Mumbai: Residents of Navi Mumbai witnessed a spectacular weather event on Thursday evening, as intense thunderstorms and lightning strikes lit up the skies over Koparkhairane. X user Athreya Shetty shared videos of the dramatic weather, writing, “Exactly as per forecast, an amazing cracking thunderstorm hits Koparkhairane with loud lightning strikes and heavy Mumbai rains.”

The storm brought a welcome respite from the heat, with temperatures dropping by nearly 8°C within just 15 minutes. Many parts of the city reported heavy rain and gusty winds, adding to the pre-festive chill.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thane and Palghar districts have been placed under a Yellow Alert, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds. The IMD has forecast maximum temperatures around 35°C and minimums near 24°C for the next few days.

Additionally, all districts of Maharashtra (except Vidarbha) are under Yellow Alert for varying days between October 15 and 17, as light to moderate rain is expected due to an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Arabian Sea.

Meteorologists have attributed the sudden showers and drop in temperature to the Northeast Monsoon (NEM), which set in around 15 October. The shift is bringing fresh moisture from the east, making weather conditions more humid and muggy across the state.

This marks the first rainfall spell after the IMD officially declared the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from Mumbai on October 10 — the earliest in seven years.

For the season, the Colaba observatory recorded 2,263.0 mm of rainfall, while Santacruz saw 3,112.0 mm, signalling another intense monsoon season despite the early exit.

As Mumbai braces for humid conditions and patchy rains through the week, residents are advised to stay updated on local weather alerts and plan their travel accordingly.

New Delhi, Oct 16: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday affirmed that it is strictly enforcing the landmark decisions introduced by former CEC T.N. Seshan in 1994 regarding ‘Pardanasheen’ (Burqa-clad) women voters during the next month’s Bihar assembly elections.

Referring to the ECI order dated 1994 with the subject line – “General elections to State Legislative Assemblies-1994-Special facilities in polling stations for women electors”, the commission highlighted that the poll panel is “implementing Ex CEC TN Seshan decisions of 1994 on Pardanasheens in Bihar.”

The term ‘Pardanasheen’ refers to women who, due to cultural conventions, do not appear before male officials or the public spaces without veils.

In 1994, T.N. Seshan issued specific guidelines directing polling officials to make arrangements that respect such sensitivities while ensuring these women are able to cast their votes without intimidation or identity challenges.

According to the 1994 order issued by the former CEC, “Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officer, Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, and Presiding Officer are responsible for ensuring special arrangements are made for women electors to exercise their franchise in the presence of Lady staff.”

“Where the number of female electors is significant (say, 50 per cent or above) and the system of Burqa or purdah is observed as a social custom, at least one Polling Officer must be a lady Polling Officer in each such polling station,” it noted.

It further added that, “If women officials are not available in the required number, the Returning Officer or Presiding Officer has the authority under Rule 34(2) to appoint ‘any woman to serve as an attendant’ at the polling station.”

Ahead of the Bihar elections scheduled for next month, the assertion by the Election Commission reflects the poll panel’s commitment to ensure the value of every voter, irrespective of gender.

With Bihar witnessing a two-phase voting schedule, the Election Commission’s renewed emphasis on inclusive polling arrangements is expected to significantly boost female voter turnout, especially in rural and conservative regions.

Chhindwara, Oct 16: Panic gripped people at a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara as more than 60 people suffered from diarrhoea, prompting the district administration to organise camps for an extensive medical checkup, officials said on Thursday.

Villagers fell sick suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea — many of them were rushed at a nearby a hospital for treatment.

However, all of them recovered within the next few hours after undergoing medical treatment, according to Chhindwara Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Hemkaran Dhruve.

According to official information, people fell ill due to consumption of contaminated water from a well in the village they were using from several years.

Panic gripped the village as one after another person using water from that particular well complained about the same problem.

The district administration took prompt action in the matter and send a medical team to conduct door-to-door medical check-up in Jarola village.

At least 120 people were checked during medical camps organised on Wednesday and Thursday.

“More 150 people were checked in medical camps held in Jarola village. At least 60 of them were found suffering from vomiting, fever, cough, and diarrhoea. However, they all have recovered after necessary treatment,” SDM Dhruve told media persons on Thursday.

Preliminary investigation revealed that people fell sick due to consumption of contaminated water from a well.

“Water samples from well and other water resources in the village have been collected and sent for testing,” the SDM said.

Chhindwara has recently witnessed the shocking Coldrif cough syrup tragedy that had killed 24 children in the past one-and-a-half month, including a four-year-old girl Ambika Vishwakarma, who battled for life for more than a month at a private hospital in Nagpur, died early on Wednesday.

After the unfortunate Chhindwara tragedy, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said that there were 232 drug factories in the state, which were being investigated.

He added that the teams of the health department are also checking the quality control system of those drug-manufacturing units.

Each batch of drugs being supplied to the state government is thoroughly checked, the Deputy Chief Minister said, adding that the private supplies are also being monitored.

He said that he had written to the Tamil Nadu government seeking to know the name of the person behind issuing the license to the drug-making unit that produced the adulterated cough syrup.

The Deputy Chief Minister also sought to know whether any checking had been done before renewing the license.

He admitted that the tragedy occurred in Madhya Pradesh because of the lack of proper monitoring by the Tamil Nadu government.