A picnic turned into a tragedy as a man and his 12-year-old son drowned in Zilpi Lake in the Hingna area on Monday morning. The family of four - husband, wife and their two sons - had gone to the lake to celebrate the birthday of their younger son, police officials said. The deceased are identified as Abdul Asif Abdul Gani Sheikh (35) and his son Abdul Chahbil Abdul Asif (12). According to police, the family is resident of Tipu Sultan Chowk in Yashodhara Nagar Area. They had gone to the lake on a ..

Often, the initiatives taken in bigger urban centres are in limelight, but the response of the villages to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic remains neglected. Against this backdrop, here is a good news from the rural landscape -- Khursapar Gram Panchayat (GP) in Katol tehsil of Nagpur district, has won appreciation from the Central Government for best practices. With various these initiatives, it has achieved ‘zero active patient’ status...

Cracking a whip against rule violators, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone II Vinita S initiated stern action against four restaurants for violating Covid-19 protocol by serving food to customers. Acting on a tip-off, DCP Vinita conducted surprise checks in the restaurants and found that some youngsters are being served by these restaurants. The youths were found eating the food in the basement of a commercial building...

National Medical Commission, the new body that has taken over after the ouster of Medical Council of India has cut down the Post Graduate medical seats in Maharashtra by 107. Of the total 107 seats, Vidarbha will be losing 15 PG seats. This will surely affect the medical sector as in medical colleges PG seats play an important role. In recent times due to not having PG department, several heads have either left the institutions or applied under Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS). This exodus of medical ..

MIDC police on Sunday claimed to have solved murder case of Vijaya Tiwalkar (62) by arresting four persons. Shockingly, the woman’s granddaughter and her boyfriend are the prime accused in the murder case. The accused are identified as Nilesh Paunikar, Aarzoo Khan, Farid Ansari, Tajir Khan, granddaughter of Vijaya and her boyfriend. The girl and her boyfriend are juveniles, MIDC police claimed. “Prima facie, six accused are involved in the murder case and the teenage granddaughter and her boyfriend ..

Neusy Ravikant Jain from Nagpur has won the International Hathkargha Fashion Show-2021. She emerged winner from among 60 participants selected from different countries all over the world at the fashion show organised by Shri Digambar Jain Maha Samiti. Mentor of NGO ‘Make A Difference’, Neusy is also a winner of Miss Queen of India Miss Talent Award-2021, and Miss Maharashtra Queen-2019...

In accordance with the State Government’s order, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has extended the COVID-19 restrictions till 7 am of June 1. Meanwhile, on Saturday, State Government issued a revision and relaxed the norms for cargo carriers. Radhakrishnan B, Municipal Commissioner, issued the order for extension of curbs in accordance with ‘Break the Chain’ directives of State Government. As per the order, any person entering Maharashtra by any mode of transport will have to carry a negative RTPCR ..

A male patient died after falling off the ramp at Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) on Saturday morning. The incident sent shockwaves across the hospital employees. A large number of onlookers thronged the spot after the incident. The deceased was identified as Tulshiram Pandurang Bangade (67), a resident of Plot No. 118/A, Siraspeth Chowk, Umred, Nagpur. According to police, Bangade was suffering from an urological illness for the last one-and-a-half years. Earlier, he was admitted to the hospital. ..

THE Left Wing Extremists are apparently saying a big ‘No’ to violence due to existing COVID-19 threats. It is evident through the frequent reports about ultras’ surrender and illness. In this sequence, a surrendered Naxal couple identified as Arjun Tati and wife Laxmi Padma have been admitted to Covid hospital for treatment. As per information received, Tati, a resident of village Todka, Bijapur and Padda, a resident of village Aldand Kanker are members of Mendhki Local Operating Squad. They were ..

Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister and presently Leader of Opposition (Assembly), said that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government in Maharashtra should file a review petition in the Supreme Court with a prayer to raise the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation. ..

