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News18
3 days ago
- News18
Mumbai's Versova To Madh Island In 10 Minutes Instead Of 1.5 Hours: Why Green Nod Matters
Curated By : Last Updated: July 28, 2025, 20:10 IST The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has secured clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). (PTI File) Mumbai's Versova-Madh cable-stayed bridge: Ten years after it was proposed, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has secured clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to construct a cable-stayed flyover connecting Madh Island in the western suburbs with Versova, the Indian Express reported. The bridge will provide all-weather connectivity and cut down travel time from one-and-a-half hours to 10 minutes between Madh and Versova. It will help ease traffic in Andheri, Madh, Borivali and Gorai areas of the western suburbs. The cable-stayed bridge between Madh and Versova The distance between Madh and Versova is 21 to 22 km. The idea for the bridge first came up in 1967. The proposed bridge is a cable-stayed flyover spanning about 2.06 km across the Madh Creek. It will be 27.5-m wide, with four lanes (two in each direction). What next after MoEFCC nod? Once the Bombay High Court clearance is received and the formal work order is issued—likely by late 2025, the construction is expected to begin, with full completion around 2028. How long will it take to build? The estimated construction time is approximately 36 months (about 3 years) once work begins. What is the cost of the Madh-Versova bridge? Initial tender estimates (March 2024) were around Rs 1,800 crore, but due to market adjustments, the final cost has risen and is currently pegged at Rs 2,395 crore (including GST, civil works, maintenance). How will Madh-Versova bridge ease travel? Currently, there is no direct road access between Versova and Madh Island. Commuters have to take a long detour via Link Road, S.V. Road, Western Express Highway, often taking 45–60 minutes during peak hours—and potentially up to 90 minutes during heavy traffic or monsoon disruptions. Once completed, the new flyover is expected to cut this journey down to just 5 minutes. The bridge move directly across Versova Creek instead of circling through central suburbs. The current ferry service is often suspended during the monsoons or evenings. The bridge will remain operational 365 days a year. The cable-stayed structure involves fewer piers, minimizing ecological damage to mangroves while providing direct access. Why is Madh Island a popular weekend getaway? Madh Island, located in North-West Mumbai, is famous for its scenic beaches, historic fort, film shoots, and peaceful coastal charm. Surrounded by the Arabian Sea and Malad Creek, it offers a quiet escape from the city's chaos. The island is home to fishing villages like Erangal and Madh, where the local Koli and East Indian communities preserve traditional lifestyles. Its relatively secluded beaches such as Madh Beach, Erangal Beach, and Dana Pani make it a favourite weekend getaway for Mumbaikars. Madh Island is also a hotspot for Bollywood, TV, and ad film shoots, thanks to its rustic settings and private bungalows. Swipe Left For Next Video View all The historic Portuguese-built Madh Fort adds to its allure, though it's not always open to the public. Accessible by road from Malad or a short ferry ride from Versova, Madh Island is known not only for its natural beauty but also for its role in Mumbai's cultural and entertainment scene. With Agency Inputs Manjiri Joshi At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ... Read More At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ... Read More view comments News cities » mumbai-news Mumbai's Versova To Madh Island In 10 Minutes Instead Of 1.5 Hours: Why Green Nod Matters Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
17-07-2025
- India.com
Two Wheels And Endless Adventures With Guwahati's Most Scenic Road Trips
Guwahati functions as the important entry point to Northeast India by serving as a city which stands proudly next to the Brahmaputra River. From its scenic location in the middle of natural hills and rivers alongside important cultural sites Guwahati offers motorcycle adventurers the ideal launchpad for weekend journey adventures. Those who prefer to ride motorcycles along with casual drivers will discover remarkable journeys starting from Guwahati city. There are five exceptional choices for motorcycle road trips which offer weekend opportunities for thrilling experiences. 1. Guwahati to Shillong Motorcycle enthusiasts choose Shillong as their primary vacation spot because it serves as the capital of Meghalaya. The East Indian hill station attracts travelers with its lively Highland atmosphere combined with Scottish mountain feel. The journey from Guwahati to Shillong takes riders through NH40 while passing charming communities and dense forest scenery. All visitors to Shillong must see Elephant Falls together with Umiam Lake and the Don Bosco Museum. Motorcycle enthusiasts visiting Shillong can combine their trip with exciting activities such as exploring Asia's cleanest village Mawlynnong and investigating the root bridges in Sohra (Cherrapunji). 