Motorists heading towards Navi Mumbai via the Sion–Panvel Highway should brace for heavy traffic congestion during Tuesday evening’s peak hours. Two lanes of the Vashi Bridge — which passes over Thane Creek just before the Vashi toll plaza — have been shut to facilitate ongoing expansion joint repair work, officials said. Officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) told mid-day.com that the two lanes on the bridge have been closed for maintenance. The work is currently underway, and the affected lanes are expected to reopen by Wednesday. The temporary closure is likely to cause significant delays for commuters travelling from Mumbai towards Navi Mumbai, especially during the evening rush hour when traffic volume is high on this arterial route. Commuters are advised to plan their journeys accordingly and, if possible, consider alternate routes to avoid inconvenience. Key advisory for motorists Affected stretch: Two lanes of Vashi Bridge (Thane Creek Bridge) before Vashi toll plaza on Sion–Panvel Highway (towards Navi Mumbai) Reason: Expansion joint repair and maintenance work Duration: Lanes expected to reopen by Wednesday. The short-term disruption is part of routine maintenance to ensure the structural safety and smooth functioning of the busy Thane Creek Bridge, which handles heavy daily traffic between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
31 March,2026 04:32 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavIn a landmark administrative decision, senior IAS officer Ashwini Bhide has been appointed as the Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), becoming the first woman to hold the top post in the civic body’s history. The appointment has been widely welcomed as a progressive step towards greater representation of women in leadership roles. Mayor Ritu Tawde Calls It a ‘New Era’ for BMC Reacting to the development, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde described Bhide’s appointment as the beginning of a “new era” in the history of the BMC. In a statement shared on social media platform X, Tawde extended her congratulations and expressed confidence in Bhide’s leadership. बृहन्मुंबई महानगरपालिकेच्या इतिहासात नवे पर्व…! बृहन्मुंबई महानगरपालिकेच्या आयुक्त पदी श्रीमती अश्विनी भिडे जी यांची नियुक्ती झाल्याबद्दल त्यांचे हार्दिक अभिनंदन. बीएमसीच्या इतिहासातील त्या पहिल्या महिला आयुक्त ठरल्या आहेत, ही आपल्या सर्वांसाठी अत्यंत गौरवाची बाब आहे.… pic.twitter.com/jPkIefp4Lo — Ritu Tawde (@TawdeRitu) March 31, 2026 Calling it a moment of pride for the city, Tawde highlighted that the appointment signifies not only an administrative change but also a celebration of women’s empowerment. She further noted that with Bhide’s experience and disciplined work approach, Mumbai’s development is expected to scale new heights. Tawde also expressed optimism about working together with Bhide to achieve the vision of a “smart and safe Mumbai,” underscoring the significance of both the Mayor and Commissioner being women. Government Order and Additional Responsibilities The appointment was formalised through an order issued by the General Administration Department of the Government of Maharashtra. Alongside her role as BMC Commissioner, Bhide has also been given additional charge as the Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) until further orders. Leadership Transition at BMC Bhide succeeds outgoing Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who is set to retire from service on Tuesday, March 31. Her appointment marks a significant leadership transition in one of India’s most prominent civic bodies. Prior to this role, Bhide was serving as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office under Devendra Fadnavis. She is known for her strong administrative acumen and decisive leadership style. Track Record in Key Infrastructure Projects Bhide has played a crucial role in several major infrastructure initiatives in Maharashtra, most notably her leadership in the Mumbai Metro projects. She had earlier served as the Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, where she oversaw the execution of critical urban transport developments. Her appointment is expected to bring a blend of experience, efficiency, and strategic vision to the BMC at a time when Mumbai continues to face complex urban challenges.
