Pune News

Maharashtra: After taking charge as Health Services Commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe directs health officials to conduct surprise visits at PHCs, rural hospitals
The Indian Express | 1 hour ago | |
The Indian Express
1 hour ago | |

Top health officials across Maharashtra conducted surprise visits at the government-run primary health centres and rural hospitals in the wee hours of Friday to check whether emergencies were being attended to and the doctors and nurses were present on duty. Barring a few places like the Thane Primary Health Centre and some others where the doctors were not present, the functioning of the health facilities was as per routine, Dr Nitin Ambadekar, Director of Health, Maharashtra, told The Indian Express.This move to conduct surprise visits was an initiative of Tukaram Mundhe, who recently took charge as the Health Services Commissioner of Maharashtra. Mundhe instructed the district health officers, civil surgeons and deputy directors of health across Maharashtra to conduct surprise visits at the primary health centres and rural hospitals to check whether the staff was present at the health facilities and emergencies were being attended to during the late night hours.Mundhe, who is also Director, National Health Mission, Maharashtra, told The Indian Express that the main purpose was to check whether the medical and paramedical staff are present at the health facilities during the night hours. “I had instructed the deputy director, civil surgeons and district health officers to randomly visit any primary health centre or rural hospital without informing the staff on duty. These kinds of drives will now be regularly taken up,” he said.Pune-headquartered Director of Health Dr Ambadekar, who also visited the health facilities, said that emergency services were in place. Dr Ambadekar said that effort during the surprise visit was also to identify the lacunae so that the problem could be resolved.“While the performance has by and large been satisfactory, we wanted to ensure the focus is maintained also during the festive season,” he added.Dr Ambadekar said there are an approximate 19 lakh deliveries being performed annually and at least 50 per cent are done at the government set up.“There have been instances where non attendants have been reported in the past, but overall the performance has been satisfactory. These drives are a way of emphasizing that the situation is being monitored,” he added.Each primary health centre is required to have two medical officers, while three are posted at the rural hospitals. There are 1,839 primary health centres and 504 rural hospitals, including women’s hospital and sub district hospitals, in Maharashtra. The Collector of each district has been authorised to fill up contractual posts.Deputy Director, Health, Dr Sanjog Kadam visited the Alandi Rural Hospital in Pune, while Dr Bhagwan Pawar, District Health Officer, Pune, visited the primary health centre at Wagholi and found that a delivery was underway.Pune District Civil Surgeon Ashok Dr Nandapurkar made a surprise visit to the Rural Hospital at Vadgaon Maval. “I got a message at 11.15 pm and immediately went to the Rural Hospital at Vadgaon Maval at 12.15 am where there were doctors on duty,” he said.

Maharashtra: After taking charge as Health Services Commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe directs health officials to conduct surprise visits at PHCs, rural hospitals
Man dupes 200 people in Maharashtra over fake instant loan, arrested
The Indian Express | 4 hours ago | |
The Indian Express
4 hours ago | |

Pune city police last Monday arrested an online fraudster who cheated about 200 persons in Maharashtra through an advertisement on Facebook, promising instant loans of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in two hours.Police, during the investigation, have found that the accused Vitthal Babu Jarande, 33, resident of Uruli Devachi and native of Osmanabad, have cheated ‘customers’ to the tune of Rs 7 lakh by charging them a ‘processing fee’.A court remanded him in police custody till Friday.According to police, Jarande posted an advertisement on his FB page in October 2020 offering loans in the range of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh within two hours, following which he received several queries.“Jarande used to ask the ‘customers’ to forward him their Aadhaar Card, PAN card, and other documents on his WhatsApp number, along with Rs 5,000 towards processing fees and commission. After receiving the money, he blocked the customers on his phone,” a police official said.The fraud came to light after one of the victims recently lodged a first information report (FIR) with the Dattawadi police station. A team headed by senior police inspector Abhay Mahajan initiated a probe into the case.

Man dupes 200 people in Maharashtra over fake instant loan, arrested
Maharashtra: Fresh push from Devendra Fadnavis for redevelopment projects
Times of India | 9 hours ago | |
Times of India
9 hours ago | |

PUNE: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the government was planning to start a single window system for the clearances of housing projects going in for redevelopment and implement the self-redevelopment order issued in September 2019 when he was the CM. Of the around 1.20 lakh registered cooperative societies and over 80,000 apartments, nearly 60,000 units are over 30-year-old and would want to go for redevelopment. The Maharashtra State Housing Federation had sought a simplified process for their redevelopment. A meeting is likely to be held between members of the housing federation and CM Eknath Shinde and his deputy, Fadnavis, next week. "There is a plan to make the redevelopment process for private housing societies with a single window system for clearances as demanded by the housing societies and federation," Fadnavis said in his reply to a text message from TOI. The government resolution issued in September 2019 on the self-redevelopment of housing societies remained on paper, members of the federation said. On the self-redevelopment of the societies, Fadnavis said the earlier order would be implemented in letter and spirit. Suhas Patwardhan, vice-president of Maharashtra State Cooperative Housing Federation, said they had been seeking an easier process for redevelopment. "A notification was issued, but it was not implemented. The issue related to funding also needs to be addressed," he said.

Maharashtra: Fresh push from Devendra Fadnavis for redevelopment projects
‘Maharashtra men doubly prone to heart illness than women’
Times of India | 10 hours ago | |
Times of India
10 hours ago | |

PUNE: The number of men in the state being diagnosed with critical heart ailments is more than twice that of women, revealed data collated since the government launched STEMI Maharashtra under its Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme in February 2021. Of the 2,225 people diagnosed with critical heart ailments between February 1, 2021, and October 2, 2022, a large majority, or 1,602 (72%), were men and 623 were women aged above 30. STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Initiative) is a type of a serious heart attack that has a greater risk of serious complications and death compared to other cardiac ailments. It leads to immediate stoppage of blood supply to the heart, mainly the organ's lower chambers, as the arteries are blocked due to cholesterol. The statewide AI-powered advanced diagnosis and care coordination programme recognised by the National Health Mission (NHM) was launched to prevent premature deaths caused by heart attacks and that could be prevented through timely treatment. Since the launch of the scheme in 12 districts, 2.18 lakh ECGs - 98,000 on women and 1.2 lakh on men - have been conducted free of cost to help diagnose any underlying cardiac ailments. In case of heart attack-like symptoms, patients can also seek treatment, including life saving surgeries, in government hospitals or Mahatma Jyotirao Pule Jan Arogya Yojana -empanelled hospital. Most of the patients diagnosed with STEMI were aged between 60 and 69 years. Dr Padmaja Jogewar, joint director (non-communicable disease cell), commissionerate of health Services, Maharashtra, said, "Among cardiac ailments, STEMI is one of the leading causes of deaths. But if diagnosed and treated on time, most of these deaths can be prevented. The younger population, mostly men, is now reporting cardiac problems. There can be multiple factors, such as lifestyle choices, increased stress and an unbalanced lifestyle." She said, "Under STEMI, we aim to provide free ECGs for early detection of any underlying causes and also create awareness among the people about what could be the first signs and symptoms of a progressing heart attack. The scheme was launched in 12 districts. By the end of this year, we will launch it in the rest of the districts." A total of 183 health hubs, which include rural, district and tertiary hospitals in various major cities, are interconnected to provide online consultation in case of a critical ECG for further treatment and diagnosis. A senior health official said a patient's history was tracked and data saved until his or her discharge from hospital after complete treatment. Dr Hemant Kokane, associate professor of the cardiology department, Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, where the programme is on, said, "We are also reporting STEMI cases among patients as young as in their 30s, who are not smokers or do not chew tobacco. The contributing factors we observe among them are poor diet, lack of sleep, increased stress and exposure to screens. Up to the age of 50, women have natural protection due to hormones. But after the age of 50, both men and women equally report STEMI cases."

