Mumbai this week: Maratha quota protestors overlook govt assurances of reservation; rains return for short spell after month’s lull

🔴 As demand for the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gained momentum, he said the police should not have used “force” against quota protestors in Jalna and issued an apology on behalf of his government. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, ordered a high level inquiry to ascertain if there was any unnecessary use of force on the protesters, adding that if needed, the government would also conduct a judicial inquiry into the incident. Read Omkar Gokhale and Shubhangi Khapre’s report on the Maratha stir’s long history of political tug-of-war and litigation

🔴 A member of the Dhangar community, which has been demanding Scheduled Tribe reservation, threw turmeric powder on Maharashtra Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil in Solapur. Read why Dhangars’ long-pending quota demand remains a complex issue

Following are the other important updates from Mumbai and Maharashtra in the past week (September 4-10):

Rains return after month-long lull, but for short spell

➡️ Making a comeback after over a month-long dry spell, heavy monsoon showers swept Mumbai and its neighbouring districts with the city recording close to 100mm rain in less than 10 hours on Thursday. By Friday, over 50 per cent of the monthly quota of September rain was recorded. The water stock in the seven lakes which supply water to the city touched 96.20 per cent of the total capacity.

➡️ The spell was short-lived as rains started reducing in intensity from Saturday.

➡️ The rainfall, however, was no good news for Marathwada where collective storage in the 964 dams remained at just 31.36 per cent, as compared to 77.75 per cent last year.

Dahi Handi celebrations galore despite rains

👉 The rains failed to dampen the spirits of revelers as pathaks attempted to form human pyramids to celebrate Dahi Handi, and even more cheered on. A celebration where a human pyramid is formed to break a high-hanging pot containing curd, the Dahi Handi event sees intense rivalry and political colour too. Some of the largest celebrations were carried out at Dadar, Worli’s Jambori maidan, Ghatkopar and Borivali’s Magathane.

👉 Police personnel on ‘bandobast’ duty assumed the role of ‘Govindas’ and broke a ‘dahi handi’ after noticing two groups fighting over their turn to form a human pyramid first in Bhiwandi. Compared to the previous year’s count of 222, this time only 107 ‘Govindas’ were injured.

Other important news this week:

1. Gilbert Hill to be developed on the lines of Burj Khalifa: Mangal Lodha
2. Mumbai records second Zika case, 15-year-old girl is stable, says BMC
3. ‘Demands not met’: Special educators launch indefinite hunger protest on Teachers’ Day
4. Maharashtra school boy dies as javelin pierces head during practice session
5. 14 suicides of medical students in 5 yrs, state to develop ‘faculty support aids
6. ‘IndiGo yet to apologise… airline’s fault’: Kin of passenger killed in Santacruz hotel fire
7. NHAI targets to open 42-km stretch of Mumbai-Goa highway before Ganesh festival
8. Accident turns murder after cops trace victim’s phone 7 years later
9. Alert cops prevent ‘Nirbhaya-like incident’ in Thane; arrest auto-rickshaw driver, aide
10. Make available Marathi translation of textbooks by Sept-end, universities told

Photo of the week

A unique Dahi Handi celebration in Kodoru at Alibag tehsil in Raigad, where the handi hangs over a well. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

News to watch out for next week:

1. Intensity of rains to recede from this week, since the cyclonic formation that had caused heavy rains last week, has now started to move northwards.
2. Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal to be produced before court on Monday. Goyal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on September 1 and produced before a Mumbai court the next day. He is currently in ED custody till September 11.
3. On Friday, Sessions Court is likely to pronounce its judgment in case of the murders of artist Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Harish Bhambhani in 2015. Upadhyay’s estranged husband and artist Chintan and three others are facing allegations of murder.
4. Raigad police likely to make arrests in the case of a 15-year-old school boy who died after a javelin hit him as he bent to tie shoe laces. The police has registered a case against a student and the committee that organised the event.
5. The state OBC leaders to hold meeting to decide next course of action to protest against Maratha reservation under OBC quota.

News from Mumbai: August 28-September 3

News from Mumbai: August 21-27

News from Mumbai: August 14-20