Mumbai : At least four people were killed and eight others were rescued after a landslide struck houses in the Chirag Nagar area of Ghatkopar amid heavy rains early on Wednesday, officials said.

Rescue operations remain underway as multiple agencies continue searching the debris for anyone who may still be trapped.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde visited the site and took stock of the ongoing rescue and relief operations. She also met affected families and offered condolences to those who lost their loved ones. Tawde directed all agencies at the site to intensify rescue efforts and ensure better coordination during the operation. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs), Dr. Avinash Dhakne, and other civic officials were also present.

The Mayor announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each person who died in the accident and Rs 50,000 for each injured person to support their medical treatment.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Fire Brigade, the incident occurred at around 3:48 a.m. at Gaushiya Chawl in Chirag Nagar, Ghatkopar. A portion of a hillock collapsed, sending soil and debris onto two to three houses in Ashok Nagar, Tekdi No. 3.

Officials had initially feared that five to six people were trapped beneath the debris. A senior Mumbai Police official later said that eight people had been rescued, of whom four were declared dead.

The accident site and the route leading to it are extremely narrow, making access difficult for rescue teams. Personnel from the BMC, Mumbai Fire Brigade, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Mumbai Police, ambulance services and other agencies are working together to locate and evacuate people who may remain trapped under the rubble.

Authorities said rescue and relief operations are continuing, while the administration is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating efforts at the site. The landslide comes as Mumbai experiences heavy rainfall, raising concerns over the safety of vulnerable settlements located near hill slopes and other landslide-prone areas.

Earlier reports had put the death toll at two, with four to five people feared trapped. The toll was subsequently reported to have risen to four after the rescue operation progressed.

Thiruvananthapuram : Urbanisation will be a critical driver of India’s economic transformation and its aspiration to become a developed nation by 2047, Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, said on Wednesday.

Addressing the sixth edition of the Lok Bhavan Conversations organised by the Raj Bhavan on the theme ‘Urban Areas as Growth Engine for Viksit Bharat 2047’, Panagariya said India’s ambition to emerge as a developed and globally competitive $30-trillion economy cannot be realised without productive, resilient and efficiently governed cities.

He pointed out that virtually every developed country has high levels of urbanisation. India, too, has a long history of urban development and should not be apologetic about pursuing urbanization, he said.

Dr Panagariya said the focus of urbanisation should go beyond improving living conditions for existing urban populations. Cities must become business and job-friendly to attract people from rural areas and generate employment.

“Economic activity drives urbanisation,” he said, stressing that employment generation would also help transform rural settlements and peripheral areas of major cities and towns into vibrant urban spaces. The scarcity and high cost of urban land are among the biggest constraints on economic activity in Indian cities, Dr Panagariya said.

Acquiring large parcels of land for industrial and business activities remains extremely difficult because land holdings are highly fragmented and definitive land titles are often unavailable.

He cited the example of the Singur project in West Bengal, where thousands of individual land parcels had to be acquired, in contrast to large projects in countries such as the United States where land ownership is less fragmented.

He called for reforms to make land more readily available for productive economic activity and to reduce bottlenecks in land acquisition and urban development.

The Finance Commission Chairman also underlined the need for stronger municipal administration and better coordination among agencies responsible for urban development.

Cities need governance systems capable of supporting economic activity, infrastructure development and job creation, he said. Urban planning and land-use policies should foster entrepreneurship while improving citizens’ living conditions.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Rajendra Arlekar said urbanisation should not be equated with Westernisation. “Urbanisation should be initiated through our roots,” the Governor said, emphasising that India’s urban development must evolve from its own culture, traditions and thought processes rather than simply importing Western models.

He said urbanisation would make an important contribution to the economic development of the country and the realisation of the Viksit Bharat vision.

New Delhi, Aug 11: In a major crackdown on foreign nationals violating immigration norms, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s Central District successfully carried out “Operation VISTA 1.0” (Visa Status Verification), leading to the apprehension of seven Bangladeshi nationals for violating the conditions of their visas and overstaying in India beyond the permissible period.

The operation was launched as part of an ongoing drive to identify foreign nationals residing illegally in the national capital by overstaying or breaching visa regulations. During the special verification campaign, police teams conducted extensive checks at hotels, guest houses, and other establishments accommodating foreign nationals across the Central District.

According to Delhi Police, the operation gained momentum when a police team patrolling the Nabi Karim area received specific information from a reliable source that several Bangladeshi nationals whose visas had expired were residing illegally there. Acting on the information, the police apprehended one individual, identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, a resident of Noakhali district in Bangladesh.

During questioning, Foisal disclosed that he was a Bangladeshi national residing in the Nabi Karim area. He produced his Bangladeshi passport, which was verified on the spot. Police found that his passport had been issued on February 8, and that his authorised stay in India was valid only until August 7. However, he was found residing in the country beyond the permitted period without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the competent authorities.

During sustained interrogation, Foisal revealed that several other Bangladeshi nationals were also living in Delhi after violating the conditions of their visas. The information was immediately shared with Inspector Sandeep Dabas, In-Charge of AATS, Central District, who directed the formation of a dedicated team to verify the information and take necessary action.

Based on the disclosure, police teams conducted raids at multiple locations in Delhi, including Madanpur Khaddar and Janta Flats in Sarita Vihar. During the raids, six more Bangladeshi nationals were located and apprehended. Their passports, visas and travel documents were thoroughly examined.

Verification of their immigration records revealed that all seven individuals had entered India legally on Double Entry Visas. Under the conditions of these visas, each visitor was permitted to stay in India for a maximum of 15 days per visit. However, despite the validity of their visas, all seven had exceeded the permissible duration of stay without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the authorities.

Police said the violation constituted a breach of visa conditions and attracted legal action under the applicable provisions governing the stay of foreign nationals in India.

Following verification, all seven Bangladeshi nationals were produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which initiated legal proceedings against them. The FRRO subsequently issued Restriction Orders directing that the individuals be detained pending deportation proceedings.

The seven apprehended individuals have been identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, 26, Mohammad Amjad Hossen, 26, Moinul Hossain, 24, Alamin, 25, MD Kawasae Ali, 25, Amran Hossain, 29, and Afranul Haque Bhuyan Sami, 23, all residents of different districts of Bangladesh.

During interrogation, the accused admitted that they had entered India on valid Double Entry Visas and were residing in various parts of Central and South Delhi. Detailed scrutiny of their travel documents established that although their visas remained valid, they had violated the mandatory condition restricting each stay to a maximum of 15 days.

Police officials said all facts were cross-verified with immigration records before legal action was initiated. The authorities emphasised that the action was taken strictly in accordance with immigration laws and established procedures.

As part of the proceedings, police seized and verified seven Bangladeshi passports, seven Indian Double Entry Visas and seven mobile phones. These documents have been taken into possession for verification and further legal action.

The apprehended individuals have been shifted to the Detention Centre at Sewa Dham, Shahzada Bagh, Sarai Rohilla, where they will remain until the completion of deportation formalities.

Police further stated that no previous criminal involvement of any of the seven Bangladeshi nationals has come to light during verification. The present action pertains solely to violations of visa conditions arising from overstaying beyond the permissible period prescribed under their visas.