New City, old menace Yet another leopard caged in Aurangabad

For long, Adivashi has been cribbing about the way the various authorities have been treating the `City of the 21st Century’ – be it the roads, the railway stations, the bus depots, schools, colleges, houses, gardens, open places and even the much projected airport. Now let us look at the way the citizens themselves treat their city. Many Navi Mumbai residents lack basic civic sense. Men and women do not observe any traf fic rules while crossing the roads. Motorists do not care for zebra crossings. Bikers care two hoots for helmets. Even those who move about in their cars behave worse than ir responsible pedestrians the moment they get out of their vehicles, often parked wrongly. In fact, in several nodes such as Koparkhair ne and Belapur, trucks tankers and buses parked on inner roads. For long, police have been promising action against parking of buses and trucks in interior roads with little action. On top of that we have used car dealers blocking pavements and open areas. What do you expect from the police when their men and officers openly flout traffic rules by not wearing helmets while riding on motor cycles? Even in so-called posh housing societies, motorists show their gross indiscipline by parking their vehicles as they wish, just not bothered about the others. Neelkanth Arcade in Sector-17, Kopar Khairane, is just one such example. Let us admit that today’s urban life is full of tensions. But why do we add to them by often indulging in or causing road rage? Adivashi is yet to find a scratch-free car in Navi Mumbai which clearly proves the indisciplined driving in the so-called planned city! Nobody seems to care for traf fic signals and no-parking signs. And one comes across this gross indiscipline across the City – from Vashi Railway station to the so-called posh sector-17, Vashi, to CBD Belapur to Airoli. This is not a generalisation or reportage of some innocuous incidents. This is the fact and this is the way of life in Navi Mumbai. In fact, when this writer tried to stop a reckless biker, he was told: “Mind your business”. At the same time, Adivashi is happy to report that the police control room responded well on his complaint about stunt bikers causing havoc at Kopar Khairane. Today, we have a police outpost at Mini seashore, opposite Fortis hospital, to keep an eye on rowdy elements. Adivashi sincerely hopes that the lessons that the children lear n in their EVS classes are followed meticulously outside their schools – the roads. Elders need to guide children rather than violate the rules themselves. Be the change that you want to see, as the Mahatma said. Coming to another aspect of the law, an RTI application reveals that as many as 132 buildings that come under the CRZ rules do not have occupancy certificates. While NMMC has not issued OCs, the builder lobby MCHI-CREDAI is all set to move court. As we have been saying, the Navi Mumbai Inter national Airport is still a far cry. The Chief Minister’s recent meeting with various stake holders has resulted in much repeated rhetoric on the issue of resolving the dispute with the project affected people (PAP). The gover nment has yet to okay the CIDCO offer to give 22.5% of the developed land which is much, much higher than the traditional scheme of allot- ting 12.5% land. The airport project has hit an air-pocket with the leadership of PAPs sticking to their demand of Rs 20 cr per acre as compensation. “Anything more than this is welcome,” said PAP leader and MLA Vivek Patil. So, till the knotty issue of compensation is settled, developers who sold properties with the dream of “airport view” are bound to spend sleepless nights. Another dream project, the Nhava Shewa-Sewree sea link or Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project has run into trouble. The withdrawal of financial bids for the project has come as a rude shock for several developers who were trying to sell dreams on the strength of the new link to Mumbai. One of the key bidders, IRB Infrastructure has led the march out of the project. IRB was ostensibly hurt as it received little or no support from the State Government for its PPP-based Kolhapur toll road project. IRB sunk Rs 500 crore on developing roads in Kolhapur and the company is supposed to collect the money via toll route. Led by local politicians, motorists refused to pay toll and IRB was left high and dry. Even a High Court diktat to the gover nment to provide security to toll collectors has gone unheeded. Why should anyone be interested in a PPP project if the gover nment is not keen to support it? Well, that is the question that the State gover nment ought to answer or will it invoke JNNURM funds for executing the MTHL project as it has done with the Easter n Freeway. Well, if it happens, the trans-harbour link will be yet another toll free road. Shall we say, Insha-Allah?

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developed Thisisthe37thinaseries onNaviMumbaibyveteranmediaprofessionalBN Kumar,along-timeresidentofMumbai’stwincity. Hecanbecontactedat: mailbnk@gmail.com

A fully grownup male leopard has been successfully caged by forest department officials and staffers at a farm in the vicinity of Gangapur in the wee hours of Saturday.

According to details, the leopard was on rampage for last week and had devoured over 20 cattle triggering a wave of panic in the farmers. Owing to the leopard’s presence in the vicinity, farmers had seized to stay in their farms at night. Forest officials on their part, tried their best to cage the wild animal couple of times following umpteen applications submitted by villagers, but were unsuccessful. However, this time 7 cages were set at different locations with goats inside and the leopard was trapped in one of them. The animal is now at the Gautala sanctuary. The development has come as a great relief to far mers and villagers. Earlier this month, two cubs were caught and are caged in Aurangabad city and a farm at Gangapur tehsil respectively.