A fire broke out at a sweet shop in Maharashtra's Thane district on Friday morning, civic officials said, adding that no injuries were reported in the incident. The officials further said that emergency services were quickly rushed to the scene and the situation was brought fully under control. According to Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the incident occurred at the sweet shop, located in Ashar Metro Tower near MRR Children’s Hospital in the Vartak Nagar area of Thane (West). The fire was reported to the disaster management control room at around 9:18 am. Fire origin linked to inverter battery According to the officials, preliminary information suggests that the fire started in an inverter battery placed on a loft area inside the shop. The blaze quickly spread to nearby materials, including electrical wiring, cardboard and a wooden cupboard. Teams from the fire brigade, disaster management unit, local police and electricity department rushed to the spot. Firefighters, supported by rescue vehicles and equipment, worked promptly to bring the situation under control. Property damaged Officials stated that no one was injured in the incident. However, the fire caused damage to the inverter battery, electrical fittings and other items within the shop. The fire was completely extinguished with the joint efforts of the fire brigade and disaster management personnel. Authorities stated that the situation is now stable and under control. Fire breaks out at timber yard Meanwhile, in an another incident, a fire broke out at a timber yard in Diva in the early hours of Thursday, prompting a swift response from local fire brigade personnel. The incident was reported to the Disaster Management Cell of the at around 4:43 am. According to officials, the blaze occurred at a timber yard owned by Yash Bhagwan Faujdar, located at Chandicha Pada near Phadke Pada Lake on Khardi Road in the Khardi area of Diva. Firefighters from the Diva Beat Fire Station rushed to the spot with one fire tender and a rescue vehicle to contain the situation. Officials further said that the fire was confined to one side of the timber yard, where a quantity of timber was damaged due to the blaze. No injuries or casualties were reported in the incident., the officials said.
03 April,2026 12:16 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentParts of Mumbai, particularly the suburbs, on Thursday night experienced light drizzle, according to the weather department officials who said that it may have been caused by western disturbance. Despite the drizzle, none of the city’s observatories recorded measurable rainfall activity, said Sushma Nair of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), reported the PTI. The official indicated that the brief spell of drizzle may have been caused by a western disturbance, a weather system known to influence conditions across parts of India. The city on Thursday witnessed partly cloudy skies later in the evening, with no significant weather activity reported thereafter. The IMD had on Thursday predicted that areas in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and parts of Maharashtra were likely to witness light rains and thunderstorms. Weather alert Meanwhile, The weather department has issued a yellow alert for Thane, Raigad and several parts of Maharashtra including Ratnagiri, Satara, Ghats in Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Parbhani, Nanded, Latur, Dharashiv, Akola, Amravati, Bhandara, Buldhana, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Washim, Wardha and Yavatmal. A yellow alert, warning of thunderstorms, was issued for neighbouring districts including Thane and Raigad. "Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds (30-40/kmph) was very likely at isolated places," a weather bulletin said. An orange alert was also issued for districts in Maharashtra including Dhule, Nashik, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Beed. "Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, gusty winds (50-60/kmph) and hail at isolated places was very likely," the weather bulletin said. Mumbai weather on April 3 Mumbai is set to experience light rains on Friday, a day after witnessing drizzle in some parts of the city. The IMD has predicted that light showers are expected in parts of Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra on April 3. Some parts of Maharashtra, including Pune, witnessed heavy unseasonal rains on Thursday. Meanwhile, the weather department stated that city’s overall maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 33 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively. Thunderstorms and rains likely in parts of Maharashtra Meanwhile, the IMD had last week predicted a fresh spell of cloudy weather and thunderstorms was expected in parts of Maharashtra this week, with light rain likely in several regions. According to the weather department, Maharashtra's ghat regions may also witness thunderstorms, gusty winds, rain and possible hail in some places. Other parts of Vidarbha may also see changes in weather conditions. (with PTI inputs)
