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TOI : PUNE: The Railways’ plan to convert electric traction from 1,500 volts DC (direct current) to 25 kilo volts AC (alternate current) between Pune and Lonavla is nearing completion.

The overhead traction lines on the Pune-Lonavla section, with some exceptions, are slated to be energised to AC system from October 2 on both the up and down lines at Malavali, Kamshet, Talegaon, Dehu Road, Chinchwad, Khadki, Shivajinagar and Pune-Ghorpadi yards of the Pune division, the Central Railway authorities stated in a public announcement on Sunday.

The railways have put up height barriers at 4.67 meters on all level crossings to keep loaded goods’ vehicles from coming in contact with the live wires. The railway authorities have stated that vehicles loaded with goods above the stipulated height of the barriers should not go by the level crossings. Besides the possibility of damage to the vehicle and the goods, the railways have warned that it may cause disruption in the vehicular and rail traffic. The railways have also warned that if the vehicle comes into contact with the live wires it may cause a fire.

The work of conversion of the electric traction from DC to AC had been taken on high priority by the railways because the AC system is said to be more energy efficient. Also, there are various limitations in the existing DC system. The railways have decided to adopt 25 KV AC system of electrification as a standard across the country.

The railway authorities have been asserting that the AC system would also help run additional trains at improved speeds. After the activation of the AC system, the railways would start using improved locomotives and electrical multiple units or suburban local trains.

With the increase in passenger traffic, there has been a persistent demand for increasing the frequency of local trains on the Pune-Lonavla section. At present, the railways ply 40 suburban local…More

TOI : PUNE: After month-long fast, it’s time to feast. Muslims in the city are gearing up to celebrate Id-ul-Fitr on Monday. The festival marks the end of the month-long Ramzan, the month of fasting or roza. The moon was sighted in Sanjay Park area near airport and Eid was declared by the Hilal Committee in Pune on Sunday evening.

Homemaker Nazira Sayyed is excited about the celebration. “This is the day when we break our fast. It is a very auspicious occasion. It is time to wear new clothes, invite friends and family home and enjoy the sheer korma’ full of dry fruits,” she said. Besides sheer korma, most households also prepare biryani, kebabs, naan, sewaiyan among other things as friends and family members gather in the house for feast.

On day of the Eid, Muslims wake up early, wear new clothes and people across the city gather at various mosques to offer their prayers. The Idgah Maidan on Shankarsheth road sees the largest gathering – about 10,000 for the namaz (prayer). After the prayers, people embrace each other, wishing Eid Mubarak’ and proceed to their homes to participate in family celebrations.

Anees Chishti, an Islamic scholar said, “After 30 days of fasting, Eid is a happy day for all the Muslims as all the efforts through out the month gets paid off on this day. Muslims pray during the month and it is like a return in kind that the lord gives us on this day and we celebrate.”

On the day of Eid, Muslims also make some offering to the poor and needy on their way to the mosque. “We distribute about a kilogram of wheat to the poor and the needy, irrespective of their religion. This offering is called fitra’. The idea is that nobody should remain hungry on this day and that everyone celebrates the occasion,” said Sayyed Saeed Ahmed, who conducts…More

TOI : PUNE: Reiterating his commitment that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) would never be directly part of any government, party president Raj Thackeray said that his party would work as a “watch dog”.

“We will never be directly part of any government, but would provide outside support to whosoever has an identical stand as that of our political ideology,” said Thackeray said during the course of an interview organised by city-based organisations Thinkers and Akshar Manav, at the Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium, Kothrud. The interview was conducted by Girish Kuber, political editor of Economic Times.

Raj Thackeray said that he treats all parties alike because hardly any of them have done anything for the betterment of the state. “We have a list of priorities for the development of the state. The MNS would back them and give outside support to any party which gives us an assurance that these priorities will be fulfilled.”

Highlighting his priorities, Thackeray said that providing land to power companies would be his party’s first priority. A time-bound programme would be framed to deal with various issue pertaining to state. The party or alliance which expects our support should follow that programme. Thackeray emphasised that his party or any one which is the part of the government would have to deliver.

Earlier, reacting to a question on development of state, Thackeray blamed “large number of outsiders” as an obstacle for the development of Maharashtra. “My party will see that locals get jobs on priority and reduce migration as well as the load on state infrastructure,” he said. Thackeray also travelled down the memory lane to narrate incidents of his school as well as college days. More Stories from this section Police constable killed in road accident Software engineer dies in e-way mishap Suzlon group employees arrested for cheating company of Rs 32 cr Now, check status of neighbourhood garbage bins on net Surgical…More

TOI : PUNE: The swine flu toll in the city rose to 56 with two people succumbing to the contagion on Saturday and Sunday.

Mahananda Sonkamble (26) of Dattanagar in Ambegaon-Budruk died at the Sassoon hospital on Saturday morning. Before being brought to Sassoon on Saturday itself, she was being treated at Sanjeevan Hospital and Bharati Hospital.

Joint director of state health services Ashok Mehta said Sonkamble was put on the ventilator as soon as she was brought to Sasoon in a critical condition. However, her condition deteriorated rapidly. The throat swab report received on Sunday confirmed her positive status.

The other victim, Rupesh Sondkar (24), of Shivtirthnagar in Kothrud, was admitted to Sassoon hospital on September 13. He was being treated at the Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital for four days before that.
Mehta said Sondkar was suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome. His condition was critical at the time of admission and he was put on the ventilator. However, he died in the early hours of Sunday. His throat swab report received some hours later confirmed that he was H1N1 positive.

Meanwhile, as many as 22 people tested positive for the influenza on Sunday. “Another 461 people were found to be suspected cases and have been given Tamiflu. Around 19,685 people have been administered Tamilfu in Pune district so far. Sixty people were discharged from hospital on Sunday,” Mehta said. More Stories from this section Police constable killed in road accident Software engineer dies in e-way mishap Suzlon group employees arrested for cheating company of Rs 32 cr Now, check status of neighbourhood garbage bins on net Surgical dimp…More

TOI : PUNE: The College of Engineering (CoEP) has won the 46th Purushottam trophy, the prestigious one-act play inter-college competition.

Gumphan’ the one-act play bagged the first award, followed by Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce’s (BMCC) Who let the dogs out’ bagged the second Hari Vinayak trophy.

Another technical college, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology (VIT) was the second runner up in the competition, which will receive Sanjay Trophy for their performance in Dhuan’.

The awards will be distributed on September 29 at Bharat Natya Mandir and will be attended by Ramdas Kamat, who is currently president of Akhil Bhartiya Natya Sammelan. Om Bhutkar and Abhay Mahajan of BMCC won the best director award for their one act play. More Stories from this section Police constable killed in road accident Software engineer dies in e-way mishap Suzlon group employees arrested for cheating company of Rs 32 cr Now, check status of neighbourhood garbage bins on net Surgical dimp…More