31 March,2026 03:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWith a clear focus on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena has initiated early groundwork by announcing a comprehensive organisational strategy across Maharashtra. Acting on the directives of party chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the party has appointed contact heads for all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. Strategic Push in Mumbai and Thane In a significant move, the party has entrusted major responsibility to Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party leader Dr. Shrikant Shinde. He has been appointed as the contact head for all six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai - Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South Central, North East Mumbai, and South Mumbai - along with the crucial Thane constituency. To strengthen coordination and grassroots outreach, Dr. Shinde will be supported by Minister Yogesh Kadam, MLA Nilesh Rane, and former MP Rahul Shewale. This team is expected to streamline campaign efforts and enhance voter engagement in these politically significant regions. Focus on Key Urban and Semi-Urban Seats Further reinforcing its electoral machinery in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the party has appointed MP Naresh Mhaske as the contact head for the Bhiwandi and Kalyan constituencies. These areas are considered vital due to their demographic diversity and electoral influence. Statewide Appointments Across 48 Constituencies The Shiv Sena has simultaneously rolled out a detailed list of contact heads for constituencies across Maharashtra, indicating a structured and decentralised approach to election management. Prominent leaders have been assigned responsibility for specific regions to ensure effective coordination and booth-level mobilisation. Nandurbar will be overseen by former MLA Shirish Chaudhary, while Dhule and Dindori have been assigned to Shiv Sena Secretary Bhausaheb Chaudhary. Jalgaon will be managed by MLA Dilip Lande, and Raver by MLA Tukaram Kate. In Buldhana, Sanjay Sonar has been appointed, while Akola will be handled by former MLA Rajan Salvi. Amravati has been assigned to MLA Kishor Appa Patil, and Wardha to MLA Dr. Manisha Kayande. Ramtek will be overseen by Anil Kokil, while Nagpur has been entrusted to former MP Sanjay Nirupam. Bhandara-Gondia will be managed by Vilas Chaware, and Gadchiroli-Chimur by former Minister Jagdish Gupta. Chandrapur will be handled by MLA Krupal Tumane. Yavatmal-Washim has been assigned to Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Preeti Band, while Hingoli will be overseen by Deputy Leader Anandrao Jadhav. Nanded will be managed by Datta Dalvi, and Parbhani by Bhaskar Ambekar. Jalna has been given to MP Sandipan Bhumre, while Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar will be overseen by Vilas Parkar. Nashik has been assigned to MLA Suhas Kande, Palghar to Pandurang Patil, and Raigad to Anil Navghare. Kolhapur, Maval, and Pune will be jointly handled by Minister Uday Samant, while Baramati has been assigned to Kiran Landge. Shirur will be overseen by MLA Sharad Sonawane, and Ahilyanagar by Shiv Sena Secretary Ram Repale. Shirdi will be managed by MP Dr. Jyoti Waghmare, while Beed has been assigned to Manoj Shinde. Dharashiv will be overseen by former MP Unmesh Patil, and Latur by Mangesh Kudalkar. Solapur has been entrusted to MP Dhairyashil Mane, while Madha will be handled by Chandrahara Patil. Sangli has been assigned to Yogesh Jankar, Satara to Sharad Kanse, Ratnagiri to corporator Rajesh More, Sindhudurg to Bala Chinderkar, and Hatkanangle to MLA Suhas Babar. Early Organisation Signals Election Readiness The early announcement of contact heads highlights Shiv Sena’s intent to strengthen its organisational base well ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. By allocating clear responsibilities and deploying experienced leaders across constituencies, the party aims to ensure better coordination, voter outreach, and strategic planning at the grassroots level. Political observers note that this move reflects a proactive campaign approach, positioning the party to respond effectively to evolving electoral dynamics in Maharashtra.
31 March,2026 02:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThere's a moment every founder with a global team eventually hits. You're reviewing the monthly expenses, the payroll looks fine, the SaaS stack is reasonable, and then you get to the phone bill. And it's... a lot. More than you remembered approving. More than it should be for what is essentially people talking to each other. International calling costs are one of the last truly unoptimized expenses in the modern business stack. And the reason is simple: it doesn't feel urgent until it is. Why Most Teams Never Fix This The average startup spends weeks evaluating project management tools, debating CRM options, and agonizing over cloud infrastructure costs. The phone setup? Usually whatever someone configured in the early days, still running, nobody touching it. This inertia is expensive. Legacy VoIP setups and traditional carrier plans were built for a different era — one where a company had a headquarters, a physical office with a switchboard, and a predictable call volume to a handful of countries. None of that describes how global teams operate today. Today's distributed team might have a founder in Canada, a sales rep in Colombia, a developer in Portugal, and a support agent in the Philippines. Getting all of them onto a unified, affordable calling setup using traditional telecom logic is either expensive, complicated, or both. What's Actually Eating Your Calling Budget The per-minute rate is the most visible cost, but it's rarely the biggest one once you account for everything: Carrier markups on international routes. Most providers route calls through multiple intermediaries. Each hop adds cost. A call from Southeast Asia to the US can pass through three or four carriers before it connects, with each taking a margin that ends up on your bill. Subscription waste. Flat-rate "unlimited" plans sound appealing but are almost never the right fit for distributed teams with uneven usage. You end up paying for capacity that half your team never uses while the other half runs over. Setup and maintenance friction. Every time you onboard a new remote hire, someone has to configure their calling setup. If that involves downloading