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Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Neglected footbridge collapse near Pune sparks structural safety audit across Maharashtra, ET Infra
Advt Advt A structurally weak iron-and-concrete footbridge over the Indrayani river that had been declared unfit for use but not officially shut to pedestrians and bikes collapsed Sunday about 40km from Pune, killing four people and injuring 51, eight of them person was reported missing after falling into the rain-fed river at Bhegdewadi, just over a kilometre from the picturesque Kunda Mala vista that attracts hordes of tourists. More than a 100 people were on the footbridge when a portion of the structure gave way close to the stone bank of the river around 3.30pm, state minister for water resources and disaster management Girish Mahajan said. The footbridge connecting Shelarwadi, close to the old Pune-Mumbai highway, with Kanhewadi near Indori is a vantage point for people visiting the area at this time of year to enjoy the surroundings."The crowd on the bridge was beyond its capacity. There is a signboard warning people against standing on the bridge, but it seems everyone ignored it," Mahajan Dalvi, a survivor, said the bridge was so crowded that there was no space for anyone to move. "There were also some bikes on it, which made it worse. Everyone started running towards the main road as the structure heaved and collapsed," he said. Pimpri Chinchwad DCP Vishal Gaikwad identified three of the victims as Chandrakant Sathle, Rohit Mane and Vihan Mane. The identity of the fourth victim wasn't immediately of the 51 injured were discharged from hospital after treatment. The Maharashtra govt announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, fire brigade and other agencies used cranes to lift the collapsed iron structure to extricate two bodies by evening."We will resume the search for the other bodies and the missing person early on Monday," Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey officials said the footbridge was built over three decades ago and handed over to the Pune Zilla Parishad, which remains responsible for its upkeep. The state govt recently sanctioned Rs 8 crore for the construction of a new bridge parallel to the existing one, with work scheduled to begin after the authorities, including the village sarpanch, had flagged the bridge as Mala is a popular weekend getaway, especially during monsoon, to witness the Indrayani waters cascading from a rocky area that gives it the effect of a waterfall. Barely a week ago, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi passed an order listing several restrictions for people visiting rivers, lakes, waterfalls and other popular weekend spots during monsoon in Lonavla and other places in the Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is also Pune's guardian minister, condoled the deaths in separate messages while ordering an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the tragedy. Eknath Shinde, the state's other deputy CM, said a structural audit of similar bridges across the state would be done district collector Jitendra Dudi told TOI, "A five-member committee will be constituted to investigate the bridge collapse."
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Hyderabad roads flooded as heavy rain causes waterlogging in key areas
Heavy rain hit parts of Hyderabad on Wednesday night, leading to severe waterlogging on several main roads. Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams were deployed to clear water in areas like Santosh Nagar and Champapet. The Southwest monsoon rainfall over India, which had stalled for nearly two weeks after the early onset this year, is likely to become active again starting Thursday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest update, forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places over south peninsular India during June 12-15 and over Konkan and Goa on June 13 and June 14. In the same update, IMD forecast that heat wave conditions are likely to continue over Northwest India, with severe heat wave conditions at isolated pockets over West Rajasthan until Thursday and abate thereafter. The southwest monsoon hit Kerala on May 24, a week earlier than usual, marking its earliest arrival on the Indian mainland since 2009. The normal onset date for the southwest monsoon is June 1. May 2025 was the wettest since 1901 in India, with the country receiving an average rainfall of 126.7 mm last month. The early onset of the southwest monsoon brought continuous rainfall across southern and eastern India, contributing to this record. After an early onset, the progress of monsoon had stalled, reportedly on May 29, only to be active starting Thursday, as is expected by the state-run weather office. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a seven-day warning for Karnataka, predicting "widespread" rainfall in nearly all districts until June 17. The Hubballi area in the Dharwad district of Karnataka witnessed torrential rainfall early on Thursday, which caused massive waterlogging in several parts of the district, especially in Hanashi village. According to the weather department, rainfall will remain widespread in coastal and north interior Karnataka until June 17. Meanwhile, rainfall will be "fairly widespread" in the districts of south interior Karnataka until June 14 before turning "widespread" for the next three days.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Over 2,000 security personnel, veterans join solidarity rally for Indian armed forces
