Mumbai: Effective measures should be implemented to maintain cleanliness at ‘Garbage, Cricket and Garbage’ (GPS) sites by giving them priority. Garbage collection operations should be carried out in two shifts daily, and the number of garbage collection vehicles and trips should be increased. Garbage collection systems in slums and similar areas should be strengthened and regularized to ensure that garbage does not accumulate anywhere. Coordination with local public representatives should be enhanced to ensure their active participation. CCTV cameras should be installed at unsafe locations and strict disciplinary action should be taken against those who throw garbage in public places. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has issued clear instructions to formulate area-specific cleanliness policies that take into account the geographical layout, population, volume of waste generation and local needs of each area. Cleaning of busy roads should be given priority before traffic starts, and effective planning is required to keep important roads and highways clean. Bhide also directed that footpaths should be kept free from encroachments and made suitable for pedestrian use. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide personally visited Mankhurd and Govindi areas in the eastern suburbs and Parel area of ​​the city division on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) at 7:00 am to take a detailed look at the public sanitation system. During the visit, he inspected the sanitation posts, maintenance posts, and road repair posts to observe the daily operations. He checked the attendance of sanitation workers, attendance records, available sanitation machinery and other necessary facilities. While interacting with the concerned authorities and staff, he reviewed the process of collection, segregation and disposal of garbage daily. He also issued instructions to ensure that the operations are carried out more efficiently to ensure the quality, efficiency and strict time management of the sanitation system. The visit was attended by Deputy Commissioner (Municipal Commissioner Office) Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 5) Scindia. Deputy Commissioner (Zone 2) Prashant Sapkale, Assistant Commissioner Ujjal Angule, and other concerned officers.

The visit began from the Motor Loader Post on Mandla Road in Mankhurd. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide reviewed the solid waste management procedures, population, available manpower, and number and trips of garbage collection vehicles in M-East ward. Bhide said that, considering the geographical layout and population of M-East ward, the work of garbage collection in at least two shifts per day should be strictly implemented. He directed that the number of garbage collection vehicles and their trips should be increased as per the requirement and the efficiency of garbage collection and transportation should be further strengthened. Special care should be taken to ensure that the garbage collection system is robust, regular and efficient, especially in slums and similar densely populated areas, to prevent the accumulation of garbage. Special attention should be paid to those ‘sensitive’ locations where there is a risk of garbage accumulation. Continuous sensitization of the ‘Swachh Mumbai Prabudhan Abhiyan’ (SMPA) staff is essential to ensure their active participation. Efforts should be made to ensure maximum involvement of public representatives, especially corporators, to enhance the effectiveness of sanitation management.

Surprise inspection of operations of garbage collection compactor vehicles
After visiting the motor loader post, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide conducted a surprise inspection of the garbage collection compactor vehicle (MH 01 CV 2303), reviewed its entire route and the actual process of garbage collection. She personally verified whether the vehicle was running as per its scheduled route, if waste collection was timely and efficient, if disinfectant was sprayed after waste removal, and if the collected waste was being transported properly. CCTV cameras should be installed at sensitive locations where there is a risk of waste accumulation. Citizens should be made aware against dumping solid waste in roads and drains. Punitive action should be taken against those who throw waste in public places like rivers, drains, major roads and highways. Criminal cases should be registered if necessary. Ms. Bhide also directed that care should be taken to ensure that ‘strange articles’ (heavy or unusual waste items) are not left lying for a long period of time.

Review of Daily Sweeping Operations
Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide then visited Amba Bhawan sanitation post and road maintenance post near Govind (East) Railway Station to inspect the operations there. He reviewed the attendance of sanitation workers, planning of daily cleaning activities and available manpower and machinery while also interacting with the concerned authorities and staff. While reviewing the daily cleaning operations, he issued necessary instructions.

Mumbai: Even after the protest of the Cockroach Janata Party at Delhi Jantar Mantar and the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, new revelations have started in the case of the Net paper leak. A sensational summary and explosion regarding the paper leak has been made by NCP Sharad Pawar group leader and MLA Rohit Pawar. Rohit Pawar has alleged in a tweet on X that the paper leak is connected to Gujarat because the NET re-exam paper was delivered to Gujarat three days ago and the paper was leaked from Gujarat. Rohit Pawar’s tweet on X has once again caused a stir. Rohit Pawar has written on X that the NET paper was leaked three days ago. This is news. It should be clarified. I have all the documents, links and WhatsApp chats related to this. Regarding this, Rohit Pawar has also shared a copy of an email on Twitter X, in which he has demanded an investigation into the entire matter, in which all the documents are also mentioned. On one hand, there is a ruckus in Parliament during the discussion on the Paper Leak Reforms Bill, and on the other hand, Rohit Pawar has made an explosive revelation regarding the leak of the NET paper that was being re-conducted, after which politics has also intensified in this matter.

New Delhi, July 29: Indian travellers can now use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to make online bookings for At the Top, Burj Khalifa, with the iconic attraction becoming the first in the UAE to accept the payment system for e-commerce transactions, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) said on Wednesday.

The international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said the launch of the facility is in partnership with NEOPAY and Emaar Entertainment.

The move enables Indian visitors to book tickets and experiences at the world’s tallest building through the attraction’s official website using UPI-enabled payment apps before travelling to the UAE.

The latest integration builds on NIPL’s existing partnership with NEOPAY.

Since the introduction of QR code-based UPI merchant payments in the UAE in 2022, Indian travellers have been able to use UPI for payments at merchants across NEOPAY’s network. With the new rollout, UPI acceptance has now been extended to online bookings.

“Indian travellers are increasingly seeking payment experiences that are simple, familiar and seamless when they travel abroad. By enabling UPI acceptance for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa, we are making it easier for them to use a payment method they know and trust while planning their visit, even before they arrive in the UAE,” said Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI International.

According to the company, the initiative addresses the growing demand for convenient and trusted cross-border digital payments while strengthening the digital payments bridge between India and the UAE.

Vibhor Mundhada, CEO of NEOPAY, said the integration marked a significant milestone in digital commerce between the two countries and made NEOPAY the first company in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to enable UPI acceptance for e-commerce transactions.

An Emaar Entertainment spokesperson said the introduction of UPI for online bookings would make the customer journey simpler and more convenient for Indian visitors, who constitute one of the attraction’s largest international visitor segments.