Pune: Religious tourism in the state is set to receive a major boost as the Union tourism ministry has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 44 crore for the development of the Solapur mega circuit, which includes the pilgrimage spots of Pandharpur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur and Solapur.

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has received around Rs 92 crore from the ministry for the current fiscal to develop tourism projects in the state. Though a large chunk of the allocation is for the Solapur mega circuit, other tourism projects to be undertaken using the funds include development of the Aurangabad and Satara circuits, setting up chain-link fencing, a watch tower and a parking facility at Kas plateau, and a boat club and adventure sports facility at Panshet.

Rs 280-Cr Plan Focuses On Rehabilitation Of Sahyadri Villages

Kolhapur: The state forest department has submitted the first detailed conservation plan for Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) to the Union ministry of environment and forest. The Rs 280-crore plan focuses on the rehabilitation of villages on the fringe of the reserve and 90% of the proposed funds have been earmarked for it. Sources said the ministry would study the plan and pass it on to the National Tiger Conservation Authority for the final approval.

Civic Body Plans To Mop Up 25 Crore In Penalties By Levying Taxes On 1,250 Towers

Pune: The vexed issue of taxing mobile towers located in the city is likely to be resolved as the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday gave a green signal to penalise illegal towers and regularise them. The committee expects collect Rs 25 crore from the drive.

Temperature Fluctuation, Depleting Immunity Contributing Factors

Pune: Scientists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) have seen a rise of 10% to 15% in swine flu cases in March. “The virus transmission earlier was not more than 2%. We have observed a sharp rise in the transmissibility of the swine flu virus since March,” NIV deputy director and senior scientist Mandeep Chadha told TOI on Monday.

Pune: The number of swine flu deaths in Maharashtra in March this year was more than thrice the number registered in the same month last year.

PUNE: About 17.46 lakh rural population of Pune division is facing severe water scarcity and most of them are dependent on tankers for drinking water supply, said a senior officer from the divisional commissionerate.

The revised report on water scarcity in villages and hamlets stated that 865 villages and 3,823 hamlets in the division are facing severe water crisis. The available sources have dried up and people have to depend on water supplied by the government.

Pune: Two more persons have died of swine flu, one in Pune and the other in Pimpri Chinchwad, taking the total number of deaths due to the infection in both cities to 20 since January. Of these, 13 have occurred in March.

“Santosh Gawade (32), of Jawale village in Ambegaon taluka in Pune district, died of swine flu infection in KEM Hospital at 4.45 am on Thursday,” said S T Pardeshi, medical officer of health (MoH), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Pune: Aerosol density, which cuts down solar radiation from reaching the earth’s surface, was found to be four times higher during Diwali last year as compared to a clear day.

Pune:Thousands of dead fish were floating in Mula river near a crematorium at Wakad on Thursday. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has collected water samples and sent them to the government laboratory.

Executive engineer of the PCMC’s environment department Sanjay Kulkarni said citizens called to report the dead fish around 10 am. A team that rushed to the riverside found the fish floating on one side of the river’s banks.

Pune: A survey conducted by World Bank under its water and sanitation programme for Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has revealed that 53% of the residents surveyed were not satisfied with the timings and duration of water supply.

A total of 5,208 houses were covered by the survey conducted in October-November 2012. The study revealed that only 20% of the people agreed that the timings of water supply at public taps was convenient.