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Saturday,15-November-2025
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Mumbai Weather Update: City Wakes Up To Clear Skies, Mild Breeze On Weekend; AQI Remains In Unhealthy Range At 250

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Mumbai: Mumbai began its Saturday with clear blue skies, bright sunshine and a pleasantly cool morning, yet the city’s environmental health told a different story. Despite the comfortable weather, air quality levels across Mumbai dipped sharply, pushing the city into the unhealthy category and prompting concerns.

Through the day, Mumbai is expected to enjoy typical mid-November weather. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported clear skies, abundant sunlight and mild conditions. Daytime temperatures are likely to hover between 28°C and 30°C, providing warm yet comfortable conditions for outdoor activity.

As the sun sets, the mercury is expected to drop to around 18°C. Light breezes continue to moderate humidity levels, keeping the weather pleasant on the surface. However, this favourable meteorological picture contrasts sharply with the worrisome spike in air pollution.

According to real-time data from AQI.in, Mumbai recorded an overall Air Quality Index of 250 on Saturday morning, placing it firmly in the unhealthy category. This marks a major deterioration from the moderate AQI levels seen earlier this month. Many residents reported a faint burning smell in the air and slight reduction in visibility, both signs of rising particulate matter, particularly PM2.5.

Some locations registered startlingly high pollution readings. The Wadala Truck Terminal emerged as the worst-hit pocket of the city, recording an AQI of 438, categorised as hazardous. Colaba also slipped into severe levels with an AQI of 324, followed closely by Bandra-Kurla Complex at 317. Mazgaon (312) and Malad (305) were among other hotspots where the air quality remained severely compromised.

Suburban Mumbai fared somewhat better but still fell short of safe air standards. Kandivali East and Mankhurd both recorded AQI levels of 123, placing them in the poor category. Malad West (153), Borivali East (153) and Mulund West (157) hovered in the same poor bracket. Across the city, a layer of haze persisted through the morning, reducing clarity despite the sunshine.

Under standard AQI classification, 0–50 is considered Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, and 151–200 Unhealthy. Any reading above 200 falls under Severe or Hazardous, a range into which several of Mumbai’s high-density neighbourhoods have now slipped. With pollution levels climbing, health authorities are urging residents, especially the elderly, children and those with respiratory illnesses, to exercise caution even as the weather remains deceptively pleasant.

National News

India storm into semis of 2025 Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind

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Bengaluru, Nov 15: India advanced to the semi-finals of the Cricket for the Blind 2025 Women’s T20 World Cup with a commanding ten-wicket win over the USA.

In only their sixth match of the tournament, India secured their fourth consecutive win, defeating the USA by ten wickets in a contest that was as symbolic as it was one-sided.

For the USA Women’s Blind Cricket Team, this was a remarkable occasion. As they made their World Cup debut, the team was assembled from scratch over the past year, shaped through an unprecedented developmental partnership with Indian institutions that identified, trained, and nurtured visually impaired cricketers across the United States.

Opting to bat first, USA fought hard but were limited to 60/8 in 20 overs, owing to India’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding. Tatyana (17 off 41, B2) and Caroline (12 off 26, B2) demonstrated resilience against a relentless attack, but wickets kept falling as India’s bowlers kept tight lines and created pressure throughout.

Simranjeet Kour (B2), Sunita Srathe (B2), Simu Das (B1), and Ganga Kadam (B3) each picked up a wicket, while India’s fielders contributed with multiple run-outs — a testament to their coordination across all categories.

What followed was an extraordinary display of batting authority. Chasing just 61, India romped home in 3.3 overs without losing a wicket. Player of the Match Simranjeet Kour blasted an unbeaten 31 off 12 balls (B2), while Kavya N.R (B3) complemented her with a swift 21 off 12*, sealing the match in minutes. The gulf in experience showed, yet the spirit displayed by the young USA side reflected the courage and commitment fueling their rise on the global stage.

India now turn their attention to what promises to be one of the marquee fixtures of the tournament: a high-voltage showdown against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo.

