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Linah Baliga

Articles by Linah Baliga

12 under-construction illegal buildings razed in Kurla- Sakinaka in nine days

The L ward is no stranger to illegal constructions, and these structures came up on open plots of land in Sethia Nagar, Wadia Estate, Khairani Road and Sakinaka, especially in ward number 164. These are the four locations where the maximum number of unauthorised buildings have mushroomed this month

cities

Updated on May 20, 2023 12:53 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

486 engineers to monitor 486 waterlogging-prone spots in city

486 junior engineers have been assigned to prevent waterlogging at identified spots in Mumbai this monsoon. They will be held responsible for negligence.

cities

Updated on May 19, 2023 12:36 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

BMC coats bark of living trees with chemical paint; arborists say this is slow murder

The BMC has also put up LED lights on 15,000 trees along five roadways taking the G20 delegates. The environmentalists accused the civic body of hurting the trees and nocturnal fauna. The civic body has begun to colour the bark of the trees with chemical paints, days ahead of the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction meeting

Tree activist Zoru Bhathena took to Twitter to highlight the harmful impact of painting the trees, “Living trees cannot be painted like this. It harms and damages the trees. Painting the bark of a tree is like painting the human skin. This is not beautification. This is slow murder. Kindly remove such paint immediately.

cities

Updated on May 18, 2023 12:54 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

‘Ward officers misused DCPR regulation on road-widening to benefit developer and encroachers’

The matter came to light after many elected representatives and civic activists complained to civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal who, in turn, issued a circular on April 28 to review an estate department’s circular dated February 16, 2021, in which a clause is the root of the alleged misuse of DCPR 33(12)(B). A senior civic official from the commissioner’s office also confirmed this circular of which Hindustan Times has a copy.

The clause in question states that it shall be the responsibility of the scheme owner/developer who wishes to seek benefits under DCPR 33(12)(B) to execute a tri-party agreement with the owner of the plot where such protected/tolerated structures are situated with the occupiers of such structures. Activists pointed out that this clause talks about random roads and not specifically priority roads meant for road-widening, where legal structures come in the way of road alignment. (HT PHOTO)

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Updated on May 17, 2023 12:54 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Fuming over Gokhale Bridge deadline push, commuters hold silent protest

More than 100 commuters who participated in the meet were agitated to the extent of going on a “Rasta Roko” dharna at the BMC office but due to the imposition of Section 144 throughout the city, this course of action was avoided

cities

Updated on May 15, 2023 12:26 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

65 flats in Malad high rises get stop-work notices for illegal alterations

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued stop work notices to 65 flats in two high-rise buildings in Mumbai's Malad-Marve region for alleged illegal amalgamation of flats, including some converted into duplex apartments with lifts. The flats are located in the 70-storey Auris Serenity Tower-2 and the 34-storey Aspee Enclave building on Marve Road. A civic official said the amalgamation was done by flat owners, who appointed their own architects, and sometimes installed air conditioning, cut down columns and beams, and used cheap labourers. The notice was issued under the MMC Act 354 (A) to stop work failing which BMC would demolish them.

cities

Updated on May 11, 2023 01:16 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Nariman Point jetty to get walkers’ plaza

This jetty at the south of Marine Drive promenade was shut down due to safety concerns and to prevent anti-social activities. The proposal will be a relief for those who want to breathe fresh air away from the pollution. Visitors will also be able to enjoy being at the lands’ end

cities

Updated on May 10, 2023 12:46 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

BMC demolishes 324 huts to clear inaccessible Gorai beach road

Sandhya Nandedkar, assistant commissioner, R north ward, said, “We are conducting a lottery system to provide rehabilitation to Mahatma Phule’s 324 hutments obstructing the Gorai road. Some are legal and some illegal and they will all be demolished in 15 days

cities

Updated on May 09, 2023 12:53 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Municipal stall owners buckle under, pay up increased BMC rent

Rajendra Bahadur Singh, president of the Lalbaug Market Merchants Association, said that their monthly rent, which used to be ₹120, had been hiked to ₹1,400 and would be further increased by five percent every year. “We have been told that we will get relief only after the civic elections when corporators take up our issue

The new rent proposed by the BMC will depend on the grade of the market and commodity. For instance, Crawford Market is an A category market where business flourishes, so the rent will be more. Kokil, in his letter, made it a point to add that there was a huge difference between the business being carried on at Crawford Market and that being done at Lalbaug Market. (ANI)

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Updated on May 08, 2023 12:44 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

