Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated a coordinated action to implement the directions issued by the court. The Supreme Court had issued the necessary directions regarding the Orchid City Centre Mall located on Belasis Road in Mumbai Central area. As part of this process, a joint notice has been issued to the concerned owners/developers as well as the users/occupants of stalls, units and shops, directing them to vacate the premises of Orchid City Centre Mall. Further, clear instructions have been issued that entry or use of the mall premises is prohibited until formal permission is obtained from the competent authority. A coordination meeting was recently held by the BMC’s ‘D’ ward. Officers of the concerned municipal departments, representatives of Nagpada Police Station and Best Undertaking as well as representatives associated with Orchid City Centre Mall also attended the meeting. During the meeting, the representatives of the mall management were directed to voluntarily and strictly comply with the order of the Supreme Court. Supreme Court Orders In 2020, a fire broke out at the Orchid City Centre Mall located on Belasis Road in Mumbai Central. In this context, the Supreme Court issued directions on August 25, 2026. It should be strictly ensured that the entire Orchid City Centre Mall building which has been damaged due to fire shall not be used for any purpose until the developer completes comprehensive repairs of the entire structure. The building cannot be used in any manner until the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration is satisfied that the entire structure (including all floors) is completely safe for all activities and works and complies with all legal requirements. Directions issued by the court The Supreme Court has ordered that the entire building be kept completely sealed and no one should be allowed to enter the premises.

In light of the Supreme Court order, on the directions of the Supreme Court, it was decided during the meeting to conduct a joint operation to vacate the Orchid City Centre Mall building, involving the Building and Factory Department, Building Proposal Department and Mumbai Fire Brigade of the BMC. Accordingly, a joint notice has been issued to the concerned owners/developers as well as the users/occupants of the stalls, units and shops regarding the vacating of the building. Public notices prohibiting citizens and users from entering, using or occupying the building have been displayed in the premises of the mall. The notices clarify that the entire Orchid City Centre Mall cannot be used, and entry will remain strictly prohibited, until the Hon’ble. Supreme Court’s directions are followed and prior permission is taken from the competent authority. Meanwhile, instructions have been issued to disconnect the water supply of the mall, take appropriate action regarding the municipal license and disconnect the electricity supply (except for the electricity required for construction purposes). Nagpara Police has been directed to provide necessary police security for the smooth conduct of the operation and maintenance of law and order.

The BMC administration appeals to all concerned parties to voluntarily comply with the court’s directions. They are urged not to enter or use the premises of the mall until formal permission is obtained from the competent authority and to fully cooperate with the municipal and police administration. However, the administration has made it clear that if the directions are not followed, strict action as per the law and the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court will be taken regarding vacating and sealing the premises.
Meanwhile, the concerned departments of the Municipal Corporation will independently take necessary action within their respective legal jurisdiction. The administration has further stated that any future permissions regarding entry, use, or occupancy of the building will be granted by the Municipal Corporation acting as the competent authority, as per the directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

Mumbai: As per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, the draft electoral rolls have been published under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 programme. Claims and objections regarding the draft rolls, such as cases where names are missing or there are problems with the existing entries, can be filed till September 30, 2026. Voters are being informed about this through various channels. However, District Election Officer and Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has appealed to all political parties to encourage voters to include their names in the voter list by completing the necessary documents. Meanwhile, representatives of political parties have expressed satisfaction over the actions taken by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation administration regarding the SIR-2026 programme in the Mumbai area.
A meeting with political parties regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 programme was held today (03 September 2026) at the Municipal Corporation Headquarters. The meeting was attended by Additional District Election Officer and Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Verma-Lawangire; Additional District Election Officer and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma; Additional District Election Officer and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Shri Abhijit Bangar; Joint Commissioner (Assessment and Collection) Shri Vishwas Shankarwar; along with representatives of various political parties. The representatives of political parties were given detailed information about the ongoing process for Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR)-2026 through a computer presentation. Under this programme, several processes have already been completed, including door-to-door visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs); Distribution, collection and digitization of counting forms; publication of draft electoral roll; and rationalization of polling stations (with the approval of the Election Commission). Currently, claims and objections will be accepted from August 31 to September 30, 2026. Thereafter, claims and objections will be disposed of between August 31 and October 29, 2026, and the final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on November 4, 2026. In this context, District Election Officer and Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the administration is trying to complete the SIR-2026 process within the stipulated time through coordination of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), Supervisors, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs). He urged political parties to cooperate with BLOs to reach out to voters, provide them with proper guidance, and submit the necessary documents for inclusion in the voter list. Bhide also appealed for cooperation to ensure that the entire process is carried out smoothly and properly.