‘Maharashtra men doubly prone to heart illness than women’
Moderate rainfall warning for Pune and surrounding areas for next two days
The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | |
The Indian Express
12 hours ago | |

PUNE AND its neighbouring areas will receive moderate rainfall during the next two days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday. Since October 1, the city has received 58.5mm of rainfall.Maharashtra is currently experiencing the influence of cyclonic circulation, which lay over coastal Andhra Pradesh. A trough from this system is running through Telangana, Vidarbha and west Madhya Pradesh extending till Uttar Pradesh.“Due to this cyclonic circulation, moisture-laden winds are being pulled from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal over Maharashtra. Rainfall activity over Maharashtra will increase during the next two days,” said Anupam Kashyapi, head of the weather forecasting division at IMD, Pune.Rainfall will mostly be seen during the afternoon or evening with one or two intense spells with the potential to cause flash flooding, inundation of roads and windy conditions resulting in the uprooting of trees, the IMD said.Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Pune, Nandurbar, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Beed and Osmanabad districts will also witness thunderstorms, lightning and rainfall till October 8, the forecast said.Another fresh cyclonic circulation is expected to develop off the Gujarat coast further strengthening the westerly winds blowing in from the Arabian Sea over Maharashtra, Kashyapi added.Meanwhile, the withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon continues to remain slow. As of Thursday, the withdrawal line passed through Uttarkashi, Nazibabad, Agra, Gwalior, Ratlam and Bharuch.Due to the presence of the cyclonic circulation over UP, which remains on ‘red’ alert till Friday any further withdrawal of monsoon is not expected till the weekend. Uttarakhand will receive heavy rainfall during the next four days, according to the forecast.

Moderate rainfall warning for Pune and surrounding areas for next two days
  • Mumbai may continue to experience light to moderate rainfall

    • The Indian Express

    The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Thursday said Maharashtra’s Mumbai city and its suburban belts will see a partly cloudy sky with moderate to light rainfall for the next 48 hours.“Generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain/thundershower in the city and suburbs,” said the IMD’s 48-hour bulletin Thursday afternoon.The IMD officials said the retreat of monsoon is unlikely in the next two to three days.“There are certain features in the ongoing season which are still favouring the rains. Therefore, Mumbai may continue to experience light to moderate rainfalls in certain areas due to the change in wind patterns. However the rainfall spells will be sporadic and not very intense,” said a scientist from the IMD.The official added the current forecast says retreat may be possible only after October 10.Mumbai experienced light to moderate rains from the early hours of Thursday morning. According to the civic data, the western suburbs recorded 3.6 mm of rainfall Thursday morning, while the island recorded 0.55 mm of rainfall.The temperature will oscillate between 26 to 31 degree Celsius and the relative humidity will be around 85 per cent in Mumbai.

  • IMD: Monsoon retreat may be delayed in Pune, Mumbai

    • Times of India

    Pune: Monsoon may miss its normal exit dates from Pune and Mumbai due to upcoming rainfall activity in parts of the state from October 5 evening.The normal date for monsoon to begin withdrawal from the extreme northern parts of Maharashtra, including areas of Palghar, is around October 5. Normal dates for monsoon withdrawal from Mumbai and Pune are around October 8-9, respectively. Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather forecasting division, IMD, Pune, told TOI that monsoon was yet to start withdrawing from major parts of central India, though withdrawal already started from the northwest and some western parts of the country. “Moisture has depleted over Maharashtra. For the next 48 hours, chances of rain for the state are low. If it rains, it will be in the form of very short spell in the afternoon or evening hours. But, from October 5 evening, chances of rain are likely to increase marginally over north Konkan and adjacent areas of Madhya Maharashtra, including Pune district/city for subsequent 2-3 days. However, these spells will be mainly in the form of thundery activity in the afternoon or evening hours,” Kashyapi said.He said after the upcoming spell, the withdrawal might commence from the northern parts of Maharashtra.

  • Pune to see few more rain spells with monsoon set to withdraw by mid-Oct: IMD

    • The Indian Express

    Pune city will receive a few final rain spells as the southwest monsoon is most likely to start withdrawing from Maharashtra by the end of this week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. The withdrawal from Pune and adjoining areas in Madhya Maharashtra is expected by mid-October.On Monday, IMD Pune officials said mostly clear sky conditions will dominate the local weather and the maximum temperatures would hover around 31 degrees Celsius.“Moisture presence over Maharashtra has reduced significantly and hence the chances of rainfall are minimal on Monday and Tuesday,” said Anupam Kashyapi, head of the IMD’s weather forecasting division in Pune.However, some rainfall spells of light to moderate intensity (15.5mm to 64.4mm in 24-hour periods) are likely during the October 6-8 period.By the middle of this week, the present cyclonic circulation formed in the northeast Bay of Bengal would have crossed over to land. Under its influence, there is, once again, a chance for an increase in moisture levels mostly in northern Maharashtra and Vidarbha resulting in thunderstorms, lightning and rains.During the recently concluded monsoon season, Pune city received 817.4mm, which was about 35 per cent above the seasonal average.

  • No respite in sight: Pune to get light to moderate rainfall till October 8

    • Times of India

    PUNE: Rainfall activity over the city will continue at least till October 8, with day temperatures hovering around 30 degrees celsius to 31 degrees celsius and thunderstorms in the evening hours, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD officials said on Sunday that the city is likely to get light rainfall from Monday to Wednesday. It will then intensity over the next two days. From October 8, it will again reduce to light rainfall. On Sunday, due to the clear sky conditions since the morning, the day temperature increased, with both Shivajinagar and Lohegaon observatories recording 31.3 degrees celsius, which was above normal by 0.7 degrees celsius and 0.3 degrees celsius, respectively. The city did not record rainfall from 8.30am to 8.30pm on Sunday. "The latest satellite observations on Sunday afternoon indicate a possibility of development of thunder clouds over ghat areas of Maharashtra. The scattered type clouds observations over South Peninsula, too," said a senior Met official. IMD officials said October is likely to get above normal showers as per the latest long-range forecast for rainfall during the post-monsoon season of 2022. "Vidarbha, Marathwada and some areas of Northern Central Maharashtra are likely to get more than normal rainfall this month. Similar weather conditions may prevail over the southern part of Central Maharashtra in the coming days," the official added. The withdrawal line of Southwest Monsoon continues to pass through Jammu, Una, Chandigarh, Karnal, Baghpat, Delhi, Alwar, Jodhpur and Nalia.