First drive-in vaccination centres were inaugurated in city by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Guardian Minister Dr Nitin Raut in separate functions. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has set up the centres for 60-year plus citizens at Glocal Square Mall, Sitabuldi, and at VR Mall (Trillium Mall), Rambagh, Medical Square. ..

A hundred years ago, on May 8, 1921, a social organisation was started by women for providing obstetrics facilities in Nagpur city, the heart of India. The Matru Sewa Sangh, a voluntary organisation founded by ‘Padma Shri’ Kamalatai Hospet, bringing laurels to Maharashtra not only in India but all over the world. Dr Lata Deshmukh, Secretary of Matru Sewa Sangh, told ‘The Hitavada’, “Two child widows became a beacon for the society at a time when it was socially acceptable for widows and abandoned ..

Nurses in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) have decided to intensify their agitation to press their demands. Nurses, who are the backbone of health care facility, are at the forefront in the fight against the novel coronavirus. On Thursday, the nurses at GMCH and IGGMCH worked by wearing black ribbon to register their protest. The agitation is underway under the aegis of Aarogya Vibhag Kamgar-Karmachari Shakha, Maharashtra ..

Often, farmers take two or more varieties of cotton crop thinking that at least one variety will produce good yield. However, due to different cycles and boll maturity periods, likelyhood of pest attack increases. Considering this and other problems faced at the level of ginning and pressing units in dealing with multiple varieties of cotton harvest, State Agriculture Department has now come up with ‘One Village, One Variety’ initiative for cotton crop...

NATURE has taken away its own golden treasure -- a 500-year-old Banyan tree that had found mention in 1965 classic ‘Guide’ actor Kishor Sahu’s autobiography. The huge tree in Gaimukh in Bhandara district was uprooted by heavy winds the other day, taking away a massive identity of the place. Late Sahu, who played the role of archaeologist husband of Waheeda Rehman in the Dev Anand starrer ‘Guide’, was a resident of Paladi village in Bhandara district. His autobiography mentions the big Banyan tree, ..

AS SECOND wave of COVID-19 put great strain on the resources as the scale of infection and patients was far greater than what system was prepared for, still Nagpur chartered its course from the choppy water and emerged on top in ramming-up health machinery in Maharashtra. This is a proud moment for Team Nagpur, comprising the political leadership who worked shoulder to shoulder cutting across party lines and the administrative machinery on ground that is running the show 24x7 without a break. Nagpur ..

IN A major decision, the State Home Department decided to cancel the condition of 15 years of service required for transfer of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawans in the District Police units. The Home Department issued a Government Resolution after Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil conducted a meeting. State Environment and Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, ACS Home Manu Kumar Shrivastava, Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey and ADG Archana Tyagi were present in the meeting. Earlier, ..

With good number of persons becoming free from coronavirus in Nagpur district, the number of active cases is going down. The recovery rate too is constantly going up. The gap between number of recovery and number of single day new cases is also increasing with number of persons recovered are on high. On Tuesday, 6,725 persons recovered from coronavirus while 2,243 tested positive for the COVID-19, so the difference has become visible. The good number of single day recovery of 6,725 has taken the cumulative ..

In this COVID-19 pandemic, one thing has become common. Help in all forms is coming from all directions to India. Some people are giving food, some are providing medicines, some are donating money, some are fulfilling the need of oxygen etc. Some people staying abroad are either helping the people of that country or sending help to India. One couple Dr Ketan Pande and Dr Sonali Pande, both well-known Orthopaedic surgeons are working in Brunei have sent 600 jumbo Oxygen cylinders to India. Both Dr ..

CONSIDERING the high requirement of medical oxygen during the latest wave of Novel Coronavirus, a total of 25 medical oxygen generation plants will be installed in Nagpur city and district in June. Of these, four plants are cryogenic oxygen plants which create molecular oxygen at relatively high purity. The oxygen plant network is expected to increase availability of oxygen-supported beds in the urban and rural areas for COVID-19 patients. Chief Executive Officer Yogesh Kumbhejkar of Zilla Parishad ..

