Gujarat Vapi News

Industrial units in Gujarat press for fresh CEPI sampling
Times of India | 1 month ago | |
Times of India
1 month ago | |

AHMEDABAD: Industrial units located in critically polluted areas have been demanding fresh CEPI (Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index) sampling for a while, but Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has not carried out this assessment. Units say the performance of CETPs have improved in the last three years, but CEPI scores have not been revised since 2019. Sampling was due in 2022 but was not carried out. Industrial units face a number of regulatory issues due to old CEPI scores, industry associations say. Track the pollution level in your cityGujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) vice-president Yogesh Parikh said, "Vapi, Ankleshwar, Surat, Nandesari, Vatva and Narol are in the critically polluted category. Industrial estates there have worked to significantly decrease pollution load and massive investments have been made in new CETP (common effluent treatment plant) technologies and their performance has improved in the last three years and this reflects in GPCB data as well. We have asked CPCB for a joint meeting of CPCB, GPCB and stakeholders to fix sampling locations and parameters for fresh sampling. However, we have not received a response from the CPCB. It has not considered CEPI scores derived from sampling carried out by GPCB in 2019. Fresh sampling was due in 2022. In the absence of a joint meeting to fix sampling locations, parameters, fresh sampling for CEPI score has not been pursued and units face regulatory issues due to it. They cannot expand despite lower pollution loads than before." CPCB developed CEPI to find out and index the quality of the environment. Parikh added that most CETPs have successfully achieved various compliance levels in the last year with the help of new technologies and they have written to the Union environment ministry seeking fresh CEPI sampling.

Industrial units in Gujarat press for fresh CEPI sampling
Man gets death sentence for rape, murder of minor in Gujarat’s Vapi
Times of India | 2 months ago | |
Times of India
2 months ago | |

SURAT: A 22-year-old man was convicted and sentenced to death by a special court under the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act — for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in February 2020 in Vapi of Gujarat's Valsad district — on Monday . The minor was found hanging in her home and the accused attempted to stage a scene of a suicide. However, the postmortem examination and police investigation proved that she was sexually assaulted, sodomised and then strangled to death.The court of special judge for POCSO cases, K J Modi, convicted and sentenced Pradip Rajesh alias Rajendra alias Rameshwar Gupta, a labourer and native of Bihar, to be hanged till death for rape and murder of the minor. The court ordered compensation of Rs 17 lakh to be paid to the family of the deceased girl.Gupta sexually assaulted the minor, a class IV student, when she was alone at her home in Vapi on February 7, 2020. She was found hanging from the ceiling fan with a dupatta in the afternoon.Police suspected it to be a murder when they noticed injury marks on her neck. "It was later confirmed by doctors in a preliminary examination during postmortem that she was strangulated. Further medical examination revealed that she was sexually assaulted and subjected to unnatural sex as well," said Anil Tripathi, district government pleader, Valsad.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault.)

Man gets death sentence for rape, murder of minor in Gujarat’s Vapi
Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project: Viaduct installation over 25km completed in Gujarat
Times of India | 2 months ago | |
Times of India
2 months ago | |

AHMEDABAD: The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) announced that the installation of viaducts spanning 25km had been completed in Gujarat.In December, it was announced that the pier construction for the 11km stretch of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project had been completed, and the girders for the 15.7km stretch had also been finished.The officials said that all contracts for civil, bridges & track for the construction of viaduct, bridges, stations, and track for the entire 352km alignment passing through 8 districts of Gujarat & DNH had been awarded over the period of 2 years. The first civil contract (C-4 package) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project was awarded on October 28, 2020, and the contract agreement was signed on 26th November 2020.The NHSRCL announced that number of piles that had come up was 28,293. November has the highest casting at 14.36km, the NHSRCL said. According to officials, the land acquisition was over 98% in Gujarat and Maharashtra. In Gujarat, 98.87 per cent of the land acquisition was completed while for the same in Maharashtra, it was 98.22 per cent. In Dadar and Nagar Haveli, the land acquisition was completed, and no more land was to be acquired.The NHSRCL has in December stated that it had gotten possession of the Bandra-Kurla station.The project involves the first undersea tunnel which will be between the underground station at Bandra-Kurla Complex and Shilphata in Maharashtra. The seven-km (approx.) stretch of the under-sea tunnel at Thane Creek (Intertidal Zone) will be the first under-sea tunnel to come up in the country.The tunnel will be a single tube to accommodate twin tracks for both up and down track. Thirty-nine equipment rooms at 37 locations will also be constructed adjoining the tunnel location as part of the package.Progress of Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project:•25.28 km of viaduct is completed which includes 5.7km of continuous viaduct near Vadodara and 19.58km erected at different locations.•Construction work have started in full swing all along the alignment passing through 8 districts of Gujarat & DNH.•The works on 8 HSR Stations from Vapi to Sabarmati are under various stages of construction.•Pile has been cast over a length of 236.6km, Foundation over 154.3km and Piers have been constructed over a stretch of 133.8km•Girder Casting – 1110 No. of girders adding up to over 44.4km have been cast•Bridge works on important rivers viz., Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmati is in progress

Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project: Viaduct installation over 25km completed in Gujarat
Probe death of 9-year-old boy in DNH, seeks BJP ST Morcha
The Indian Express | 2 months ago | |
The Indian Express
2 months ago | |

