Nagpur Updates

MSEDCL does not want penalties for RE targets

Nagpur: MSEDCL submitted a petition to the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) calling on the Commission not to impose penalties on it for failure to meet renewable energy goals by 2022-23. Despite repeated efforts by MSEDCL to procure power through renewable energy sources, the discom claimed that it did not receive bidders ‘ responses.

MSEDCL had a previous proposal from the Commission to increase the solar target to 13.5 percent from the existing 2.5 percent by 2024-25. The discom contended it was pretty stiff, and that it would not be able to achieve it despite best efforts. By 2024-25 total solar capacity of 12,500 MW would be required to reach the target against the current 4,200 MW capacity. It takes a lot of time to expand the capacity through the competitive bidding process and there were many other factors beyond its control, the discom had said.

The company had floated offers a few weeks ago to buy 1,350MW with a cap of Rs3.15 per unit but only got bids for 5MW. The discom elevated the maximum price for attracting producers. It raised the cap to Rs3.30 per unit, and the tender floated again. Through this petition, MSEDCL urged MERC to revise the ceiling tariff rate for 11 kV-level solar projects with capacity 2 to 10 MW. The hearing on this petition was expected to be held on February 18th but has been indefinitely postponed.

On the one hand, by introducing an unprecedented grid support charge (GSC), MSEDCL is unable to reach its solar goal and on the other, by opposing customers on the solar rooftop.

Kanaka’s 55-song rendition steals the show, winning hearts

Nagpur: The Laxmi Nagar Scientific Society Hall turned musical on Sunday as’ Sur Aur Noor 2′ paid tuneful tributes to Bollywood’s 57 divas through 55 songs that touched the souls and captured the audience’s hearts.

Although Kanak Sur Mandir set the stage for the grand show, on all 55 counts, however, the spotlight was on Kanaka Gadkari who enjoyed the gathering with her hypnotic voice.

The audience was taken on a journey through Bollywood that started with songs picturized on the majestic Madhubala and ended with the amazing Alia Bhatt.

Kanaka was a picture of versatility at its finest with a showcase of various genres including semi-classical, devotional, patriotic and much more.

Anchor Shweta Shelgaonkar made the entertainment healthy by adding a heady dash that included a brief introduction accompanied by anecdotes of each star before each song.

Aaiye meherbaan’ has left the audience spellbound in memory of Madhubala. With the song, ‘ Bindiya chamkegi’ Mumtaz was brought alive, the epitome of beauty.

“Piya baawri” by Ravishing Rekha gave a classy account of the timeless beauty. A further tribute by Kanaka was’ Pyar karne wale pyar karte hain,’ pictured on another diva, Parveen Babi.

The other popular songs left by the audience were’ Panchhi banoo udti phiru,” Barsat mein,” Jaa jaa guafa,” Gore gore baanke chore,” Tadbeer se bigdi hui taqdeer bana le,” Tora mann darpan kehlaye,” Yeh zindagi usi ki,’ and’ Ghadi ghadi mora,’ among others.

The audience was surprised by’ Yeh ishq haaye baithe bithaye,’ filmed on scintillating Kareena Kapoor Khan and’ Pinga,’ pictured on damsels by Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra.

With’ Saawar lun,’ Kanaka sounded melodious, pictured on the starry Sonakshi Sinha.

While’ Ae qatan’ saw the patriotism flow, the audience was entertained by’ Hungama ho gaya,” Ainvayi ainvayi,” Piyu bole’ and’ Beedi jalaile.’

Had it not been for musicians Govind Gadhikar, Moreshwar Dahasahastra, Vishvajeet Paserkar, Gaurav Tanksale, and Sourabh Killedar, the event would have been incomplete.

Vehicles with products that run freely on urban roads

Nagpur: It is illegal to transport rods, pipes, bamboo and other goods that protrude from the body of a vehicle. However, the traffic police are allowing such vehicles to ply freely. A challan is issued at most. As should be the case, the vehicle is not stopped from any further journey.

Traffic police deployed to Japanese Garden Square on Monday morning caught a vehicle with iron frames and tin sheets jutting out of it. The driver was given a challan by two cops but allowed him to take his vehicle. The iron frames on both the front and rear sides were jutting. According to law, the content should be contained within the vehicle’s body and a red sign should be on the back to alert other motorists. There was no such sign on that vehicle.

In accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is a punishable offense under Section 190(2), with a fine of up to Rs2,000 and provision to detain the vehicle as well. Sadar zone traffic police have just issued a challan for Rs200.

With TOI in mind, the cop admitted vehicles carrying material should not be allowed to ply until the goods are unloaded. He could not justify why the vehicle was allowed to move on without unloading the goods. Drivers took advantage of this practice as they could not be fined again by the traffic police on the same day for the same offense.

TOI also noticed a cycle rickshaw carrying bamboo that crossed busy Bole Petrol Pump Square on Amravati Road in a similar way. The rickshaw puller sprang the red signal, too.

Deputy commissioner Chinmay Pandit has always taken action against such vehicles by the traffic police. In 2019, 63,514 vehicles were penalized either for loading goods that exceeded vehicle height or for having goods jutting out.

Traffic activists say that is not sufficient. In addition to being a danger to other road users, particularly two-wheeler riders, allowing drivers to transport goods in such an unsafe way is also a contempt for the order of apex court.

Pandit admitted that such vehicles should not be permitted to ply and be assured of looking into the matter.

Plastic bags banned worth Rs1.5 lakh seized

Nagpur: Banned plastic items worth Rs1.5 lakh were seized by the authorities on Monday during a major raid.

Crime branch 4 of the city police, acting on a tip-off, laid a trap at Chinchbhavan on Wardha Road, where a vehicle was carrying around 1,000 kilograms of banned polythene bags. The team led by police sub-inspector PS Mohekar had the vehicle intercepted.

Wardha Road has become a hotspot for illegal transportation of banned plastic items according to police officials. What is interesting is that the vehicle seized and the accused arrested are all from Wardha.

The two arrested are Ravi Adani, a 30, and Girish Adani, a 32-year-old driver. Police also imposed an Rs5,000 fine on them, as required by the law.

The police handed the confiscated plastic over to the Nehru Nagar district of the Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) of Nagpur Municipal Corporation. This is the first time city police take action against plastic banned. Earlier the NDS and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) carried out such raids.

Around 3,500 kg of banned plastic items had been seized by MPCB along with other civil authorities in March last year. The consignment had been transported from Gujarat to the city and had very thin plastic bags below 20 microns. The authorities confiscated 2,385 kg of banned goods valued at over Rs10 lakh MPCB in October 2018 reportedly shut down all the banned bags manufacturing units in the State.

Creative minds make delicate waste products

Nagpur: In schools, children learn how to make the best of waste. But in a workshop organized by South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), city-based artists and painters took the concept to a high level with creative minds making some of the finest pieces of art.

The center has come up with an innovative idea where scrap and unnecessary items are collected in different organizations and offices to make the best out of the waste. The workshop, titled’ Scrap Workshop,’ will be held at SCZCC from 22 to 28 February. Students and artists demonstrate the best of their ability to produce beautiful objects.

Milind Limbekar, a painter and artist, has taken on the task of using scrap wood to make a huge selfie frame. “I’m working on making a major selfie point that will mimic Nagpur oranges, Zero Mile horses and many more. Hard to do wooden work was a bit difficult but the process was enjoyable, “he said.

Another artist who participates in the workshop, Manoj Chopade, has made a feminine figure of a Bharatanatyam dancer. “I used full scrap metal to piece together the figure. I added descriptions of the dancer’s dress pleats and stance, “he said.

Raw and scrap material such as halogen lights, sheets of metal, and spotlights are given to the artists who make the best of it. “I made a kinetic sculpture for which I used material for the medium metal scrap. Local artists have a great opportunity to show creativity through the craft, “Shekhar Tandekar said.

Students from the fine arts department support these artists and also learn the skills of precision creating these humongous objects. “It was a very successful session, as we are assisting the artists. Every day, we are learning new things, “said fine arts student Nilesh Varbhe.

The event is coordinated by Shashank Dande, program officer at SCZCC, with Muktadevi Mohite, head of the fine arts department. Scarp material is made available to the artists.

Dande said, “This is a great opportunity for fine arts department students as they spend quality time learning and understanding the art. Artists have teams of students and helpers who see to weld and arrange, “he said.

“The laboratory aims to teach people about the importance of turning waste material into eye-catchy artistic pieces of art. Scrap material was collected and provided to the artists whose creative minds immediately began making the best out of it, “Mohite said.

