Nagpur

City-based observatory records Tonga volcanic eruption wave

The city-based Pilot Balloon Observatory (PBO) of Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), on Saturday, recorded a wave which was generated after the massive under-water volcanic eruption in Tonga in the Pacific Ocean. The atmospheric pressure was recorded in the city which is located 12,386 km away from the volcanic eruption site in Tonga. The city’s barometer recorded the wave around 8.40 pm on Saturday. Though the wave was felt in many parts of the world, it was a unique even..

Gadchiroli district records most forest fires in State

Gadchiroli, which is the most forested district of Maharashtra, also has the dubious distinction of being the district recording the highest number of forest fires in the State. In the years 2019 and 2020, as per the information obtained by city-based activist Abhay Kolarkar from Forest Department, forest fire incidents in Gadchiroli district alone constituted 31.38 per cent and 36.90 per cent respectively, of total forest fires recorded in Maharashtra. Kolarkar had sought information under Right ..

Cyber crooks targeting power consumers

Cyber frauds have hit upon new idea to target gullible citizens. Now, they are targeting consumers of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). Fake SMSes are being sent to consumers, warning them of disconnection of power supply. Via SMSes, the fraudsters are flashing a mobile number appealing the recipient to call. Normally, people ignore such SMSes, but there are many who panic and follow the instructions mentioned in the SMS and fall v..

Plastic ban: MPCB working on July deadline, sensitising manufacturers

As the deadline for complete restriction of single-use plastic is approaching, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has started taking action against manufacturers and sellers in and around city. Last year, vide the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, the Central Government had issued a notification prohibiting identified single-use plastic items by July 2022. With the deadline approaching, the MPCB has started contacting manufacturers of plastic goods of neighbouring areas and ..

Agrawal had attempted suicide twice in last 2 yrs

In the murder-suicide case of Madan Agrawal family, the police learnt that Madan had attempted to end his life on two occasions in last two years. “He attempted to commit suicide two times within the last two years. However, the family members managed to save him and provided timely medication,” said DCP Zone V Manish Kalwania. The DCP also said that Madan was not in stable mental state due to huge debt. In the first suicide attempt, he had consumed an excess amount of some tablets...

Debt-ridden man ends life after killing wife, kids in Jaripatka

A 40-YEAR-OLD man allegedly killed his wife and two children by stabbing them with a sharp-edged-weapon and then died by suicide at his rented house in Jaripatka area on Tuesday. The man was reportedly depressed over losing a huge amount of money in cricket betting, police officials said. The deceased are identified as Madan Agrawal, his wife Kiran (33), son Rishabh (10) and daughter Toshita alias Tiya (5), all residents of Housing Board Society, near Dayanand Park, Jaripatka. Police are suspecting ..

DBFOS norm for Budhwar Bazar project as NMC seeks to encash its prime properties in city

Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is increasingly opting for outright encashment of its land property rather than risking its hand at owning and leasing out properties in commercial complexes. So from now on, Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Sale (DBFOS) could be a norm as civic body has decided to adopt similar strategy for it’s proposed Budhwar Bazar Complex, Kelibagh Road, Mahal. The project was in pipelines for long but delay in conceptualisation hindered the scheme and now the cost has escalated ..

Massive opposition to shifting of elephants

Even as the Maharashtra forest department got permission from Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for shifting of 13 elephants from Kamalapur, Patanil Elephant Camp and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) to Gujarat, the protest against the shifting of elephants has intensified and it has now turned into a state-wide campaign...

Tribal Deptt to introduce ‘How To Learn’ concept in its schools

About three years ago, the then Principal Secretary of School Education Nandkumar came up with an idea to make education purposeful-- which means to teach students how to learn instead of what to learn. The group of Zilla Parishad teachers all over Maharashtra responded to the call and started the activity. Ravindra Thakare, Additional Tribal Commissioner at Nagpur too has decided to take a leaf out of the book. He had organised one workshop for the teachers of Ashramshalas under the aegis of Tribal ..

Jilted lover attempts to kill boyfriend for rejecting marriage proposal

ALLEGEDLY hurt by boyfriend’s refusal to tie the nuptial knot with her, a 32-year-old woman attacked him with a knife in his rented room at Dattawadi on Monday night. With serious injuries, Akshay Krishnaji Dhoke (25) was rushed to Well Treat Multispeciality Hospital in Wadi area. Cops immediately launched a search for accused Pooja Goswami, a resident of Sai Nagar, who escaped after attempting to kill Akshay. An employee of a private company, Akshay was staying in a rented room with two of his friends. ..

Rainwater harvesting system at two NMC schools

 Staff Reporter Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur Smart and Sustainable Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL) have installed first of its kind IoT-based ground water recharge system at a civic school. Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari ina..

Thakre for inquiry into orders from all deptts of NMC

Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B was instructed to ask Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar for thorough investigation into stationery orders from all departments of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) that were issued during the time of Covid-19. First meeting of inquiry committee of corporators headed by Ruling Party Leader Avinash Thakre was held at Standing Committee Hall at civic body headquarters on Monday where the said instructions were issued. The meeting was held to frame the terms ..

About 12,000 member schools start offline classes, claims MESTA

About 12,000 schools which are members of Maharashtra English School Trustees Association (MESTA) started offline classes on Monday, claimed Dr Sanjay Tayade Patil, Founder President of MESTA. On Sunday, he had announced that 18,000 of its member schools would start offline classes on Monday. Dr Tayade Patil, on Monday, had a conversation with MESTA’s office-bearers throughout Maharashtra. He told ‘The Hitavada’ on phone from Aurangabad, “As per my estimation about 12,000 schools, mostly in rural ..