03 April,2026 10:36 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, the Supreme Court of India has issued strict guidelines cautioning against the use of stem cell therapy for autism. Authorities have been directed to act against misleading advertisements and unproven treatments. The move follows concerns raised by advocacy groups that families have spent over Rs 10 lakh on such therapies without scientific backing or positive outcomes. “Many families faced severe financial strain chasing these treatments and got nothing in return,” said Parul Kumtha, trustee and co-founder, Forum for Autism. NMC guidelines >> Stem cell therapy is allowed only for conditions approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as standard care>> For all other conditions, including autism, it is permitted only in approved clinical trials>> Trials must follow the norms, including informed consent, no cost to patients, and compensation for injury or death >> Any unapproved stem cell treatment will be considered illegal and invite action Supportive therapies are working! At the Autism Intervention Centre (AIC), Sion Hospital, 40 children have shown progress through supportive therapies. “The centre has helped children go from non-verbal to studying in regular schools,” said Dr Rashmi Yeradkar, who heads the Occupational Therapy Department. The centre offers occupational therapy, parent counselling and a sibling support programme (SPOT). However, lack of funding has affected speech therapy services. Manisha Pokhriyal said her son, diagnosed at 3.5 years, improved after joining the Sion centre. “Private therapy costs R800 to R2000 per session, which is unaffordable long-term. Here, he has improved and now attends a regular school,” she said. Family Speak Several families shared their experiences of financial loss and worsening conditions. KS Ganapathy, a petitioner, said he spent over R3 lakh on a session for his 33-year-old son. “Instead of improving, his condition worsened, and he became more aggressive,” he said. Nita Colaco said her family spent around R5 lakh after being promised a cure. “My son lost his ability to concentrate. Later, we realised we still had to depend on speech and occupational therapy.” Expert view Dr Abhijat Sheth, chairman, National Medical Commission‘Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a disease with a definitive cure. There is no credible scientific evidence supporting stem cell therapy for its treatment. Such interventions are unethical, exploit vulnerable families, and must be restricted to approved clinical trials’ April 2World Autism Awareness Day
03 April,2026 09:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika GondhalekarMumbai is set to experience light rains on Friday, a day after witnessing drizzle in some parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that light showers are expected in parts of Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra on April 3. Some parts of Maharashtra, including Pune, witnessed heavy unseasonal rains on Thursday. Meanwhile, the weather department stated that city’s overall maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 33 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively. Air quality in Mumbai remained in the ‘Satisfactory’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer App, with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 69. While generally safe, sensitive groups may experience minor breathing discomfort. Area-wise AQI across Mumbai Bandra Kurla Complex: 116Borivali East: 90Byculla: 76Andheri East: 108Chembur: 54Colaba: 63Deonar: 125 In the surrounding regions, Thane recorded an AQI of 77, Kalyan 56, and Navi Mumbai 75. Mumbai experiences light rain in western suburbs on Thursday night Some parts of Mumbai, particularly the suburbs, experienced drizzle on Thursday, which officials attributed to a western disturbance. Light rain was reported in Borivali, Powai, Goregaon, and Santacruz. The IMD had issued a weather alert on Thursday for all districts in the state except Mumbai, Palghar, Sindhudurg, and Kolhapur. A yellow alert, forecasting thunderstorms, was issued for neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts. Maharashtra temperatures Maharashtra experienced warm and partly humid conditions on Friday, with temperatures slightly below normal in several areas. Konkan Region The coastal Konkan region saw moderate to warm conditions. Alibag recorded a maximum of 30.6 degrees Celsius, Dahanu 32.6 degrees Celsius, and Harnai 29.8 degrees Celsius. Humidity remained high, with Colaba at 78 per cent and Harnai also at 78 per cent during the day. No rainfall was reported in these areas. Marathwada Region Marathwada towns remained hot, with Aurangabad at 33.2 degrees Celsius, Beed at 34 degrees Celsius, and Parbhani at 35.3 degrees Celsius. Aurangabad’s minimum temperature was 19.3 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity ranged from 41 per cent in Beed to 57 per cent in Aurangabad, reflecting dry conditions in interior areas. Western Maharashtra The region experienced warm conditions, with Jalgaon peaking at 36.9 degrees Celsius, Malegaon at 36.6 degrees Celsius, and Satara at 34.4 degrees Celsius. Kolhapur and Mahabaleshwar remained relatively cooler at 33.1 degrees Celsius and 28.5 degrees Celsius respectively. Humidity levels were higher near the Western Ghats, with Mahabaleshwar at 83 per cent. Vidarbha and other interior regions Interior areas like Nasik recorded 35.6 degrees Celsius, Osmanabad 36.6 degrees Celsius, Udgir 35.1 degrees Celsius, and Solapur was the hottest at 38.4 degrees Celsius. Humidity was relatively low in interior regions, particularly Osmanabad at 22 per cent and Udgir at 36 per cent. Maharashtra continues to experience warm weather, with coastal areas feeling humid and interior regions hotter and drier.