2. Guwahati to Kaziranga National Park The UNESCO World Heritage Site Kaziranga National Park serves as the habitat of approximately 67% of all one-horned rhinoceros species existing in the world. The journey from Guwahati to Kaziranga passes through romantic landscapes of rural Assam that show scenic views of tea plantations along with fields of paddy and various towns. The park welcomes visitors with jeep safaris or elephant rides that provide excellent opportunities to observe tigers along with elephants and wild buffaloes and many species of birds. Kohora showcases comfortable resorts which allow visitors to take in relaxation after their tour activities. 3. Guwahati to Manas National Park Manas National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies at the foothills of the Bhutanese Himalayas. The little-known destination suits travelers who want peaceful time in natural environments. From Guwahati to Manas, visitors can witness the BrahmaPutra River scenery along with its scenic forest vistas. The park features safari adventures providing opportunities to spot the threatened species including golden langur and the pygmy hog along with the Bengal florican. A trip to the Bodo tribal villages near your destination will give you an opportunity to experience their traditional lifestyle. 4. Guwahati to Nameri National Park Livestock enthusiasts together with environmental tourists will find Nameri National Park situated by the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary to be their ultimate destination. The road from Guwahati leads travelers through natural terrain featuring both flowing rivers and multiple forests. Visitors can engage in river rafting on the Jia-Bharali River alongside park trekking at Nameri which creates an exciting weekend experience. During safaris keep your gaze on both the white-winged wood duck and the leopards alongside clouded leopards since they are rare to spot. 5. Guwahati to Hajo Hajo stands as a sacred destination only about 24 kilometers from Guwahati where people find spiritual fulfillment along with religious attractions. Nonetheless Hajo attracts followers from the three major religions of Hinduism Muslim and Buddhism who recognize this place as a symbol of peaceful coexistence. Religious tourists should include a visit to the Hayagriva Madhava Temple together with the Poa Mecca Mosque and the Ganesha Temple. Located proximate to Guwahati, Hajo functions well as both a day excursion spot and a convenient place for brief overnight visits. A peaceful environment around the area helps residents escape the stress of urban existence. Conclusion Motorcycle enthusiasts should choose Guwahati because it functions perfectly as their starting point for touring Northeast India's varied natural surroundings and historical sites. The travel destinations include misty mountains in Shillong and wildlife-filled jungles at Kaziranga and Manas that provide travelers with distinct experiences. The adventures embrace all types of audiences who wish to bond with nature while experiencing local heritage alongside exploring both rush and history during their drive. Ensure your motorcycle ignition and start discovering unlimited adventures that will shape enduring memories for your entire life.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Other Tongue: The Quiet Revival of EI Marathi
A year ago, when Chef Freny Fernandes opened Freny's in Bandra, she had no greater goal than to run a stellar East Indian restaurant in the city. Today, she's considered a cultural evangelist, thanks in part to the morsels she dishes out—on Instagram. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Her reels serve up a crash course in EI culture, with her 'word of the day'—bite-sized East Indian Marathi lessons that describe menu dishes and dining customs—a particular hit. Her followers, newly schooled in words such as tope (a poha-and-meat dish) and itroz (a pre-Lenten feast) tend to follow up lessons with a taste test. "I started storytelling to spread more information about who we are and what our language is about," she says, pointing out that East Indian Marathi is different from regular Marathi, with regional and ethnic variations within the dialect. Even as rabblerousers have brandished Marathi yet again as a yardstick, a linguistic Lakshman Rekha, its kindred East Indian Marathi, has been witnessing a dignified, inclusive and clever campaign for relevance. And at its vanguard are East Indians like 30-year-old Fernandes, whose promotion of the dialect on social media has kindled a new interest among people, especially young people, in their mai boli. East Indian Marathi is a dialect composed predominantly of North Konkan Marathi—with a mix of Portuguese and a sprinkling of English and Hindi words—that uses the Devanagari and Roman script. Spoken by Bombay East Indians (native Christians of the North Konkan) in Mumbai, Dharavi island, Thane, Uran and Vasai, the dialect varies in pronunciation, and sometimes meaning, across regions and ethnic subgroups. Over the years, its circle of influence started to shrink as urbanisation, education and social mobility privileged English. However in the past decade, EI Marathi has regained prominence thanks to organisations like the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP) that published the first EI dictionary in 2019 as part of its broader cultural revival project, and individuals like Mogan Rodrigues, who has been researching and writing about the language and culture. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Millennials and Gen-Z have joined their ranks, taking the message to a medium many consider their native place—social media. Candida Remedios, 34, gamified language learning through her Sunday quizzes on Instagram. She invited people to guess the original English title of a popular song or Hollywood movie that she translated into EI Marathi. Sutera Manus? Spider-Man. Navricha Bapus? Father of the Bride. "I started with the alphabet—a basic A-Z series of East Indian words to familiarise people with the language," she says. This was no linguistic lark; Remedios was chief project coordinator of the East Indian Dictionary. The EI dictionary, which sold 1,000 copies, will launch a second, expanded edition next year, says Gleason Barretto, its founder-editor. "Earlier, people bought it as a collectible; now they actually want to learn the dialect," he says. The best way to learn it, insists Mogan Rodrigues, is to speak it at home like he does. "My 8-year-old son is fluent in it," says the researcher, who has been compiling his own inventory of EI words. A convenient source of these is his mother, whose recent contribution to his lexicon was the word benja—the space between two fingers. "Nobody writes books or articles in this dialect," Rodrigues continues. But a sizeable body of literature has emerged in song. "Every year about 25-30 East Indian singing competitions are held throughout Bombay, for which people compose original songs on a range of themes, from news events to marital and housing problems. The songs are a record of our times," he states. Interestingly, it's the youth who are actively contributing to this social documentary. Triston Gonsalves, a 23-year-old resort manager in Uttan, is a rising star in the EI firmament, having participated in over 50 singing competitions and won over 30 prizes. His song Bapus (Father) scored 174K views on YouTube. "More young people are participating in singing competitions these days," observes Gonsalves, "And they make up about 60-70% of the audience," he adds, attributing their interest in community events to the cachet that cultural identity commands today on social media. Remedios believes people today want to talk about their roots, stories and folk songs. "And because reels are the most consumed format of content these days, many East Indian content creators have appeared on the scene," she says. They're designers, bodybuilders and amateur comedians, creating bilingual content in EI Marathi and English. And though they may not speak out as campaigners, they're nevertheless preserving the dialect—if only by speaking it.
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Matcha may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's brewing up a cultural obsession
On a particularly muggy Sunday, I stepped into the heart of Mumbai's matcha obsession. I was in Bandra, the vibrant, 'posh' suburb, where every winding lane seems to lead to a café. If you were to look up the city's top matcha spots, you would find most of them nestled right here, abutting the pastel-hued East Indian bungalows. My destination was a tiny matcha bar, bustling with customers. As I glanced inside, patrons were playing board games and indulging in café food, and on almost every table sat a tall glass of green. The hostesses were busy answering questions from matcha newbies like me. 'Vanilla bean is our best seller,' one of them informed me when I asked what I should try. I was handed a takeaway cup, which tasted equal parts bitter and sweet. Outside, a cat had made its way into the tiny quarters where more customers were waiting for their turn. She found her place on the lap of a woman in her late 20s. I asked her if she was here to try matcha. 'Of course, isn't this place most famous for matcha?' 'Have you had it before?' 'Yeah, but I didn't like it there. I have heard it's authentic here,' the woman replied. A growing cohort of young Indians has taken on the cafés in search of 'authentic' matcha after a wellness boom popularised it in the West. The powdered, whisked Japanese tea, rebranded as the holy grail for fitness influencers and wellness girlies, has stirred a full-blown lifestyle trend. Less jittery than coffee, prettier than a protein shake, and brimming with antioxidants, matcha quickly became the go-to antidote to caffeine culture. Matcha is no ordinary beverage. It's become a sort of cultural capital. Being a coffee connoisseur no longer fetches the brownie points a knowledge of matcha would. Do you know its different flavour profiles? Can you distinguish the shades of green? Do you know where to source the most authentic matcha from? It has found its way into lattes, coolers, and even desserts like cakes and cookies, with its original earthy taste masked with sugar and ingredients like caramel, mango, strawberry and more. Several influencers have included the green drink in their morning 'GRWM (get ready with me)' reels or as their choice of beverage for a six-part 'story time'. Instagram accounts, dedicated to making matcha at home and experimenting with different recipes, have cropped up. However, it also seems to be the most divisive beverage on the Internet. 