BMC lists 32K legit hawkers in city; unions demand fresh survey

TVC has the authority to implement the hawker’s policy. It is headed by the civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal and has representatives from various departments of BMC, MMRDA, traffic, police, members of the hawker association and civil society

Mumbai, India - March 17, 2023: Footpath crowded with hawkers, makeshift shops, construction material dumped and suitable for walking. Chetana Thakker walks on the footpath from MG Road to LBS Marg via Bhakti Marg, at Mulund (West), in Mumbai, India, on Friday, March 17, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on May 05, 2023 12:20 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Now, Mumbaikars can book parking slots online before venturing out

The civic body is seeking to implement a parking management solution, proposed by the Mumbai Parking Authority, through an integrated IT system that will digitise and consolidate the city’s entire inventory of existing and proposed on-street and off-street parking.

cities

Updated on May 04, 2023 05:28 PM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Jogeshwari to Vile Parle commute to get easier as BMC demolishes chawl on SV Road

BMC demolished 14 structures of a chawl near JP Road junction in Andheri West for road widening. The part of SV Road will be widened by 25 feet.

cities

Updated on May 04, 2023 01:01 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Andheri Sports Complex being used for film shootings, weddings: MLA

After his visit to the sports complex along with deputy municipal commissioner (gardens) Kishor Gandhi, the MLA on Tuesday said rethinking should be done whether the sports complex should be reserved for football as the complex was built with an idea of a multipurpose sports utility for poor, lower middle and upper middle classes

Mumbai, India - May 02, 2023: BJP MLA Amit Satam visits Shahaji Raje Bhosale Krida Sankul, known as Andheri Sports Complex, along with citizens after receiving many complaints, at Veera Desai Road, Andheri (West), in Mumbai, India, on Monday, May 02, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on May 03, 2023 12:29 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Beautiful Marine Drive to be further beautified: CM

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has proposed a seaside plaza with a viewing deck at the southernmost tip of Marine Drive promenade, as well as a stationary cruise liner-like structure. The existing jetty will be decorated with vintage-style lights, ornamental railings, seating arrangements, a public toilet and safety grilles. The project awaits approval from the high-powered committee appointed for the Girgaon Chowpatty makeover and the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee. The project will be funded from mixed sources, mostly through corporate social responsibility and BMC's funds.

The civic body is also planning to paint the sea-facing art deco buildings on Marine Drive with an uniform colour. While he welcomed the reimagining of the southern end of Nariman Point, Atul Kumar, president, Nariman Point Churchgate Citizens’ Association, thought the idea to paint all the building in one colour was “impractical”. “Every building is privately owned and nobody should determine who should paint with what colour. The idea is not well thought out at all,” said Kumar. (HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on May 02, 2023 12:09 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Aaditya Thackeray bats for Patwardhan Park

Bandra residents’ protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plan to construct a multilevel parking lot under Raosaheb Patwardhan Park on Linking Road got a political hue on Sunday after Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray joined them in solidarity

cities

Updated on May 01, 2023 12:43 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

MM Mithaiwala among 19 shops demolished in Malad Station for road-widening

The demolition work was undertaken a day after the Dindoshi city civil court refused to restrain the BMC from proceeding with it. One of the property owners, Suresh Gupta, had moved the court, contending that structures on private lands could not be demolished unless the land was acquired

Mumbai, India - April 28, 2023: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the renowned 'MM Mithaiwala' and 'Delhi Sweets' sweet shops alongside Anand Road along with 19 other shops in order to widen the road, outside Malad Station (West), in Mumbai, India, on Friday, April 28, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 29, 2023 12:02 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

BMC to go ahead with tweaked Patwardhan Park parking lot plan

Despite stiff opposition from locals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to go ahead with the multilevel mechanised underground car parking system on the northside of Bal Gandharva Rangmandir at Patwardhan Park in Bandra west

The changed plan will have two parking levels. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Apr 27, 2023 12:28 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Show cause notice issued to builder for pollution near old age home in Sion

The show cause notice, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, was issued for willful violation of Section 26 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Amendment Rules, 2016. Three kinds of non-compliance are listed in it.