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Scheduled Tribe (ST) Morcha on Monday handed over a memorandum to the district superintendent of police of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH) demanding strict punishment to those behind the death of a 9-year-old boy who went missing from Silvassa. According to police, the boy Chaita Ganeshbhai Kohla, a resident of Sayali village near Silvassa, the headquarter of DNH, went missing from outside his house on December 29. His father Ganesh Kohla reported the matter to Silvassa police station the same day. Police carried a search in vain. On January 3, the mutilated body of the boy, without head and right leg, was found in a canal at Karvad village in Vapi taluka of Valsad district. The missing parts were found at a burial site in Sayali village on January 5, after which villagers and family members of the boy alleged that he was a victim of witchcraft. On Monday, BJP ST Morcha of DNH handed a memorandum to District Superintendent of Police RP Meena, demanding arrest of the accused and strict punishment to them. In the memorandum, they alleged that the boy from the Warli tribal community was killed for witchcraft activities. President of BJP ST Cell of DNH and Daman Diu, Ramesh Kadu, said, “We have come across stories of witchcraft activities. We demand that the accused be brought to book and strictly punished… It has been days but there was no breakthrough in the case.”DNH (Dadra and Nagar Haveli) Superintendent of Police RP Meena said police are investigatin the case.

Probe death of 9-year-old boy in DNH, seeks BJP ST Morcha
Narcotics seizures surge 10-fold in Gujarat
Times of India | 2 months ago | |
Times of India
2 months ago | |

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat, known as the traditional route for narcotics smuggling, continued to witness big drug seizures in 2022. The seizures have increased 10 times in the past three years, according to the state home department.In 2019, the state police seized narcotics worth Rs 511.87 crore which increased to Rs 5,137 crore in 2022 till December 20.The figures are alarming as the confiscation of mephedrone and other synthetic drugs has also been increasing in the state constantly.In 2021, the Gujarat Police seized narcotics worth Rs 1,617 crore which was the highest then. The drug seizures in 2022 have broken all previous records.If the latest seizure of 40kg heroin from a Pakistani boat by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guards (ICG) is added, the figure will touch Rs 5,437 crore. There is a disturbing rise in the seizure of synthetic drugs too. In 2019, the state police had seized synthetic drugs worth Rs 295 crore which rose to Rs 3,005 crore in 2022.Several mephedrone manufacturing factories were busted this year. In May, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted a factory manufacturing mephedrone in Vapi. Gujarat ATS on November 29 busted another such factory in Sindhrot village on Vadodara city's outskirts and seized drugs worth Rs 500 crore.Gujarat DGP Ashish Bhatia said that a close vigil and coordination with central agencies like the DRI, Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard led to the increased seizures of narcotics."We have formed dedicated teams of special operations groups across the state who keep a close vigil on such drug networks," said Bhatia.He said that the narcotics reward policy and encouragement to the cops also led to big hauls.Gujarat DGP Ashish Bhatia said, “Synthetic drugs factories have also been busted in the state. This means there is a trend of consumption of mephedrone in the state.” “The reason behind the increasing drug seizure is the impatience amongst drug mafias to clear their drug loads due to the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan which is the largest producer of opioids in the world,” said a senior Gujarat police officer. The officer said that this is like the 1996 situation when the Taliban took over and prohibited the cultivation, use and sale of opioids. “After coming to power in August 2021, Taliban tightened the noose over the drug mafia, forcing them to clear their stocks,” he added.

Narcotics seizures surge 10-fold in Gujarat
NHSRCL yet to pay Rs 3,889 cr to MMRDA for land parcel alloted in Bandra Kurla Complex
The Indian Express | 3 months ago | |
The Indian Express
3 months ago | |

THE NATIONAL High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) undertaking the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is yet to pay the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) land allotted for the construction of an underground station.MMRDA is the special planning authority for BKC, and it had allotted 1.52 hectares of land above the ground and 3.22 hectares below the ground for the construction of the BKC bullet train station. In lieu of this, the MMRDA was supposed to get Rs 3,889 crore as a compensatory amount.A senior MMRDA official said that they wrote to NHSRCL for the payment. “The NHSRCL will take up the compensation payment subject in their board meeting and thereafter some process will be seen. We are waiting for the same,” stressed the official.The Maharashtra government is also an equity holder in the high-speed bullet train project and therefore excluding Rs 5,000 crore (the state government’s share), the MMRDA has demanded the remaining Rs 3,889 crore as compensation.The rationale behind the compensation amount that has been mooted by the MMRDA, the official said, “Some of our plots near the BKC bullet train station are getting unbuilt (losing development potential) therefore, following the set back on the land plots, this much compensation was demanded.”The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will have a total of 12 stations, eight in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. The stations in Gujarat will come up at Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati while the stations in Maharashtra are Mumbai (BKC), Thane, Virar and Boisar.

NHSRCL yet to pay Rs 3,889 cr to MMRDA for land parcel alloted in Bandra Kurla Complex
Video Of Old Man Singing 'Tum Hi Aana' In Local Train Wins Hearts Online
Ndtv | 3 months ago | |
Ndtv
3 months ago | |