Kathmandu, Sep 3: The Nepali government on Thursday informed the foreign diplomatic community in Nepal that the Himalayan nation would seek further international assistance for the recovery and reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the recent Bhote Koshi floods.

The death toll from the Rasuwa flood disaster had reached 1,252 by Thursday noon, with 4,216 people remaining out of contact, according to the latest data released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

The deadly floods also caused massive damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges, public and private buildings, and hydropower projects along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors.

The Nepali government is currently seeking domestic and international support for the rescue and relief of people affected by the floods, including those who remain out of contact, many of whom are believed to be inside tunnels of hydropower projects.

However, the extensive damage to infrastructure caused by the floods will require significant additional resources for reconstruction. It is the second major incident to cause significant loss of life and infrastructure damage since the Gen-Z movement last year, during which 77 people were killed and property worth more than NPR 84 billion was destroyed, according to the government statistics.

“The Nepali government will seek international assistance for the recovery and reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the Bhote Koshi flood after completing a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA),” Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said on Thursday during a briefing to the diplomatic community in Kathmandu on the Bhote Koshi flood disaster.

Ambassadors, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions, and representatives of international organisations, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the United Nations, attended the diplomatic briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, the minister’s secretariat said in a statement.

During the briefing, Minister Khanal said a preliminary assessment was underway to determine the damage caused to houses, roads, bridges, hydropower projects and other critical infrastructure by the devastating flood. The PDNA will establish the full extent of the damage and identify the resources required for recovery and reconstruction, he said.

“Preliminary estimates indicate that a significant amount of resources will be required to reconstruct the infrastructure damaged by the Bhote Koshi flood,” Khanal said. “Once the detailed assessment is completed, the government will formally inform international partners about the resources required and request assistance for recovery and reconstruction.”

He also committed that the government would manage international assistance with transparency, accountability and clearly defined priorities. Earlier this week, he said the government was in discussions about holding an international donor conference to seek support for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

Nepal had earlier organised an international conference to seek international support following the devastating earthquake in 2015. The donor community pledged as much as US$ 4.1 billion at the conference.

As rescue efforts continue, Foreign Minister Khanal made clear that the safety and welfare of foreign nationals remained a top priority of the Government of Nepal. As many as 583 foreign nationals remain out of contact, according to the NDRRMA.

“The Foreign Ministry has been continuously coordinating with the NDRRMA, Nepal Police, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepali diplomatic missions abroad and the families of foreign nationals reported missing,” Khanal said.

He said the Emergency Control Room established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nepali diplomatic missions abroad were helping provide verified information to the families of missing foreign nationals, facilitate the identification process and arrange repatriation when necessary.

Thanking diplomatic missions for providing information about their nationals who had been reported missing, Minister Khanal said such information was proving important in search, verification and identification efforts.

Describing the floods as a “Himalayan tsunami”, Khanal said the Nepali government was studying the causes and development of the disaster and was receiving assistance from relevant technical experts.

Minister Khanal said the Bhote Koshi disaster should not be viewed only as an immediate humanitarian crisis but also in the context of increasing climate risks in the Himalayan region.

“Although Nepal makes a negligible contribution to global emissions, the people of Nepal are bearing a disproportionate and heavy burden of the impacts of a warming Himalaya,” Minister Khanal said.

He stressed the need to translate climate justice, effective early warning systems, disaster preparedness and resilient reconstruction from paper commitments into practice.

“In this context, Nepal has already written to the co-chairs of the Loss and Damage Fund Board under the United Nations requesting immediate assistance,” Khanal said.