Mumbai: Despite heavy rains, the threat of water shortage persists in Mumbai. Now only 8.60 percent water is left in the lakes supplying water to Mumbai, so the administration has appealed not to waste water. It has been raining continuously in the city for the last two days. 86 mm of rain has been recorded in Kalabhata, Mumbai and 100 mm in Santacruz. Due to rain, the water level of Madhya Veternah has increased. Due to two days of rain, the water level of the lakes has increased, but there is still a threat of water shortage. Yellow and red alerts were issued due to rain in Palghar and Raigad of Mumbai, but today the rain stopped.

Mumbai: Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now started strict action by registering a case against the factory owners and the concerned person who throw garbage and waste in the drains. Now throwing garbage in the drains is a crime and those who throw company’s garbage or waste in the drains without any reason will not be spared. In this case, BMC has registered the first case in Dharavi and the search for the unknown accused is on. Despite regular cleaning of drains in many areas of Mumbai, garbage is being dumped again. Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started strict action against those who throw industrial waste and garbage in the drains in the backdrop of monsoon season.

Due to which there is a danger of blockage of drains, due to which the problem of waterlogging is increasing in the city. After cleaning the T-junction drain in Dharavi, it was found that a large amount of industrial waste has been dumped in it. Under monsoon works, work is being done to remove garbage from the rivers and drains of Mumbai Metropolitan Area. The work of removing garbage is going on in a planned manner and Artificial Intelligence (AI) system is being used for this work. Artificial Intelligence is helping a lot in increasing the effectiveness and transparency in the garbage removal work. Along with this, senior officials of Mumbai Municipal Corporation are directly visiting and inspecting the work of garbage removal from drains in the city, eastern suburbs and western suburbs. Apart from this, they are giving instructions to do the drain cleaning work properly.

Although the work of removing garbage from big and small drains has been completed, the drains have to be cleaned repeatedly due to the accumulation of floating garbage with the tide. The Solid Waste Management Department, Storm Water Drainage Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation is working tirelessly. The work of removing garbage from drains and removing garbage is going on regularly. The Municipal Administration is taking many steps to prevent garbage from going into the drains. The Municipal Administration has laid nets at some places on an experimental basis to prevent garbage from going into the drains. However, various types of floating materials like thermocol, plastic bags, furniture, rubber, wrappers are being thrown into the drains by some individuals / establishments. Due to which the movement and drainage of sewage is being obstructed.

The Municipal Corporation recently cleaned the drain leading to the T-junction in Dharavi. Along with removing the garbage, floating objects were also removed. However, on Monday, June 16, 2025, when the officials of the North Zone Solid Waste Management Department inspected the drain, they found that unknown persons had thrown various industrial items like thermocol, rubber, wrappers, parcel boxes etc. into the drain. Taking serious cognizance of this and as per the instructions of the seniors, a complaint has been lodged at the Sahu Nagar Police Station. This act of obstructing the cleaning work of the drain is serious and is creating difficulties in disaster management. In this regard, a case has been registered against the accused under Section 326 (A) of the Indian Penal Code, 2023.

The police is searching for the concerned person / establishment. Citizens should not throw plastic bags, bottles, thermocol and other similar garbage in drains or sewers, so that the garbage does not get stuck and the drains do not get clogged and the water keeps flowing fast. Residents and citizens living near the drain should not throw any garbage directly in the drain with the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Garbage should be thrown only in the garbage dump. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation administration is making a humble appeal to the citizens to cooperate with the Municipal Corporation administration.

New Delhi, June 17: A day after the Centre notified the two-phased population census, the Congress and BJP are caught up in political bickering over former’s claims that caste clause have been given a miss.

Many Congress leaders questioned the government over ‘advertently’ dropping the caste clause from official notification on Census and also questioned its intentions behind the move, a charge strongly contested by BJP leaders.

Senior Congress leader and Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu commenting on the Census notification, questioned government’s intentions and demanded transparency.

“If the government is serious, then why is there a mismatch between its press releases and gazette notifications? The caste census remains pending. The Cabinet proposal appears more like an eyewash. We’ve always doubted the BJP-RSS regime’s intent on this issue”, said Lallu.

He also took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for rampant corruption in the state, said, “UP is the land of Baba Kashi Vishwanath, but CM Yogi is speaking lies from this holy land.”

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, commenting on the issue, accused the Congress of historical betrayal and spreading deliberate misinformation.

Talking to media, Deputy CM Arun Sao said, “It is a well-known and historically documented fact who insulted Dr. Ambedkar, who conspired to defeat him in elections, and who denied him the Bharat Ratna. These are undeniable truths. The Congress should stop spreading lies.”

He further lashed out at the opposition for questioning the caste census notification. “They did nothing for 75 years except talk. Even now, when the government has officially notified the caste census for 2027, they continue to spread rumours and create confusion. But the people of this country are no longer unaware,” he added.