The video has accumulated more than 151,000 views and over 11,000 likes.A heartwarming video of an old man singing Jubin Nautiyal's 'Tum Hi Aana' in a moving train is going viral on social media. The video was shared on Twitter by user Gulzar Sahab on Friday evening and since then the post has accumulated more than 151,000 views and over 11,000 likes. "The song was playing in the train. When the man heard it, he also started singing the song," the caption of the post read in Hindi. Watch the video below: ट्रेन में गाने चलते हुए गाने को सुनकर दादाजी भी गाने लगे 😍🎶 pic.twitter.com/WXg98smfuj— ज़िन्दगी गुलज़ार है ! (@Gulzar_sahab) December 9, 2022In the short clip, an old man is seen seated on the window seat holding a bag in his lap. While the song from the movie 'Marjaavaan' is heard in the background, the man is seen nodding his head to the lyrics and singing along to keep himself entertained. The video struck a chord with internet users as they flooded the comment section with all kinds of reactions. One user even commented saying that the old man was spotted in Vapi railway station in Gujarat. "Have seen him at Vapi station. He himself plays the songs on his music player and sings along. Makes everyone happy around him with his singing," wrote the Twitter user.Viral Video | Brazilian Football Fan Wears Unique Mirror Outfit, Internet Loves ItPromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comA second person said, "Great to see him so well updated with latest songs." A third commented, "Happiness is in the tone, so humbly will spend life." A fourth user added, "Aapko dekha kar muje apne grandfather ki yaad aa gyi vho bhi aase hi gate the old movie song .am missing so much and am sure I will meet them again (After seeing you, I miss my grandfather. I am missing him so much and I am sure I will meet him again)". 'Tum Hi Aana' is a song from 2019 film 'Marjaavaan'. It was composed by Payal Dev and written by Kunaal Verma.  Click for more trending newsFeatured Video Of The DaySukhvinder Sukhu, 4-Time MLA, Appointed Himachal Chief Minister

Video Of Old Man Singing 'Tum Hi Aana' In Local Train Wins Hearts Online
  • Senior citizen engrossed in singing ‘Tum Hi Aana’ on train wins hearts online. Watch video
  • The Indian Express

    People listen to music to kill boredom while travelling on the train and some passengers play songs out loud to pass time. An elderly man listening to the song ‘Tum Hi Aana’ from the film Marjaavaan got caught up in the song, started beating his fingers to the rhythm, and began singing it. The man’s antics left netizens touched.The clip shared by Twitter user @Gulzar_Sahab shows the man seated on the window seat holding a bag in his lap. While the song is heard playing in the background, the elderly man nods his head to the lyrics. The elderly man, who seems to be a music lover, sings along, keeping himself entertained.ट्रेन में गाने चलते हुए गाने को सुनकर दादाजी भी गाने लगे 😍🎶 pic.twitter.com/WXg98smfuj— ज़िन्दगी गुलज़ार है ! (@Gulzar_sahab) December 9, 2022“Listening to the song played in train, the grandfather also started singing,” Sahab captioned the clip. Since being shared on Friday, the clip has amassed more than 68,000 views on Twitter.The clip struck a chord with netizens. A user commented saying the elderly man was spotted in Vapi railway station, Gujarat. The comment read, “Have seen him at Vapi station. He himself plays the songs on his music player and sings along. Makes everyone happy around him with his singing.” Another user wrote, “Great to see him so well updated with latest songs.” The song was composed by Payal Dev, written by Kunaal Verma and sung by Jubin Nautiyal. Actors Sidharth Malhotra and Tara Sutaria starred in the song.In June last year, Prof V K Tripathi, a retired IIT professor, won hearts online as he sang ‘Khuda Kare Ki Mohabbat Mein’ by Talat Aziz for his wife on her birthday.

PM Modi holds roadshow in Gujarat’s Vapi, receives grand welcome
Times of India | 4 months ago | |
Times of India
4 months ago | |

VALSAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conducted roadshows in Vapi city in the Valsad district of Gujarat as the BJP ramps up its election campaign to be in power in the state. He received a warm welcome from the local people of Vapi. Scores of people gathered to welcome and cheer for the Prime Minister. PM Modi waved at the excited gathering during the roadshow. Meanwhile, ahead of the Assembly elections, the Prime Minister is expected to participate in at least eight programmes crisscrossing the state from Saurashtra to Surat. The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold rallies in Gujarat's Saurashtra for three consecutive days from November 20 to November 22. More than 1.5 lakh people will participate in these rallies, said the source. The Prime Minister will conduct three rallies in Saurashtra on November 20, two in South Gujarat and Saurashtra on November 21 and two in Saurashtra on November 22. On November 20, after visiting the Somnath Temple, he is scheduled to address four rallies in the Saurashtra region. Venues have been finalised at Veraval, Dhorarji, Amreli and Botad. Incidentally, in the last assembly elections, the BJP was not able to win a single seat in these assembly constituencies in Saurashtra. The BJP won the state polls but wasn't able to breach this bastion that has traditionally voted for Congress. On Day 3, PM Modi will hold three rallies in Surendranagar, Bharuch and Navsari. While Bharuch was the constituency of the former Congress leader Ahmed Patel in the past, the BJP state president CR Patil who hails from Navsari has been winning this Lok Sabha seat with huge margins. Notably, Congress Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi is also expected to visit Navsari on November 21, the same day that PM Modi is expected to be in Navsari. PM Modi, who hails from Gujarat, is also expected to have a closed-door meeting with the state leaders during his stay here to further boost the party in the western state. In Gujarat, the BJP party has been in power for the last 27 years with Narendra Modi being the longest-serving chief minister of the state. This time the party under the leadership of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CR Patil is aiming to fetch more than 140 seats. The state has been a BJP stronghold for a long and the party is confident of coming back and forming the government for the seventh term. Out of the 182 assembly seats in the state, 48 are in this region, where polling is to be held in the first phase itself on December 1. In the 2017 assembly elections, the Congress won 28 seats here on the basis of the support it got due to the Patidar movement. Whereas, the number of MLAs in the Bharatiya Janata Party had come down from 30 in 2012 to just 19 here. The state of Gujarat which has 182 assembly constituencies will go for polling in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will occur on December 8, which coincides with Himachal Pradesh's result date.

