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<v Speaker 1>In this episode, we talk about the Dharavi Redevelopment project

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<v Speaker 1>and a major challenge that is keeping it from moving forward.

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<v Speaker 1>We also talk about the Supreme Court reconsidering the University

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<v Speaker 1>Grants Commission regulations aimed at preventing cast discrimination in higher

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<v Speaker 1>education institutions, and why it has put the government in

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<v Speaker 1>a politically difficult position. But first we talk about a

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<v Speaker 1>report that has revealed some concerning findings about railway stations

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<v Speaker 1>in India. Hi, I am Aherikananda and you are listening

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<v Speaker 1>to three things in an Express News show. For those

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<v Speaker 1>of you who have visited a railway station recently, you

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<v Speaker 1>may have noticed that many stations still lack some very

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<v Speaker 1>basic amenities, including adequate seating, toilets, fans and proper signage.

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<v Speaker 1>And last week, confirming this, the Comptroller and Auditor General

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<v Speaker 1>tabled a report in Parliament revealed that more than eighty

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<v Speaker 1>nine percent of the railway stations it audited lagged such amenities.

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<v Speaker 1>The audit, which covered four years from twenty to twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty four, also highlighted complaints about poor cleanliness, inadequate water

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<v Speaker 1>availability and a lack of medical assistance. Now, when we

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<v Speaker 1>spoke to the Indian Express's Rich Mishra. He told us

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<v Speaker 1>that this is particularly concerning because under a provision introduced

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<v Speaker 1>in two thousand and three, railway stations are required to

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<v Speaker 1>provide passengers with what are known as minimum essential amenities.

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<v Speaker 2>That means a railway station should have some basic facilities

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<v Speaker 2>I mean that is mandatory like drinking water, tabs, seating, urinus, latterans,

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<v Speaker 2>waiting hall, water coolers, fanclock. These are almost fifteen and

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<v Speaker 2>sixteen kinds of facilities that has to be at a

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<v Speaker 2>railway station.

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<v Speaker 3>And what the findings are. The findings are very concerning.

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<v Speaker 2>It says that there are just eleven percent of this

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<v Speaker 2>station who have complete minimum essential amenities, I mean only

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<v Speaker 2>eleven percent has all kinds of basic facilities that are

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<v Speaker 2>required to be there at a railway station.

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<v Speaker 1>He says. India's railway stations are broadly divided into two categories,

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<v Speaker 1>suburban and non suburban, and this audit focused on non

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<v Speaker 1>suburban stations, which are generally larger and catered to a

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<v Speaker 1>significant number of passengers. Out of nearly five nine hundred

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<v Speaker 1>non suburban stations across the country, the CAG audited five

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and twelve.

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<v Speaker 2>Also, which is much more concerning is that there are

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<v Speaker 2>some of the very top stations of the country who

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<v Speaker 2>have very high revenue and much more passenger football, like

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<v Speaker 2>they have revenue over seven hundred and ten corode and

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<v Speaker 2>the footfall ranges between one point zero three corode two

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<v Speaker 2>more than eleven corode. Even these stations who have so

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<v Speaker 2>much revenue and so many passenger football they even lack

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<v Speaker 2>to these phasic facilities. And some of these stations this

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<v Speaker 2>is very famous, like New Delhi also have this problem.

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<v Speaker 2>Howdah Nizamudin which is in Delhi, Sekondarabad Station, Chennai Central, Ahmadabad,

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<v Speaker 2>Chatapavaji Mahaj Terminus which is one of the biggest stations

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<v Speaker 2>of the country, and Bengaluru, Surat and anand Vihar. So

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<v Speaker 2>even these biggest stations does not have complete basic facilities

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<v Speaker 2>and despite having much more revenue, much more passenger coming

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<v Speaker 2>onto this station, they do not have these facilities.

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<v Speaker 1>And he says that if we look more closely at

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<v Speaker 1>the report, we find that of the five and twelve

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<v Speaker 1>stations audited one eight eight lad even basic facilities such

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<v Speaker 1>as drinking water taps, wedding halls were not available at

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<v Speaker 1>the twenty one stations.