Mumbai, India - April 25, 2023: A general view of construction site behind Manav Seva Sangh, at Sion, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 26, 2023 12:22 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Lallubhai Park Road gets first-of-its-kind utility corridor

Lallubhai Park Road in Andheri west becomes the first cement concrete road in Mumbai to feature a utility corridor after a proposal by MLA Ameet Satam. The 1.8-km stretch is the first in the city to have this technology, which allows the laying of various cables with cross connection ducts every 30 metres to avoid frequent digging and trenching for laying utilities like water, gas, electricity and internet cables. The road also features water line sleeves with future requirements of proposed redeveloped buildings in the area.

cities

Updated on Apr 26, 2023 12:12 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Dry day for citizens of Bandra, Khar, Santacruz, thanks to pipeline burst in Waterfield Road

Following the pipeline burst, water gushed out in full force hitting the glass exterior of a two-storey building at the Bora Bora restaurant junction; additionally, it left pedestrians and motorists stunned. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) maintenance department was put on the job to carry out the repairs immediately

Mumbai, India - April 24, 2023: BMC workers repair the punctured water pipeline at Waterfield Road, Bandra, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, April 24, 2023. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 25, 2023 12:33 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

87 structures demolished for JVLR widening

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has demolished 87 structures on a stretch from Oberoi International School up to Durga Nagar near Mahakali Caves for widening of the Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR)

cities

Updated on Apr 25, 2023 12:20 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

BMC confiscates booster pumps sucking Kalina homes dry

Two high-rise buildings in Mumbai's Kalina village have been issued notices and had booster pumps confiscated after illegally sucking water from municipal lines. The pumps had left many houses dry in the area, which has a population of 300,000. Notices were sent to two five-storey buildings, while the BMC confiscated the pumps and warned that action would be taken on their water connection. Water supply will be restored from Sunday. The civic officials were ordered to restore the water supply after chaabiwallahs allegedly colluded with the officials to divert water to newly redeveloped buildings.

cities

Updated on Apr 22, 2023 12:42 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Coastal Road: Architects bat for keeping remaining 70 hectares as open space

Architects have urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to keep the 70 hectares of open space remaining after the construction of the 7km Coastal Road free of manicured gardens and a hard seawall. They also called for wider underpasses, landscaped overpasses and a green buffer with trees between the highway and the promenade. The suggestions were made during a workshop involving around 100 architects.

Mumbai, India - April 02, 2023: Aerial view of the Coastal Road project work in progress near the Haji Ali, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, April 02, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 20, 2023 12:38 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga, Mumbai

BMC completes tunnel repairs; Mumbai’s water supply to be restored on April 23

Water supply in Mumbai to be restored on April 23 as the allegedly damaged water tunnel in Thane is expected to be fully operational in the next few days, says BMC.

cities

Updated on Apr 19, 2023 12:46 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga, Mumbai

‘Restore Kalina water supply at once or face suspension’

Taps have been dry for 20 consecutive days in the two villages, affecting over three lakh residents, mainly senior citizens.

Mary D’Souza of Kalina village said that residents were assured they would get water for an hour on Tuesday but the BMC failed to keep its promise. “Senior citizens with health issues sit up till 2 am waiting for water,” she said. “There is no fixed timing. Several senior citizens have serious health issues but are forced to stay awake and go through this suffering. This is mental torture and a health hazard. Forget about there being no water for 20 days, our real problem has started with the new highrises that have come up.” (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 19, 2023 12:22 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

BMC identifies 217 unsafe buildings for demolition

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified 217 dangerous buildings in Mumbai and issued eviction notices before demolishing, ahead of monsoon.

Mumbai, India - April 17, 2023: BMC declares Munshi Bhavan as dilapidated structure, at Andheri, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, April 17, 2023. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 18, 2023 01:14 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga, Mumbai

BMC ordered to pay ₹30 crore to contractor who built Middle Vaitarna dam

The company, Soma Consortium, undertook the construction of the Middle Vaitarna dam on the Vaitarna river, along with an approach road and other infrastructural amenities in 2008 after the BMC’s standing committee passed the proposal at a cost of ₹505.91crore.

The work began on October 27,2008 and was completed on March 28,2014. “During the course of the contract, disputes arose between the contractor and BMC,” said advocate Prerak Choudhary representing Soma Consortium. While the quality of construction was declared excellent by the civic body, some commercial claims of the contractors towards labour cess deductions, fly ash lead charges and royalty charges were allegedly not paid by the BMC. (HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 17, 2023 01:00 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Kalina villages go without water for two weeks; blame scarcity on new dvpt

Residents have also alleged that chaabiwallahs from the H-East ward’s hydraulic department are hand-in-glove with the powers that be and divert water into the homes of the privileged. They arrive in a tempo with keys early in the morning, open the valves and divert the supply, they claimed

Mumbai, India - April 14, 2023: Residents facing acute water crisis due to BMC's water cut policy, at Kolovery Village, Kalina, Santacruz, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, April 14, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo). (HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 15, 2023 12:20 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Manual scavenger used for BMC’s pre-monsoon clean-up

Heavily intoxicated manual scavengers, without any safety gear, were found entering and cleaning nullahs in Govandi, Bandra East and Juhu on Thursday. Hindustan Times has video and photographic evidence of this.

