Home sales fell 6% in the July–September quarter, while Navi Mumbai recorded a 12% rise in demand.

The Dip

The housing market across India’s major cities saw a slowdown in the July–September quarter, but Navi Mumbai stood out with a rise in home sales.

According to a PropEquity report, housing sales across nine major cities fell by 6% year-on-year, with around 1.03 lakh homes sold during the quarter. Several major markets recorded a decline, including Pune, Chennai, Thane, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR.

Navi Mumbai, however, moved in the opposite direction. The city recorded a 12% increase in housing sales, with around 9,810 units sold, compared with 8,730 units during the same period last year. Hyderabad also reported an increase, while Bengaluru remained almost stable. The growth in Navi Mumbai comes despite the broader slowdown in the housing market.

New housing launches also declined during the quarter, indicating that developers are becoming more cautious about adding fresh inventory. Across the nine cities, about 98,165 new housing units were launched, lower than the previous year. Industry experts said the July–September period is generally affected by the monsoon, which can temporarily slow homebuying activity. The festive season from October onwards is expected to bring renewed interest from buyers, with developers likely to introduce new projects and promotional offers.

For Navi Mumbai, the rise in sales highlights continued demand for housing in the region, even as buyers in several other major cities remained more cautious.

Thousands of devotees bid an emotional farewell to Bappa as civic teams ensured smooth and safe immersion arrangements.

The Visarjans

Navi Mumbai witnessed a grand and emotional conclusion to the 10-day Ganeshotsav as 8,573 Ganesh idols were immersed across the city on Anant Chaturdashi.

The immersion process continued through the night and was completed at around 5:30 a.m., with devotees turning up in large numbers to bid farewell to Lord Ganesha. Despite the crowds, the arrangements helped the process continue smoothly.

According to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), the idols were immersed at 189 designated locations. These included 22 natural immersion sites and 156 artificial ponds. Of the total idols, 8,125 were household Ganesh idols, while 448 belonged to public Ganesh mandals. The civic body deployed lifeguards, volunteers, fire brigade personnel, medical teams and other staff at various locations. CCTV cameras, barricades, lighting, drinking water and first-aid facilities were also arranged to assist devotees.

The celebrations also saw citizens opting for more environmentally friendly practices. Around 1,420 Shadu clay idols were immersed, while artificial ponds helped reduce pressure on natural water bodies. NMMC workers also collected around 10.95 tonnes of nirmalya, including flowers and other offerings. The collected material was sent for composting instead of being dumped.

The peaceful conclusion of the immersion was made possible through the cooperation of devotees, volunteers and civic workers, bringing this year’s Ganeshotsav to a heartfelt close across Navi Mumbai.

Amol Sawant found the cash-filled bag in his rickshaw and handed it over to police, helping a 70-year-old passenger recover his money and documents.

The Honour

In a heartening example of honesty, an autorickshaw driver in Navi Mumbai returned a bag containing Rs 1.68 lakh in cash and important documents that a passenger had accidentally left behind in his vehicle.

The driver, 38-year-old Amol Ashok Sawant, noticed the red bag after dropping a passenger near the APMC Masala Market. Later, while checking his rickshaw at Vashi bus depot, he found the bag near the rear seat.

When Sawant opened it, he discovered a large amount of cash along with documents. Rather than keeping the valuables, he immediately informed the police and went to Vashi Police Station with his colleague Shivaji Gavhane.

Meanwhile, the passenger, 70-year-old Madhavji Lalji Bhanushali, had realised that his bag was missing and approached the police for help. After verifying the contents, the police returned the bag to him intact. Sawant’s honesty was appreciated by the Vashi police, who honoured him Rs 5000/- for his responsible act. His gesture has been praised as a reminder that small acts of honesty can make a big difference to someone facing a stressful situation.

The incident has also highlighted the important role that citizens can play in helping others and maintaining trust within the community.