Mumbai: One of the city’s oldest philanthropic landmarks—the Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia fountain and clock tower in Fort—is nearing completion of its fresh phase of preventive restoration, nearly a decade after a major effort saved it from collapse.It is believed to be the city’s only structure combining a clock tower with a drinking water trough, designed to cater to residents and travellers before piped water systems became widespread. It was built in 1880 and erected in 1882 as a commemorative fountain to honour Bomonjee Hormarjee Wadia, a prominent philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city. It predates CSMT, formerly known as Victoria terminus, which was constructed between 1878 and 1887. Kala Ghoda Association (KGA), which adopted the heritage structure under an MoU with BMC, has initiated the second phase of work —this time focused on routine upkeep and preventive conservation. “When we first took up its restoration in 2016, it was about saving it,” said KGA chairperson Brinda Miller. “This phase is about ensuring it ages gracefully. Mumbai’s climate is harsh on exposed stone. So, maintenance must be cyclical.” Miller said the project has been funded by Rustomjee Group. Its CMD, Boman Irani, said, “This city has been built by communities that consistently gave back, and this structure reflects that legacy of altruism. Such cultural heritage must be preserved, and regular maintenance is key to ensuring its longevity. Since one of its offices is located in the area, the effort feels even more personal—we are proud to support the preventive conservation of a landmark that defines this neighbourhood.” Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, who was part of the 2016 restoration efforts too, said the tower then was in an alarming state of decay. “A banyan tree had taken root in its upper portions. Encroachments clustered around the structure, the drainage system was choked with mud, and several of the carved elements were dislodged or hidden. BMC had even declared the structure dangerous.” Dilawari said they undertook a “major surgery” then: inserting an RCC retaining wall within the original stone shell to stabilise it, restoring the flame finial without dismantling it, repairing stone carvings, and reviving the original water troughs found buried under layers of sediment. This effort earned the project a Unesco Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2017. While the inner chamber of the fountain remains closed for security reasons, both KGA and Dilawari said plans are underway to organise guided heritage walks once the phase 2 work concludes. The annual upkeep of the clock mechanism continues, ensuring the tower still performs one half of its original function. Expected to be completed over the next few days, the current restoration aims to set a benchmark for how smaller but culturally significant heritage structures can be protected, said Dilawari. “Preventive care every few years is the only way to ensure such gems don’t fall into neglect again.”

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

NEW DELHI: Bedridden for years, forced to undergo two major surgeries, and even warned by doctors that continuing cricket could leave him paralysed — most cricketers might have walked away and chosen another path. But Abhishek Reddy remained determined to chase his cricketing dreams. Even while lying on a hospital bed, he kept drawing strength from a poster of the great Sachin Tendulkar that read: “Chase your dreams, they do come true.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Until recently, hardly anyone knew his story. That changed when the Andhra Pradesh opener smashed a double century (247) in the Ranji Trophy against Jharkhand, powering his team to an innings victory in Jamshedpur and announcing his arrival in style.

Reddy began his domestic career with Karnataka in 2015, marking his first-class debut with a composed half-century. But soon after, injuries struck — not once, but twice — threatening to end his career before it truly began.Now, after years of pain and patience, he is back on his feet — standing tall at the crease once again, stroking his trademark cover drives, and reclaiming the cricketing dream he refused to give up on.“I was just 20 when I made my debut. The flamboyance was there. I was young and there was a lot more fire in me. But the two surgeries broke me badly. I am really happy to be back where I always wanted to be,” Reddy told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“I remember getting selected for Karnataka in 2015 and then playing for them and scoring runs. It was a star-studded team with Robin Uthappa, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Vinay Kumar and many more senior players. It was difficult to make a place of my own, but I managed to do that with my batting. But everything changed in just one year when I underwent surgery in 2016,” he said.

