<h2>When it pours</h2>
A lone cyclist waits in the rain at a traffic signal near <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/senior-citizen-couple-cheated-of-rs-29-lakh-in-fake-mhada-flat-allotment-scam-23642088" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shivaji Park</a>
<h2>Shaping a fair world</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/ADAPT-session_e.jpg" alt="An inclusivity session at ADAPT to encourage participants to build empathy. pics courtesy/@adapt_mumbai" width="1280" height="720" /> An inclusivity session at ADAPT to encourage participants to build empathy. Pics courtesy/@adapt_mumbai
Even as preparations are underway for the Delhi debut of the World Inclusion Conference (WIC) on July 31, news reaches us about Dr Mithu Alur of ADAPT (formerly &nbsp;The Spastics Society of India) being honoured with a lifetime achievement award. The founder has been bestowed the award by the International Forums of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP), UK, in recognition of her contribution to inclusive education, disability rights, and social transformation.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mithu-Alur_e.jpg" alt="Dr Mithu Alur" width="1280" height="720" /> Dr Mithu Alur
&ldquo;I dedicate the award to the disability community, families, professionals, and all those who have worked tirelessly towards building an inclusive society,&rdquo; Dr Alur told us. Familiar with her lifelong campaign to promote and support inclusivity, it&rsquo;s no surprise that the Padma Shri-awardee will be among the keynote speakers at the conference in New Delhi on July 31.
<h2>Potholes for the win</h2>
<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/road-concreting-halves-pothole-complaints-this-monsoon-says-bmc-23638893" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">MUMBAI&rsquo;s potholes</a> and flyovers have rolled into the spotlight. Just months after its launch in May, Flyovers &amp; Potholes &mdash; an INTACH board game designed by Love &amp; Faith Design &mdash; has been named India&rsquo;s Best Design Project 2026 at the India Best Design Awards.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Board-game-ud_e.jpg" alt="The Flyovers &amp; Potholes board game" width="1280" height="720" /> The Flyovers &amp; Potholes board game
What began as a playful take on the city&rsquo;s everyday commute and civic quirks has now earned national recognition, turning a familiar Mumbaikar experience into an award-winning design concept.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Playing-game_e.jpg" alt="Participants test the board game together " width="1280" height="720" /> Participants test the board game together
Reflecting on the milestone, INTACH Greater Mumbai chapter convenor Katyayani Agarwal said, &ldquo;Even though we did something very similar a few years ago, this one turned out to be the more avant-garde version, which resonated more with people, as the name of the game is the boon and the bane of the citizens of Mumbai.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Rajul-Katyayani_e.jpg" alt="Rajul Dhaimade and Katyayani Agarwal" width="1280" height="720" /> Rajul Dhaimade and Katyayani Agarwal
Designer Rajul Dhaimade added, &ldquo;The game was submitted to the awards purely out of passion and since it was done sometime around May end or June beginning, we forgot about it, until last Saturday, July 26, when I got an email saying we had won and that the award ceremony will be held on August 29 in Pune.&rdquo;
<h2>The desi cosplayer</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Atharva-Ughade_e.jpg" alt="Atharva Ughade (right) along with his colleague dressed as Sarkata Munjhya and Stree. pic courtesy/@a_craft_man" width="1280" height="720" />Atharva Ughade (right) along with his colleague dressed as Sarkata Munjhya and Stree. pic courtesy/@a_craft_man
Why should cosplay always revolve around superheroes and manga icons when Bollywood has its own unforgettable characters? Cosplayer and designer Atharva Ughade (right), better known as @a_crafted_man on Instagram, recreated Sarkata &mdash; the headless ghost from Stree who later appears in Munjya &mdash; using paper, glue and socks for just R300. &ldquo;Indian characters deserve a place in cosplay alongside global favourites,&rdquo; said Ughade. Next, he is excited to recreate Mahoraga from Jujutsu Kaisen and Khonsu from Moon Knight for Anime India, bringing a fresh spin to the cosplay. universe.
<h2>Lovin&rsquo; this happy feat!</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Penguins_e.jpg" alt="Penguins at the Byculla Zoo. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi" width="1280" height="720" />Penguins at the Byculla Zoo. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
A decade after Humboldt penguins first waddled into <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-byculla-zoo-to-welcome-two-pairs-of-asiatic-lions-by-year-end-23640330" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mumbai&rsquo;s Byculla Zoo</a>, the colony has now grown from eight birds to 25, with several hatchlings now raising families of their own. While the zoo quietly marked the milestone, the penguins continue to be one of its star attractions, drawing visitors from across the city.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Madhumita-Kale_e.jpg" alt="Madhumita Kale" width="1280" height="720" /> Madhumita Kale
Celebrating the occasion, Dr Madhumita Kale, the zoo&rsquo;s penguin veterinarian, said, &ldquo;The penguins are doing well. They are breeding well, and even those born here have formed pairs and have started breeding. Along with that, the colony has settled comfortably, with only a few occasional territorial squabbles, which is completely normal penguin colony behaviour.&rdquo;

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Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

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