Tag: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

Mumbai Police arrest Bhavesh Bhinde, man behind giant billboard that killed 16

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd and the main accused in the Ghatkopar Hoarding collapse case, has been arrested by Mumbai Police on Thursday, May 16. As per the Mumbai Police, Bhinde was hiding in a resort in Udaipur. After locating him, Mumbai Police apprehended him from there.

Bhinde, aged 51, had been absconding since the tragic incident on Monday, May 13, where a massive hoarding collapsed in the Ghatkopar area, claiming the lives of 16 individuals amidst heavy rain and a dust storm.

Also Read: After Mumbai hoarding incident that killed 16, another one collapses in Pune

A case has been registered against Bhinde and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with other relevant sections of the IPC, at the Pant Nagar Police Station.

Prior to the collapse, notices were issued to Ego Media Private Ltd regarding the installation of the contentious hoarding. Despite directives from the assistant municipal commissioner of the N-ward to remove the hoardings immediately, no action had been taken.

Bhinde has a record of 21 non-cognisable complaints against him, all related to the unauthorized installation of banners, under sections 328 and 471 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act. He was also embroiled in a rape case earlier this year and has a history of flouting regulations.

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BMC ends rescue operation at Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site, death toll at 16

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Brihnmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced to call off the search and rescue operation at the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site in Mumbai, an official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said on Thursday.

The operation went on for 66 hours after a giant 120 feet x 120 feet hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar area during gusty winds on Monday evening, the official said.

It was called off at 10.30 am on Thursday, the NDRF official said, adding that BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani made an announcement about it after inspecting the site.

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, the bodies of a retired general manager of Air Traffic Control (ATC) and his wife were pulled out from a car stuck underneath the structure, taking the death toll to 16. The accident has also left 75 people injured.

The official said that five interconnected girders of the hoarding had to be cut one by one to rescue the bodies of the couple.

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Giant Mumbai billboard that killed 14 belongs to man accused of rape

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mumbai was rocked by a horrific incident when a massive hoarding collapsed in the Ghatkopar area, claiming the lives of 14 individuals amidst heavy rain and a dust storm on Monday, May 13.

Now, it has emerged that the owner of the billboard, Bhavesh Bhinde, was embroiled in a rape case and has a history of flouting regulations, with at least 21 previous fines for illegal hoardings.

Bhinde, the Director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd responsible for the towering 120×120 feet illegal hoarding, found himself in legal trouble earlier this year when he was booked under Section 376 of the IPC (punishment for rape) at the Mulund Police Station. Despite being granted anticipatory bail, Bhinde’s legal team vehemently denied the allegations, labelling the case as false.

According to the police, a case has been registered against the 51-year-old Bhinde and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, alongside other relevant sections of the IPC, at the Pant Nagar Police Station.

The revelation brought to light that Bhinde had accumulated a record of 21 non-cognisable complaints against him, all pertaining to the unauthorised installation of banners, under sections 328 and 471 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act.

These violations, along with two offences related to bounced cheques, were disclosed in his poll affidavit during his independent candidacy bid from Mulund in the 2009 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

As the manhunt for the absconding Bhinde continues, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has pledged to pursue stringent action against all culpable parties involved in the tragedy. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced plans to dismantle all remaining billboards situated on the GRP land where the fatal hoarding once stood.

Prior to the collapse, the civic body had issued notices to Ego Media Private Ltd regarding the installation of the contentious hoarding. Despite directives from the assistant municipal commissioner of the N-ward to remove the hoardings immediately, no action had been taken.

In the aftermath of the calamity, civic officials reported that the death toll had climbed to 14, with an additional 75 individuals sustaining injuries. Rescue operations at the site have concluded.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the site late Monday and promptly ordered a comprehensive structural audit of all hoardings across the city. In a gesture of solidarity, he announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh to the families of each deceased victim.

Also read: Mumbai hoarding collapse: Anand Mahindra calls it ‘unacceptable’, urges for stringent rules

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Mumbai hoarding collapse: 14 dead, rescue ops underway as nearly 20 people still trapped

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As many as 14 people have died following the hoarding collapse incident in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) update showed on May 14 morning.

According to the municipal corporation, 43 people were injured due to the collapse of a 100 feet hoarding at a petrol pump amid heavy thunderstorm and rain in Mumbai’s Chheda Nagar on May 13 evening.

While 30 people are being treated at the Rajawadi hospital, the closest government-run hospital to the collapse site, while others were taken to Sion Hospital, MG Phule hospital in Vikhroli, HBT-Cooper hospital and KEM hospital in the city.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the collapse site later in the evening, where the rescue operation is still underway.

