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Mira-Bhayandar: Mira Road Housing Society Withdraws Ban On Animal Feeding After MBMC, Animal Husbandry Crack Down; Activists Hail Victory

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Mumbai: A Mira Road-based housing society lifted an abrupt ban on animal feeding inside the society premises, marking a significant victory for animal rights and local volunteers. The move follows two scathing notices from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) and the District Animal Husbandry Department, which labelled the society’s actions as illegal and cruel.

A few animal-loving residents of Man Opus society in Mira Road (E) wrote to the MBMC alleging that the society’s managing committee was harassing feeders, blocking access, and erecting illegal signage prohibiting the feeding of animals within the premises.

The boards, which directed residents against littering, smoking, spitting and speeding inside the society compound, also restricted feeding dogs, cats or pigeons and barred animals from soiling the premises.

The first blow to the society’s restrictive stance came from the MBMC’s veterinary officer following the residents’ complaints. Through a letter dated December 12, the corporation clarified that under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and guidelines from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), stray dogs cannot be relocated and feeding cannot be prohibited. The notice also stated that people violating these instructions would be penalised.

Calling the boards illegal, the civic body directed the society’s managing committee to remove them within seven days and warned of action if it failed to comply. However, residents alleged that the management did not make the required changes, which led a local animal activist, Pallavi Patil, to approach the Department of Animal Husbandry.

Pressure intensified on December 22, when Dr Vallabh Joshi, district deputy commissioner of animal husbandry and member secretary of the SPCA Thane, issued a comprehensive legal warning to the society’s chairman and secretary. The notice described the society’s attempts to block feeders as “taking the law into their own hands”.

The department reminded the management that feeding animals is a fulfilment of a civic duty and that any fines demanded from feeders by the society are completely illegal and unenforceable. It also added that housing societies cannot pass internal bylaws or resolutions to ban animals or feeders, regardless of a majority vote, as such rules contravene national law.

Rather than merely lifting the ban, the animal husbandry department ordered Man Opus society to take proactive steps to facilitate animal welfare. Citing the ABC Rules and Supreme Court directives, it directed the society to form a committee to identify and designate specific feeding spots within the premises, along with the installation of new signage clearly marking these areas to prevent further disputes.

The notice also warned the society’s management that any further harassment of animals or their caretakers could lead to criminal prosecution.

Following the strongly worded notice, Man Opus society has withdrawn the instructions and covered the boards with paint. However, residents said the society has yet to decide on feeding spots.

Ashok Pandey, who claimed that the signages were placed only in general areas such as entry, exit and podiums, which have regular movement of people and vehicles.

While he said he was unaware of any letter from the district animal husbandry department, he added that the society has covered the instructions and has invited the veterinary officer for inspection and guidance.

“We are not anti-animals; even I have a pet at my house, but that does not mean that I feed animals anywhere. Every day we used to find unconsumed pieces of chicken and other food items in the society premises. Ours is a cosmopolitan society and we need to ensure that everyone’s religious sentiments are respected,” Pandey said.

Hemal Patel, animal welfare officer and legal advocate with the Pure Animal Lovers (PAL) Foundation, said, “Feeding of animals is a fundamental right. If any individual or society federation stops or harasses an animal feeder, such action is illegal, and strict action shall be taken against the concerned society or persons. If such harassment does not stop, appropriate and strict legal action will be initiated through proper legal channels.”

Business

Piyush Goyal to lead business delegation to Spain, Belgium and Finland to deepen trade, investment ties

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New Delhi, July 12: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead a high-level Indian business delegation on a five-day visit to Spain, Belgium and Finland from July 13 to 17, as India seeks to deepen its economic engagement with Europe through enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, technology, innovation and sustainability, it was announced on Sunday.

The delegation will include leading Indian companies from sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technologies, gems and jewellery, food processing, healthcare and design. The visit is aimed at expanding business-to-business partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration with European industries, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.

The visit will begin in Spain on July 13, where Goyal will participate in a business roundtable jointly organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Spain, CEOE and ICEX Spain Trade & Investment. The discussions are expected to focus on sectors including automotive, renewable energy, railways, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, food processing and tourism.

