Thursday, 31 July 2025
Thursday, 31 July 2025
Heads turn over bridge’s 90-degree turn
There’s usually a fine line between development and jugaad. But not always in India. Take for example Bhopal’s newly constructed Aishbagh Overbridge, which has the potential to leave motorists confused, thanks to an unusual 90-degree turn.
Costing Rs 18 crore and measuring 648 metres in length and 8.5 metres in width, the bridge was supposed to ease traffic between Mahamai Ka Bagh, Pushpa Nagar and New Bhopal.
But it seems like there’s more confusion than a solution. Because right after the ascent, motorists are greeted by an L-shaped crossing which has no warning signs or indicators.
“This is a very dangerous bridge,” says Nida Khan, a local resident. “The turns are sharp, and it becomes even riskier at night. With heavy two-way traffic and blind curves, accidents are just waiting to happen.”
Locals now call it a “statue of confusion.” Some are even asking if the design was inspired by Mario Kart.
Experts aren’t amused either. “According to civil engineering standards, either the turning radius is wrong, or the mistake lies in the Detailed Project Report,” said town and country planner Suyash Kulshreshtha. “This could become an accident-prone zone. Mirrors must be installed, and vehicle speed must be strictly controlled.”
But not everyone agrees there’s a problem.
“Suddenly, after the bridge is built, some experts appear and raise doubts,” said public works minister Rakesh Singh. “Every bridge is cleared only after technical assessments. If there are allegations, we will investigate.”
Some well-informed politicians jumped in.
“How did the department (PWD) accept this kind of design... The government should wake up and punish the people who created such a design with the public's hard-earned money. The government should wake up before the bridge becomes a death ground,” said Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari.
Local MLA and minister Vishwas Sarang, who has more bridge selfies than construction blueprints, said, “I have visited the site many times.”
The bridge was supposed to be ready in 18 months. It’s taken over 36. Blame shifting of electric lines, land availability, Metro wala issue — basically, everything except the 90-degree turn.
“Due to the Metro station, there is limited availability of land at the point. Due to the lack of land, there was no other option. The purpose of the RoB is to connect the two colonies,” explained chief engineer VD Verma, hinting that geometry bowed before geography.
Intended to help around three lakh commuters daily, the bridge is now more sought after on WhatsApp than on Google Maps.
For now, the only driving tip for first-timers: Seedha jao, phir achanak se moad lo, aur bhagwan ka naam lo.
Royal exit for Royal Enfield
Spending money on a new bike is fine. But spending three times the amount for only shipping it from point A to point B makes little sense.
A Punjabi family decided that their beloved Royal Enfield (along with a prized sofa) deserved a first-class ticket from India to their new home in England. They shelled out as much as ₹4.6 lakh on the transfer. The grand arrival of this precious shipment in Wolverhampton has now gone viral on TikTok, once again proving that it’s not about the destination, but how you travel.
The TikTok video, later shared by Instagram handle ‘ub1ub2’, shows a black Royal Enfield Bullet with a Punjab license plate being taken out of a container. In the clip, a turbaned man can be seen sitting on the bike. Interestingly, the shipment wasn’t limited to just the motorcycle, the video also reveals an array of household furniture, including a dining table, a sofa set, wing chairs and beds, all packed into the same container.
TikTok user Rajguru said he and his family are permanently shifting to the UK. He further added that the shipment took 40 days to travel from India to England.
“Everything arrived safely,” he wrote in the comment section.
Tree ‘leaks water’, people turn spiritual
In Pune, a few drops of water seeping mysteriously from a tree trunk was enough for people to switch their spiritual side on.
People thought there was divine intervention.
Within hours, the tree received a full VIP puja treatment with garlands and vermilions.
A viral video shows people at the city’s Sahara Society staring at the tree in awe, whispering sweet nothings to the tree, probably asking it to cure everything from knee pain to EMI burdens.
But the bubble did burst.
Responding to citizen alerts and possibly a few sarcastic tweets, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation showed up and found a busted underground water pipeline.
