
With just one govt school for 1.5 lakh population in Bandlaguda, NGO opens free primary school
Located in Mohammed Nagar, one of several urban settlements in Bandlaguda, including Ismail Nagar, Millat Nagar, Hussain Nagar, Ghouse Nagar and Mustafa Hills, the new SEED-HHF school offers classes from nursery to Class 5. With two sections for LKG and one for each grade, the school has enrolled 300 students, all of whom will receive free education and books.
A pre-establishment survey by HHF revealed that despite the presence of 35 to 40 private schools, the prohibitive costs — around ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 per month — kept education out of reach for many. The survey found that 68% of households live in low-cost rented accommodations, with rents below ₹5,000, while 65% of residents are migrants from States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Most adults work in the informal sector as gig workers, rickshaw drivers, construction labourers or domestic helpers.
'About 80% of families said even minimal school fees were unaffordable. By opening this school, we are not just offering education, we are offering dignity, opportunity, and long-term empowerment. The school is situated in one of the most neglected pockets of Bandlaguda. Our mission is to serve those who are usually invisible to the system,' said Mujtaba Hasan Askari, founder of HHF.

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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
51 rainwater recharge pits help addresswaterlogging, groundwater issues in city
1 2 3 4 Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has made 51 groundwater recharge pits along newly laid cement roads operational with an aim to turn a widely criticised infrastructure push into an eco-friendly asset. While these pits are expected to counter waterlogging and replenish the city's falling water table, questions remain as several localities continue to face flooding in homes and allege that cement roads have made Nagpur's summers hotter. Under Phase 4 of its Rs260-crore cement road project, NMC plans to construct 196 rainwater collection and recharge pits along 33 stretches covering 23.45km. Spread across 14 work packages, these pits are placed at points where stormwater accumulates naturally. The idea is to capture monsoon runoff and feed it back into the aquifer instead of letting it into drains. Municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari, who recently inspected a pit near Joggers Park in Sneh Nagar, directed that the PVC inlet pipe from roadside drains be fixed one foot above chamber level. "This ensures even light rains contribute to recharge," he said. How it Works Each pit is of one-metre diameter, two-metre-deep shaft with a 20-metre borehole at its base, fitted with a percolated pipe. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Susan Boyle Is Now so Thin and Looks Beautiful! Undo Layered gravel and sand act as filters, allowing only clean water to seep underground. In case of heavy rain — 50mm/hour — one pit can store up to 150 cubic metres, with each serving a catchment area of 2,000–4,000sqm, NMC's technical expert (project) Shashank Tatewar told TOI. The project design is by Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), with Pune-based M Creations Pvt Ltd overseeing execution. Cement roads, officials note, last 20–25 years longer than asphalt and reduce maintenance costs, but their impermeable surface blocks natural rainwater seepage — the very problem these pits aim to solve. Public Response — Mixed but Hopeful While residents near completed pits in Sneh Nagar and Khamla report improved groundwater availability and reduced street flooding, others in localities where cement roads were built without drainage solutions say rainwater still enters their homes. "Our houses are at road level. After cementing, the road is higher — water flows straight in," said Dhiraj Thote, a resident of Ayodhya Nagar. Environmentalists also caution that large-scale cementing could trap heat and contribute to higher day temperatures in the city, even if recharge pits mitigate water issues. For now, NMC hopes the remaining 145 pits — expected to be ready over the next year — will turn cement roads from heat-and-flood culprits into climate-friendly assets, making Nagpur both pothole-free and water-secure. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.


Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Farmers turn to tech to keep nilgais at bay
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India.com
10 hours ago
- India.com
7,790, 7,791, 7,792… This British Company Reveals The Secret Behind Pakistani Fighter Jets Downed During Operation Sindoor
New Delhi: London-based Martin-Baker builds ejection seats for some of the world's most advanced fighter jets. It keeps a running count of every life saved through its products. Each time a pilot ejects safely, the number goes up. Each time that happens, the British firm posts an update. They do not say which aircraft went down in combat. They also do not confirm which country lost the jet. But the tally changes. On 16 April this year, the firm put out a post, as cited by The Print, 'Yesterday, a Pakistan Air Force Mirage V ROSE aircraft crashed near Ratta Tibba, Vehari. Both pilots successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker PRM4 seat.' The update set the total at 7,784 lives saved. Then came 7 May. Another post appeared. 'Yesterday, a USN F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-11 crashed into the Red Sea after a failed arrestment occurred during a night landing on the USS Harry S. Truman. Both air crew successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker US14A (NACES) Seat,' it said. The new total climbed to 7,788. On the same day, Martin-Baker reported a different accident. 'Earlier today, a Finnish Defence Force (FDF) F/A-18C Hornet crashed while practising for an air show near Rovaniemi in Lapland. The pilot successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker SF-14A (NACES) Seat,' the company posted. That made it 7,789 lives saved. Yet something did not add up. The numbers 7,785 and 7,786 never appeared with any public incident. That gap pointed to at least one unreported crash, possibly two. The company's next public update came on July 31. 'Yesterday, an A-29A Super Tucano was involved in a midair collision over Porto Ferreira. The pilot successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker BR10LCX Ejection Seat,' it posted. That brought the total to 7,793. No Indian Air Force crash matched the missing figures. The only loss in that period was a Jaguar on a training sortie. Both pilots died without ejecting. The mystery could have an answer. On Saturday, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said India's S-400 Triumf air defence system had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets during an 88-hour conflict in May. Pakistan's JF-17 and F-16 fighters carry Martin-Baker ejection seats. The Chinese-built J-10s do not. The timing of the missing figures fits the days of the conflict. That makes a strong case that at least three Pakistani pilots pulled the Martin-Baker handle and lived to tell the tale. The British company stayed silent on the combat link. Its numbers, however, spoke volumes.