software, setting up a VPN, or waiting on IT — that's hours of productive time gone, multiplied across every new hire for as long as you're growing. Poor call quality leading to lost deals. This one is invisible in the budget but very real in the outcome. Grey-route carriers — common in cheap calling solutions — produce the lag, robotic audio, and random disconnects that make your team look unprofessional on calls that matter. The Simpler Alternative Teams Are Moving To The shift happening across lean, global teams is away from carrier-dependent setups and toward browser-native calling — tools that run entirely in a web browser using WebRTC technology, with no apps to install and no hardware to manage. ZenCall is one of the platforms leading this shift. It lets teams make and receive international calls directly from any browser, at rates starting from $0.02 per minute across more than 200 countries. Credits don't expire, there are no monthly minimums, and a new team member can be up and running in under two minutes — just log in and dial. For teams dealing with high call volumes, the math is straightforward. If you're currently paying $0.15 per minute for international calls and switching to $0.02 per minute, a team making 200 minutes of calls per day saves over $9,500 per year. That's before you factor in the time saved on IT setup, the elimination of app management, and the improvement in call quality that comes with Tier-1 carrier routing. Local Numbers Without a Local Office One feature that consistently surprises founders is the ability to get local phone numbers in foreign markets without any physical presence. A startup based in Medellín can have a New York area code. A team in Eastern Europe can call US prospects from a number that looks local to the recipient. This matters because answer rates on calls from local numbers are significantly higher than calls from international or unknown numbers. For outbound sales teams, this alone can justify the switch — and with ZenCall, local numbers in the US and Canada can be provisioned in under a minute with no paperwork or carrier negotiations involved. Security: The Cost of Going Cheap There's a version of this problem that doesn't show up in the telecom bill at all. Many low-cost consumer VoIP apps subsidize their pricing by collecting call metadata, analyzing usage patterns, or routing traffic through grey-market carriers with inconsistent encryption. For startups handling sales negotiations, investor conversations, or calls with clients in regulated industries, this is a real liability. Modern browser-native platforms built on WebRTC encrypt audio end-to-end in real time, without requiring any configuration from the user. Security is built into the infrastructure — not an add-on you unlock at a higher pricing tier. The Right Time to Fix This Is Before You Scale The painful version of this lesson is learning it after you've grown. Once you have 40 people on a calling setup, migration is a project. When you have 8, it's an afternoon. If your team is making regular international calls and you haven't audited your telecom costs in the last six months, it's worth 20 minutes of your time. Pull the last few bills, calculate your actual per-minute rate by country, and compare it against what a modern browser-native platform would cost you. Most founders who run this audit find they've been paying a legacy tax for years — not because a better option didn't exist, but because switching never felt urgent enough to prioritize. ZenCall offers a straightforward way to run that comparison without committing to anything: no contracts, no setup fees, no minimum spend. It's urgent enough now.
31 March,2026 01:50 PM IST | MumbaiMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that personnel serving in the state police’s specialised anti-Naxal unit C-60 will be honoured with medals. CM Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, directed officials to fully digitise policing processes, from filing FIRs to submitting chargesheets, and emphasised the need to improve conviction rates through the use of advanced technology, the PTI reported. Addressing reporters after a half-yearly conference with senior police officials on Monday, he said, “Those who have served a minimum of three years in the C-60 force that combats Naxalites will receive a medal. The decision was taken today.” The conference reviewed the implementation of new penal codes, technological adaptations, and reforms discussed earlier at the DG-IG conference, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “At the DG-IG conference, states were given 106 action points, and Maharashtra officials made presentations on the progress,” the CM said, the news agency reported. “Maharashtra has nearly eliminated Maoist activity. A total of 244 police personnel have lost their lives over the years in anti-Naxal operations,” he added, praising the security forces. AI push and conviction rate targets Emphasising the adoption of technology, Fadnavis said Artificial Intelligence tools will be integrated into policing. “AI is being used for tool creation and can also be used in filing FIRs and chargesheets. I have tasked the Director General of Police with ensuring that the entire process, from registering FIRs to filing charge sheets, is completely digitised. An evidence management system should be upgraded using blockchain technology,” he said, PTI reported. He noted that the state’s conviction rate has improved but remains around 50 per cent, with a target of 95 per cent. Conviction rates in sessions court trials remain lower, he said, adding that strategies were discussed to improve outcomes. “AI will be used to analyse cases from the past four to five years, with the Crime Investigation Department examining gaps to help formulate policies for improving efficiency and conviction rates,” he said. Road safety, anti-drug drive, and crime monitoring On road safety, the CM said police interventions have helped reduce accidents, citing a pilot project in Nagpur that brought down accidents by 30 per cent. He added that accidents on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway have also declined. “Discussions were held on national security and cyberspace. A ‘drug-free campus’ initiative will be implemented, with a detailed strategy to be presented soon. We will launch a strong drive against drugs,” he said, PTI reported. Fadnavis also said forensic case pendency has reduced, but efforts are underway to enable real-time processing. Districts with higher crime rates will be graded and asked to improve performance over the next six months, he added. “The Director General of Police will felicitate high-performing officers, while those lagging behind will be asked to improve,” he said. AI tool to identify illegal migrants under development On an AI tool being developed to identify Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the state, Fadnavis said it is still under development at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. “The results so far are encouraging. We will share more details once it is fully ready,” he added. (With PTI inputs)
