Page 4 - Pune

Collector declared Indrayani river bridge as unsafe, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani River in Pune that collapsed, killing four persons, had been declared dangerous by the district collector, and warning boards had been put up at the site. Talking to reporters at an event in Palghar, Fadnavis said the contract for a new bridge at the site in Maval tehsil had been awarded, and work has begun. Four people died, and 18 were seriously injured when a 32-year-old iron pedestrian bridge over the Indrayani River in Maval tehsil collapsed on Sunday afternoon due to overcrowding by tourists. He said that the structure had been declared dangerous by the district collector before the incident, and villagers had also placed warning boards. Tourists might not have been aware of the severity of the bridge's condition, he said. The chief minister said that the administration had identified 500 dangerous locations, including bridges and water bodies, across Pune district for the

Fire in Daund-Pune shuttle train after passenger throws cigarette; held

A minor fire broke out in the lavatory of the moving Daund-Pune shuttle train on Monday morning after a passenger allegedly threw a lighted cigarette in a dustbin there, causing panic among passengers, police said. The blaze was quickly doused and no one was injured in the incident which occurred near Yavat in Pune district at around 8 am, an official from Daund railway police station said. A 55-year-old person, who prima-facie seemed to be mentally unstable, was detained in connection with the incident and handed over to police, a railway spokesperson said. The train was held up at Yavat station for about 20 minutes due to the incident, as per railway officials. The shuttle train service operates daily between Daund town and Pune city, covering a distance of nearly 75 km and passing through seven stations in between. As per preliminary information, a passenger from Madhya Pradesh allegedly threw a 'bidi' (hand-rolled thin cigarette) into a dustbin of the Daund-Pune DEMU (Diesel .

Police continue search operation at Pune bridge collapse site

Police on Monday continued the search operation at the site where an iron bridge collapsed on the Indrayani River in Pune district, even as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) called off its efforts. Four people died, and 18 were seriously injured when a 32-year-old bridge over the Indrayani River in Maval tehsil collapsed on Sunday afternoon. "Since all missing persons have been accounted for as per directions of the district administration, the search operation has been closed," an NDRF official said. According to the authorities, the iron structure collapsed due to overcrowding by tourists who ignored the warning board at the spot. More than 100 people were on the bridge, a popular spot for tourists and picnickers, when it collapsed around 3.30 pm in Kundamala, which received heavy rains in the last few days, giving the river a steady flow, officials said. "While there is no possibility of anyone still being missing, as a precautionary step, we are continuing the search

Crowd in middle swept away in river: Survivor recalls Pune bridge fall

The man recalled that the people standing in the middle of the bridge were swept away in the Indrayani River

Pune bridge collapse: 4 dead, 51 injured as old structure fails under rush

The incident occurred at 3:15 pm; we were informed by 3:30 pm. A 250-member team began rescue ops and has rescued around 38 people so far, said District Collector Jitendra Dudi

2 dead after bridge on River Indrayani collapses in Pune; rescue ops on

Three persons were rescued so far following the incident which occurred near Kundamala area in Maval tehsil, the police said

Zero-for-Zero Tariffs: Rethinking Trade Liberalization

In this SmartCut episode, Dr. Shikha Jain, Director of IMDR Pune, unpacks Zero-for-Zero Tariffs, their history, benefits, challenges, and why India needs to rethink trade liberalisation. >

Gap between built up area & carpet area rises in apartment to 40%: Anarock

The difference between super-built-up area and carpet area in apartments has risen over the years with builders increasing average loading percentage to 40 per cent across major cities to provide common amenities, according to Anarock. The average loading percentage was 31 per cent in 2019, and the same has risen to 40 per cent in the January-March quarter of this year, which means flat owners are getting less livable space. In its report, real estate consultant Anarock said that in residential apartments, the average loading factor is the difference between the super-built-up area and carpet area. If the super built-up area is 1,300 square feet and the carpet area 1,000 sq ft, then the loading percentage is 30 per cent. Prashant Thakur, Regional Director & Head - Research & Advisory at ANAROCK Group, said, "While RERA now requires developers to mention the total carpet area provided to homebuyers, no law currently limits the loading factor in projects." "Q1 (January-March) ...

Birla Estates raises Rs 420 cr from IFC to finance projects in Mumbai, Pune

Real estate company Birla Estates has raised Rs 420 crore from International Finance Corporation (IFC) to finance its two projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune. Birla Estates Pvt Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aditya Birla Real Estate Ltd (formerly Century Textiles and Industries Ltd). In a regulatory filing on Monday, the company announced signing of agreements for an investment from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. "The investment, approximately USD 50 million (Rs 420 crore), will be directed towards two of Birla Estates' key developments: with around Rs 148 crore in Birla Estates' Manjri project (Pune) having around 3.13 million sq ft saleable area and about Rs 272 crore in Birla Estates' Thane project with 6.43 million sq ft saleable area," it said. The projects will be developed through two Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) owned and controlled by Birla Estates. IFC's investment will be made into these SPVs, which will serve as the development platform for b

Snowflake to set up R&D centre in India, expand operations in Pune

Cloud data firm Snowflake plans to open an R&D centre in India alongside its Pune CoE as part of its larger push to grow local talent and enterprise technology capability

