Mumbai: BMC commissioner and District Election Officer Ashwini Bhide on Saturday directed election officials to expedite the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying the exercise had been affected by the recent spell of heavy rain and must now be completed within the stipulated timeline.Reviewing the progress of the exercise in the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency at a meeting in Malad, Bhide said booth level officers (BLOs) should step up house-to-house verification and digitisation of voter records, particularly as more rainfall is likely in the coming days.“The pace of the exercise needs to be accelerated so that house visits and digitisation are completed within the prescribed timeframe,” she said.Additional District Election Officer Abhijit Bangar asked Assistant Electoral Registration Officers to simultaneously speed up the distribution of enumeration forms and digitisation.While adding that the Election Commission has extended the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision, he urged officials to factor in their regular civic responsibilities and the possibility of further rain.Bangar also asked officials to work additional hours and on holidays, if required, to ensure that the revision exercise is completed on schedule.The review meeting was attended by Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and other election officials. The Special Intensive Revision is being undertaken by the Election Commission to update and verify electoral rolls ahead of future elections.

man had fallen unconscious on the road and was bleeding profusely from the head. A car nearby had a cracked windshield and cracks above the right tyre.

Mumbai: Bandra Police registered an FIR against an 80-year-old man for ramming his car into another senior citizen, leading to his death. The identity of the 62-year-old victim is not known, police said.Around 4.10 pm on July 17, a crowd gathered at Appa Parab Chowk in Bandra West. A policeman went to check and found a road crash. A man had fallen unconscious on the road and was bleeding profusely from the head. A car nearby had a cracked windshield and cracks above the right tyre. The policeman then summoned his colleagues from Bandra police station. The unconscious man was rushed to the Bhabha Hospital at Bandra East. Doctors pronounced him dead on admission.The motorist who had caused the road crash was brought to the Bandra police station. He was 80 and lived near Mehboob studio, Bandra. A case of rash driving and negligence was registered against him.

Mumbai: BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Saturday directed officials to ensure that all seven under-construction sewage treatment plants (STPs) across Mumbai are completed within the stipulated timeline, saying the projects are key to improving the quality of wastewater discharged into the sea.During a visit to the under-construction 454 MLD Malad STP, she directed contractors to adhere to quality standards and deadlines. BMC is building new STPs at Malad, Worli, Bandra, Dharavi, Ghatkopar, Bhandup and Versova under the Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project.Together, the seven plants will have a combined treatment capacity of 2,464 million litres per day (MLD). A 37 MLD STP at Colaba has been operational since April 2020, taking the city’s total planned treatment capacity to 2,501 MLD.Officials said the Malad STP, awarded in July 2022, has a six-year construction period followed by 15 years of operation and maintenance. The plant will use Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) technology to provide secondary treatment to 454 MLD of sewage every day, while 227 MLD will also undergo tertiary treatment.At present, the existing Malad facility carries out only primary treatment before sewage is discharged into the creek. The new plant will include sludge treatment to Class A standards and generate electricity from biogas produced during the treatment process.The commissioner also reviewed the status of the remaining STPs through a presentation and directed contractors to complete all works within schedule. According to the BMC, once the projects are commissioned, they are expected to significantly improve coastal water quality and marine ecology while benefiting residents in the western suburbs, including Dahisar, Borivli, Kandivli, Malad and Goregaon.

MUMBAI: Panic gripped residents of a high-rise residential tower in Mumbai after a pet dog allegedly became aggressive inside an elevator and lunged at three young girls. The incident, captured on CCTV, has gone viral on social media.According to police, the incident took place on Thursday evening at Sheth Irene Tower in Malad, a western suburb of Mumbai.According to news agency PTI, no injuries were reported to the authorities, and no complaint has been lodged so far, police said. They added that the resident had permission to take her pet dog in the lift. The CCTV footage, which went viral on social media, showed a woman entering the building’s lift with her pet dog while three girls were already inside.Shortly after the lift doors closed, the dog allegedly became aggressive and lunged towards the girls, triggering panic inside the confined space. The CCTV footage showed the dog’s owner attempting to restrain the animal as it tried to pounce on them.As the lift reached a floor, one of the girls was seen rushing out, while the dog attempted to follow her before the owner pulled it back, averting any serious harm.No injuries were reported in the incident. However, the CCTV footage has gone viral on social media, raising concerns among residents, police said.(With agency inputs)