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<v Speaker 2>There were deficiencies in number of the urinals at one

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<v Speaker 2>hundred and eleven stations. And also whenever we visit at

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<v Speaker 2>the railway station, you would have seen that the railway

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<v Speaker 2>boat have mandated that there is this certain area which

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<v Speaker 2>has to be covered, the platform of the area which

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<v Speaker 2>has to be covered. The CAG have found efficiency in

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<v Speaker 2>that as well. Apart from this, a sixty stations did

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<v Speaker 2>not have a clock. One twenty eighth station had deficiencies

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<v Speaker 2>in number of water coolers and dust beans. So these

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<v Speaker 2>are the very basic things that railway stations did not have.

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<v Speaker 1>But besides this, the CAG also assessed hygiene and cleanliness

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<v Speaker 1>at these stations and found several lapses, including in the

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<v Speaker 1>maintenance of water coolers, waste collection, pest and rodent control,

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<v Speaker 1>and the upkeep of toilets and bathrooms. And more concerning

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<v Speaker 1>was the fact that water samples from coolers at several

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<v Speaker 1>major stations tested positive for ecolie.

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<v Speaker 2>In drinking water. The presence of equal lie is a

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<v Speaker 2>warning that seaways or animal or human fecal contamination might

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<v Speaker 2>have entered in the water. So that is a very clear,

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<v Speaker 2>you know sign, and the presence of equo lie Bacteria

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<v Speaker 2>in drinking water can lead to a number of diseases

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<v Speaker 2>to the passengers, so that is a very concerning thing.

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<v Speaker 2>And some of the stations that have named they is

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<v Speaker 2>that a Comber two Palakar junction Hadrabamaras terminus Biani Road Kalinna.

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<v Speaker 2>These are the stations where equoli was found in the

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<v Speaker 2>drinking water. And also the auditor has said the CAG

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<v Speaker 2>has said that chemical analysis of drinking water was not

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<v Speaker 2>conducted by health inspector at one seventy nine stations in

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<v Speaker 2>eleven jones and was not carried out as per prescribed

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<v Speaker 2>periodicity twice a year at seventy seven stations in six zone.

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<v Speaker 2>And not only this, I mean there is this a

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<v Speaker 2>clear protocol, uniform drinking water protocol which prescribed a detailed

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<v Speaker 2>number of parameters that has to be tasted related to

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<v Speaker 2>the drinking water. And the CAG said that none of

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<v Speaker 2>the stations, none of the five hundred and twelve stations

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<v Speaker 2>that they had short listed, they followed all of these parameters.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a very clear sign of the carelessness that passenger

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<v Speaker 2>have to drink these contaminated water and.

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<v Speaker 1>These conditions and lack of amenities were found despite the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that over seven hundred Coro rupees was spent on

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<v Speaker 1>maintaining sanitation at railway stations during the four year period. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>another problem highlighted in the report is one that unfortunately

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<v Speaker 1>remains common in public spaces. This is the lack of

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<v Speaker 1>facilities required for passengers with disabilities.

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<v Speaker 2>There is a law at the national level that you know,

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<v Speaker 2>every institution, every government institution, even the private ones, their

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<v Speaker 2>structure should be a disabled friendly that includes stations as well.

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<v Speaker 2>So what the CAG have found that some of the

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<v Speaker 2>very key facilities that is important for the disabled people

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<v Speaker 2>is like standard ramp with railing. It is very difficult

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<v Speaker 2>for them to you know, frequent the station without having

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<v Speaker 2>these facilities. So what the CAG have found that forty

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<v Speaker 2>four percent of the station that they inspected were lacking

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<v Speaker 2>the facilities like standard rampi railing. Fifty five percent of

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<v Speaker 2>these stations did not have a separate earmarked parking lot

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<v Speaker 2>for the disabled people. Thirty two percent of these stations

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<v Speaker 2>did not have non slippery walkway, which is very very important.

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<v Speaker 2>And second, fifty eight percent of these stations did not

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<v Speaker 2>have drinking water tap on alternate water booth at each platform.

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<v Speaker 2>So I mean it is mandatory for the railways to

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<v Speaker 2>have these facilities because without these facilities at the stations,

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<v Speaker 2>it would be very very difficult for the differently able

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<v Speaker 2>people to go the station and you know, to board

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<v Speaker 2>the train.

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<v Speaker 1>Now he sees the last time the car conducted an

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<v Speaker 1>audit of passenger facilities at railway stations was back in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty sixteen, but nearly a decade later, the National Auditor

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<v Speaker 1>found that many of the same deficiencies still persisted, despite

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<v Speaker 1>repeated assurances from the Ministry of Railways that these issues

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<v Speaker 1>would be addressed.

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<v Speaker 2>One of the main reasons for this problem of not

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<v Speaker 2>having even basic ammenities at the railway station is less

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<v Speaker 2>monitoring of these services. So I mean railways have system

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<v Speaker 2>in place. There is zonal level committee which is called

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<v Speaker 2>Zonal Railway User Consultative Council and another is Divisional Railway

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<v Speaker 2>User Consultative Consoles. So these committees they have this power

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<v Speaker 2>of monitoring all of these facilities and they are responsible

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<v Speaker 2>to ensure that every station should have at least complete

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<v Speaker 2>basic facilities and both committees zonal and divisional levels they

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<v Speaker 2>are required to meet at least three times in a year.

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<v Speaker 2>But CAG have found that none of the division, that

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<v Speaker 2>none of the zone and none of the division met

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<v Speaker 2>you know met as per the prescribed periodicity that means

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<v Speaker 2>three times in a year. So since the committees are

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<v Speaker 2>not meeting on time, all the works related to passenger

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<v Speaker 2>amenities are not being reviewed or not being properly monitored.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know that is why there are a number

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<v Speaker 2>of places like CAC said that they're not just eleven

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<v Speaker 2>percent of the station have complete facility. So this is

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<v Speaker 2>one of the main reasons that you know, monitoring is

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<v Speaker 2>not being done on time. And the CAG report also

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<v Speaker 2>shows that the budget which was earmarked for the customer

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<v Speaker 2>amenities were underutilized during these period of twenty nineteen twenty

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<v Speaker 2>to twenty three, twenty four. So the underutilization ranged between

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<v Speaker 2>thirty six percent to fourteen percent during the period. And

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<v Speaker 2>also it requires answers from the railways that why are

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<v Speaker 2>they not expanding the budget allocated for the customer amenities.

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<v Speaker 2>One reason for this period could be for some years

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<v Speaker 2>could be a COVID pandemic, because there were two years

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<v Speaker 2>between this period which was there was a heavy tool

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<v Speaker 2>because of COVID pandemic. But what happened during the other years.

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<v Speaker 2>So these are the key things that railway have to answer.

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<v Speaker 1>Indeed, it says that after the report was stabled in Parliament,

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<v Speaker 1>the government swung into action and Union Railways Minister Ashwiniweshno

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<v Speaker 1>directed the ministry to take corrective measures including installing a

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<v Speaker 1>new tank to tap water filtration system at around twenty

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<v Speaker 1>thousand locations.

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<v Speaker 2>So now this filtration system tank to tap, meaning it

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<v Speaker 2>will monitor the water cleanness from the tank and to

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<v Speaker 2>the tap from where passengers fill water. And also now

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<v Speaker 2>the railwayboat has decided to monitor the water level quality

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<v Speaker 2>at the board level in Delhi. So they have said

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<v Speaker 2>that you know, there will be a scheduled cleaning and

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<v Speaker 2>maintenance of a storage tank now and the progress and

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<v Speaker 2>water quality report will be published periodically so that people

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<v Speaker 2>also can see it and the whole thing will be

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<v Speaker 2>monitored at the railway board level. So now the railway

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<v Speaker 2>is essentially saying that every station of the country, the

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<v Speaker 2>water quality of it will be monitored at the central

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<v Speaker 2>level in Delhi. But the timeline is not yet sure

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<v Speaker 2>that when they will do it. But the water filtration

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<v Speaker 2>system has been ordered for twenty thousand locations at different

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<v Speaker 2>railway stations.

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<v Speaker 1>And next we talk about the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, one

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<v Speaker 1>of India's most ambitious urban renewal exercises involving not only

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<v Speaker 1>rebuilding Dharave itself, but also finding alternative land to rehabilitate

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<v Speaker 1>residents who will not receive freehousing at the original site.

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<v Speaker 1>And so a section of Tarave residents who are not

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<v Speaker 1>eligible for freehousing within Tharave are supposed to be relocated

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<v Speaker 1>to theonar On land that is currently part of Mumbai's

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<v Speaker 1>oldest and largest landfill. But before any homes can be

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<v Speaker 1>built there, a portion of this landfill has to be cleared,

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<v Speaker 1>treated and certified safe and that work has not even begun.

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<v Speaker 1>So to understand why has the deunor cleanup been delayed

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<v Speaker 1>and what does this mean for the larger Dharavi Redevelopment project,

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<v Speaker 1>my colleague H speaks to the Indian Expresses Pratipachar, who

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<v Speaker 1>covers the city for the paper.

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<v Speaker 4>They understand that the original deadline for the cleanup of

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<v Speaker 4>the landfill was January this year, so why are we

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<v Speaker 4>more than six months past that deadline and yet the

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<v Speaker 4>actual remediation work hasn't even begun.

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<v Speaker 5>So last year we did an investigation saying that how

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<v Speaker 5>the decision of you know, relocating the citizens to active

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<v Speaker 5>landfill was against the stipulated norms of the Central Pollution

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<v Speaker 5>Control Board of India and it also contradicts the set

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<v Speaker 5>environment rules that are the established government environmental rules sed

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<v Speaker 5>by the Government of India. In the investigation, we had

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<v Speaker 5>also flagged that the administration, the state government and all

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<v Speaker 5>the parties that were involved, they did not carry out

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<v Speaker 5>any environment impact assessment before allocating this land for housing project.

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<v Speaker 5>So after the investigation came out, the government put out

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<v Speaker 5>at tender, the BMC put out at tender saying that

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<v Speaker 5>the way that is being piled up on those lands

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<v Speaker 5>will be cleaned up through a scientific process called bioremediation,

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<v Speaker 5>and the BMC had set up a three year deadline

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<v Speaker 5>for completing this cleanup task of bio remedation.

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<v Speaker 3>After that this housing tenements were to be built over it.

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<v Speaker 4>And your recent investigation highlights how five of the seven

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<v Speaker 4>clearances are still pending and several crucial applications weren't even

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<v Speaker 4>made until months later. So why this delay?

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<v Speaker 5>Yeah, So, basically, like I said that the BMC had

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<v Speaker 5>set up a three year deadline for cleaning that land,

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<v Speaker 5>and in the tender document they had also mandated that

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<v Speaker 5>all the government permissions that are required for cleaning up

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<v Speaker 5>that land should be acquired within a six month period

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<v Speaker 5>from the date of issuance of war order. So technically

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<v Speaker 5>that six month deadline was supposed to get over in

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<v Speaker 5>January this year, they were supposed to acquire all the permissions.

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<v Speaker 3>However, the MS records show that only like most of the.

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<v Speaker 5>Applications were filed after the January deadline got like, only

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<v Speaker 5>one application was applied before the initian deadlanded, which was

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<v Speaker 5>the Consent to establish the Permission for City Consent to

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<v Speaker 5>establish certificate that was supposed to be filed with the

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<v Speaker 5>State Pollution Control.

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<v Speaker 4>Board and to THEE. Interestingly, when you spoke to the contractor,

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<v Speaker 4>they said that initially they believed environmental clearance wouldn't be

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<v Speaker 4>necessary at all because landfill reclamation is itself environmentally friendly.

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<v Speaker 4>So how do we read that.

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<v Speaker 5>Yeah, while speaking with us, the incl which is the

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<v Speaker 5>contract that they had told us that we didn't know

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<v Speaker 5>these many permissions would be requiring.

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<v Speaker 3>They were saying that only them, which.

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<v Speaker 5>Is the Marashtra Coastal Zone and Management Authority, they had

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<v Speaker 5>told them that you will need from the Mangrove Cell

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<v Speaker 5>of the state government. You will need a Wildlife and

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<v Speaker 5>Forest NOC since that places an eco sensitive zone, and

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<v Speaker 5>as well as you need a clearance from the Ministry

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<v Speaker 5>of Environment, Forest and Climate Church which is THEFCC of

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<v Speaker 5>the Union and Ministry. As well as you need a

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<v Speaker 5>legal clearance of the Bombay HICO because so this whole

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<v Speaker 5>process is located and the eastern fringe of Mumbai just

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<v Speaker 5>adjoining a water body which is a thanic creek and

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<v Speaker 5>that is a like buffer zone for flamingos. So for that,

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<v Speaker 5>so this many environment permissions you have to have in

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<v Speaker 5>your place before you start the work in general, so

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<v Speaker 5>this is where the administration I wouldn't say it was

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<v Speaker 5>a miscommunication.

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<v Speaker 3>I would say like they were not aware about it.

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<v Speaker 5>They did not know that the many rules were required,

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<v Speaker 5>because I feel the process of floating the data was

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<v Speaker 5>a little bit happherzart Riton.

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<v Speaker 4>Given that Donar is an environmentally sensitive site, talk about

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<v Speaker 4>how difficult is it to clean it up.

