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India Gazette
17 hours ago
- General
- India Gazette
Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's ESL drive transforms English learning in civic schools; empowers teachers
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 28 (ANI): In a remarkable transformation across Pimpri Chinchwad's civic schools, the fear of English is being steadily replaced by confidence, curiosity, and joy, said a Senior official of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. English as a Second Language (ESL) initiative, launched in 2022, initially targeted students in Grades 1 and 2 and has since reached over 27,000 children across municipal schools. The initiative, rooted in teacher empowerment and classroom-centric solutions, is now being hailed as a model for public education reform. 'When I first received the English practice book, I could see the change almost immediately,' said Sharmistha Babar, teacher at Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Primary School, Dighi Kanya Shala. 'Reading skills and vocabulary have improved, and the activity-based training has made teaching more enjoyable and less stressful', she added further. The ESL programme began with monthly training workshops for 200 Lower Primary Teachers, focusing on foundational skills such as phonics, classroom communication, and creating print-rich environments. One of the key innovations has been the co-creation of a 300-page English Practice Book by a team of 10 civic school teachers. Divided into three levels, from alphabet recognition to paragraph reading, the book serves both as a learning tool and an assessment guide. Sagar Gaikwad, a teacher from Kanya School No. 31, Dapodi, said, 'The fear of English has reduced, not only among students but among teachers too. The practice book has laid strong reading foundations, and we've seen those gains in our annual assessments.' Commissioner Shekhar Singh emphasised the importance of trusting teachers and equipping them with tools and training. 'This initiative is rooted in a simple idea: trust your teachers. When empowered, they become true change-makers. The ESL programme has not only improved English learning but also helped restore faith in public schooling.' To sustain and expand the programme, PCMC has developed a cadre of Master Trainers, experienced teachers who now lead peer training, resource creation, and mentoring. This teacher-led model has helped embed quality practices across the school system. 'We didn't just bring in a new curriculum, we built a community of teacher-leaders,' said Additional Commissioner Pradip Jambhale Patil. 'This sense of ownership among educators is what makes the initiative sustainable. It's become a movement,' he added. Building on its early success, PCMC has now expanded the ESL programme to Grades 3, 4, and 5, with new practice books and training modules co-developed by over 20 contributors, including teachers, Teach For India fellows, civic officials, and students. The ESL approach is also influencing teaching practices in other subjects, such as Marathi and Environmental Science, where educators are now using group work, storytelling, and inquiry-based learning methods. (ANI)
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Nashik civic body plans to raise Rs100cr through green municipal bonds
Nashik: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) is set to raise Rs100 crore through the issuance of municipal green bonds. This move mirrors a similar initiative undertaken by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The funds secured from these green bonds will be dedicated to various environment-friendly projects in preparation for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. These initiatives will encompass crucial areas such as water supply management, waste management, and other related environmental efforts. Municipal commissioner Manisha Khatri , while talking to TOI, said, "We are working in that direction to raise the funds as we will need funds for various green projects in view of the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. We will raise around Rs100 crore through the green municipal bonds." She also highlighted that central govt offers incentives to municipal corporations that raise funds for green projects through such bonds. The PCMC recently raised Rs200 crore through green municipal bonds and became the first municipal corporation in Maharashtra to do so. The bond issue witnessed substantial investor interest, being oversubscribed by 5.1 times. The bonds were floated via private placement on the BSE's Electronic Bidding Platform and attracted bids worth Rs513 crore, oversubscribing the offer by 5.13 times. The base issue of Rs100 crore was fully subscribed within just one minute of opening, indicating strong investor confidence.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
After CM cancels PCMC's abattoir plan near Alandi, MP Barne demands scrapping of entire draft DP