'I am not even sure if people like it or are just trying to look cool,' said a 31-year-old marketing specialist, Sanman Golwalkar. When Golwalkar tried matcha, his first thought was, 'It's like eating grass or the tea powder left after the tea is made'. He tried matcha chocolates during a trip to Japan, which he liked better than the drinks served at cafés in India. 27-year-old Khushboo Singh, a PR executive, echoed his thoughts: 'Earlier, it used to be limited only to specific, low-key, underrated cafés, but now franchises like Chaayos, Third Wave (Coffee) and Got Tea are getting into it only because it's popular. I have tried and hated all.' Notably, Tim Hortons just became the latest coffee chain to add matcha to its menu. Singh added that there is some sort of peer pressure or even 'a class bias' behind matcha's popularity. 'It's like how can you not like the new album by The Weeknd? I just don't. Same way, how can you not like matcha? Because it's sh*t,' she said. Anushka Mukherjee, a 27-year-old writer-researcher from Bengaluru, begged to differ. 'There's nothing so hateable about it. And it's not like it has to be an alternative to coffee. I still have my coffee, but it's nice to have some matcha midday, when you want a cold beverage after lunch, especially on hot days.' Mukherjee said when she first tried matcha a few years ago, 'I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either'. She was discouraged from trying more because of the steep cost of matcha. But by last year, matcha was everywhere, and in almost every café, which meant it became a bit cheaper. 'It was almost as much as coffee, and I thought I could have more of it,' she said. Starting with matcha laced with flavours like strawberry or almond, she eventually moved onto regular matcha lattes, before realising it would be easier and more cost-effective to just make matcha at home. 'It's so easy to learn how to make it, because the algorithm pushes it relentlessly. My explore feed is so matcha-dominated. It was hard not to buy it, because it looked super easy. Everyone's doing it. And it's much cheaper than buying a drink all the time,' Mukherjee added. Meher Kohli, the co-founder of Tokyo Matcha Bar in Mumbai's Bandra, suggested that opinions may be divided because people new to matcha may not have found the right place or right flavour. 'People going to other cafés that are maybe not making the best quality matcha, or maybe not making it in the best way possible, may have this notion that matcha is disgusting. They say it tastes like grass. Which is why I think it requires a little bit more of an introduction,' said Kohli. Kohli and her partner, Rahul Ramnani, veterans of the beverage industry with their café Ritual Daily Coffee at Pali Hill, launched the matcha bar in Bandra just months ago in October 2024. The thought began when they introduced a matcha latte at Ritual and saw that there was an audience for it. 'We introduced it over two years ago, when barely any café had a matcha latte on its menu. We also had to educate customers about it,' Kohli added. At Cravin by Andy, in Mumbai's Fort area, one of the baristas opines that matcha is an acquired taste. 'People, who have tasted matcha before, seem to like ours. Newcomers take some time to get used to it. But we have a lot of repeat customers,' he told me. Karishma Shah, an integrative nutritionist and health psychologist, concurred. 'The matcha is tea is very different from the Indian chai, in the way that it is harvested, processed and consumed. It's very rich in the whole earth energy, so it might taste sandy to some people. It might not work for everyone,' she said. Beyond the 'it girl' image, matcha has earned a loyal following in the wellness world. But what does it actually do? Shah helped clarify the facts. She said that matcha has less caffeine per cup than a regular brewed coffee. A component called L theanine releases this caffeine in a slow and sustained manner. In comparison, coffee releases caffeine very quickly, causing an extreme adrenaline rush, which can sometimes lead to a crash, Shah elaborated. L theanine also sends calming signals to the body, whereas coffee can cause anxiety in some people. Matcha is rich in catechins, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a potent antioxidant, which has anti-ageing properties. Coffee also has catechins but in lower concentrations. Shah added that matcha is also better for gut health because it's gentle on the stomach, while coffee is very acidic. But Shah asserted that it's not a fix-all solution as the Internet makes out to be. 