03 April,2026 09:39 AM IST | MumbaiUnseasonal and intense rainfall accompanied by thunder, lightning, and hailstorms has brought the entire Pune city and its adjoining regions to a near standstill, with large parts of the city witnessing severe waterlogging, poor visibility, and widespread disruption to daily life on Thursday. For the third consecutive day, Pune has been witnessing this unusual spell of pre-monsoon-like weather in peak summer, with conditions intensifying further on Thursday afternoon. Several areas across Pune city, including Swargate, Warje, Shivajinagar, Jungli Maharaj Road, Hadapsar, Pashan, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Dapodi, reported heavy downpours leading to water accumulation of 1 to 1.5 feet on major roads. Dense cloud cover led to sudden darkness during afternoon hours, forcing motorists to switch on headlights to navigate. Two-wheeler riders bore the brunt of the situation, struggling to manoeuvre through flooded stretches, while four-wheeler traffic slowed significantly due to low visibility and waterlogged junctions. In many areas, water levels rose up to footpath height, disrupting pedestrian movement. PMC fire officials received 145 waterlogging calls from residents and 21 tree falling calls. Several acres of farmland and crops were destroyed due to hailstorms and rainfall. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Mayor directs measures Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure has directed immediate, on-ground response measures. Key actions ordered:>> Rapid clearance of fallen trees and hazardous branches>> Emergency desilting of drains and gutters>> Deployment of teams across all administrative zones>> Field inspections by senior officials>> Priority to citizen safety and restoration of traffic flow “Ensuring uninterrupted basic services and citizen safety is our primary responsibility. Immediate steps are being taken to address the current crisis and prevent recurrence through structured planning,” said Nagpure. PMC emergency helplines:>> 020-25506800>> 020-25501269 Situation critical With rainfall expected to gradually reduce from Friday but continue shifting towards other regions of Maharashtra, authorities remain on alert. Citizens are advised to exercise caution, particularly during afternoon hours when weather activity peaks. The ongoing spell highlights Pune’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events outside the monsoon season, raising concerns over urban preparedness and climate variability. PCMC’s action plan A flooded house amid heavy downpour Following similar disruption in Pimpri-Chinchwad, the municipal administration has rolled out a structured response strategy.Immediate measures include:>> Filling potholes and repairing damaged roads>> Securing ongoing excavation sites>> Deployment of pumping systems in waterlogged areas>> Monitoring at key junctions, bridges and underpasses>> Strengthening 24x7 control room response>> Drain and nullah-cleaning drives>> Identification of chronic waterlogging spots Hailstorms damage crops In addition to urban flooding, hailstorms were reported in parts of rural Pune district, including Junnar and surrounding areas, raising concerns over significant crop damage. Farmers are likely to face losses as standing crops have been impacted by the sudden weather shift. Farmers bear heavy losses The relentless rain and hail storms have left local farmers in tears. A wide range of crops, from vegetables to onions and grapes, has suffered extensive damage. Between the indirect impacts of global conflicts and this volatile shift in weather patterns, crops like bananas, onions, grapes, and many others have been devastated. Gulab Neharkar, a farm owner For Gulab Neharkar, a farm owner in the Pune district, history has unfortunately repeated itself. After completing last year’s harvest, he had just prepared his vineyard for a new crop cycle, only to have those efforts shattered by the recent downpour. Explaining the dire situation, Neharkar said, “Farmers in our region are sitting with their heads in their hands, weeping. In our own vineyard, the grape sprouting has been severely damaged. Beyond that, onion farmers are facing a total catastrophe. Due to existing export issues, onion prices had already plummeted, with 10 kg selling for a measly 80 to 100 rupees. Now, this sudden unseasonal rain has soaked the ready-to-harvest onions, causing them to rot before they can even leave the field.” Official Speak Weather officials attributed the phenomenon to a wind discontinuity over the region, leading to atmospheric instability and triggering afternoon convective activity with thunderstorms, gusty winds and intense rainfall. Similar conditions are expected to continue for the next 2-3 days, said officials. A sharp temperature drop has also been recorded — from 35-36°C to around 29°C after rainfall — which may impact sensitive individuals. IMD says An India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist told mid-day, “The rain will reduce from Friday. It will likely move forward to central Maharashtra and the Marathwada region. Mumbai will not be affected significantly but may receive a short spell in some parts tomorrow.” Rainfall (in mm) recorded on April 2 NDA84.0 mm Shivajinagar65.0 mm Hadapsar42.5 mm Pashan36.3 mm Dapodi29.0 mm Chinchwad28.5 mm Malin18.5 mm Dudulgaon13.5 mm Nimgiri13.0 mm Narayangaon12.0 mm Talegaon6.5 mm Rajgurunagar4.5 mm Kurvande2.5 mm Shirur2.0 mm Ballalwadi1.0 mm Haveli0.5 mm *The data underlines the high spatial variability and intensity of the ongoing weather system across the entire Pune district. By Ruchita Shah
