Mumbai: In a bid to curb dumping in Mumbai’s nullahs and rivers, the BMC is set to launch a public awareness campaign. As part of a pilot initiative, a cleanliness drive will be conducted at the Vakola River. This effort will involve local residents, solid waste management (SWM) experts, and NGOs, working together to clean the river and promote responsible waste disposal.

The announcement was made by Deputy Municipal Commissioner Kiran Dighavkar during a workshop held in MIG club at Bandra on Wednesday. The BMC’s ‘H East’ ward, the World Resources Institute India (WRI), and various non-governmental organisations working in the field of SWM jointly organised a ward-wise stakeholder workshop titled ‘Journey Towards Community Participation for Waste Management in Mumbai’.

The workshop included brainstorming sessions on topics such as waste segregation, raising awareness among citizens, and cleaning efforts for the Mithi River and Vakola nullah to keep them free of waste.

Dighavkar further stated, “Following the pilot cleanliness drive for the Vakola nullah, the initiative will be expanded in the future to cover all rivers and nullahs across Mumbai on a larger scale.”

Mrudula Ande, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of H East Ward, said, “While BMC staff are working tirelessly, open dumping in densely populated areas remains a challenge. The ward collects nearly 300 tonnes of waste daily.”

She stressed the need for sustained solutions and proposed setting designated days for collecting different types of waste — dry, wet, and electronic — to promote better segregation at the source.

A large volume of waste is generated daily from residential, commercial, industrial, and informal settlements. Much of this waste is dumped in open spaces and water bodies, including the Mithi River, Vakola, Poisar river, and smaller drains—leading to environmental degradation and waterlogging during heavy rains.

Experts at the workshop emphasised that community participation is crucial to keeping Mumbai clean and beautiful. The discussion highlighted the importance of waste segregation, disposing of garbage only in designated bins, and using BMC-provided waste collection containers in housing societies. Raising public awareness on these practices was identified as a key priority.

The event was also attended by Deputy Commissioner (Zone 3) Vishwas Mote, Assistant Commissioner Dinesh Pallewad, Jyoti Mhapsekar (Stree Mukti Sanghatana), Amita Bhide (TISS), representatives from NGOs, and BMC officials.

Mumbai: The statue of late Meenatai Thackeray, the wife of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, at Shivaji Park was defaced with red oil paint, leading to the arrest of a man on Wednesday evening who was identified through CCTV cameras. The accused has been identified as Upendra Pawaskar, an official said, adding that the suspect is being interrogated.

An FIR has been registered at Shivaji Park police station under BNS section 298 (destroying, damaging, or defiling a place of worship or a sacred object held by a class of people).

The incident occurred around 6.30 am, leaving red stains on the statue and its surroundings, sparking outrage among Shiv Sena (UBT) workers who quickly gathered at the spot and launched a protest. Reacting sharply, UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed the move as “highly condemnable,” warning it could be a ploy to create unrest in Maharashtra.

“Such acts are usually done by stray elements who are ashamed even to take the names of their own parents, or by those trying to replicate attempts to disturb peace as seen in Bihar recently, where PM Narendra Modi’s mother was insulted,” Thackeray said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also denounced the defacement, assuring that police would thoroughly investigate and arrest the culprits. “We will not allow this to be given any political colour. Police will take strict action against whoever is behind this,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that he had personally spoken to the Police Commissioner and Joint Commissioner of Police, instructing them to trace the culprits within 24 hours.

Minister of State for Home and Revenue Yogesh Kadam, from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, also condemned the act. Calling Meenatai Thackeray the “matriarch for all Shiv Sainiks,” he noted that the statue had been installed years ago at the instructions of Bal Thackeray, with his father Ramdas Kadam playing a key role in its erection.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray visited the site and directed police officials to check all CCTV footage in the area.

Meanwhile, Sena (UBT) leader and MP Anil Desai blamed the state government for security lapses. “This is nothing but the failure of the government,” he remarked.

As tempers ran high, Shiv Sena (UBT) workers cleaned the statue and its surroundings. Police have stepped up security in and around Shivaji Park to prevent further tension. Authorities are examining CCTV footage from the locality to identify the culprits.

Thane: The Shahapur Police have arrested two individuals for allegedly assaulting a man to death over a petty dispute. The deceased has been identified as Ramdash Gorkhane (47), a resident of Pradhan Pada in Shahapur, Thane district.

The accused have been identified as Sunil Nimase and Dhananjay Sugir. The body was found at Ratandale village near the Nagpur–Samruddhi Expressway on Tuesday.

According to the police, the victim and four accused were drinking a liquor together when they later went to the victim’s residence to take a villager’s hen. An altercation broke out, which escalated into physical violence.

The accused allegedly dragged the victim into their Scorpio car and assaulted him with fists and blows about 1.5 km from the spot. Later they have dumped him in unconscious condition at the location and fled the scene.

The body was discovered on Tuesday morning by villagers. Local villagers alerted the police, who rushed to the scene and sent him to a nearby hospital in Shahapur, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Mukesh Dhage, Senior Police Inspector of Shahapur Police Station, said, “So far, we have arrested two accused and launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects. Based on information from the victim’s nephew, a murder case has been registered. Further investigation is underway.”