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By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Hostage City

For a city that prides itself on never stopping, Mumbai has been brought to a grinding halt by the stoppage of one of its most indispensable services. The indefinite strike by employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has effectively paralysed the city’s bus network, leaving millions of commuters stranded and exposing deep fissures in the management of one of India’s largest urban transport systems. BEST ferries around 25 lakh passengers daily through a...

Hostage City

For a city that prides itself on never stopping, Mumbai has been brought to a grinding halt by the stoppage of one of its most indispensable services. The indefinite strike by employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has effectively paralysed the city’s bus network, leaving millions of commuters stranded and exposing deep fissures in the management of one of India’s largest urban transport systems. BEST ferries around 25 lakh passengers daily through a fleet of nearly 2,800 buses. Yet over the past three days, the city has witnessed the near-total collapse of this network. On the first day of the strike, only a few dozen buses operated. By the weekend, not a single BEST-owned or wet-lease bus was on the roads. Local trains, Metro services, taxis and autorickshaws have been forced to absorb the shock and are predictably straining under the burden. The strike may be illegal under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), and the industrial court may have ordered employees back to work. Yet laws and court orders cannot substitute for sound governance. When a public utility reaches the point where thousands of workers are willing to risk disciplinary action and legal consequences, it signals a failure that predates the strike itself. The demands raised by the unions are hardly new. Employees have long sought implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, settlement of retirement dues, an end to contractualisation and the merger of the BEST budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Whether one agrees with every demand is beside the point. What is striking is that these issues have been allowed to fester for years without a credible roadmap for resolution. Equally troubling is the government’s reactive approach. Ministers and officials rushed into negotiations only after services collapsed and public inconvenience reached intolerable levels. Such crisis management has become a familiar feature of governance. The unions, too, must recognise the wider consequences of their actions. Public transport is the bloodstream of a city. Every day the strike continues, daily wage earners lose income and ordinary citizens bear higher travel costs. The disruption disproportionately hurts those who can least afford alternatives. Holding Mumbai hostage may attract attention to legitimate grievances, but also risks eroding public sympathy. Mumbai has spent years celebrating new Metro corridors, coastal roads and grand infrastructure projects. Yet the humble bus remains the most affordable and accessible mode of transport for millions. Policymakers often treat BEST as an ageing institution to be managed rather than a vital public service to be strengthened. The increasing reliance on contract workers and wet-lease operations may reduce immediate costs, but also weakens institutional stability and labour relations. A city of Mumbai’s scale cannot afford a public transport system perpetually balanced on the edge of financial distress, labour unrest and administrative uncertainty. Nor can it depend on emergency measures whenever disputes arise.

Goda-Narmada Jal Yatra flagged off

CM says state will be ‘drought-free’

Mumbai: In a soulful blend of faith, history and futuristic governance, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reiterated his regime’s commitment to making the state  ‘drought-free’, flagging off a grant ‘Goda to Narmada Jal Yatra-2026” on Saturday from the temple town of Trimbakeshwar in Nashik district.

 

The water pilgrimage, as it is called - starts from the origins of Godavari, second longest river, till the banks of the Narmada, fifth longest river of India, in Madhya Pradesh with a clarion call to kickstart water conservation and sustainable development efforts.

 

“We are working on a major river interlinking project to make Maharashtra drought-free. Development must move in step with preserving cultural and ecological heritage,” Fadnavis said.

 

Taking inspiration from the legendary Punyashlok Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, he called her visionary leadership, contributions to water conservation from wells and stepwells to river management systems, which remain relevant centuries later.

 

“Ahilyabai Holkar’s work reminds us that respecting rivers as living entities is essential for sustainable growth,” said Fadnavis, praising her vision and governance model, on her 300 birth anniversary celebrations and the International Year of Woman Farmer.

 

Harking to the great rulers of the state like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he said that Ahilyabai Holkar occupies a place among the greatest of sovereigns who took over the reins of the state administration at a very young age after the death of her husband Khanderao Holkar and her father-in-law Malharrao Holkar, the founder of the Holkar Dynasty of central India, with its capital Indore.

 

“After the Mughal invaders damaged temples of Trimbakeshwar, Somnath, Kashi Vishwanath of Rameshwar, she rebuilt them with courage and commitment. Simultaneously, her work in water conservation is important. Even today, the water storage structures built by her are in good condition, and we shall preserve them,” said Fadnavis.

 

Elaborating, he said that Ahilyabai Holksar created a separate stream of River Narmada in Maheshwar for daily use so that the main river could flow clean and unpolluted. She considered rivers as goddesses and mothers, and accorded importance to them including Godavari, Yamuna and others.

 

Dwelling on her social reforms, the CM said she prioritised women’s education and employment through initiatives like the ‘Maheshwari Sari’, established one of the earliest women’s military units, integrated tribal communities into the social mainstream and implemented stringent law-and-order.

 

The yatra was launched with senior ministers like Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Girish Mahajan, and Chhagan Bhujbal, and others witnessing ceremonial rituals of ‘Kanya Pujan’, the worship of the River Godavari.

 

Spiritual guru Parampujya Gurumauli Annasaheb More of Shri Swami Samarth Seva Kendra, Nashik presided over the event while Yuvraj Maharaj Yeshwant Holkar Bahadur of the Indore royal family and 16th descendent of Ahilyabai Holkar was also present on the occasion.

 

Water collected from 30 rivers in the state will be carried in ceremonial urns (Kalash) to Maheshwar, the historic capital of Ahilyabai Holkar, and another procession, flagged off by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde, is carrying the sacred soil from her birthplace, Chaundi.

 

The twin yatras shall converge at Shirdi on Sunday, where special cultural, spiritual, and awareness programmes engaging citizens are lined up. Over the next four days, the processions shall traverse through Nashik, Sangamner, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and end on April 29 at Maheshwar on the banks of River Narmada – a significant development in the run-up to next year’s Nashik Kumbh Mela.

 

The state’s push for river interlinking, he said, will play a critical role in addressing regional water disparities and securing long-term water availability.

 

The yatras will see participation of around 500, including Warkaris, youth groups, farmers and volunteers, while water conservation experts, NGOs, and local communities are contributing to make it a platform for awareness, dialogue, and grassroots action.

 

Abode of a Jyotirling
Trimbakeshwar in Nashik is revered as the abode of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The unique feature of this Jyotirling is the Linga in the temple is three-faced embodying the Tridev - Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.
 
The River Godavari, often called the Dakshin Ganga, originates from the lush green hills surrounding this picturesque and famed pilgrimage town.

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