On Thursday Yashodhra Salve, an activist, filmed the labourers deployed to do manual scavenging for a big nullah between Govandi and Chembur. “The labourers are appointed through contractors. I spoke to a few of them, and they told me that they were paid <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>400 per day,” said Salve.

cities

Updated on Apr 14, 2023 01:01 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

Will BMC lift 15% water cut after April 30?

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is unlikely to lift the 15% water cuts in Mumbai on 30 April as planned due to repairs to a major water supply tunnel. A source said the repairs would be completed by the end of April, but it would take a week for pressure to stabilise and a month to regularise supply. The tunnel was damaged when a developer allegedly dug a borewell.

cities

Updated on Apr 13, 2023 01:16 AM IST

ByLinah Baliga

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Linah Baliga

The L ward is no stranger to illegal constructions, and these structures came up on open plots of land in Sethia Nagar, Wadia Estate, Khairani Road and Sakinaka, especially in ward number 164. These are the four locations where the maximum number of unauthorised buildings have mushroomed this month

486 junior engineers have been assigned to prevent waterlogging at identified spots in Mumbai this monsoon. They will be held responsible for negligence.

More than 100 commuters who participated in the meet were agitated to the extent of going on a “Rasta Roko” dharna at the BMC office but due to the imposition of Section 144 throughout the city, this course of action was avoided

This jetty at the south of Marine Drive promenade was shut down due to safety concerns and to prevent anti-social activities. The proposal will be a relief for those who want to breathe fresh air away from the pollution. Visitors will also be able to enjoy being at the lands’ end

Sandhya Nandedkar, assistant commissioner, R north ward, said, “We are conducting a lottery system to provide rehabilitation to Mahatma Phule’s 324 hutments obstructing the Gorai road. Some are legal and some illegal and they will all be demolished in 15 days

TVC has the authority to implement the hawker’s policy. It is headed by the civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal and has representatives from various departments of BMC, MMRDA, traffic, police, members of the hawker association and civil society

The civic body is seeking to implement a parking management solution, proposed by the Mumbai Parking Authority, through an integrated IT system that will digitise and consolidate the city’s entire inventory of existing and proposed on-street and off-street parking.

BMC demolished 14 structures of a chawl near JP Road junction in Andheri West for road widening. The part of SV Road will be widened by 25 feet.

Bandra residents’ protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plan to construct a multilevel parking lot under Raosaheb Patwardhan Park on Linking Road got a political hue on Sunday after Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray joined them in solidarity

The demolition work was undertaken a day after the Dindoshi city civil court refused to restrain the BMC from proceeding with it. One of the property owners, Suresh Gupta, had moved the court, contending that structures on private lands could not be demolished unless the land was acquired

Despite stiff opposition from locals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to go ahead with the multilevel mechanised underground car parking system on the northside of Bal Gandharva Rangmandir at Patwardhan Park in Bandra west

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has demolished 87 structures on a stretch from Oberoi International School up to Durga Nagar near Mahakali Caves for widening of the Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR)

Water supply in Mumbai to be restored on April 23 as the allegedly damaged water tunnel in Thane is expected to be fully operational in the next few days, says BMC.

Taps have been dry for 20 consecutive days in the two villages, affecting over three lakh residents, mainly senior citizens.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified 217 dangerous buildings in Mumbai and issued eviction notices before demolishing, ahead of monsoon.

The company, Soma Consortium, undertook the construction of the Middle Vaitarna dam on the Vaitarna river, along with an approach road and other infrastructural amenities in 2008 after the BMC’s standing committee passed the proposal at a cost of ₹505.91crore.

Residents have also alleged that chaabiwallahs from the H-East ward’s hydraulic department are hand-in-glove with the powers that be and divert water into the homes of the privileged. They arrive in a tempo with keys early in the morning, open the valves and divert the supply, they claimed

Heavily intoxicated manual scavengers, without any safety gear, were found entering and cleaning nullahs in Govandi, Bandra East and Juhu on Thursday. Hindustan Times has video and photographic evidence of this.

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