31 March,2026 01:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA fire erupted at an X-Ray department room at Sion hospital in Mumbai at around 11:57 am on Tuesday, civic officials said, adding that no injuries were reported in the incident. According to the hospital dean, Dr. Pramod Ingale, the fire was caused by a blast in the air conditioning unit. Thick smoke rose from the area, creating a brief panic among patients and staff. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, he said. "The fire was confined to AC Unit of X-Ray department," officials said. Thick smoke creates panic "The was a blast in the AC due to which the fire broke out. The thick smoke went upwards which did create a bit of panic. However, no human was injured. There is no damage to any equipment. However, there are minor damages to the infrastructure. All patients have been moved to a safe spot," Dr. Ingale said. There was no damage to medical equipment, although minor structural damage occurred. All patients were safely moved to a secure location, the official said. Fire extinguished The Mumbai Fire Brigade rushed to the scene and successfully extinguished the fire. Further details were awaited.
31 March,2026 12:52 PM IST | Mumbai | Ritika GondhalekarEarly morning commuters at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai were startled on Sunday when a large snake was spotted near one of the city’s major landmarks, Jio World Drive. At around 8:30 am on March 29, 2026, security personnel at Gate No. 1 of Makermax City within the Jio World Drive premises discovered a thick-bodied Indian Rock Python coiled near the entrance. Concerned about the safety of visitors and the reptile, authorities quickly cordoned off the area. Rescue operation The rescue was carried out by SARRP India NGO, led by experienced wildlife responder Unmesh Paranjape. The python, identified as Python molurus, measured 7 feet in length and weighed approximately 9 kg. Paranjape stated that the snake was healthy and was handled with care to avoid stress during its rescue. "Finding such a significant specimen in the heart of a corporate hub like BKC is a reminder of the urban wildlife that still thrives in Mumbai’s green pockets," he said. Public safety The area was secured during the rescue to ensure the safety of both the public and the snake. Visitors were allowed to return once the reptile had been safely relocated to a suitable habitat.
31 March,2026 12:44 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi has been sent on leave to ensure a fair and impartial probe into allegations of police misconduct during the Zilla Parishad presidential election. According to PTI, Shiv Sena Minister Shambhuraj Desai and Nationalist Congress Party's Makarand Patil had alleged that local police personnel manhandled them during the poll held on March 20 to elect the Satara ZP president. Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe had last week asked the state government to suspend Doshi. “The Satara SP has been sent on leave. The decision was taken to ensure a free and fair investigation,” Fadnavis told PTI on Monday. According to sources, Doshi is currently on earned leave and will remain so until April 6. Poll outcome and political context During the March 20 election, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Priya Shinde was elected Satara ZP president, defeating the Shiv Sena–NCP combine’s candidate despite the alliance having a majority in the rural local body. The BJP narrowly surpassed the Sena-NCP alliance’s tally to secure the top post. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sunetra Pawar-led NCP are allies of the BJP in the state’s Mahayuti government. Institutional stand-off After Gorhe directed the government to suspend Doshi, Fadnavis had said that the powers of the executive, judiciary, and legislature are clearly defined under the Constitution. “The executive holds administrative powers and is accountable to the legislature. The government makes efforts to implement the directions given by the Chair,” he said, the news agency reported. Legal opinion to be taken on action against SP, says Maharashtra Council Chairman Ram Shinde Meanwhile, last week, Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde stated that his deputy Neelam Gorhe’s order to suspend the Satara Superintendent of Police (SP) will be referred to legal experts, and a decision will be issued afterwards, reported PTI. Ram Shinde made the remarks in the Upper House on Wednesday, effectively putting on hold the suspension of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Tushar Doshi and other officials over an alleged ruckus during the Satara Zilla Parishad (ZP) elections. The action was taken after political leaders raised the issue in the Council. Following this, the Council Deputy Chairperson Gorhe had on Monday directed the state government to suspend Satara Superintendent of Police Doshi. This move did not go down well with the BJP, which heads the ruling coalition. (With PTI inputs)