DAYS after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis cancelled the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) plan to build a slaughterhouse near the temple town of Alandi, MP Shrirang Barne on Wednesday called for scrapping the entire draft Development Plan (DP) prepared by the DP Unit department. Barne accused members of the DP Unit department of preparing the draft DP without conducting any proper survey. 'The chief minister has done the right thing by scrapping the slaughterhouse plan. The reservation for the slaughterhouse plan was made by the DP Unit department. I think the CM should cancel the entire draft DP,' Barne told The Indian Express. Barne said it is difficult to believe the DP Unit department planned a slaughterhouse near Alandi. 'Alandi has religious and spiritual significance for every Maharashtrian. It's a place of great importance for the 'Marathi Manoos'. Yet, the DP Unit department made reservation for a slaughterhouse close to the temple town,' he said. He added that he has gone through some of the reservations made by the department in the draft DP. 'It seems they have not applied their mind properly. Slaughterhouse, burial grounds and cemeteries have been reserved at wrong places. Several reservations are bound to trigger protests across the city. I think the DP Unit department made the reservations without actually visiting the spots and surveying the areas,' he said. Citing instances, Barne said in areas like Kalewadi and Thergaon, the DP Unit has made reservations where there are residential houses. The Maval MP said he will file objections to the DP and take it up with the CM. 'I will write to the chief minister to scrap the entire draft DP,' he said. Barne said PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh and Town Planning officials cannot escape responsibility. 'The municipal commissioner has signed the draft DP and uploaded it on the PCMC website. Town Planning officials have also signed the draft DP. They took should be held responsible,' he said. Last week, the municipal commissioner told this paper that the civic administration has no role to play in the preparations of the draft DP. He said the draft DP was prepared by the DP Unit. When contacted, Anupama Kulkarni, who heads the DP Unit, said, 'The draft DP is not the final document. There is a long process before the DP is finalised.' 'We conducted proper survey before preparing the draft DP,' she said while refusing to take further questions. Echoing the views of Barne, civic activist Sarang Kamtekar said, 'The draft DP shows there was lack of coordination between the PCMC and the DP Unit. Ideally, the DP Unit should have first consulted and discussed the reservation issue with PCMC officials. They should have conducted a wide range of discussions with those who know the city well. It could be people's representatives or could be long-time residents and activists of Pimpri-Chinchwad. It seems the DP Unit members who are state government employees and have nothing to do with Pimpri-Chinchwad have whimsically made reservations.' 'In Pimpri area where the Sindhi community has been doing business for several decades is sought to be displaced by the draft DP,' he said. Another activist Avinash Chilekar said, 'If the draft DP is approved by the state government, it will cause havoc in the industrial city. Thousands of houses will have to make way for so-called development. Any development that will resettle a city and disturb the lives of people is of no use. Development activities should ensure the progress of the people. It should not throw their lives in disarray.' Seema Sawale, former PCMC standing committee chairperson, who had first raised the issue of slaughterhouse plan near Alandi, said, 'Now it has come to light that they have made reservations for a police station, a bus depot and other things in around Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue in Pimpri. The place is sacred for lakhs of Ambedkarite. As a former PCMC panel chief, I am going to register my complaint with the CM and demand the scrapping of the entire draft DP,' she said. Marathi actor Sandeep Sakore said, 'It's not a draft DP but an anti-Development Plan. If one goes through the draft DP reservations, it makes one wonder whether the DP Unit members have carefully studied the terrain and topography of the PCMC or not. Have they even gone to the spots to see for themselves what Pimpri-Chinchwad actually is all about. I agree with the views of the Maval MP that the entire draft DP should be cancelled by the state government.' Manoj More has been working with the Indian Express since 1992. For the first 16 years, he worked on the desk, edited stories, made pages, wrote special stories and handled The Indian Express edition. In 31 years of his career, he has regularly written stories on a range of topics, primarily on civic issues like state of roads, choked drains, garbage problems, inadequate transport facilities and the like. He has also written aggressively on local gondaism. He has primarily written civic stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Khadki, Maval and some parts of Pune. He has also covered stories from Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Ahmednagar and Latur. He has had maximum impact stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial city which he has covered extensively for the last three decades. Manoj More has written over 20,000 stories. 10,000 of which are byline stories. Most of the stories pertain to civic issues and political ones. The biggest achievement of his career is getting a nearly two kilometre road done on Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki in 2006. He wrote stories on the state of roads since 1997. In 10 years, nearly 200 two-wheeler riders had died in accidents due to the pathetic state of the road. The local cantonment board could not get the road redone as it lacked funds. The then PMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi took the initiative, went out of his way and made the Khadki road by spending Rs 23 crore from JNNURM Funds. In the next 10 years after the road was made by the PMC, less than 10 citizens had died, effectively saving more than 100 lives. Manoj More's campaign against tree cutting on Pune-Mumbai highway in 1999 and Pune-Nashik highway in 2004 saved 2000 trees. During Covid, over 50 doctors were asked to pay Rs 30 lakh each for getting a job with PCMC. The PCMC administration alerted Manoj More who did a story on the subject, asking then corporators how much money they story worked as doctors got the job without paying a single paisa. Manoj More has also covered the "Latur drought" situation in 2015 when a "Latur water train" created quite a buzz in Maharashtra. He also covered the Malin tragedy where over 150 villagers had died. Manoj More is on Facebook with 4.9k followers (Manoj More), on twitter manojmore91982 ... Read More