PM Modi holds roadshow in Gujarat’s Vapi, receives grand welcome
  • Gujarat poll results will pave way for Modi as PM in 2024, says Himanta Biswa Sarma
  • Times of India

    SURAT (GUJARAT): Ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now at the peak of its campaigning and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, one of the party's star campaigners has so far addressed three rallies in the state -- including the industrial town of Surat. While he urged party workers to ensure a massive victory for the party he also put forward to them three very simple but achievable targets. Elaborating on the same the Assam chief minister told ANI, "We need to ensure that there is a win for BJP in Gujarat and that too a massive one because Gujarat has always led the way for the country." So how and why is the Gujarat win in 2022 assembly elections important for the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections? "The Gujarat elections will have a massive impact on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This election result will create an ecosystem, which is very very critical for the general election and thereby vital for us to ensure Narendra Modi returns as the nation's Prime Minister for the third time in a row. It is important for the electorate of Gujarat to vote in huge numbers for BJP," the Assam CM said. During campaigning in Gujarat on Thursday, the Assam CM known who is known to be a fiery orator has been in big demand for campaigning by candidates. Dismissing contestants in the opposition like the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress party, Sarma hit out at Rahul Gandhi for missing out on campaign in poll-bound states. "There is a weird pattern that I have seen in recent that Rahul Gandhi does not campaign for his party. If there is a cricket match in Guwahati you will find Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat. He will be padded and sitting with a bat but will not come on the ground and play, " Himanta said taking a jibe at the Gandhi scion. BJP will top the winning list and the other parties will only be vying for the second and third spot, said Sarma. "The BJP will be the top party in the state it is a battle between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party for the second and third spot. They are no contest to us."After a day of three rallies in the state, the Assam chief minister is expected to return to Gujarat for another leg of campaigning on November 22. In the 2017 Gujarat polls, the BJP was halted at 99 seats out of a total 182 seats. The party has been in power for the last 27 years with Narendra Modi being the longest-serving chief minister of the state. This time, the party under the leadership of PM Modi, Amit Shah and CR Paatil is aiming at getting its highest seat tally exceeding 140. The state has been a BJP stronghold for a long and the party has set its sights on returning to power for the seventh term. The state of Gujarat which has 182 assembly constituencies will go for polling in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will occur on December 8, which coincides with Himachal Pradesh's result date.

  • Gujarat polls: PM Modi to hold road show in Vapi on November 19
  • Times of India

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders are expected to hold several road shows and public rallies in Gujarat as the party looks to rev up its election campaign to retain power in the state. Modi is likely to hold a road show in Vapi in Gujarat on November 19 and other senior leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will also spearhead the mass contact programme in different parts of the state, party leaders said. After arriving in his home state on November 19, the prime minister is expected to hold public meetings across the state in the next two days. Shah, who has been frequently camping in the state to give final touches to the party's poll strategy and campaign, may hold over 30 public meetings for the elections scheduled for December 1 and 5, party sources said. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari will also campaign intensively, they said. The BJP has won assembly polls in the state for six consecutive times since 1995 and is pulling out all the stops to keep its winning streak uninterrupted in the traditionally bipolar poll involving the Congress, which has spiced up this time by the entry of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Rahul’s first rally on Nov 21 in South Gujarat, PM’s visit tomorrow
The Indian Express | 4 months ago | |
The Indian Express
4 months ago | |

With less than a fortnight left for the phase 1 polling in Gujarat, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is all set to address his first public meeting from South Gujarat near Panchkakda village in Mahuva taluka of Surat district on November 21. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend a roadshow in Vapi and address a public meeting in Valsad on November 19, Saturday.AICC Gujarat incharge Raghu Sharma, Praveen Khera, Bharatsinh Solanki and Vansda Congress MLA Anant Patel, among others, were in Navsari to review preparations ahead of Rahul’s public meeting in South Gujarat. Panchkakda borders the Vansda seat of Navsari district.“We have got confirmation from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi about his visit to Gujarat. We are expecting over one lakh people. The tribal community has great respect for the Gandhi family,” said Anant Patel.Congress leader Gaurav Pandya said, “He (Rahul) has been marching for around 2,000 kilometres on foot for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which no political leader has done so far. He had agreed to spend some time for the public meeting in South Gujarat. We have come to know that since PM Narendra Modi had earlier addressed public meetings at Panchkakda village, there is even a readymade helipad over there. The ground has a capacity for around two lakh people. So, there is no shortage of space.”PM Modi is expected to address a public meeting and a roadshow in Valsad district on Saturday. “PM Modi will reach Daman (Union territory) and after inaugurating a few projects, he will reach Vapi where he will do a roadshow. He will address a public meeting at 7.30 pm at Jujva village in Valsad taluka. We have made arrangements for the public meeting after getting permission from the PMO,”  said Valsad district BJP president Hemant Kansara.