  • Pune: Short, intense rain spell fells trees, chokes roads, slows traffic; 1 dead

    • Times of India

    PUNE: Several trees fell and almost all arterial roads were waterlogged after a sharp spell of rain and thunderstorm battered the city for an hour from 4.15pm on Friday. Citizens ran for cover as the light drizzle quickly battered down as convective rain. Gusty winds of 30-40kmph broke off branches of trees which littered the roads and reduced traffic to a single-file crawl. An autorickshaw driver died when a huge peepal tree fell on his vehicle at Yerawada. Many vehicles broke down on the waterlogged roads, leading to massive snarls. The fire brigade received nearly 70 calls about trees falling from across the city and over 100 complaints about waterlogging. IMD's Shivajinagar observatory recorded 35.1mm rainfall and Pashan and Lohegaon 7.2mm and 9.2mm respectively. One or two intense spells of rain are likely till Monday. Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather forecasting division, IMD, Pune, said that parts of Maharashtra are under the influence of two wind regimes - one being the easterly winds which are moist in nature and are blowing from the Bay of Bengal off coastal Andhra Pradesh. At the same time, northwesterly/westerly winds are blowing over the state from the Arabian Sea. When there is day-time high temperature, under the influence of moist winds, it can lead to local instability. The skies are sunny during the day time for the last couple of days in the presence of significant moisture incursion. This can also lead to the formation of cumulonimbus or thunder clouds. Rain from such clouds is usually intense and occurs for a short duration, he said. Kashyapi said that dams are almost full. "The moderately intense to intense spells in the next couple of days can uproot more trees. There is also a huge threat of waterlogging and temporary floods due to release of water from reservoirs, inundation and stagnation in low-lying areas. Weak houses and bridges are highly vulnerable. With roads partially damaged and ridden with potholes, people must avoid driving during intense spells of rain which can reduce visibility on road, he added.

Maharashtra: New beginning awaits 25 differently-abled patients at Karjat rehab centre
The Indian Express | 22 hours ago | |
The Indian Express
22 hours ago | |

It is going to be a new dawn for the 25 differently-abled patients from government-run mental hospitals and other private healthcare facilities in Chennai who have travelled all the way to a Karjat-based rehabilitation centre, near Pune in Maharashtra.As they alighted from the train at Pune railway station Wednesday a bus from Shraddha Rehabilitation Foundation was waiting outside to welcome the patients, who are on the recovery path. After a nearly two-hour drive, the patients, along with five social workers and support staff, reached the centre at Karjat.They will be reunited with their families soon, Dr Bharat Vatwani, founder trustee of Shraddha Rehabilitation Foundation and Magsaysay award winner told The Indian Express.The foundation, set up in 1988, has reunited at least 9,000 differently-abled persons with their families in the last 15-16 years, said Dr Vatwani who added that this was for the first time a large group of patients have been shifted from a mental hospital to our rehabilitation centre.The centre was started to deal with differently-abled destitute persons wandering on the streets. Hence, the foundation does not admit patients brought by family members. It set up the Karjat project in 2006. Services at the foundation are free of charge.“These are unfortunate men and women whom you often see wandering on roads, lost in their own world, laughing and talking to themselves, with dirty long matted hair, half naked and skinny in appearance. They survive on gutter water and leftovers of food thrown at them by passers-by. With no one to look after them they are on the roads for weeks and months together,” Dr Vatwani said.The foundation has tied up with various mental institutions across the country. The latest batch of 25 patients is mainly from north India and they find it difficult to communicate due to limited knowledge of the language.“These patients were selected from different institutions in Tamil Nadu, including the government-run Institute of Mental Health Chennai and Emergency Care and Recovery Centre, Chennai, and others like Anbagam NGO Tamil Nadu and St Giuseppe Moscati Psycho-Social Rehabilitation Centre Tamil Nadu by our team. The social workers in Tamil Nadu find it a challenge to communicate with them due to language barriers. However, they are on their path to recovery and we will now try to reunite the 25 patients with their families,” Dr Vatwani said.Mental Health Day programmesMeanwhile, several organisations in Pune will host a series of programmes on the occasion of World Mental Health Day which falls on October 10 to create awareness about mental health. Dr Mridula Apte, a clinical psychologist who heads Vidula Psychological Consultancy, said her firm will conduct an awareness programme in association with the Pune Metro Rail to inform citizens of the facts related to mental health.World failing in ‘our duty of care’, says reportThis year’s theme of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) is to make mental health and well-being a global priority. A recent report shows that the world is failing in ‘our duty of care’ to protect the mental health, and well-being of healthcare workers. ‘Our duty of care’ is a global call for action to protect the mental health of health and care workers. It examines the impact of the Covid pandemic on the mental health of the health and care workforce and offers 10 policy actions as a framework for immediate follow-up by employers, organizations and policy-makers.A report by the Qatar Foundation, World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), in collaboration with the WHO finds that at least a quarter of health and care workers surveyed have reported anxiety, depression and burnout symptoms.The report found that 23 to 46 per cent of health and care workers reported symptoms of anxiety during the Covid pandemic and 20 to 37 per cent experienced depressive symptoms. Burnout among health and care workers during the pandemic ranged from 41 to 52 per cent in pooled estimates as per the report.

Maharashtra: New beginning awaits 25 differently-abled patients at Karjat rehab centre
Over 1.3L register for engineering admissions in state this year
The Indian Express | 1 day ago | |
The Indian Express
1 day ago | |

OVER 1.3 lakh candidates have registered for engineering admissions in the state this year, a considerable jump from last year when the number did not cross 1 lakh.The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell which conducts the Common Admissions Process (CAP) for engineering admissions across Maharashtra concluded the registration process for engineering admissions at midnight on Tuesday.Last year, there were a total of 1.39 lakh seats and 98,000 candidates registered for admissions. Only 88,376 admissions were confirmed at the end of the process, leaving over 50,000 seats vacant.“The admissions process started really late last year. Many students went ahead with other choices for degree courses. This year, the picture looks different,” said a CET Cell official.While the provisional merit list will be out on October 7, the first merit list will be declared on October 12.There will be three CAP rounds this year, unlike only two the previous year. While the total seats available for CAP this year are only 1.24 lakh – lesser than the applications received – the number could increase, as per the CAP Cell.“Last year too, there were around 1.27 lakh seats for CAP but after inclusion of additional 10 per cent seats for EWS and other quotas, the total pool of seats was 1.39 lakh. Similarly, this year we are expecting the total number of seats to increase up to 1.40 lakh which shows that there are enough seats available for admissions,” said a CET Cell official.Among total registrations, the highest, 31,565, are for colleges affiliated with Savitribai Phule Pune University which is followed by the University of Mumbai at 23,049.

