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Maharashtra

Mumbai’s Water Stock Drops To 45.08% Amid Heatwave Conditions; Decision On Water Cuts In City Soon

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Mumbai: Mumbai’s water stock has witnessed a significant decline as the city continues to experience above-normal temperatures for nearly three weeks. According to reports citing data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the water level in the city’s seven lakes stood at 45.08 per cent as of March 9, marking a six-percentage-point drop in the last 15 days. On February 24, the water stock was at 51 per cent.

Decision Regarding Water Cuts This Week

Civic officials have indicated that a decision regarding water cuts will be taken this week. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave warning for Mumbai from March 9 to 11. This comes after the city experienced a heatwave between February 25 and 26.

Officials have attributed the rapid decline in water reserves to the ongoing extreme temperatures. If the current trend continues, water levels may dip faster than anticipated. Although an immediate water cut is unlikely, officials have warned that restrictions may be imposed in the coming months, especially with the monsoon still three months away.

Water Stock In Excess This Year, Compared To 2024

BMC officials noted that each percentage point of water stock roughly accounts for two to three days of consumption. The current stock is sufficient to sustain the city for approximately four months. Last year, during a similar period, Mumbai’s water stock was at 39.73 per cent, while in 2023, it stood at 45.23 per cent.

Officials recalled that in 2023, extreme daytime temperatures led to water cuts around May. Although the monsoon typically arrives between June 10 and 15, majorly rainfall in the lakes’ catchment areas often occurs later. This delay can put additional pressure on water reserves.

Reserve Water Stock Used Last Year By BMC

Last year, following a delayed monsoon, the BMC had to rely on reserve water after obtaining approval from the state’s irrigation department. However, the reserves were replenished once rainfall picked up in July.

Mumbai relies on seven lakes for its water supply: Tansa, Bhatsa, Tulsi, Vihar, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna and Modak Sagar. Of these, Tulsi and Vihar are located within the city limits, while the remaining lakes are spread across the satellite districts of Palghar, Thane, and Nashik. The total storage capacity of these lakes is 14.47 lakh million litres.

With summer intensifying and water levels continuing to fall, authorities are closely monitoring the situation. While immediate action may not be required, officials remain cautious and are preparing for any necessary interventions should the high temperatures persist.

Maharashtra

Mumbai Infra News: BMC Plans To Demolish Veer Savarkar Flyover To Improve Coastal Road Phase 2 Connectivity In Goregaon

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Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to demolish the Veer Savarkar flyover in Goregaon, built at a cost of Rs 27 crore and opened in 2018. This demolition, occurring just seven years after its inauguration, aims to facilitate a key elevated connector for the Versova-Dahisar stretch of Coastal Road Phase 2.

The Savarkar flyover, also known as the MTNL flyover, served as a crucial east-west traffic link, connecting S.V. Road to New Link Road and significantly reducing congestion in the western suburbs. However, civic officials determined that the flyover obstructs the alignment of the new coastal corridor connecting Mindspace to Dindoshi court.

In place of the existing flyover, a proposed two-tiered flyover will feature an upper deck for the coastal road and a lower deck reconfiguring the Savarkar flyover. A formal proposal for this construction is being prepared for municipal commissioner approval.

The demolition could disrupt commuters, as the flyover has greatly shortened travel times for those heading to areas like Malad, Madh, and Marve. Residents express concerns about potential traffic bottlenecks and dust pollution during the project. This segment, part of the broader Mumbai Coastal Road Project Phase 2, extends roughly 22.9 km and includes various infrastructure features, enhancing connectivity in the region.

Mumbai’s infrastructure projects, including the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) and Madh-Versova bridge, are straining the understaffed BMC’s Bridges Department. To mitigate this, the BMC plans to deploy 200 additional officers for the Versova-Dahisar Link Road (VDLR) project, pending approval from Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani.

The BMC is also expediting Phase II of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) following state directives; the VDLR, at Rs 16,621 crore, aims to alleviate traffic congestion. An elevated Dahisar-Bhayandar road will cost Rs 3,304 crore, starting work in August 2025. Phase II will include tunnels and a cable-stayed bridge, enhancing connectivity, with construction commencing in September.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Monorail Connecting Chembur To Jacob Circle Near Mahalaxmi, Set For Makeover With New 5-Year Private Operator Plan

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Mumbai: In a renewed push to revive Mumbai’s long-struggling monorail system, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL), a wing of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), is preparing to appoint a single private operator for its operation and maintenance through a five-year contract.