Godrej acquires 14-acre land in Pune to build project worth Rs 4,200 cr

Realty firm Godrej Properties Ltd has acquired a 14-acre land in Pune to develop a housing project with a revenue potential of Rs 4,200 crore as part of its expansion plan. In a regulatory filing on Monday, Godrej Properties said it will develop the 14-acre land parcel in Kharadi - Wagholi, Pune. The development on this land will comprise primarily premium group housing. "The project will have a developable potential of 3.7 million square feet with an estimated revenue potential of Rs 4,200 crore," the company said. Gaurav Pandey, MD & CEO, Godrej Properties, said, "Kharadi - Wagholi is one of the most sought-after destinations in Pune, and we are happy to mark our entry into this micro market. This further enhances our presence in Pune and fits within our strategy of strengthening our presence across key micro-markets in India." "We will aim to build a high-quality development that creates long-term value for its residents," Pandey said. Mumbai-based Godrej Properties is one of

12 injured after tourist cab hits bystanders in Pune, driver arrested

Among those injured were several students preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams

Court rejects Rahul Gandhi's plea for plaintiff's lineage in Savarkar case

A court has dismissed Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking details of Satyaki Savarkar's maternal lineage in a defamation case over alleged remarks against VD Savarkar during a 2023 London speech

Pune Porsche case accused doctor now arrested in kidney transplant racket

Police on Thursday arrested Pune's Sassoon General Hospital's former medical superintendent Dr Ajay Taware in connection with an alleged kidney transplant racket at a leading private hospital here, officials said. Taware is currently lodged at the Yerwada Central Jail here following arrest last year for allegedly tampering with the blood samples of a 17-year-old boy accused of crashing a Porsche car into a motorbike in Pune's Kalyani Nagar and killing two persons. The city crime branch has now taken him into custody in connection with the 2022 kidney transplant racket at the Ruby Hall Clinic, a leading private hospital here, police said. "We have taken Dr Ajay Taware into custody in the kidney racket case and he will be produced before the court today," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingale said. In 2022, Taware was head of the Regional Authorisation Committee that approved kidney transplants. The Pune police in May 2022 registered a case against 15 persons, includi

Fujita Corp-backed Neilsoft refiles draft IPO papers; cuts fresh issue size

Fujita Corporation-backed Neilsoft Ltd has refiled its draft papers with markets regulator Sebi to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). The IPO will have a combination of a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 90 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 80 lakh shares by promoters and existing shareholders, according to the draft red herring prospectus filed on Monday. The company has reduced its fresh issue size from Rs 100 crore planned at the time of filing draft papers in December 2024. The regulator had returned these preliminary papers in March this year. Neilsoft, a technology-driven engineering services and solutions company, plans to use Rs 69.63 crore to fund capital expenditure and the rest for general corporate purposes. Founded in 1991, Neilsoft provides customised engineering services, including AEC design solutions, industrial plant design, and manufacturing equipment and production line design. It also offers Engineering Process Outsourcing (EPO) services and

Explained: What is the new Bharat Forecast System and how does it work?

Bharat Forecast System, developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, has now become operational after three years of testing since its launch in 2022

Unprecedented May rains in three Pune tehsils, says Dy CM Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited Baramati tehsil in Pune district on Monday to take stock of the rains, which he said were "unprecedented" for May. Heavy rains lashed Baramati, Indapur and Daunda tehsils on Sunday, prompting the National Disaster Response Force to deploy two specialised teams on the urgent request of the district collector. The May rain recorded in the three tehsils are unprecedented in the last 50 years, Pawar said while carrying out an inspection of affected areas with Collector Jitendra Dudi. "The average rainfall of these three tehsils was around 14 inches for the entire monsoon season but yesterday, in Shetfalgadhe in Indapur tehsil, 13 inches rainfall was recorded in a few hours. The havoc was due to such heavy rains and then a breach at Nira canal near Nimtek in Baramati tehsil. The IMD has issued a red alert for this region on May 28," said Pawar. During the inspection, the team is assessing damage to crops and houses, the NCP leader ...

Maharashtra sees wettest May since 1990, records 844% surplus rainfall

Maharashtra logs wettest May since 1990 with 74.6 mm rain so far; Pune breaks centuries-old record as heavy pre-monsoon showers damage 30,000 hectares of crops across districts

54 per cent of Maharashtra's GSDP comes from only 7 districts: Govt report

Only seven out of 36 districts in Maharashtra contribute 54 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP), which stood at Rs 45 lakh crore in 2024, a government report has said, indicating a stark regional imbalance. These seven districts, where economic activities are largely concentrated in the state, which is considered an economic powerhouse in the country, include two districts of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. The report submitted to the 16th Finance Commission revealed that 18 districts have a growth rate less than 0.8x of the GSDP expansion rate and per capita income below average state income. GSDP measures the total value of goods and services produced within a state's boundaries during a specific period. While Maharashtra's per capita income was 148 per cent of the national average, 12 districts in the state have per capita income below the national average, it said. According to the report, the state government has formulated district strategic plans spanning five year

India likely to see at least 30 GCCs with billion-dollar revenue this year

Data from Pune-based consultancy Wizmatic shows that there were about 24 GCCs with annual revenue of more than $1 billion in FY24; that number is expected to grow by five or six more such players