As per BMC’s estimation, around 15-20 people are still trapped.

Meanwhile, the BMC has issued a notice to an advertisement agency after the Ghatkopar billboard collapse incident, asking it to immediately remove the remaining three hoardings near the spot, officials said.

The notice has been issued to M/s Ego Media for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump during the gusty winds on Monday evening. According to police, eight persons were killed and more than 70 were injured in the incident.

“The BMC has asked the ad agency to remove the remaining three hoardings immediately for not having valid permission,” an official cited by news agency PTI said.

The Assistant Police Commissioner (Admin) had given permission for erecting the four hoardings on behalf of the Commissioner of Railway Police, Mumbai, including the one which collapsed on Monday, but no official permission or NOC was obtained from the BMC, PTI report stated.

This Mumbai hoarding collapse incident comes years after the Bombay High Court 2017 had issued a key directive that stated — (i) police protection for municipal officers responsible for removing illegal hoardings, (ii) In commissionerates, senior police officers to be nominated as nodal officers to oversee the enforcement of court directives and (iii) Authorities to provide a toll-free number and SMS facility to citizens to report illegal hoardings.

An FIR has been filed under IPC 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), IPC 338 and IPC 337 (Punishment for causing grievous hurt to a person by an act endangering human life and safety), IPC 34 (common intention).

On several occasions in the past, the Bombay High Court has pulled up the Maharashtra government, police, BMC and other municipal bodies over illegal hoardings’ issue.

In 2017, the court had ordered the Maharashtra government and municipal bodies to remove all the illegal hoardings but that order wasn’t fully followed. Later, Bombay HC initiated a contempt plea over the non-compliance of the 2017 order.

In December 2023, while hearing the contempt plea, Bombay HC came down heavily on the Maharashtra government again and observed that the state government failed to curb the menace of illegal hoardings. The court observed that such hoardings not only deface the city but are also hazardous.

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BMC announces 8-hour water supply suspension in Colaba, Koliwada and Naval areas on May 11

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced an eight-hour water supply outage in some parts of Ward A for Saturday, May 11. A 1,200 mm-diameter water channel will be repaired on the Jeevan Bima Road between 3:30 pm and 11:30 pm, resulting in a full water service outage in Colaba, Koliwada and Naval areas.

Furthermore, regular water delivery to the Navy establishment will be delayed, the BMC said. Typically, the Navy receives water between 10:30 pm and 2:50 am. However, supplies will resume on Saturday only when the repair work is completed and the water channels restocked, the BMC notification read.

The BMC supplies water to Ward A via a 1,500 mm diameter and 1,200 mm water conduit that runs via the Cross Maidan Tunnel. However, concerns about poor water pressure have been ongoing for a while.

A leak in the 1,200 mm diameter pipeline close to the Jeevan Bima Line near the Mantralaya building was discovered after careful examination.

“The leakage developed during Metro 3 work,” according to a BMC press release.

Given the severity of the situation, repairs must be completed quickly to avoid water waste and the possibility of road flooding.

The repair work is expected to take at least 7 to 8 hours, the bulletin notified.

Given the importance of the Mantralaya and Marine Drive sectors, the BMC got in touch with the Marine Drive Traffic Police to ask for permission to carry out the repairs.

While the excavation will begin at 9 am, the actual repairs will start around 3:30 pm.

During the repair period, BMC will halt normal water service to Colaba (4:30 pm  to 6:30 pm), additional special supply of water to Koliwada (6:30 pm-6:45 pm), and extra special supply of water to the Naval area (6:50 pm-7:05 pm).

The BMC has also requested that residents of Colaba, Koliwada and the Naval area store water in case of a supply interruption.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Bhushan Gagrani replaces Iqbal Chahal to take charge as BMC Commissioner

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bhushan Gagrani took charge as the Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after being appointed by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday, March 20. Saurabh Rao and Kailas Shinde have also been appointed as the Municipal Commissioners of Thane and Navi Mumbai, respectively by the Election Commission.

The commission has also transferred two additional commissioners, P Velrasu and Ashwini Bhide, who had been heading the Mumbai Coastal Road project. Abhijit Bangar and Amit Saini have replaced Velrasu and Bhide as additional commissioners.

The Commission has also directed that these officers shall not hold any additional charge outside their respective corporation.

