After taking over as CM, Uddhav Thackeray stays Metro carshed work in Aarey Colony
Mumbai, Nov 29: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday announced a stay to construction of metro carshed in the city's green lung Aarey Colony, where strong protests had erupted last month against cutting of trees for the work.
He, however, clarified that he had not stayed the work of the Mumbai metro rail project itself.
Thackeray, who is heading a Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition, was sworn in on Thursday.
Then BJP-led government in Maharashtra had come under fire from green activists in October when over 2,000 trees were felled for a carshed, to be constructed in Aarey Colony which is adjacent to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
The Shiv Sena, then junior partner in the Devendra Fadnavis government, had opposed the felling of trees.
"I have stayed Aarey carshed work. I will review the entire thing...I will not allow a culture where trees are cut at night," Thackeray told reporters.
"Not a single tree leaf will be cut till further orders," he added.
A Supreme Court bench had last month sought a status report with pictures on plantation, transplantation and felling of trees in Aarey colony area.
The Bombay High Court had on October 4 refused to declare Aarey Colony a forest and declined to quash the Mumbai municipal corporation's decision to allow felling of over 2,600 trees in the green zone to set up a metro carshed.
Hours after the court gave a go-ahead, tree were cut at night, fueling outrage.
During an interaction with the media at the press room of the state secretariat, Thackeray also said he became chief minister unexpectedly, but he didn't want to run away from the responsibility.
He took a dig at his predecessor, Fadnavis, over the latter's "I will come again (as chief minister)" refrain during the poll campaign, saying, "I didn't announce that I will become chief minister."
The Shiv Sena president, who was accompanied by his son and MLA Aaditya, also noted that he is the first chief minister of Maharashtra who was born in Mumbai, and added that he is working on plans to ensure development of the city.
His government will be accountable for every paisa of tax-payers, the chief minister said.
Asked about the saffron kurta he was wearing, Thackeray said, cryptically, that it was his favourite colour "which cannot get washed in any laundry".
The BJP had aimed barbs at the Sena after it joined hands with the Congress-NCP, questioning its commitment to Hindutva.
Thackeray also avoided direct reply to the question whether he will shift to `Varsha', the official bungalow of chief minister in South Mumbai, from his residence `Matoshree' in suburban Bandra.
He will do "whatever it takes to meet people and solve their problems,'' he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Climate Change crisis: IMD to change parameters to declare heatwaves
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The IMD, along with its technical partners, will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings because of the limitations of the existing parameters.
Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state experienced severe heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, weather forecasts were made based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka–Maharashtra coast.
"We have never had an anti-cyclone system form closer to the South before, and this time we had to predict the weather based on it," a senior IMD official told PTI.
Anti-cyclonic systems are common over north-western parts of India, but this year one formed near the southern region, leading to unusually hot nights.
The anti-cyclone caused downward air movement, which pushed warm air towards the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night, the official added. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Because Kerala has experienced a steady temperature increase during the summer months for the last few years, changing the parameters for declaring heat waves would benefit the state, enabling the authorities to issue warnings more efficiently, the official added.
The IMD currently issues hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the existing parameters do not allow the department to issue one.
At present, the IMD issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degree Celsius or more with a temperature departure of 4.5 degree Celsius over the recorded maximum temperature.
For plains, the threshold is 40 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, while for hilly regions it is 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more.
Officials said the current heatwave declaration parameters also require these conditions to be recorded at two stations in the state to issue the warnings.
"In Kerala, we hardly get to record these conditions in two areas; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause a heat stroke. So we have decided to rework the heatwave declaration parameters and the changes will be implemented shortly. There will be a consultation with the Disaster Management Authority also before finalising the parameters," the official said.
Throughout Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual. The state also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the state disaster management authority.
According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.
The IMD has also predicted a below-normal monsoon this year, as this is the first time two consecutive El Nino years are being witnessed.