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
STP plans welcome, but based on incorrect data: Green advocate to NGT
Speaking at a case hearing regarding the Pavana River's pollution, citizen activist Krunnal Gharre on Tuesday said he welcomed the move by the PMRDA to spend Rs 218 crore to build sewage treatment plants (STPs) by 2030 along the water body. He said that while the move was welcome, the STP plan was based on outdated and incorrect data and that objections would be placed before the NGT. Gharre, who is an advocate, pointed out that the standard measurement was that each person will generate 100 litres of sewage per day. 'The proposed 3.5 MLD STP by 2030 is based on outdated and incorrect data. A 3.5 MLD plan, as per PMRDA standard, is sufficient only for 35,000 people. The 52 villages it covers had a population of 50,000 according to the 2011 census. Our primary concern is that the current proposal, which will be commissioned in 2030, was insufficient for the population in 2011. We have not even considered the population growth to date or what will happen.' He added that the plan fails to consider upcoming planned projects and actual expansion. 'We clearly stated to the NGT that this plan is inadequate not just for the future, but even for the past. What we are trying to say is that the calculation feels to be based on false data. In our hearing on Tuesday, we put forth our objections,' said Gharre, adding that they 'were going to fight the matter in the court anyway'. An original application had been filed in July 2024 against the PCMC and PMRDA, among others, as a response to the Pavana becoming the most-polluted river in the state. The river is choked with effluents and waste from cities and villages. In April 2025, the NGT ordered the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) to 'submit its own report as to whether the steps being taken at the end of PMRDA… show any sincerity in execution of setting up STPs, which are essential to take care of the pollution of river Pavana'. The RRC said 'the length of the Pavana river is 60 km, out of which 35 km is in the area of PMRDA and the remaining 25 km is in the jurisdiction of PCMC. In this 35 km area, there are 54 villages. PMRDA has studied this area and found 15 nalas leading to the Pavana river. PMRDA has proposed 15 STPs having a total capacity of 3.52 million litres per day (MLD)'. PMRDA has submitted the DPR to the Environment Department of the state government.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
PCMC intensifies anti-mosquito drive, inspects 1.8L households & collect Rs 3.4L in fines
Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has intensified its anti-mosquito breeding drive, issuing violation notices to 1,292 individuals and collecting a total fine of Rs 3.36 lakh from 122 since Jan this year. A senior PCMC official said a high-level health department meeting was held on Monday to strategise mosquito-containment measures, including inspections, container checks and enforcement through penalties. Since Jan, PCMC teams have inspected 1.84 lakh households, detecting breeding sites in 3,079, besides checking 442 junkyards and 697 construction sites. Sachin Pawar, deputy municipal commissioner and head of the PCMC's health department, said the civic body was implementing multiple preventive measures. "Residents must take equal responsibility by ensuring their homes and surroundings do not become breeding grounds. Continued non-compliance will attract penalties," Pawar said, adding that regular measures like insecticide spraying, awareness programmes and cleanliness drives were being implemented. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The civic body's medical department has launched the 'Break the Chain' campaign, focusing on prevention and enforcement. An eight-member taskforce coordinates with ward offices for inspections, and nodal medical officers have been appointed for each ward to work with local civic hospitals and health inspectors. "We are implementing the 5S strategy (search and destroy, self-protection, support fogging and insecticide activity, seek early consultation and sustain hydration) to make the campaign effective," said another PCMC official. Awareness activities were being held to educate citizens about preventive steps and the importance of early medical intervention, the official added. Municipal commissioner Shekhar Singh said, "Citizens should ensure that stagnant water does not collect in tanks, drums, flower pots, tyres or unused utensils. Observe 'dry day' once a week and maintain hygiene. PCMC is conducting regular insecticide spraying, and public cooperation is essential." Officials at Pune Municipal Corporation said they have also increased fogging and insecticide activities. A senior PMC health department official said they issued notices to 859 violators after mosquito-breeding sites were found during their inspection since Jan. "A fine of Rs 98,300 was also collected," the official said.
