Fadnavis asks transport department to use AI for road safety measures
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the state transport department officials to increase the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to minimise road accidents.
Fadnavis also directed them to enforce policies for scrapping all vehicles above 15 years of age, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office on Monday said.
The Maharashtra government has signed an agreement with Google, it said, adding the CM asked the transport department to increase the use of AI to strengthen the sector’s security and sustainability, using the agreement.
The CM reviewed the next 100-day action plans for the transport, ports and the state airport authority departments in a meeting at the Sahyadri guest house.
He emphasised the need for scrapping all vehicles older than 15 years, both public and private.
As per the release, more than 13,000 outdated government vehicles will be scrapped, and the state transport corporation's buses older than 15 years will be replaced or retrofitted with the LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) kits to improve performance.
The CM also outlined plans for the state’s electric vehicle (EV) policy, which is set to be released within the next three years, the release said.
Fadnavis also instructed the transport department to introduce bike taxi and maxi cab services to enhance urban mobility.
He stressed the importance of formulating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the safety of buses, especially in accident-prone ghat regions, the release added.
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2024 recorded as India's warmest year since 1901: IMD
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed on Wednesday that 2024 was the warmest year on record in India since 1901, with an annual mean temperature of 25.75°C, exceeding the long-term average (1991-2020) by 0.65°C. The previous record, set in 2016, had an anomaly of 0.54°C, making the temperature increase in 2024 significantly notable.
The last quarter of the year (October to December) also marked the warmest period ever recorded, with October 2024 standing out as the warmest individual month in 123 years.
Globally, 2024 broke records as the warmest year, surpassing the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels for the first time, as per the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This milestone followed 2023's previous global record of a 1.45°C temperature rise.
Rainfall in January is expected to exceed normal levels across northern India and the country as a whole, potentially benefiting rabi crops if distribution remains consistent. However, parts of northwest India, the northeast, and central regions may experience normal to below-normal rainfall.
Further, IMD's outlook for January 2025 predicts "above normal" minimum temperatures across most of India, except for parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and eastern regions like Bihar, where temperatures are expected to remain normal to below normal. However, "above-normal cold wave days" are anticipated in western and northern parts of central India.
Regarding Prayagraj's Maha Kumbh festival (January 13-February 26), IMD Chief M Mohapatra indicated that minimum temperatures might be colder than average, though detailed forecasts will be issued closer to the event.
