Twin cannons add to Raj Bhavan’s grandeur
The two 22-tonne British era cannons, that were found in a neglected state at the foothills of Raj Bhavan at Malabar Hill last year, were recently installed outside the Jal Vihar (Banquet Hall) adding to the grandeur of the majestic ‘Queen of the Raj Bhavans’. Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who has brought several reforms at the Raj Bhavan, ensured that the cannons were restored scientifically. They were given anti-oxidizing treatment to prevent rusting and then platforms with adequate load-bearing capacity were created for mounting them.
Joint study to reduce accidents
Project ‘Slow Down’ that aims to curb speeding at accident-prone spots was recently initiated by United Way of Mumbai, an NGO, along with Mumbai traffic police and IIT experts. A comprehensive study on speed and mitigation measures for 20 accident-prone spots in Mumbai would be conducted under this project. First such study was kick-started last week. According to previous studies, Mumbai has 58 ‘blind spots’ on its roads that cause accidents due to over speeding. To begin with, 20 of these 58 spots have been chosen for the study. The study is in line with the state government’s three-pronged strategy of enforcement, education and engineering (roads) to reduce accidents.
Joint study to reduce accidents
Project ‘Slow Down’ that aims to curb speeding at accident-prone spots was recently initiated by United Way of Mumbai, an NGO, along with Mumbai traffic police and IIT experts. A comprehensive study on speed and mitigation measures for 20 accident-prone spots in Mumbai would be conducted under this project. First such study was kick-started last week. According to previous studies, Mumbai has 58 ‘blind spots’ on its roads that cause accidents due to over speeding. To begin with, 20 of these 58 spots have been chosen for the study. The study is in line with the state government’s three-pronged strategy of enforcement, education and engineering (roads) to reduce accidents.
Will Mumbai train speed increase?
The suburban train system in Mumbai, which carries over a million people every day, is overburdened. With physical limitations on the carrying capacity of trains, the only available option seems to be to increase the frequency of trains. The western and central railway lines have 3,126 services each. Increasing the speed of train means that a few more services can be accommodated. At present, trains run at 80 kmph and the railway board has proposed to increase the speed to 110 Kmph. According to senior officers, the plan might look good on paper but it has severe limitations on the ground. The short distance between two stations means there won’t be enough space for the requisite acceleration.