Over 1.3L register for engineering admissions in state this year
Man Robs 12 Crores From Bank, Gets New Look, Caught In Pune Months Later
Ndtv | 1 day ago | |
Ndtv
1 day ago | |

The man was arrestedin a joint operation by Thane and Navi Mumbai police. (Representational)Mumbai: Police have arrested the main accused involved in the Rs 12 crore cash theft from ICICI Bank in Thane's Manpada area from Pune after more than two-and-a-half months, an official said on Wednesday.The police have also recovered around Rs 9 crore from the prime accused, identified as Altaf Shaikh, 43, he said.With Shaikh's arrest on Monday, the police have so far arrested five accused in the case, including his sister Neelofer. The theft had taken place on July 12."Shaikh, a resident of Mumbra, had been working with ICICI Bank as a custodian. As the custodian, he was the caretaker of the bank's locker keys. He spent a year planning the heist, studying the loopholes in the system, and gathering tools to pull it off," the official of Manpada police station said.During the probe, police found that Shaikh planned the entire heist by enlarging the AC duct to pass the cash to the garbage chute and tampering with the CCTV footage, he added."After deactivating the alarm system and sabotaging the CCTV, Shaikh had opened the bank vault and transferred the cash to the duct and below to the chute. The incident came to light after the bank realised that the security money was missing, as were the DVR of CCTVs, which prompted its personnel to call the inspection team," the official said.After the incident, Shaikh fled. He would change his looks and use burqa to hide his identity. Shaikh's sister Neelofer, who was aware of his movement, hid some cash in her home. She has been booked as co-accused in the case and arrested, police said.Shaikh was finally arrested from Pune on Monday. The police managed to recover around Rs nine crore, out of Rs 12.20 crore stolen from the bank, and the remaining amount would be recovered soon, he said.Shaikh was arrested in a joint operation by Thane and Navi Mumbai police. Earlier, the police had arrested Neelofer and three others - Abrar Qureshi (33), Ahmed Khan (33) and Anuj Giri (30).PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMore persons are likely to be arrested in the case and further investigation is underway, the official said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Man Robs 12 Crores From Bank, Gets New Look, Caught In Pune Months Later
Cattle disease mortality rate high in Pune, Kolhapur, Akola
Times of India | 2 days ago | |
Times of India
2 days ago | |

PUNE: The spread of Lumpy Skin Disease has slowed down in many parts of Maharashtra, but data on Tuesday showed that mortality rates in Pune (4.6%), Kolhapur (4.8%) and Akola (5%) and a few other districts continued to be higher than the state average of 3.5%. Officials from the state animal husbandry department said they have ramped up vaccination to bring down the number of deaths. So far, 2,192 infected animals have died in the state. Jalgaon has reported the most deaths, at 326, followed by Akola (308). Buldhana and Ahmednagar districts have reported 270 and 201 deaths respectively. Officials said complete vaccination of local cattle populations — with the goat pox vaccine — has been achieved in Kolhapur, Akola, Washim, Jalgaon and Mumbai sub-urban districts. “We have already vaccinated over one crore cattle in the state. The target population is 1.4 crore. A ramping up of the vaccination drive will further reduce the disease mortality rate,” an official from the animal husbandry department said. Sachindra Pratap Singh, commissioner of the state animal husbandry department, said a fund of Rs 1 crore per district has been made available through the district planning committees for purchase of medicines needed to treat the disease. An honorarium of Rs 5 per vaccination has also been approved for private veterinary practitioners, vaccinators and interns with the Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (MAFSU). Singh added: “The government has not imposed any ban on treatment of LSD by private veterinary practitioners. Government and private veterinary practitioners should treat infected animals as per the revised protocol of Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Science University dated September 24.” Some 2,150 villages, across 31 districts, have reported cases of Lumpy Skin Disease. Data till October 4 showed 52,955 cattle have been infected. A total of 27,403 animals have recovered. Hundreds of animals are also undergoing treatment. Across the country, Lumpy Skin Disease has been reported in 250 districts, in at least 15 states. Officials have said the infection — transmitted among cattle by insects such as certain types of flies and mosquitoes and ticks — does not spread to humans. According to scientists and researchers, the disease originally affected cattle in parts of Africa. But since 2012, infections have been reported in some countries in the Middle East and Europe. In Asia, the disease has been reported in parts of Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. The outbreaks have been classified as epidemics. But scientists are currently trying to understand unexplained gaps of several years between the reported mass infections, which occurred regardless of humidity levels or seasons.

Cattle disease mortality rate high in Pune, Kolhapur, Akola
Maharashtra: MSEDCL to tell civic bodies to tackle road contractors damaging cables
Times of India | 2 days ago | |
Times of India
2 days ago | |

PUNE: A rise in individual complaints about power failures in urban areas caused by roadside digging has prompted the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to take it up with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The power distribution company's officials said despite regular complaints and even initiating criminal action against civic contractors, roadside digging has resulted in breakage of underground cables, resulting in unwarranted power outages. On PCMC's digging work and its impact, an official from MSEDCL said, "Development and digging work of the twin cities civic body has damaged our underground cables on at least 125 occasions from January to May 2022 alone. This includes only Pimpri division, covering Pimpri, Chinchwad, Sangvi, Kharalwadi, and Kalewadi. The number could go higher till September 2022. We could not get Bhosari and Pune division's data or the number will be much bigger. These incidents result in power fluctuations, sometimes for small durations or for several hours." MSEDCL regularly sends letters to the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies, but no substantial answers hvae been received as yet. Bharat Pawar, deputy chief public relations officer (PRO), MSEDCL Pune region, told TOI, "The incident number could go well beyond 400 this year till date. In some cases, MSEDCL files criminal complaints, but it keeps recurring. We have been trying to communicate with the civic bodies to convey possible road digging, so that MSEDCL staffers can remain present on site to prevent heavy damage." Another MSEDCL official said even minor damage to cables can cause future issues. "Finding a fault in underground cables gets tricky, resulting in longer resolution periods," he said, adding that sometimes, garbage burning near feeder boxes also damages cables and leads to blackouts, like last week in Baner, Balewadi and Sangvi.

Maharashtra: MSEDCL to tell civic bodies to tackle road contractors damaging cables
Flower Prices Skyrocket in Pune, Marigold Being Sold at Rs 120 a kg on Dussehra
India | 2 days ago | |
India
2 days ago | |

Dussehra 2022: On the eve of Dussehra, the prices of flowers touched new heights in Pune market. The prices of marigold saw an increase of 30 per cent as the festival is being celebrated with great fervour after a hiatus of two long years. Initially, in the Pune market, Marigold was sold at Rs 50-60 per kg, but as the demand rose rates increased to average of Rs 100 per kg.Also Read - Dussehra 2022: Brahmastra to Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Bollywood Films That Capture The Triumph of Goodness Over Evil“Almost around 2000-2500 tempos full of Marigold were loaded in Pune’s flower market. We have made apt arrangements in 3 acre parking area. Hence problem of traffic congestion is also looked upon”, Indian Today quoted Pune flower market administrator as saying. Also Read - Vijaya Dashami Special: These 3 Villages In India Do Not Celebrate DussehraSimilarly, the effigy business is getting back on track after a gap of a few years. Effigy makers based in Delhi are getting special orders for Ravan idols giving them one more reason to rejoice after a slump in sales after the COVID pandemic. Also Read - 5 Places In India Where Dussehra Is Celebrated Without RavanEvery year, Dussehra is celebrated to commemorate the triumph of good over evil as Lord Ram killed Ravana on this day. The festival is celebrated in full swing across the country, by burning the effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnath.In some regions, the celebration–also known as Vijayadashami–celebrates Goddess Durga’s triumph over the buffalo Demon Mahishasura. Dussehra is observed on the day Dashami Tithi (tenth date) of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of the Ashwin month falls during the Aparahan Kaal.