The meeting will bring together industry leaders from both countries at a time when India and Spain are celebrating the Spain-India Dual Year 2026, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations. Several Spanish companies, including Iberdrola, Acciona, CAF, Talgo, Gestamp and Indra, have already established a strong presence in India, while Indian technology and engineering firms such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and Larsen & Toubro are expanding their operations in Spain to support digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiatives.

In Belgium, where the delegation will travel on July 14 and 15, the minister will visit the Port of Antwerp to study Europe’s leading logistics hub and gain insights into multimodal connectivity, green logistics and resilient supply chains.

During the Belgium visit, Goyal will hold CEO-level meetings with senior executives of Thales Group and Silox Group.

The minister will also participate in the India-EU Business Roundtable and the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Plenary, where discussions will cover foreign direct investment, trade facilitation, sustainable technologies and resilient supply chains.

The final leg of the tour will take the delegation to Finland on July 16 and 17. Goyal will participate in the India-Finland Business Roundtable, engaging with Finnish companies across digitalisation, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and the circular economy.

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Crime

Speeding Ferrari crashes into apartment building in Hyderabad Jubilee Hills

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Hyderabad, July 12: A speeding Ferrari car crashed into the gate of an apartment building in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills area in the early hours of Sunday. There were no casualties, said officials.

The incident occurred on Road Number 5 in the upscale Jubilee Hills under the Film Nagar Police Station limits.

The occupants abandoned the heavily damaged Ferrari Roma, said to be worth more than Rs 3.50 crore, and fled before police arrived at the scene.

The gate of Fort View Apartments was completely damaged in the collision. The front portion of the luxury car was badly mangled.

The man driving the vehicle escaped after the accident. Police suspect that the person at the wheel was under the influence of alcohol and driving the vehicle at a high speed and in a rash manner.

Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the person who was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. Police were examining the CCTV footage to ascertain if there were other persons in the vehicle.

Police shifted the damaged Ferrari to the police station with the help of a towing vehicle.

This is the second such incident in Jubilee Hills in less than a week. An SUV had crashed into Tollywood actor Dharma’s residence on the night of July 9.

A man who was under the influence of alcohol had rammed the SUV into the residence of Dharma on Road Number 10. The compound wall of the actor’s house was damaged in the incident.

The accused was identified as Karthik Kumar, who drove the SUV in a rash and negligent manner before losing control and ramming into Dharma’s house. Luckily, there were no casualties.

The actor alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and arrested the accused. A breathalyser test confirmed that the accused was drunk while driving the SUV.

Police registered a criminal case against Kartik Kumar and launched further investigation.

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National News

4.5 magnitude earthquake in Bay of Bengal triggers tremors in Visakhapatnam

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Visakhapatnam, July 12: A 4.5 magnitude earthquake in the Bay of Bengal triggered tremors in parts of Visakhapatnam and adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

Some areas in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam were jolted by the tremors around 5.05 a.m.

The tremors were felt in Gajuwaka, Mangalapalem, Sagar Nagar, Pedda Waltair, Arilova, MVP colony, Appughar and other areas.

According to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a mild earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred in the Bay of Bengal early on Sunday, and mild tremors were felt in several parts of Visakhapatnam city.

National Center for Sesimology said the earthquake occurred at 5:05:46 a.m. IST at a depth of 10 km, with its epicentre located about 225 km off the Kakinada coast in the Bay of Bengal. The epicentre was located at latitude 16.805 degrees N and longitude 84.381 degrees E.

No casualties, property damage or any other loss have been reported due to the earthquake.

There are reports of tremors being felt in parts of Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Kakinada and Konaseema districts.

Experts described it as a shallow earthquake. They said there was no need for people to be worried as the tremors were mild due to structural adjustments. They pointed out that the region is considered tectonically stable.

In November last year, Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharamaraju districts were jolted by a mild earthquake.

An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 had struck the Alluri district in north coastal Andhra on November 4, 2015. The tremors triggered panic among residents in some areas. People ran out of their houses on hearing a loud sound. However, there were no casualties or any other damage. According to the National Center of Seismology, the epicentre of the earthquake was at G. Madugula in Alluri Sitharamaraju district at a depth of 10 km. The epicentre was 110 km from the port city of Visakhapatnam.

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