Rahul’s first rally on Nov 21 in South Gujarat, PM’s visit tomorrow
‘Absentee CM’, charges Oppn, but Bhagwant Mann fits the bill for AAP’s Gujarat campaign
The Indian Express | 4 months ago | |
The Indian Express
4 months ago | |

He is the Aam Aadmi Party’s lead star campaigner in Gujarat after Arvind Kejriwal, holding rallies from Ahmedabad to Kutch. For over a month now, every weekend finds Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Gujarat.The Opposition in Punjab has dubbed him an “absentee” CM. But AAP, which has few faces with national recognition, is counting on Mann, a comedian-turned-politician who was an indefatigable campaigner for the party in the Punjab elections, regaling audiences as he held up to 10 rallies a day.With its campaign slogan “Ek Moko Kejriwalne (one chance to Kejriwal)”, AAP is also projecting Mann as an extension of the kind of administration a Kejriwal-led party government can provide.Malwinder Singh Kang, AAP’s chief spokesperson in Punjab, said, “For now, Mann is only taking out road shows and addressing meetings on weekends. But after November 20, the party will intensify its campaign in Gujarat.”However, on the ground, it is contentious how successful AAP’s strategy is, as far as Mann goes. Gujarat has a minuscule Sikh population of roughly 50,000, concentrated in Gandhidham, Lakhpat in Kutch, Vadodara and Surat areas, some of which Mann has covered in his campaign. Apart from this, they are scattered across Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Valsad, Navsari and Vapi.As per Jasbir Makhija, the former president of the Gurdwara Gobinddham in Ahmedabad: “The Sikh population in Gujarat is not supporting AAP but the BJP.”At least at some public meetings, audiences struggle to follow his Hindi, with a heavy Punjabi accent.An AAP leader says Mann’s importance for the party is at a deeper level. “After Kejriwal, Mann is akin to a brand ambassador for the party, having delivered in Punjab within six months of coming to power. When Mann goes and tells the electorate that his government has given jobs, announced a return to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), given 300 units of free power, it resonates. He is also targeting corruption. He is needed in Gujarat.”The leader adds that they believe that irrespective of the “language barrier”, Mann has a gift of connecting with his audience. “He strikes a chord as soon as he speaks… gets a huge applause. Recently, he took on leaders of traditional parties saying he was content being a TV personality and did not want to be a politician, but had to do so to change the system. His video went viral.”Portions of Mann’s speeches are also translated into Gujarati and run on AAP social media handles, especially the ones that counter the BJP directly.AAP has also been highlighting that it picked Mann by a public poll, just like they had done in Gujarat. Isudan Gadhvi was declared AAP’s CM face in Gujarat after the party asked people to send in their preference, and 76% reportedly picked Gadhvi.In his speeches, Mann invokes revolutionary leader and his idol Bhagat Singh, and urges youth to emulate the freedom fighter who died at 23 years, “the age when youngsters are demanding a motorbike from their parents”. During the Navratri festival, he along with Kejriwal attended a garba at Rajkot, where he shook a leg, much like the Punjab campaign.In Nikol and Shahibaug areas of Ahmedabad, where sanitation workers, outsourced employees, ASHA workers and contractual workers were in attendance, Mann spoke about “20,000 government jobs” given in Punjab under him, and the fall in electricity bills to zero for some 69 lakh people.Mann has campaigned in Kutch, Junagadh, Surendranagar, Sabarkantha, Dahod, Vadodara, Valsad, Surat, Panchmahal, Banaskantha, Navsari and Bharuch districts of Gujarat, and after the declaration of the election dates, held his first roadshows in the Muslim-dominated constiuencies of Ahmedabad city, which suffered in the 2002 riots.Incidentally, while Mann would have been more at home in the Himachal Pradesh, which borders Punjab and just finished voting, AAP has used his services more sparingly there, with its campaign focused on Gujarat.The Congress has attacked AAP over using Mann as a star campaigner, and leaving Punjab to bureaucrats and to “the mercy of God”. Calling Mann the “most ineffective CM” of the state, Leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa said law and order in Punjab had “collapsed”, citing murders of kabbadi players Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambian and Dharminder Singh, as well as singer Sidhu Moosewala.“The people of Punjab are reeling under a constant sense of insecurity because of rising crimes and gangsterism… This isn’t the kind of badlav (change) the people wanted when they chose the AAP government,” Bajwa added.With inputs from Ritu Sharma

‘Absentee CM’, charges Oppn, but Bhagwant Mann fits the bill for AAP’s Gujarat campaign
Chinese curbs may hit Gujarat pigment makers
Times of India | 4 months ago | |
Times of India
4 months ago | |

AHMEDABAD: Pigment manufacturers fear that they will lose about 50% of their exports to China, due to the anti-dumping duty, ranging from 15% to 82%, imposed by Beijing on phthalocyanine pigments exports from India, with most of these companies being based in Gujarat. Industry experts say these companies got revenues of around Rs 3,200 crore from China, but this number will now halve. However, quality-conscious buyers will continue to use Indian products, the experts said. Chemexcil chairman S G Mokashi said, "China has imposed an anti-dumping duty on phthalocyanine pigments ranging from 15% to 82%. This will hurt our companies and exports will fall by 50%. Gujarat-based industry associations have raised the issue with the government and we are also taking the matter to the commerce ministry." Natu Patel, MD of Meghmani Organics, said, "It will definitely hurt pigment manufacturers of the state. India always had an advantage over China in reactive dyes and pigments because of our availability of resources, research and development, expertise and also the final application of pigments is better in our products. Our products were cheaper than China's and we were able to export to that market in good quantities. Now, with China imposing the duty exports will reduce by 50%. However, our quality is better and quality-conscious buyers in China will continue to use our pigments." He added that the duty will cost his company about Rs 50 crore of exports to China. According to industry players, the Chinese duty will hurt MSMEs more. Bhupendra Patel, chairman of Chemexcil Gujarat region said, "China has imposed up to 82% duty on MSME companies. They will be unable to compete and their exports to China will nearly stop completely. Around 100 MSMEs located in Vapi, Ankleshwar and Vatva will be affected by the Chinese duty." Big manufacturers have joined hands to challenge the Chinese government legally. Gokul Jaykrushna, MD of Asahi Songwon said, "China was considering this duty for more than six months and Indian manufacturers of phthalocyanine pigments came together to challenge it. The average duty is around 17.5% for large corporates while it is as high as 80% for others. We are going to challenge this duty in Chinese courts and our argument will be that this duty is unfair." Those who are not exporting to China are also worried as the Chinese duty will intensify competition among Indian companies for other export markets.