CR plans subway at Khapri RoB for Wardha-Nagpur 4th line

As construction of new 3rd and 4th line on Wardha-Nagpur route gathers pace, Central Railway is planning an underground passage at Khapri for overcoming the hurdle of railway overbridge (RoB). Since both the lines are being laid on left side of existing UP line (one going towards Mumbai direction from Nagpur), the ramp of RoB is causing infringement, said people familiar with the project. So after deliberation on various possibilities, officials of Construction Organisation have finally settled on ..

NMC constitutes local tree committee

In the wake of tree-felling incidences in city, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has formed a new tree committee recently. Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B chaired a meeting in which he formed the committee in presence of senior officials of Garden and other departments. According to sources, Municipal Commissioner is Chairman of the committee. Along with him, two senior officials of Garden Department and three environment experts are likely to be included in the committee. To improve the ..

75 CCTV cameras at GMC&H non-functional

SEVENTY-FIVE closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras out of the 125 installed at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) are non-functional. Moreover, of these 50 functional cameras, many are fixed in such a way that they capture footage of walls and not the movement of people. These lacunae in the CCTV surveillance system came to fore when the City Police conducted a security review of Asia’s biggest government hospital. GMC&H is one of the most crowded places in the city. Therefore, ..

Mumbai city has lowest forest cover in State, Gadchiroli distt the highest

The latest ‘India State of Forest Report’ reveals that Maharashtra’s total forest cover is only 16.51 per cent of its geographical area. With respect to the previous assessment of 2019, the latest assessment of 2021 brings out that the total forest cover in the State has increased by 20.20 sq km. However, going deeper into district-wise statistics reveals that the State’s capital has abysmally low forest cover of just 3.20 sq km. Whereas, Gadchiroli has retained its position as the district with the ..

MESTA to start offline classes in member-schools from today

Maharashtra English School Trustees Association (MESTA) has decided to start offline classes in 18,000 member-schools imparting education in English medium from Monday. MESTA has requested the administration not to take action against the schools as the decision is in the larger interest of students. “Not being able to attend offline classes is causing a learning loss to students. It has been proven time and again that they are unable to understand the subject well when they take online classes. ..

Four of a family killed in mishap near Pandhurna

Four persons from Nagpur were killed on the spot while three seriously injured when the four-wheeler Tavera, which they were travelling in, was hit by a speeding truck near Pandhurna in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh early Sunday morning. The deceased are identified as Bayyabai Haridas Nandanwar (56), her son Mahesh Nandanwar (29), daughter Archana Ganesh Khapre (33) and Pramod Dashrath Dharmik (22). All were residents of Panchpaoli area of Nagpur. According to police, Ganesh Vasudev Khapre ..

‘Collarwali Baghin’, mother to 29 cubs, dies in Pench

‘Collarwali’, the famous tigress of Madhya Pradesh’s Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), who had earned the tag of ‘supermom’ for giving birth to 29 cubs, died on Saturday evening. Collarwali (T-15 tigress) died due to old age at Pench Reserve in Seoni district. She was the eldest tigress amongst tigers in Madhya Pradesh and lived with record age of 16.5 years. The carcass was found by the forest officials at compartment number 589 at Kumbhadev Beat of Karmajhiri Circle under PTR. She had given birth to 29 ..

New variant of ganja, OG Kush making waves in city

Even as cops are after the drug peddlers in a bid to disband the chain of drug smugglers in the city, a strain of marijuana - ‘OG Kush’ or simply ‘hybrid ganja’ is quietly gaining popularity among the addicts. The youth are increasingly accessing the contraband as the tight grip on part of city police machinery has made availability of mephedrone, marijuana and charas quite difficult. Since last one year, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar has directed the energy of cops in busting the drug ..

Once upon a time, Vidarbha was habitat of Cheetah

With the release of the report ‘Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India’ by Wildlife Institute of India, National Tiger Conservation Authority, and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, much is being talked about reintroduction of Cheetah in India. Though the Cheetah is proposed to be reintroduced in Kuno National Park, the report offers historical insight about the animal and brings out that Vidarbha region of Maharashtra was a habitat for Cheetah at least 131 years ago. Exam..

Only 3% domestic workers in distt received financial aid during COVID-19: RTI reply

Despite the tall assurances by the State Government, only three per cent of domestic workers in Nagpur district got financial help during COVID-19 period. A reply to an application under Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed this. According to Nitin Meshram of Youth for Unity and Voluntary action (YUVA), during COVID-19 period, financial assistance fund of Rs 44,53,500/- was received from Maharashtra Domestic Workers’ Welfare Board by Nagpur district for disbursement to registered domestic workers. ..

Unseasonal rains, hailstorm damage crops in 29,231.19 Ha in division

The unseasonal rains and hailstorm a few days ago has wreaked havoc for farmers in several villages in six districts of Nagpur Division. As per the preliminary assessment, crops in 29,231.19 hectares in Nagpur Division have suffered damage. As per the data with the administration, farmers in 1,377 villages in Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli districts have suffered crop damage due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm. Apart from damage caused to crops in 29,231.19 hectares, ..