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<v Speaker 5>So the area which needs to be cleaned up or

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<v Speaker 5>bio remediated is sprayed across one hundred and twenty four

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<v Speaker 5>acres and it is a huge land person in the

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<v Speaker 5>instance above the Mumbai and this place accounts to around

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<v Speaker 5>almost nearly two crore one point eight five four metric

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<v Speaker 5>tons of legacy waste, which is ninety nine years of

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<v Speaker 5>legacy west that has been lying there, and the BMC

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<v Speaker 5>had set up a three year deadline to clean it up,

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<v Speaker 5>which is very ambitious because this process of bioremediation can

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<v Speaker 5>only be carried out on drcism, which means that when

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<v Speaker 5>there is no rail now.

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<v Speaker 4>Bioremediation is an eco friendly process that essentially uses living

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<v Speaker 4>organisms mainly bacteria, fungi, plants to clean up polluted environments.

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<v Speaker 5>But in Mumbai you have already four months of rainfall,

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<v Speaker 5>so out of the thirty six months which is three years,

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<v Speaker 5>you have twelve months are already gone in rainfall.

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<v Speaker 3>Like for those twelve months you cannot do anything.

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<v Speaker 5>So you have only twenty four months or which equals

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<v Speaker 5>to two years in your hand. So in those two

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<v Speaker 5>years you are supposed to, you know, take away that

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<v Speaker 5>west and process it and again.

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<v Speaker 3>Clean that landfill and give it back.

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<v Speaker 5>So this was a very ambitious target and initially the

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<v Speaker 5>BMC had set up a three year deadline.

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<v Speaker 3>But however they had taken. It seems that it's been

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<v Speaker 3>almost a year and they are year two.

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<v Speaker 5>I mean start the construction, because I remember the tender

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<v Speaker 5>was floated in June last year and we're in August

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<v Speaker 5>right now, and till date they have received only two

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<v Speaker 5>of the seven permissions that were required.

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<v Speaker 3>Five are still painting.

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<v Speaker 4>And so what have the authorities said, like, where do

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<v Speaker 4>they place the responsibility in this delay?

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<v Speaker 5>So the authorities have clearly said that they did not

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<v Speaker 5>know about it, and the process of clearing through all

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<v Speaker 5>this legal ramifications would take a lot of time.

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<v Speaker 3>That's what they are maintaining. That is the standard they

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<v Speaker 3>are maintaining.

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<v Speaker 4>And to deep say, even if these clearances come through

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<v Speaker 4>and the waste is successfully cleared, can this land serve

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<v Speaker 4>as a habitable site for thousands of people to live on?

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<v Speaker 3>So there are multiple aspects to it.

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<v Speaker 5>So there are the CPCB rules, and the CPCB rules

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<v Speaker 5>have certain things. Because the CPCP rules clearly states that

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<v Speaker 5>you cannot build a house or a see construction of

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<v Speaker 5>housing units or hospital schools, any place that involves human

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<v Speaker 5>interaction or human involvement in that place could not be

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<v Speaker 5>built in a closed landfill. And there is a time

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<v Speaker 5>period that has been given, like you have to keep

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<v Speaker 5>that place shut for at least five to fifteen years.

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<v Speaker 5>After that you have to carry out environment impact assessment.

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<v Speaker 5>And if you see that there are legged which is

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<v Speaker 5>like a chemical that spews from you know, accumulated waste,

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<v Speaker 5>these things are there, then you have to again shut

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<v Speaker 5>it down for five years, and then again you have

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<v Speaker 5>to open it and then have to again carry out

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<v Speaker 5>a baseline study. You have to carry out your groundwater study,

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<v Speaker 5>you will carry the study of the soil components. And

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<v Speaker 5>only after all these studies and all these places pick

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<v Speaker 5>their boxes, then only you can build housing tenements over there.

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<v Speaker 5>So it's a very long process of you know, securing

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<v Speaker 5>environment permissions, securing clearances.

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<v Speaker 4>Right and as you mentioned that twenty twenty nine deadline

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<v Speaker 4>seems highly unrealistic. So what about the families who will

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<v Speaker 4>be displaced? What happens to them?

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<v Speaker 5>Meanwhile, So the taharavid De government project has a seven

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<v Speaker 5>year deadline from the day the master plan was released.

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<v Speaker 3>The master plan was released last year, so which.

