As swine flu numbers went up to 267 last week in the city , figures show that the majority of the victims of the H1N1 virus are children, elderly citizens and pregnant women.

On August 4 alone, 17 positive cases were recorded and nearly 30 per cent of the patients were below 10 years. Records maintained by the BMC indicate that close to 22 per cent of the total number of cases detected are those of below 12 years and another 8 per cent are of above 60 years. Experts attribute this trend to the compromised immunity seen in such patients, particularly children.

The controversial Adarsh housing society building did not have a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from either the state or central government, a former environment ministry official told the

The failure of the city’s two important dumping grounds to handle garbage efficiently has forced the civic administration to approach the steel conglomerate Jindal Group to set up a waste-to-energy plant.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approached Jindal Ecopolis — a subsidiary of steel major Jindal SAW Ltd — to set up a waste incineration plant at one of its three dumping grounds. The civic administration is planning to approach the Asian Development Bank to fund the project.

Despite the civic administration’s assurances that the garbage collection crisis in the city has been nearly resolved, the central government mandate to adopt the Euro IV vehicle emission norms could upset the civic body’s plans.

Sources said the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ decision on implementing the Bharat Stage IV (Euro IV) emission norms in 13 major cities since April 2010 has put the brakes on important acquisitions by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s solid waste management department.

H1N1 claiming a life in Mumbai and two in Navi Mumbai over the past week, the respective civic bodies are now taking measures to ensure the situation does not turn worse.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s tree committee on Friday approved a proposal to cut 481 trees in Goregaon (East) to make way for the construction of a single residential project.

In 2011, the committee had permitted cutting 278 trees in the same plot being developed by Kingston Properties Pvt Limited, known as Oberoi Realty Pvt Limited since 2009. Of the 481 trees, only 194 can be replanted. The decision has, however, been severely criticised by corporators and environmentalists.

Within nine months of inviting proposals for building the much-delayed Sewri-Nhava Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), the city’s development authority has hiked the project cost by Rs 830 crore to Rs 9,630 crore.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) invited requests for qualification for the project in November last year and had pegged the cost at Rs 8,800 crore. It is now in the process of inviting final technical and financial bids from the shortlisted consortia to implement the project on a public private partnership model.

In a boost to the much-delayed Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), the city’s development authority has nearly finalised a deal with the forest department to utilise land covered under mangroves for the Sewri-Nhava link. This accounts for more than 33 per cent of the total land requirement for the project.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) needs around 125 hectares for the project, which has been talked about for over three decades now. Of the 125 hectares, 42 hectares are covered under mangroves.

The Bombay High Court is on Monday likely to hear five petitions challenging the state government’s ban on the sale of gutkha.

Gutkha and paan masala manufacturers have urged the court to set aside the government’s July 19 notification and two regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, under which the ban was brought into effect. Dhariwal Industries Private Limited, Ghodavat Paan Masala Products, Rajnandini Foods Private Limited, SDD Agencies Private Limited and Hira Enterprises have petitioned the court.

The BMC on Thursday said media reports claiming a sharp rise in the incidence of sensitive diseases may have caused alarm.