NMC fire department declares 1,482 buildings in fresh survey unsafe

Nagpur: The number of unsafe buildings has increased significantly in the last two years, the latest survey by the fire and emergency services department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) shows. As per the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act 2006 City, the department deemed 1,482 city structures unsafe as of January 20, 2020.

They cover all types, from residential properties to educational institutions, hospitals, industrial structures, bars and restaurants, commercial centers and mixed occupancies. After inspections under two drives, the department collated data on errant systems. In one, 4,433 structures with first fire NOC were assessed by the department, while in the second, before 2006, 994 were inspected which were governed by old norms.

The latter group also comprises 64 places in which tuition classes are offered. The department served notices to disconnect electricity and water supplies in 812 locations. The Department audited another 180 government buildings under the same action plan, officials said.

In a few days, NMC will likely publish a list with the names of these violators on its website.
Officials have said in many cases that the departments of electrical and water supply are reluctant to cut off connections since they include essential services. For example, 141 hospitals have been declared’ unsafe’ but, unless they are vacated, the civic body can not disconnect power and water supply. FIR was recommended for violations in 120 cases but also the cops are reluctant to go ahead.

On August 3, 2018, TOI had stressed that between April 2017 and March 2018, 782 structures out of 1,759 were marked’ unsafe.’ On September 12, 2018, Bombay high court’s Nagpur bench had taken report’s sou motu cognizance and initiated proceedings. In such cases, NMC officials can move the court over inaction from the police.

At the same time, 367 property owners finalized compliance among the 4,433. Of the 994, only 97 have fixed the deviations and taken fire safety measures. The department also brought under its crackdown the old structures as large numbers of people visit those places.

Against the backdrop of the 367 compliances, the jump to 1,482 in unsafe numbers indicates breaches are rampant, while detection has gained too much pace following an HC rap.

Officials said the data gives about 3,300 structures a status of contraventions and a fire and safety audit. The statistics are as they were on January 20, 2020, though inspection by the department is continuing. Officials said around 100 structures are added to the violator list every month. The department has also identified 1,414 structures for which inspection is still to be carried out. The last five years of checks are continuing.

School chale hum: association of Nagpur principals to research performance model for Delhi schools

Nagpur: A group of heads of cities will visit government schools in Delhi to study the turnaround witnessed by these institutions under the Aam Admi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal. Office bearers from the School Headmasters Charitable Association (SHCA) said the visit is likely to occur in the second or third week of March.

SHCA founder-chairman Zafar Khan said, “The Delhi school model is something that needs to be studied in great detail. It is amazing how Kejriwal and the minister of education Manish Sisodiya changed the schools there.

SHCA will visit some of these schools and communicate with officials from the education department in Delhi to understand how the transition has been made. “Khan, who is currently in Delhi, is completing the preliminary formalities for next month’s visit.

SHCA, which represents supported school principals from the district of Nagpur, says this visit is not just for photo-ops. Khan said, “The visit to Delhi and meeting with educational officials will be a precursor to serious introspection among all of us. Back in Nagpur, we’re going to have intense meetings with members and see how we can do the same with Maharashtra schools.

“After these meetings within the fraternity of the principal, SHCA aims to receive feedback from other stakeholders such as parents, teachers, social workers, counselors, etc. and prepare a comprehensive report. Khan said, “Our study will include all aspects of Delhi schools and how that turnaround was achieved.

Then we’ll address ground-level facts about Maharashtra and what needs to be done to replicate the Delhi school success pattern. “SHCA won’t be Nagpur’s first party to go out to Delhi to learn from their performance in schooling. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) also sent a team of corporates and some officials to Delhi last year to survey how the schools work there.

Even MLC Nago Ganar has been a vocal supporter of the Delhi model, representing the teachers ‘ constituency. Ganar said all governments must drastically increase spending on school education to achieve desired outcomes.

Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan gives young people the feeling of being an Indian – Dr. Vikas Mahatme, MP, Rajya Sabha

Nagpur: Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan gives youth who take part in its various initiatives a new identity and strength. It also makes them feel proud to be an India, said Parliament member Dr. Vikas Mahatme, Rajya Sabha.