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<v Speaker 5>Is the deadline for the derivative project for all the

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<v Speaker 5>houses to come up is twenty thirty two.

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<v Speaker 3>So they have set a twenty twenty nine deadline.

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<v Speaker 5>So unless and until that place can be cleaned up,

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<v Speaker 5>they can't start the.

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<v Speaker 3>Construction of houses. And unless and until they start the

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<v Speaker 3>construction of houses, the.

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<v Speaker 5>People who are already living in the Hrave Islam they

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<v Speaker 5>can't be evicted, but they can't be relocated. So which

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<v Speaker 5>means that this whole clean up process is going to

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<v Speaker 5>delay the entire Dharavi redevelopment project in our way.

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<v Speaker 1>And in the end we talk about the Supreme Court

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<v Speaker 1>reconsidering the controversial University Grants Commission or UGC regulations aimed

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<v Speaker 1>at preventing cost discrimination in higher education institutions. These are

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<v Speaker 1>rules that have put the government in a politically difficult

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<v Speaker 1>position by drawing objections from both upper cost groups and

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<v Speaker 1>sections of balet and OBC communities. The Internet Expresses Ananta

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<v Speaker 1>Krishnaji and deep Taiwantivari report that the controversy centers on

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<v Speaker 1>Regulation three one C, which defines cast based discrimination as

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<v Speaker 1>discrimination on the basis of caste or tribe against members

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<v Speaker 1>of scheduled casts, scheduled tribes or other backward classes. Petitioners

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<v Speaker 1>have argued that this excludes students and faculty from the

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<v Speaker 1>general category from specific protection against cast based discrimination. At

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<v Speaker 1>the same time, the broader definition of discrimination covers unfair

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<v Speaker 1>or differential treatment on the ground of caste against any stakeholder.

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<v Speaker 1>The issue acquired a political dimension, particularly with the Uttar

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<v Speaker 1>Pradesh elections next year. The rules initially triggered protests among

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<v Speaker 1>sections of the upper castes, who argued that the explicit

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<v Speaker 1>reference to SC's sds and obsses amounted to exclusion of

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<v Speaker 1>general category students. But after the Supreme Court stayed the

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<v Speaker 1>regulations and revived the twenty twelve framework, there was concern

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<v Speaker 1>within the RSS and BGP ecosystem that the issue would

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<v Speaker 1>also generate disquiet among Dalet communities, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

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<v Speaker 1>Its impact was recently also felt in bunky Per Assembly

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<v Speaker 1>bipoles in Bihar, where the uppercast dissatisfaction over the UGC

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<v Speaker 1>issue was seen. Among key reasons for bgp's laws. The

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<v Speaker 1>BGP has been seeking to consolidate support among Dalits while

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<v Speaker 1>retaining its traditional uppercast support base. The UGC controversy therefore,

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<v Speaker 1>has created an unusual situation in which objections to the

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<v Speaker 1>same set of regulations are emerging from opposite ends of

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<v Speaker 1>the cast spectrum. Also, the Bench had orally observed that

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<v Speaker 1>the government must constitute a committee of eminent jurists to

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<v Speaker 1>look into the issue. The court said there might be

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<v Speaker 1>instances of economically well of students within a cast harassing

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<v Speaker 1>others within the same cast and sought to know how

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<v Speaker 1>the regulations addressed such a scenario. The CGI had mentioned

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<v Speaker 1>that this kind of situation can be exploited by the

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<v Speaker 1>mischievous elements in the society. Another Krishna and Deepiman report

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<v Speaker 1>that the regulations stem from a twenty nineteen petition filed

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<v Speaker 1>in the Supreme Court by mothers of Pyle Karve and Rohitwamula,

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<v Speaker 1>who died by suicide over alleged cast based discrimination. In

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<v Speaker 1>twenty nineteen and twenty sixteen. They had sought the enforcement

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<v Speaker 1>of robust anti discrimination mechanisms across higher education institutions. You

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<v Speaker 1>were listening to Three Things by the Indian Express. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>episode was edited and mixed by Surish Babar and produced

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<v Speaker 1>by Ichas Sharma and me Niharikananda. If you like the show,

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<v Speaker 1>then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

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<v Speaker 1>we'll like it, share it with a friend or someone

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<v Speaker 1>get to know about us. You can also tweet us

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<v Speaker 1>at Express podcast and write to us at podcasts at

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<v Speaker 1>Indianexpress dot com