GRP Nagpur double the detection rate in cellphone theft cases

Retrieving cellphones stolen from running trains is one of the most difficult tasks for the police as either the thief or the victim covers a distance of hundreds of kilometres before the incident comes to fore. However, the Government Railway Police (GRP) Nagpur seems to have managed to find a solution to the arduous task. Continuous tracking of the gadgets and regular follow up of the cases is helping the railway police to double the detection rate in cellphone theft cases, within a year. Moreover, ..

Tiger corridors in part of Central Indian landscape have largest forest cover, but..

   THE‘India State of Forest Report2021’ released onThursday presents an interesting assessment of forest cover in tiger corridors. It brings out that the tiger corridors in Central Indian landscape passing through parts of Vida..

ACB nabs forester while accepting bribe of Rs 50000 ACF is co-accused

  ANTI-CORRUPTION Bureau (ACB) Nagpur on Friday arrested a forester of Ramtek Forest Range for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 50,000 from an accused in Indian Forest Act case. ACB also booked an Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) in the ..

CBI nabs Amravati SBI employee for demanding Rs 10,000 bribe

  CITY-BASED Anti-Corruption Unit of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday caught Amar Khade, an employee of State Bank of India (SBI), Home Loan Department (RACC), Camp Branch, Amravati, and his conduit one Nikhil red-handed for deman..

RLC advises GM SECR to settle industrial dispute with employees on HRA row

 By Sagar Mohod IN A rare move, Regional Labour Officer (Central) has chosen to point out to General Manager of the Indian Railways the need for reconciliation of official stance vis-a-vis stance of employees and that too in midst of conciliation pro..

Thanks to cloudy weather & shower, Nagpurians feel chill in the air

   CLOUDY weather prevailed in Nagpur city throughout Friday. Clubbed with it, spells of rainfall added to the chill in the air. Though the minimum temperature actually rose from 14 degrees Celsius on Thursday to 17.4 degrees Celsius on Fri..

‘Much to be done for awareness about green fuel’

  Team Somalwar School Maa Umiya (CBSE)Branch conducts survey on Green FuelGREEN Fuel, also known as biofuel, is a type of fuel distilled from plants and animal matter innovated in the desperate search for alternative energy sources. Green Fuel ..

Land fraud: 11 booked for duping NIT of over Rs 71.04 crore

  WATHODA Police on Thursday booked 11 persons for allegedly duping Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) of over Rs 71.04 crore by illegally selling out 19.10 acre land leased out to them. The accused have been identified as Mahipat Shendre (65), Gaja..

Decadal decline in forest cover in 4 out of 5 tiger reserves in Vidarbha

What was long suspected has come out on record. The Forest Survey of India (FSI), on Thursday, released its biennial ‘India State of Forest Report’ which revealed that four out of five tiger reserves in Vidarbha region registered decline in forest cover in the decade between 2011 and 2021. The report brings out change in forest cover of tiger reserves by comparing the data of assessments in 2011 and 2021. Nationally, the report brings out that there has been decadal decline in forest cover across ..

NIT’s park given to NMC needs heavy repairs, says committee of corporators

A committee of corporators submitted its report about factual status of parks that were transferred to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) by Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT). The report was submitted to Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari on Thursday wherein they recommended heavy repairs in majority as the prevailing condition was quite bad. Ever since NIT handed over these parks to NMC, it stopped payment of old bills of contractors appointed for maintenance. The committee was constituted under the chairmanship ..

MSEDCL’s Rs 11,401 cr loan gets State Govt’s guarantee

Maharashtra Government has stamped its guarantee on Rs 11,401 crore of loan being raised by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to bridge the financial losses it incurred in aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. After the Cabinet gave its approval, the Finance Department issued a notification outlining the modalities of drawing the loan from financial institutions and also waived off the duty to be paid for mortgage. The COVID-19 induced lockdown in aftermath of first phase ..

CJM rejects bail plea of five accused in stationery scam

In a setback to accused in the stationery scam in NMC, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) rejected their bail application on Thursday. The accused who moved bail application included contractors-Padmakar Sakore and Atul Sakore, GAD clerk Mohan Padvanshi, Auditor Ashfaq Ahmed and Account Officer Rajesh Meshram. The five have been accused of issuing bills worth lakhs of rupees without a work order, using important passwords without authorisation, passing bills with bogus signatures of officials, embezzling ..

Hike in fines making motorists extra cautious

The revised fines as per the amended Motor Vehicles Act are showing the effect on the roads as most of the motorists are becoming cautious about the rules due to heavy fines. The total fines executed have increased. However, almost half of the cases including unauthorised parking and dangerous driving have been sent to court as per the new amendment...

11 skulls, bones of babies found in Arvi hospital’s biogas plant

Skeletons have quite literally begun to tumble out from the closet of Dr Kadam’s Hospital in Arvi. Already under the scanner after a case of illegal abortion of a 13-year-old girl came to fore recently, police team has now found 54 bones and 11 skulls of babies from the biogas plant situated on the premises of the hospital. Investigating Officer Dr Jyotsana Giri informed that all the bones and skulls had been handed over to Medical Officer dr Hemant Patil for tests. The court had granted a day’s police ..

