Mumbai this week: Express’s ‘Death by Breath’ series finds mention in HC, triggers BMC action; Manoj Patil’s Jan 2 deadline gives govt a breather
Next week: Bombay High Court to hear suo motu PIL and other pleas seeking urgent redressal of the issue of deteriorating air quality; more AC locals on Western Line
Mumbai's overall AQI is affected by incoming winds from the neighbouring districts Thane and Navi Mumbai. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
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The Indian Express‘ ‘Death by Breath’ series found a mention in the Bombay High Court, which took cognisance of various news reports to decide the initiation of a suo motu PIL and asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to respond by listing steps taken by them to mitigate the air quality issue under existing laws. Here are the steps that followed the ‘Death by Breath’ series:
MPCB issued ‘closure notices’ to city-based units of CEAT Tyres and a Deonar-based ready-mix cement plant of JSW Green Cement for flouting air pollution norms.
Following are the other important updates from Mumbai and Maharashtra in the past week (October 30-November 5):
Govt relieved as Manoj Jarange Patil gives new deadline
The state government breathed a sigh of relief as Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil ended his hunger strike after nine days and have a deadline of January 2 to implement concrete measures to fulfil the Maratha quota demand. However, the week saw violence in many parts of Maharashtra and more upheavals:
The Maharashtra government said it will invoke attempt to murder charges against those who resorted to arson, even as Patil challenged the government to “go ahead” with filing FIRs.
Maratha Kranti Morcha activists burn tyres and other inflammable items during a protest on Pune-Solapur Highway to press for Maratha reservation, in Solapur, Tuesday. (PTI)
Among the actions taken by the government to pave way for the Maratha quota included:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appointed three-member committee of former judges to extend guidance on reservation to Maratha community as well as to battle the ongoing case in the Supreme Court.
Shinde directed district Collectors and secretaries to undertake a statewide drive to collect old records on the basis of which Kunbi caste certificates can be given to eligible Marathas.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s dengue diagnosis comes at a time speculations are rife in some quarters that all is not well within the ruling coalition of the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP in Maharashtra.
During Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s hearing of disqualification pleas of Shiv Sena MLAs, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena claimed that their MLAs did not receive any whip from the party over the election of a Speaker and vote of confidence in July 2022.
The Bombay High Court to hear suo motu PIL and other pleas seeking urgent redressal of the issue of deteriorating air quality in Mumbai and surrounding areas by the authorities for ‘welfare’ of residents. The HC had initiated suo Motu PIL noting that various news reports in recent weeks, including the ‘Death by Breath’ series of The Indian Express present an ‘alarming scenario’ of air pollution.
Western Railway will run 17 new Air-Conditioned (AC) local train services between Churchgate and Virarfrom Monday, taking the the number of AC services from 79 to 96. Similarly, with 10 more AC local services on the Central line, the total number of AC local services will increase to 66 daily on CR route from CSMT to Kalyan, Badlapur, Titawala.