Navi Mumbai: Tree lovers were disturbed to see that an almond tree at Vashi, next to Ganesh Tower, was again illegally pruned in order to enhance the visibility of a hoarding behind it.In Sept last year, several nature lovers also held a public demonstration at the Vashi site in order to protest the frequent mutilation of this tree. Social activist Madhu Shankar said: “I complained to the NMMC garden department on Tuesday, because someone has again ruthlessly chopped off the top portion of the almond tree, for the obvious reason to increase the visibility of the hoarding.” An FIR was earlier filed by the civic body with regard to the illegal tree cutting.“The tree was first illegally pruned in Jan 2023. Exactly a month later, in Feb, the new hoarding was installed behind it. Since then, the tree has had to bear several pruning, whenever its leaves and branches became bigger, as it then blocked the hoarding,” said Shankar.The Vashi ward office is looking into the complaint.

Khazana’s landmark 25th ghazal festival is scheduled for next week. This unique event blends poetry and melodies for a noble cause. Performances will feature renowned artists like Anup Jalota and Hariharan. A special tribute will honor Asha Bhosle and past musical contributors. The festival promises a beautiful celebration of ghazals and compassionate giving.

The blending of timeless poetry and soulful melodies for a noble cause is what makes Khazana unique. This two-day ghazal festival is all set for its landmark Silver Jubilee year, later this month, with performances by Anup Jalota, Hariharan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sonu Nigam, Javed Ali, Sudeep Banerji, Madhubanti Bagchi, Sunil Mungee, Aleena Bharti and Tejas Gambhir. There will be a special tribute to Asha Bhosle and to the legendary voices that have shaped Khazana’s remarkable musical journey over the last 25 years. Ghazal maestro and one of the founder members, Anup Jalota shared, “What began as a heartfelt dream has grown into one of India’s most cherished ghazal festivals, touching countless lives through the healing power of music. Together, we have helped raise significant funds for the treatment of cancer patients and children suffering from thalassemia.” Rekha Bhardwaj added, “Khazana is far more than just a festival. It is a beautiful celebration of timeless ghazals, cherished memories, and a deeply meaningful cause. Khazana is truly where music touches the soul and compassion transforms lives.”

First-year postgraduate homeopathy students received the wrong examination paper (File Photo)

MUMBAI In a major examination blunder, a section of first-year postgraduate homeopathy students of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) appearing for their semester-end examinations on Friday was mistakenly handed the question paper meant for an exam scheduled on Monday.The students, who are specialising in Materia Medica, were instead given Monday’s paper of the Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine in Homeopathy Materia Medica. The error has raised questions over the confidentiality of the exam process and the systems in place for the handling, sorting and distribution of papers. Materia Medica is a postgraduate speciality focused on the detailed study of homoeopathic medicines, their sources, characteristic symptom profiles, therapeutic indications and selection for individual patients.Dr S S Kadu, controller of examinations at Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, said, “The moderator pushed the wrong paper through the software. As soon as we realised the same, we sent another paper of Fundamentals of Homeopathy Materia Medica within minutes. And on Monday, we will send another paper of Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine in Homeopathy Materia Medica.”According to those familiar with the incident, the mistake came to light after the papers were distributed in the exam hall. A doctor said, “I was shocked on reading the contents of the question paper. Only later did I realise that the incorrect question paper was handed out to all of us.”Another student taking the exam said the blunder led to a delay in starting the exam as new question papers of Friday’s exam had to be sourced and distributed. Students, however, confirmed they were allotted additional time for the loss.Postgraduate homeopathy examinations involve candidates from different specialisations, with separate papers scheduled across the exam period. The episode has underlined the need for stricter checks for the dispatch and verification of question papers.