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National News

Mumbai Local Train Update: Megablock On Central, Harbour, Trans-Harbour & Western Railway Lines On Nov 16; Check Details

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Mumbai: Mumbai suburban railway commuters will face major travel disruptions on Sunday, 16 November 2025, as Central, Harbour, Trans-Harbour and Western Railway authorities have planned extensive maintenance work, resulting in a major megablock across multiple corridors.

The block has been scheduled for several hours during the day and will affect both Up and Down services with diversions, cancellations, and restricted operational stretches. Passengers have been urged to plan their journeys in advance and expect changes in train timings, halts and routes.

On the Central Line, the megablock will be enforced between CSMT Mumbai and Vidyavihar on the Up and Down slow tracks between 10.55 am and 3.55 pm. Down slow locals departing CSMT between 10:48 hrs and 15:45 hrs will be diverted via the fast line up to Vidyavihar while halting at limited stations, Byculla, Parel, Dadar, Matunga, Sion and Kurla, before switching back to the slow track. Similarly, Up slow services leaving Ghatkopar between 10:19 hrs and 15:52 hrs will run on the fast line until CSMT and halt at Kurla, Sion, Matunga, Dadar, Parel and Byculla.

On the Harbour Line, services between Vashi and Panvel will remain affected from 11.05 am to 4.05 pm. During this period, Up trains from Panvel to CSMT between 10:33 hrs and 15:49 hrs, and Down trains from CSMT to Belapur/Panvel between 09:45 hrs and 15:12 hrs, will remain cancelled. To ease passenger movement, special trains will operate between CSMT and Vashi during the block.

The Trans-Harbour Line will also face restrictions between 11.05 am and 4.05 pm, and services will run only between Thane and Vashi/Nerul. Up trains from Panvel to Thane between 11:02 hrs and 15:53 hrs, and Down trains from Thane to Panvel between 10:01 hrs and 15:20 hrs, will remain suspended. The Uran Line will function normally and will not be affected by the block.

Meanwhile, the Western Railway will operate a five-hour Jumbo Block between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm on the fast track between Ram Mandir, Borivali and Goregaon. Up fast services will shift to slow lines between Borivali and Andheri, while Down fast trains will run via slow tracks between Andheri and Goregaon.

Passengers have been advised to follow announcements, use real-time railway apps and consider alternate travel arrangements to avoid inconvenience.

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Business

ED arrests real estate firm MD in PMLA case, accused sent to 14-day custody

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New Delhi, Nov 15: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Ocean Seven Buildtech Pvt. Ltd. (OSBPL) Managing Director Swaraj Singh Yadav after conducting searches at nine locations across Delhi-NCR and other regions in a money-laundering probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, an agency statement said on Saturday.

The action stems from allegations that Yadav diverted and laundered funds collected from homebuyers across multiple projects, including those under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

The searches on Thursday led to the recovery of Rs 86 lakh in cash, suspected to be proceeds of crime, along with incriminating documents and digital evidence.

According to the ED, Yadav orchestrated a large-scale diversion of homebuyer funds through fraudulent cancellation and resale of units at inflated prices, cash-based premiums collected outside banking channels, and misuse of escrow accounts.

He allegedly routed substantial sums into shell entities and concealed cash proceeds with relatives, the ED statement said.

Investigators also found a pattern of rapid liquidation of assets held personally and through company entities in Gurugram, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, which the agency believes was intended to secure illicit gains and evade legal scrutiny.

His wife and children have already relocated to the United States, the probe revealed.

The agency said Yadav operated a dual-payment mechanism in the resale of PMAY flats and even in the sale of parking spaces — routing only nominal amounts through banks while collecting the bulk in cash. These activities form part of a wider probe linked to multiple FIRs alleging cheating, forgery, and other predicate offences.

Following his arrest, Yadav was produced before the Court of ASJ-06 at Patiala House Courts on Friday, in compliance with Supreme Court directions.

After detailed submissions from both sides and a pass-over granted to allow him legal assistance, the court sent him to ED custody for 14 days, until November 28.

The agency has been directed to produce him before the court at 2 p.m. on the date of expiry of remand.

The ED said it is pursuing further investigation to trace, freeze, and attach assets acquired from the laundered funds, to ensure recovery and restitution to affected homebuyers.

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