Latest news with #Ashad
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
City's only abattoir shut for flouting environmental norms
PUNE: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has ordered the closure of Pune's only civic-run slaughterhouse at Kondhwa for allegedly violating environmental norms. The facility, operated by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), was shut on Tuesday evening following an inspection that revealed direct discharge of untreated effluents into the city's drainage network, which eventually flows into the Mula-Mutha river via Bhairoba Nalla. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has ordered the closure of Pune's only civic-run slaughterhouse at Kondhwa for allegedly violating environmental norms. (HT) The complete closure operations, being implemented from Wednesday, has sparked concern among traders and butchers over potential meat shortages in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, especially when the month of Ashad as per Hindu calendar has started, with demand for meat going up. Fears have also been raised over a possible surge in illegal animal slaughter, which poses a serious public health risk due to the absence of ante-mortem inspection meant to prevent diseased or unfit animals from entering the food chain. The MPCB issued the closure order on June 24, followed by a prosecution notice on June 30, under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Officials confirmed that the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) disconnected the electricity supply as part of the enforcement. However, the slaughterhouse continued operations using a diesel generator, in violation of the order. Additionally, PMC failed to disconnect the water supply as mandated. An MPCB official said, 'The facility has been discharging waste directly into drainage lines, which has been entering residential drainage systems. PMC's failure to comply with repeated instructions has now led to the closure. Since Wednesday, slaughtering activity has completely stopped.' The abattoir has a sanctioned capacity to process 150 large animals and 200 small animals per day, though it rarely operates at full capacity. However, it remains the only operational slaughterhouse for meat vendors across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. PMC levies a nominal charge of ₹80 for large animals and ₹15 for small animals per slaughter. Now, with the closure, butchers are facing a crisis. The MPCB's crackdown followed complaints from residents of Nancy Garden and nearby areas in Wanowrie on February 28, 2025. An inspection was conducted the same day, and directions issued. Closure orders followed on May 8 and were reiterated on June 24, followed by prosecution action. Regional officer B. M. Kukade of MPCB said, 'PMC has failed to comply with consent conditions and has been willfully causing pollution, endangering public and aquatic health. The civic body and those responsible for daily operations have been asked to explain why prosecution should not be launched under the Water Act.' Widespread Impact The shutdown has disrupted meat supply to lakhs of consumers and rendered several families, dependent on the meat trade, without livelihood. Local butcher Sadiq Qureshi said, 'The slaughterhouse has existed since British times. The Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) was installed in 2013 following government directions. Residential societies came up later in the area, and during the monsoon, their drainage systems - connected to slaughterhouse lines - got clogged. This was later made into an issue.' Qureshi added that community members met MPCB and PMC officials and submitted a request to restart the facility. 'Hundreds of families will lose income if the slaughterhouse remains shut,' he said. According to PMC officials, the slaughterhouse machinery is 10-15 years old and suffers frequent breakdowns. A proposal to privatise the facility was made two years ago, but it was not approved due to administrative hurdles. PMC has now appointed M/s MITCON as consultants to upgrade the plant. Plans are underway to expand the ETP capacity from 60 KLD to 150 KLD and install a new blood processing unit of 5 KLD capacity. PMC promises compliance Dr Sarika Funde-Bhosale, chief veterinary officer, PMC, said, 'We will comply with all MPCB directives. The procurement process for augmenting the ETP and installing the blood processing unit has begun. These facilities will be operational soon.' She further said that due to the shutdown of the Kondhwa facility, around 100 animals per day are no longer being slaughtered. 'This was communicated to the MPCB. Meanwhile, bio-waste from earlier operations is being processed as compost with the help of JCB and Hyva machines as per PMC's general body resolution,' she added.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
Sweeper caught seeking bribe for surgery at Noida district hospital
Noida: A bribery scandal at the district hospital surfaced on Saturday afternoon after a sweeper allegedly demanded Rs 8,000 from a patient's family to fast-track a hernia surgery. A sweeper allegedly asked for a bribe from the patient's relatives to expedite the surgery scheduled for Friday. The family filed a written complaint with the hospital's CMS, Dr Renu Agarwal, prompting an immediate inquiry. Subsequently, on Saturday, the family identified the sweeper, who was then apprehended by Dr Ashad, the in-charge of the emergency ward, while allegedly accepting the bribe, according to the CMS. According to a source, the family informed the hospital management, upon which they were given marked currencies that were allegedly later accepted by the of the officials caught him while taking the bribe and matched the currencies to ensure.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Time of India
Wanted criminal arrested by STF
1 2 Prayagraj: Sleuths of the Special Task Force (Prayagraj unit) on Sunday claimed to have arrested a wanted gangster identified as Arshad alias Ashad, a resident of Mubarkpur (Nawabganj), and seized one mobile and Rs 1,950 cash from his possession. Wanted under the Gangster Act, Arshad was also carrying a Rs 50,000 cash reward on his head. A joint team of Maheshganj (Pratapgarh) police and STF (Prayagraj unit), acting upon a specific tip-off, arrested the wanted criminal near Annawa village road while he was planning to escape from town. Police said that the arrested criminal was involved in cattle smuggling cases. Arshad confessed to the police that he was running cattle smuggling gang and two of his key accomplices, including Ranjeet Kumar Yadav and Hari Shankar Bind, were also involved in cattle smuggling for the past three years. Police said that Ashraf was arrested by Prayagraj police in 2020 and sent behind bars in connection with a case registered with Soraon police station. After being bailed out, he again joined the cattle smuggling racket. As many as six criminal cases were registered against him in different police stations of the state. tnn
BBC News
20-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Private hire drivers 'go where's easiest' for licence
Drivers of private hire vehicles will "go where its easiest and cheapest" to get licenses, a taxi service operator has said. Aqeel Arshad of firm Street Cars, in Manchester, said licensing was a "bit of a free for all" and many were choosing to go through the process outside of the region they work in. His comments come as the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham launched a campaign to ban private hire vehicles licensed elsewhere from picking up fares in the move was welcomed by general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Association Steve McNamara who said the current system was a risk to public safety. Burnham has called on the government to step in with new national laws to tackle the issue where local authorities across England can issues licences to drivers regardless of where they are from or plan to also has different rules on requirements like training, tests on geography, and enhanced safety checks. It is as issue that has caused growing frustration for Manchester taxi drivers, where close to half of those in the trade are licensed elsewhere. Sham Raja of the Manchester branch of the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, Manchester branch, said it was a "big problem". He said: "We have been flooded, they do not follow the rules or regulations, and now there is no work in the city centre."They should be working in their own boundaries, they are licensed there and that's where they should be working." Mr McNamara said: "In some authorities, it's very easy to get a licence, and in others it's not, and so the less reputable elements will go and get a licence in the easiest area and then come and work somewhere else."Mr Ashad said in Wolverhampton, where more than 10% of all taxis in England are licensed, a licensing application costs £89, whereas in Manchester it is £254. He said requirements were also more stringent in Ashad said: "Drivers go where is easiest, it's perfectly legal, they don't want to go through the extra testing in Manchester."He said his business had to go for licences elsewhere in the past as the process was faster, meaning he could recruit drivers more quickly. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