The veteran officer was promoted as additional chief secretary to the CM Eknath Shinde in July 2022. A 1990-batch IAS officer, Gagrani has served as the state urban development secretary when Eknath Shinde headed the ministry. He was also the principal secretary to Uddhav Thackeray when he was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and was a part of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

However, Gagrani was moved out from the CMO in relation to a Right to Information (RTI) query. He was also a part of the Covid-19 task force formed by the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

The appointment has come after the constitutional body ordered the transfer of Iqbal Singh Chahal as the BMC Commissioner on Monday, March 18. It also issued the order to transfer home secretaries of six states and West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar.

The Election Commission had ordered transfer of the officials who finished a term of three years at their posting or are posted at their home stations.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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J Kumar Infra raises FY25 revenue growth guidance, targets ₹8,000 crore order inflow

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mumbai-based J Kumar Infraprojects expects to grow revenues by 16-17% in the next financial year, up from the previously guided 15%.

The growth projections are based on healthy order book, said the company’s Managing Director, Nalin Gupta.

The company expects to have orders worth around ₹19,000 crore by the end of the current financial year and an order inflow of around ₹7,000-8,000 crore next year. 

Gupta is confident the company is well on track to achieve its billion-dollar revenue target by financial year 2027.

The earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation margins is likely to remain around 14-15%, he said.

Discussing the recent acquisition of Pranav Construction, Gupta said, “It makes specialised moulds, shutters that we require for all of our metros, flyovers and all these businesses. So, that is why we have acquired it and we do not intend to take any debt for that.”

On Tuesday, March 12, the company announced its successful bid for multiple projects through joint ventures, with the total orders amounting to ₹1,822.7 crore.

Also Read | J Kumar Infraprojects receives multiple orders worth over ₹ 1,822 crore in Mumbai through JV firms

J Kumar, in collaboration with SMC Infra secured a contract valued at ₹493 crore from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. This contract involves the construction of a creek bridge linking Ghansoli and Airoli along Palm Beach Road at Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai.

The company also secured another project valued at ₹1,329.71 crore in partnership with RPS. This contract, awarded by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), entails the construction of an elevated road corridor from the Eastern Freeway (Orange Gate) to the Grant Road Area.

Also Read | J Kumar Infra wins ₹ 912.3 crore coastal road construction project from CIDCO

J Kumar Infraprojects currently has a market capitalisation of approximately ₹4,527.45 crore. Over the past year, its shares have appreciated by nearly 140%.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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After Seafood Plaza’s success, BMC plans to launch boat rides between Mahim and Worli

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The weekend Seafood Plaza at Mahim Beach, established by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in November 2023, has been a significant success. Considering the Seafood Plaza’s popularity among visitors, the administration is planning to launch a ferry ride to and from Worli and Mahim.

The ferry ride is expected to offer a complete package to the tourists, who can visit Worli and Mahim forts, and experience the sea rides and the appetising seafood.

As the first Seafood Plaza in Mahim Koliwada proved to be a success, the civic body has also initiated plans for a second one in Worli Koliwada. It will open soon and the visitors can enjoy the authentic Koli cuisine.

In just three months, the Mahim Koliwada’s Seafood Plaza has welcomed over 30,000 visitors. It has not only boosted local tourism but also created employment opportunities for the Women’s Self-Help group to gain financial stability, said BMC.

Considering the growth in the popularity of bringing Koli cuisine into the limelight, the civic officials have been directed by the Mumbai guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar to work on launching a ferry ride between Mahim-Dadar-Worli seafront. Although the proposal is still in a nascent stage, the BMC officials are yet to decide the number of rides, and other services offered with it, reported Free Press Journal.

ALSO READ | Vasai-Bhayandar RoRo ferry service to begin on Tuesday; Know tariff details

According to the assistant municipal commissioner of G North Ward, Ajitkumar Ambi, “After the restoration and beautification of Mahim fort gets completed, we expect that the visitors will increase at Mahim beach and Fort. Considering the rise of tourists in the future, a ferry ride will be planned on this route.”

The civic body has already started the process of beautification of the ancient forts at Mahim and Worli.

The Mahim Fort, which is around 800 years old, is located close to the beach. The iconic Worli Fort was built by the British in the 17th century. Following the beautification of the iconic monuments, they will be transformed into a recreational site for the city.

The upcoming ferry service between Mahim and Worli is aimed at boosting tourism and helping fishermen with their business.

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BMC announces highest ever annual budget at ₹59,954 crore and separate climate budget

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Friday, February 2, announced its annual budget allocation for fiscal year 2024-25 at ₹59,954 crore. This is the highest allocation ever with a capital expenditure of Rs Rs 31,774.59 crore and revenue expenditure of ₹28,121.94 crore.

BMC, which is also India’s richest civic body, has slated various infrastructure projects like the Mumbai coastal road, its extensions, Goregaon twin tunnel and others along with beautification projects. The annual budget is 10.5% higher than the last year.

