Mumbai: Abu Asim Azmi, a leader and MLA from the Samajwadi Party in Mumbai, stated that just as loudspeakers are permitted during other festivals and Navratri, they should also be permitted for the Azaan (call for prayers). Commenting on the relaxation of loudspeaker use during Navratri in Uttar Pradesh, Azmi stated that relaxations should be granted for all festivals in the country, as people celebrate late into the night, and loudspeakers are only permitted until 10 p.m. Furthermore, the proposal to allow loudspeakers in mosques should also be approved, as the decibel limit is too low, making the use of loudspeakers impossible. Therefore, the government is urged to formulate a policy regarding loudspeakers. He said that Muslims have no objection to the permission and concessions for the use of loudspeakers during Navratri or other festivals. The Azaan should be two or five minutes long, but loudspeakers have been removed from mosques because the decibel limit is too low. Therefore, the government should allow loudspeakers in mosques.

Mumbai: Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti has assured that efforts are underway to resolve the long-standing housing issues faced by the city’s police force. He announced that plans are being developed to provide 500-square-foot homes to policemen and eventually ensure that constables are allotted housing at the very start of their service.

Bharti made this announcement during a felicitation ceremony organised by the Jan Sahayog Foundation, where children of police personnel were honoured for academic achievements. The event was attended by Additional Police Commissioner (South Mumbai) Dr Abhinav Deshmukh, Additional Police Commissioner (Special Branch) Dhananjay Kulkarni and Jan Sahayog Foundation president and senior journalist Prabhakar Pawar.

The Commissioner said police officers and staff often work in extremely difficult conditions, with many commuting long distances from areas like Kalyan and Dombivali. Others live their entire lives in cramped homes, unable to afford better housing in the city. “Policemen are always on duty, and their families make sacrifices too. They deserve proper homes in Mumbai itself, and we are working at senior levels to make this happen.

Alongside housing, Bharti stressed the department’s commitment to the welfare and education of policemen’s children. He announced plans to establish world-class sports and educational infrastructure. “Within three years, we will build an Olympic-standard swimming pool and a state-of-the-art sports complex in Naigaon,” he said, adding that children would be given every opportunity to develop their skills and talents.

Bharti also highlighted the success stories of police families, noting that many children have secured prestigious positions globally. “One constable’s son is employed in the office of US President Donald Trump. Such achievements are a matter of pride for us all,” he said.

Addressing students, he urged them not to get carried away by early success in exams but to remain focused on future challenges, including competitive tests. Additional CP Dhananjay Kulkarni encouraged students to prepare with determination and to keep multiple career plans in mind, while Dr Abhinav Deshmukh reminded them to never forget their parents’ struggles.

Concluding, Bharti said, “The Mumbai Police never say no, no matter the situation. Their dedication is unmatched. It is our duty to ensure their families are supported with proper housing and facilities.”

Mumbai: Air India group has announced its plan to commence commercial flights from the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), as the airport nears its inauguration date. Air India Express will daily operate 20 flights to 15 cities across the country.

Mumbai metropolitan region’s second airport, NMIA, is being prepared for its scheduled inauguration on September 30. After IndiGo and Akasa Air announced their plan to commence operations from the first day of airport’s operations, Air India Group also announced its operation plan on Tuesday, a week before the inauguration. According to sources, the airline group was prepared to announce the operations in July but postponed it due to the tragic AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad.

In the first phase of the new airport’s operations, Air India group’s value carrier Air India Express is said to operate 20 daily departures, which will result in 40 air traffic movements (ATMs), connecting 15 Indian cities to and from NMIA. The airline group also intends to scale up to 55 departures by mid-2026, including up to 5 daily international flights. By Winter 2026, the group aims to further expand its operations to 60 departures from NMIA, connecting passengers to key domestic and international destinations.

Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer and managing director of Air India, said, “We look forward to commencing operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport, as Mumbai joins the league of world cities with more than one airport. We are happy to work with Adani Airports to build NMIA not only as a point that connects to the rest of India, but also as one of the country’s key global transit hubs for passengers and cargo given its strategic geographical location. At the Air India group, we are proud to lead the charge in connecting the West to the East and beyond via India, and our expansion at NMIA will support India’s growth as a global aviation hub.”

Arun Bansal, chief executive officer at Adani Airport Holdings Ltd., said, “We are delighted to welcome Air India Group to Navi Mumbai International Airport as one of our valued airline partners. Their ambitious expansion plans and global vision are perfectly aligned with our aim of making NMIA a benchmark in global aviation. This partnership will redefine Mumbai’s connectivity landscape and strengthen India’s twin-airport strategy, NMIA’s adoption of technology for enhancing efficiency and best in class experience for passengers will play a pivotal role in delivering seamless and superior passenger journeys for decades to come.”

On May 28, IndiGo announced to be the first airline to commence commercial flight operations from NMIA. It plans to operate 18 daily departures in the first phase to 15 Indian cities, further expanding it to over 140 daily domestic and international departures by November 2026. IndiGo also operated the first commercial flight that landed on NMIA on December 29 under the flight validation test.

On June 6, Akasa Air also stayed in step and announced 100 weekly domestic, scaling upto 300 domestic and over 50 international departures weekly in the winter schedule of 2026. The airline had claimed to be deploying the largest percentage of the fleet operating from NMIA.

Flight operations at the greenfield airport will commence with only eight to 10 ATMs every hour in the initial period and will gradually scale up to 30 by the summer of 2026, the airport’s CEO BVJK Sharma had told media. In its initial phase, NMIA is expected to be developed across 58 acres to handle 20 million passengers and 0.5 MMT of cargo per annum, with the capacity to serve 90 million passengers and 3.2 MMT of cargo per annum, once complete.