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Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Piling work begins for Mumbai Coastal Road (North) connector despite pending decision on Savarkar flyover demolition
Mumbai: Even as the fate of Goregaon's Veer Savarkar flyover hangs in the balance, the BMC-appointed contractor has begun piling work for the proposed connector of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North) project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The connector will link Mindspace in Malad to the Dindoshi sessions court. Work kicked off from the Dindoshi end of the alignment despite the final decision on demolishing the Savarkar flyover—an obstacle along the route—still pending. "This is a 4.5-km connector, and piling started from the Dindoshi side. So far, permissions are in place only up to the Oberoi Mall junction," said a civic official. The Veer Savarkar flyover, located nearly three kilometres onwards from the current work zone, is now being assessed for demolition. Officials say the structure, completed in Aug 2018 at a cost of Rs 27 crore, obstructs the elevated connector's alignment and may be replaced by a two-deck structure, with the flyover forming the lower deck. TOI reported on Tuesday that as part of the Coastal Road 2 project—which will eventually link Versova and Dahisar—the demolition of the existing flyover may become inevitable, said officials. "The slip road will greatly reduce, making it difficult for a fire tender also to pass by if we move ahead without demolishing the Savarkar flyover," said an official. Congress MLA from Malad Aslam Shaikh said the connector is planned from his constituency and that the demolition of a flyover is a serious concern. Former Goregaon corporator Deepak Thakur said the contractor has already begun surveying the area for the connector to be built further ahead of Dindoshi. Mumbai Coastal Road (North), or Versova Dahisar Link Road (VDLR), is a 22-km alignment that includes roads on land, elevated sections, on stilts, a cable-stayed bridge and a cut-and-cover tunnel beneath a creek.
Deccan Herald
13-07-2025
- General
- Deccan Herald
BMC rolls out Rs 71 crore Powai Lake clean-up plan
Members of BMC-appointed Advanced Locality Management committee and NatConnect Foundation have launched a joint campaign focusing attention on the deterioration of Powai lake due to the direct inflow of untreated 18-million-litres-a-day.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Mumbai civic body rolls out Rs 71cr Powai Lake clean-up tender work
Mumbai: Mumbai: Following repeated demands from concerned citizens and environmentalists, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allotted the civil work on diverting the sewer water flow from Powai Lake and floated a tender for setting up a treatment plant near the site at a cost of over Rs 71 crore. Members of the BMC-appointed Advanced Locality Management Committee and NatConnect Foundation launched a joint campaign focusing attention on the deterioration of Powai Lake due to the direct inflow of untreated waste of 18 million litres a day. "The BMC officials have now met the Powai residents and informed us that the tender process of diverting the sewer line has been launched. This is good news for the lake,"said Pamela Cheema of the Save Powai Lake group. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Of late, crocodiles were spotted on the banks of the lake, prompting the environment lovers to raise concern over their safety, Cheema said. The lake, with abundant biodiversity has been covered with hyacinth, which the BMC failed to check despite a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, following which the public awareness campaign was launched addressing the chief minister and BMC commissioner. "We are happy that commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has directed his team led by additional commissioner Abhijit Bangar, and the process of tender work to divert the sewer away from the lake has started," said NatConnect director B N Kumar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure your family's future! ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo The work on laying sewer pipelines was allotted to Swastik Constructions following an e-tender, papers given to ALM members at a meeting at S Ward on Friday. Stating that better late than never, ALM Chairperson Pamela Cheema remarked that the people of Powai are anxiously awaiting the speedy execution of the lake clean-up. The work is slated to start on July 21 with an 18-month deadline. In a related development, the civic body floated an e-tender for Rs 68.88 crore STP at Powai. The bids were to be opened on June 30, and details are awaited, said Milan Bhatt, an ALM member. BMC, meanwhile, commissioned harvester machines to clear the hyacinth following public pressure. But this measure proved to be grossly inadequate as the vegetation grew rapidly due to the continuous draining of sewer, NatConnect said. The end-to-end hyacinth sheet over the lake prevents the sun rays from penetrating the lake, thus badly impacting aquatic life. Meanwhile, NatConnect has taken up the dire state of Powai Lake with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), which in turn asked the state environment director to take necessary action.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Coastal Rd Breach Candy parking lot pit to be filled