He inaugurated the National Integration Camp under the’ Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat ‘ campaign today at Mission India campus on Nagpur’s Khadgao Hill. This camp, which runs from 21 to 25 February 2020, was organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYAS). At this camp over 300 youth from around 14 states have gathered to display their cultural talent.

Mr. Udaybir, District Youth Coordinator, gave the outline of the 5-day camp. Yuva Kendra Nehru, Nagpur. Mission India Manager Dr. Regi Lukas said, “We’ve got one life and we’ve got to make the best of it,” and he also said how we can contribute to the development society and the nation as well.

Sharad Salunkhe, Deputy Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Maharashtra, and Goa; Hitendra Vaidya, Coordinator of District Youth, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Bhandara; Snehal Basutkar, Coordinator of District Youth, Nehru Yuva Kendra Amravati; Shivdhan Sharma, Coordinator of District Youth, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Wardha; Shruti Dongare, Coordinator of District Youth, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Gondiya. Mr. Hitendra Vaidya, Manager for Youth in the District. Nehru Yuva Kendra, Bhandara delivered a thank you vote.

Serious water crisis is raging, expert says

Nagpur: Only 3% of all Earth’s water is fresh and fit for consumption. Of this, 68.7 percent are in the form of glaciers, 30% are groundwater and only 0.3% are readily available surface water in the form of lakes and rivers, said Sandeep Shirkhedkar, an alumnus of the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology and state government consultant on Saturday.

Having given a lecture on’ Rainwater harvesting urban and rural water conservation systems,’ organized by the Chitnavis Centre’s Eco Club, he said that everyone should act responsibly and use water wisely.

He said, “Northern India’s groundwater supplies are being depleted according to a NASA satellite survey. That is a grave situation. By the year 2040, one in every four children will thirst, according to WHO. We have entered a situation today where we draw 300-year-old water from the confined groundwater table aquifer. Do we have the right to do this, “he ordered.

Speaking of Nagpur, he said, “A sample study of the rainfall in the city has revealed that it has been the same since the last 20 years (1000 mm). The amount of rain falling is the same but the strength is rising. According to him, all of Nagpur’s monsoon water will fall at this pace in just 10 days.” Shirkhedkar pointed out that the world’s next war is likely to be for water.

“There are so many conflicts between nations, governments, villages and even families over the water. Water usage needs to be optimized. “He concluded the solution to the water crisis lies in building large reservoirs. “Apart from large reservoirs, river linking, small reservoir construction, river diversion, watershed management, water use optimization, community and individual initiative will go a long way.

“Shirkhedkar has designed a wide variety of large and small conservation projects. He spoke about rainwater harvesting, habitat protection, conservation systems, water treatment, do’s and don’ts, people’s participation and numerous case studies.

Hingna Metro Depot ready for May end

Nagpur: The Hingna car depot at MahaMetro, where coaches used in Reach III (Sitabuldi to Lokmanya Nagar stretch) are parked at night, is expected to be ready by May end. Currently, it is half complete, and the trains are available for parking.

A spokesperson for MahaMetro said the depot has an area of 65 acres of which 30.19 acres are used for the maintenance of rolling stocks. The depot consists of twelve components: time and safety office (TSO), auto coach washing plant (ACWP), traction substation (TSS), auxiliary substation (ASS), underground tank pump house, maintenance building, pit wheel lathe (PWL), engineering train unit (ETU), internal cleaning platform (ICP), unloading platform, stabilizing lines and biodigester.

The TSO is for the use of security purposes since the depot is limited to ordinary citizens. It’s all in. The ACWP is for the wash plant bed equipment, where the train is washed from outside. It is through too. The TSS moves MSEDCL’s supply of 33 KV down to 25 KV. It’s ready but the ASS is under construction, which goes down 33 KV to low tension (LT) level.
The UG tank pump room is used to supply water to various buildings inside the depot. Work is underway. Also being under construction is the maintenance building.

The PWL under construction will have a wheel-orientation machine where regular intervals are checked for the wheel profile. The ETU is complete and will be used to store the equipment for the rerailing of track machines.

The ICP will be used to disinfect rolling stock’s inside and underfloor. This building is currently being used for rolling stock maintenance as the maintenance building is under construction. The unloading platform on which the new train is discharged is complete with the help of the unloading equipment.

Research is continuing on the stable lines where rolling stock is stable. Research on the biodigester has not, however, begun.