Latest news with #Thombare
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
15 years after its invention by BMC engineer, civic body to implement UTWT method for repairing Mumbai's roads
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday informed that it will increasingly adopt the Ultra-Thin White Topping (UTWT) method of road repair. The UTWT methodology was invented by a BMC engineer in 2010, but it has not been implemented regularly in Mumbai till now. The UTWT is a technology under which a thin layer of concrete is laid over the top layer of asphalt roads, following which, it is left to cure. The concrete layer is usually 60 mm-150 mm thick, and the curing period takes a maximum of seven days, following which the road is opened for vehicular movement. Unlike the regular concretising method, which involves the excavation of roads in their entirety, the implementation of UTWT doesn't involve the excavation of roads. Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), said, 'We are planning to implement this methodology on existing asphalt roads of Mumbai that are not yet concretised. Initially, we will start with roads that are less than 12 metres wide, which comparatively record lesser traffic volume. Later, we will augment the implementation of this module on wider roads.' At present, the BMC is concretising 700 km of roads through the regular method at an estimated cost of Rs 17,000 crore, making the per kilometre cost of road concretisation approximately Rs 24 crore. Bangar said that implementing UTWT for every 1 km of road would cost between Rs 1.7 crore and Rs 2 crore, excluding the GST. 'This is a tried and tested methodology which has given good results in the past. Many civic bodies have implemented it, and we are confident about its benefits. One of the primary reasons why we are opting for this methodology is that it costs less time. The road gets ready for traffic movement within just seven days, and it doesn't require any excavation on the surface,' Bangar said. The UTWT method was developed by BMC road engineer, Vishal Thombare, in 2010, when he was pursuing his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. At present, Thombare is an executive engineer in the civic body's road and traffic department. The UTWT method has been adopted by the Thane Municipal Corporation as well as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. In 2022, Thombare presented the methodology to the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) to make durable roads in Bihar and Tripura under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Speaking to The Indian Express, Thombare said the technology was not implemented in Mumbai owing to certain limitations. 'The primary constraint is of utility channels like gas lines, internet cables and telephone wires that run below the road surfaces. Even if we had implemented UTWT earlier, then digging of roads would have been required for laying and maintenance of new and existing utilities, and frequent digging of roads would nullify the entire objective of applying this methodology. Now, we have created dedicated ducts for utilities on the side strip of roads for which digging of the main carriageway of the road wouldn't be required,' Thombare said. He also said that in Mumbai, UTWT was implemented on a select few minor roads in the Fort and Mulund areas on a pilot basis. He said that to date, these roads don't record potholes. He also said that under this methodology, the minimum lifespan of a road stands at 25 years. 'The UTWT was designed by studying the concrete behaviour and how concrete behaves under certain temperature changes. We reduce the cement quantity by recycling products like micro silica. This also leads to a decline in carbon emissions and in the future may also give us the benefit of earning carbon credit,' said Thombare.
Mint
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Mint
From local courts to global dreams: India's women are rewriting tennis from the ground up
On 12 April, as the air crackled with anticipation at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune, Sohyun Park and Dabin Kim looked determined to spoil India's party with some textbook counterpunching. The deciding doubles against Prarthana Thombare and Ankita Raina in the last tie in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania Group I was effectively a knockout. Of the six teams assembled in Pune for Group I, only two would advance to the playoffs. New Zealand had already booked one spot while India and South Korea tussled for the other. What short-circuited the South Korean game plan was Thombare's unconventional play. Right from her unusual return stance to her ability to impart direction and power on the ball with almost non-existent backswings, Thombare left her opponents guessing. It was one such stealthy forehand down the line that won India the day and sent them into the playoffs of the premier women's team tennis event—known as the World Cup of tennis. Thombare, whose game is wired for minimum fuss and maximum effect, is known as quite the disruptor on the doubles tour. The quirks in the 30-year-old's game can be traced back to her tennis beginnings. 'There was a time in my life, when I was about 10 years old, when I spent one whole year just hitting against the wall," says Thombare, who represented India in women's doubles, along with Sania Mirza, at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Thombare started her journey in Barshi, a small town in Maharashtra's Solapur district, where even locating a hitting partner, let alone a coach, was impossible at the time. When she started competing, she had to travel 70km, to Solapur town, to fax her entry to tournaments across India. 