Mumbai, Aug 18: In a major push to boost transportation across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and ease severe traffic congestion in Pune, the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday approved two major infrastructure projects: Metro Line 13 (Mira Bhayander to Vasai‑Virar) and the eastern extension of the Pune Ring Road (Sortapwadi to Varve‑Shivare).

Passing through Thane and Palghar districts, Metro Line 13 (Mira Bhayander to Vasai‑Virar) will be executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at an estimated total cost of Rs 17,724.99 crore. The line is 25.03 km long, comprising 21.78 km of elevated tracks and 3.25 km of underground tracks. Out of 16 proposed stations, 13 will be elevated and three underground.

The project includes a 4.92 km integrated double‑decker structure over Vasai Creek connecting Panju Island, featuring a six‑lane (3+3) road alongside the metro line. A metro depot is proposed at Chikhal Dongri. The line will connect key areas including Mira Road, Vasai, Nalasopara, Naigaon, and Virar.

The metro line will seamlessly integrate with the Naigaon, Nalasopara, and Virar suburban railway stations, while offering an interchange with Metro Line 9 at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Stadium. Feeder bus services are planned at all stations. The project requires 24.84 hectares of land acquisition and is scheduled for completion within five years from approval.

CM Fadnavis instructed officials to complete land acquisition and access road construction within the next six months. Daily ridership on Metro Line 13 is projected to reach approximately 4.49 lakh passengers by 2031.

The project is expected to cut travel time by 50 pc compared to road transport, reduce private vehicle usage and highway congestion, lower carbon emissions, and strengthen connectivity between industrial, logistics, and suburban centres.

Further, to mitigate traffic congestion in Pune, the government granted administrative approval for the revised cost proposal of Rs 10,502.36 crore for the eastern extension of the Pune Ring Road. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will implement the project.

A 31.805 km access‑controlled expressway will stretch from Sortapwadi (Valti) on the Pune‑Solapur Road to Varve Budruk (Shivare) on the Pune‑Satara Road. The project aims to divert interstate and intrastate transit traffic away from Pune city limits to ease urban bottlenecks.

Once integrated, the entire 168.981 km Ring Road network will form a continuous access‑controlled bypass. Land acquisition is 80 pc complete, with project completion targeted for June 2029. The expressway will feature six lanes (three on each side) with a design speed limit of 120 km/h.

Key structural features include one interchange, three major bridges, five minor bridges, 18 elevated structures or flyovers, and four tunnels, along with roadside afforestation and landscaping at interchanges, said the government release.

Mumbai: Anti-Narcotics Cell has claimed to have arrested a Bihari rickshaw driver-drug smuggler who was running a drug trafficking network in Mumbai. The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) received information about a 31-year-old Bihari rickshaw driver that a drug smuggler from Mumbai was going to come here to buy and sell drugs, on the basis of which the ANC Worli unit laid a trap and arrested a suspect from Bandra. When he was searched, 10 kilograms of drugs worth Rs 10 crore were recovered from his possession. The above accused had come here to sell drugs in Mumbai. After his arrest, the ANC has become involved in tracing his associates and drug network. He also has three children and is a resident of Bihar, so the police are investigating every aspect related to his connection to Bihar and Mumbai. This operation has been carried out by ANC DCP Pranima Chogle on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti.

Jaipur, Aug 18: Panic gripped Jaipur after the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) received a bomb threat on Tuesday.

A threatening phone call was received at the Jaipur Police Control Room, prompting police and administrative officials to step up security measures.

Soon after receiving the information, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Rajarshi Raj, reached the spot and took stock of the situation.

Police teams have launched an investigation to identify the caller and determine the motive behind the threat.

Technical teams are also examining the call details and other available information to trace its origin.

Police officials are treating the threat seriously and are checking whether it poses any actual security risk.

Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.

This is not the first time that prominent locations in Jaipur have received bomb threats.

In July 2025, both the Chief Minister’s Office and Jaipur International Airport were reportedly threatened through emails.

Security agencies, including bomb disposal teams, conducted searches at the locations, but no explosives were found.

Jaipur has also witnessed several similar threats targeting schools, the airport, metro stations, court complexes and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

On May 30, 2025, a bomb threat was reported at Mansarovar Metro Station and the Metro Court-Family Court complex.

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium also received multiple bomb threats in May 2025.

Earlier in July 2025, Maheshwari Girls Public School in Vidhyadhar Nagar received a threatening email.

The school premises were evacuated and thoroughly searched by security teams. However, no explosive device was found.

The repeated threats have raised concerns over security in Jaipur, particularly as several high-profile government and public locations have been targeted in the past.

Police are now working to establish the identity of the person behind Tuesday’s call and determine whether the threat was genuine or a hoax.

Security agencies are maintaining heightened vigilance around the CMO and other sensitive locations in the city.