Nearly 400 evacuated as rains lash Pune
Pune (PTI): About 400 people were evacuated to safety on Thursday following flooding in Sinhagad Road and some other areas along the riverbank in Pune city due to incessant rains, officials said.
Two columns of the Army were deployed in Sinhagad Road area which was severely affected by flooding, they said.
Besides, teams of the NDRF, fire brigade as well as the district and city disaster management cells were pressed into service to carry out relief operations.
Water entered several housing societies and houses in low-lying areas along the Sinhagad Road. Cars and two-wheelers stood in water.
"So far 400 people from Sinhagad Road area have been shifted to safety," said Suhas Divsae, district collector.
Army personnel were helping with relief operations in Ekta Nagar in Sinhagad Road area, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the Pune district for another 48 hours, and as heavy rains are expected to continue later in the day in the catchment areas of Khadakwasla and other upstream dams, more water was likely to be released from Khadakwasla reservoir (increasing the water level in the Mutha river that flows through the city), the collector said.
Tourist places such as waterfalls and lakes in Pune district have been closed to tourists.
There were, however, no reports of any village in the district getting cut off due to the rains, Divase said.
Besides schools, private establishments and offices in affected areas have been asked to give a holiday to their employees, he said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar visited the PMC's disaster management cell to take stock of the situation.
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Karnataka launches India’s first digital grievance system for gig workers
Bengaluru: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the Karnataka government has launched a digital grievance redressal system for gig workers to provide structured support and protection to platform-based workers.
According to The Hindu, the system, developed by the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers’ Board in collaboration with the Department of e-Governance, allows workers to file complaints through the Integrated Public Grievance Redressal System (IPGRS).
Gig workers can raise issues related to pay, working conditions, and platform-specific disputes. Complaints will be routed to the Internal Dispute Resolution Committees (IDRCs) of respective platforms and are expected to be resolved within a defined timeframe. This is expected to bring transparency and legal recourse for a workforce that has so far operated without a formal dispute resolution framework.
Under The Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act and Rules, every aggregator platform must constitute an Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC). Platforms such as Namma Yatri and Yulu have already integrated their IDRC contact details with the government portal.
Around 12 lakh gig workers have been identified in the state, and a unique identification system is being developed to remove duplicate entries. Officials said welfare schemes are also being designed based on type of work, working hours, and contribution.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad said that Karnataka, technology capital of the country, is leveraging this potential for worker welfare as well. “By launching this system, we are ensuring that the gig economy is no longer an informal space, but a structured one where every worker’s voice is heard,” he said.
“The schemes will vary based on the type of platforms. For example, cab rides are mostly undertaken by men whereas urban domestic activity is undertaken mostly by women. It may also be based on the contribution made, and the quantum of gig work done by a gig worker. Some gig workers work for more than eight hours while some may work on a few gigs. So, work load, nature of work, and time period of work could vary,” TH quoted G. Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner and CEO of the Board as saying.
“It has to be scientifically structured based on their effort and labour. We are working with experts, including academicians from Briston University, King’s College, and IISc, and other stake holders, including board members,” he said.
Officials added that aggregator platforms will be required to contribute 1 per cent towards worker welfare, with implementation beginning July 5.