Flower Prices Skyrocket in Pune, Marigold Being Sold at Rs 120 a kg on Dussehra
Budding Maharashtra Wrestler Dies Of Heart Attack Hours After Bout
Ndtv | 2 days ago | |
Ndtv
2 days ago | |

Pune: Hours after defeating his opponent in a bout, a 22-year-old wrestler died of a heart attack in Maharashtra's Kolhapur city, his coach said on Tuesday.The wrestler, identified as Maruti Surwase, had been undergoing training at the Rashtrakul Kusti Sankul academy in the western Maharashtra city for the last few months.He hailed from Pandharpur in Solapur district."A wrestling competition was organised in Kagal tehsil in the Kolhapur district ahead of Dussehra on Monday. Surwase won the bout in one of the categories and returned to the academy with other wrestlers in the evening," said Ram Sarang, who runs the academy.In the night, he complained of chest pain."A fellow wrestler took Surwase to a medical shop on a bike to bring medicine. But Surwase, who was riding pillion, collapsed. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead," said Sarang.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comHe said the heart attack caused Surwase's death as per the postmortem report.(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Budding Maharashtra Wrestler Dies Of Heart Attack Hours After Bout
TB screening drive: Over 3.5 lakh suspected cases spotted in 20 days in Maharashtra
The Indian Express | 2 days ago | |
The Indian Express
2 days ago | |

In a massive exercise to detect undiagnosed tuberculosis (TB) cases, Maharashtra health officials identified 3.59 lakh patients with suspected TB cases in around 20 days. The screening drive was conducted on a population of 7.5 crore from September 13 to October 1 across 56 districts.The drive was part of the nationwide campaign and the Central Government’s long-term plan to eliminate TB by 2025. While tests and X-Rays are still being conducted, health officials confirmed that at least 6,417 persons have been diagnosed with TB for the first time during the drive held across Maharashtra, apart from another 5,000 cases of leprosy.“Chest X-Rays were conducted on 2.36 lakh persons and the rest will be completed in the next 10-12 days. We found some abnormal chest X-Rays in 14,122 persons and till date around 6,417 persons have been confirmed with TB. We anticipate a total of 8,000 to 9,000 TB cases to be diagnosed as part of this drive,” Dr R S Adkekar, Maharashtra TB officer told The Indian Express.At least 498 new TB patients have been detected in Pune (Pune Municipal Corporation area 110 – Pune Rural – 311 and Pimpri Chinchwad -77), while 468 in Ahmednagar and 471 patients in Solapur were diagnosed with TB.An approximate 70,000 search teams participated in the campaign to find cases of leprosy and tuberculosis that have remained undetected so far, Dr Adkekar said.Around 301 new cases of TB were identified in Sangli, 213 in Nagpur and 192 in Nashik. Apart from Mumbai (12 cases), health teams diagnosed 159 TB cases in Thane, 217 in Palghar and 67 in Navi Mumbai, 143 in Raigad, 185 in Osmanabad, 156 in Aurangabad, 205 in Amravati, 139 in Akola, 217 in Yavatmal, 160 in Latur, 132 in Chandrapur and other districts.The Maharashtra State TB officer also pointed out that some districts had started the search for undetected TB cases at a later date like Mumbai. “Hence their active case finding drive is still under way,” he said. Around 5,000 cases of leprosy were also diagnosed as part of the drive, the officer said.The screening essentially focused on people with cough and fever for more than two weeks and blood in the sputum. Active case detection efforts will help towards the early identification of suspected cases in the community which can then be promptly diagnosed and treated, Dr Adkekar said.A total of 1.57 lakh TB cases were detected across Maharashtra from January till mid-September.

TB screening drive: Over 3.5 lakh suspected cases spotted in 20 days in Maharashtra
Renovated Mela bus terminus still needs ₹2cr for road work
Times of India | 3 days ago | |
Times of India
3 days ago | |

Nashik: The renovation of Mela bus terminus of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), that was started in 2017, is almost complete. However, the road connecting to the terminus requires asphalting and that would need another Rs 2 crore.The pet project of Nashik Central MLA Devyani Pharande was launched by the then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, but it failed to meet the deadline that was initially set at 2020. “There are two things that are required — a fire hydrant and the approach roads for the terminus. While the construction of fire hydrant is underway, we have sought funds from the government for the construction of approach road to the terminus,” Pharande said. “I have raised the issue with the chief minister and deputy chief minister for the funds that are required for the earliest commissioning of the bus terminus,” she added. The Mela terminus originally catered only to buses starting from Nashik to Trimbakeshwar and a few pockets in the rural areas. But under the new plan, buses heading to Pune will be accommodated at the terminus that has a total of 20 platforms that will cater to as many buses at a time. The terminus will also have an air-conditioned waiting lounge for the passengers. Meanwhile, officials from MSRTC said first they were waiting for the high court order for cutting the trees that obstructed the movement of buses and this delayed the start of the work. “Besides other issues, the Covid-induced lockdown also affected the pace of the work. Once the government sanction is received, the work is likely to be finished and the bus stand could be made operational,” an official from the MSRTC said.

Renovated Mela bus terminus still needs ₹2cr for road work
Midday meal scheme runs without oil, pulses, veggies as Maharashtra funding stops
Times of India | 3 days ago | |
Times of India
3 days ago | |

PUNE: The midday meal scheme across the state has been floundering for the past few weeks with no cooking oil, pulses or vegetables to cook the 'khichdi' that is served to school students in both rural and urban areas. Schools have been given foodgrain but no other supplies. They have also not been sent funds to make these purchases. In some schools, principals are spending on ingredients from their own pockets because they do not want the children to suffer. Other schools have not even received their supply of foodgrain. State government officials said funds would soon be released for the scheme. State education director Mahesh Palkar said the Union government recently disbursed the first instalment of Rs 400 crore to the state. The state government will allocate the amount to the education department, which in turn will disburse the amount to schools and kitchen contractors. The process would take another fortnight," Palkar said. Kitchen contractors and women self-help groups that provide cooked meals to schools have written to the state government to speed up the reimbursement process, but have been told to wait. Rajesh Gaikwad, who manages a centralised kitchen in Pune, said, "We are managing from our own pockets. The system is to reimburse us for the raw material. The reimbursements have been pending since March." Most students in rural areas rely on the meals provided by schools, which help curb malnutrition. Teachers said the meals convince parents to send their children to school. Mahendra Ganpule, a senior official of the principals' association in Maharashtra, said, "When kitchen contractors go to the government for reimbursements, the officers threaten to terminate their contracts and hand them to someone else. Fear of losing the contracts makes them continue with their funding." The state government recently told all kitchen contractors and schools to fill up information in the online system about how many children ate daily and the quantity of meals cooked every day. A manager at a centralised kitchen shed in Bhor taluka said the online system does not work because it is not possible to share the data in the system every day. "We are able to feed the data on some days but on other days the system is either down or we are unable to give inputs due to the workload. The state considers online data and refund contractors and self-help groups, accordingly. The scheme is a big mess in the state," he added.