Standing under the statue of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the fringes of the Hussainsagar as patriotic songs rent the air and slogans of 'Jai Hind' and 'Vande Mataram' echoed through NTR Marg. It wasn't just another evening on the city's busiest lakeside road — Hyderabad was on its feet, in solidarity with the Indian armed forces. More than 2,300 personnel from Telangana's Fire Department, Disaster Response Force, Police, Special Protection Force (SPF), elite counter-terror unit Organisation for Counter Terrorists Operations (OCTOPUS) and police officials from the tri-commissionerates lined up outside the Secretariat complex on Thursday, for the 1 kilometre-odd solidarity rally. Among them marched 70 to 80 veterans of the Indian Army, Air Force, and paramilitary forces — many in uniform, some in civil, all wearing emotion on their sleeves. Joining them were top officials from the State administration and a contingent of 150 women officers from various wings of the Telangana Police. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar along with other senior political representatives also joined the rally. The national flag flew high across the 250-metre-long stretch of people, carried by participants and spectators alike. As dusk fell, the rally route, bordered by the shimmering waters of Tank Bund, glowed under floodlights, turning the evening into a visual tribute to patriotism. The rally came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist strike in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22. Organised by the Telangana government, the event aimed to send a message of unity and support to the armed forces deployed along the border. 'The solidarity rally was our way of standing firmly behind the army at the border — a message that they are not alone,' said Rajender Sohni, a retired Indian Air Force officer. 'It's also a clear signal that India will not let those responsible go unpunished. The attack on innocent people in Pahalgam cannot be ignored. The Defence Ministry has made it clear: justice will be served, and until that happens, we will not rest.' For Captain Bandi Venu, an ex-serviceman, the day stirred memories of his time in uniform. 'I felt the same spirit today that I carried during my years in the Army,' he said. Veteran G.K. Rao, recipient of the National Seva Ratna, said, 'We may be veterans, but we are still soldiers at heart — young in spirit and fierce in purpose. To the terrorists infiltrating our motherland: we challenge you. We have struck nine times already, and we will find every corner you hide in. We are ready to serve until our last breath — for the safety and future of our youth.' Retired Flying Officer M.A.R. Hussain praised the young Indian Air Force pilots who took part in Operation Sindoor for their excellence in flying capabilities. 'The precision and bravery they have shown in destroying the terrorist camps is commendable,' he said. Over 600 Hyderabad Commissionerate officials were deployed for security and crowd management during the rally, which passed peacefully.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
From evacuation to creating bunkers, what followed air raid siren during Bengaluru mock drill
A couple of minutes before 4 pm on Wednesday, a shrill siren pierced the air for nearly a minute at the Home Guards and Civil Defence Academy near the Ulsoor lake in Bengaluru, signaling the start of Karnataka's Operation Abhyaas, a week-long mock drill. As the siren was sounded, civil defence, fire and health department officials got on with their jobs on a war footing. Operation Abhyaas came following the orders of the Union home ministry in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. Incidentally, the mock drill also came hours after India carried out retaliatory strikes on nine terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. During the mock drill, the Disaster Response Force showed how it would respond if there were civilian injuries, evacuating people, creating bunkers, and building temporary hospitals. At the same time, firefighters demonstrated rescue techniques using ropes, stretchers, and nets to evacuate people from multi-storey buildings, simulating bomb-hit structures. Around 6.40 pm, a mock blackout drill was conducted turning off all lights to simulate steps to prevent enemy aircraft from detecting targets. All the mock drills were restricted to the fire department's headquarters. The mock drill is likely to be carried out for a week in various districts of Karnataka in coordination with the district administration and fire services. Home Minister G Parameshwara, who was present during the event, praised the Operation Sindoor military action against terrorists. A senior police officer said the mock drills were conducted for fire department and civil defence officials, keeping natural calamities and fires in mind, especially in the South. Such a large-scale mock drill has been conducted in the country for the first time since 1971, he added.
Hans India
28-04-2025
- Hans India
Spl drive: 1,062 caught for drunk driving
Hyderabad: As many as 77 offenders were convicted and jailed by the city police for drunk driving. The police had caught 1,062 for driving vehicles under influence of alcohol. The Cyberabad police nabbed 300 persons at the week-end during a special drive. According to the Cyberabad traffic police, of total 300, two-wheeler drivers were 231, three-wheelers 8, 58 four-wheelers and three heavy vehicles. The police said 22 offenders were found with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) ranging between 200 mg/100 ml and 550 mg/100 ml. All apprehended will be presented before the court. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad police drive against drunk driving reported hundreds of offenders between April 19 and April 25 during a drive. Of the 1,062 offenders, 918 were two-wheelers, 45 three-wheelers, 98 cars and one heavy vehicle. The police said 65 offenders were found with BAC of 200 mg/100 ml and above. Thirty-two were in the 18-20 age group. The highest offenders were aged between 21-33 with 420 followed by 350 in 31-40 year age groups; 164 were 41-50 years old. In a special drive the police found persons were engaged in both underage drinking and drunk driving. While the traffic police booked cases against them for drunk driving, the law and order police follow up and find where they bought liquor. The police warned that people indulging in drunk driving and causing fatal accidents will be arrested and charged under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), which carries a maximum prison term up to 10 years along with a fine. Meanwhile, a Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRA) Disaster Response Force truck removing unauthorised hoardings and banners at Kukatpally was hit by a vehicle attempting to evade a drunk driving check-post around midnight on Saturday. While the DRF staff was clearing hoardings near a location where traffic police were conducting checks, a vehicle driver, trying to avoid the inspection, swerved left and crashed into the stationary truck before fleeing. No injuries were reported, but the vehicle's front portion was damaged.