Taken to hospital for check-up, accused flees from police custody

ONE of the two thieves arrested by Sonegaon Police in a theft case escaped from Government Medical College & Hospital (GMC&H) in the small hours of Wednesday. Condition of accused Pankanj Kanhaiyyalal Urkude (20), a resident of Mahakali Nagar, Beltarodi, who was in the police custody, started deteriorating and was admitted to Government Medical College & Hospital on Tuesday. Around 1.45 am on Wednesday, he dodged the cops deployed near the ward and ran away. After arresting Pankanj Urkude (20) ..

Minor minerals: State allows mining at night if required, revises royalty rates

Maharashtra Cabinet, in its meeting held on Wednesday in Mumbai, gave its nod to allowing extraction and transport of minor minerals at night, ‘if required’ for infrastructure and water resources projects of Central or State Governments. Besides, it also cleared revision in rates of royalty and dead rent for 31 minor minerals. Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting. State Cabinet gave its nod to effecting requisite amendments in this regard to Maharashtra Minor Minerals Extraction ..

Finally, Mah Govt forms State Tree Authority

To improve the forest cover and conserve heritage trees in Maharashtra, the State Government, on Monday, finally constituted the Maharashtra State Tree Authority exactly seven months after amending the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. In the notification, government declared about the formation of the State Tree Authority and appointed a Chairman and three members. The recent amendment has classified 50-year-old trees as heritage and the permission of the felling ..

Doctorate cop Chaitali hopes her work helps Police Department

Receiving Ph D is a great honour in itself. After much toiling, one receives Ph D. Obviously, when one gets Ph D which is much higher degree, one starts thinking to go to higher position in his or her career. But Chaitali Pagul, Assistant Sub-Inspector working with Nagpur Police (Rural) at Wireless unit, thinks differently. She chose her subject of research with a thought that the subject would help her enhance the quality of her department. Very few people have such magnamity where they contemplate ..

Dr Penna takes charge as Officiating V-C of KKSU

Dr Madhusudan Penna, took charge as Officiating Vice-Chancellor of Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University (KKSU) from Prof Srinivasa Varakhedi who has been appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi. Governor of Maharashtra who is Chancellor of all the State universities made the appointment of Dr Penna, winner of Sahitya Academy, Dean of Indian Religion, Philosophy and Culture. Welcoming the appointment of Dr Penna as Officiating Vice-Chancellor, Prof Varakhedi expressed ..

Lack of basic amenities fails to deter Shravani from cracking scholarship exam

 Shravani Khobragade (middle) with her parents- Pramod and Sneha (left) and teacher Shrikant Agarkar and Supervisor Renuka Khalatkar on right.   Principal Correspondent : Shravani Khobragade is daughter of daily wage labourer &nbs..

Four police stations get new Senior Police Inspectors

Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar on Tuesday appointed four new senior Police Inspectors (PI) at Ambazari, Gittikhadan, Ajni and Rana Pratap Nagar police stations. As per the order, Sr PI of Ambazari police station Ashok Bagul will be replaced by Sr PI of Gittikhadan police station Gajanan Kalyankar. PI Bapu Dhere of Economic Offences Wing (EoW) has been appointed as the Sr PI of Gittikhadan police station...

‘City’s GHG emission increases ten-fold from 2005 to 2019’

The economy-wide green house gas (GHG) emission of Nagpur has increased ten-fold from 2005 to 2019 and it will further increase 348 percent from 2015 to 2030 if no proper action is taken, revealed a preliminary GHG inventory and climate action plan roadmap presented by Vasudha Foundation recently. The emission profile also reveals that, up to 2019, energy sector emission (mainly from thermal power plants) were 54.2 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2e), which are expected to climb ..

Nagpur FDA to keep vigil on sale of fake Tocilizumab

Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Nagpur division has received directives from Dr V G Somani, Drugs Controller General (India), to keep vigil on the activities of distribution and sale of suspected spurious Tocilizumab 400 mg/20ml injections in India. “Acting on the directives, Nagpur FDA has started monitoring the distribution and sale of Tocilizumab injection in the division. Inspections, visits and tracking of the stock have been started in the division,” said FDA Joint Commissioner, Dr P M Ballal, ..

‘Three years since launch of NCAP, Maharashtra yet to identify pollution sources’

Being one of the most urbanised States in the country, Maharashtra is taking baby steps towards implementation of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to improve its air quality and the progress so far is also very scarce and shoddy, reveals Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in a report released recently. In January 2019, Government of India had launched country’s first NCAP with an intent to improve the country’s air quality on a war-footing. However, three years since the programme ..

Slow start to booster dose drive

Booster dose of COVID-19 preventive vaccine received warm response as throughout district on first day around 2,076 beneficiaries turned up at vaccine centers in city. From Monday onwards, as per directives of Government, booster dose for senior citizens of 60 years and above and for front-line workers was started in city. However, given the prevailing frosty weather, many of the elderly people preferred to stay indoors. It explains the reason for lesser number of people being jabbed on first day ..

22 cops, including 3 PIs, test positive for Covid-19

Twenty two police personnel including five officers of Nagpur city police have tested positive for Covid-19. All these police personnel are asymptomatic and have been put into home isolation as precautionary measure, informed Dr Sandip Shinde, Chief Medical Officer of Nagpur Police hospital, adding that all these patients have taken both the doses of vaccine against Covid-19. Dr Shinde said that the policemen tested positive in last four days. A top official of Crime Investigation Department (CID), ..