Midday meal scheme runs without oil, pulses, veggies as Maharashtra funding stops
CBI detains Russian national in JEE-Mains exam manipulation case
The Indian Express | 3 days ago | |
The Indian Express
3 days ago | |

A Russian national was detained at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi Monday and is currently being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with its probe into the irregularities in the Joint Entrance Examination (Mains) exams conducted in 2021, said officials.The accused has been identified as Mikhail Shargin who is suspected to have tampered with the software that is used to conduct the exams.“The accused was detained by the Bureau of Immigration at IGI Airport, Delhi while he arrived from Almaty, Kazakhstan. A lookout circular was opened against him,” a CBI spokesperson said.According to the CBI, it came to light during the investigation that some foreign nationals were involved in compromising many online examinations, including JEE (Mains), by colluding with the other accused in the case.The JEE (Mains) is held for admission to undergraduate engineering programmes (B.E/B.Tech) at NITs, IIITs, other Centrally- Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), and certain institutions or universities recognised by some state governments.“The role of one Russian national who had allegedly tampered with the iLeon software (the platform on which the JEE (Main)-2021 examination was conducted) was revealed. He helped other accused in hacking the computer systems of suspect candidates during the examination. Therefore, a lookout circular was opened against the Russian national,” the spokesperson said.In September last year, the CBI had conducted searches at 19 locations across Delhi NCR, Pune, Jamshedpur, Indore, and Bangalore apart from arresting 11 people. As many as 25 laptops, 7 PCs, around 30 post-dated cheques along with voluminous incriminating documents/devices including PDC’s marksheet of different students were seized during the time.Sources said the racket was being run by a Noida-based company—Affinity Education Pvt Ltd—in connivance with those managing online examination centres in Haryana and elsewhere.Those candidates who had paid money to the company will get the answers solved by ‘solvers’ remotely arranged by an associate in Jharkhand. The candidates themselves would merely pretend to be appearing in the exam, sources said.“While the initial information was about an examination centre at Sonepat in Haryana, we have now learnt there are more such centres around Sonepat which had been compromised by the accused. Candidates from as far as Maharashtra had come to appear for the exams at Sonepat. We are also probing if they have done this last year and already got some students admitted to premier engineering institutes. It is likely there are more such institutes. The probe is on in this matter,” a CBI officer said.Top rankers in JEE (Mains) get a chance to appear for JEE (Advance) which is an examination for admission into IITs. Since, 2020 the exams are being held online in four sessions and multiple shifts every year.According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the CBI, Affinity Education was registered with the Registrar of Companies in 2019 with Vishvambhar Mani Tripathi, Siddharth Krishna and Govind Varshney as its directors. The company also has an office in Pune.Krishna and Tripathy were arrested by the CBI in September along with other employees of the company who have been identified as Ritik Singh, Anjum Dawoodani, Animesh Singh and Ajinkya Patil. Ranjit Singh Thakur from Jharkhand, who arranged for solvers, has also been arrested.CBI investigations have found that the accused scouted for students willing to appear for the exams fraudulently against a payment of Rs 12-15 lakh. The accused allegedly took post-dated cheques from the candidates and kept their original Class X and Class XII marksheets as security. The idea, sources said, was to encash the cheques after the candidates secured a place in the merit list.The accused also “collected the User ID and Password of the candidates appearing for the examination and made necessary modification for getting desired examination centres as planned by them. The counselors also collect a copy of the downloaded admit card of the candidates in advance before the examination,” the CBI has said in its FIR.One of the accused’s associate—Ranjeet Singh Thakur from Adityapur in Jharkhand — arranged for solvers for these candidates.According to the CBI, this person would arrange “a solver sitting at a remote location for solving the questions which are displayed on the computer terminal allotted to the candidate at the examination centre in connivance with the centre authorities. The centre supervisor who has access to the computer network is also a part of the fraudulent act and the solver gets access to the system being used by the candidate by using remote access software. The candidates are directed to pretend that they are operating the computer by keeping their hand on a mouse and making calculations on a sheet so that nothing adverse is recorded in the camera installed at the centre whereas the questions are solved by solvers.”

CBI detains Russian national in JEE-Mains exam manipulation case
Pune: 2 employees held for stealing ornaments worth Rs 8 lakh from jewellery store
Times of India | 3 days ago | |
Times of India
3 days ago | |

PUNE: The Vishrambaug police on Monday arrested two employees including a woman on the charge of stealing ornaments worth Rs 8.10 lakh from a jewellery store at Sadashiv Peth on Laxmi road in a phased manner over the last one year. A magisterial court has sent the duo in police custody remand till October 5. Senior inspector Sunil Mane on Monday said, “The jeweler told police that the duo would show a lesser stock to cover up their thefts. The theft came to light after the jeweler re-checked the stock and found gold and diamond studded ornaments stolen.” The jeweler in his complaint said that the employees stole one ornament each while closing the store between January 2021 and September 30 this year. Mane said, “We have arrested the employees after receiving a complaint from the jeweler. We are questioning them to recover the stolen ornaments.” An FIR relating to employees committing theft under the relevant section of the Indian Penal Code was lodged.

Pune: 2 employees held for stealing ornaments worth Rs 8 lakh from jewellery store
Maharashtra tourism minister to inaugurate HRAWI’s hospitality convention in Nashik
Times of India | 3 days ago | |
Times of India
3 days ago | |

PUNE: The 19th Regional Convention of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) will be inaugurated by the Maharashtra minister of tourism Mangal Prabhat Lodha on October 7 in Nashik. As per HRAWI, the convention will be one of the largest congregations of professionals from the hospitality industry and will host key policymakers, government representatives, investors and industry stalwarts. The Association has chalked out an interactive programme under the theme ‘Here To Win’, to celebrate the resilience of the hospitality industry through trying times. “We thank the minister of tourism for accepting our invitation. We wish to introduce to the minister the recent developments and future plans of the industry at the convention. We also look forward to receiving feedback and insights from him on the Government’s vision for the hospitality sector,” said Pradeep Shetty, President, HRAWI. The HRAWI is a 72 years old Association of Hotels and Restaurants in Western India. Its members include various restaurants and smaller hotels up to 5-Star Deluxe categories. The bulk of its members are made up of restaurants and budget hotels. Its membership base is spread across Western India and HRAWI covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The association is part of the national body of Federation of the Hotels & Restaurants Associations of India (FHRAI), located in New Delhi.

