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Wednesday,11-March-2026
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Mumbai: Activists Flag Use Of Railway Coaches Reserved For Disabled Passengers By Cops, Others

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Mumbai: Despite clear directives from the Bombay High Court prohibiting police personnel from travelling in railway compartments reserved for disabled passengers, the practice allegedly continues in local trains. Police personnel frequently travel in these coaches and sometimes escort suspects, raising concerns among activists about safety and accessibility.

Nitin Gaikwad, the president of Nirdhar Viklang Vikas Samajik Sangh, who has 50% disability, has alleged that two police personnel, one morning in December, were seen travelling in the compartment for disabled persons in a fast local train at Dadar railway station along with a handcuffed suspect. Gaikwad said the cops alighted at Andheri railway station.

Gaikwad, who has been working for the safety and rights of disabled commuters for about 12 years, said he filmed the incident. The personnel then claimed to be from the Mumbai police. Gaikwad further alleged that an attempt was made to pressure him by asking him to visit the police station. Gaikwad has written to Rakesh Kalasagar, the Commissioner of Police (Railways), and other authorities regarding the incident.

Gaikwad had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court in 2013 against cops and general commuters travelling in coaches reserved for disabled passengers. In 2017, the court directed the state home department and the Director General of Police to issue a circular to all police stations warning of disciplinary action in such cases. According to railway rules, only certain categories of passengers are permitted in the disabled compartment.

These include persons with disabilities, cancer patients, senior citizens who cannot walk without support and pregnant women. However, able-bodied commuters often occupy these compartments, creating difficulties for those for whom the space is reserved. Activists say that bringing suspects into these compartments also causes discomfort and insecurity. Zaveri Samir, a 90% disabled commuter and civic activist, said that in suburban 12-coach trains, two coaches include a section reserved for disabled passengers.

During peak hours, from 7 am to 11 am and from 6 pm to 10 pm, able-bodied commuters often overcrowd these spaces. With trains stopping for about 20 seconds at stations, forceful boarding and alighting can endanger disabled passengers. Samir said that calls to the railway helpline 139 often fail due to poor network connectivity in moving trains, while posts on X have not received satisfactory responses. He urged the railways to deploy at least one security personnel on each train during peak hours to ensure safe travel for disabled passengers.

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Anti-trespass action taken by IMC at 13 unauthorized shops in Goregaon (Maghribi) area.

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Mumbai: Additional constructions of 3 shops on Swami Vivekananda Marg and 10 shops on 5D Road in Goregaon (West) were evicted today (March 10, 2026) by the ‘P’ department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone-4) Smt. Bhagya Shri Kapse, and Assistant Commissioner (P South Division) Aniruddha Kulkarni.

It was found that unauthorized constructions on Swami Vivekananda Marg and 5D Road in Goregaon (West) were creating obstacles for pedestrians. In this backdrop, the Conservation, Encroachment Removal and Licensing Department, working under the ‘P South’ administrative division (ward) of the Municipal Corporation, jointly launched a drive. During this operation, 3 unauthorized constructions on Swami Vivekananda Marg were evicted. In addition, unauthorized additional constructions of 10 shops on 5D Road were removed. During this, eviction action was also taken against unauthorized hawkers in the area.

The action team included 5 officers and 25 employees of the Conservation, Encroachment Removal and Licensing Department working under the ‘P-South’ administrative division. 1 JCB, 1 truck, 1 cargo vehicle, gas cutter etc. were used for the operation. Adequate security was deployed by Bangur Nagar Police Station at that time.

Meanwhile, the administration is making it clear that regular action will continue against unauthorized constructions and unauthorized hawkers.

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Maharashtra

Attention Thanekars! TMC Announces 24-Hour Water Cut On March 12 Due To Pipeline Work; Check Areas Affected

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Thane: Water supply will remain suspended for 24 hours in several areas of Thane on Thursday due to pipeline work being carried out near the Siddheshwar Water Tank, according to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).

According to the civic body, excavation work for laying a new pipeline in the Uthalsar ward committee area is affecting the existing 600 mm diameter outlet pipeline connected to the Siddheshwar water tank.

As part of the project, the current pipeline will need to be shifted to facilitate the installation of the new line. To carry out the work, water supply will be suspended from 9 am on Thursday (March 12) to 9 am on Friday (March 13), officials confirmed.

During this period, water supply will remain disrupted in several areas of the Uthalsar ward, including the Siddheshwar Lake vicinity, Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Ganeshwadi, Nitin Company area, Panchpakhadi, Sarovar Darshan, Chandanwadi, Hansnagar, Singh Nagar, Khopat, Flower Valley, Shelar Pada, Gokuldaswadi, Kolbad and Gokulnagar.

Apart from these localities, parts of the Naupada ward will also face water supply disruption. These include Panchpakhadi, Chandanwadi, the municipal corporation premises, Charai and Dhobi Ali.

Civic officials have appealed to residents to store sufficient water in advance and use it judiciously during the shutdown period. The municipal corporation has also urged citizens to cooperate with authorities while the pipeline work is underway.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: BMC Begins TBM Installation For Goregaon Mulund Link Road Twin Tunnels In Aarey, Bhushan Gagrani Inspects Work

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Mumbai, March 11: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has begun a key stage in the construction of the twin tunnels under Phase 3B of the Goregaon Mulund Link Road project, with the lowering of Tunnel Boring Machine components into a shaft at the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari site.

The civic body shared updates and footage of the operation on social media platform X on Wednesday.

The operation involves carefully lowering several loose components of the Tunnel Boring Machine into the deep shaft from where tunnelling activities will eventually begin. The process marks a crucial step in preparing the machine that will excavate the twin tunnels planned under the GMLR project.

Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani visited the site to personally inspect the ongoing work and review the progress of the installation process.

To carry out the complex operation, specialised cranes with lifting capacities of 800 metric tonnes and 350 metric tonnes have been deployed at the site. These high capacity machines are being used to lower the TBM parts safely and precisely into the shaft.

The components are being lowered in phases to ensure safety and accuracy during assembly within the shaft.

Among the major parts lowered on the first day was the Type A shield, considered the primary mining component of the Tunnel Boring Machine. The massive structure weighs around 135 metric tonnes and plays a central role in the tunnelling process.

Several senior officials from the civic administration were present during the inspection and the lowering operation.

These included Additional Municipal Commissioner for Projects Abhijit Bangar, Deputy Commissioner Infrastructure Girish Nikam, Chief Engineer Bridges Rajesh Mule, Deputy Chief Engineer Bridges Naresh Meghrajani, and Executive Engineer Bridges Namdev Ravkale. Municipal engineers and project consultants were also present during the process.

The Goregaon Mulund Link Road is one of Mumbai’s major road infrastructure projects aimed at improving east west connectivity and reducing travel time across the city. The twin tunnels being constructed near the Aarey area form a critical part of this corridor.

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