Zeeshan Shaikh
Articles By Zeeshan Shaikh
Gone off the rails: How and why the Mumbai Monorail project flopped
The Monorail was hailed as the panacea for Mumbai’s transportation woes. Shoddy planning has turned the project into a white elephant. The Indian Express finds out how and why it has flopped.
‘Procurement of spare parts from foreign vendors takes time… affecting services’: D L N Murthy
COO, Mumbai Monorail, speaks to The Indian Express on what is being done to ensure that the project picks up pace and improve the commuting experience.
Hardlook: Open for entries
Several prominent Congress and NCP leaders crossed over to BJP and Shiv Sena recently. The Indian Express analyses how this is reshaping the political map of the state ahead of Assembly elections
Maharashtra Police deradicalisation project: Core curriculum step by step
As the ongoing series in The Indian Express showed, after speaking to officials and individuals part of the programme, the deradicalisation programme has helped pull back 120 youth, including six women, from the brink of jihadi recruitment.
Explained: Why Shiv Sena, BJP, NCP are planning state-wide ‘yatras’ ahead of Maharashtra polls
The Shiv Sena was the early bird with a Jan Ashirwad Yatra fronted by Yuva Sena chief and party scion Aditya Thackeray. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis followed with his own month-long Maha Janadesh Yatra which began Thursday and the NCP, too, has planned one.
Maharashtra Assembly polls: AIMIM sets its eyes on contesting over 80 seats
On the back of its success in the Lok Sabha elections and the general disarray in the ranks of the Congress-NCP, the AIMIM is hoping to capitalise by fielding more candidates in the state polls.
Explained: Here’s what Census data show about migrations to Mumbai
Mumbai attracts migrants from every state in India. The state that sent the largest share of migrants to Mumbai (nearly 41 per cent) was Uttar Pradesh.
The street is their home
Homelessness stares Mumbai in the face on every street. India’s financial capital, and its richest city, is also where thousands of people sleep rough — on footpaths, under flyovers, and on road dividers because they have nowhere else to go.
Migration to Mumbai, Thane from other states slows down
Recently released 2011 Census data shows that the three districts of Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban and Thane, which have a total population of 2.35 crore, have 1.01 crore people who are migrants.
Dongri building collapse: In 37 years, 894 people died in accidents involving MHADA buildings
Activists claimed that residents of these buildings face the ignominy of not being recognised as owners of these properties and are vulnerable to exploitation from builders who gain massive floor space index sops from the state for redeveloping these structures.
An old law and a killer knot: Why Mumbai’s old buildings keep collapsing
With time and rising costs all around, the low rents often failed to pay even for the basic upkeep of the building. A situation emerged in which some owners lost interest entirely, and allowed the building to simply crumble.
No stay on Maratha quota, but SC says can’t be retrospective
In Mumbai, GAD Secretary Shivaji Daund said: “Today’s statement by the SC will not have any bearing on the GR (government resolution) that was issued yesterday.
Maharashtra: Imtiaz Jaleel new AIMIM state chief
The post had been vacant for the last two years after the previous president, Syed Moin, quit the party. The party had since then managed to gain ground in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra spends a measly Rs 37.49 per day on each prisoner’s food
While hearing a PIL filed by NGO Jan Adalat - Centre of Para-Legal Services and Legal Aid on the issue of jail conditions in Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court in 2017 had asked the state to improve the standard of the prisons
Milind Deora eyes Delhi role, joins Scindia, others in quitting Congress post
While the obvious choices are considered to be Scindia and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, Deora, many believe, has now thrown his hat into the ring.
Explained: Why the heavy rains stopped Central Railways in its tracks
During the 2005 Mumbai deluge, CR had bore the brunt of the massive rains which had hit the city registering greater losses and disruptions compared to WR. The Indian Express finds out why CR services are more prone to be affected by monsoon and the steps it is taking to address the problem.
Barde Chi Wadi: Two months after video went viral, tribal women back to rappelling down 60-ft well to fetch water
An average Mumbaikar gets around 100 to 307 litres of water for his personal use, supplied through taps. To get the same amount of water for their families, the women of Barde Chi Wadi would have to rappel up and down the well over 15 times.
‘There is a price to be paid for standing up to powers that be’
Shahidul Alam, the Bangladeshi photojournalist who spent more than 100 days in prison for criticising the Sheikh Hasina government, speaks to The Indian Express about the political scenario in Bangladesh, the “absence of morality in international politics” and the sanctification of political leaders
Explained: Marathas, quota demand, and community’s importance in state politics
Who are the Marathas, and what is the role this community plays in Maharashtra politics?
Mumbai: MMRDA’s monsoon evictions bring to fore lack of shelter homes for homeless in city
Most of the those evicted belong to the Pardhi denotified tribe. Residents claim they have been staying at the said spot for over 20 years and many of them have ration cards listing their residential address as Amar Mahal flyover.