Maharashtra tourism minister to inaugurate HRAWI’s hospitality convention in Nashik
Man Who Threatened Eknath Shinde Arrested, Says Devendra Fadnavis
Ndtv | 4 days ago | |
Ndtv
4 days ago | |

Additional security has been provided to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said an official. (File)Nagpur: Police arrested a man in connection with the threat to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's life, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in Nagpur on Monday.Speaking to reporters, Mr Fadnavis said the state Home department headed by him has taken cognizance of all the threats against the Chief Minister."We are paying full attention to the security of the chief minister and other aspects. The person who threatened the Chief Minister yesterday has been arrested, " he said, adding that the Chief Minister's security is very important.Though Mr Fadnavis didn't share details regarding the arrested person, Pune Police had registered a non-cognisable (NC) offence against a man who had called up the police control room claiming a "plot" to kill Chief Minister Shinde at a hotel in Lonavala in Pune district.The man, Avinash Waghmare, was drunk and made the call on Saturday to "teach a lesson" to the owner of the hotel for allegedly overcharging him for a bottle of water, a senior police officer said on Sunday.The State Intelligence Department (SID) on Saturday received a specific input about the threat to the life of the chief minister, following which his security was increased.Additional security has been provided to the Chief Minister, who enjoys a Z Plus category security cover, a senior SID official had said.Security was stepped up at Mr Shinde's private residence in Thane and the official residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai. Mr Shinde had received a threat letter suspected to have been sent by Naxalites last October when he was the Urban Development Minister and also guardian minister of Gadchiroli district, affected by Naxalism.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMr Shinde became the Chief Minister on June 30 this year after his rebellion with Shiv Sena MLAs led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Man Who Threatened Eknath Shinde Arrested, Says Devendra Fadnavis
  • Man who threatened Maharashtra CM arrested: Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis

    • The Economic Times

    Police arrested a man in connection with the threat to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's life, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said here on Monday. Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said the state Home department headed by him has taken cognizance of all the threats against the chief minister. "We are paying full attention to the security of the chief minister and other aspects. The person who threatened the CM yesterday has been arrested, " he said, adding that the CM's security is very important. Though Fadnavis didn't share details regarding the arrested person, Pune Police had registered a non-cognisable (NC) offence against a man who had called up the police control room claiming a "plot" to kill CM Shinde at a hotel in Lonavala in Pune district. The man, Avinash Waghmare, was drunk and made the call on Saturday to "teach a lesson" to the owner of the hotel for allegedly overcharging him for a bottle of water, a senior police officer said on Sunday. The State Intelligence Department (SID) on Saturday received a specific input about the threat to the life of the chief minister, following which his security was increased. Additional security has been provided to the CM, who enjoys a Z Plus category security cover, a senior SID official had said. Security was stepped up at Shinde's private residence in Thane and the official residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai.Shinde had received a threat letter suspected to have been sent by Naxalites last October when he was the Urban Development Minister and also guardian minister of Gadchiroli district, affected by Naxalism. Shinde became the chief minister on June 30 this year after his rebellion with Shiv Sena MLAs led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

  • Man who threatened Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde arrested, says deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

    • Times of India

    NAGPUR: Police arrested a man in connection with the threat to Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde's life, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said here on Monday. Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said the state home department headed by him has taken cognizance of all the threats against the chief minister. "We are paying full attention to the security of the chief minister and other aspects. The person who threatened the CM yesterday has been arrested, " he said, adding that the CM's security is very important. Though Fadnavis didn't share details regarding the arrested person, Pune Police had registered a non-cognisable (NC) offence against a man who had called up the police control room claiming a "plot" to kill CM Shinde at a hotel in Lonavala in Pune district. The man, Avinash Waghmare, was drunk and made the call on Saturday to "teach a lesson" to the owner of the hotel for allegedly overcharging him for a bottle of water, a senior police officer said on Sunday. The State Intelligence Department (SID) on Saturday received a specific input about the threat to the life of the chief minister, following which his security was increased. Additional security has been provided to the CM, who enjoys a Z Plus category security cover, a senior SID official had said. Security was stepped up at Shinde's private residence in Thane and the official residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai. Shinde had received a threat letter suspected to have been sent by Naxalites last October when he was the Urban Development Minister and also guardian minister of Gadchiroli district, affected by Naxalism. Shinde became the chief minister on June 30 this year after his rebellion with Shiv Sena MLAs led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

Pune: Overpass gone, vehicles speed by
Times of India | 4 days ago | |
Times of India
4 days ago | |

PUNE: By 10am on Sunday, travelling past Chandni Chowk where the overpass stood till a few hours ago was a breeze. There were no snarls, no long lines of vehicles waiting to inch ahead or harried wardens and traffic police struggling to streamline the flow. Vehicular movement along the bypass, suspended from 11pm on Saturday resumed two hours behind the scheduled time as the clearance of debris was underway. With the demolition of the overpass that had stood on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass for 27 years over, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said that their focus now would be on completing the service roads on either side of the bypass in eight days. There are some outcrops in the way and we will use controlled blasting or other methods to remove them, an NHAI official said on Sunday. “Saturday’s plan was to crumble the structure to make the concrete weak rather than explode or implode it. Once the structure crumbled, earthmovers were used to decimate it piece by piece. The overpass stood on a highway and had other structures nearby and hence, this demolition was planned in consultation with the local authorities,” Chirag Chedda, partner at Edifice Engineering, that had carried out the Noida twin towers demolition said. An NHAI official insisted that it would be incorrect to say that controlled blasting method used in the demolition was not fully successful. “Almost everything has gone according to the plan as was decided with the Edifice Engineering firm engineers,” the officials added. Both NHAI and Edifice Engineering officials said that an explosion or an implosion could have resulted in the debris spreading to a wider area. Anand Sharma, a blasting expert, who was part of the demolition team, said, “The overpass amendments were placed on the rocks. After the blast, these amendments and the rocks were removed. The central pier was removed using breakers and earth moving machines. The quantity of steel was more than we had estimated which took extra time to remove the debris.” The traffic police initially allowed vehicles from Mumbai to Pune or Satara and then vehicles from Satara to Mumbai to travel in a single lane before the entire stretch was opened. A food delivery person, who was stopped in Bavdhan on Saturday , told TOI, “I had to deliver the order at Bhusari Colony. I went to Ganeshkhind Road and then reached Bhusari Colony. I had requested the customer to cancel the order, but he was okay with the detour.” Senior inspector Vivek Mugalikar of the Hinjewadi police told TOI that the police had a tough time sending onlookers back to their homes. “A woman from Bavdhan wanted to witness the blasting with her two little daughters. She went home after several requests,” Mugalikar said. District collector Rajesh Deshmukh and Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner Ankush Shinde reached the blast site around midnight on Saturday. The bridge was then covered with rubber mats to prevent any spread of concrete pellets after the blast. Police cordoned off an area within 200m of the site. Inspector Sambhaji Pawar of the Pimpri Chinchwad police was constantly appealing to everyone in the vicinity through a vehicle mounted system. Till 1am, the vehicle was doing the rounds of the areas around the bridge including Bavdhan, NDA Road and Bhusari Colony in Kothrud. People had gathered on their terraces or in their balconies to witness the blasting. A team of experts was stationed in a container near Chandni Chowk from where the blast was triggered. Everyone was expecting the entire structure of the bridge to collapse after the blasting. However, initially, it looked as if nothing happened to the bridge after the blast. “It was a fragmented blast and everything happened as per expectations. Breakers were used to remove the piers and the amendment,” Sanjay Kadam, director of NHAI (Pune project) said. After the blast, four bulldozers, eight earthmovers, 30 tipper trucks and 100 workers were at work removing the debris. While the rubble removing work was on, an unexploded explosive went off around 4am, which led to some amount of panic. No one sustained injuries in the incident.

