Chiranjeevi, Charan, Arjun announce donations to Kerala CM Relief Fund for Wayanad landslide victims
Mumbai, Aug 4: Telugu superstars Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan and Allu Arjun are the latest film personalities to make a donation to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) for rehabilitation efforts in the landslide-hit Wayanad district in Kerala.
The death toll from the catastrophic landslide, which hit the district in the early hours of July 30, has risen to 219, according to the state government.
In a post on X, Chiranjeevi on Sunday expressed anguish over the loss of life due to the landslides in Kerala, adding he and his son-"RRR" star Ram Charan were donating Rs 1 crore to the CMDRF.
"Deeply distressed by the devastation and loss of hundreds of precious lives in Kerala due to nature’s fury in the last few days. My heart goes out to the victims of the Wayanad tragedy.
"Charan and I together are contributing Rs 1 crore to the Kerala CM Relief Fund as a token of our support to the victims. My prayers for the recovery of all those in pain!" the Padma Bhushan recipient wrote.
Earlier in the day, Allu Arjun said he wanted to do his bit for the state which has always given him a lot of love.
"I am deeply saddened by the recent landslide in Wayanad. Kerala has always given me so much love, and I want to do my bit by donating ₹25 lakh to the Kerala CM Relief Fund to support the rehabilitation work. Praying for your safety and strength. @CMOKerala," the "Pushpa: The Rise" star wrote on X.
On Saturday, Malayalam cinema veteran Mohanlal, who is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army, reached Wayanad in his Army uniform and pledged Rs 3 crore for the rehabilitation works of the disaster-struck region.
"The devastation in Wayanad is a deep wound that will take time to heal. Every home lost and life disrupted is a personal tragedy," he wrote alongside a series of pictures from the ground on X.
The actor, who reached the Army camp at Meppadi, also held a brief discussion with the officers and left for the landslide-hit zone along with others.
Previously, Tamil actors Kamal Haasan, Suriya, Jyotika, Karthi, Vikram, Nayanthara and Vignesh Sivan, and other Malayalam stars Mammootty, Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya, and Tovino Thomas also donated to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
While Haasan donated Rs 25 lakh, Jyotika, Suriya, and Karthi together donated Rs 50 lakh. Mammootty donated Rs 20 lakh, Dulquer gave Rs 15 lakh and Tovino contributed Rs 25 lakh. Fahadh and Nazriya donated Rs 25 lakh.
Noted filmmaker Anand Patwardhan donated Rs 2.2 lakh which he bagged as prize money in the recently concluded 16th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).
Deeply distressed by the devastation and loss of hundreds of precious lives in Kerala due to nature’s fury in the last few days.
— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) August 4, 2024
My heart goes out to the victims of the Wayanad tragedy. Charan and I together are contributing Rs 1 Crore to the Kerala CM Relief Fund as a token of…
I am deeply saddened by the recent landslide in Wayanad. Kerala has always given me so much love, and I want to do my bit by donating ₹25 lakh to the Kerala CM Relief Fund to support the rehabilitation work. Praying for your safety and strength . @CMOKerala
— Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) August 4, 2024
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link now fully operational
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link was opened to vehicular traffic on Saturday noon after a delay caused by the dismantling of inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work, a day after the Pune section became operational.
The 13.3 km-long "missing link", which bypasses a section of the Bhor Ghat stretch of the expressway and cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes, was inaugurated a day earlier by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
The Pune-bound carriageway of the corridor was opened to traffic immediately; however, the Mumbai-bound section remained closed to traffic for several hours after the inauguration.
An official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation told PTI on Saturday that the opening of the Mumbai-bound carriageway was delayed mainly due to the dismantling of the inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work.
The removal of the stage and other decorations was completed in the morning. The work to load and transport the material slightly delayed the opening of the carriageway.
Vehicular movement on the carriageway began after all the remaining material was cleared and road cleaning was completed, the official added.
The expressway control room said that despite significant vehicular movement, the access-controlled highway has not witnessed any major traffic snarls since Friday evening, after the Pune-bound carriageway of the missing link was opened to traffic.
The Missing Link project connects Khopoli (in Raigad) on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala in Pune district and is expected to make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the ghat section.
Developed by the MSRDC and dubbed an "engineering marvel", the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. It bypasses the steep, accident-prone ghat section, where frequent traffic snarls are reported during weekends and on public holidays.