46% seats of BE First Year remain vacant in State

After completion of admission process, Maharashtra as usual has witnessed 46% seats remaining vacant in First year of Bachelor of Engineering (BE). After taking several measures by State Government, the vacancy in engineering course is not going down. Similarly, BArch, too, faced around same percentage of vacancy. Unlike last year, surprisingly, 20% seats remained vacant in MBA. Last year, MBA seats were filled completely. Over the period of years, a lot of engineering seats are going vacant. Government ..

Shakambhari Navratri: A festival to pay gratitude to Mother Earth

India is an agriculture country and all festivals in Indian culture are dedicated to agriculture. Every Indian month right from Chaitra to Falgun has number of festivals which are celebrated with one single reason to pay gratitude to mother earth and nature. Shakambhari Navratri is a festival dedicated to mother earth as it feeds the population of the world with vegetables, fruits etc. According to Indian culture, the period from Pousha Shukla Ashthami to Pousha Pournima is celebrated as Shakambhari ..

NMC increases amount of fine to ensure CAB

To ensure Covid-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), Nagpur Municipal Corporation has increased component of fines so that violations are dealt with iron hand. Given the emergence of Omicron variant of COVID-19 which is highly contagious, it is imperative that all stakeholders stick to norms. Hence, for first violation the fines range from Rs 500 to upto Rs 50,000 depending upon gravity and category of violator. Further, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B in the new order promulgated on Sunday, has ..

JeM terrorist case: Nagpur police probing involvement of local man

Interrogation of recently arrested Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist in Jammu & Kashmir revealed that a Nagpur based man was tasked by JeM to provide logistic support to the terrorist during his Nagpur visit in July this year. However, the alleged JeM man withdrew himself from the operation for unknown reasons. The Nagpur police are now probing the case to identify the local man and to put him behind the bars. Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar informed ‘The Hitavada’ that the information about ..

Single-day COVID-19 cases cross 800 mark in district

Sunday saw surge in single-day COVID-19 cases in Nagpur district. The RTPCR testing also increased and crossed 10,000 mark. With 832 persons testing positive for coronavirus in Nagpur district, the cumulative cases reached 4,97,588. Nagpur rural, too, is witnessing spike in cases as it reported 80 cases in one single-day while city’s count reached whopping 723. Of the total single-day cases, 29 persons, who tested positive, are not the residents of Nagpur district. Number of persons becoming free ..

NMC to convert solid waste into CNG: Mayor

Presenting report of one year tenure as Mayor, Dayashankar Tiwari mentioned that despite much time being wasted in dealing with health emergencies, the performance was satisfactory, wherein many new concepts were introduced in Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Overall the period was quite challenging, Mayor said had he got much more time at disposal perhaps many of the projects would have got completed in time. Interacting with newspersons on Sunday, Mayor listed out various upcoming tasks, with ..

JeM terrorist was preparing for ‘fidayeen’ attack at RSS HQ

THE Pakistan-based handlers of the recently arrested Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist in Jammu & Kashmir were preparing him to carry out ‘fidayeen’ attack at headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Mahal. Before getting the final assignment, the youth was sent to Nagpur to conduct reconnaissance of RSS headquarters and Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan in Reshimbagh to get familiar with it and areas around, a police official privy to the investigation told ‘The Hitavada’. According to information ..

Prof Srinivasa Varakhedi appointed V-C of Central Sanskrit University

Prof Srinivasa Varakhedi, Vice-Chancellor of Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University (KKSU), Ramtek, has been appointed Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of prestigious Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi. Prof Varakhedi received the appointment letter from Ministry of Education, Government of India on Friday evening. The Central Sanskrit University has 12 campuses, an open study centre and many affiliated colleges under its umbrella. During the four years of his term at KKSU, Ramtek, he was instrumental ..

500 mm pipeline damaged at Futala; OCW blames Maha Metro vendor

The 500 mm diameter Futala feeder pipeline that supplies water to entire Futala area and areas along Amravati Road got damaged on Saturday morning, following which water got accumulated at the site of work of ambitious Futala beautification project. Orange City Water (OCW) accused Maha Metro vendor of damaging the pipeline opposite Futala lake ‘for the third time’, and lodged a complaint in this regard at Ambazari Police Station. In response, Maha Metro officials said that Maha Metro would carry out ..

Col Pimpalkhute: ‘Artillery Man’ of Bangladesh Liberation War

Listening from a brave soldier about his experiences of war always gives an exhilarating feeling. Colonel Manohar Ramchandra Pimpalkhute (retd), the ‘Artillery Man’ of Bangladesh Liberation War, has so much to share from those days in life that a soldier actually lives for, fighting for his Motherland. Col Pimpalkhute hails from Nagpur. He started his journey with the Indian Army on May 3, 1964. Commissioned as Second Lieutenant at the age of 27 years, Col Pimpalkhute got his first posting with ..

Trio kills youth over petty issue in Hudkeshwar

SENSATION prevailed in Hudkeshwar area after two brothers and a juvenile delinquent brutally killed a youth with sharp-edged weapons over a petty issue Friday night. Identified as Jitendra Vikas Chopde (25), the deceased was a resident of Pipla Fata. Cops arrested accused Vijay Rajesh Ugreja (28), his brother Ravi Ugreja, both residents of 136, Swarbandhe Layout,..

