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Maharashtra

Thane: Truck Carrying Chemicals Falls Off Flyover On Ghodbunder Road, Traffic Hit For Five Hours

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A truck carrying chemical fell from a flyover on Thane City’s busy Ghodbunder Road on Wednesday (September 4) morning affecting traffic for over five hours. Local residents complained of eye irritation due to the chemical in the truck (paraformaldehyde) but officials told media it was not severe.

The truck was carrying 34 tonnes of the chemical when the accident occurred in Patlipada area at 7:30 am on Wednesday. It was travelling from Nhava Sheva to Bawal in Haryana. The driver has sustained injuries and was admitted to local hospital.

Although firemen and rescuers from local authorities rushed to the scene, the traffic remained affected for more than five hours. This created disruptions in traffic right during the morning rush hours.

Press reported that many schools requested parents to make travel arrangements for their kids as schoolbuses could not find way through traffic snarls.

The accident on Wednesday came just a day after another such accident on Ghodbunder road. On Tuesday, a truck carrying chemicals overturned here. It was travelling to Punjab. The truck was carrying aqueous ammonia solution.

The accident led to closure of the road.

Police officials told media that the truck overturned as driver lost control of the vehicle. He was injured in the accident.

The accident led to spillage of the chemical which the truck was carrying. Police informed the company about the spill.

Earlier on September 2, three people were injured and three were killed in an accident in Gavanpada in Chembur. The injured were taken to hospitals nearby.

Crime

Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Busts Auto-Rickshaw Theft Racket; 12 Stolen Vehicles Worth ₹24 Lakh Recovered

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An intensive investigation involving scrutiny of over 60 CCTV cameras and technical surveillance led the Crime Detection Team of CBD Police Station to bust a widespread auto-rickshaw theft racket in Navi Mumbai. Two habitual offenders were arrested, and 12 stolen Bajaj auto-rickshaws valued at approximately Rs 24 lakh were recovered from various districts across Maharashtra.

The case began after a complaint was filed at CBD Police Station on May 28 regarding the theft of an auto-rickshaw bearing registration number MH-46-BD-9956 from Sector 11, CBD Belapur. Following the complaint, the police team launched an exhaustive technical investigation, combing through more than 60 CCTV camera footages and other forensic leads, which eventually pointed to two suspects.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Nazimoddin Azimoddin Qazi (43), a resident of Partur in Jalna, and Sakib Shamsu Shaikh (24), originally from Jalna but currently living in Taloja Phase-2, Panvel. Qazi was tracked to his hometown in Jalna and arrested on July 12.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to stealing 12 auto-rickshaws from various parts of Navi Mumbai, including CBD, Kharghar, Kalamboli, and Panvel. They revealed that the stolen vehicles were transported and concealed in locations such as Jalna, Hingoli, Parbhani, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts. In an attempt to evade identification, the accused had tampered with engine and chassis numbers, but police investigators were able to recover and identify all 12 vehicles using advanced forensic and technical methods.

The stolen vehicles, all Bajaj auto-rickshaws were seized from multiple locations. Each vehicle is estimated to be worth Rs 2 lakh, taking the total recovery to approximately Rs 24 lakh.

The thefts have been linked to multiple police stations across Navi Mumbai. “Three cases were registered at CBD Police Station, four at Kharghar Police Station, four at Kalamboli Police Station, and one at Panvel City Police Station. The accused had started stealing the vehicles around a year back. The first theft was reported in June last year. Before that they worked as drivers,” Assistant commissioner of police (Turbhe division) Mayur Bhujbal said.

This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, Joint Commissioner Sanjay Yenpure, DCP (Zone I) Pankaj Dahane, and ACP Mayur Bhujbal. The investigation was led by Senior PI Sandesh Revale and Crime PI Arun Pawar, with support from API Suresh Dambre, PSI Vishnu Wagh, and a committed team of police constables who played a key role in cracking the case.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Water Crisis: BMC Records Over 14,000 Leakage Complaints In 6 Months, Kurla And Andheri East Worst Affected

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Mumbai: On one hand, while the BMC is working to develop alternate sources of water, it has failed to tackle the long-standing issues of water theft and leakages.