Every city has symbols of its unique identity. Nagpur city is fortunate to have been blessed with several such symbols that have survived through the weathers. One such symbol is Shivraj Finer-Art Litho Works, popularly referred to as Shivraj Press. The building holds a unique honour of having the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj atop. Today, as the Shivraj Press enters its centenary year, it is right time to recollect how it came into being and how it survived the test of time. Dattaji Ramji ..

In a grisly incident, the head of a youth got severed when the SUV he was travelling in got brushed against a tree near Fetri on Kalmeshwar Road, police said. Two persons were killed in the accident and two others were injured seriously on Sunday night. Police Inspector Asif Raza Sheikh informed ‘The Hitavada’ that Akash Sonawne (24), a resident of Surendragadh, Nagpur, was driving the Mahindra Xylo SUV (MH-12/HL-7010) while his friends Dinesh Kirnake (30), Ashish Dhurwe (25) and Pawan Kirnake (38), ..

The divisional office of Food Corporation of India (FCI) at Amravati will also be operational with immediate effect. With this development, now Vidarbha will have two such offices--one at Nagpur and another at Amravati. Raosaheb Patil Danve, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has made announcement to this effect. Danve pointed out, “Today under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, two more offices of FCI in Maharashtra at Aurangabad and Amravati ..

A massive fire at Gimatex Industries Wardha district reduced 7,500 cotton bales to ashes and destroyed the machinery. The fire began at 1.30 pm when cotton pressing was going on at a unit in the factory and within no time the entire unit was burnt down, causing losses worth around Rs 25 crore. As per details, Gimatex Industries Private Limited was started by the renowned Mohota Group at Yerala, in Hinganghat tehsil seven years ago. On Sunday afternoon, factory workers were busy working in the pressing ..

Gualabrao Devrao Patil, former Lokayukta of Maharashtra and retired Judge of the Mumbai High Court, and a resident of Vrundavan Apartment, Civil Lines, passed away on Saturday night. He was 80. He is survived by two lawyer sons, Dhananjay and Makrand and three daughters. He was elder brother of former Member of Parliament, late (MP) Uttamrao Patil, he represented Yavatmal Lok Sabha constituency six times in a row. Their father Devrao Patil was also Member of Parliament (MP) from Yavatmal...

Though new cases of COVID-19 are decreasing in Nagpur, the authorities are working on preparedness in case third wave of the pandemic hits the city. The focus always lies on increasing number of beds. Everyone feels, if the beds are increased then those testing positive for coronavirus in large number can be accommodated. But the ratio of required staff as compared to the number of beds is always given less importance. If the ratio of frontline healthworkers to the number of beds is not maintained, ..

On the lines of Mumbai, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has given its nod to setting up drive-in COVID-19 vaccination centres in Nagpur, only for citizens above 60 years of age. Radhakrishnan B, Municipal Commissioner, issued the order on Saturday, and asked the Zonal Assistant Commissioners concerned within two days. The drive-in vaccination centres shall be set up in big buildings and malls having adequate arrangements. The Municipal Commissioner has cited some examples of such places viz. Kavivarya ..

 Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) has extended the dates of examinations and schedule of application submission for the next examinations in view of coronavirus pandemic Earlier, University had decided to hold Winter 2020 and practicals examinations of first semester courses of Post Graduate, Diploma, of regular, external and failed students to be conducted between May 5 and May 20, 2021. But considering present situation of COVID-19, examinations have been extended to May ..

 With an indication that children may be affected by coronavirus, the administration is building preparedness to face the situation. As a first step towards that preparation, a well-equipped 200-bed Covid Hospital with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is being set up at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The medical fraternity has predicted the third wave of this tiny virus. A task force comprising paediatricians has been formed to prepare treatment protocols and training ..

  A Tax Collector of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and a supervisor of a Cyber Tech company working for NMC were caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday while accepting a bribe of Rs three lakh. The accused demanded the bribe to reduce assessed property tax of the complainant, ACB officials said. Accused Tax Collector of Asi Nagar Zone - Suraj Surendra Ganvir (34), a resident of Bezonbagh and Supervisor of Cyber Tech company - Ravindra Bhaurao Bagade (31), a resident ..