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

“The injury happened in 2016. The outfield was wet and soggy, and while fielding, my leg got stuck and I suffered a knee tear and a muscle tear. The second time it happened was in 2023 when I was taking a second run, and again my same foot got stuck in the same spot. I had to undergo surgery again. ACL injuries take months to heal and recover. Those were the years when thoughts of giving up cricket crossed my mind, but I didn’t let those thoughts dominate my dreams,” Reddy said.“Abhimanyu Mithun — my teammate and my friend — was one of the people who helped me during that tough period. I spoke to him a lot while I was injured. He helped me with the mental side of the game,” he said.Reddy was part of the Karnataka Ranji Trophy squad that lifted the title in the 2014–15 season. He represented Karnataka for a few years before eventually moving to Andhra Pradesh, his hometown.Even after his first surgery, the hunger to play and excel never faded. He continued dominating domestic tournaments and earned a place at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in the U-23 setup based on his performances in the C.K. Nayudu Trophy (U-23) — one of India’s most prestigious domestic tournaments for emerging players — during the 2014–15 season. In that tournament, he scored four consecutive centuries: 174 against Tamil Nadu, 116 against Delhi, 115 against Mumbai and 103 against Rajasthan — a streak that firmly established his reputation as a prolific young batter.

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

He has featured in 25 first-class matches so far, scoring 1,511 runs. And at 31, he firmly believes there is still plenty of fire left in him to keep chasing — and living — his cricketing dreams. As he puts it, ‘Abhishek Reddy isn’t done yet.’“My mom is from Andhra, and I played all my junior cricket in Karnataka. My father belongs to Karnatakal. Karnataka gave me the foundation, the platform, and the identity I have today. It was my parents’ dream to see me become a cricketer, and I worshipped this game — and I still do. Andhra cricket supported me a lot. They supported me in my tough times. I will always be grateful to them. They trusted my abilities,” he said.“When I made my debut, I was around 20. Things would have been very different today if the injuries hadn’t happened. I am 31 now, and I am happy with where I am. I am still the same flamboyant Abhishek Reddy. I am not done yet,” he added.

You don’t have permission to access “http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjp-leader-dilip-kumar-shot-at-in-broad-daylight-in-bihar-police-launch-probe-9719070” on this server.

Reference #18.c7f5d217.1764376627.6518f209

https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.c7f5d217.1764376627.6518f209

Chennai: Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) is gearing up for its sharpest turn yet—a dramatic 413-m sweep over Kathipara that promises commuters a joyride along with a bird’s eye view of the cityscape. This will become a reality when Corridor 5, connecting Madhavaram with Sholinganallur in Phase II, becomes operational.The trains will take the sharpest turn over the Kathipara flyover above the existing Phase I corridors to join Alandur metro station, while descending from a height of 33m to 27m a speed of 35kmph, thanks to the balanced cantilever structure under construction.The curvy viaduct with a 125-m radius from Butt Road to Alandur metro station, with a total length of 413 metres, is making steady progress. Two cantilever arms between two pillars are about to be linked. The Kathipara balanced cantilever consists of five spans with lengths of 58m, 100m, 100m, 95 metres, and 60m. Currently, the 100-m span between pillar 411 and 412 is nearly complete.

“The remaining 3-m gap between arms will be linked using concrete and will be cast with the help of hanging shutters without any ground support,” said CMRL project director T Archunan.Each cantilever arm consists of 10 segments, which are being laid one after another using four form traveller equipment at each pier location. High-tension strands will be placed inside the segment and stressed to connect and stabilize the extending cantilever arms. After the linking of the arms, second-stage stressing will be carried out using high-tension strands. The entire structure will be completed by Feb, said the official. Since the curve starts from the tallest pillar of CMRL and descends towards Alandur station, it is expected to give a unique experience. CMRL has already constructed a balanced cantilever in the same spot in Phase I. However, it was not noticed since it was not a big curve like the one in Corridor 5.

In a surprising turn of events at the WPL 2026 mega auction on Thursday (November 27), Australia’s World Cup-winning captain Alyssa Healy went unsold, despite entering the pool at a modest base price of ₹50 lakh.

As the first marquee player called, Healy drew no bids from any of the five franchises, and her name did not reappear in the accelerated round – an outcome that shocked fans across the cricket world.

Healy, one of the most decorated wicketkeeper-batters in the modern game, has scored 428 runs in 17 WPL matches at a strike rate of 130.48. Her recent performances in the Women’s Big Bash League (BBL) also suggest that she still has the firepower to contribute at the highest level.

Here’s why Alyssa Healy went unsold in the 2026 WPL mega auction

According to WPL regulations, franchises can field only four overseas players in the playing XI, a rule that significantly shapes auction dynamics. Teams across the board prioritized multi-skilled all-rounders over specialist keeper-batters – a category where Healy largely fits.

UP Warriorz assistant coach Abhishek Nayar explained that franchises leaned heavily toward players who could influence multiple phases of the game – batting, bowling, and fielding – to extract maximum value from limited overseas slots. With top-order overseas spots mostly locked due to pre-auction retentions, Healy’s role didn’t align with the balance teams were seeking.

