two are from the NCP.

Among the BJP’s 44 uncontested wins, 15 came from the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation in Thane district, the highest concentration of such victories. Other BJP wins include six each from Bhiwandi, Jalgaon and Panvel municipal corporations, four from Dhule, three from Ahilyanagar and two each from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations.

Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saw 22 of its candidates elected unopposed, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP secured two such seats. Buoyed by these results, Union minister and senior BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol stated that the next mayor of Pune would be from the BJP.

These uncontested wins come on the heels of Mahayuti’s strong performance in the recently held municipal council elections and are expected to strengthen the alliance’s momentum further.

However, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has ordered an inquiry into reports of candidates being elected unopposed ahead of the January 15 polls. “We have asked all local authorities to submit reports. This is a routine process whenever nominations are withdrawn and only one candidate remains, The commission will examine whether any withdrawals were made under pressure, duress or inducement.

Earlier this week, Mahayuti finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Under the agreement, the BJP will contest 137 seats, while the Shiv Sena will field candidates in 90 seats.

According to the final figures released by election authorities, 1,700 candidates remain in the fray across BMC’s 227 wards after scrutiny and withdrawals. Of the total nominations filed, 2,231 were found valid, 167 were rejected and 453 candidates withdrew their nominations.

Mumbai: Mumbai experienced a crisp and relatively cool start to Saturday, giving residents a brief respite from the city’s usual humidity. Clear skies, mild winds and lower temperatures made the early hours pleasant. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature hovered around 19°C, while the maximum was expected to reach about 30°C, making it one of the more comfortable winter days of the season.

However, the pleasant weather concealed a persistent environmental concern. A thin layer of haze was visible across several parts of the city, indicating continued deterioration in air quality. Data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in showed Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 224 on Saturday morning, placing it in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Such levels pose health risks, particularly for children, senior citizens and people with respiratory ailments.

The sustained pollution is largely attributed to Mumbai’s ongoing infrastructure boom. Dust and fine particulate matter generated by major government projects, including metro rail corridors, coastal road construction, bridge works and extensive road-widening activities, continue to majorly impact air quality.

In addition, numerous private real estate developments across the city are adding to the pollution burden, especially during winter months when dry conditions allow dust to remain suspended in the air for longer periods.

Area-wise AQI readings revealed sharp contrasts across the city. Chembur emerged as the most polluted area, recording an alarming AQI of 327, categorised as ‘severe’. At such levels, even healthy individuals may experience breathing discomfort and other health effects.

Wadala East followed closely with an AQI of 326, while Santacruz East recorded 305, both also in the ‘severe’ category. Govandi and Jogeshwari reported ‘unhealthy’ AQI levels of 280 and 277, respectively, remaining dangerously close to the severe threshold.

Suburban areas fared slightly better, though air quality remained far from satisfactory. Andheri East recorded a ‘moderate’ AQI of 97, while Kandivali East and Powai stood at 120 and 163, both falling in the ‘poor’ category. Pollution levels were higher in other suburbs, with Borivali East registering an AQI of 170 and Goregaon East 177, categorised as ‘unhealthy’.

As per standard air quality classifications, AQI levels between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘moderate’, 101 to 200 ‘poor’, 201 to 300 ‘unhealthy’, and readings above 300 fall under the ‘severe’ or ‘hazardous’ category.