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PCB's ‘power' move to hit old flats without sewage treatment plants

PCB's ‘power' move to hit old flats without sewage treatment plants

KOCHI: The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has initiated stringent measures, including notice to disconnect power supply, to 71 old residential flats in Kochi for failing to set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) on their premises.
The move, especially, the issuance of power disconnection notice from KSEB, which acted on the direction of KSPCB, comes nearly a month after it issued closure notices to the flat owners, triggering panic among the residents.
Earlier on June 23, the Kerala High Court issued detailed directions to the KSPCB and the Kochi Corporation to issue notices to entities responsible for polluting the Thevara-Perandoor Canal in the city. The directions were passed in a suo motu proceedings initiated by the High Court in 2022.
'With reference to the direction issued by the KSPCB under Section 33 A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, this is to inform you that KSEB Ltd has been instructed to disconnect the electricity supply ... to non-compliance with statutory requirements,' read the notice dated July 30 received by the secretary of an Edappally-based flat complex.
'The associations have been trying hard to comply with the legal requirements, ie, setting up of STPs. However, what we request is to allocate us more time, say five months. Also, most of them do not have any free land available.
They have to demolish other existing structures to make space available for the construction of STP. The closure notices were sent to the flats constructed before 2010, when the mandatory norms regarding STPs were not in force,' Abraham Joseph, chairman, Consortium of Flat & Villa Owners Association (Kerala), told TNIE.
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‘Volume IV' at Experimenter Colaba
‘Volume IV' at Experimenter Colaba

The Hindu

time10 hours ago

  • The Hindu

‘Volume IV' at Experimenter Colaba

The body is first taught obedience through fabric. The swaddle before speech, the school uniform before dissent, shame before skin. Clothing is behavioural before — and because — it is cultural. In Volume IV: Truths, Half-Truths, Half-Lies, Lies, Kolkata-based artist and fashion designer Kallol Datta invites us to look at clothing as a long and loaded manual of social instruction. Drawing from Lessons for Women, a 2,000-year-old guidebook written by Chinese historian Ban Zhao for her daughters, Datta unpacks how garments have told people, especially women, how to sit, stand, move, behave, belong, and be excluded. Rules written in thread Zhao's book may have been written as a way for mothers to prepare daughters for survival in a rigid society, but its advice — on how to be modest, obedient, restrained — has stuck around for millennia. It keeps surfacing in new forms: in 16th-century Confucian revivalism, in the 'values' taught to girls across cultures today, in viral videos preaching 'feminine behaviour' and the new aspirational 'trad wife'. All markers of neo-fascism and an imminent recession. Datta was stunned by how familiar the text felt. 'While feminist movements and ideologies have evolved,' they say, 'the dominant forces… continue to subscribe to antiquated notions of social and behavioural propriety.' Even today, lessons dressed up as care — especially from mother to daughter — can quietly reinforce control. Clothing is political Datta, with his kohl-rimmed eyes and love of all things black, was a significant figure on the Indian fashion scene — until the Central Saint Martins-trained 'clothes maker' made the switch a few years ago from mainstream fashion to art. Since then he's tapped into textile, craft and his connections, but this time to explore clothing as sites of tension. Like his 2022 showcase of textile sculptures, titled Volume 3, ISSUE 2, which looked at the role of imperial edicts in Japan's late Shōwa period. Volume IV is structured like a story in four parts: Truths, Half-Truths, Half-Lies, and Lies Our Clothes Have Told Us. It travels across Asian garments — from the Japanese kimono to the Manipuri phanek — to show how fashion has long been used to signal status, enforce gender roles, and mark caste. The sari, often seen as a timeless symbol of Indian femininity, is one of the most revealing examples. The blouse and petticoat, though they now seem inseparable from the unstitched garment, were introduced during colonial rule, shaped by British-Victorian ideas of modesty. These facts, often tucked away from public memory, are central to Datta's work. Their pieces — textile posters, sculptural forms, and layered fabric compositions — are built from donated clothes and stitched with history. In these collages of cloth, Datta asks: who gets to be comfortable? Who gets to move freely? Who gets to be seen? Unbuilding the home One of the most striking parts of the show features two textile floor plans. The first maps out a Korean hanok (a traditional house), where the design reflects rigid gender roles: male quarters in front, female quarters at the back, separate doors for servants and labourers. The second plan reimagines the house with only women living in it. Now, there are wide corridors, shared rooms, spaces for leisure and ease. In Datta's vision, just as clothing teaches us how to shrink ourselves, architecture teaches us to shrink our movement; where we're allowed to go and where we're not. By redrawing these spaces, they ask: what if homes were built around freedom instead of discipline? Inherited stains Each garment used in Volume IV comes with a memory. 'Every donation was accompanied by information from the donor… memories, episodic events connected to the items of clothing,' Datta shares. When old clothes are passed on in elite spaces, they are called vintage fashion; but what's seen as nostalgic for one group is seen as shameful for another. In many Indian homes, for instance, clothes worn by lower caste domestic workers are kept separate, never touched, let alone or reused. In Datta's view, 'class hierarchies and abject caste structures… continue to exist in the regions of my interest'. So, the artist's act of collecting and transforming these textiles becomes a way of rejecting this imbalance and showing how quietly and deeply caste and class shape even something as intimate as a hand-me-down. Slow resistance Where the state uses surveillance and laws to discipline, Datta uses slowness. Stitching, assembling, disassembling, their process becomes a kind of quiet refusal. 'There are recurring motifs in the works that are markers of small acts of resistance, of dissent, lack of access to economic activity… Clothes, and by extension, cloth, will always remain our first line of defence,' says Datta, who collaborated with Kolkata-based Ek Tara Creates, which employs women from vulnerable backgrounds, for the series. In Volume IV, the garment is not precious or sacred, it is strange. Datta, however, doesn't aim to shock. They ask us to look again. At the folds of our garments. At the rules we've absorbed. The exhibition is rife with silences that are full of questions. If every stitch is a sentence, then maybe the clothes we wear are trying to tell us something. If only we'd listen. Volume IV is on till August 20 at Experimenter in Mumbai. The writer is founding editor of Proseterity, a literary and arts magazine.

Mumbai Cook Shocks By Earning ‘Rs 18,000 In 30 Mins From 12 Houses'. Meanwhile, Gurgaon Pays...
Mumbai Cook Shocks By Earning ‘Rs 18,000 In 30 Mins From 12 Houses'. Meanwhile, Gurgaon Pays...

News18

time10 hours ago

  • News18

Mumbai Cook Shocks By Earning ‘Rs 18,000 In 30 Mins From 12 Houses'. Meanwhile, Gurgaon Pays...

Last Updated: A Mumbai-based advocate's post has led to a discussion about how much a cook charges in major Indian cities. A Mumbai-based lawyer's tweet about how much part-time cook charges monthly sparked a debate on X (formerly Twitter). Ayushi Doshi, an advocate, wrote that her cook (also known as Maharaj) charges Rs 18,000 per household for 30 minutes of work. The advocate said that the cook worked daily in 10-12 households. In her post, Doshi also claimed that her cook got free breakfast and tea everywhere. 'Gets paid on time or leaves without a goodbye," Doshi said while talking about her Maharaj. 'Meanwhile I'm out here saying 'gentle reminder" with trembling hands with minimum salary," she added. Post Sparks Debate The remarks stirred up a fierce debate on X. A person claimed that the cook's salary was exaggerated. '18k for part time cook is exaggerated Its 4-6 k even in gurgaon," they wrote. 18k for part time cook is exaggerated Its 4-6 k even in gurgaon— KARTIK CHAUDHARY (@kartik_chau) July 30, 2025 Many were stunned to know that the cook only took 30 minutes for his job. 'Can agree on 18k .. but 30 mins? What does he cook in 30 mins? Paratha and sabzi from scratch take 45 mins atleast," a user wrote. One account claimed that the advocate was either 'extremely gullible to pay 18k for someone who invests 30 mins in your food or this cook must be a mix of a cook , a dietician a nutritionist and barry allen." You have to be extremely gullible to pay 18k for someone who invests 30 mins in your food or this cook must be a mix of a cook , a dietician a nutritionist and barry allen.— Prashu (@oye_prashur27) July 30, 2025 Many were eager to find out how the cook could work in 10-12 households daily. 'If he can cook full meals in 30 minutes flat, forget Maharaj—call him Jadugar. I just want to know what black magic he's using to finish 12 houses a day." If he can cook full meals in 30 minutes flat, forget Maharaj—call him Jadugar. I just want to know what black magic he's using to finish 12 houses a day.— e…. (@sagarmahla) July 30, 2025 Many claimed that the advocate was making things up. 'Nice clickbait. But no cook can make food in 30 mins," a comment read. Nice clickbait. But no cook can make food in 30 mins. No Indian person would pay 18k charges and let the cook run away in half an hour. For 18k they would ask for an army and a leg. Just accept, you read a nice fiction story and then decided to be a writer on X.— Instant Info (@InstantInfo07) July 31, 2025 What Advocate Later Said Doshi later claimed that her story was not 'engagement farming" but her experience of living in one of the costliest cities of India. She added that the amount she stated was what good Maharajs charge in decent localities. 'The same cook charges ₹2.5k a day for a family of 12 isn't overcharging, it's just how things work here," Doshi said. Mumbai folks, back me up ! this is what good Maharajs charge in decent localities. The same cook charges ₹2.5k a day for a family of 12 isn't overcharging, it's just how things work your state still runs on ₹5 thalis, that's great for you , but don't assume everyone…— Adv. Ayushi Doshi (@AyushiiDoshiii) July 30, 2025 The post has led to a discussion on the high cost of living in Mumbai and the amount charged for services like cooking. With long working hours, hectic lifestyles and focus on healthy diets, the demand for cooks and other professionals has gone up in many cities, leading to higher charges in many localities. About the Author Buzz Staff A team of writers at bring you stories on what's creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. News18's viral page features trending stories, videos, and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Yamuna floodplains to be marked with physical boundaries across 17 districts by March
Yamuna floodplains to be marked with physical boundaries across 17 districts by March

Time of India

time15 hours ago

  • Time of India

Yamuna floodplains to be marked with physical boundaries across 17 districts by March

Agra: The irrigation department has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the project to physically mark the Yamuna floodplains with visible boundary indicators will begin in Oct, following the completion of the tendering process in Sept. In an affidavit submitted to the tribunal, the department said over 21,000 physical markers ('muddis') will be installed at 200-metre intervals along both banks of the river across a 1,056-km stretch spanning 17 districts from Gautam Buddh Nagar to Prayagraj. The project is expected to be completed by March next year. The development comes months after the NGT imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 each on the ministry of jal shakti and the central water commission in July last year for failing to act on floodplain demarcation, following a letter petition by Agra-based environmentalist Sharad Gupta. The court stated: "Issue of rampant & large scale illegal mining destroying sand dunes & ravines in the vicinity of Taj Mahal & restricted flood plain zone of the Yamuna was raised through a letter petition by Sharad Gupta based on a news article published in TOI dated March 6, 2022, & cognisance was taken by this tribunal; exercising suo-moto jurisdiction." The NGT had directed the state govt and the Jal Shakti ministry to mark flood zones from Hasanpur to Etawah and Shahpur to Prayagraj. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Search Results For Online gaming Online gaming | Search Ads Learn More In May this year, it asked the state to physically demarcate the Yamuna floodplains across 17 districts using boundary markers, instead of relying solely on geo-coordinates, to make the zones more comprehensible to the public. "The decision to install physical boundary markers is a significant step in protecting the ecological identity of the Yamuna. These visible indicators will help prevent illegal encroachments and ensure better public understanding of restricted floodplain zones," said the petitioner. He added, "In Agra alone, where the Yamuna flows for 167 km, the floodplain extends up to 5.09 km on the right bank and 2.55 km on the left. The upcoming work must be matched with strong monitoring to ensure long-term compliance." In Feb, the central water commission had demarcated the floodplains using satellite imagery provided by a Hyderabad-based remote sensing agency. The findings were compiled in a 521-page geospatial report submitted to the tribunal. The 17 districts covered under the NGT's directive are: Gautam Buddh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Jalaun, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Hamirpur, Kanpur Nagar, Fatehpur, Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, and Prayagraj.

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