31 March,2026 12:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA GS1 QR code is a 2D barcode that contains a standard-compliant Digital Link. It contains all unique product data that can be read by both retail scanners and smartphones. This new QR code is the result of the Global Standard 1’s goal to connect everyone in the supply chain to product information online. Easy to create and deploy, it has numerous applications across industries and is expected to become a standard for businesses to adopt. To understand the drive to incorporate the GS1 Digital Link into the world of commerce, let’s look into why it matters; its purpose, use cases, and the generation process. What is GS1 barcode standardization for? The GS1 barcode standards enable companies worldwide to easily store, identify, and communicate information consistently to all stakeholders. This gives industries the following benefits: Easily understood product information Streamlined business operations Improved global supply chain visibility Stronger brand protection Interoperability between companies Reduced risk of barcode duplication Support for automation The Digital Link also offers all these perks, enabling more efficient processes that help companies cut costs and comply with regulations. In short, the GS1 QR code creates an even playing field in competitive markets, allowing even smaller businesses to participate in commerce. 7 significant uses of GS1 2D barcodes With the Digital Link, companies can greatly improve on several aspects of their operations and truly connect with their consumers. 1. Inventory management By establishing QR code standards, businesses can manage their inventory more effectively. For starters, QR codes can be scanned from any direction, meaning no matter what angle or orientation it’s printed at, scanners can still read the data within. Secondly, comparing QR code vs barcode features shows clearly that the former stores more data than the latter. This is how QR codes can store standardized product identifiers, along with other information required by the GS1 Digital Link. GS1 standards also specify which product information is encoded and how it is arranged, enabling employees and automated systems to instantly recognize the scanned item. This results in a more accurate and efficient inventory management system. 2. Smart packaging The standardized method of encoding product information also increases transparency into products in the global supply chain. Details like expiration dates, batch and serial numbers, and product variants allow both companies and consumers to easily identify a specific product. If the Digital Link is used, then these pieces of information are written in a way that is easily recognizable and available to all parties. 3. Product authentication & anti-counterfeiting Having standardized product information also makes authentication an easier task. Simply following GS1 standards is a sign of an authentic product, but there’s more that goes into this. Whatever information is in the scanned QR code can be cross-referenced online. A brand’s customer support will also be more than willing to assist concerned users, something that will surely increase consumer satisfaction and loyalty. This feature means that even if your product’s code has been tampered with, there remains a way for items to be authenticated. 4. Sustainability & recycling instructions GS1’s QR codes also contribute to sustainability efforts by helping consumers identify key information about their products. For example, food waste is a serious issue that has economic, ecological, and social repercussions. In the EU alone, 130 kg (287 lb) of food waste was generated by each member of a household. Knowledge of expiration dates can help consumers be mindful of their food’s shelf life, reducing food waste. Details that can help determine the origin, quality, and freshness of products are also stored in a GS1 GTIN QR code, giving consumers even more information to work with, therefore promoting sustainability and helping companies and governments reach certain goals. 5. Supply chain tracking Using a Digital Link also improves the tracing of a product’s progress through the supply chain. With its unique code easily accessible, handlers at different ports can scan batches of products that arrive and immediately update the system, allowing all companies to monitor their products’ journey around the world. 6. Regulatory compliance The demand for traceability and anti-counterfeiting continues to grow in several industries, particularly in pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics. To address this, agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Parliament are setting up new regulations to promote globally accepted serialization methods. It is for this reason that GS1 is driving for the integration of 2D barcodes into the retail and manufacturing industries. 7. Warranty, support, and after-sales services Lastly, a Digital Link QR code acts as the gateway to important product information and services by connecting users to manuals, registrations, and service centers. Consumers can even track the lifecycle of the products they purchase thanks to the GS1 Digital Link. From its sourcing of components to its arrival on store shelves, commercial goods are more transparent than ever. Make your own GS1 QR code Before creating a GS1 Digital Link QR code online, there are a few things you should know. One, you will need to have all product information ready. This includes the product’s unique identifier, which requires the GS1 Company Prefix licensed to you by the organization. Registering for a Company Prefix is a process all on its own, so it’s better to acquire one before thinking of generating a QR code. The second thing you will need is a QR code generator that supports GS1 standards. This is important as this kind of software often provides the means to track and analyze scan times, locations, and frequency. Once you’ve accomplished all of these, creating a Digital Link QR code is simple. All you will need to do is enter all the product information into the software and generate your code. From there, you can start printing them right away or take some time to customize them to better fit your branding. Bridging the gap between brands and consumers with GS1 The normalization of the GS1 QR code is just one of many steps on the road to digital transparency in commerce. Its standardized way of encoding product information, combined with the convenience and accessibility of the QR code, makes for a powerful combination that benefits both businesses and their customers. This push to make it the new standard is set to really get going with an initiative known as Sunrise 2027. In that year, participating retailers are expected to begin accepting 2D barcodes at points of sale, while manufacturers will be required to adopt the Digital Link for their goods. This move will inevitably help brands connect more with their consumers through transparency and authenticity, thereby creating a healthier global market going forward. It will definitely take time, but the support of several industry giants ensures that the ever-changing needs of businesses and consumers alike will be met for generations to come.