'There is no shortcut to weight loss or glowing skin,' she said. 'It may boost your metabolism a little after a meal, or help give you a little pre-workout energy. As far as skin is concerned, that is a direct reflection of your gut health and hormones, and matcha can't directly fix them. It will help if you replace your coffee with matcha as it won't dehydrate your body or give you crashes.' Shah also warned that overconsumption of anything is bad. For those with caffeine sensitivity, she recommends only 1-2 cups of matcha per day. It may also be wise to check your source as a lower grade, cheaper matcha could be contaminated, she added. Matcha first came to Japan in the 12th century when a monk brought back seeds of the Camellia sinensis from China. Monks began drinking the tea to relieve fatigue, outlining a set of protocols for handling it. As it proliferated outside of the Zen temples, it first gave rise to a form of entertainment, tocha, where guests attempted to distinguish between teas grown in various regions of Japan. In later centuries, tea became a way to socialise and a part of everyday life, giving rise to Chanoyu (literally translated to 'hot water for tea'), a cultural practice of drinking tea with guests. The tea ceremony includes a specific set of intricately designed utensils, including a characteristic ceramic bowl. Traditionally, the powdered tea is mixed in hot water in a bowl, using a whisk. A back-and-forth movement of hands ensures a smooth consistency of the prepared concoction. In the 21st century, this Asian staple gripped most of the world. Japan's export of green teas grew nearly 25 per cent in 2024 from the previous year to 36.4 billion yen (that's a whopping Rs 2,000 crore and some more), as per government data. However, with the matcha mania, comes a sobering reality: several leading tea sellers have run into shortages, squeezing domestic and global supplies. Scorching temperatures this summer, which dried out tea fields, have also left farmers and the industry unable to keep up with the global demand. Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Euronews
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
India's PM Narendra Modi hails 'great potential' in ties with Trinidad
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promises continued trade and investment in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday in an address to the nation's parliament. "It's time for us to work together to give the global south its rightful seat at the table," Modi said. "For us there are no limits to our cooperation with you." The two-day trip was Modi's first official visit to the diverse, twin-island Caribbean country that shares longstanding ties with India. The visit was expected to boost investment in energy, health, security and other sectors. In his speech, Modi said that he saw "great potential" in working with Trinidad and Tobago on everything from developing new digital artificial intelligence tools to agriculture. He said that trade between the two countries was only set to grow "with human development at the centre." Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced a number of investments into medical, energy and technological infrastructure promised by Modi, and thanked Modi. "This visit is more than just diplomacy. It marks a new dawn," she said. "India, and Trinidad and Tobago, will now work as strategic partners." She said that the two countries were also working on renewing bilateral trade and investment agreements and that Trinidad and Tobago were slated to expand exports to India. In his speech, Modi also highlighted the long-standing connections between the two nations, which he said acted as a "powerful symbol" of fraternity and trust between the two nations. More than 35% of the Caribbean country's 1.4 million inhabitants are East Indian, descendants of indentured workers brought from India during the colonial era. Modi was greeted by many of the country's Hindu population, but some in Trinidad and Tobago's Muslim community sharply criticised the leader. On Wednesday, the Anjuman Sunnat-ul-Jamaat Association (ASJA) said it intended to write to the prime minister's office and the Indian high commission to express its concern after Modi received the prestigious Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. In a statement, the ASJA said it had "deep and principled concern" about the state's legitimisation of a figure they believe has emboldened religious intolerance in India and targeted the Muslim minority. "We cannot ignore Mr Modi's political legacy and its ramifications for Muslim communities globally," the organisation said. The ASJA cited the revocation of Kashmir's special status and the 2002 Gujarat riots, during which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed. About 18% of Trinidad and Tobago's population is Hindu, while 5% is Muslim. "Both our nations rose from the shadows of colonial rule to write our own story," Modi said. "The legacy of shared heritage and mutual respect continues to guide our partnership."