Refrain from fraudulence

Devotees from various places were coming to seek blessings of Shri Guru Gobind Singhji. Guruji was conversing with his devotees. Suddenly, He became silent and shut his eyes. Devotees also were silent. After a few minutes, Guruji opened his eyes and told a Sevadar about a Sikh who was weeping under a tree. Guruji told the Sevadar, “At times, he becomes silent and then suddenly starts speaking to himself. Bring that Sikh to me with love and affection.” The Sevadar reached the place where Guruji had ..

Security beefed up after JeM terrorist’s recce of RSS HQ

  SECURITY in and around the Headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other vital installations in the Second Capital has been beefed up after one of the terrorists arrested by Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Police a couple of days a..

NMC’s casual approach puts Ajni RoB in peril

 Casual approach on part of officials of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has again put Ajni railway overbridge (RoB) in peril apart from creating hurdles in smooth flow of vehicular traffic. The short-height vertical rail bars affixed to restrict ..

Massive surge in COVID-19 cases; 698 more test +ve

  All is not well on novel coronavirus front in Nagpur district. On Friday, COVID-19 cases reached close to 700. Active cases have now crossed 2,000 mark. Fortunately, with three digit recovery, the fall in recovery rate is marginal and nobody ..

Flt Lt S G Khonde: The aviator who bombed Tezgaon

  By Kaushik BhattacharyaFlt Lt Shrikrishna Gajanan Khonde, who has a garden and a road in his name in the city, laid down his life at the age of just 29 years in the line of duty, following the highest traditions of the Indian Air Force during ..

Man-animal conflict set to intensify: 200 tigers in Chanda distt, 165 cubs in Vid

  The conflict between humans and wildlife, especially tigers, is likely to intensify in days to come. As per the latest assessment of the Forest Department, apart from around 200 tigers in Chandrapur district alone of Vidarbha, presence of 165 ..

Aditya Thackeray slams MPCB, MahaGenco on fly ash issue

Taking stock of fly ash menace in Koradi and Khaparkheda thermal power plant area, Maharashtra’s Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray, on Thursday, slammed Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MahaGenco) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for showing callous attitude in 100% utilisation of fly ash and pollution mitigation. Thackeray chaired a meeting through video conferencing to review a case filed by Nagpur-based environment activists in National Green Tribunal (NGT) against ..

Rs 25,000 fine if attendance at weddings exceeds 50

Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has imposed stricter restriction on gatherings and capped attendance at marriage ceremonies to just 50 persons. In another important development on Thursday, city police are empowered to take action in cases of violation of the new norms. Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B, on Thursday, issued a fresh notification about curtailing invitees numbers at the functions after city recorded a significant rise in COVID-19 positive cases. Invoking the powers vested with ..

COVID-19: About 15,000 active cases in district

Not panic, but fear among citizens is palpable due to sudden surge in number of people testing positive for the novel coronavirus. The biggest surge of positive cases in the State has made people feel that it is unsafe to venture out without adhering to COVID-19 protocols. Though the district administration is monitoring the arrangements and assuring citizens about its preparedness, people did not forget the harrowing situation most of them faced during second wave of the pandemic last year. With ..

Resignation of Med Superintendent, closure of 2 SSH deptts rock GMCH

Amid rising cases of COVID-19, it seems Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is in the trouble of its own. It all began with the resignation of Dr Avinash Gawande, Medical Superintendent whose administration during previous surges of the coronavirus cases in the city was commendable. A day before, 160 medical teachers resigned from the Post Graduate Guideship. Now, two important departments in Super Speciality are on the verge of closure. Dr Avinash Gawande has rendered service as Medical ..

Bharat Jadhav strikes ‘Sahi’ chord with audience, again!

After the lockdowns and closure of auditoriums due to COVID-19 pandemic and amid emergence of Omicron variant infections, Nagpurians were witness to laugh riot Marathi drama ‘Punha Sahi Re Sahi’. The rib-tickling comedy with addition of witty dialogues won laughter, and the lead actor Bharat Jadhav won the hearts of Nagpurians with the way he tackled mid-show interruptions due to sound issues. On Maharashtra tour, Bharat Jadhav’s drama is a renewed version of the original record-breaking ‘Sahi Re ..

Schools for Class 1 to 8 to run online till January 31

Considering the rise in number of cases of COVID-19 and its Omicron variant, Dr Nitin Raut, Guardian Minister, announced on Wednesday that no offline classes would be condcuted for Std 1 to 8 in any of Nagpur schools from Thursday till January 31. Dr Raut reviewed the preparedness of the administration and healthcare facilities. On Wednesday, he visited Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH), All India Institute of Medical Sciences ..

Big surge: COVID-19 cases cross 400 mark

The number 404 in computer language is treated as an error. People of the district prayed it was an erroneous entry indeed as messages about 404 people testing positive in the district in a single day made rounds late in the evening. While Nagpur was the major contributor, other Vidarbha districts also recorded high number of cases taking the tally of cases to a whopping 608 on Wednesday. In last just 11 days the number of new COVID-19 cases have registered massive increase and positivity rate of ..

160 medical teachers in GMCH resign from PG guideship

In the wake of non-fulfillment of demands by Medical Education Minister, 160 medical teachers in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) have resigned from the Post Graduate (PG) guideship. In a letter given to Amit Deshmukh, Medical Education Minister, the Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) has said, “All the medical teachers worked hard in two waves of COVID-19 at the cost of own and their family. We consulted you and Secretary regarding the allowances and some other demands. ..

