Mumbai: A ray of hope has emerged for the teachers from aided and partially aided schools, who are protesting for a grant hike. They have been agitating for the past four days, coinciding with the monsoon session of the state legislature.

The teachers claimed that the government has not increased grants to their institutes despite announcements. Also, whatever grants they receive now are being released in installments, which hampers the management of their schools, they have said.

CM Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the government is positive about addressing the issue. Speaking in the legislative council, he also hit out at the opposition, accusing it of playing politics over the matter. It is not right if the teachers are indulging in politics, and it won’t be tolerated, he said. Fadnavis said BJP minister Girish Mahajan has been coordinating with the protesting teachers.

On Wednesday, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar met the protestors and demanded that the government must take immediate action to resolve the issue. He criticised the practice of releasing grants in batches. “Without real financial allocation, issuing orders means nothing. They should be thrown into the dustbin. The government cannot shy away from its responsibilities,” Pawar said.

“The opposition is raising a finger at us, but their four fingers are pointed towards them. You (the previous Congress government) gave approval to all these institutes that they would be permanently unaided. You removed the word ‘permanently’. Then you never gave them a single penny,” Fadnavis said.

Mumbai: Following consistent rainfall over the past few days, water levels in Mumbai’s key lakes have risen significantly, bringing relief to the city’s water supply prospects. As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 10, the combined water stock in the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai has touched 10.63 lakh million litres, amounting to 73.50 per cent of total useful live storage capacity, according to data released by the BMC’s Hydraulic Engineer’s Department.

Modak Sagar Dam Overflows

Among the major contributors to this surge is the Modak Sagar Dam, which began overflowing on July 9 at 6:27 am. The lake recorded a water level of 163.17 metres, its full supply level (FSL) and holds 100 per cent useful content. Similarly, Upper Vaitarna recorded a level of 601.68 metres, with 74.02 per cent of its useful live storage filled.

Tansa Lake, another critical reservoir, stood at 126.99 metres, which translates to 78.76 per cent of its live storage, while Middle Vaitarna held 93.22 per cent of useful content at a level of 280.56 metres. These reservoirs have all received healthy rainfall over the monsoon period, with Middle Vaitarna recording 25 mm of rainfall today, and a total seasonal rainfall of 1586 mm.

Meanwhile, the lakes in the southern region, Bhatsa, Vihar and Tulsi, are also showing positive signs. Bhatsa, the largest contributor to the city’s water supply, currently holds 4.54 lakh million litres, with 19.75 per cent of its live storage utilised. Tulsi, one of the smaller lakes, is nearing full capacity with 99.43 per cent of its storage filled.

Massive Rise In Water Levels Compared To Previous Year Data

The total water stock in all lakes supplying Mumbai has reached 10.63 lakh million litres, compared to just 3.13 lakh million litres on the same date last year, a massive leap that reflects over four times the storage compared to 2024. Rainfall recorded at the Bhandup Complex, which manages water treatment and distribution, stood at 8 mm today, with a total cumulative rainfall of 694 mm for the season so far.

The encouraging rise in lake levels has reduced the immediate threat of water cuts in the city. Authorities remain cautious but optimistic, continuing close monitoring of lake levels as monsoon activity progresses steadily. With more rain forecast in the coming days, officials believe the city’s water needs for the year may soon be fully secured.

Mumbai: In a dramatic breakthrough, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Satara police foiled an attempted international escape and cracked a high-profile theft case involving a hotel in Mahabaleshwar. The primary accused, who had allegedly stolen luxury items worth Rs 10 lakh from Oxygen Hotel, was held at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport just before boarding a flight to Dubai.

The theft, which occurred between June 25 and June 28, involved electronic appliances, expensive furniture and kitchenware being stolen from the upscale Oxygen Hotel. Following the incident, Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi launched a swift investigation and assigned Police Inspectors Arun Devkar and Bapusaheb Sandbhor to lead a dedicated probe.

Special Police Team Held Accused Just Before Boarding Dubai Flight

Initial investigations pointed toward an inside job, raising suspicions about a hotel staffer’s involvement. Acting on critical intelligence, LCB Inspector Arun Devkar received a tip-off that the main suspect was attempting to flee the country. A special police team was immediately dispatched to Mumbai Airport. With support from Sahar Police, the team intercepted and arrested Kanchan Kaliprasad Banerjee, a resident of Nalasopara, just as he was checking in for his flight.

Upon interrogation, Banerjee admitted to the theft and disclosed that he had already sold the stolen goods to two scrap dealers in Satara. Based on his confession, the police arrested Karan Dashrath Ghadge from Ambawade Khurd and Gautam Suresh Jadhav from Saidapur, who had bought the stolen materials. Raids conducted at their warehouses led to the recovery of items worth Rs 10 lakh.

Stolen Goods Traced & Returned To Oxygen Hotel

In addition to the stolen goods, authorities also seized a truck and a tempo used to transport the items, pushing the total recovery value to Rs 17.9 lakh. The stolen items were traced back to Oxygen Hotel and have been returned.

The Mahabaleshwar Police and LCB’s swift coordination, aided by timely intelligence and cross-jurisdictional support, was crucial in solving the case. Legal proceedings have been initiated against all three accused, who are currently in police custody. Further investigations are underway to determine if more individuals were involved in the theft or its cover-up.