'I had a slightly longer backswing when I used to play singles, but in doubles you don't have enough time for a load up. But now that I look back, I do feel my short backswing is because the ball comes back much quicker off the wall. I felt like because I did not have the exposure, I trained myself to fix things on my own. Even today when something goes wrong, I go back to the wall because I know it will give me all the answers." Thombare's rise is emblematic of tennis' spread across the country. While the trend is congruent with the growth of other sports in India, tennis, a club sport at heart, was always viewed as a metropolitan sport played by the urban elite. In the team that pushed India into the playoffs—for only the second time in the history of the tournament—there were no players from the country's traditional tennis hubs like Chennai or Kolkata, or metros like Mumbai and Delhi. Singles stars Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Sahaja Yamalapalli were the only ones who come from a city with tennis pedigree—Hyderabad. India's top singles player Ankita Raina, an Olympian and Asian Games bronze medallist in singles, hails from Ahmedabad, while Vaidehi Chaudhari, who played and won two singles matches during the week, belongs to Mehsana in Gujarat and shifted to Ahmedabad to pursue tennis. Thombare, India's No.1 doubles player since Sania Mirza retired from tennis, comes far from any power centre in tennis. Rutuja Bhosale, who played a big part when India made the playoffs for the very first time in 2020, belongs to Shrirampur, in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district. India's reserve player in the 2025 BJK Cup squad and possibly the most exciting prospect from the country for a while, Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, 15, comes from Coimbatore. Further down the line, India's reigning U-14 and U-16 national champion is Aahan, from Mendhasala in Odisha. 'That decentralisation has happened. And now, it's a very different ballgame," says India's BJK Cup captain Vishaal Uppal, a former Davis Cupper, born and bred in Delhi. Even though the national federation, the All India Tennis Association (AITA), has remained largely indifferent to the sport's evolution in the country, some of the state associations have tried to cast a wider net to spot and groom talent. The Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), which volunteered and raised the funds to host the recent BJK Cup in Pune, has pro-actively taken the sport to the masses and created thriving tennis centres in places like Solapur, Kolhapur and Nagpur. 'We have had far better results from the districts than the bigger cities in Maharashtra," says MSLTA secretary Sunder Iyer. 'The success of players like Prarthana has helped. What we have seen is players who come from smaller towns are not technically the best, but these girls are tougher and hungrier. They are physically fitter because even now a lot of them walk to school, they naturally spend a lot more time outside, and because of the small player pool available to them, they start competing with boys at a much younger age. 'And this trend is not just in Maharashtra. Even in states in Karnataka and Haryana, there is a lot more interest in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The first aspiration is to play tennis, but it is also their ticket out of the place, they want to build their own identity or get jobs." The game has grown laterally, brought in the numbers. But the lack of a clear pathway and support system, including elite coaches and trainers, means we aren't quite seeing the effect at the very top. There are still no Indians in the top 100 or competing consistently at Grand Slam level, be it singles or doubles. Tennis remains one of the most expensive sports. Players, even juniors, have to travel, often out of the country, to play the bigger tournaments and earn vital ranking points and climb up the ladder. But even in India, it is no longer the domain of the moneyed. 'It's a myth that tennis is an elite sport," says Uppal. 'It is an aspirational sport now. The problem is, people with the means don't have the drive and desire. And the people with the drive and desire don't have the means." A shining example of that is Yamalapalli, 24, who took over as India No.1 last year for a while. She started the game with a second-hand racket and learnt the basics off YouTube tennis tutorials. Her first formal coaching lessons came at the age of 14. 'Even after I had finished the 10th standard, I had no national ranking. I barely played any tournaments because we didn't have the money to travel. I would only play the tournaments in the city, and for that also we would go 50km up and down on our Scooty. At the tournaments, everyone else would come in cars, with their coaches, have a full-on professional set-up. But even then we never felt like I could never make it," says Yamalapalli. A big step up for Yamalapalli was when she went to Sam Houston State University on a tennis scholarship. Her parents had to borrow money from friends, family and well-wishers to buy her the ticket to US. Even as she competed in college tennis and worked towards a degree in food science and nutrition, Yamalapalli hustled to make some money by stringing rackets for all her teammates. It has been a tough journey, but it's one Yamalapalli is proud of. Busting myths, defying odds. The women have been game for it. Without a player ranked in the top 300, the team has earned a spot in the playoffs. What they need now is a little attention, and consistent support to accelerate the momentum they have gathered. Deepti Patwardhan is a sportswriter based in Mumbai.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Safe but terrorised, want to return home: Pune lawyer stranded in J&K
Pune: The terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left at least 26 dead, has sparked a deep sense of fear among Maharashtra tourists stuck in the region. The incident particularly shook city-based IMD official Chandrakant Kale , who narrowly escaped the attack with his wife, having left the site mere moments before the deadly strike. "We came to know about the attack on way to Srinagar from Pahalgam. I was totally shaken. We have reached our hotel and are now safe," Kale told TOI. "Army men are constantly patrolling the roads. We will be in Kashmir till Friday owing to some work commitments," he said. Pune lawyer Vijaysinh Thombare was holed up in a Srinagar hotel. "As of now, we are safe in the hotel. But most of us (tourists from Maharashtra) are feeling scared and want to leave J&K as soon as possible." Thombare was touring J&K with his wife, NCP functionary and former corporator Rupali Patil-Thombare. "We were in Pahalgam on Sunday before leaving for Gulmarg on Monday. Today (Tuesday), we were enjoying a gondola ride at Gulmarg when the Army jawans directed all tourists to vacate the area and reach hotels," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo According to Thombare, roads in Srinagar are deserted, with Army personnel everywhere. "Our return flight is on Wednesday, but many other tourists have their bookings later. Now, nobody wants to stay here. I don't know how everyone could get the return flight. My wife is constantly talking to these tourists and trying to calm them down." Later in the day, Baramati MP and NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule took to X (formerly twitter) and urged J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah to ensure immediate medical aid and support to the injured tourists, including those from Pune.