Pune: Overpass gone, vehicles speed by
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to builders: Take initiative to make housing affordable
Times of India | 4 days ago | |
Times of India
4 days ago | |

MUMBAI: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday urged private developers to take an initiative and keep the prices of homes in the city affordable. Shinde was speaking at a property exhibition organised by realty developers' body the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) Maharashtra. CM Shinde also urged developers to make available affordable homes for the police, keeping in mind their social responsibility. "Central and state governments are implementing various schemes for the construction of affordable houses. To fulfill the common man's dream of housing, private sector builders should take initiative and keep prices affordable. The ongoing projects of Coastal Road, Sewri-Nhava Sheva sea link, Metro, and missing links on Mumbai Pune Expressway will reduce the problem of traffic congestion in the city to a large extent. While constructing many buildings in the city, I appeal to builders to take the initiative to construct houses at an affordable price for the police while keeping a sense of social responsibility," Shinde said.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to builders: Take initiative to make housing affordable
Pune: Antiques worth Rs 4.74 lakh stolen in Shiraswadi
Times of India | 4 days ago | |
Times of India
4 days ago | |

PUNE: The Lonikand police are investigating a theft of antiques worth Rs 4.74 lakh from a shop-cum-storage facility in Shiraswadi village, off the Pune-Ahmednagar Highway, sometime between July 22 and August 23 this year. Camp resident Mahayar Aspi Irani (49), who has a hobby of collecting antiques from different places, had purchased the facility for storing his collection. Irani, a businessman, lodged a complaint relating to the theft with the Lonikand police on Saturday. Sub-inspector Dattatray Zurunge of the Lonikand police said, "Thieves broke open the locks on the main shutter door of the facility and stole the antiques. These were old artefacts that Irani had collected over a period of time." "Irani had visited the place in July. He then visited it in August. The theft came to light during his August visit. Irani lodged a complaint with the police after preparing an estimate of the artefacts," said Zurunge. "There are no CCTV cameras in the vicinity. Hence, we are studying all the CCTV cameras that lead to the facility," he added.

Pune: Antiques worth Rs 4.74 lakh stolen in Shiraswadi
Pimpri Chinchwad: Credit card fraud costs man Rs 1.98 lakh
Times of India | 4 days ago | |
Times of India
4 days ago | |

PUNE: A 28-year-old employee of a private company lost Rs1.98 lakh to cybercriminals in a credit card reward points fraud. The man clicked on a link sent by an unknown caller in August this year and filled in his credit card details to avail of 6,850 reward points. The man first filed a complaint with the cybercrime cell of the Pimpri police. After preliminary investigations, a case was registered with the Dighi police on Sunday. An officer from the Dighi police said, "The complainant received a message on August 17, which appeared to be sent by his bank. The message read that August 18 was the last date to avail of reward points on his credit card. He clicked the link attached with the message to avail of those points. He claimed that he lost his money without an OTP." The police have sought the details of the bank or UPI account where the money was transferred from the bank. The officer said, "The investigation is underway."

Pimpri Chinchwad: Credit card fraud costs man Rs 1.98 lakh
Maharashtra to start 4 new courses in three regional hospitals
The Indian Express | 4 days ago | |
The Indian Express
4 days ago | |

Three years after getting approval, the state health department is finally in the process of starting four courses related to mental health in three regional mental hospitals — Thane, Pune and Nagpur. Pune was the first to open a centre of excellence for mental wellbeing in the state.The initiative has been taken as part of the National Mental Health Mission with an aim to produce more specialists and fill up vacant posts at these hospitals.Mental health is one of the biggest health concerns in the country and there is a huge gap in demand and availability of experts in this sphere of specialised healthcare. Nearly 70 per cent posts in the four regional hospitals of Maharashtra are lying vacant currently.Data gathered by The Indian Express reveal that of the nine sanctioned posts for psychiatrists at the Nagpur mental hospital that sees at least 1,400 admissions annually, only three have been filled. The situation in Thane mental hospital is, however, the worst as, till August this year, all eight posts of psychiatrists were vacant.To address the manpower deficit, the state health department has decided to introduce courses for medical students on management of mental illnesses. This includes diploma courses in psychiatric nursing, MD in psychiatry, M Phil courses in clinical psychology and psychiatric social work.As per data provided by the state health department, 16 students each would be selected for M Phil courses in clinical psychology and psychiatric social work. A total of 40 students would be appointed for diploma courses in psychiatric nursing and another four for MD in psychiatry. Some of the courses have already been initiated at Pune mental hospital.“The current shortage of skilled health workers to provide mental health services will make it difficult to deal with mental health problems in the years to come, if the shortage isn’t addressed on time. The need of the hour is thus to increase the number of trained personnel providing mental health services at all levels,” Dr Sadhana Tayade, director of health services said.As part of this project, these hospitals would be turned into centres of excellence, focusing on training of mental health teams, increasing awareness and reducing stigma related to mental health problems, providing services for early detection, treatment of mental illness, and collecting valuable data.“Just like other medical colleges, these medical students would be trained and simultaneously, would also treat the patients. This would immediately help address the issue of shortage of medical and semi-medical staffers. In the long run, the project would create more specialists on mental health,” Dr Purushottam Madavi, medical superintendent of the Nagpur mental hospital, said.Further, under the project, the government would allocate separate staff for mental health management. The centres would also comprise a lecture hall, principal room and staff room.

Maharashtra to start 4 new courses in three regional hospitals
Sharad Pawar visits kin of Maharashtra farmer who ended life on PM’s birthday
Times of India | 4 days ago | |
Times of India
4 days ago | |

PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday met the kin of a farmer who had allegedly committed suicide on September 17 after leaving behind a note in which he had wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this birthday. Dashrath Lakshman Kedari (42) had ended his life in Junnar tehsil in Pune allegedly due to not receiving minimum support price (MSP) for his produce and, in his note, had asked the PM to guarantee remunerative prices for onions, police had said at the time. Pawar claimed the farm laws enacted by the Union government were beginning to have an impact on the country's horticulture sector, leading to such suicides. Tweeting about his visit to Kedari's kin, Pawar said, "The farm laws made by central government is now having an impact on horticulture farming. Thus, farmers like Kedari are forced to commit suicide. This incident is unfortunate. A farmer is feeder of masses and he should be respected." He asked the Eknath Shinde government to provide aid to the farmer's kin, adding the Centre and the ruling dispensation in Maharashtra must pay "immediate attention to the problems of the farmers and solve them". Pawar also attended the Adivasi Samaj Prabodhan Melava in the district and said tribals continued to struggle despite several laws being enacted for their emancipation.

Sharad Pawar visits kin of Maharashtra farmer who ended life on PM’s birthday

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