BEST EVs

In a bid to electrify public transportation, the BMC has allotted a total budget provision of ₹928.65 crore as a grant to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Of the total, ₹800 crore is to meet the expenditure on infrastructural development and purchase of capital equipment, purchase of new buses on wet lease basis, day-to-day expenses and payment of Diwali bonuses.

For procurement and deployment of 2000 electric buses within Mumbai, the BMC will be funding ₹128.65 crore. The rest of the funding for the project, which has been pegged at ₹2,573 crore is expected from the World Bank in the form of a soft loan.

Coastal Road Project

Two of the four packages of the behemoth infrastructure project, a part of the Mumbai Coastal Road will be open to public by February end. The project could fully be open from May. A budget provision of ₹2,900 crore has been proposed to meet the compensation of the Worli fishermen along with installation of CCTV, Video Managing System, Emergency Communication Systems.

The BMC will also be making an underground parking area at the Coastal Road Project along with a green belt for recreational facilities.

Other prominent projects include concretisation of roads. As per the budget document, about 209 km roads are proposed to be improved in cement concrete in the ensuing year 2024-25. Prominent roads like Veer Nariman Road, Kuprej Road in City, Dayaldas Road, Link Road, Goregaon Mulund Link Road, Road towards Goregaon in Western Suburb, Bajiprabhu Deshpande Marg, Chheda Nagar Road No.1, P. Somani Marg, Raheja Vihar Road in Eastern Suburbs are proposed for improvement in 2024-25.

Climate Budget

The BMC will start a ‘Green Budget Book’ which will be a dedicated climate budget for the city. This will have initiative for systematically reducing emissions and enhancing climate resilience.

The book will have initiatives like developing gardens, implementimg MCAP strategies alongwith projects like Renewable Hybrid Energy and waste to energy plans.

This comes as the city has been struggling with worst air quality ever.

Education budget

The education budget has been set at ₹3,497 crore, up from last year’s ₹3,370 crore. This year, the budget plan includes a ₹4.5 crore provision to establish an innovative mathematics and science centre in primary sections of 25 schools on pilot basis. Along with this the BMC will provide modern school dictionary to around 1.7 lakh students from classes V to X, establish open gymnasiums in 200 schools, preserve documents in digitized formats, and procure medium-wide grammar books for students in classes IX and X.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Mumbai to face 10% water cut for 13 days starting from November 20

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced a 10% water cut for thirteen days in Mumbai. The water cut in all wards of the city and parts of Thane and Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation will start from Monday, November 20, and end on Saturday, December 2.

BMC announced the cut in water supply in a release on Thursday and advised the residents to use water judiciously during this period. As per the BMC release, an emergency repair work is going to be undertaken at the pneumatic gate system which has been installed at the Pise Weir in Thane. It is located in the area from where water is pumped to Mumbai city.

२० नोव्हेंबर २०२३ ते २ डिसेंबर २०२३ या कालावधीत मुंबईत १० टक्के पाणी कपात
—
10 % water cut in Mumbai from 20 November 2023 to 2 December 2023#BMC#BMCUpdates#watersupply@CMOMaharashtra@Dev_Fadnavis@AjitPawarSpeaks@dvkesarkar@MPLodha@IqbalSinghChah2 pic.twitter.com/xFBfLmlT7t

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) November 16, 2023

The civic body explained that the urgent maintenance work will involve the replacement of air bladders in the gate system, which can only be accomplished by reducing the water supply for a temporary period.

The pneumatic gate system plays an integral role in managing the water flow at Pise Weir effectively. It necessitates attention immediately when there is any malfunction in its air bladders.

Following the repair and replacement of the air bladders, it will ensure the proper functioning of the gate system and will ensure proper distribution of water to Mumbai Metropolitan City. The pneumatic gates need to maintain the necessary amount of a water level in the dam as it contributes a significant amount of around 3,900 million litres to Mumbai’s daily water supply.

Meanwhile, the BMC has appealed to the people of Mumbai to avoid wastage of water and to cooperate with the authorities during the water cut.

Earlier, in October, the authorities had cut the water supply in the city twice. On October 31, the BMC cut down the water supply for 15 hours in several areas including Kandivali East, Kandivali West, and Powai to undertake essential repair work on the water line in the Kandivali East section. The authorities also conducted a structural audit during this period.

Prior to that, the municipal corporation temporarily stopped the water supply in Goregaon, Malad and Kandivali East on October 9 and 13. The step was taken by the authorities for the replacement work on the inlet and outlet valve at Malad Hill Reservoir.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow