Mumbai: BMC cracks down on tobacco vendors near schools, colleges

Representational Pic/File

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday launched a crackdown on vendors selling tobacco products near schools and colleges, and seized 93.5 kilograms of such items, reported the PTI.

According the PTI, in a release, the civic body said the team of the F (North) ward office conducted raids and shut down four establishments - one tobacco shop and three makeshift hawking stalls.

The ward office formed two teams to conduct raids at various locations, including MHADA Colony in Koka Nagar, Priyadarshani School, S K Royal School, Sadhana School in Shivaji Nagar, Ruiya College and Podar College in Matunga, Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) in Five Gardens, and Maheshwari Udyan, it said.

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The BMC seized 93.5 kg tobacco products, including cigarettes, bidis, gutkha, and other tobacco-containing substances, the release said, as per the PTI.

Section 4 of the Tobacco Control Act, 2003 prohibits the sale or possession of tobacco products in the vicinity of schools, colleges, and other educational institutes, and the drive is part of the BMC's ongoing efforts to make school and college premises tobacco-free, it added.

Gokhale bridge, Barfiwala connector to open on Thursday

Though the BMC missed the deadline for reopening of Gokhale bridge and Barfiwala connector on July 1, it was opened by someone who removed the barricades on Monday morning. Vehicles were plying on the section for a few hours till the BMC closed it once again to complete the remaining work. Meanwhile, the BMC cleared the load-bearing test and assured the bridge would be reopened on Thursday by 5 pm.

The misalignment of the Barfiwala connector with the newly built Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge, had become a national topic of discussion. The realignment work started on April 12 and was supposed to be completed by Monday.

After much back and forth, the BMC had decided to match the alignment of bridges rather than go in for reconstruction of the flyover. Though it was pretty clear that the connector was not going to open on Monday (mid-day published a report on Sunday), residents and commuters were surprised to see it open on the first day of the week. Many enthusiastic commuters took videos and uploaded them on social media. "I think someone removed the barricades placed by the BMC at the entry point of the Barfiwala flyover. After a while, BMC employees closed it for traffic," said a resident. The Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association also put up a message in this regard on X, stating that the BMC had not opened the Barfiwala flyover, but someone had mischievously removed the barricades which were put back in place by the BMC.

(with PTI inputs)