Mumbai: Nearly seven months after BMC-appointed contractors excavated a 6,000 sq metre pit for a proposed underground car park along the Coastal Road interchange at Breach Candy, the site is set to be backfilled. "We were awaiting approval, as the plan for the car park was scrapped. Now the area will be filled up to the high tide line," said a civic official. The project was shelved following strong opposition from locals, who feared that a new parking facility would worsen traffic congestion in the area. But the large pit dug for the project remained untouched. Earlier this year, residents flagged concerns over water accumulation in the excavated pit, warning that it could become a mosquito breeding ground. "After the downpour earlier this week, the pit filled up again. If the water isn't drained soon, it could pose a serious health risk," said Nigum Lakhani, a resident of a building facing the site. Walkers at the nearby Amarsons Park have also reported a spike in mosquito nuisance, with many now avoiding the open space where they would usually unwind after their daily walk. Kavita Chawla, a Breach Candy resident whose flat overlooks the Coastal Road, said the stagnant water has been a persistent issue. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bolsas nos olhos? (Tente isso hoje à noite) Revista Saúde & Beleza Saiba Mais Undo "It's been there for months now and this large pit remains open as such. We need urgent action," she said. The plan for the 246-space underground car park was dropped earlier this year. Protests began in Oct last year, soon after excavation work started. The underground car park was originally envisioned as a two-level facility with a surface car lift.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Fear, not funds, keeps doctors away from Sewri TB Hospital's IRCU
Mumbai: Despite monthly salaries of up to ₹2 lakh on offer, Mumbai's premier TB facility struggles to staff its critical care unit as doctors shy away from the high-risk environment. More than a year after it was built, the Intensivist Respiratory Care Unit (IRCU) at Mumbai's Sewri TB Hospital lies largely idle—not for lack of funds or infrastructure, but due to a more insidious obstacle: fear. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has offered salaries ranging from ₹1.25 lakh to ₹2 lakh per month—well above average for public-sector intensivists—to staff the IRCU. Yet, despite three rounds of recruitment since 2024, the city's largest TB hospital has failed to fill these critical positions. 'It isn't about the money,' admitted a senior BMC health official on condition of anonymity. 'Doctors are simply hesitant to work in a TB hospital. There is a fear of infection, although with proper diet and adherence to protocols, the risk is minimal.' That fear, however, is far from unfounded. Since 2000, more than 160 staffers at Sewri TB Hospital have contracted tuberculosis while on duty. At least 75 have died—an unsettling statistic that continues to cast a long shadow over the facility's recruitment efforts. The 1,000-bed hospital, which sees 55,000 to 60,000 TB cases annually—the highest in Maharashtra—had long lacked a dedicated ICU. Critical patients with respiratory failure were routinely referred to already-overburdened tertiary hospitals such as JJ, Sion, and KEM, often sending families into a desperate scramble for ICU beds. To alleviate this pressure, the IRCU was commissioned and became operationally ready in February 2024. But it remains underutilised. Of the three intensivists needed to run the unit at full capacity, only one is currently in place—supported by a skeletal team in the hospital's older, three-bed ICU. Two doctors were hired last October following earlier recruitment drives, but one resigned within three months citing personal reasons. A fresh advertisement was issued again this May, seeking three intensivists. The response has once again been tepid. The salary structure BMC is offering is generous- ₹1.25 lakh for those with at least one year of post-graduate experience, scaling up to ₹2 lakh for doctors with over eight years of experience. Yet, the danger posed by high exposure to drug-resistant TB strains continues to deter applicants. Hospital officials stress that while the IRCU lacks staff, the overall medical team is not short-handed. 'We currently have one intensivist and one anaesthetist, five chest physicians, four MOIs, 21 deputed doctors, and 16 BMC-appointed medical officers,' said a senior official. 'Most of them have specialised training or postgraduate diplomas.' Still, the situation is far from ideal. The old ICU admits around 20 to 30 patients each month. Without the new IRCU fully functional, the hospital cannot meet the rising demand for respiratory critical care. An internal source suggested that long-term solutions lie in structural reforms rather than short-term recruitment drives. 'In 2019, we managed to perform major surgeries with ICU doctors earning ₹75,000 and support from honorary consultants. What we lack now is administrative will,' the source said. 'Introducing DNB and diploma courses would attract junior doctors and senior faculty alike, building a pipeline of expertise and finally allowing this hospital to deliver the critical care our patients desperately need.'