Another major factor was Healy’s injury-hit 2025 season, during which she missed the entire WPL due to a foot injury. Although she returned with back-to-back ODI centuries against India and Bangladesh, concerns lingered about her reliability, especially at age 35.

Her release by the UP Warriorz, who had signed her for ₹70 lakh in 2023, further indicated a shift toward building younger, fitter, and more adaptable squads. Some franchises were also reportedly wary of her inconsistent WBBL rhythm over the past year, prompting hesitation in committing big money to a specialist top-order batter without bowling utility.

Team management across franchises openly acknowledged that Healy’s omission was strategic rather than performance-related. Anya Shrubsole, part of RCB’s coaching group, noted that their lineup had “no available space in the top five,” given their strong bench already featuring new recruit Georgia Voll.

The UP Warriorz, who were expected to chase a familiar face, instead focused on new leadership options, signing Meg Lanning for ₹1.9 crore and investing in rising talent like Phoebe Litchfield. With overseas slots quickly filling up, Healy did not reappear in the accelerated round – a clear indication of her mismatch with franchise strategies this year.

Also, uncertainty over Healy’s fitness meant no team was willing to bid for her, especially with the new WPL rule stating that no injury replacements will be permitted if a player withdraws before the start of the 2026 season.

Also READ: WPL 2026 Mega Auction – Complete list of unsold players

Evolving T20 trends highlight all-round value in WPL over player’s reputation

The top buys of the auction – Deepti Sharma (₹3.2 crore), Amelia Kerr (₹3 crore) and Shikha Pandey (₹2.4 crore) – highlighted the evolving nature of T20 cricket, where all-rounders and dual-skill players dominate auctions, especially in leagues with limited overseas quotas.

While Healy boasts a stellar T20I record of 3,054 runs at a strike rate of 129.79, reputation alone was not enough in a purse-constrained environment. She joins other experienced players like Heather Knight, Alana King and Tazmin Brits who also went unsold, underscoring a broader franchise mindset focused on long-term rebuilding and roster versatility.

Also READ: WPL 2026 Auction – Complete squads of all 5 teams

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

MUMBAI: No major Indian city has “good” air quality. A 10-year assessment of air pollution across major urban centres has found that none of the country’s top cities met safe Air Quality Index (AQI) levels at any point between 2015 and Nov 2025.The report, prepared by Climate Trends, an environmental research firm, analysed long-term pollution patterns across 11 major cities. Delhi remained India’s most polluted city throughout the period of study, with average AQI levels peaking above 250 in 2016 and hovering around 180 this year.

Despite marginal dips after 2019, the national capital never approached healthy air-quality thresholds. Vehicular emissions, industrial pollution and crop burning were major contributors, compounded by the region’s geographical constraints. Cities such as Lucknow, Varanasi and Ahmedabad which recorded persistently high average AQI values — often above 200— in first half of the decade, showed some improvement in the second half. While southern and western cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Bengaluru recorded relatively moderate AQI levels, even they did not meet safe thresholds. Bengaluru posted lowest AQI readings in the country — between 65 and 90 — still too high for “good” category.AQI is based on the concentration of toxic particulate matter, PM2.5 or PM10, in the air, whichever is higher.Geography plays a significant role in prolonging pollution episodes, especially across the northern plains. “With cold north-westerly winds sweeping into the plains, minimum temperatures are set to drop further — making it even harder for pollutants to disperse,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president at Skymet Weather. He added that this year’s weak western disturbances — extratropical storms that bring winter rain and snow to northwestern India — were inadequate and failed to trigger widespread rainfall. “Without rain to wash pollutants out of the atmosphere, the pollution lingers for longer periods, leading to early and persistent smog-like conditions,” said Palawat.During the cold winters of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the phenomenon of “temperature inversion” — which limits vertical air movement — effectively traps pollution in the lower layers of the atmosphere. Dense city structures and tall buildings further slow wind speeds, exacerbating stagnation. Experts stressed the need for better planning and data-driven interventions. “Technology can help address many local pollution sources within your own airshed, but this requires reliable data,” said Prof S N Tripathi of IIT-Kanpur. Palak Balyan, research lead at Climate Trends said, “What India needs is sustained, long-term, science-based policy reform backed by genuine political will to take tough decisions.“