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.

Heavy vehicles and ongoing infrastructure work slow traffic at one of Navi Mumbai’s busiest junctions.

The Jam

Traffic congestion at Kalamboli Junction has become a growing concern for motorists, with long queues and slow-moving traffic affecting commuters travelling through the area.

Kalamboli is an important connecting point for vehicles heading towards Mumbai, Pune, Panvel, JNPT and Uran. The junction handles a heavy mix of cars, buses and container trucks throughout the day. The increasing traffic volume has frequently resulted in delays, particularly during peak hours.

Ongoing infrastructure work around the junction has added to commuters’ difficulties. Diversions and changes in traffic movement have narrowed available routes in some stretches, making the daily journey more time-consuming.

For many commuters, a trip that normally takes a short time can now stretch considerably longer. Truck movement and vehicles merging from different directions further add to the pressure at the junction. Authorities are working on a major improvement project aimed at easing the situation. The plan includes flyovers, an underpass and a multi-level interchange that is expected to improve traffic movement and reduce dependence on signals once completed.

In the meantime, commuters are hoping for better traffic management and clearer diversions to reduce the daily inconvenience. With Kalamboli continuing to handle increasing traffic from several major highways, the junction remains a key focus for efforts to improve connectivity and ease congestion in 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.