Social media exploded with reactions.
"India 2025: Where trees and pipelines are divine," one user wrote.
Another added, "Bro, my kitchen tap has been leaking since March — can I start charging for holy water?"
A third offered a business plan: "Install tree-shaped water coolers across cities. Call it ‘Aashirvaad Aqua’.”
But amid the laughs came the existential dread.
“How can we progress as a nation if we keep falling for this?” someone sighed.
Chai pe charcha turns violent
Some people forgive. Some forget. And then there are our men from Malom, Kerala.
Last Monday, near the Janagram Hotel—where old men come to drink tea, swap gossip, two childhood friends decided enough was enough. The Class 4 fight of 1974 had been haunting them, and justice was overdue.
So, like any well-meaning pensioners with grievances, our duo allegedly pounced on their third classmate — let’s call him "the target" and settled the score with a stone. Dental history was rewritten. Two teeth: gone.
According to police, the accused identified as Malothu Balakrishnan and Mathew Valiyaplackkal were once cheerful boys at Natakkallu Aided School. But schoolyard bruises run deep in Kerala’s Kasaragod district.
The trio had farmed side by side for years, even smiled through shared harvests. But one mention of “what you did in Class 4” outside the hotel, and boom…childhood trauma turned WWE.
“Mathew hit me with a stone while Balakrishnan held me down,” the victim told police. The officer in charge added helpfully, “If the teeth were actually broken, this could be non-bailable.” Medical reports are pending, so is everyone’s faith in humanity.
There may have been alcohol involved, sources say. Also, a possible out-of-court settlement is brewing: Rs 1.5 lakh for the pain and new dentures.
Police have booked the duo under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including the one that probably translates to “seriously, guys?”
Turns out some childhood scars don’t fade. They just wait. Near tea stalls. With stones.
Woman loses Insta followers, husband blamed
In a case of domestic discord fuelled by digital dismay, a woman from Noida filed a police complaint against her husband, not for violence or infidelity, but because household chores were allegedly hurting her Instagram career.
According to reports, Nisha, a social media enthusiast, was asked by her husband Vijendra to spend less time on Instagram and more on household responsibilities.
She complied, but tensions flared when she found herself too busy with utensils and dusting to post her usual two reels a day.
Feeling her influencer potential slipping, Nisha packed up and left for her parents' home in Hapur.
At the Women’s Police Station in Pilkhuwa, she told officers that her husband was sabotaging her social media growth by keeping her too busy with chores to create content.
In a plot twist, Vijendra countered with his complaint, claiming his wife was so hooked to Instagram that she barely managed household duties and, on bad follower days, even skipped cooking.
Police stepped in with counselling sessions, trying to settle what netizens are calling the most "2025 argument ever".
The couple remains apart for now, with Vijendra reportedly having lost his job during the domestic saga and now job-hunting.
As the Internet weighed in, one user joked: "Two Reels a day to keep the divorce away."
Bengal thief’s double life: Model neighbour by day, burglar by night
If you're good at your job, it shows in your lifestyle. So, when Amit Dutta’s neighbours saw him getting an upgrade, they knew he was skilled — they just didn’t know his skill level.
His secret to success? Crossing the Bhagirathi river every morning to areas in Uluberia, Rajapur, Bauria, and Panchla, posing as a ragpicker to look for targets, then breaking into their homes to steal cash and jewellery.
However, Howrah rural police, acting on a tip off, caught him red handed on the night of June 5. Since then, jail has become his new address.
Earlier, the 46-year-old family man lived in a three-storied palatial home with chandeliers, bathtub, gym equipment, air conditioners, expensive electronics in Nodakhali secured with CCTV surveillance to avoid thefts.
A helpful neighbour by day and a thief by night, Dutta tried every trick up his sleeve to mislead the police but eventually gave in. He claimed he regularly paid 'income tax' (the source being other people’s belongings).
The accused is currently in police custody, with investigations ongoing into his wide-ranging criminal activities across several regions.
