PMC Analysed 35 Child Deaths, Below One Year, Between May 2012 And January 2013

Pune: Low birth weight, a common cause of infant death in rural areas, is also the leading factor linked with infants’ death in Pune, states the latest child death audit report of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). What is more worrying is that preventable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and jaundice continue to cause child deaths in the city.

‘Pune, Mumbai, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Thane Should Go For 100% Metered Supply’

Pune: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said that the Pune city was not using water in a ‘sensible’ way and that such ‘luxury’ cannot be afforded on the backdrop of the unprecedented drought situation in the state. “There is severe drought in the state. Crops are drying and dairy business is affected. It’s a big challenge to keep the cattle alive… If we are not able to sustain drinking water supply, we will face an unprecedented situation... Pune is not using water in a sensible way... we cannot afford this luxury when the drought is so bad,” the chief minister said.

Pune: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said that the state government was preparing a new legislation to set rules for integrated urbanization.

“Today over 50% of the population in the state lives in urban areas and more villages are merging with urban areas. Urban governance has become challenge in Pune, Mumbai and other cities. With rising population, cities are planning metro, mono rails and the BRTS. There is a need to go for integrated urbanization and the government plans a new legislation to set new rules in this regard” Chavan said.

14 Deaths Reported Last Year

Pune: The estimated tiger population in the state has increased from 169 (in 2010) to around 200 at present. While the population has increased, one of the major concerns for the government is poaching. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said that the government is taking strong steps to curb poaching of tigers and other wild animals.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting of the state wildlife board, Chavan said it has been found that tigers are being poached by electrocution. MSEDCL’s 11 KW lines pass from four tiger sanctuaries. The poachers use wires attached with hooks to draw current from the overhead high tension lines and electrocute tigers.

MUMBAI: The heavy fog enveloping the city during early mornings is an ominous indicator of Mumbai's deteriorating air quality. Official readings since mid-January evidence that owing to cooler weather and bustle of vehicles and construction, the pollution levels have surpassed the standard limits by two-fold.

According to Mumbai Pollution Control Board logs, pollution levels—particularly nitrogen oxide (NOx) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) —have been exceptionally pernicious the past few days. On January 16, for instance, SPM shot up to as high as 286 micrograms per cubic metre. On January 6, NOx was recorded at 211 micrograms per cubic metre.

The civic administration launched the ‘Swach Mumbai Prabodhan Abhiyan’ on Wednesday, coinciding with the birth anniversary of the late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan kicked off the Rs 95-crore project to enhance garbage clearance. “It is good that such an initiative has been taken by the civic body to ensure cleanliness across the city. We must come together to contribute to the city’s development to make sure our nation is called a ‘developed nation’ rather than ‘developing nation’,” said Bachchan at the event in the Mayor’s bungalow in Dadar.

Irrigation Dept Might Not Sustain Existing Supply If Monsoon Is Delayed, Say Officials

Pune: In the face of an imminent drought, the state government has warned Puneites against “wasting and excess use” of drinking water for non-drinking purposes. Besides, it has categorically stated that no additional quota of water will be granted to the city. High-level meetings of civic officials and the state government representatives in the last two days concluded that it would be difficult for the state irrigation department to sustain existing supply if monsoon is delayed.

Mumbai: Days after the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal in connection with a case of alleged illegal construction on Pune’s Mutha river, but kept open the questions of law involved, the National G

Mumbai: Several times a day, some of the busiest junctions in the suburbs are absolutely free of traffic for several seconds on end. These are the times when the green signal is yet to finish its down-count though vehicles have cleared the road. These are also the very moments when the pulse rate of motorists on the perpendicular road increases by several beats. The BMC says it wants to put an end to such anguish.

By 2017, the civic body intends to finish installing smart signals at 367 of the busiest junctions in the suburbs. At present, 253 such signals exist in south and central Mumbai, which started being installed from 2007 with World Bank funding of Rs 72 crore.

Nuclear energy throughout the world is nearing irrelevance, says John Byrne, Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) and distinguished Professor of the University of Delaware, U.S. He has contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since 1992 and shares the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with IPCC researchers.

Dr. Byrne, who is on a 12-day tour to India, held a meeting with anti-nuclear power activists and villagers of the area in and around the proposed Jaitapur plant. “It seems the people have a number of unanswered questions