Mumbai Reports 14,087 Water Leakage Complaints in First Half of 2025

According to recent data, the BMC received 14,087 complaints of water leakages between January and June 2025 alone. Kurla and Andheri East have emerged as the worst-affected areas, consistently reporting the highest number of cases.

Mumbai’s water comes from seven lakes— Tulsi and Vihar within the city, and five others located 100–175 km away in Palghar, Thane, and Nashik districts. Water from these lakes travels through 650 km of transmission mains and 6,000 km of service pipelines.

City Faces 1.5 Times Water Demand Surge by 2041

Mumbai receives 3,950 million litres (ML) of water daily falling short of the 4,463 ML demand. By 2041, demand is projected to rise 1.5 times to 6,900 ML per day. Despite heavy investment in replacing old pipelines, water loss has surged to 34%, up from 20% in 2009.

According to civic data, Mumbai recorded 96,496 water leakage complaints between January 2022 and June 2025, including 14,087 in the past six months. Complaints dropped from 31,447 in 2022 to 24,000 in 2023, but rose again to 26,962 in 2024.

Leak Detection Cell Disbanded Despite Rising Complaints

Vinod Gholap, president, Fight for Right Foundation noted that the BMC once had a dedicated leak detection cell, which was later disbanded. “Despite claims of replacing 80% of old pipelines, water loss has only worsened. If the network is fixed, why are leaks still rising?” he questioned.

Corrosion, Urban Projects Blamed for Pipeline Damage

A senior civic official said, “Mumbai’s water pipelines, many underground and passing through remote, forested areas, are hard to secure and maintain. Corrosion from soil, silt, humidity, waste, and chemicals worsens leaks. Infrastructural projects in recent years have further damaged the network, causing the loss of crores of litres of water.” However, he added that a 95 km tunnel network has also been laid to improve supply resilience.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Rains: High Tides Hit Gateway Of India, Vakola Flooded, Andheri Subway Closed; Check IMD Forecast, Warning, Police Advisory 

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Mumbai: Mumbai experienced intense rainfall throughout Friday, majorly disrupting normal life across various parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, anticipating heavy to very heavy rainfall as the monsoon system remains active over the Konkan coast. Palghar district was placed under a yellow alert.

Rain began lashing the city late Thursday night and continued into Friday morning, affecting both South Mumbai and the western suburbs. Localities such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Churchgate, Dadar, Dahisar, Borivali, Kandivali, Malad, Goregaon, Jogeshwari and Andheri were among the worst-hit, with widespread waterlogging reported. Commuters faced delays and difficult travel conditions as flooded streets slowed vehicular movement.

Visuals Show Flooding In Several Areas

Social media was flooded with visuals showing the impact of the downpour. High tides slammed against the walls at the Gateway of India and Marine Drive, while in areas like Vakola, people were seen wading through knee-deep water. Vehicles navigated waterlogged roads in Andheri and Borivali. Andheri Subway was closed for traffic this morning due to heavy rains.

Over 65mm Rainfall Recorded In 3 Hours

According to BMC rainfall data, the western suburbs witnessed particularly intense rainfall between 8 am and 11 am on Friday. The highest recorded was at the Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Hospital in Jogeshwari, where 67.3 mm of rainfall was measured in just three hours.

Flight operations at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport saw minor delays due to poor visibility and heavy rains. IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory cautioning passengers about potential weather-related disruptions.

Mumbai Police Issues Advisory

In response to the worsening conditions, Mumbai Police issued a public advisory urging citizens to avoid non-essential travel and stay away from coastal areas. “Due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai and nearby districts, citizens are advised to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, avoid coastal areas and drive cautiously. Our officials and staff are on high alert and ready to assist Mumbaikars. In case of any emergency, please dial 100 / 112 / 103,” read the police advisory on X.

As rainfall is expected to continue, authorities remain on alert to prevent any untoward incidents, with emergency services deployed across the city to respond swiftly to distress calls.

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