Mumbai, Jan 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Rs 17,840 crore Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, the longest bridge as well as the longest sea bridge in the country connecting south Mumbai with Nhava-Sheva in Navi Mumbai.
The six-lane trans-harbour bridge is 21.8 km long with a 16.5 km long sea-link.
The bridge will provide faster connectivity to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport and reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Pune. It will also improve connectivity between the Mumbai Port and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
The foundation stone of the bridge had been laid by prime minister Modi in December 2016.
The PM on Friday also laid the foundation stone of an underground road tunnel connecting the Eastern Freeway in eastern Mumbai to Marine Drive in south Mumbai.
The 9.2 km tunnel will be built at a cost of more than Rs 8700 crore.
𝐀 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲!
— Vineet Vats Tyagi (@vineetvatstyagi) January 12, 2024
Experience the grandeur of the Atal Setu, India's longest sea bridge.#AtalSetu #MumbaiGetsAtalSetu #AtalSeaLink pic.twitter.com/00zwDn26WG
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Chennai: The Kerala government has initiated the removal of illegally dumped biomedical waste in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district, with four individuals arrested for their alleged involvement in the dumping. The operation follows a directive from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which ordered the removal of the waste within three days.
Approximately 16 truckloads of biomedical waste, including blood samples and other hazardous materials, were dumped across five villages in Tirunelveli. The illegal disposal has raised significant environmental and public health concerns, including the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and contamination of soil and water sources.
The hazardous waste is suspected to have originated from Kerala hospitals, including the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre and Credence Hospital. Environmentalists have questioned whether these institutions adhere to mandatory biomedical waste management protocols.
The incident has also sparked political controversy in Tamil Nadu. The opposition criticised the ruling DMK government, alleging inaction against illegal dumping. In response, the DMK accused the previous AIADMK government of allowing such practices and highlighted its efforts to monitor and address the issue.
The waste clearance, which began on Sunday, continues under the joint supervision of officials from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.