City-based model Poonam Pandey (32) has come in for flak for faking her death to create awareness about cervical cancer. But what is interesting is the high level of public anxiety the news of her death created. Mediapersons were flooded with calls that day asking whether the news is true. Am sure they wouldn't have bothered so much about the real death of their own relatives. Her Instagram post went viral like nobody's business. Even when it turned out that the news was fake, some defended her action claiming that she did end up focusing attention on cervical cancer. The irony is that when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talked about cervical cancer the day earlier in her Budget bhashan, it hardly became the talking point, but when Poonam spoke about it the issue was on everyone's lips.
BAPPA MAKES WAY TO CITY!
Ahead of Maghi Ganeshotsav, Kumbharwada Saarvajanik Maghi Ganpati mandal enthusiastically carry an idol of the elephant-headed deity. | Salman Ansari FPJ
Water Transport: A Viable Solution
It's a big mystery why thousands of crores are being spent on coastal roads and other fancy projects to ease traffic when a solution is staring at our face, which is water transport. Hong Kong and other cities on seafronts use water transport effectively. So why aren't we in Mumbai doing that? Sea transport projects can be built at much lower costs and, more importantly, with least disruption to existing road traffic. Maybe the kickbacks are less for the 'netas.'
How To Care For The Environment
The other day Keval Valambia, CEO, CREDAI-MCHI, dropped in to our office. An architect by profession, he told us about how strict environment laws are in the UK. He was assigned the task of redesigning a building complex which had an ancient orange tree. Knowing the strict laws he created a design around the tree. Nevertheless the city council rejected it because the new design could have affected access of bats to the tree. Apparently the bats lived off that tree! Wish the BMC too had the same level of sensitivity to the environment.
Tailpiece
Many Udipi hoteliers of Mumbai are now planning to open restaurants in Ayodhya. Their slogan is 'Dosa wahi banayenge!'
(Compiled by S Balakrishnan)