Both jabs compulsory for jungle safari in TATR

Keeping the whopping rise in Covid-19 cases in Vidarbha in mind, the management of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) has decided that tourists wanting to undertake jungle safari must have both jabs of vaccine. TATR management in a press release stated, “Tourists, guides, Gypsy drivers, nature experts, gate manager and employees must have both jabs of vaccine. Otherwise, the management will not allow any one inside the forest area. The double dose means, people who took the second dose at least 15 ..

NMC’s noble gesture to honour freedom fighters

Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to put up a board at the houses of freedom fighters detailing their role in Indian freedom struggle. As part of the ongoing celebrations of 75 years of Indian freedom, the civic body decided to honour 300 freedom fighters in recognition of their sterling contribution. Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari reviewed the progress on the plan and directed officials to expedite the project at the earliest. At the meeting held in civic headquarters at Civil Lines on Wednesday, ..

Cotton surpasses historic Rs 10,000/quintal mark in Vid

PREVAILING market conditions seem to have been proving a game changer for cotton as its price has surpassed the historic Rs 10,000 per quintal mark on Tuesday. It is for the first time in the history when raw cotton has fetched the farmers Rs 10,200 per quintal. Many dealers based in the Hinganghat Madni (in Wardha district) and farmers confirmed that the price of the farm produce made a record high on Tuesday. It is important to note that the prices of cotton were going through the roof in the current ..

NMC’s Taxation Committee bats for waiver of property tax upto 500 sq ft

THE Taxation and Tax Collection Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding waiver of property tax for property upto 500 sq.ft. in city. City fathers too joined the chorus demanding parity with Brihanmumbai Mumbai Corporation (BMC) where Maharashtra Government agreed to waive property tax for 500 sq.ft. properties. The announcement by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray a few days back for properties in Mumbai city evoked similar demands with local ruling Bharatiya ..

Sanskrit University gets NAAC A+ grade

NATIONAL Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) has awarded A+ grade to Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University (KKSU), Ramtek. The grade points the university scored is 3.42. It is a big leap for KKSU as in last NAAC report it was awarded B++ grade and it had scored one point less than its score in present NAAC inspection. In last week of December 2021, a 4-members NAAC team led by Prof Dharmarajam P K, ex-Vice Chancellor of Shri Shankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kaladi, Kerala, had inspected ..

CP fetes 75 police officers for their outstanding contribution to deptt

COMMISSIONER of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumarfelicitated as many as 75 police officers working at differentpolicestationsunderZone (III) area for their outstanding contribution to the department in 2021. Organised as a part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mohotsav,’ the programme was held on the Raising Day of Maharashtra Police at the historic Kotwali Police Station on Sunday. Joint Commissioner of Police AswathiDorje,AdditionalCP(North Region) Navindra Reddy, DCP (Traffic) Sarang Awhad and DCP (Zone III) Gajanan ..

MoEF&CC issues new notification for fly ash utilisation by TPPs

Though the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) took a bold step by notifying the latest amendments to the Environment (Protection) Act for better monitoring and utilisation of fly ash by coal-based thermal power plants (TPPs) in the country, its implementation is going to be a hectic task for the Government. Fly ash can be used extensively in construction works but due to improper handling, it ends up in neglected ash ponds in dangerous quantities, polluting surface ..

All departments must work in tandem for tiger conservation: Chief Minister

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday, instructed all departments, including MSEDCL, Police, Revenue, Forest etc., to come forward and work together for tiger conservation in the State. “Co-ordination of all departments is needed for tiger conservation in the State. The district-level Tiger Room which was constituted under the presidentship of Commissioner of Police should conduct regular meetings for better co-ordination,” said Uddhav Thackeray during an on-line meeting conducted by Forest Department..

‘Skill was the potent weapon for helicopter pilots in 1971 war’

Everyone knows about the famous Battle of Longewala and the valour of the Indian Army, during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. But, there is more to the story of how Pakistani tanks were destroyed with precision by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Even the IAF aircraft received precise locations of enemy tanks, from the highly skilled helicopter pilots. It is a matter of great pride that one such helicopter pilot -- Group Captain A G Bendre -- is a Nagpurian. The Battle of Longewala was one of the first major ..

CBI officer killed in road mishap near VCA Stadium

SUB-INSPECTOR Himanshu Udaysingh Meena, attached to Nagpur-based Anti-Corruption Branch of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was killed after he lost control of his speeding car and dashed against a roadside tree near Checkers Restaurant, VCA Stadium, Civil Lines in the wee hours of Monday. A resident of CPWD Colony, Seminary Hills, Meena (27) attended a party with his friends on Sunday night. He was returning home in a Maruti WagonR car (MH-31/FR-4741) around 3.30 am on Monday. Near VCA Stadium, ..

4 women labourers killed in mishap at Katol

New year started on a grimy note as in a road mishap that occurred in early hours of Sunday about four women labourers were killed while seven others sustained grievous injuries. The incident occurred on Isapur-Ghumdme road under the jurisdiction of Katol police station. The accident occurred when the Bolero that was carrying the labourers veered off the road and rammed into road side tree. As per the police, the Bolero (MH-36/F-3163) was being driven at break neck speed when the driver lost control ..

Elusive crocodile crawls into trap n Joint team succeeds in caging the reptile in just 24 hours

The 5-feet-long elusive crocodile of Nag river was finally captured after 15 days by the forest team with help of four-member reptile rescue team of Kolhapur Forest Circle on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday. After reaching Nagpur on Saturday afternoon, the expert team from Kolhapur started operation with the help of forest team. Initially, they visited the backside of the Maharajbag Zoo where the cage was placed to capture the reptile. The expert rescue team placed another cage on the ..

