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Heavy rains batter Maharashtra hill stations
Mumbai, July 16 (IANS) After Mumbai and coastal districts, some of the most popular hill stations of Maharashtra were battered by heavy rains with Mahabaleshwar leading the list, according to the IMD here on Monday.
Mahabaleshwar was pounded by a staggering 300 mm, followed by Lonavala-Khandala twin hill stations in Pune which recorded 290 mm.
Next on the list was the state’s tiniest hillstion, Matheran in Raigad which notched 260 mm, Igatpuri in Nashik recording 220 mm, and Palghar’s prime resorts like Talasari, Mokhada and Jawhar getting 230mm, 200mm and 190 mm respectively.
Usually, July-September are peak monsoon tourism seasons for these hillsations where thousands of tourists from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur and other parts of India flock to enjoy the rainy and cloudy weather on the hilltops and valleys.
Besides being the source for many of the big and small perennial rivers in the states, these hills are the hot favourites of honeymooners, hikers and trekkers, who throng there all round the year with monsoon being a top favourite season.
Mumbai and coastal districts like Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg continued to experience intermittent rains on Monday, but there was no dislocation of any essential road-rail services.
However, massive traffic jams were witnessed in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other places in the morning and evening peak hours with vehicles crawling in view of the potholes that dot the main roads and even the highways.
Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam has launched an agitation last week against potholes with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists also protesting in different parts on Monday since bad roads have claimed at least seven lives last week in the state.
Meanwhile, the situation in Palghar and parts of Thane, which were thrashed by heavy rains for most part of last week, has almost normalized.
The IMD has foreast more rains punctuated by very heavy spells in Mumbai over the next two days with temperatures ranging at a pleasant 24-29 degrees Celsius.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.