31 March,2026 11:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Anish PatilThe India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted the possibility of light rain or thundershowers in Mumbai and its suburbs towards the evening or night on March 31. Mumbai's neighbouring districts, including Thane was likely to witness similar weather conditions and a yellow alert was issued for thunderstorms and rain. Similar alerts have also been issued for Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Nandurbar, and the ghat regions of Pune, Kolhapur, and Satara. Meanwhile, several districts are under an orange alert, including Beed, Parbhani, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Pune, Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Jalgaon, and the ghat areas of Nashik. These regions may witness thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, gusty winds of 50–60 kmph, and isolated hailstorms, the IMD said. IMD issues yellow nowcast alert for rain, thunderstorms The IMD has also issued a nowcast yellow warning for several districts in Maharashtra, valid for the next three hours. Light spells of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning are likely in parts of Parbhani, Beed, Hingoli, Solapur, Sangli, Dharashiv, Latur, and Nanded, the IMD said. Residents have been advised to take necessary precautions amid the possibility of sudden weather changes. Two dead after being struck with lightning in Jalna Two young men lost their lives after being struck by lightning while on their way to a temple amid unseasonal rains in parts of Maharashtra’s Jalna district on Monday, police said, the PTI reported. A third person accompanying them was injured in the incident. According to PTI, the tragedy occurred near Mahakala village in Ambad tehsil. The deceased have been identified as Govind Prahlad Lahane (21) and Aditya Dagdu Bedre (20). According to Ambad police, the duo was heading to Apegaon village to offer prayers at the revered Vigneshwar Mahadev temple when sudden rains, accompanied by thunder and lightning, forced them to take shelter under a tree. A powerful lightning strike hit the tree, killing both men on the spot. The third youth who was with them sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Ambad. Meanwhile, several parts of Jalna district experienced unseasonal rainfall on Monday. Showers were reported in Bhokardan, Jalna, Ambad, and Jafrabad tehsils, while stormy conditions were also observed in the Ramnagar and Ner areas. The meteorological department has issued an orange alert for Jalna district for March 31, warning of adverse weather conditions. Farmers have been advised to take necessary precautions to protect harvested crops. (With PTI inputs)
31 March,2026 10:29 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndian Railways will shed its connection to Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling, as one of its most iconic features — the Wheeler book stalls — are set to disappear from stations across Mumbai’s Western Railway (WR) network, marking the end of a century-old legacy. WR, however, has decided to preserve a Wheeler stall at Mumbai Central Terminus station, which retains its original design. “Almost all the Wheeler stalls in Mumbai are just cubicles. The only one where the original design is maintained, at Mumbai Central, will not be touched. We will repurpose the structure,” an official said. A Wheeler stall that has been converted into a multi-purpose store at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus The stalls, where one can buy newspapers and affordable books, have been a part of the suburban railway network culture, helping cultivate a reading habit in commuters. For generations of commuters, Wheeler stalls were more than just retail counters — they were hotspots to affordable literature, from newspapers and magazines to bestselling novels, often serving as a companion to long suburban and intercity journeys. Rudyard Kipling, English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer, whose early works were published as part of AH Wheeler & Co’s Indian Railway Library Series. Pic/Wikimedia Commons Their distinctive presence on platforms became synonymous with railway travel itself. In 2021, however, they were converted into multi-purpose stalls (MSP) under a revised commercial model. A communication issued by WR’s Mumbai division has confirmed that the five-year contract for 55 MPS will conclude on March 31, 2026. The cover of a collection of short stories by the Nobel laureate, whose first edition was published by AH Wheeler & Co in 1888 and sold for Rs 1 The city remembers Time-pass during train travelDeepak Rao, Historian and city chronicler Their stalls were treasure troves of knowledge. I particularly treasure their rubber stamp that was etched on their copies; one of my books dates back to 1956! As schoolboys, my friends and I were regulars at the VT (today’s CSMT) stall, which had a fantastic collection. I remember heading there to buy comic books, and later, when the magazine boom hit India in the 1970s, they would stock not just the best Indian magazines, but also international publications