In a relative positive news, notwithstanding the fact that word got much maligned in COVID-19 havoc, the availability of beds in district reached all time high, crossing the 1,000 mark on Thursday evening. Apart from that the number of vacant beds in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) also has crossed the 100 mark. Since past few days the vacant beds in Dedicated Covid Hospitals (DCHs) are increasing amidst indication of falling graphs of infection. The situation, however, was not so rosy just a week back ..

“WARDHA’S Genetic Life Science is the first company in the country to get Government of India’s permission in the shortest possible time to produce much-needed Remdesivir. Remdesivir’s production by Genetic Life Science will help Maharashtra in checking its blackmarketting and poor people will be able to get it at government rates,” said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as the company started production of the injection on Thursday. MP Ramdas Tadas, District Collector Prerna Deshbratar, Dr Mahendra ..

Vidarbha Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (VAPM), Nagpur has undertaken a humanitarian initiative for Nagpur Police. Under this initiative blood tests for COVID infected employees of Nagpur Police and their family members are being carried out at concessional rates at various pathology laboratories of the city. VAPM President Dr Prachi Sancheti along with senior members Dr Sanjay Deotale (President, IMA Nagpur) and Dr Sujata Moghe met Amitesh Kumar, Commissioner of Police and handed ..

In many districts of Vidarbha including Nagpur, a large number of COVID-19 patients need oxygen and the administration has now decided to import oxygen from Odisha. For this, four empty oxygen tankers were airlifted by a special aircraft of Indian Air Force from Nagpur on Wednesday. The tankers are expected to return to Nagpur by train in the next 20 hours. As per information given by District Collector Ravindra Thakre, 110 metric tonnes of oxygen is being supplied to Nagpur from Bhilai on a regular ..

Sanjay Khanzode is from Akola in Vidarbha. He had gone to Mumbai about 30 years ago. He has done 25 films, 3,000 episodes, several documentaries for which he traveled abroad too. He has established himself in the department of photography in Hindi and Marathi film industry as well. Right now he is working as Director of Photography. During recently concluded National Film Festival Sanjay Khanzode worked as National Film Award Jury member which is a prestigious assignment. ‘The Hitavada’ caught up ..

A TOTAL of 41 hospitals are awaiting approval from the district administration to operate as Dedicated COVID Hospitals (DCHs) due to non-supply of medical Oxygen. The administration is presently concentrating on ensuring oxygen supply to the already established COVID hospitals. “Permission has not been given to these hospitals so far to cater to daily medical oxygen demand of the already established hospitals,” said District Collector Ravindra Thakre. Thakre informed ‘The Hitavada’ that the 41 hospitals ..

Aiming to plug the gaps and streamline the measures to overcome challenge posed by surge in COVID-19 patients, administration has set-up a Central Control Room (CCR) and banned direct admission of patients in Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCHs). At prodding of Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and District Collectorate unveiled the new procedure to ensure that people do not suffer. Coming together the Revenue and civic administration has merged their resources and machinery ..

In view of the spread of coronavirus infection among eight Asiatic lions in Hyderabad zoo, the managements of Maharajbag Zoo and Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoo of Nagpur swung into action to prevent the virus among wild animals in the city. As per the guidelines of Central Zoo Authority (CZA), both zoo managements have started taking steps. “We are going to conduct RT-PCR test of all our 23 employees who are working closely with the animals in the zoo. The procedure will be carried ..

COVID-19 situation in Nagpur district appears to be stabilising, if the numbers are to be taken into account. For the fourth day in a row, the district reported more number of recoveries than fresh cases. As a result, the active caseload also has witnessed a reduction. If one considers statistics for last five days -- from April 29 to May 3 -- the active caseload in the district has reduced by 5,190. Decline in active caseload results in improvement in availability of hospital beds and also in ..

A major fire broke out in Indus Paper Boat Company at Bazargaon on Amravati Road on Monday evening, around 50 kms from Nagpur. Nobody was injured in the incident but several hundred tonnes of raw material was gutted. As many as four fire tenders were struggling to douse the fire on factory premises. The company is a manufacturer of tissue paper and toilet paper rolls. Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Rajendra Uchke informed that the fire broke out in raw material including ..

If one was wondering why was the COVID-19 getting transmitted so fast in prevailing second wave of infections, the results of genome sequencing of samples from the city has provided the answer. Of 74 samples from the city sent to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), fast-spreading double mutated strain has been detected in at least 26 samples. There was talk of detection of double mutant variant of novel coronavirus in Nagpur, however, genome sequencing results were awaited for confirmation...

Hours before Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court began its emergent hearing on Sunday afternoon regarding non-compliance of its order to supply 20,000 Remdesivir vials to Nagpur, Akola, and Bhandara districts, the State Government dispatched 19,128 vials. By Sunday afternoon, the region received another tranche of 960 vials. Parimal Singh, Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), and Vijay Waghmare, Nodal Officer, informed a division bench consisting of Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice ..

Nagpur theatre artist Sanchi Jiwane won ‘Best Actress’ award at prestigious 11th Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2021 on Friday. Sanchi bagged this award for her performance in her upcoming Marathi film ‘Paidagir’ which is going to be released in cinema halls after lockdown. “This award is a very big and prestigious achievement for a theatre artist like me. It is a real moral booster amid this pandemic situation,” Sanchi said while speaking to The Hitavada. Sanchi bagged this award for ..

Total 2.66 lakh tap water connections have been provided in Nagpur district under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) since the Central Government announced the mission in 2019. The Modi Government’s ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission aims at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to every rural household in the country by 2024. “Total 3.65 lakh tap water connection has been sanctioned for Nagpur district under Jal Jeevan Mission in which we have achieved the target ..

Amravati, M Srinivas Reddy, the co-accused in the Dipali Chavan suicide case, has been finally remanded in judicial custody on May 1. The court ordered that Reddy be remanded to judicial custody for the next 14 days as no application was filed before the court by the government’s counsel and investigating officers seeking an extension of police custody...

Nagpur district with active COVID-19 caseload of over 78,000 received ‘zero’ vials of Remdesivir injections on Wednesday while Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope’s home-district Jalna got 30,000 vials for 7,800 active cases. When this shocking anomaly was placed before the High Court on Thursday, it directed the Nodal Officer to place on record district-wise allocation of Remdesivir and formula adopted to determine entitlement of each district. “In case he finds that more number of vials than what ..

The prestigious ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (ICAR-CCRI) received a new regular Director in the form of Dr Dilip Ghosh, a distinguished Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology-Virology). He took the charge as Director of this high profile Nagpur-based research institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. Dr Ghosh was selected for this position by the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB), New Delhi. ..

Taking judicial cognisance of ‘The Hitavada’ news-report about black-marketing of Remdesivir by, and arrest of, 32 persons including a doctor, staffers of hospitals and a medical representative, Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday directed their swift prosecution and proper investigation to ensure conviction of such undesirable and greedy persons. “In such a crisis situation, the Courts cannot be mute spectators and cannot turn Nelson’s eye to such incidents which are reported in the ..

Resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic and extra cautious Railway officials have jointly necessitated pushing forward launching of girders for construction of country’s first multi-layer transport system at Gaddigodam bridge. The project uniqueness has set it apart on mega Nagpur Metro project, as the four-layer transport system would be quite unique by itself. Sources said though Maha Metro had earlier received all clearance for the project, a latest communication from Central Railways have again raised ..

AMIDST tight security, Kamptee Municipal Council (KMC), using bulldozers, razed dreaded gangster Ranjit Safelkar’s unauthorised palatial bungalow and Raj Mahal Lawns in Kamptee area on Wednesday. The KMC, after receiving a letter from Nagpur City Police, verified the ‘Raj Mahal’ bungalow and lawns and constituted a special demolition squad. In the presence of Deputy Commissioner of Police Neelotpal and other senior officers, under the supervision of Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar and KMC ..