The 19.54-km monorail corridor connecting Chembur to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk (Jacob Circle) has faced technical setbacks and service disruptions since its commercial debut on February 2, 2014. These challenges worsened after MMRDA terminated its contract with the original consortium, Scomi Engineering and Larsen & Toubro, in December 2018 due to poor performance.

Several Issues With Monorail Operations

Since then, the monorail has been running under short-term annual contracts with different private operators, resulting in coordination gaps and accountability issues. “Whenever a delay or breakdown occurs, there’s confusion over responsibility,” said an MMMOCL official, The new single-operator model aims to resolve this by ensuring end-to-end responsibility for operations and maintenance.

Despite the induction of new rakes, service reliability remains low. According to the report, on July 28, only one train ran the entire route, even though eight older rakes and seven newly procured ones were available. An eighth new rake is expected this month, with two more likely to arrive by November. These trains, supplied by Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives, are yet to receive full safety clearances for passenger service.

To boost efficiency, MMMOCL has floated a Rs 300 crore tender covering the entire system, 17 stations and the Wadala depot. The new contract excludes joint ventures, restricting eligibility to single bidders only.

Under its 2024 revival plan, MMMOCL aims to deploy 12 trains daily, eight refurbished and ten new ones, with two trains kept on standby and four reserved for scheduled maintenance. Originally, Scomi was supposed to supply 15 rakes, but only 10 were delivered before the agreement collapsed.

What’s The Current Status?

Currently, the monorail is scheduled to run 142 services per weekday, with each train covering around 350 km between 5:48 am and 11:00 pm. However, due to frequent technical snags and limited operational rakes, these targets are often unmet. Officials hope the new long-term operator model will bring stability, accountability and much-needed reliability to Mumbai’s first and only monorail corridor.

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Crime

‘Shirt Photo’ Code Cracked: Mumbai’s Sakinaka Police Reveal Modus Operandi In ₹434-Crore Mysuru Drug Racket, Days After Powai Raid

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Mumbai: In a major update to the Rs 434-crore inter-state drug bust, Mumbai’s Sakinaka Police have uncovered the modus operandi of the gangs involved, a unique ‘shirt photo’ code used to smuggle mephedrone (MD) between cities.

Quoting police, two separate gangs worked in tandem to shift the contraband from a drug manufacturing unit in Karnataka’s Mysuru to Mumbai. One gang would deliver the consignment to Bengaluru.

The other, unconnected directly, would pick it up using a WhatsApp image of a shirt as a covert identification signal. This photograph-based code was used to avoid verbal communication and detection. The drugs were then transported to Mumbai via road routes.

This new revelation comes days after a godown was raided in Powai on July 30, where police seized 21.9 kg of MD and chemicals worth Rs 44 crore from Shop No. 9, Prathmesh Galaxy, near Hiranandani in Powai. The accused had disguised the facility as a colour distribution unit on the ground floor of a residential building.

“We were able to trace the Powai godown based on interrogation. The accused had told neighbouring shopkeepers and building members that they were running a colour distribution business. Under that guise, they were storing drugs, chemicals, and equipment,” said Investigating Officer Dayanand Walave. Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said further arrests are likely as more names have surfaced during interrogation.

The bust is a continuation of a larger probe that began on April 24 this year, when Sadiq Shaikh (27) was arrested in Sakinaka with 52 grams of MD. That arrest triggered a chain reaction, leading to multiple raids and arrests across Mumbai, Gujarat and Karnataka.

Eventually, on July 26, police raided a large-scale MD manufacturing unit near Belavatha in Mysuru and seized 214 kg of MD, precursor chemicals, and lab equipment worth Rs 390 crore. This included an additional 4.5 kg of MD recovered from Kaman village, Vasai.

So far, eight individuals have been arrested, four from the Mumbai-Gujarat-Mysuru link and four directly associated with the Mysuru factory. Police say three of the arrested have past criminal records, with one facing as many as 16 cases under the NDPS Act and for assault.

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