like Time and Newsweek. Long-distance train travel to places like Pune was incomplete if we didn’t pick up at least one bestseller to kill time on the journey. Their closure is sad news. Today’s readers will never understand its value and presence as a Mumbai icon that stood the test of time. Pulse of a generationKaiwan Mehta, Author, academic, and architecture theorist My undergraduate thesis was on railway stations. My argument was that in the case of Mumbai, they act as thresholds for travel. While we wait at stations, we drink chai, and quite organically, our eyes would scan the station, and these book stalls would catch the eye. I remember being fascinated by the Hindi comic book superhero series ‘Doga’ by Raj Comics. They stocked every newspaper; even those that weren’t published in Mumbai like ‘The Hindu’ would be available later in the day. These bookstalls gave you a sense of what the general public is reading beyond physical and online bookstores. It also offered insight into translated bestsellers. Apart from value for money paperbacks, titles like ‘The Discovery of India’, Dr BR Ambedkar’s writings, as well as Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘The Story of My Experiments With Truth’ were almost always on sale. They offered a pulse of the generation in the same manner as All India Radio did. Synonym for bookstoresArundhathi Subramaniam, Poet and author It was a big part of our life in the city. I would call it a synonym for bookstores at railway stations. It was almost a common noun. I remember picking up magazines, newspapers, and books during our train rides to my grandmother’s home on vacations, or the commute to friends’ houses in the suburbs. I would call it my ‘Wheeler Dealer’ for books as a running joke. The stalls were a landmark at the crowded railway station. Before mobile phones, we’d simply say ‘I’ll meet you by the Wheeler’s’ bookstall to a friend, and they would know. I suppose it is the end of an era. Soon, it will be one of those things that you mention, and get a blank stare in return. I just arrived in Mumbai, and told my cabbie to take a turn past Dev Anand’s bungalow. He looked back to ask ‘Who is Dev Anand?’ That’s the way it is. Summer holiday memoriesEhsaan Noorani, Composer-musician It was a huge part of our summer holiday memories. As a child, summers to me meant travelling to Lonavla on the Deccan Queen. I would always insist on getting to the station early, so I could buy a ‘Dennis the Menace’ or ‘Archies Digest’ to read all the way. It was all part of the excitement of a train journey. It is a terribly sad thing to hear that they will no longer be a part of the next generation’s experience. A memory of my formative years Atul Dodiya, Artist The Wheeler’s bookstore was a huge part of my formative years of art. It housed a diverse range of books. I remember picking up books in regional languages, comics, and classic novels. But most of all, they would also sell published film scripts. Those are rare now. I recall picking up scripts like Awtar Singh Kaul’s ‘27 Down’ and Basu Chatterji’s ‘Rajnigandha’ among many others during my commute from Ghatkopar, while I was studying at Sir JJ School of Art. It was there that my love for Hindi cinema took roots. About AH Wheeler >> The first store was opened at Allahabad Railway Station in 1877 >> The chain was originally founded by Emile Moreau (a French businessman), TK Banerjee (an Indian businessman), Arthur Henry Wheeler (after whom the store got named), Arthur Lisle Wheeler, WM Rudge, and Armenian Tigran Ratheus David in Allahabad or present day Prayagraj, in 1877. The name AH Wheeler had been borrowed from the very famous and then-successful London bookstore — ‘Arthur Henry Wheelers’, who had been a friend of one of the founders (Moreau) and had also helped him financially >> It is headquartered in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), with bookstores spreading across hundreds of railway stations, especially in the north and east >> It was once the premier bookstore chain on Indian Railways, boasting 258 locations by 2004 >> The business was taken over by the Banerjee family in 1950, which continues to run it >> Following a 2004 railway policy change, many of the iconic bookstores have been converted into “multi-purpose stalls” that sell snacks and medicines in addition to reading material mid-day staffers recall Wheeler staff told me my name’s in the paper As a student of mathematics and economics at KC College, Churchgate (1991-94), I would buy two newspapers every day from the Wheeler stall at Churchgate — mid-day and The Afternoon Despatch & Courier (ADC). So regular was I that the vendor knew me by my face and later by name. Sometime in mid-1993, I went as usual, and he told me, “Aapka naam aya hai Afternoon paper mein”. Flummoxed, I opened the ADC and there it was, on one of the City pages under the headline. “Winners of National Essay Competition Announced”. It turned out that the essay I had submitted to the Forum of Free Enterprise, the well-known organisation, established in 1956, to educate public opinion in India on free enterprise and its close relationship with the democratic