6 min readMumbaiJun 1, 2023 02:42 PM IST
First published on: May 28, 2023 at 05:14 PM IST
A Bengaluru techie’s death after getting stranded in a flooded underpass raised concerns among Mumbaikars regarding the city’s preparedness for the monsoon. Even as visiting G-20 delegates lauded the BMC’s disaster preparedness measures, it remains to be seen if the city will repeat the yearly pattern of flooding at critical points like east-west subways, as monsoon arrives on June 11. Here are the actions being taken to prepare Mumbai for monsoons:
🚨 The city’s vehicular underpasses have become low-lying areas prone to severe congestion and water-logging. Tenative measures like dewatering pumps and holding ponds are being installed to combat the issue in certain places. Read more here
🚨 Central Railway’s Mumbai division has identified 24 locations vulnerable to waterlogging and plans to install 166 dewatering pumps. Read here to know the vulnerable locations identified by CR
🚨 BMC released a list of 226 dilapidated residential buildings and urged their occupants to vacate the premises.
🚨 BMC has appealed to the dwellers of slums and shanties — adjoining the slopes of the hills in two municipal wards in the eastern suburbs — to move to safer locations as intense rainfall could lead to landslide, leading to loss of lives and properties.
🚨 Desilting work, done to remove silt from all the major and minor drains, rivers and water-bodies to avoid waterlogging, is being done in full swing, with CM Eknath Shinde supervising the work last week.
Here are the other top news developments from Mumbai in the past week (May 22-28):
Sameer Wankhede, wife ‘getting threats’
IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, who has been accused of corruption in the Cordelia ‘drugs bust’ case, said he and his wife Kranti Redkar have been receiving threats on social media over the past few days. In a relief to Wankhede, he was granted interim protection from arrest till June 8, but received the court’s rap over publishing material regarding his petition.
On the Opposition front
➡️ The last week saw meetings and statements by leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi on the seat sharing formula for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sources claimed that a primary discussion was held on a total of 44 of 48 seats in Maharashtra, even as NCP’s Sunil Tatkare said his party is practical and it will be decided on who can win which seat.
➡️ Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators met Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, requesting him to take a decision on the disqualification of 16 MLAs of CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena at the earliest.
➡️ Lobbying has intensified to replace Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.
➡️ Farmer leader Raju Shetti’s outfit to contest 2024 polls alone.
➡️ NCP joins Opposition chorus boycotting inauguration of new Parliament by PM Modi; Uddhav Thackeray extends support to Arvind Kejriwal gainst Centre’s ordinance to control services in Delhi.
City’s candidates claim laurels in UPSC exams, HSC results poorest in Mumbai division
A 27-year-old dentist from Thane emerged as the topper from Maharashtra in UPSC exam with all-India rank 25 in her third attempt. Others who tasted success were four candidates who studied briefly at the residential coaching institute for civil services run by the Haj Committee of India (HCI) at the Haj House.
However, celebrations were muted in the city as the HSC or Class 12 results were announced, in which Mumbai division registered the lowest pass percentage in the state for the second consecutive year. In sheer numbers, however, the Mumbai division has the highest number of students passing the HSC examination. Here are some of the high-scorers from Mumbai
Other important news this week:
- Accused killed journalist Shashikant Warishe in fit of rage for writing against him, Konkan refinery project: SIT
- Actor-screenwriter Nitesh Pandey found dead in hotel room
- Police suspect heart blockage and internal head injury led to actor Aditya Singh Rajput’s death
- Shinde Sena MLAs hope for cabinet expansion in 2 weeks
- Wait for adoptive parents in Maharashtra gets longer, more painful
- No transperson qualifies in biggest Maha Police recruitment drive
- India’s longest sea bridge MTHL will lay foundation of new megapolis: CM Eknath Shinde
- Highway hypnosis caused 98 accidents on Samruddhi Mahamarg: Police data
- To shoot Instagram reel, youth sets memorial stone at Vasai Fort on fire
- Amid row over Starbucks ad, two Mumbai cafes stand out for their inclusivity: The Trans Cafe & Bambai Nazariya
Photo of the week:
Students of Fr Agnel school in Vashi celebrate the HSC results. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)
News to watch out for next week:
- The BMC is set to carry out a pre-monsoon review in the middle of the week to tackle the monsoon preparedness of the season.
- The civic body may launch a helpline number through which locals can lodge complaints about drainage issues and desilting works.
- Degree admissions have started in Mumbai, this entire week, students who have cleared class 12 can do online registration.
- Mumbai University likely to finally get a new full-time Vice Chancellor this week, along with Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
- Congress leader P Chidambaram to hold a press conference in Mumbai on Monday.
- NCP to organise seminar to explain SC verdict on Maharashtra political crisis.
- Sameer Wankhede’s questioning by the CBI to continue in connection with the corruption charges against him in the Cordelia drug bust case
- On the occasion of No Tobacco Day, around 100 police officers to take a pledge to overcome their tobacco addiction and fight this challenge.
New from Mumbai: May 15-21
New from Mumbai: May 1-7
News from Mumbai: April 24-30
Ongoing desilting work ahead of monsoon in Vashi (left); Sameer Wankhede (centre); students celebrate HSC results (right). (Express photos) 
Students of Fr Agnel school in Vashi celebrate the HSC results. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)
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