top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched...

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched from around the sprawling parking lot, the helicopter appeared to drop speed in its flight, flew over some overhead high-tension electric cables, and descended gingerly into the parking lot - raising a thick dust-storm in which it disappeared for seconds - before touching the ground.   Moments later, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) senior leader Bhujbal and others stepped out of the chopper, looked around in the unfamiliar territory before several vehicles and police teams rushed there. Minutes before there was chaos and confusion with some locals shouting warnings at the ‘wrong landing’.   Eyewitnesses said that the chopper’s powerful rotors created a thick dust storm and sparked alarm among the people in the vicinity, and many scrambled to the spot to check what exactly was going on in the parking lot.   Later, the Pune Police said that a designated helipad was available for the chopper landing but were at a loss to explain how the pilot missed it and veered off quite a distance away in the vehicle parking space. Subsequently, they asked the pilot to fly it to the correct landing spot.   Shaken and angry local NCP leaders questioned how a pilot flying a VIP on an official trip could mistake a parking lot for a helipad when the weather and visibility was clear. They demanded to know whether the helipad was improperly marked or it was a question of communication or sheer negligence.   The Pune Police indicated that they would report the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which may take action against the errant pilot and the helicopter company.   “There was no accident. We all emerged safely. The helicopter pilot landed wrongly in a parking lot because the helipad was not visible. All of us are fine and there is nothing to worry,” said Bhujbal, before he was whisked off by his security team.   “There are many faults in numerous airplanes and helicopters, including maintenance issues and other problems. That's why I keep saying consistently that VIPs must exercise caution while flying. Fortunately, an accident was averted today, but that doesn't mean the authorities should be negligent. We expect the government to take urgent precautions.” Rohit R. Pawar, MLA, NCP (SP)

Textile recycling drive uplifts Navi Mumbai women

AI generated image
AI generated image

Mumbai:  A quiet revolution is unfolding in Navi Mumbai’s Belapur – one that converts old clothes into new livelihoods - and transforms the lives of over 150 women participating in it.

 

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), has set up India’s first municipal Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0” – empowering many humble home-makers and other women to rewrite their futures.

 

Working in the TRF initiatives linked to textile recovery and upcycling, now the women earn between Rs 9,000-Rs 15,000 – catapulting them from the socio-economic margins into a growing ‘green economy’- gaining skills, confidence and financial independence.

 

The TRF’s pilot project has so far reached more than 1.15 lakh families and connected with over 350 housing societies through awareness drives and workshops. At the heart of this are Self Help Groups (SHGs), where women are trained, supported and encouraged to build their own micro-enterprises, said a NMMC official, preferring anonymity.

 

“At least 300 women of different age groups, mostly semi-literate and from lower-middle-class strata of society, have completed intensive training modules. They are now experts at identifying different fabrics, repairing them creatively, and selling their beautifully recycled products through different platforms,” the official told The Perfect Voice.

 

The Belapur TRF is a sight to behold – there are piles of dirty, old, worn and torn saris, uniforms, sheets, denims and other fabrics. The teams of women carefully sort, assess, clean, and repurpose each clothing into something new, using a mix of hands-on expertise and technology. They decide what can be reused, recycled, or upcycled into a new product adding value to it, the official said.

 

The results are both practical and stunning – there are stacks of new bags, mats, pouches, garments, home décor, paper and other useful items born from their skilled hands – adding to a range of more than 400 such products.

 

There is no shortage of raw material as the three-month-old initiative has collected 30 tonnes textile waste, scientifically sorted over 25 tonnes, processed more than 41,000 items or 500 daily – diverting a significant volume away from landfills and ultimate waterbodies.

 

The waste collection is decentralized – 140 branded textile bins are placed in housing societies in eight NMMC Wards, with a target of 250 bins in the next few weeks – ensuring quick access and citizen involvement, thereby indirectly contributing to improving the lives of the women and SHGs silently ushering in the eco-friendly revolution.


To promote awareness and exploit the markets, the TRF has participated in 30-plus exhibitions, and multiple public awareness events on the benefits of repurposing textile wastes using hand-held scanners, digital tracking and other resources – while pushing forward the PM’s dreams of Smart Cities Mission and Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Another TRF in Koparkhairane
Buoyed by the success of the Belapur pilot, the NMMC plans to open a permanent, higher capacity TRF in Koparkhairane soon.
 
Since India generates an estimated 7.8 million tonnes of textile wastes each year, experts feel this could be trendsetter both in terms of environmental impact and generating dignified employment for the marginalized sections of society.
 
There were many early cynics, critics and challenges, but through a steady outreach, consistent engagement, deploying fibre-scanning technology and sheer dedication of the women helped iron out the teething problems to help materialise the dreams in NMMC.

Comments

bottom of page