NMC’s half-hearted attempt puts Ajni RoB in danger

Half-hearted attempt on part of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) continues to push Ajni Railway over bridge (RoB) in a danger zone as unchecked movement of heavy vehicle continues to take it toll. Already a glimpse of unchecked speed on RoB was witnessed a few days earlier when a four wheeler damaged part of the boundary wall. That was a warning call and it knocked civic officials from their deep slumber and they quickly affixed horizontal poles as was decided. However one expected NMC to complete ..

Historian claims jumbos on ancestral trail

A herd of elephants had entered Vidarbha’s Gadchiroli district in mid-October last year. The jumbos then moved into Chandrapur’s Brahmapuri tehsil and after meandering in the tehsil went back to Gadchiroli. Now, a well-known historian Ashoksingh Thakur has put forth the theory that the elephants might have landed in the district owing to their ancestral roots in Gondwana forest. The herd has migrated from Odisha and via Chhattisgarh forest. They were spotted in Usegaon and Kondhala villages adjoining ..

Muted celebrations, anxiety, hope -- city ushers in 2022

DILEMMA, fear, and anxiety cast their big shadows on the mood as the city ushered in 2022 with scaled-back celebrations. For another year, Nagpur witnessed muted celebrations to welcome the New Year following strict restrictions put in place by the administration after the sudden spike in cases. Fireworks did light up some parts of the city’s skyline at the stroke of midnight as a few souls went ahead undeterred to welcome 2022. However, the dilemma of ‘to party or not to party’ forced the revellers ..

State Govt extends early benefit scheme for EV till March 31

The Government of Maharashtra has extended the early benefit scheme for select electric vehicle (EV) buyers till March 31, 2022, recently. Earlier, the scheme was set to end on December 31, 2021. The development was communicated by the government vide a Government Resolution (GR) of December 29, 2021. The GR also stated that the Government, semi-government and State Government vehicles purchased after January 1, 2022 must be a battery-run or electric vehicle. Similarly, after April 1, 2022, the ..

Gp Capt Suresh Ratnaparkhi (Retd): The fighter pilot who bombed Dhaka to stop Pak Sabers

Gp Capt Suresh Ratnaparkhi (Retd), who carried out air strike on Dhaka air field to stop Pakistani Saber jets in 1971 war, shared his war memories with The Hitavada. The air warrior shared many other memories of the war in which he was personally involved and bravely contributed to the grand victory. “During the 1971 Operations, I was a Squadron Leader borne in No. 4 Squadron IAF flying Mig 21 FL (Oorials) from Tezpur, Assam. I had reported to the squadron around mid February 1971 and by October 71,” ..

FSSAI lifts ban on Methycobalamin

After a long debate of over five years on the use of Methycobalamin, commonly known as Vitamin B12, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has removed the ban on it. FSSAI has recently mentioned that it has listed all Vitamin B12 derivatives, including Methycobalamin , under Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Foods and Novel Foods) Regulations, 2016 through amendments gazette ..

Crocodile rescue team arrives; another cage with bait placed

A four-member team from Kolhapur wildlife division arrived in the city on Saturday afternoon to rescue the elusive crocodile in Nag river. The team consists of a veterinarian and three reptile experts. The team visited the spot on the backside of Maharajbag zoo where the forest team is keeping vigil on the crocodile for last 10 days. “The team has already visited the spot and erected one more cage. Now, we have laid two traps with baits on both sides of the river at the spot. Our team is monitoring ..

Surge in COVID-19 cases; district records 90 new single-day cases

 The year 2021 started with torrent of coronavirus cases and ended also with surge in single day cases. Number of cases reported on Friday are almost three times the number of cases registered on Thursday. For the last whole week the district saw sud..

Admin tightens curbs; fine for violating COVID-19 norms

  With alarming rise in number of COVID-19 cases in Nagpur city as well as the rural areas of district, theadministration has tightened curbs. On the eve of New Year, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the district administration both issued..

City Police set up Defence Forces Help Desk

  City Police have established a Defence Forces Help Desk at the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) office in Civil Lines here. For any grievance regarding their complaints, Defence personnel and their family members can contact the Defence Forces Hel..

Stationery scam: Mayor constitutes 4-member probe panel

 The general body meeting of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on the last day of the year 2021 was a lengthy one, and stormy too. Among several other issues raised, stationery scam attracted a lot of attention. After discussion and demand from corp..

Dr Raut objects to viewing gallery at Futala, calls for probe

  The viewing gallery being erected on one side of Futala lake is set to mar the view of the lake from the road violating conservation of heritage bye-laws. Dr Nitin Raut, Guardian Minister of Nagpur has raised a strong objection to it. Dr Raut,..

Only 50.56% of DPC funds utilised in 8 months this year

Nagpur district appears to be lagging in utilisation of funds released to it under District Annual Plan for the year 2021-22. As it came out in the meeting of District Planning Committee (DPC) at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall here on Thursday, only 50.56 per cent of funds released could be utilised in the eight months -- April to November 2021. Dr Nitin Raut, Guardian Minister of district, expressed displeasure over this and directed the officials concerned to ensure that 100 per cent of the DPC funds ..