Chinese curbs may hit Gujarat pigment makers
Man suffers burns after ‘fire haircut’ goes wrong at salon in Gujarat
The Indian Express | 5 months ago | |
The Indian Express
5 months ago | |

An 18-year-old man suffered severe burn injuries after his “fire haircut” went wrong at a salon in Vapi town of Gujarat’s Valsad district, police said on Thursday.The fire haircut, which has gained popularity of late, is a process in which a hairdresser uses fire on the customer’s hair to set it in style.A video clip of the Vapi incident, which took place on Wednesday, surfaced on social media in which the fire set on the victim’s hair as part of the process was seen going out of control.The victim received burn injuries on his neck and chest and was taken to a hospital in Vapi from where he was referred to the Civil Hospital in Valsad, a Vapi town police station official said.The victim, resident of Bhadakmora area in Vapi, had gone to get the “fire haircut’ at the salon in Sulpad area, police said.Investigating officer Karamsinh Makwana said a process was underway to take the statements of the victim and the hairdresser.“We are trying to get the statement of the victim. He was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Valsad. We have learnt that from there he was taken to a hospital in Surat,” Makwana said.As per primary information, the victim’s upper body parts suffered severe burns after of some kind of a chemical was applied on his head for the haircut, police officials said.An investigation was on to ascertain which chemical was used for the ‘fire haircut’, they said.📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!

Man suffers burns after ‘fire haircut’ goes wrong at salon in Gujarat
  • "Fire Haircut" Attempt Goes Wrong, Gujarat Man Suffers Serious Burns
  • Ndtv

    An man suffered severe burn injuries after his "fire haircut" went horribly wrong. (Representational)Valsad, Gujarat: An 18-year-old man suffered severe burn injuries after his "fire haircut" went horribly wrong at a salon in Vapi town of Gujarat's Valsad district, police said today.The 'fire haircut', which has gained popularity in recent years, is a process in which a barber or hairdresser uses fire on the customer's hair to set it in style.The incident took place on Wednesday in which the fire set on the man's hair as part of the process went out of control.The man got severe burn injuries on his neck and chest and was taken to a hospital immediately. He was then referred to the Civil Hospital in Valsad, a Vapi town police station official said.Investigating officer Karamsinh Makwana said efforts are being made to take the statements of the 18-year-old victim as well as the barber."We are trying to get the statement of the victim. He was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Valsad. We have learnt that from there he was taken to a hospital in Surat," Mr Makwana said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comAs per primary information, the police said the man's upper body suffered severe burns after of some kind of a chemical was applied on his head for the 'fire haircut'.An investigation is on to find out which chemical was used for the 'fire haircut', they added. 

Gujarat CM kickstarts Garib Kalyan Mela, hands over rickshaws, bicycles
The Indian Express | 5 months ago | |
The Indian Express
5 months ago | |

Autorickshaws, a Maruti Eeco car, sewing machines, and bicycles, were among the host of kits handed out at the Garib Kalyan Mela’s 13th edition held at various places in the state on Thursday, kickstarted by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel from Godhra in Panchamahal district. Patel handed out cheques and kits under various schemes to beneficiaries such as embroidery, tailoring, animal rearing as well as a car to one beneficiary under the Shree Vajpayee Bankable Yojana.Speaking at the event, Patel, said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, made every attempt to eradicate poverty, reach out to the last standing person to bring them into the mainstream. He has started the politics of development in all fields… We are tasting the fruits of his hard work after 20 years — roads, water, education, industrialization… The foundation was laid during his tenure as CM. We are only taking it forward.”Patel also announced that the permission to fill the reservoir with waters of the Panam dam had been granted, to enable irrigation for farmers. He said that while in the earlier years, only the stretch of Vadodara to Vapi was known as a “traders’ hub”, now infrastructure has turned the entire state of Gujarat into a traders’ hub. Patel said, “Earlier, only from Vadodara to Vapi, you would find traders. Today, you can go in any direction and you’ll see business everywhere because infrastructure has reached everywhere. There are roads in villages, 24 hours electricity supply, and health facilities. No other state has done as much work as Gujarat for the poor… When I went abroad, I heard that all people wanted to come to India and one destination they wanted to visit was Gujarat. From roughly 2.5 lakh businesses, today Gujarat has 16 lakh businesses.Patel distributed the certificates to beneficiaries under the Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana, cycles under education schemes, financial assistance for various businesses as well as kits for tailoring and embroidery work, and an Eeco car to a beneficiary under the Shree Vajpayee Bankable Yojana. In Rajkot, Mayor Mayor Pradip Dav, in a veiled attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said that those distributing guarantee cards cannot be trusted. Addressing beneficiaries at the Garib Kalyan Mela (GKM) organised by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) in Atal Bihari Vajyapee Auditorium in the city, Dav said that Gujarat is the state where the poor are improving their lives, children of tribals are getting education, where people get employment, the state which provides best education and where solar power sector and industry are flourishing and where there is peace and safety.“Some people are coming and giving you guarantee cards. But are you giving the guarantee of security of our state? Will you give guarantee of giving the maximum employment to our youth? No, you won’t,” Dav said while apparently hinting at the AAP’s guarantee cards promising free electricity, unemployment allowance and monthly allowances to women ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.At the GKM, Minister of State for Transport, Arvind Raiyani, Dav and other dignitaries formally handed over keys of autorickshaws to three beneficiaries. Ravi Bhojani (30), who formally got the keys of his autorickshaw, works as a school bus driver. “I get a monthly salary of Rs11,500 which is not sufficient to run my family. Therefore, I thought of driving autorickshaw in the afternoon. My application for loan was processed within three months and I got my autorickshaw on October 4,” Bhojani, son of a sanitation worker of the RMC, said.In Gandhinagar, State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel distributed the benefits worth Rs 1.61 crore to 1,055 people Friday as part of Garib Kalyan Mela.The benefits handed out to eligible beneficiaries included ration cards, health insurance cards under Mukhyamantri Amrutam Yojana popularly known as MA Cards, loan assistance for animal husbandry, various kits for farmers like tarpaulin sheets & pesticides sprayers, kits for bore operators, financial assistance to self help groups of women, sewing machines to women and bicycles.The beneficiaries were also given financial assistance under various government schemes including Kunvarbai nu Mameru (Rs 12,000 for marriage of a woman from the Scheduled Caste community) and Rs 2.5 lakh for inter-caste marriage. “Garib Kalyan Mela have eliminated middlemen. Benefits of various government schemes are reaching directly to actual needy beneficiaries,” Patel said.

Gujarat CM kickstarts Garib Kalyan Mela, hands over rickshaws, bicycles
NHAI chief asks Gujarat officials to fix potholes on NH-48 in 10 days
The Indian Express | 6 months ago | |
The Indian Express
6 months ago | |

National Highways Authority of India Chairperson Alka Upadhyay Monday asked the officials of Gujarat to complete the repair work of the pothole-riddled National Highway 48 connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad in 10 days. The NHAI chairperson reached the Bharuch in the poll-bound state Sunday traveling via NH-48 from Daishar in Mumbai.She was accompanied by project manager R K Pandey, regional officer N N Giri, official of Project Implementation Unit, Bharuch, Suraj Kumar Singh.The National Highway 48 was riddled with potholes due to the heavy downpour in south Gujarat, affecting the traffic and causing sevaral accidents. Former head of Tata Sons Cyrus Pallonji Mistry (54), was killed in a road accident on NH-48 near Charoti Naka bridge in Maharashtra this month.Sources said that Upadhyay was unhappy with the progress of the work to fix potholes on highway in the Gujarat section and instructed the officials the get the work done in 10 days.Over 90 per cent work of repairing potholes in Mumbai region on NH-48 is finished while in the Gujarat region the work is still in progress, said an official of NHAI, on condition of anonymity.PIU official Suraj Kumar Singh said, “We have started fixing the potholes but some areas in Valsad continue to receive rainfall affecting our work. We have repaired 50 per cent of potholes on the highway stretch between Bhilad to Bharuch, and in next five days if there is no rainfall in Valsad and Vapi our work will get completed. In other areas, the work is still in progress. We have instructed the contractor to increase the resources to finish the work done at the earliest.”

NHAI chief asks Gujarat officials to fix potholes on NH-48 in 10 days
Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara added to list of Critically Polluted Areas in Gujarat
The Indian Express | 6 months ago | |
The Indian Express
6 months ago | |

Three new cities — Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara — have been added to the list of Critically Polluted Areas (CPA) in Gujarat while Odhav, Naroda (in Ahmedabad), Bhavnagar and Junagadh have been removed from the list, stated the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in a report tabled in the Gujarat Assembly, Thursday.“Based on Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had declared (January 2010) six major industrial areas of Gujarat — Vapi, Ankleshwar, Vatva, Ahmedabad (Odhav and Naroda), Bhavnagar and Junagadh — as CPA and imposed moratorium on setting up industries and expansion of existing industries in these areas,” stated the report titled “Performance Audit of Air Pollution Control by Government of Gujarat”.“As per latest CEPI score submitted (July 2019) by Central Pollution Control Board to National Green Tribunal, three new cities Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot have been added to CPA list, while Odhav, Naroda, Bhavnagar and Junagadh were removed from the list,” it added.The audit watchdog stated that CEPI scores of Vadodara was highest in state, followed by Surat. Rajkot turned critically polluted from being a severely polluted area in 2009.Based on Remedial Action Plans proposed by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), approved by CPCB in September 2010 for the abatement of pollution in these CPAs, the ministry lifted the moratorium from Vapi (October 2010), Bhavnagar (February 2011), Junagadh (March 2011) and Ahmedabad (September 2013).The moratorium was reimposed in Vapi in September 2013 due to poor CEPI scores. The ministry finally lifted the moratorium on Vapi, Ankleshwar and Vatva in November 2016 based on re-assessed CEPI scores.The report stated that the GPCB was yet to comply with the 2016 directions of CPCB for installation of at least two Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations in each CPA.The CAG also rapped GPCB for not developing a system for period review of health impact assessment in critically polluted areas. The audit pointed out that 15 hospitals in industrial areas of Ahmedabad, Vapi and Ankleshwar reported 80,443 patients with asthma, bronchitis and acute respiratory infections between 2012-2017.“An increasing number of patients during this period depicts severity of the impact of air pollution on health,” the report stated.While the Gujarat government claimed that health impact assessment in CPAs were done by industries associations, the auditor stated, “Such studies were to be conducted by the GPCB through recognised health institutions once in 4-5 years…”The report also pointed out that under the National Clean Air Programme launched in January 2019, MoEF&CC had identified 102 cities as “non-attainment” cities that failed to meet the prescribed standards of air pollution.“Ahmedabad and Surat were among the non-attainment cities in Gujarat,” CAG stated adding that industries, vehicles, domestic fuel, construction and road dust were prominent sources of emission in these two cities.

Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara added to list of Critically Polluted Areas in Gujarat
Cyrus Mistry car crash: Anahita Pandole operated for pelvic reconstruction, husband Darius stable
The Indian Express | 6 months ago | |
The Indian Express
6 months ago | |

Renowned gynaecologist Dr Anahita Pandole was operated on Thursday for pelvic reconstruction at Mumbai’s Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, after she and her husband Darius Pandole were grievously injured in a car crash on September 4 that killed former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and KPMG’s Jehangir Pandole.Meanwhile, Darius Pandole is stable and under observation.Dr Tarang Gianchandani, CEO, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital said Anahita was operated on by a team of experts, and a opinions were also taken from doctors from USA, UK, Europe and more. “Our team that conducted the surgery includes D. Vaibhav Bagaria, Director, Department of Orthopaedics, Dr Dilip Tanna, Mentor Orthopedics, Dr Darius Soonawala, Consultant Orthopedics and senior anesthetist Dr. Daisy along with trained nurses and technicians,” said Dr Gianchandani.Additionally, Dr Peter V Giannoudis, chairman with Academic Department of Trauma & Orthopedics Surgery at University of Leeds, UK, has been flown in to Mumbai for providing the team with expert advice.Gianchandani further said, “With team of 20 plus multi-disciplinary experts, we have been monitoring the condition of Dr Anahita closely for the last 11 days before planning any surgical intervention. Pelvic surgery was concluded today morning with precise techniques, clinical skills and modern technologies. This will enable to achieve the recovery of the injuries caused post the traumatic accident.”Anahita and Darius have been admitted in the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital after being shifted from Rainbow Hospital in Gujarat’s Vapi through a green corridor on September 5. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project director Suraj Singh had told The Indian Express that the accident on NH-48, which injured the Pandoles and claimed the lives of Mistry and Jehangir, occurred as the doctor could not manoeuvre a turn on the highway.

Cyrus Mistry car crash: Anahita Pandole operated for pelvic reconstruction, husband Darius stable
After 3 years, July pips August as Gujarat’s wettest month
Times of India | 6 months ago | |
Times of India
6 months ago | |

AHMEDABAD: Of the 871mm of rainfall Gujarat received this season, 61% came in July. In percentage term, only in 2018 was the July share higher, 62%, of rainfall till September 8. Experts said it is after three years that July accounted for the most rainfall rather than August, which is usually the wettest month in the state. Experts pointed to the steady increase of rainfall in Saurashtra and Kutch. "Earlier these regions would have scanty rain compared to South and Central Gujarat. Historically, North Gujarat has also remained dry. This year, Kutch has got the most rainfall of all the regions, followed by South Gujarat and North Gujarat. Saurashtra has received 90% of its seasonal rainfall so far," said a Met department official. South Gujarat and coastal Saurashtra will receive rain from the new system active over the region. The rainy spell is likely to continue this week with heavy rain in Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, and Surat, as monsoon clouds travel north-westwards. Other parts of Gujarat are also likely to receive light to moderate rain. On Thursday, Umargam in Valsad got 58mm of rain, followed by 57mm in Gandevi, Navsari; 45mm in Vapi, Valsad. In all, 65 talukas got more than 1mm of rain till 8pm. In Central Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Anand, Kheda and Vadodara districts also got rain. This year's rain so far has been the second highest in five years, with 110.5% of the long-term average, surpassed only by 116% in 2020. Of the four major cities, only Ahmedabad has got 100% of its annual rain so far.

After 3 years, July pips August as Gujarat’s wettest month
MLA writes to Maharashtra minister for a well-equipped hospital on Maharashtra- Ahmedabad national highway
The Indian Express | 6 months ago | |
The Indian Express
6 months ago | |

Following the death of entrepreneur and former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry in a car crash on Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district four days ago, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) president and Vasai MLA Hitendra Thakur wrote to Maharashtra Health Minister Dr Tanaji Sawant Wednesday requesting the government to set up a 200-bed hospital with state-of-the-art facilities in Palghar.Thakur, who was also accompanied by Nallasopara MLA Kshitij Thakur and Boisar MLA Rajesh Patil, also gave a copy of the letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his visit to his official residence Wednesday.Cyrus Mistry’s car accident on Sunday at Kasa has brought to fore many issues, including the dearth of adequate healthcare facilities on national highways and overall road infrastructure and design.“There is no hospital near the highway within the 30-km stretch of Vasai taluka on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. If an accident occurs on such a long highway, it is often difficult to provide immediate medical help. This was also noticed during Mistry’s accident,” Thakur said in the letter.When the accident occurred at Palghar, about 100 kilometres from Mumbai, renowned gynaecologist Dr Anahita Pandole and her husband who were also travelling with Mistry from Ahmedabad had to be rushed to a multi-specialty hospital almost 100 kilometres away at Vapi in Gujarat.Thakur had earlier brought to the attention of the administration regarding the lack of hospitals along the stretch. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway passes through the tribal talukas of Talasari, Vikramgad, Wada, Jawhar, Mokhada and Dahanu where there are no proper healthcare facilities.The absence of a proper super-specialty hospital or trauma care centre within the 30-km stretch of Vasai taluka near Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway has left the public with no other option but to take the accident victims to Mumbai that require a journey of more than an hour, and many patients lose their lives in the transit.

MLA writes to Maharashtra minister for a well-equipped hospital on Maharashtra- Ahmedabad national highway