Zawya
10-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Indian sugar mills close early, lifting local prices
Over three dozen sugar mills in India's leading cane-producing states halted operations last week, nearly two months earlier than usual, due to lower cane supplies caused by adverse weather, industry official told Reuters. These early closures suggest India will produce less sugar than initially estimated. Production concerns are lifting local sugar prices and prompting mills to seek higher prices for overseas sales of their limited export quota. The slower pace of shipments from India, the world's second-biggest sugar producer, will support global prices . Indeed, there was a big jump in mill closures this year. At least 37 mills in the western state of Maharashtra, neighboring Karnataka, and the northern state of Uttar Pradesh have closed operations, said a senior industry official, who declined to be named. During the same period last year, only 11 mills had closed. "Last year's drought hit cane yields hard. In many districts, supplies ran out, forcing mills to shut down early," B.B. Thombare, president of the West Indian Sugar Mills Association told Reuters. Many Maharashtra mills are struggling to get enough sugarcane, operating at half their capacity, and will likely close for the season by the end of this month, he said. India's sugar output during the 2024-25 marketing year, ending in September this year, may fall to 27.27 million metric tons, down 14.7% from a year ago, the Indian Sugar and Bio Energy Manufacturers Association estimated last month. However, dealers with global trade houses predict even lower production, given the pace at which mills are closing. "We estimate that production could fall to around 26 million tons," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house. The early closure of mills, along with permission to export 1 million metric tons of sugar, has lifted local prices by 10% in a month. "The rise in local prices has improved mills financially. They are seeking 45,000 rupees per ton or more to supply sugar for exports," said a New-Delhi based dealer with a global trade house. Exports are slow because mills are reluctant to sign contracts immediately, hoping prices will rise further, he said. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
Reuters
10-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Indian sugar mills close early, lifting local prices
MUMBAI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Over three dozen sugar mills in India's leading cane-producing states halted operations last week, nearly two months earlier than usual, due to lower cane supplies caused by adverse weather, industry official told Reuters. These early closures suggest India will produce less sugar than initially estimated. Production concerns are lifting local sugar prices and prompting mills to seek higher prices for overseas sales of their limited export quota. The slower pace of shipments from India, the world's second-biggest sugar producer, will support global prices , . Indeed, there was a big jump in mill closures this year. At least 37 mills in the western state of Maharashtra, neighboring Karnataka, and the northern state of Uttar Pradesh have closed operations, said a senior industry official, who declined to be named. During the same period last year, only 11 mills had closed. "Last year's drought hit cane yields hard. In many districts, supplies ran out, forcing mills to shut down early," B.B. Thombare, president of the West Indian Sugar Mills Association told Reuters. Many Maharashtra mills are struggling to get enough sugarcane, operating at half their capacity, and will likely close for the season by the end of this month, he said. India's sugar output during the 2024-25 marketing year, ending in September this year, may fall to 27.27 million metric tons, down 14.7% from a year ago, the Indian Sugar and Bio Energy Manufacturers Association estimated last month. However, dealers with global trade houses predict even lower production, given the pace at which mills are closing. "We estimate that production could fall to around 26 million tons," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house. The early closure of mills, along with permission to export 1 million metric tons of sugar, has lifted local prices by 10% in a month. "The rise in local prices has improved mills financially. They are seeking 45,000 rupees per ton or more to supply sugar for exports," said a New-Delhi based dealer with a global trade house.
