Traffic complaints? Leave your cars at home on 27 Nov

Land disputes in Mumbai can turn ugly, but this one went way beyond that. “A man died of severe burns after three neighbours set him ablaze at a chawl at Seven Bungalows in Andheri (West) on Monday evening. The police said Rehmat Hasan Shah (36) was locked in a dispute with the three over the redevelopment of the chawl. Hours before his killing, he had a spat with them over a petty issue,” says The Times of India. There’s no good news on the anti-terror front. “Nearly four months have passed since the serial blasts on 13 July and no arrest has been made in the case and this is a matter of worry for the state government as well as the Centre, said CM Prithviraj Chavan. “We have several leads, but no new developments,” Chavan admitted,” says Indian Express. [caption id=“attachment_126723” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“More action on transport – but this time, you’re the one required to act. Reuters”]  [/caption] There’s some action on the issue of eve-teasing and sexual harassment. “The murders of Mumbai bravehearts Keenan and Reuben, who died defending their friends against sexual harassment, have served as a wake-up call for the police. They have now formed a special squad to tackle sexual harassment in the city. The squad will consist of five young police personnel. Three of these police personnel including one female constable will be in plain clothes,” reports IBNlive. And there’s some action on transport as well. “Water transport may finally become a reality in the city, 30 years after such a project was first seriously considered by the state government. Breaking a deadlock which grounded the project for eight years, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has placed a new proposal for a western corridor from Nariman Point to Borivli, before the state government,” reports The Times of India. More action on transport – but this time, you’re the one required to act. “Urging the urban community to ‘Drive less, Live more’, a city-based NGO has organised a Car Free Day on November 27 in an effort to reduce vehicular traffic and the air pollution caused by it,” according to the Indian Express. Another commuting story that doesn’t make good news. “Even as the gender fight in Mumbai’s suburban trains gathers steam, statistics with the government railway police reveal that women are at risk in city’s trains with the crime graph taking an upward trend.“There have been three to four attacks on women in trains this week itself. The railway police need to focus more on patrolling in trains to curb crime,’’ said Anagha D. Sawant, who travels by train every day,” says DNA. As if their normal inefficiency was not enough, Mumbai’s corporators add stupidity to make our lives miserable. “The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is supposed to construct around 161 roads in the city. But superstitious corporators’ desire to conduct a religious ceremony before the inauguration of the road work in their wards has stalled the Rs575crore project,” finds the DNA. There are some corporators who obey laws. “Several politicians are refraining from putting up flexes and hoardings, say door-to-door interaction more effective in building rapport with voters Today the innumerable illegal hoardings littering the city may be a sight for sore eyes, but one can take heart from the fact that a handful of corporators exist who are refraining from putting up flexes and banners,” says the Mid-Day.