03 April,2026 09:19 AM IST | Pune | Archana DahiwalA senior citizen was injured after tripping over a protruding gas pipeline lid near ESIS Hospital in Sector 5, Vashi, on Wednesday. The victim, identified as Praveen Belif, a resident of Sector 9, fell face-first while walking along the busy stretch. Her spectacles shattered on impact, causing facial injuries. Locals said the uneven lid caused her to lose balance suddenly in a high-footfall zone near the hospital. Social activist and Vashi resident advocate Anshu Vaardhaan rushed to help. He provided water and immediately arranged for medical attention. Even after several attempts MGL PR was unavailable for comment. Civic response Officials from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation gave limited clarity. Sukhdev Yedve, assistant commissioner and ward officer, said, “I am handling administrative work. For technical details, you may contact the executive engineer.” Uneven pavement near ESIS Hospital in Sector 5 that caused the fall Pandharinath Chavde, executive engineer, Vashi ward, said, “I will inspect the location. Estimates for footpath work in Sectors 5 to 8 have been submitted, and tenders for one area have already been completed.” ‘This is criminal negligence’ Calling the incident avoidable, Vaardhaan said, “This is no longer an accident but the result of years of NMMC’s criminal negligence. A senior citizen fell face-first and her glasses shattered into her eyes because of a protruding gas pipeline lid near ESIS Hospital. Despite repeated letters, the ward office continues to ignore these hazards — uneven footpaths, fibre optic ducts, uneven manholes, gas pipeline ducts and broken streetlights.” He added, “Are the authorities waiting for a fatality before they act? We pay taxes for safety, not hospital bills. I demand an immediate audit and levelling of all such hazards across Vashi.” Not the first incident Protruding gas pipeline lid that led to the accident Locals said such accidents are frequent in the area. Pramila Vijay Kapoor, 69, a resident of Sector 7, recalled, “On July 14, 2024, I slipped on an uneven footpath and hit a drainage lid. I needed three stitches and it took nearly a month to heal. Only a temporary repair was done, with no permanent solution.” High-risk zone for elderly The stretch between Sectors 5 and 8 is dominated by row houses and is home to an estimated 2500 senior citizens, making such hazards particularly dangerous.“Uneven footpaths, potholes and open lids are risky, especially for elderly residents who walk here daily,” said a local resident.The presence of ESIS Hospital further increases pedestrian movement, including patients and visitors. Residents demand action Residents allege that despite repeated complaints, only temporary fixes have been carried out, with no long-term solution.With growing concern, locals are now demanding urgent, time-bound action before such incidents turn fatal. Civic hazards flagged >> Protruding gas pipeline lids>> Uneven and broken footpaths>> Raised manhole coversDemand: Immediate audit, levelling and permanent repairs across affected sectors
03 April,2026 09:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash SinghMumbai has recorded 10,397 applications for Right to Education (RTE) admissions as of March 31, down from 13,166 last year. For the 2026-27 academic year, 325 schools have registered, compared to 338 in 2024-25 and 351 in 2021-22. The number of available seats has also marginally reduced from 6053 to 6030 over the past year. Norm confusion Officials attribute the dip in applications to changes in RTE norms. Earlier, the education department limited applications to schools within a 1-km radius. However, the high court stayed this decision, restoring the 3-km eligibility range. “We have widely informed parents how to ‘unconfirm’ and resubmit applications as per revised norms, but many may not have completed the process. As the scheme is free, we also urged parents to apply directly via the website or BMC-run help centres instead of using agents,” said Deputy Education Officer Nisar Khan. Seat mismatch Despite high application numbers, many RTE seats remain unfilled due to uneven preferences. Most parents opt for a handful of popular schools with limited seats, while institutions offering other mediums or less preferred options see vacancies. Additionally, seats go vacant when applicants do not meet the age criteria set by schools.
03 April,2026 09:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Aditi AlurkarThe construction of the roadway of the Mumbai-Pune missing link’s cable-stayed bridge has begun. Highly paced sources said that, if everything proceeds as planned, the ambitious project is likely to be opened to the public by May 1. A Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation official said, “The crucial cable-stayed bridge has been completed by Afcons Infrastructure. Work on laying the bitumen road is currently underway. With 99 per cent of the project completed, finishing touches are now being carried out.” Soon, the load-bearing test on the bridge will be carried out. According to officials, this will help engineers to verify the structure’s strength, stability, and overall safety under real-world conditions before it is opened to the public. About the cable-stayed bridge Package II, which includes the 650-metre-long, will feature India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge. Engineers are constructing 182-metre (597 feet) high pylons, taller than the 128-metre (413 feet) pylons of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The project at a glance Bridge height: 132 metres (India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge)Tallest pylon: 182 metresViaduct I length: 850 metresViaduct II (cable-stayed) length: 650 metresApproach roads: 10.2 km Project benefits Reduces distance by 6 kmCuts travel time by 25 minutesLowers fuel use and emissionsOffers safer, smoother, more fuel-efficient travel to over 1.5 lakh commuters daily Other salient features 13.3 kmLength of Mumbai-Pune Expressway stretch between Khopoli exit and Kusgaon 19 km Distance between Lonavala and Khopoli exit 1.68 km Length of tunnel I 8.87 kmLength of tunnel II 23.50 mWidth of each tunnel 5.86 kmLength of expressway being widened as part of project Rs 6695 croreCost of missing link
03 April,2026 09:06 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavThe Bombay High Court has granted bail to the driver of a BEST bus that mowed down nine people in Mumbai’s Kurla area in December 2024, terming it “shocking” that drivers received no practical training to operate electric buses. Bail granted Justice RM Joshi on March 30 granted bail to Sanjay More on a personal bond of Rs 15,000. More had been in jail since his arrest immediately after the accident. Training lapse In its order, made available on Thursday, April 2, the court noted that More had experience driving conventional buses, but “shockingly, no practical training was given” for operating electric buses on city roads. Sanjay More, the bus driver. Pic/By Special Arrangement The court pointed out that Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport was contractually required to provide at least seven days of training. However, the period was curtailed to three days and limited to simulator sessions without any on-road practice. “There could absolutely be no justification for not providing adequate training to drivers before they operate buses carrying passengers on busy roads in Mumbai,” the court said. Court observations The bench said the decision to cut short training and skip field exposure apparently led to the incident. It added that while it may be easy to say the driver should have refused to operate the bus, scarcity of employment makes such a refusal difficult. The accused had also stated, citing a medical report, that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. The court noted that More had been in custody since December 2024 and that the trial was unlikely to conclude soon. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 April,2026 08:59 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesSetting an example, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday passed a judgment in a record two hearings conducted within just eight months against Dinesh Sonawane, the retired deputy registrar of Konkan Bhavan, holding him responsible for passing conveyance orders without following due legal procedures. Why the petition was filed Sushil Bhatia, chairman of Swastik Chambers, told mid-day, “This was a land parcel of nearly 35,000 sq m on which Swastik Chambers was built first. Later, some part of the land was given to Reliance. The developer then built two commercial properties — Corporate Park and Shree Corporate. As per rules, Swastik Chambers was the owner of this entire 1,60,000 sq ft area. However, after the HC judgment in the case of Marathon Era was passed, we applied to get conveyance. This was when we got to know about the orders passed by Sonawane. After filing an RTI application to get information about these orders and consulting our legal department, we filed the writ petition last year against these orders.” The Corporate Park building The case In February 2018, Sonawane granted deemed conveyance for land in Chembur to Corporate Park. In its application, Corporate Park requested conveyance of land area 9274.23 sq m. In February 2019, the same authority passed another order in the same case, increasing area to 17,449.75 sq m after another architect certificate was submitted by Corporate Park. But , Swastik Chambers, which is built on this land parcel, was not informed. Both orders were passed by Sonawane without taking any objects/suggestions from Swastik Chambers. Court’s findings and orders >> Once a case is decided, the authority cannot reopen and modify it without proper legal procedure>> Thus, the second order passed by the deputy registrar was essentially modified, based on new documents, but without legal basis>> The 2019 order and resulting conveyance deed were quashed (cancelled)>> The 2018 order remains valid, and Corporate Park gets conveyance for only 9274 sq m>> The officer responsible was found to have acted improperly, but since he had retired, no departmental action could be taken>> However, a Rs 50,000 penalty on the officer personally has been imposed>> Failing to pay the fine within eight weeks, six per cent interest will be applicable annually What’s deemed conveyance? It is a legal process where a cooperative society obtains ownership of a land parcel and building titles when the builder/developer of that land fails to execute a regular conveyance deed after purchasing the land parcel
03 April,2026 08:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika GondhalekarAn eatery is being run from the rear end of a motorable toilet for women operated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on the ‘Fashion Street’ stretch of Mahatma Gandhi Road near Azad Maidan in Fort. The civic body had established such Mahilasathi Swacchatagruha buses primarily to provide women with basic restroom facilities, but this ‘café’ is believed to have been functioning for at least a year. Asked whether the establishment had the necessary approvals, a shopkeeper referred us to the “boss of the shop”, Geeta Mehar. The latter stated, “I look after the shop part-time, and I also work in the office of the local corporator Makarand Narwekar. A few police personnel have questioned me about the legitimacy of my shop, but I told them what I am telling you — I have been approved by Makarand sir to manage this place. Recently, I received a letter from him confirming this.” The Mahilasathi Swacchatagruha bus, where snacks are sold on the Fashion Street stretch of Mahatma Gandhi Road near Azad Maidan. PIC/ASHISH RAJE Mehar, however, claimed that she did not possess any permissions and licences, and that these documents were with the corporator. “When I asked Makarand sir about these documents, he told me to tell whoever was asking to take a look at them in his office,” said Mehar. MLA’s response to mid-day’s query about his letter Rahul Narwekar said, “My recommendation was for her to be considered only as an applicant, within the rules and regulations. It does not mean that she should be considered without any valid permissions. I am not aware why it [the shop] is functioning and who is allowing it to function. This is for the BMC to take care of.” Addressing Mehar’s claims regarding Makarand Narwekar, the MLA stated, “How can anyone have the licences to her stall? Her claim has no merit. If anyone is taking our name and doing something illegal, we appeal to the public not to tolerate this. We do not encourage any activity that is beyond the law.” Letter signed by legislator The letter signed by the MLA The letter did not directly establish the legitimacy of Mehar as the owner/tenant/operator of the shop. The letter, dated March 28, 2026, was on the letterhead of and signed by Rahul S Narwekar, a BJP MLA and Makarand Narwekar’s elder brother. “She has been managing the ladies toilet/pink toilet/canteen thereof (sic),” reads the letter, while referring Mehar to the BMC’s A ward officer, requesting him to “kindly assist her in her issues.” BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar. FILE PIC/SHADAB KHAN No reply mid-day made multiple attempts to contact those concerned. Queries seeking clarity on the shop’s status were sent to the assistant commissioner (via email and WhatsApp) and Makarand Narwekar (via voicemail and SMS), but no response was received by press time. The BMC’s initiative The BMC, under this initiative of “toilet for her, on wheels”, had repurposed scrapped BEST buses. After a pilot near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus drew a positive response, the civic body expanded the initiative to busy zones like Fashion Street and Mantralaya. The pink-themed mobile toilets come equipped with multiple seats, changing rooms, sanitary pad vending machines, and dedicated breastfeeding spaces. Shopper Speak Tupliya Singh, college student‘There’s zero need for this shop here. Washrooms are scarce, and eateries can be operated at any other place’ Sylvester Silveira, tourist visiting South Mumbai‘Washroom in the front and stall in the rear… This is a hygiene issue. Women might also feel uneasy with this setting, as there’s noise, and the shop must have male customers sitting close by. This setup is not needed’ Urmi Mungale, Worli resident‘It’s tough to find decent and safe washrooms. This BMC-run one is an exception. It’s clean, and we can easily access it. But then there’s this shop behind it’
03 April,2026 08:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashish Raje | Sarthak MehtaADVERTISEMENT