way of life, was declared the second-best in a national competition for college and postgraduate university students. I was 19 at the time. In 1993, FFE, established by AD Shroff, a banking and economics luminary, was headed by Nani Palkhivala and MR Pai when I won the prize. I went to the DN Road office to collect my certificate signed by Messrs Palkhivala and Pai. Imagine my surprise when Mr Pai himself handed over the certificate. I touched his feet and left the office. If the clerk at Wheeler had not told me about it, I would have probably never known I had won the prize. It is a memory I will cherish until my last day. Sachin Kalbag, editor-in-chief My page 1 story! AH Wheeler & Co for me was more than a stockist of books and magazines. During my years in the book trade, I visited their office on Dr DN Road to get them to buy books in large quantity, but to no avail. The wooden-framed bookshelves attracted my attention at each station I got off. I remember one particular ‘disembarkation’ — at Bandra West — to check whether this newspaper carried my piece, filed as a freelancer in the wake of a reported rift between two buddies, Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, in early 1994. The piece was about Mumbai team manager and former Test all-rounder Karsan Ghavri refuting talk of a rift. To my great surprise, the story was carried on page 1. Clayton Murzello, deputy editor Matunga’s knowledge adda As college-goers, we would board and alight from Matunga (Central) railway station, and the AH Wheeler book stall was a godsend for several reasons. For many third-year students, the stall stocked a wide range of knowledge books for every conceivable entrance exam across faculties and interests. The one-time miracle book to every current affairs question — Malayala Manorama Yearbook — was another huge draw, and I recall some of us got sweet discounts on slightly creased copies. It was a regular feature of our college life, and the easiest spot on the station to use as a landmark to meet friends arriving from other locations. Mumbai loses another footnote of high heritage value with its shutting down. This generation and the next will never gauge how this omnipresent bookseller made us value and appreciate the written word while on the move. Fiona Fernandez, features editor I was hooked to it Since my school days, I have had a special bond with the small AH Wheeler book shop at one end of Matunga railway station. The stacks of newspapers and their screaming headlines, the colourful covers of magazines hanging by clips and the much-awaited arrival of my favourite comics and periodicals were always a big deal for me. That was the social media of our era and I was hooked to it. I couldn’t help but stop, even if it meant risking a missed train or a scolding for being late. Rajendra B Aklekar, deputy city editor The present With the contract period now ending, railway authorities have instructed licensees to hand over vacant possession of stalls along with all fixtures in good condition, failing which the Railways reserves the right to take over and dispose of materials. Vendors have been directed to cease operations immediately upon expiry and vacate the premises within 72 hours. Railways will take possession of the stalls, remove the furniture or other articles lying there and dispose of the same by sale or otherwise. The Kipling connection The AH Wheeler & Co stall at Mumbai Central which retains its original design. The shop was fabricated in England and shipped to India. Pics/Rajendra B Aklekar Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay on December 30, 1865, to John Lockwood Kipling, an artist and teacher of architectural sculpture at the Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy School of Art. At the age of five, he was sent back to England to stay with a foster family in Southsea. He did not return to India for another eleven years, when at the age of sixteen he started work as an assistant editor at the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore. In the late 1880s, he struck a deal with AH Wheeler & Co, which had secured a near-monopoly over bookstalls at stations across the rapidly expanding Indian Railways network, to start the affordably priced Indian Railway Library Series. More revenue Confirming the development, a Western Railway divisional official said, “The contract of 55 multi-purpose stall units awarded to M/s. AH Wheeler & Co Pvt. Ltd used to generate revenue of R0.76 crore annually. Further e-auctions of these units were conducted on March 26 and 27, and bids were received in 46 units, which will generate a revenue of R5.3 crore annually.” The stall layout Wheeler’s compact kiosks, crafted from teak wood, were built to fit narrow platform spaces without obstructing movement. They had a distinct red-and-cream colour scheme, making them easy to spot even in crowded stations and open-front counters, allowing quick browsing and fast transactions for passengers on the go, as well as multi-tier display racks. With inputs from Fiona Fernandez and Shriram Iyengar
31 March,2026 09:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarADVERTISEMENT
