The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will conduct the reservation draw for the 2025 general elections on Tuesday, at 11 a.m. at Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir in Bandra (West).
The draw, which will determine reservations for Scheduled Caste (Women), Scheduled Tribe (Women), Backward Class of Citizens (BCC), BCC (Women), and General Women categories, will be broadcast live on BMC’s YouTube channel (MyBMCMyMumbai) and Hathway Cable Channel No. 26, allowing citizens to watch the process in real time.
According to civic officials, the event will be held at the Ground Floor Hall of Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, near the junction of Roads No. 24 and 32, opposite National College, Bandra West.
The draft reservation list will be released on Friday, November 14, following the draw. Citizens can submit objections and suggestions between November 14 and November 20, until 3 p.m.
BMC officials said that all objections and suggestions will be reviewed before issuing the final notification of reservations for the upcoming civic polls.
Mumbai: Despite opposition, BMC to lay red soil at four more playgrounds in Matunga, Wadala and Sion
Amid opposition from Dadar residents to the use of red soil at Shivaji Park, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) gardens department has decided to lay the same material in at least four more playgrounds in Matunga, Wadala, and Sion, which fall under the F North ward.
The decision has been taken in a bid to soften the ground, now hardened due to lack of rain in the wake of monsoon withdrawal, making it easier for children and residents to use these facilities. Red soil, with water-retention property, has the capacity to soften surfaces, according to the civic body.
An official from the gardens department in F North ward said, “The top layer of soil has hardened at each of these playgrounds. Since red soil is known to make surfaces softer, we have decided to lay it over these playgrounds. This topping will occur at select spots where the soil has hardened considerably, making it difficult for children to play and potentially harming them.”
Seeing red
Those residing around Shivaji Park have spoken out against the BMC’s decision, where 80 truckloads of red soil were laid at Shivaji Park in 2019-2021. The residents have blamed the red soil for frequent dust storms, leading to respiratory problems for locals and other problems. Following residents` complaints to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the BMC was directed to remove the red soil from Shivaji Park to reduce dust pollution.
Expert opinion
Shedding light on the composition of red soil, Sandeep Thakur, an earth expert who has worked with the Geological Survey of India, said, “Red soil retains considerably more water than black soil, lending it the property of softness. It also turns loose without water or moisture. During the dry season, this can lead to dust storms.”
